by J Porteous
An invisible fist punched him in his gut. 'What? How near?'
'Less than a light year away, ex-serviceman Goban.' There was a slight pause. 'Update. The anomaly has now closed. I'm tracking an object heading towards the Winter Dawn. A ship. Nothing that registers on my ship database.'
Carl glanced up at Bjarke, a fierce grin spreading over the man's face. 'We need to get down to the docking bay,' Carl said. 'We need to warn the others.'
'We'll be ready for them this time,' Bjarke growled. He grabbed Carl by the arm, almost pulling it out of joint. 'Come on, no time to waste.'
Bjarke was surprisingly fast for his size. Carl struggled to keep up with his large bounds as they made their way through the wide corridors of the Winter Dawn, grabbing whoever was available on the way. Within minutes, an assembled crew of thirty or so mercenaries were advancing towards the docking bay. 'Arrathnar?' Carl said into his intercom, sucking in ragged breaths where he could. 'Nelson has picked up a ship heading this way. Kalindros.'
'What? Are you sure?' Her voice was full of fear.
'Yes,' Carl said. 'Heading to the docking bay now.'
Carl burst out of the corridor and into the docking bay, feeling even more insignificant now he stood in the middle of the large room. Bjarke turned to him and offered his sidearm. Carl shook his head and reached to his holster, his fingers finding his father's hand cannon. His heart pounded against his rib cage and fought with his ear drums. I might die, but the least I can do is pile a few shots into the bastards first.
Arrathnar charged through the door way, grabbing Carl's wrist as he flexed his weapon. 'Hold fire.'
'What?' Carl wrestled his arm free. 'Why?'
Arrathnar did not answer, but instead climbed a nearby loading arm. 'Stand down!' she yelled out across the room. The sizable crowd that spread out before her looked up in confusion. 'Stand down!' she repeated. 'Do not fire on the ship as it enters.'
Carl grabbed Arrathnar as she clambered down from the loading arm. 'What are you doing? You know what they are capable of. We need everyone ready to lay down fire.'
Arrathnar returned his glare. 'Carl, trust me. The ship hailed our comm channels asking us not to fire. They spoke as you do, not as a Kalindros.'
'We know how deceptive they are,' Carl said. 'I don't think-'
'This is our ship,' Arrathnar hissed, pulling Carl in closer. She stopped for a moment, shocked at her own actions. 'This is the way we run things. You will do well to remember that.'
Carl glared back, unsure how to respond to her outburst. Her pheromones spread over him again, softening his vitriol. 'Fine,' he said, eventually. 'But if anything happens-'
She let go of his arm. 'If anything happens,' she said. 'Feel free to put a slug in my head before you do the same to them.'
Carl held her gaze briefly, then let his eyes drop. 'As you say.'
The crowd stood waiting in silence, wanting, with feverish anticipation, to see this curiosity which drifted towards them. Many still shouldered sidearms. Arrathnar shouted them down, threatening to confiscate their weapons and leave them defenseless. Most chose to holster their weapons, albeit begrudgingly.
The docking bay alarm sounded. The heartbeat that pounded Carl's eardrums increased in rate, threatening to deafen him. His fingers twitched near his hand cannon, ready to pounce on the weapon if needed.
A ship slowly emerged from the darkness of space and into the bright lights of the docking bay. The ship was not what he had expected. What looked like it had once been a grand ship had now become a battered and unloved hulk of metal. What was previously shiny now carried a heavy tarnish, and what should have been beautifully curved corners had been reshaped, dents morphing it far beyond its original design.
The ship hovered over the landing bay, its engine spluttering as it slowed and descended. Carl pushed his way to the front of the crowd. If they are going to open fire, he thought, I want to at least look them in the eye as it happens. His hand involuntarily wrapped around the grip of his hand cannon. He laid a careful eye on Arrathnar, but her face was transfixed on the ship in front of them.
The ship shuddered as it collapsed onto the floor of the bay. A deep hiss sounded as the battered loading ramp groaned its way to the floor, the staccato strobe of a light intermittently flashing the ground in front of it. Complete silence fell over the docking bay. The atmosphere of fear and nerves wrapped around Carl, crushing what air there was in his lungs.
Carl heard footsteps, quiet and haphazard, coming from within. They were nothing like the heavy footsteps he had heard when the Kalindros had boarded the War Goddess. A long shadow flashed down the ramp as whatever creature was inside slowly made its way towards them. Carl strained, trying to reveal the details of the creature before it emerged from the darkness, but to no avail. His eyes widened as light finally spilled over the figure, filling in the missing details.
A ragged creature stumbled out into the light. Loose clothing hung from its slight frame, bones protruding enough that they almost broke through pale, porcelain skin. The creature raised its head slowly, eyes squinting as it looked out of the ship and into the harsh lighting of the hangar.
The face was that of a human, but its body was not as recognisable. It held the same bipedal form of a human, but its limbs looked painfully elongated, its thin arms easily twice as long as they should be. The wretched being dropped to their knees, mouth silently crying out.
Movement flashed at the peripheral of Carl's vision. Arrathnar ran towards the creature. Something flickered inside of Carl, causing him to bound after her. She wrapped her arms around the creature, supporting its fragile frame as it slowly fell to the floor. Its mouth moved, a gaping chasm of broken teeth and rot, but no words escaped. Carl crouched beside both of them. 'Come on,' he said. 'Let's get down to medical.'
They picked the creature up with little trouble, its body weighing next to nothing. A terrible stench rose from the emaciated form, a heavy scent of stale sweat and blood. Carl caught Bjarke passing him, leading a group of mercenaries towards the ship.
'Don't want any nasty surprises,' Bjarke called towards him. He shouldered his weapon and advanced towards the ship.
Carl wished him luck with a silent nod.
'Glad we didn't shoot them now, Carl?' Arrathnar muttered, as they carried the weak form through the gawking crowd.
Carl looked over the limp body that dangled between himself and Arrathnar. 'Let's see what its got to say first.'
A group of Harathdans rushed towards them, dressed in the brilliant white robes of their medical staff. 'We will take it from here,' one of the them said. His black eyes stared at the creature with a deep curiosity. 'What are you?' he muttered, as his staff carefully took a limb each while another supported the creatures head. He watched as his staff carried the creature away. He turned back to Arrathnar. 'This is unprecedented, High Researcher Arrathnar,' he said. 'The prophecy, it is confirmed.'
Arrathnar nodded. 'It is indeed, Medica Salz. I'm counting on you and your Medica team to ensure that it lives. We need every piece of knowledge it knows.'
Medica Salz nodded. 'Of course, High Researcher.' He gave a slight bow and rushed after his team who had already vanished beyond the doors to the infirmary.
Carl sat opposite Arrathnar in the waiting room of the medical bay. Two hours had passed since the life-form had been taken into the emergency procedure room in an attempt to stabilise it. Those two hours felt like a lifetime, made even more arduous by the veil of silence which had fallen over the pair of them. The noises from within the emergency procedure room had gradually become less frantic and panicked, now it was just the occasional lowered voice they heard.
'Thank you,' Arrathnar said, her dark eyes fixing upon Carl.
'Thank you?' Carl stuttered, attempting to find words in the silence. 'For what?'
'For trusting me. For standing down earlier,' she said, offering a small smile. 'I understand it must have been hard for you. Especially after what happened on the
New England.'
Something was different about the way she spoke, something that Carl struggled to put his finger on. 'My issue is with the Kalindros,' Carl said. 'Not with that...thing.'
'And what about your friend, Rix?' Her eyes watched Carl carefully.
His nerves flared at the mention of her name, his hand gripping into the arm of his chair without him noticing. 'It wasn't her I have fault with,' Carl said, partially in an attempt to remind himself who the real enemy was. 'She was promised something in return, something that was hard to turn down.'
'Something she should have turned down.'
He realised Arrathnar was watching his knuckles whiten as his hand gripped the chair, and loosened them in a moment of self-consciousness. 'Make no mistake,' he said, leaning forward in his chair. 'The Kalindros, they have taken everything from me. I intend to make them pay tenfold.' He paused, glancing down at his now clenched fists. 'If it kills me, it kills me.'
Arrathnar placed her hand gently on his, his fists slowly uncurling at her touch. 'Do not be so quick to chase your ghosts, Carl, or you may become one yourself.' Her dark eyes held him in place. ' We live in a harsh and unforgiving world, but if you scratch just beneath the filthy surface, and choose the right place, you will find there is still beauty worth living for.'
It snapped into place. 'Your voice,' Carl said. 'It's different. It's...softer?'
She smiled, almost sheepishly. 'Yes, I suppose you are right.' She leaned back in her chair and regarded him. 'Our voices only convey emotion to those we feel close to. That is mainly why our kind are considered so aloof. It is simply our nature. It is not often that any of us become close with anyone outside of our own species.'
Carl breathed a nervous laugh. 'I'm honoured.'
Arrathnar laughed in return. Her smile quickly diminished, her face becoming grave. 'After everything you have faced. Rix. The New England. Your whole world being turned upside down.' She leaned forward and gripped his hand again. 'These are things that would have crushed a lesser man. Yet you are still here. You still stand and face the unknown willingly. Many others would have fallen to the wayside by this point. You have not.'
Her hand felt oddly cool against his skin. A small smile found him, his muscles relaxing. It was a strange feeling. Must be those pheromones Hawke warned me about. 'I'm not the only one here,' he said, shaking himself from his stupor. 'Every active mercenary in the universe is heading here to face the Kalindros as well. We are hardly alone.'
Arrathnar shook her head. 'They are coming here for a Council gathering. You know the true threat we face. You do not know that they will stand with you. You know there is a risk that you may end up facing this foe alone. A foe that we have never seen the likes of before.'
'I have the crew,' Carl said defiantly. 'I am not alone.'
She nodded at that sentiment. 'You have others too,' she said quietly. She pulled her hand away from Carl and smiled softly. 'Remember, Carl, you have not lost everything. Not yet.'
The door of the emergency procedure room swung open, an exhausted looking Medica Salz staggering out. His once white robes were now stained with splatters of dried blood and vomit. 'The life-form is stable,' he said proudly, running an arm across his brow.
Arrathnar stood swiftly. 'What was wrong with it?'
'Where shall I start?' he said. 'He is severely starved, and, judging from the erratic nature of his bone structure, his arms and legs have been broken and reset more times than I dare guess.' He looked back, making sure the door was shut firmly. 'If I am honest with you, High Researcher, I am not sure how he is still alive. His life signs are extremely weak, I will be surprised if he lives another twenty four hour cycle.'
'A he?' Arrathnar asked. 'Are you sure?'
Medica Salz nodded. 'Yes,' replied. His eyes passed over to Carl. 'Our initial physiology scans show that he is very closely related to Humans. Give or take some chromosomal abnormalities and DNA edits.' His eyes flicked back to Arrathnar. 'But do not waste this time asking me questions, direct more important ones to him. He is stable and alive. I advise you get what you need before the opportunity passes.'
Carl stood and looked at Arrathnar. 'What are we waiting for?'
The creature was sprawled out in a hastily modified medical bed, two joined in succession to accommodate his lengthened limbs. His eyes followed them slowly as they entered the room, his shallow breath barely lifting the thin white sheet that covered him. 'You are the ones I am to speak to?' he said, his voice fighting to rise above a whisper. His eyes fell on Carl, a thin smile ghosting over his lips. 'I'd forgotten what we should look like.'
Carl creased his brow. 'We?' he asked. 'What do you mean we?' He grabbed a seat and pulled it close to the bed. 'Are you...us?'
The creature wheezed heavily. 'Are we truly that unrecognisable?' His head turned to Arrathnar, a pained expression crossing his face. 'You have found them, have you not? Surely you would not know to look for the stones otherwise?'
'The etchings...' Arrathnar murmured with widened eyes.
'If that is what you wish to call them,' the creature said. 'Do you have them? The stones. All of them?'
Arrathnar shook her head. 'Almost. We need one more.'
'Wait a minute,' Carl said abruptly. 'What did you mean by we? And how do you know about the etchings?'
The faded smile returned to the creature's lips as he turned to Carl. 'I am old. Much older than you could possibly imagine. I come from a time when Earth was still humanity's home, long before anything remembered now.'
'No,' Carl said, shaking his head. 'That isn't possible.'
'You have seen them yourself,' the creature said. 'And you are saying that what I say is impossible?' Coughs wracked the creature, his weak form shuddering violently. 'They came looking for us. For a sample, as they call us, to take back with them. To enslave us to their own ends.'
'That is impossible,' Arrathnar said. 'We would have noticed.'
'This is long before you discovered our fledgling race,' the creature groaned. 'They came suddenly and quietly from the endless darkness of the night sky, they came and took what they wanted. We watched them and noted what we could with what we had, before we were taken. They took us and our recordings, the etchings. They thought them worthless. We convinced them that they were simple stories, nothing more, and they cast them out into the void before we left.'
'Left for where?' Carl asked, leaning in closer to catch the creature's soft voice.
The creature rolled his head awkwardly towards Carl. 'Their central domain. Their universe.'
The confirmation hit Carl like a hull buster. He sat back, reeling at the creature's words. 'So it's true then?' he muttered. 'A Multiverse?'
'Yes,' the creature whispered. 'Endless amounts, more than you could ever possibly imagine.'
Arrathnar placed a soft hand on the creature. 'Tell us, what do they want? We must know.'
'What do they want?' the creature repeated, without taking his eyes from Carl. 'All universes must end, yes? Heat death. It is inevitable for us all. Not for them.'
'How?' Arrathnar said incredulously. 'That is impossible.'
'Not impossible; improbable.' The creature looked towards her. 'They use some universes for the building blocks of stars. They will starve your universe of hydrogen and helium, among other elements. They will use it in their universe to construct more stars. They move from universe to universe, sucking in what elements they need, leaving them bare and lifeless in their wake. Their universe is infinite unless they are stopped.' Another harsh and violent cough erupted from the creature. 'Others they use for slaves, this universe being one of them. They have returned to take more organisms and, once they have had their fill, they will drain this universe of its building blocks too.'
Carl shook his head, barely believing what he was hearing. This must be some kind of bad dream. He sat still for a moment, willing himself to wake to no avail. He looked back at the man. 'What if we cannot stop them?'
The creatur
e stared at him for a moment. 'Then you too shall perish, like the countless others before you. Death beyond measure. Without the heat of any star, the universe will freeze. Time itself will not exist. You would become more than dead, you would become nothing.'
Carl sat in horrified silence, simply staring back into the glazed expression looking back at him. 'And what do they want with you?'
'They look for organisms that are easy to modify,' he said plainly. 'They stripped their own universe barren in the search for star fuel and now they quest for others to complete their manual work for them, since all other species native to their universe were consigned to extinction.' Another coughing fit wracked the creature's weak frame. 'There are others there. Other species you would never recognise. Others that are also easy to modify, to bend to their will. They change our fundamental structures, all the way down to our cells. We are designed to simply complete the tasks we are set. We are molded into the tool for the job needed.'
Something isn't right, Carl thought to himself. He narrowed his eyes. 'Perhaps you could explain how you could get here, in that case.'
'Resistance,' the creature muttered, with his ghost of a smile. 'One thing that is universal to all organisms is the will to resist.' He reached a long and sickly arm from under the flimsy sheet that covered him and reached behind his head. He revealed something buried in the skin, a small nodule that perforated the surface of the skin. 'They tap into our thoughts and command us,' he said. 'They know our minds, inside and out. Some of us have learned to trick these devices, separating our actions from our thoughts. Those who can do this, and have the will, resist.' The grin that he managed quickly became a grimace.
Arrathnar leaned over the creature. 'Please. We need to know how to stop them.'
The creature groaned in pain. 'You have the stones, you only miss one. You are close. You must unite them.'
'And what happens then?'
'A white-hole,' he said, with a pained sigh. 'It is a gateway, either to this universe or from it. You must ensure you construct it carefully. One wrong dimension and it will bring them through. Not just one ship, an armada.'
