Cries of the Wolf

by C. S. Harte

  Meomi had always felt different in some unknowable way since Gosi Prime. Whenever she looked in a mirror, she sensed a stranger’s eyes staring back at her. At first, Meomi attributed it to post-traumatic stress and the guilt of surviving when most of her company did not. As much as she had accepted the implausibility of her current journey, the notion of her resurrection was a bridge too far. “I want to believe you, but what you’re saying is too crazy.”

  Inoke scoffed. “Answer a question for me. How did you make it from this church, surrounded by hundreds of Mimics, to your escape shuttle?”

  “It’s so long ago. I can’t remember anymore.”

  “You died, Little Wolf,” he said with an edge. “Your body was left to rot. The Mimics made a grave mistake in marking you invaluable and not worthy of being infected and controlled. The cube reconstructed you, and you walked back to your shuttle.”

  As Inoke told the story of her rebirth, it triggered bits and pieces of memories inside her mind. She remembered waking and taking in a breath so large her lungs felt as though they were being torn apart. She remembered the dizziness and confusion as she stumbled back to the shuttle and how the colors of the world seemed off. “Can you explain the tattoos on my skin? Why are they constantly changing? Is that why I’ve been itching all the time?”

  “The resurrection cube not only brought you back to life, it also implanted you with Aogarian technology.” Inoke waved his hand across Meomi’s arm causing the symbols underneath to light up in sequence. “Much of their technology is embedded in their flesh — a trademark of their people. Within you, there is the ability to open and close gateways to pocket universes. The symbols are a map across the various universes. Your mind will eventually learn to make sense of the Aogarian language.”

  “Why haven’t I seen it on my body before?”

  “It is understandable for you to have so many questions.” Inoke smirked. “Aogarian physiology is very much different from human physiology. I must remind you that you are the first human to be successfully embedded with Aogarian technology and I suspect there to be... compatibility issues.”

  Meomi opened her mouth to ask more questions, but Inoke stopped her.

  “I must cut our conversation short. Time is a constant stream which even I cannot stop.” Inoke held out his left hand. A holographic projection floated above his palm, showing a top-down view of the battle between the 5th Navy and the Mimic invading force.

  “Is that…” Her eyes widened.

  Inoke nodded. “Lions versus lambs.”

  Meomi watched as the first wave of Fleet ships crashed into the Mimic vanguards. “No… Why are we sending the light cruisers first?”

  “Humanity is nearing its final hour.” Inoke held out his right hand. Another projection appeared with a view of the Cerberus being chased and fired upon by six other warships.

  “My ship!” She gasped. “They’re still alive! And in trouble…” Meomi pleaded with her eyes. “We have to save them!”

  “They were exiled to another pocket universe.”

  “But we can bring them back, right?” She leaned in close to the projection of her ship. “Teach me how to open gateways like you said. I can help the Cerberus and warn Fleet!”

  “No, Little Wolf.” Inoke closed his hands, ending the projections. “Time is the mechanism of consequence. It is how our choices in life have meaning. You only ever have but enough time for one pathway. Save the 5th Navy or your crew on the Cerberus. Which do you choose?”

  28

  Meomi stopped breathing. Her heart stuttered for a moment that lasted entirely too long. She opened her lips only to close them again, holding off an impossible decision between the ones most dear to her and the fate of the millions that comprised the 5th Navy. Meomi was frozen, trapped in fear of making the wrong decision. She looked away and crossed her arms. “You can’t ask that of me. I refuse.”

  “Each moment you delay, more of your kind will perish,” said Inoke with his lips pressed tight. “It is a rare occurrence in history that one decision has such grand ramifications on multiple universes.”

  “I really didn’t need any extra pressure," she said with a heavy sigh. “Help me understand something.” Meomi held out her hands. “Why can’t I open a portal to the Cerberus and then open another one to my universe?”

  “The black pyramid from which you entered…”

  “Yes,” Meomi nodded. “I know what you’re talking about.”

  “The Aorgars refer to those structures as anchors because they normalize the shifts between universes. This allows for the creation of rifts, or stable portals. With anchors, you can open rifts to any point in any universe. Without them, you are limited in how and where you open a rift and what you may take with you.” Inoke frowned as he continued his explanation. “Mimic forces are destroying anchors in every universe, systematically eliminating pathways of escape.”

  Meomi rubbed the back of her neck. “How many anchors are left?”

  “I do not know.” Inoke looked away. “I suspect few still stand.”

  “You said I have Aorgarian tech in me, including the ability to open rifts.” Meomi clutched her chest. “Is there no way to save my crew and the 5th Navy?”

  “You neither have the time nor the understanding of Aorgarian rift technology to accomplish both feats.” Inoke shook his head. “I can open one rift for you to one universe. You must decide where this rift will go.”

  “Help me understand how to use Aorgarian rift technology or teach me how to read Aorgarian iconography.” Meomi held her hands together. “Please, is there any way to save my crew? Or at the very least, join them once I help the 5th Navy?”

  “I can sense the pain in your heart. Time is not on your side. You are the first human to have ever bonded with Aorgar technology. There will undoubtedly be unforeseen limitations on your usage of it.”

  Meomi pinched her lips together, holding in a scream. She would do anything to avoid the decision before her. It was an impossible choice, anyway. No matter the outcome, Meomi knew she would regret not going with the other option. “There has to be a compromise, a way to save both…”

  “Inaction is already the middle path.” Inoke’s eyes changed to a crimson red. “By choosing neither, you doom everyone you intend to save. With each passing second, the odds of survival drop for both the 5th Navy and for your crew on the Cerberus.”

  “How can Mimics be this far ahead of us?” Meomi sneered. “How do they know to destroy anchors in every universe?”

  “A very intelligent question, Little Wolf.” Inoke's eyes flashed white. “I always suspected Mimics to have very formidable allies. Now, I believe Mimics are merely pawns played by an unknown guiding hand.”

  “Wait, there are things more powerful than Mimics?” Meomi raised her eyebrows.

  “In every war, there are leaders who instruct generals who command officers who direct soldiers. Follow the chain long enough until the end, and you will understand the motivation for war. I do not see motivation in the eyes of Mimics, only an insatiable hunger. They are pawns like you and I. You must always ask yourself, 'whose hand controls the king?' When a war is waged on a large enough scale, the hand is often and easily masked from view.”

  “If Mimics are just pawns I can't imagine who the more powerful enemies could be?” Meomi eyes widened.

  Inoke nodded. “Wars are never started by soldiers in the battlefield. They begin as a whim, a capricious impulse, that becomes a cry by those who seek power.”

  “Say I help the 5th Navy over my crewmates, how do I convince the rest of the Fleet Captains about the Mimic infiltration. Can you return with me? To show the rest of Fleet and deliver your evidence?”

  “I’m afraid that is not possible.” Inoke shook his head. “Remember you will enter the battle at its most chaotic point. Even if the truth was spoken from my lips, they might not have the ears to listen.”

  “What about the other Fleet Officers?” Meomi’s eyes brightened. �
�Mimics have thousands of high-ranking officers in their prisons. If I can free them, they can help me convince the captains of the 5th Navy, right?”

  “Time is not on your side, Little Wolf,” he said while tilting his head. “I see no permutation of fate that would allow you to help your imprisoned officers and save your armada.”

  Meomi threw her hands up. “Then, I might as well be with the Cerberus because I don’t know how to convince thousands of ships and their captains to stop fighting in the middle of a battle.”

  “You would need irrefutable evidence delivered by a grand gesture."

  “OK, such as?”

  Inoke tapped his chin. “Kill your Fleet Marshall, Mathias Klopp, in front of all to see.”

  “I can’t tell if you’re serious.” Meomi stared at Inoke. “That’s certainly a grand gesture — I’ll give you that. But why would I do something as insane as kill a Fleet Marshall?”

  “He is a wraith.” Inoke’s eyes opened wide. “A wraith is a Mimic that can take on the living form of another species. They are truly one of the most insidious types of Mimics. Unlike reapers which share a collective hive mind, wraiths have the ability of independent thought. They are sharp and cunning, often with a singular mission of sowing discord in their target species.”

  Meomi sagged her shoulders. “The Fleet Marshall is a… Mimic?”

  “It amazes me humans accepted him as your supreme commander without verifying his identity and background.” Inoke grinned. “In that way, you are not unlike reapers. You follow orders too blindly. It is both a strength and weakness of your species.”

  “Is Mathias Klopp the Mimic King you spoke of earlier?”

  “No, wraiths are like your Fleet Captains.” Inoke sighed. “The true Mimic leaders have yet to reveal their faces. Even after millions of years…”

  “So you want me to go to the Fleet Marshall of the 5th Navy and what, just kill him?” Meomi scoffed.

  “The only way to kill a wraith is to cut off its head.” Inoke gestured a slashing motion through his neck. “His body will lose its cohesion and liquify into a black sludge.”

  “Of course.” She threw up her hands. “That makes sense. Walk up to the Fleet Marshall with a knife and decapitate him.” Meomi groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Do you know how crazy this sounds?”

  “Cutting off the head of a wraith may seem like an extreme measure, but I assure you, these are extreme times. Mimics will not show your kind the same compassion you may offer.” Inoke wrinkled his brow. “They are not deserving of mercy because they are incapable…”

  “Trust me, I have no issues killing Mimics.”

  “Then I am at a loss understanding your hesitation. Your species is on the verge of annihilation. There is but a slim chance of saving humanity. Yet, you cannot decide.”

  “The stories you told me — it’s impressive.” Meomi clapped. “One wild story after another, each crazier than the last. And you end it by telling me I need to decapitate my Fleet Marshall in front of all the other Fleet Captains. I don’t even know who or what you are. How can I believe anything you say?”

  “I do not envy your position, Little Wolf.” Inoke’s lips drooped into a frown. “It’s an oddity to be sure, but I see this repeated often.”

  “What is?” She raised her eyebrows.

  “The greatest moments, on the grandest stage of history, the outcome is often determined by the slightest of events by the smallest of actors.” He sighed. “Already I have witnessed the life and death cycle of countless races, including my own.” He looked away for a moment before returning his attention to Meomi. “There is still time for you yet. But you must decide now. Already your 5th Navy has lost a quarter of its ships.”

  When Meomi took her Oath of Captain, she swore to protect the lives of her 200 crewmates no matter the cost, even if the price was her own life. If it were as simple as trading her life for theirs, she would have gladly done so. But Meomi also swore an oath to Fleet, the same oath she took as a space marine, to protect the lives of the citizens of the Commonwealth.

  Two hundred lives she came to know and love as her family versus the lives of two million sailors part of the 5th Navy and the lives of two hundred billion in the Milky Way Galaxy. The decision, on an analytical level, was evident to Meomi even if her heart felt otherwise.

  She wished her First Officer, Commander Keven Rhyne was there to counsel her. They made a great team, outsmarting all the pirates and smugglers in their tiny corner of the universe. Meomi missed his hyper-rational mind and his ability to consider every angle for the best possible outcome.

  Staring at Meomi were two paths. Both, far less than optimal. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry… Take care of the crew, Keven… I won’t give up on you and the Cerberus.”

  Inoke nodded. “When you wake, your mind will leave this mental construct and rejoin your body on Caelora. You will remember everything from this conversation. The anchor doors will be open, the protective barrier will be down, and the rift will be open for a short time. Stepping inside will lead you directly onto the CMS Harbinger, the flagship of your 5th Navy where you will find your Fleet Marshall, Mathias Klopp, on the bridge. You must cut off his head. Is anything unclear to you?”

  “I understand everything.”

  Inoke placed one hand on Meomi’s shoulder and snapped his fingers with the other.

  Meomi woke to the sound of weapons' fire with a nausea-inducing headache. Panicked voices screamed over her suit comm. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the HUD display on her visor. Hundreds of red dots on her mini-map sped toward three blue ones. “What’s happening?”

  Thorne, Rayfin, and Bast hid behind a large rock formation one-quarter kilometer away from the pyramid, firing their weapons into the surge of Calfars heading their way.

  “Captain Hana!” Rayfin yelled. “We thought you died!”

  “Technically, I did,” she said with a groggy voice.

  “WHAT?” Rayfin screamed.

  “It’s a long story, Ray.”

  “I take it we have you to thank for opening the pyramid?” Thorne asked.

  “The Aorgars call it an anchor, and yes the rift — I mean portal is open now.”

  “If I may interrupt,” Bast said. “I believe we have less than two minutes before the Calfars will reach our position at which point we would be greatly overwhelmed."

  “Is the shield down too?” Thorne asked.

  “It should be,” Meomi answered.

  “As much as I’ve enjoyed my time on this planet, I’m ready to leave,” Rayfin said.

  The team continued to fire as they backpedaled toward the now open entrance behind them.

  Meomi sprinted up the ramp and provided cover fire while the rest of her squad made their way to her. “Hurry up, everyone!”

  Rayfin was the first to join Meomi. “So um, we just walk into that blue sphere thingy? It looks like the same one we saw at the alien base on Dressa…”

  “Yes,” Meomi said. “It’s a rift into another pocket universe. Ours, hopefully.”

  “Well, here goes nothing!” Rayfin jumped inside the glowing blue sphere.

  “Bast and I are right behind you, Meomi!” Thorne yelled. “Don’t wait for us, go inside!”

  “Shut up and hurry!” Meomi waved at her squadmates. “We don’t have all day!”

  “That’s an order, Captain Hana! Go in now! We need you to secure the other side.”

  Meomi gritted her teeth. She wanted to wait for Thorne and Bast, but Thorne had a point. Rayfin needed help securing the other end if they indeed landed in a hostile situation. “Fine, you both better make it.” Meomi retreated into the rift. As her body was being pulled away by the portal, right before the world transitioned into streaks of light, she watched in horror as a Calfar burst out of the sand next to Thorne.

  29

  Dozens of Calfars shot out of the sand, forming a barrier between Thorne and the portal off Caelora. Soon every squar
e meter of desert around him filled with horrific creatures he had no hope of surviving against.

  A leathery hand reached out from underneath Thorne’s feet, pulling him off balance. He fell flat on his stomach and grunted as air forcibly departed his lungs. His eyes darted to the glowing blue orb of light less than 25 meters in front of him. Escape. Freedom. Safety. 20 more steps until he was free from this nightmarish planet engorged with monsters and predators.

  The portal pulsated in intensity, calling to Thorne, spurning him to not give up — to push through the constant grueling exhaustion of running and surviving one grim encounter after another, with little to no rest since they arrived on Caelora.

  Instead, Thorne’s body sank deeper into the sand. He fought with every ounce of remaining strength to haul himself out, but every effort only dragged him deeper. A painful lump caught in his throat. At any moment, the portal would close, leaving him trapped on this hellish planet forever.

  “I have you," Bast said as his gray-gloved hand wrapped around Thorne’s wrist.

  Thorne craned his neck to see Bast using his thrusters to hover over him. “Thank you,” he said with a long exhale.

  Bast pulled Thorne out of the sand and carried him into the sky.

  “I’m glad you’re still here,” Thorne said. “Let’s get out of here before the portal closes.”

  “There’s been a change of plans,” Bast said in a flat tone.

  Thorne scrunched his face. “Change of plans? What are you talking about?”

  “I’m sorry it had to be this way.” Bast changed course and flew into the heart of the Calfar swarm.

  “Wait. Stop.” Thorne squirmed and fought to break Bast’s grip. “No! You’re heading the wrong way.”

  “Please stop resisting, Captain.” He squeezed Thorne’s wrist harder. “Follow my instructions, and they might not kill you.”

  “Traitor!” Thorne landed several punches to Bast’s midsection. “Why? Why would you betray us? Why would you betray your own kind?”