The ship rattled violently while deep in the stern, something heavy crashed to the floor. They broke through the cloud cover and into the starry sky, continuing their ascent until they reached the upper limits of the atmosphere when Ray reached over to the console and shut off the engines. The sound of machinery was replaced by an eerie silence as the ship hurtled into space.
The rattling gradually faded away as they drifted into a higher orbit, but the air inside was thinning and becoming difficult to breathe.
Breeze felt dazed and his head began to nod when he heard Achilles over the intercom ordering them to reach for the oxygen masks that had dropped down from the compartments above. Breeze limply reached for his when the wail of alarms suddenly filled the ship.
Flashes of light began to erupt throughout the cabin and the rattling returned. Sensing he was about to pass out, he lunged for his mask and took in deep gulps of air.
The flashes of light were soon replaced by an energy that flowed through the ship. Breeze watched as it enveloped the hull and filled the bulkheads all the while pulsating like a beating heart. The squeaks and rattles soon faded away as the ship glided through space and their bodies become weightless.
It’s the light wave coming to life, Breeze thought to himself.
“We did it! We did it!” Ray shouted over the intercom.
Breeze looked over at Sally as she breathed into her mask. He laughed and pointed at her head. “Bad hair day?”
Sally narrowed her eyes as she reached up and felt her head and realized her long hair was flowing straight up in the weightlessness of space. She shrieked and tossed the mask aside as she rushed to put her hair into a pony tail.
Breeze unbuckled from his harness and floated up effortlessly, then pushed off his seat and glided across the cabin to the pilot house.
“Breeze, be careful!” Sally called out to him.
“How do we look?” he asked as he drifted through the pilot house and into the cockpit.
Achilles waved a hand across the console. “According to the instruments, we have achieved low Earth orbit. The Phaerion light wave has meshed perfectly with the ship, and there is no indication we have been detected by the orbiting platforms. Conclusion: the shielding is functioning within parameters.”
Breeze nodded as he gazed at an enormous orbiting platform that loomed through the windscreen. It was a black metal cylinder with rings encircling it in equal segments. He estimated the length to be a thousand times that of their scout ship, with a diameter of two thousand feet. Though no light emanated from the platform, the sight of it instilled intimidation and fear as it drifted in the darkness space with only the sunlight barely reflecting off its nebulous black metal skin. “Is that the one we have to break into?” he asked with a slight quaver in his voice.
“No,” Achilles replied, and pointed to the faint outline of a cylinder far off in the distance. “According to the Phaerion, Oslo is being kept inside that one. In the interim, we must drift past all of these.” It nodded ahead at the array of platforms they had to skulk past in between.
They spent the next several minutes silently drifting past platform after platform, each one more menacing and larger than the other. And though they seemed to be either abandoned or dormant, they still inspired fear.
Sally floated into the cockpit and gasped as the ship glided uncomfortably close to a platform. Its imposing presence loomed over them as they gazed at it through the overhead canopy. Lights could be seen blinking around it at random, and several windows were illuminated when a figure suddenly appeared in one and stared in their direction for moment before casually turning away and disappearing.
“Still no detection,” Achilles said quietly. Suddenly, proximity alarms wailed throughout the cockpit. A shuttle shaped like an arrow and dark gray in color was crossing their path as it traveled to the platform and disappeared into it. They all jumped as the proximity alarms blared again when another shuttle passed dangerously close to the scout ship and also glided into the platform.
“This shielding the Phaerion gave us is working a little too well,” Ray said as he silenced the alarm. “It’s a miracle those shuttles didn’t ram into us.”
“It appears we are leaving the heavily trafficked lanes and approaching our target,” Achilles announced as it pointed at a platform looming ahead.
“Is it just me, or is it the biggest one yet?” Breeze said.
Oslo awakened to the sound of his name being called. He opened his eyes to gaze wearily at his surroundings. The environment was dark and poorly lit. He struggled to move his hands so he could scratch his face, when he realized they were bound. He raised his head feebly to take in his surroundings and saw nothing but machinery humming with electrical power.
Someone approached and his blurred vision picked out a shape of an imposing figure gliding to a stop mere inches from his face.
“Hello, Oslo,” the figure said.
He recoiled at the voice. It was one he hadn’t heard in ages and his mind was soon flooded by a wave of memories that had long remained dormant. “Bram?”
“Yes, of course. Who else could pull this off?” Bram said with a hint of amusement.
Oslo cursed and shook his head in a vain attempt to clear his vision. “I…I don’t understand. What’s happening? What is the meaning of all of this? How…when did you get back?”
Bram appeared corporeal for a moment before turning translucent while his body flickered with spurts of light. “So many questions, so many answers to give. You never really understood the true meaning of everything you’ve ever encountered, Oslo. You were always out of your depth.” He shook his head. “My good friend, Oslo: the student who became a teacher, but never really mastered anything. I see you’ve put together a team of children to try and undo everything the Elephim have accomplished. Pathetic, even by your standards.”
“Bram, what’s going on? What are you doing?”
“This is a trap!” Bram roared at him. “Are you truly this dense?”
While Oslo struggled with his restraints, his mind was becoming clearer as the fog of confusion wore off. “Bram, what’s the matter? What’s this all about?”
“It’s about waking up my old friend, and understanding whose side to be on. It’s about knowing once and for all which path to take and understanding your own destiny. Do you remember that day I disappeared and never returned? The fateful day when I projected into deep space to get to the source of the chaos affecting Earth and retrieve the answers to our questions? Who were the Elephim? How did they subjugate us? How did they do it so easily? We were so young then, yet so sure of ourselves that we could get the answers.” Bram chuckled and nodded his head. “Yes, I was able to get answers.” The smile disappeared from his face as his eyes narrowed. “My final day on Earth, you and Raza were there to see me off. Raza…,” his voice trailed off to a whisper, “has she grown old and weak, much like you?”
Bram abruptly turned to look at a console in the center of the room as a vid-screen was warbling and flashing urgently. He quickly glided over to it.
“Oslo, Oslo, Oslo,” he chided, “you should see your useless rescue team.” He punched a series of commands into the console and a holographic projection hovered before them.
“What do we have here but an ancient scrap heap of a scout ship wrapped in light wave? Oh my, we are really pushing it. It appears we’ve reached out to the Phaerion. How did you manage to pull that off?” He waved a hand. “Don’t bother to answer, it makes no difference,” he laughed harshly, then turned to look at the console and was awestruck by what he saw.
“Well, your projector is more advanced that I thought. Is she bringing a passenger along?”
The platform they were to break into loomed above them in complete darkness. It was an imposing structure, the biggest of all the cylindrical platforms they had drifted
past. It orbited alone and far from the others. It had the appearance of an abandoned structure as there were no lights glowing from the windows and no shuttles approaching or exiting from its interior.
“Why do I get the feeling it’s being made to look defenseless on purpose?” Ray said.
“That is what Sally will ascertain.” Achilles turned to her. “Mistress, are you prepared for your mission?”
“Can’t we just use the sensors?” she said. The fear was palpable in her voice.
“Negative. Sensor sweeps can be detected and trigger an alert. That is why your skills are imperative,” Achilles replied.
Sally shook her head and trembled with anxiety.
Achilles persisted. “Sally, you must step up and perform your duty—”
Breeze waved the robot off as he stepped in and cradled her face. “I will be here for you. Hold my hand, we can go in together. You did it before, you can do it again.”
She nodded and sniffled while wiping the tears from her face, then sat down in the jump seat behind Ray and Breeze settled in next to her.
Achilles knelt beside them. “This does alter our plans considerably, but we shall compensate. Sally, the two of you must carefully make your way through the complex. Do not move too quickly or make any sharp or sudden moves. From my console I will jam any sensors they may have, but I can only do so much. I shall have Ray steer the ship close to the platform so you will not have to project too far. Locate Oslo with great haste, but with caution so you may retract to your respective bodies quickly. Only then may we execute our rescue and retreat to Earth.”
Sally nodded and looked at Breeze.
He squeezed her hand. “We can do this.”
She settled back and closed her eyes. “Let’s go,” she said after a moment of silence, and with a sudden lurch they projected into space between the ship and the platform.
They briefly marveled at the brilliant stars and the glowing Earth below as their astral forms hovered in space, then turned in unison to look back at the scout ship. It was like a mirage and barely visible cocooned within its light wave cloak. Then they looked up at the imposing platform leering over them and the stark reality of their mission sank in.
Sally squeezed Breeze’s hand even tighter.
“Let’s get this over with,” he said.
They drifted toward the platform and came to a stop mere inches from its black metal skin. Achilles had earlier pointed out a section they could pass through that would place them into a corridor that more than likely would have little to no personnel milling about. Though they were projecting and technically couldn’t be seen, they did not want to take the risk of being discovered before the rescue operation had even started. From there they could ascend to the detention level where the robot had assured them Oslo would most likely be detained.
“No hesitation,” Breeze said, “let’s just go in.” In his haste, he let go of her hand and dove in.
Breeze immediately struggled with the eerie sensation of matter passing before his eyes. The feeling was akin to holding one’s breath for a long period of time while swimming underwater, and he was relieved when he spilled out into a corridor.
Sally was already there and hovered over Breeze as he struggled to compose himself. “You have to remember that we are projecting,” she said with a twinge of annoyance. “You have to suspend your natural instincts; otherwise we can’t get through this.”
Breeze raised a hand. “Look, this is not my talent. I’ve only done this once before with you, remember?”
Sally nodded. “I’m sorry, I’m just afraid. What if this doesn’t work? What if we get caught? What if—”
Breeze drifted up and cradled her face as a current of energy surged between them. “Who cares about the what ifs, we’re here so let’s finish the job.” He pointed to the end of the corridor. “That’s the elevator that connects all of the levels. I say we follow the shaft up to the detention level.”
Sally slowly nodded at him with wide eyes. “Do you realize we have not held hands since we phased into the platform?”
Breeze was stunned. “Impossible. How come I’m still here with you and haven’t retracted back to my body? You said we always have to stay in contact with each other.”
Sally shrugged. “I don’t know. I think all of this stress is making me realize more about my powers than I ever imagined.”
“Whatever it is you’re doing, don’t stop,” Breeze said. “Now come on, let’s go.”
“Interesting,” Bram said as he observed Sally and Breeze from his console, then turned away and glided toward Oslo. “Did you train them to do that? No, of course not. Perhaps it was that witch, Raza, or the robot. What’s the story behind the robot anyway, and why does it behave like a leader?” He glared at Oslo who immediately looked away. “Oh, why bother asking you when a mere scan of my own doing should give me what I seek.” Bram went silent as he closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them his face was as white as a sheet. “How can it be?”
On the scout ship, Achilles shuddered and looked up at the cylindrical platform.
“What is it?” Ray asked.
“No need to be alarmed Raymond. My internal sensors are merely undergoing recalibration. Maintain your course and be aware of your surroundings. We are drifting too close to the platform.”
With Ray occupied at the helm, Achilles reached out with its own sensors and detected a presence sweeping the ship.
It cannot be, Achilles thought to itself and probed harder, only to recoil at what it discovered.
A voice spoke to the robot from within. It’s him. It’s Bram. We knew this day would arrive. Question: are we prepared?
Achilles shook its head. If he is capable of sensing us, then the jammers are not functioning properly. Sally and Breeze are heading into a trap.
Sally glided up the elevator shaft as Breeze followed, passing through level after level; they did not see a living soul whenever they stopped briefly to inspect the corridors by poking their heads through the elevator doors. Each level had the same bland and sterile features, however the appearance of a particular level brought them to a sudden halt. The corridor was different. The lighting was dim, with dark gray walls as opposed to the bland white ones below. The muted din of distant machinery was replaced by a loud drone.
“Who is running this place?” Breeze wondered. “It’s like Ray said, somebody knows we’re coming.”
“Nothing can detect us. Achilles promised that the jammers would mask our presence, and besides we’re projecting, so we’re fine,” Sally said.
Breeze tried to hide his unease. “Well, we’ve ascended pretty far and this does look like the beginning of the detention level.” He pointed forward. “There’s a set of doors up ahead. Let’s see if Oslo’s there and hope there’s no one guarding him.”
Without hesitation, they slipped through the doors.
“Well, Oslo, would you like to view your team in action?” Bram asked with a smirk. He shifted from a translucent state to corporeal so he could type commands into the console.
A hologram hovered before Oslo displaying a vid-image of Sally and Breeze in the outer corridor. They both glowed with psychic energy.
“If they are projecting, how can we see them?” Oslo said.
Bram chuckled. “There is much I have learned over time. My ability to zero in on any energy source is one of them, especially if it is not shielded. Shame on you old boy, you should have taught the girl how to better conceal her astral image when projecting. This will be her undoing and her little boyfriend as well.”
Oslo writhed in his restraints. “Why are you doing this? What has happened to you? You are supposed to be my friend!”
Bram roared as he flew over and shoved his face into Oslo’s. “Friend? Yes, there was a time and pla
ce for our friendship, but that has all changed if it isn’t painfully obvious to you by now. Then again, change was never easy for you to accept. That can only explain your insanity in trying to oppose the Elephim with your pathetic band of paranormals. What are you trying to accomplish, Oslo?”
Oslo shook his head. “You’re avoiding the question. What has happened to you? Why do you work for them?”
Bram laughed. “Work for them? Come now, Oslo, think of it as a partnership.” He drifted back toward the console. “How were the Elephim able to eventually dominate us? The many excursions I made to their world of Helena taught me much. What I’ve learned is that patience is the answer. Helena was once a world with a restless and burgeoning population that was becoming unruly and uncontrollable. So they searched the heavens for other worlds to colonize and offload the more rebellious ones as attempts to cull the population through war led to global devastation. But when they discovered Earth, it was the most unique planet they had ever encountered. Earth was a planet devoid of any humans, but filled with strange creatures that roamed the lands, and it resonated with a powerful psychic energy unlike any world they had discovered and explored. It is this energy that fuels the paranormals of Earth. This was realized when settlers loyal to the governing council of Helena were sent to Earth to tame and colonize the planet but became rebellious themselves when it was discovered that many of their children were born with paranormal abilities. These children became a resource the Elephim had to control. Their ultimate goal was to control everything on Helena, as they would do on Earth. But civil strife on Helena, and a war for independence that erupted on Earth overwhelmed the resources of the Elephim, and the portal that led from Helena to Earth was severed during the war. They have spent millennia since trying to reestablish contact. They eventually succeeded, and this is why we lost to them. Earth may have forgotten about them over the sands of time, but they did not. They have come to take back what they see as rightfully theirs, for we are a resource for them to plunder and use as they wish.”
Oslo shook his head in dismay. “So what is it that made you turn against your own world? What did you find on Helena?”
Breeze Corinth (Book 1): Sky Shatter Page 59
