Gogaloth cries outside our vessel. Its large, bulbous figure blocks any exterior lights. I can finally make out this monster's detailed features. It has an eel-like body and face, with no eyes and large nostrils. It has thousands of tiny teeth underneath a hook-shaped jaw. It slithers several football fields away from our ship, then stops completely, letting out a groan before staring at Odium directly as he casually floats in the water. Odium raises his hand and beckons it closer. Comparably Odium is the size of one of Gogaloth’s teeth. But he’s managed to tame the mighty creature. He places his palm upon it...listening to its snarls.
“Oh my!”
The Queen cries.
“It’s after us!”
“It’s because of Odium.” I growl. “Don’t think about that now. The two of you-”
And just like that, Gogaloth swipes at our ship with its tail. I manage to grab the Queen and find a steel-bar to hold onto before our entire vessel is sent cartwheeling. We flip slowly, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t in major trouble. My feet slip off the floor. The Queen wraps her arms around my neck and I hit my back against the wall. My helmet protects my skull as I bash the back of my head against the ship's interior. Within the blurry chaos, I spot Naki doing the same. Her vice grip on Bub grows tighter as she struggles to maintain her footing.
“Hold on everybody!”
My desperate scream is lost behind an avalanche of blaring alarms and bursting pipes.
“Get to the escape pods! Now!”
Since the ship is flipped on its side, our AI’s desperate voice brings attention to our current mechanical failures.
“Major exterior damage on the bow. Forward fin destroyed, aft fin’s destroyed. Taking in water at top-level three.”
Running down the hall, the door to the pilots’ bay whirs shut. The last thing I see behind me is Gogaloth swimming towards us. He presses his face on the window with his nostrils flaring. I look back at my entourage of terrified companions as they take a right turn into another narrower passage. We reach the escape pods just as Gogaloth launches his next assault.
CRUNCHhh!
The sound of tearing metal and exploding ship parts screech behind us. The others turn towards the noise, horrified, but I hurry them along.
“Don’t stop.” I order.
Our ship careens to the left, then to the right.
“We’re being tossed around like a dog's chew toy!”
“Crews quarters and pilot bay are destroyed. Initiating protective shields along hallways B-2...B-3…”
The AI prattles off a few more locations.
“Rear of ship is at 5% functionality. Please use escape pods to-”
“Ya ya, got it!”
I reach the nearest escape pod. It’s a round container protruding several feet from the wall. The door slides open, revealing a comfortable tube lined with soft material.
The Queen is still clinging to me like a leech. With my increased sense of urgency, I don’t have time to calm her. I throw her in the pod closing it as I do. Her complaints are mumbles on the other side of the door.
Using the nearby retina scanner for confirmation, I order. “AI, send escape pod 00-1 to the Altair Outpost.”
Our ship is thrown through the sea once again. The emergency lights change to a blood red. They flash like strobes at a rave.
“Sinking at 100 clicks per second. All engines are at 0% capacity.”
Bub screams.
“It’s gunna eat us!!!”
Naki opens an escape pod.
“Don’t you say things like that!”
She tries to push him inside. Bub is smart enough to wiggle his way halfway through the doorway.
BLAM! We roll against the seafloor. Gravity sends Bub, Naki and I rolling into the back wall. At this point, Bub is crying uncontrollably. A small cut has opened up on his head. The light on the end of his antennae has gone red, signifying his distress.
“Darn it!” I shout in frustration.
“Launch pod 00-1!” I yell in a fit of desperation.
The launch pod shoots up. The tail end of its beautiful blue engine blazes past before disappearing completely.
“Track escape pod.”
A few seconds pass.
”Launch successful. Pod 00-1 has reached Dree’s thermosphere.”
Thank god...I take a deep breath. One saved, one more to go.
“The plan still holds, Finn.”
Naki nods at me.
“Keep Bub safe. I’ll distract that thing,” she says.
She crawls towards me. Bub looks like a tiny baby being cradled in her arms. Naki passes him to me, and he snuggles his head in the crook of my neck.
“I’ll give you as much time as I can.” she whispers.
My heart stops. Within her beautiful emerald eyes, I sense no fear. No hesitation. Only determination. Wow… I speak before I think.
“Please come back, Naki.”
The beautiful Tra’vaneer warrior smiles. She leans over. Behind her visor, I see blush work up her pale pink skin.
“I will. I promise.”
“All AI functions going offline. Backup generators and oxygen pumps are fully functional. Please use manual-”
Whirrrrr….the radio falls silent. All we can hear is the satisfied grumbling of Gogaloth, and Bub’s weeping.
“Get him out of here,” Naki repeats.
She jumps to the door. With a fair bit of lag, it glides open and she takes a sharp turn, disappearing into the docking bay.
That’s when I realize...Gogaloth hasn’t attacked us in some time. My heart hammers as I attempt to soothe Bub.
“It’ll be ok,” I whisper. “Let’s try this again, alright?”
I carry him to the escape pod. The contraption has taken some light damage. It looks ajar, as if our tumbling to-and-fro has dislodged it. It’s several feet higher into the roof. Only the bottom half of the opening is visible.
“Get up on my shoulders.” Bub wipes his face free of tears before beginning his ascent. He’s weightless as he climbs up my shoulders and clutches the side of the escape pod.
The lights go out. We’re in total darkness. Bub whimpers.
“Don’t panic.” I hush. “My friend Naki is outside right now making sure that big monster doesn’t get us. We need to trust her.”
“O-okay. But I can’t see where I’m going.”
“Just pull yourself into the pod, and we’ll go from there.”
A sudden eruption of gunfire from the other side of the ship scares the two of us out of our skin. Bub fumbles, falling back into my arms.
“I’m sorry!” he exclaims. “I just-”
“Shhhh.”
My hand covers his mouth as I crouch to the floor. The gunfight continues down the hall. Tiny flashes of light look like fireworks in the darkness.
“Stay behind me.” Before I can strategize further. The lights turn back on.
Odium is standing at the end of the hall draped in shadow. I twist towards Bub.
“Get in the pod now!”
I crudely grab him by the arms and throw him into the pod. He clambers inside just as a bolt of psychic energy slams me in the back. I fall forwards, slamming my head on the wall. My world is a blur as I hit the floor. I blink several times.
“Finn. I missed you.”
Odium chuckles. I prop myself on my elbows, pulling out my pistol I fire several shots into his chest. He stumbles backwards into the hall. I don’t stop my assault. Every fibre of my being is alight with rage and adrenaline. I fire another volley of shots and Odium falls onto his back. At the end of the hall, water has begun to leak in from a new crack in the ship’s interior. An increasing sense of urgency pushes me forward.
My enemy is silent as the dead, but I know better. Placing my gun in my holster, I reach into my knife holster and take my emergency switchblade to his face.
I’ll stab him in the heart!
It’s a shot in the dark, but it’s worth it. I raise the knife above my head and
in one swift movement, I aim for his chest.
Odiums hand launches forward. He chokes me and he pins me to the floor.
“Move Memorizer, access Miv combat file!”
“Understood.”
Lifting my legs I kick him in the jaw and leap to my feet. He stumbles just as I swing around in a well-practiced karate kick. I nail him across the jaw. His head whips to the side and he gasps in surprise.
“You dare!?”
The water sweeping in from the hall distracts me. The wave kicks me in the back of the legs and I stumble. Odium raises his gloved hand and punches me in the face. I return the assault with a sweep kick to the heel. He raises his hand and waves his arms as if dismissing an obedient child.
Being this close to him, it’s impossible to dodge the attack. I go flying several feet in the air slamming into the pool of water around us.
“Rggh.” I glare up at him and clear the dirt from my helm. Odium looks unperturbed. He turns around, looking directly at Bub.
“You bastard! Don’t you dare lay a hand on him!”
My voice rips from my chest. I switch to crouching on my knees. Propping up my elbow I fire another volley of shots. Each bolt sears the thick black armour of his tightly bound space suit. He looks back at me. The emergency lights cast a haunting reflection across the gloss coating.
“I've gotten stronger.” He steps forward. Goosebumps prickle my arms.
No...I can’t lose!
I fire my D.P.E several feet behind him. It pierces the nearby wall and launches me forward. I raise my fist and punch him in the gut. He laughs.
“No way,” I growl. “darnit, I won’t let you take him!”
I try to punch him again. Quick as lighting he grips my wrist and throws me away with inhuman strength. I tumble to the floor.
“Remember when I fought your precious Godsonion? I am immortal. The crystal makes me a god.”
“I don’t know why you're here of all places.” I spit. “But I don’t care. I’ll bury you!”
I race towards him dagger in hand.
“Don’t tell me...you're angry at me for killing that dragon friend of yours? Hah!”
Odium flicks his wrist and my chest erupts with pain. The dagger plops into the water next to his left boot. I’m on my back unable to move. My voice rips from my chest,
“AI, launch pod 00-2. Coordinates, Altair HQ!”
“Tsk tsk.” Odium waves his finger. “Your AI is out of commission. My mind controlled sea-creature saw to that.”
I roll onto my stomach attempting to lift myself from the floor. My eyes wander towards the door where I can hear Bub. He’s crying again.
“Bub! If you can hear me! Press the red button on the control panel and-”
Odium fires a psychic blast. I try to roll out of the way but it singes my back and I fall face-first into the water. My world turns blue and white. I’m pulling my head up just in time to see Odium entering the launch-pod bay.
“Don’t worry Finn I’ve changed my mind. I won’t kill you yet. Let’s say there has been a change of plans. I've evolved, and I’m going to make you and Ron suffer.”
I wrap my arms around my chest.
It’s so...hard to breathe! His attacks have gotten much stronger!
I stumble to my feet, heart racing a mile a minute.
“Why us of all people!?” I manage to ask. “We didn’t do anything to you!”
“On the contrary…” he whispers. “You two Bates Brothers have hurt me most of all…my memories have almost fully returned. So i’m sure of it.”
Odium twists and aims a psychic blast towards the water. Parting it like the red sea.
“Help me, Finn!”
Bub’s concerned voice is the last thing I hear before the blast explodes in my face.
Naki And I Go Fishing
My skin is cold. A groan of pain slips from my sealed lips.
Where am I?
Within the darkness. A voice calls from beyond.
“Naki! Come in!”
It’s my brother’s voice over the radio.
“We’ve managed to push Zho-Zho and his remaining forces to the Center Sector. I saw your ship crash outside the Northern Barrier. Where the hell is Finn?”
That’s a good question. My eyes flicker open. Pain trickles in from the center of my chest to my head. I hear boots walking beside me.
“Odium attacked us!”
Naki’s voice is shrill with worry.
“He knocked me unconscious before I...Bzzt... dammit! Bzt.”
The roofs blaring red lights sting my eyes. I suck in a deep breath. Hauling myself off the floor. My head feels heavy as a steel ball but I manage to lift it.
Water continues to sweep in from the end of the hall. Odium is walking away from me, and Bub is screaming and thrashing in his arms.
“L...let him go!”
I spin onto my stomach coughing up a lung before gathering myself.
“Damn you, Odium. Come back here so I can kill you!”
I know killing him is in fact, unlikely, but my rage is blinding me. Odium reaches the end of the hall. He looks back at me, laughing maniacally as he does.
“That’s not a very hero-ish thing to say.”
Odium climbs up a ladder. Bub is still thrashing around in his arms so he grips the child as tight as he can until he stops squirming. He steps up into the top levels. His escape is the last thing I see as he teases,
“Better keep up, Finn! Bub and I have a safe way out of this flooding wreckage. What about you?”
He chuckles.
“Good luck, brat!”
The sound of the manhole closes and an engine blasts off into the water. I grit my teeth and shout.
“Damn you, Odium!”
I stumble to my feet and begin my pursuit. That’s when Naki rounds the corner and slams into me, gasping and heaving. Her uniform is ripped and soiled.
“Oh, thank god you’re ok! I’m sorry, Finn, I tried to stop him but-”
“It’s ok. I couldn’t stop him either...Odium is far stronger than we are.”
Naki grumbles.
“Odium already escaped...we need to do what’s best for our platoon!”
She grabs me by the shoulder.
“We need to fight that monster!”
She’s right. With Odium gone who-knows-where, and Ron handling Zho-Zho’s Raiders in the city center, our main objective should be stopping Gogaloth. Afterall, it has the ability to wipe out entire battalions of troops!
“You’re right.”
With us in agreement, we go down the left hall and enter the loading bay. Just as Ron explained in the debriefing, two Altair Aqua Class fighter jets are waiting.
“We’ll need to approach this tactically, and not with brute force.”
She agrees with me. Our cockpits whoosh open and we jump in. I link up with Naki’s radio.
“Let’s lure this over-sized fish away from Dree and use evasion tactics until we can pin-point a weakness.”
“Spoken like a true warrior. Let’s do this!”
Naki and I trigger emergency launch procedures. Our ships swivel on an axis, shooting through a ramp and tunnel like a bottle rocket.
We hit the water on the left side of our sunken vessel. I link up to my ships A.I.
“Initiate Mirror Mode.”
In the rear projector, I spot Golgaloth sniffing around the hull of our transport ship. Good thing we got out of there when we did - because Golgaloth chomps down tearing at the steel walls.
“Incoming radio signal.-” The male voice of my A.I announces.
“Accept.”
“Finn! Naki! Come in!”
It’s Ron again!
“Ron, It’s me, Finn. I’m sorry...we managed to save the Queen but Bub was abducted by Odium. He took him, who-knows-where!”
“It's ok.” Ron radios. “The prince is still alive, presumably for negotiation purposes. We’ll get him back. Naki- are you there?”
“Yes sir!�
��
“We’re successfully fending off Zho-Zho’s ground troops. What are you two doing?”
“We’re gunna’ go fishing. As in, that giant eel in the sea is as good as dead.”
“All by yourselves?”
Tugging on the yoke of my ship, I tumble into a cartwheel blasting through the water towards Golgaloth. Naki is hot on my tail.
“We have no other choice, besides, we have a plan...you’ll have to trust us.”
“Copy that, good luck both of you!”
The sound of gunfire cuts off his intermission.
“Alright, let’s get started!”
∆∆∆
A volley of bullets penetrate Golgaloth’s hide. The monster roars in defiance as Naki and I peel back to its rear fin.
“Over here!”
Right on cue, Golgaloth weaves towards me while roaring. Despite not having eyes, it seems to pin-point my location with surprising accuracy. I cartwheel out of harm's way as a gigantic set of jaws try to munch down on me. I backtrack to his right fin and shoot the appendage five times. Naki is on the other side, firing volleys into Golgaloths jaw. It thrashes to-and-fro, my A.I warns me-
“Sea currents are increasing in strength.”
Darn - unlike in space, my vessel is fighting against the current. Throttling back, I end up by Golgaloths tail and glide closer to the sea floor. Looking at my top screen, I spot Naki rolling across Golgaloths back avoiding a nasty swipe.
“This sucks. We can’t get close at all!” Naki radios.
Her voice is gruff with frustration.
“No wonder the other platoons couldn’t stop this thing. It’s a tank! Get too close, and the current alone will send us spiralling!”
“Let’s focus on leading it away from Dree then.”
Naki and I hit our throttles. It takes mere moments for us to arrive at Golgaloths snout. Once again, Golgaloth opens its mouth to chew us into bits and pieces. We successfully roll out of the way. We are now surrounded by the pitch-blackness of the sea.
Think, Finn...think!
My mind is racing for a way to take this bastard down. Naki and I continue to zip in a straight line, occasionally bee-lining in the other direction to avoid an attack.
This thing is blind, so how the hell is it following us?
Hypernova Series: Worlds At war Page 13
