by Paul Ormond
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
GRASPING IN EVERY direction in a desperate attempt to free himself, Mitch felt panic surging up his spine while he tumbled head over heels within the flowing torrent of energy. To his left, he caught a glimpse of a green sphere occupied by a limp figure.
He opened his mouth to scream, but his voice was drowned out by the roaring beam as it pushed out past the structure into open space. Helpless, he struggled to right himself and find SoHee within the condensed stream, but after several moments of floundering, the beam expanded as it blasted out into the vast depths of the maw.
Spotting the sphere bobbing along in a haphazard manner, Mitch kicked and pulled toward SoHee with all his might, but, in spite of all his efforts, his progress was negligible.
Howling with frustration, he spun in the opposite direction and scanned for anything he could use to get to SoHee. The energy flattened out into a wide swathe before it joined a mass of writhing currents in the distance. Orbiting at the circumference of the swirling vortex, two enormous spheres of light traveled at phenomenal rates opposite each other in an unceasing race around the edge of the pulsing body. A deep and empty blackness sat at the center, ringed by rotating clouds of debris funneling into the dark hollow.
Horrified by what he saw, Mitch used his last remaining strength to shove his body in the opposite direction in search of the SoHee. Across a great distance, he spotted a glowing green point caught within the flowing current of energy as it streamed toward its fate.
While he resigned himself to what lay ahead, he spotted a large chunk of rock tumbling toward him at an off angle. Glancing back toward SoHee, he did his best to calculate his trajectory while the object closed in on him. With one swift motion, Mitch kicked off of the asteroid as it passed by his position and he found himself racing across the swathe of energy at a rapid rate.
Nearing the green orb, he felt a sense of relief, but it quickly vanished as he realized he was traveling off course. Fighting off the panic, he glanced in all directions for anything to push against. A fragment of metal no larger than his body hurled toward him, and he readied himself to push against it while SoHee passed by in front of him.
Thrusting to his right, Mitch caught the fragment with his heel, altering his course just enough to put him on track to intercept the sphere.
As he closed in on his target, he reached out with his hand and felt himself penetrate the orb. A flash of light erupted across its surface and Mitch felt himself tumbled into SoHee’s limp body. Grabbing her by the shoulder’s, Mitch clung to her form while they hurtled toward the swirling maw.
“Can you hear me?” Mitch shouted at SoHee over the roar. “Just nod if you can hear me, anything.”
Looking over his shoulder, he felt a sense of awe as they approached the confluence of the flowing energy. Great spires of light rose in billowing waves across a vast field of debris intermixed with cascades of violent color pushing toward their fate at the center of the mass.
“I’m weak, Mitch,” SoHee mumbled under her breath. “I can’t feel anything. I’m numb.”
“It’s all right. I’m here. I’m right here,” Mitch said, holding her close. “Actually, that’s a lie, it’s very far from all right, but I don’t know what more we can do about it.”
“I feel you,” SoHee said. “I can feel your touch, but you’re so far away.”
“I’m not far away. I’m with you now. We’re together. If this it, then at least we are together,” Mitch said while they crossed into the heaving mass of energy, a tiny speck in a galactic river. “You’ve got to come to me. Find my voice and come to me.”
“You’re there, but I can’t see you,” SoHee said through ragged breath.
“It’s Mother, she’s done something to you, but you’ve got to fight it. You’ve got to push past it,” Mitch shouted as a massive rock infused with light bore down upon them before exploding into dust.
“We’re gone. We’ve gone too far, can’t come back” SoHee said after they passed through the crumbling debris.
“It’s not over. We’ve still got each other. We’re still together,” Mitch shouted. “In all of this we found each other, and that’s what matters.”
“It doesn’t matter, not anymore,” SoHee said. “It’s over. It’s done.”
“You’ve got to stop saying that,” Mitch said. “There’s still hope. We’re not dead yet. Stay with me.”
“I can feel it now. I can feel it all. Just let it go. Give in to it,” SoHee said before one of the massive spheres passed by their position.
“I’m not giving in,” Mitch shouted, feeling the presence of the orb. “We’ve come too far to quit now. You and I together, we’ve done it before, and we’ll find a way to beat it again, to beat her.”
“There is no other way,” SoHee said. “We must give in. You must let it go. It’s all right. It’s all right.”
“No, don’t give into it,” Mitch shouted after they passed over a tumbling asteroid and rode the crest of a spire of light. Reaching the apex, Mitch looked into the great depths and felt the void pulling them into the black reaches of infinity. “I love you. I love you with all my heart. I always have.”
“Nado, Nado, Nado Saranghaeyo,” SoHee said, her voice distant and hoarse.
“What are you saying? I don’t understand,” Mitch shouted. His guts climbed up his throat before they dropped into the depths. The immense spheres hurtled toward the opening alongside them, oblivion bending into the black.
Crushed by the infinite emptiness, Mitch felt fragments of his form breaking away after the darkness overcame him, Limbs stretched out into spiraling coils mixing into the cosmic debris. Breath gone, gasping, breaking into nothingness, the whole of everything pressing down upon him. Eyes no longer seeing, staring into an endless void, cruel indifference, funneling through unfiltered infinity. And then he was nowhere, pressed into density beyond comprehension, bristling potential, formless forever, eternities rot dripping into decay.
Unbound, his being stretched into the distant reaches of the ether. Straining in all directions, he searched for her touch, her presence. After eons of agony he felt a shimmer out of reach, a caress licking at the nuclei of his shattered form riding a wave of galactic destruction.
But she was there, there across it all, calling him, echoing against the throbbing pulse of the multi-verse, reborn with each breath, weaving between worlds, weaving the endless now, the ever present crushing always. Goddess of the universe, birth mother of infinity, beyond the edge of everything; pouring forth from her womb, the light of it all.
“It means: me too,” her voice said, flowing across eternity. “Nado saranghae. I love you too. I love you too.”
Something brushed against his face and he looked up and saw her looking down upon him, a distant star cluster burning bright, backdropped by the birth of the universe, but there with him in the dark, her touch streaming through nebulae and drawing him near.
Pain tore through his chest as breath returned to his lungs and he spasmed and jerked on a dry surface.
“Just relax. It’s all right. I’m here,” SoHee into his ear while she rubbed his back.
“What happened?” he said after he rolled onto his side and looked her in the eyes, her presence radiating against a backdrop of billowing gases.
“You were right,” SoHee said before she placed his head in her lap. “We’re not dead yet.”
“Are you sure?” Mitch asked, attempting to raise his head. “If I’m not mistaken, we just passed over an event horizon.”
“That may be true, but we’re here now and so are they,” SoHee said while she looked out into the distance.
“How is this possible?” Mitch asked as he came face to face with two enormous orbs swirling around them at impossible rates. “I’m not even sure why I’m even asking that. What happened to your thing? Your necklace, the cube is gone.”
“I know,” SoHee said. “It’s like I can feel it, but it’s not here. It doesn’t hurt a
nd I’m not sad, so it’s kind of strange.”
“Kind of strange?” Mitch asked. “I don’t even know what to make of it, out of any of it. I felt like I was torn apart, and now I’m here standing on, what is this, like a rock or something? And what are those things?”
“Mitch Mythic, I’d like you to meet the Emperor and Empress,” SoHee said, gesturing toward the glowing orbs.
“What?” Mitch said. “That is what all of this has been about, those things whipping around us? We’ve been fighting against the Masters and Mother this whole time for a couple balls of light .”
“I think there is a lot more going on here than you realize,” SoHee said. “And I think it was because of these things that we are still alive, or not dead at least.”
“How does that work?” Mitch asked. “It’s weird. I mean, it’s not weird, and that’s the weird part. Back there, or whatever that was. I felt it, I felt it all, and I felt you. We spoke, and you answered and it pulled me here and when I opened my eyes, I saw you.”
“I know and I felt it too,” SoHee said.
“I meant what I said,” Mitch said as he looked in the eyes.
“Nadoya,” SoHee said. “Me too.”
“What do we do now?” Mitch asked.
“I don’t think there is anything else we can do,” SoHee said. “We’re not through this thing yet, but we’re getting close. I can feel it. Nothing will be the same after this, but I’m glad I’m here with you.”
“Me too,” Mitch said before he reached out and grabbed her hand. “I guess this is fitting. If this is how it ends.”
“How is that?”
“It’s like it all came together in the end.”
“Like a happy ending?”
“Ok, that’s really not how I want to put it.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s a bad joke, and I really shouldn’t be laughing.”
“Explain it to me.”
“This is not the time or the place.”
“Sometimes you don’t make any sense. You should probably just shut up and kiss me. You might not get another chance.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Mitch said before he pulled her close and brought his lips to hers. “At least I got to kiss you in the end.”
“Is that what this is?” SoHee asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“I have no idea, but I think we’ll find out soon enough,” he said.
The spheres swirling around them accelerated to a dizzy rate, streaking energy blurring together, their orbits tightening, closing in on the two figures huddled together, merging into light.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
“I’M NOT SURE if that is a wise decision, sir,” Gaelin said with his eyes fixed on the holographic image hovering before him.
“I don’t give a damn what you think is wise, young man,” O’Dell said, his image flickering as he adjusted the strap on his arm. “I spent 10 years in solitary for this, and now you expect me to sit on the sidelines when it’s all about to go down?”
“I’m not telling you to sit on the sidelines,” Gaelin said. “But charging in with the first wave seems risky considering your position.”
“Everybody knows that I’m just a talking head,” O’Dell said. “The planning thing was never my department. If I die, you can simulate me like you did with that kid, Mitch. But if this is humanity’s last stand, then I don’t want to miss it. I’m not going to sit in this bunker while Earth’s greatest heroes defend the planet from inter-dimensional invaders.”
“If he wants in, he can have it,” Gerald said, watching O’Dell speak through the holographic screen. “But you need to get here quick. If we don’t strike soon, we could lose the element of surprise.”
“We are moving out,” Shiela said offscreen. “And we are bringing some toys, so just make sure there are some bad guys left when we get there.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem. I’ve sent out orders ahead,” Gaelin said. “We’re just waiting on the word.”
“The infiltration team is ready to move,” Gerald said as he looked toward Sage and his companions standing before a hatch embedded in the rock face.
“They are just kids,” Gaelin said. “Are you sure about this?”
“They are also veterans,” Gerald said. “These kids were the first ones to stand up and fight last year, and they know their way around. We can count on them to do their duty.”
“It’s your call,” Gaelin said. “But you might not get another chance.”
“That’s why I’m counting on the rest of you to do your job,” Gerald said. “Robert’s got point on this and he knows his target.”
“As soon as that lunatic gets wind of me, he’ll come charging out,” Robert said. “Commander Holrathu cannot resist an opportunity for revenge.”
“Just remember what we’re trying to do here,” Gerald said.
“Draw ‘em out, I got it,” Robert said. “You know I’m a team player.”
“I know you’ll do whatever is necessary to save your ass,” Gerald said.
“Nobody got anywhere without looking out for number one,” Robert said. “If that means I’ve got to save the planet in the process, then so be it.”
“All you need to do is stay on target,” Gerald said. “As for the rest of you, we’ve been over it already. We’re taking a huge risk, but we need to take it now, or we might not get another chance. Stay in your lane and just focus on one thing at a time. And don’t forget we’re all in this together. Look around at the people next to you and believe that you can count on them. The infiltration team is with me. The rest of you are going with Robert.”
“Let’s go kick some ass,” Kate said. “Are you ready for another fun date, TaeJun? I hear the apocalypse is lovely this time of year.”
“Sounds charming,” TaeJun said.
“Davis has the payload,” Gerald said. “Babcock, you’ve got his back. Sage, are you ready to lead the way?”
“I’m not sure if ready is the right word, but yeah, if it’s time to go, it’s time to go,” Sage said, standing up.
“Any word from Edwards?” Gaelin asked.
“Military personnel are standing by,” Gerald said. “They won’t move until we send the signal.”
“Are we ready to pull the trigger?” Gaelin asked.
“Get in position and we’ll call it in,” Gerald said. “We need time to get to the site. There is no point in drawing them out if we can’t get inside.”
“You heard the man,” Gaelin said. “Let’s move out and be careful.”
“Sage, show us the way,” Gerald said after he threw on his backpack.
“Here we go,” Sage said, making his way toward the hatch. “I just hope they haven’t cut off the path.”
“There are multiple points of entry,” Gerald said, following Sage into the narrow tunnel. “If one route is blocked, we’ll find another way.”
“We’re going to need a lot of luck if we want to pull this off,” Candace said.
“The last thing you want to do is rely on luck,” Gerald said. “Count on the people around you to do their jobs and stay focused on what you are doing and you’ll be fine. Luck has nothing to do with it.”
“I guess that is why they put you in charge,” Candace said before she followed Gerald into the passage.
“You’re sure this will work,” Robert said, staring at the screen before him.
“It’s worked so far,” Gaelin said. “President Edwards herself provided us with this intel. Gerald said his team is approaching their target, and I’m ready to hit the button when you say go.”
“Just trying to get myself psyched up,” Robert said.
“Does your ego really need that much priming?” Kate said, standing next to a large circular contraption. “Under all that armor you are just a fragile little flower, aren’t you?”
“Just be ready to fire that thing when the time comes,” Robert said. “I’m not walking out there wit
hout anybody covering my ass. No more pussy-footing around, hit the button and let’s get this over with.”
“Dialing it in now,” Gaelin said.
After several seconds of static, the imposing face of Commander Holrathu sputtered into view.
“What is the meaning of this interruption, President Edwards,” Holrathu said without looking into the camera. “If you are calling to beg for forgiveness, I’m afraid it is a little too late. The Emperor’s arrival is imminent. In just a few moments, you will bear witness to the strength of our divine lord. All present will bow before his majesty or perish.”
“Still spouting the same old song and dance, you pious old prick?” Robert said.
“Robert? I was wondering when you were going to pop up,” Holrathu said before an evil grin twisted across his face. “It’s fitting that you are here now. I look forward to displaying your traitorous head to the Emperor after he arrives.”
“You’re going to have to come out and get it,” Robert said, nodding to Kate at her contraption. “Knock, Knock.”
As Robert spoke, Kate hammered a button on the device and an enormous orb of energy rocketed into the sky before slamming into a ship a hovering over the dome.
“You’ve got some nerve,” Holrathu said after the explosion rocked his ship. “But I’m afraid your vain attempt to disrupt our plans will have little impact on the Emperor’s arrival.”
“I don’t give a damn about the Emperor,” Robert said. “You owe me a dance.”
“Is that right, Robert?” Holrathu said. “And you just think I’m going to march out there and give you what you want? I know what you are up to. It won’t work.”
“I’m going to cut through everything you’ve got until I find your wrinkled old ass and cut you down once and for all,” Robert said.
“That sounds like a challenge,” Holrathu said. “Be careful what you wish for.”
“I know exactly what I want,” Robert said before he nodded to Kate one more time. “I want you, and I’m not going anywhere until you come on out and say hello. Light them up.”
