In A Universe Without Stars 1: Skyeater

by J Alex McCarthy

  The ripping apart of the consciousness. His heart drops and he steps in. He doesn’t know what’s powering him forward. Maybe he can survive it, a small pointless hope went through his mind.

  This is the price of trying to become a god.

  It’s hours later, deep in the blackness of space. A single small ship floats millions of miles away from the Eliite mothership. But to the Eliite it’s like it’s the neighbor next door. It’s the Jour, a scout ship; it watches as it prepares to flee. The ship transmits to ships covered in darkness. Initiate attack.

  On Caelacis, alarms ring out over the city. “Invasion imminent.” Buildings emergency alarms go off. Metal shutters covers every building on the Caelacis. Rail gun turrets spring up on top of them. Civilians empty the streets and run to the buildings next to them with an odd sense of efficiency. With a mission like the Eliite, they’re prepared for almost anything.

  In a star system millions of light years away from earth, an unfinished Caelacis, the Skyeater, orbits a giant desolate asteroid. Only a half dome cup with a blue shield covers its top half. Hundreds of ships suddenly surround it.

  In a command room, General Ical stands watching a giant screen in the front of the room. On the screen the Caelacis is being swarmed by hundreds of ships. In a direct battle the Jour has the advantage.

  “Release the faires and contact Leif,”

  In the skies over Caelacis, the blueness is suddenly pierced with hundreds of mirror thin beams ripping through the cloudless sky. The sky explodes into flames.

  Hundreds of Jour ships cleave through the flames and down toward the ground. Faires fill the air and intercept them. The jour fire and blue laser like pillars erupt from their ships and rips into the faires, right through their shields.

  The turrets of the ground fires at them, but it just bounces off their shields. The Jour raid the ground, houses are left burning in their wake. It’s a completely one sided battle.

  Leif stands at his crystal throne, he watches the battle unfold around him. He is unseen to them as he’s the star of this ship and its leader.

  Ical appears in front of him, floating over the battlefield as well. “The Jour have vastly improved since our last battle.”

  “They have not been standing still, they want our people dead and they will do anything to stop us,” Leif says.

  Ical troops are getting massacred. The single flaw that the Jour made was they didn’t send an ascended. “I’m going to join.”

  He’s an alpha he can change this battle quickly, they don’t have enough forces yet after the betrayal, their mother ship isn’t even finished and they’re forces are too spread out. Their defense capabilities are impaired.

  “No.”

  “What?” Ical asks.

  “Wait.”

  “I’m not going to wait while my men are getting killed. Unless you are going to stop this I’m going to join in. We are the only two ascended on this ship.”

  Leif looks at the research center, the only place with it’s defense mechanisms turned off. The rooftop splits apart.

  “They are three of us now. Watch.”

  Hundreds of lights float up into the air. A single person flies up into it.

  “Their single mistake was underestimating what we are capable of doing,” Leif says.

  It’s Kabus, he lights up and every Jour ship explodes in the sky.

  18 – The Skyeater

  The Astron’s cafeteria is brimming with more people than usual. The oak hardwood floors are filled with long rectangular tables that are placed horizontally along the long room. The left wall where the entrance is, is the same bland design as the rest of the Astron ship but the rest is encased in a glass like dome.

  The glass is so clear that it seems like there is no glass at all. The blackness of space and the stars covers them, while the blue haze of Earth slowly disappears as the Astron’s ships make their way into the thermosphere, leaving Earth.

  Making it a choice place for the remaining chosen to hang out, it doubles as a rec room for most. Many lean on the metal railing at the edge of the walls just looking out in the cosmos, lost in their thoughts, wondering what’s going to happen to them next.

  Some sit at the table eating their favorite foods from the food compositors built into the walls and some just lie shoe-less at the front of the room, an area with Earth-like green grass and long chairs so they can stare into space to watch the stars.

  Noata sits at a table, alone. He rummages through multiple tablets in front of him. His empty tray next to him drying with caked-on food. He had to eat quickly. He swipes through diagrams and Eliite ships. He got them from Jahum. He needs to find a way to save the others on the Eliite mother ship. He’ll do anything to save them, because he would want someone to do the same.

  At the window looking out Wilker leans on the rails, just staring out into the darkness. Stars unseen as the sun peeks over the horizon, only the brightest of them shine through.

  What now? The war is over, humanity is lost except for them. When they get to the new planet the evolutionary stages will be very different, since they are chosen.

  Serena walks up next to him and stares out into the darkness. The rising sun darkening the stars above.

  “What are you staring at?” she asks.

  “Nothing anymore,” he says. The stars in the sky disappear as the sun crest over the horizon. Fading into the blackness.

  “Why are the stars disappearing?”

  Wilker’s not really in the mood to talk. He needs to think. But maybe this can help ease his mind.

  “When the sun peeks over the horizon, its light overpowers the stars.”

  Serena relaxes on the railing.

  “Despite there being no atmosphere or air to scatter the light in space. This little sun of ours is still powerful enough to light our sky.”

  “Even though we are in space?"

  “The stars are still out there, we just can’t see them. Something is always out there.” He stares out into nothing. “Why me?” Wilker asks himself.

  “Why what?”

  “Why us and not the others?” he asks.

  “The chosen?”

  “Yes why us?! The chosen, the titans, the whatever the bloody hell people fucking call us. What are the Astrons to us, to decide who lives or who dies?”

  “You can’t think that way! You just got to be glad that you got to live. You were chosen to become something better and to live as the embodiment of the human race.”

  “No. No I wasn’t like you and the rest. I wasn’t ‘chosen’. I was never supposed to be here.” Serena knows his story about his wife.

  “It was supposed to be her, not me with these powers. I was going to be one of the ones to die screaming like the rest, to get wiped out with the rest of humanity. All those people who died down there, they are not going to be remembered, no one is going to remember their names, what they contributed to society, what they looked like, who they were. I’m not like the rest of you, I’m a nihility, a nobody. What makes the Astrons the decision makers to decide who I am or not, with their choices half of the chosen or so called titans are dead. How can I trust their leadership?”

  “Humanity can start again! That’s where we’re going! To fix the mistakes we made,” Serena shouts.

  “With only the chosen it’s not really going to be humanity who continues on, it’s going to be a whole new species. A species I’m not supposed to be a part of. Humanity is dead.”

  “Well, you’re with us now, you are a chosen and since you are alive and not your wife or any other human down there on Earth! You can start anew, you can make your own destiny.”

  Wilker doesn’t answer, he waves his hands in front of the glass. A projection shows up in front of them. It’s a planet that looks a lot like Earth, except its greener and has half as many oceans.

  This is the planet they are going to.

  “I’m supposed to fade into nothing, like the rest of humanity, not to continue on with you. I
’m only a small minuscule spec of history in this universe. I don’t like that Jahum made that choice for me and the rest of our race.”

  Serena stands next to him, shifting uncomfortably, not knowing really what to say, to get him off the teetering edge.

  “So what? You sound like you aren’t afraid to die,“ she says in a whisper.

  “Everybody fears death, in one way or the other. The ones who kills themselves just couldn’t wait to learn of the inevitable, luckier than the ones who didn’t have a choice,” Wilker teases.

  Serena looks up at Wilker’s faces. He continues to stare at the projection.

  “Are…Are you going to kill yourself?”

  Wilker lets out a soft chuckle.

  “No, no I’m not going to kill myself. Those who commit suicide are weak. No, I’m going to change things, change things for the better, so that everybody has a choice. A chance.” He turns the projection off and stares back into the blackness.

  …

  The gym is empty, except for one man, Lance Freeman. Lance works a punching bag hard, fist hurling into it, he moves side to side to get his foot work down, punching the thing into oblivion. He jumps back and leaps forward into a punch. In a cling the damn thing breaks off its chains and hurls into the wall.

  Even though it was reinforced with a strong alien metal, he shouldn’t have been going that hard, although it should not have broken. He walks toward the bag and then drops on his knees. Sudden emotions rocks him.

  Julio is dead.

  He’s teammates are gone. He failed in his mission. And he can’t fulfill his promise. Punching a bag couldn’t get rid of his thoughts.

  His brother is gone, the chance for him to make a family is gone.

  Everything is gone.

  He digs in his pocket and looks at the picture of Thora. He still has one promise he hasn’t broken yet. He searched the computers and her status was updated to alive on the Eliite mother ship.

  Serena walks in, she looks down. Then walks over and joins him on the ground and grips him.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks.

  “What do you think?”

  “Besides the obvious”

  “What’s the matter with you?”

  He places his hand on her face and rubs the wetness from her eyes.

  “Nothing.” she lays her head on his shoulder. “Just thinking on what’s going to happen now. That we can’t go back to Earth.”

  He wants to say that it’s alright but—he looks at Thora’s picture.

  “So you’re already looking at other girls, I’m not dead yet,” Serena jokes.

  “I have to go back, back to Earth.”

  Serena looks down.

  “You do know if we go back we won’t come back alive.”

  “You’re not coming with me, I’m going alone.”

  “No you’re not,” she states.

  “You’re staying here.”

  “You think I’m just going to quietly sit here while you go to your death to save the last remains of our race? I’m not that selfish!” she almost yells.

  “I’m only going to save one person.”

  “No, you are going to save millions. With me. Noata is coming up with a plan to save the humans on the Skyeater.”

  “But—“

  “That’s the end of it. I’m going with you.” Before Lance can reply she plants her lips on his and gives him a passionate kiss.

  It left him breathless.

  She gets up and sits with her legs wrapped around his waist. She wraps her arms around him.

  “You think I’m going to let my husband go alone into danger you got another thing coming.” She nuzzles on his ear.

  He doesn’t want it to end this way, he wants to protect her.

  “We won’t be returning to Jahum, we’ll probably die on Earth.”

  “Well, then at least we get to die together. Til death do us apart,” she says with a chuckle. She pushes him onto his back. “You always wanted a kid, we only have a little time before Noata finishes his plan.”

  She takes off his shirt and rips off hers. He wants to tell her to stop, not to do it here where someone could walk in, but he always had a hard time saying no to her.

  …

  Cole sits alone in his room, just a bed bolted to the wall. He has nothing here, he looks out his window, he wonders if he can breathe in space or does he even need too, the ship is leaving too slowly, at this rate it’s going to take them years to get to the planet.

  He doesn’t want to blow a hole in the ship so he should just tell Jahum that he isn’t coming.

  Jahum walks in.

  He looks hundreds of years older, his skin is dry and flaky, his color is duller and muted. His eyes look extremely glassy.

  He doesn’t speak. Cole doesn’t know what happened to Jahum to cause him to look like this, but he can guess and he doesn’t care enough to ask.

  “Why are we leaving so slowly? I’m sure the Eliite can catch us,” Cole says.

  “Because I already know your answer, to the question I’m about to ask you.”

  “What?”

  “Will you stay?” Jahum asks.

  “No. She’s alive. I don’t care for anything else. I’m going to save her. She’s the only thing I have left.”

  “Earth is lost.”

  “But she isn’t, if I can’t save her, then…this power is useless.”

  Cole stares into his eyes. He can’t get a tell on him.

  “We won’t have enough power to come back, once we are gone we are gone,” Jahum states.

  “What is the answer? The real answer to all this? Can you at least give me that?”

  Jahum looks into his eyes, they look tired, like he’s ready to sleep all his troubles away.

  “The answer is whatever you make it to be. But to Lief it’s that we are all on borrowed time, born into an imperfect universe that is the least accommodating to us and the living species. We are in an imperfect universe being eaten by a more perfect one. There is no stopping our fate and Leif cannot accept that. He must find another reason for life.”

  Cole looks at his hands. What is it? To find a reason to live on? Jahum turns to walk away.

  “You will never be alone. If you fail or succeed, the stars will always be there watching you.” Jahum leaves. Cole can find a reason and he will with this power.

  …

  “Serena. Serena!” Noata’s voice echoes through the gym from Serena’s wedding ring. Serena and Lance lie on top of each other naked, letting themselves air out.

  “I guess it’s time,” Serena says while resting on Lance’s bare chest.

  “I guess so.”

  Lance and Serena walk into the cafe area, Noata and Wilker sit across from each other at a table, there’s only a single tablet in front of them. Wilker flicks his fingers at the tablet, reading something. They approach them and sit across from Noata.

  Serena glances at Wilker, he’s demeanor has changed, he looks contemplative.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” Serena says to him.

  “I’m the only one who agreed, plus this is part of the change I’m going to bring.” He looks at the chosen around the cafe. Some have their heads down in thought, others glances at him and look away. He darts his eyes at each of them.

  “Everyone else is a pussy, I don’t know how Jahum picked them. How are we supposed to have a new start with these cowards?” Wilker barks.

  Noata looks at him. “Enough of that. I figured out how many humans are left on the Skyeater.”

  “How many?” Lance asks.

  “Around fifty million.” Noata states.

  “Fifty million!? That’s insane!” Lance shouts.

  “How in the hell can that many people fit on that ship?” Serena asks.

  “I’m not sure if you got a good look at it, but it’s a bloody large craft. It would hit the UK before the rest of it has left America,” Wilker says.

  “Part of it is already passing over the Atl
antic. Based off my diagrams, they are spread out at different parts of the ship,” Noata says.

  He pulls up a hologram of the Skyeater. Its top dome spins opposite of the bottom. The domes are long enough to where there are periods were the Serephins on the edges of the domes could see the ground or into space. The top dome breaks through the atmosphere as it spins, its top half jutting through space.

  “How are we supposed to save that many people?” Lance asks.

  “With this,” Noata says as he pressed on the tablet.

  Another hologram pops up on the table. It shows a 3-D model of a bad ass looking ship. The one that destroyed New York City.

  “It’s one of their new elite attack ships, the Starkiller, one of their most prized and advanced possessions,” Noata says as he hits another button on the tablet. Schematics about the ship shows up. It shows its max speed, its weapon capabilities, the whole shebang.

  “Wow,” Serena mutters.

  “It’s the one that destroyed New York,” Lance says.

  “It has enough life support to support one hundred million Serephins to live off of for hundreds of years. We can alter it to support humans. It also has better teleportation technology than the Astrons. With this we can save our race, take back the planet, and destroy their mother ship. Just stealing this will deal them a hard blow.”

  “How can we pilot it, let alone how do you know all this?” Serena asks.

  “How do you think?” Wilker asks. “We have access to all the Astrons databases, with this knowledge alone we can advance the human race millions of years. The Serephin technology is so similar to the point of being the same. With their knowledge and our abilities it should be simple.”

  “But who will pilot it?” Lance says.

  “I will,” Noata says confidently.

  Lance thinks on it, there's only four of them, against thousands. The others seem confident enough but it seems like suicide. He looks at Serena, she looks back and gives him a head nod. It’s their only chance to save the human race.