“Hello? Anyone?” I yell loud enough that my throat actually hurts.
“Of all the species in the universe, you’re the one I have to instruct. An Esuh!”
“Oh boy,” I mutter when I see a tiny, blue creature staring at me from above. He makes sure to float above me so that he’s always at a higher place. That’s what you get when you’re really short, I guess.
“You had your opportunity, Esuh. You destroyed the species before you, as we did with you. How you alone survived is beyond me, but since you’re here, this means you’re the chosen one anointed by the Cube.”
“You have a big mouth for someone that died many years ago. Also, you let yourself get extinct by tree people? Come on, I thought Nusae were mighty warriors and great scientists and whatsoever. At your prime, you were strong enough to match us. How did you let them get the better of you?”
He suddenly becomes gloomy; I must have hit a soft spot or something. That’s before he starts talking.
“We got old, Esuh. Tired. Weak! We reigned over the galaxy for many, many years. The Phadh came out of nowhere and could outlive us. We were unprepared and managed to push them back many times, but then we got news that they have found another mysterious artifact, one like this cube.
“They came up with a new technology that we couldn’t match. Maybe it was us, not hiding the fact that mysterious weapons like this cube existed, or it was our weakness to foresee our doom. Either way, here we are my old adversary. I, your old enemy, instructing you on how to destroy the world once again.”
“Bullshit. The Esuh never got tired of fighting, even when everything was falling apart around us. We didn’t even know that a thing like this fucking cube existed before you, the Nusae, brought it to the surface and still no one could match our strength. You were just weak. Even so, I’m here now so let’s get this over and done with.”
The small, blue creature flies close to me and stretches one of its hands. It barely touches my skin, and I feel my hair prickle. When the Nusae pulls back its finger, I know everything that there is to know about the cube. How the conscience of the one unlocking it must remain imprisoned inside it to carry this message to the next anointed one by the Cube; how I’m doomed to die the moment I activate this cube.
How to find the place where the cube will start the process and how the universe is full of cubes like this. This one belongs to this galaxy and this galaxy only, but there are as many cubes out there as there are galaxies. And that frightens me.
It takes me a moment to sip everything in, but when it’s is over, I have no doubts about what I have to do.
“So, the doctor was right. Everything depends on my choice after all,” I say.
“Yes. The real mystery is what will you choose now that this war isn’t yours,” the creature says and starts wandering off.
“Wait! I have more questions. How do I stop it? There’s nothing in here on how to stop it. I have to choose either to kill the humans or the Phadh?” I shout, but he’s long gone now.
There’s something strange with this planet. I feel like I’ve been here before.
It’s only after I start wandering off myself that I understand. This planet was everything that remained in the memory of that Esuh. It was his home planet before it got destroyed, and the lighted place was the active part of his memory.
Everything fades away quickly. I open my eyes, and I’m back in the shuttle.
“Is everything alright?” Eladia says to me.
I nod and close my eyes again. I feel terribly tired
Chapter Sixty-Two
Eladia
The silence inside the shuttle feels awkward. Even though we all know that Jay has these strange cube-related visions, it’s difficult not to feel intimidated by the power of this mass-extinction ancient relic. When the light finally disappears, we all look at Jay, waiting for something to happen. Maybe an explanation would be good right now.
“Is everything alright?” I ask him.
“Yes...no. I don’t know. I just had a pretty strange vision,” he replies to me.
Jay seems more tired than yesterday and the day before. To be honest, he hasn’t changed into his other form for five days now, since the day I told him the truth about my feelings. Sure, we’re having the time of our lives, but it would be nice if I could see the other Jay again and explain things to him, even just for a moment.
It’s not that I didn’t like him, that’s far from true. I just liked his dangerous personality better. I know, that doesn’t say much for my personality, but I’m done chasing theories and ideal pictures of romance. Right now, it’s just hard, cold truth all the way.
Jay seems to have trouble speaking his mind. Inside the shuttle, Silver and I look at each other, trying to understand what’s going on, but it’s futile. Zan seems as lost as us; Pyro wears that hellish red mask that keeps reminding me of the night he killed my friends, the corrupt human Originators that were paid by the humans to have the Phadh species annihilated by using the Nusae Relic. And Doctor Cross...well, he’s just as gloomy ever.
The two gray-masked brothers stayed back to the juggernaut with Alyce; they have no reason to endanger their lives for our battle. I don’t want them anywhere close to this planet, but also, if we end up surviving this thing, then we need a way out of Yaerus.
I’m not sure I like the idea of having a team with people that are so self-centered and emotionally unstable, but I’m also trained now, and I can make up for any holes in our teamwork. It’s just that I hope I’ll be enough.
“We’re five minutes away from the predefined landing spot. It’s 7:00 pm, Yaerus time. Brace yourselves for a rough landing. It’s going to be tough gentlemen,” Silver says, using a different accent today than the one she used yesterday.
Zan seems pleasantly entertained with that game of theirs. On the other hand, Silver is probably trying different accents to fit her new-found sentient powers. I’m not sure I have this whole thing figured out yet, but they both seem so happy with each other that I would be a resentful bitch if I spoiled it for them.
I check my safety belt and wait to hear that clicking sound that means that it’s in place. For Silver, the best pilot in the crew, to say that it’s going to be a difficult landing, it probably means that we may not get out of this unscathed.
The closer we get to the ground the louder the explosions outside sound. I’m not exactly sure what it’s exploding over and over again, but I’m not sure I want to know at the same time. Mosa used to be a safe place, a place where people could trust humans to protect them. Now it’s just a shadow of itself.
Silver is right, though. The blasts from the continuous explosions toss the shuttle around, pushing us onto the debris of a building. The metal hull of the shuttle subsides on that side, leading to Cross and Pyro unbuckling their belts to avoid getting hit by the receding metal. They spend the rest of the journey trying not to break a bone or get seriously hurt by jumping up and down into shuttle, counter-matching the random movements caused by the explosions.
“One minute to landing! Patience boys! We’ll be on the ground in a minute,” Silver says again.
This time, Zan doesn’t have the same jovial expression as before. He’s afraid, never quite getting used to flying in a shuttle.
The two men nod and continue walking up and down the tight aisle of the shuttle. They’re trained assassins, elite operatives of an underground organization that tries to retain peace in the Known Galaxy. At least that’s what they’re saying to us. Still, seeing them utilize the small space of the shuttle, and even each other, while trying to get out of this situation without a serious injury, it seems almost like a supernatural dance. Even Jay looks at them in awe.
A sudden tremor, followed by the engines stopping, can only mean that we have finally landed on Mosa.
“That was it, people. I hope everyone is okay,” Silver says.
Pyro and Cross look at each other, slowly panting while trying to catch up their breaths. They
look like they do this kind of things every day. It’s almost impossible to match these people.
“We’re fine. We have to be careful from now on, though. We have no idea what we’ll meet outside. Grab your things and stay close. We have to find a safe place to camp for the night. It’s too late now to start towards the energy signal,” Pyro says.
Cross agrees, but Jay doesn’t seem ready to follow their command just yet. He stands up and strides in front of him, stopping him from getting out of the shuttle. His eyes are glassy, and his face seems even darker than usual. It’s like he’s burning in fever.
“Why don’t we just use this shitty shuttle and fly there? There’s no time to lose. The Nusae bug told me,” he suddenly says.
Nusae...bug? What is he talking about? He doesn’t make any sense.
“If we use the shuttle to fly to the energy signal, we’re all going to die,” Cross says, trying to appease Jay. But he doesn’t hear a thing.
“You’re such a pussy. If we don’t hurry there, a whole species is going to die, and it’s gonna be your fault. The cube is at a crucial point. It’s almost unlocked, and if we’re not there by the time it does, I won’t be able to control it,” he says.
That seems to grant him the benefit of the doubt. Cross looks at me and then at Pyro. He doesn’t know what to say.
“Tell us, Jasih. What did that last vision tell you? What do you mean we’re running out of time?” Pyro asks him.
“You stupid people. We’re so close to our destination, and you’re searching for explanations.” He rubs his eyes; he probably has difficulty staying awake. “Fine. I’ll tell you what the Nusae told to me, only if you promise to listen to me.”
We all nod at the same time. Still not out of the shuttle and problems arose. I’m starting to think that maybe we’re not ready yet to deal with an interplanetary crisis.
“Okay. So, in my vision, one of the Nusae, the previous chosen of the cube, told me that this technology doesn’t work as we thought it does. The whole puzzle-solving, treasure-hunting thing that we did this whole time was to stabilize the cube’s core by visiting high-energy locations around the galaxy or inducing emotionally-strong situations. That’s why I get the same vision of a woman jumping off a building all the time. But now that the four of the five insignias are carved on the cube, things have changed.
“It took us too long to get here, so the cube is now ready to unlock by itself. If that happens, then the automated system that would allow me to stop it, it will actually tear us to pieces and destroy the whole solar system in its wake. But it doesn’t end there. The explosion will then distort the space and time continuum, resulting in a vicious cycle of us coming back to life and dying again and again for centuries. I tell you that we’re close to creating hell’s butthole and traveling there with first-class seats reserved.”
My heart feels heavy in my chest; I didn’t sign up for this. I don’t want to die in a strange, technology-induced hell that will leave me dying again and again for years to come. Zan and Silver seem to think the same thing. Cross and Pyro, on the other hand, seem calm, composed.
“Is that all?” Pyro finally says.
“What the fuck? Are you crazy? We have to get there as fast as we can. What don’t you understand?” Jay continues.
With a swift move, the man suddenly reveals a laser knife that stops mere centimeters from slicing Jay’s throat. The ashen-skinned man suddenly calms and gets ready to fight, only for Pyro to make another move and toss him to the ground.
“If you can’t fight me, boy, then you can’t get in that place flying. It’s as simple as that. You’re weak as hell, so go get some sleep and we’ll talk again in the morning. Okay?”
Pyro doesn’t wait for an answer; he just passes over him and gets on the shuttle’s gate. Cross follows him close behind, moving around Jay’s fallen body than over him like the other man did. I wait for them to get away before I run to his side.
“Jay...I...”
He pushes me violently out of his way. I hit my head on the subsided side of the shuttle, suddenly feeling a warm, acute pain spread through my whole body. “What the hell?” I shout at him.
“You’re worthless. All the humans are worthless. I can destroy you with just a flinch of my finger, but you still think you can use me however you want?” Jay is calm while talking, but still, his words seem heavy and tired. He’s at his limit.
I decide to swallow my anger and talk to him. “Look, I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you have to change back, just for a day or so, until you recover your strength. You can’t expect to--”
“Shut your trap, you stupid bitch. You don’t know shit about me. I’m perfectly fine.”
He gets to his feet and walks out of the shuttle. I turn and look at Silver and Zan, both of them looking as surprised about what happened as I do.
Soon the swelling on the back of my head holds in all my feelings of shame and regret. Did I make the wrong choice?
Chapter Sixty-Three
Jay
I’m not sure where I am again. I’m tired, unable to move my hands and feet. It’s just a plain, blue sky above my head and the rough, cold ground below me. I turn my eyes and see destroyed buildings all around me, but I still can’t keep the fleeting images of my memory inside my head. It’s like the longer I look at my surroundings, the more the images leak away from my mind.
I feel cold and alone; the other Jay hasn’t said a thing for so long that I totally forgot about him. Did he exist in the first place? Was I trapped in the body of a platinum-skinned asshole for all these years or was everything in my head this long?
I’m not so sure anymore. Right now, all I want to do is rest. Close my eyes and sleep until my power returns.
A moment passes, and I’m on my feet, on the roof of the same cursed building from all these visions. Only that now I’m perfectly aware that I’m in a dream and not another vision from the cube. I look around me totally apathetic; I feel fear, but I don’t show it. I feel anger, but my heart beats slowly like I’m sleeping.
Surely, there’s someone here that can help me get away from this painless dream. I want to tear my head apart to feel something, to feel alive, but all I get is an empty, white dream.
I hear the hinges of an old door squeak behind me; it’s the same fucking thing every time.
“I don’t understand! What it’s going on? What do you want from me?” I shout at the wind, but the only thing coming out from my mouth is a sigh.
I’m ready to get on my knees and tear my skin apart with my teeth just to feel something.
But then I see the person coming out of the squeaking door.
“Lenora?” My jaw falls after I see her walking out of the building. “Lenora, is that you?” I scream.
She turns and looks at me with the same expression on her face like the last time I saw her. When was the last time I saw her?
Jasih...her voice echoes inside my head.
“I’m sorry, Lenora. I should have known better,” I say. Only that I didn’t open my mouth.
Her face slowly cracks into a faucet of pure sadness and agony. Her mouth hangs open, a perfect example of regret.
I feel a sudden pain in my chest; it’s the other Jasih.
Lenora! Come back! Don’t let her go. LENORA!
But she doesn’t even turn to look at me now; instead, she walks to the edge of the roof. Without even hesitating, she climbs on the ridge and turns to look at me.
“Goodbye,” she says out loud, and then the cube appears out of nowhere and pushes her over the edge.
A small explosion of light blinds me, but I follow her close behind. I jump behind her in what it seems like an eternity and see her fall towards the ground fast. We’re now both falling. I close my eyes just before we hit the ground, but I don’t feel a thing. Not pain, not anything. Instead, I open my eyes again only to see her damaged body lying next to a little, black cube emitting a red light.
I look around me and try to
understand. I’m not sure that everything in my mind still clicks, but everything looks so damn familiar. I...I think I’ve been here before.
I feel a light shining deep into my head, and then everything comes to the surface. All my decisions, everything that I thought from the day I learned about the cube, the Nusae, seemingly everything that actually took me to this exact moment.
Lenora died so that I wouldn’t have to get trapped in the cube, and then the cube brought me back to life as the key to unlocking it. I got back to my ship all by myself and got into the cryo-pod trying to hide from everyone that would want to use the cube to destroy another civilization. And still, even though I know that I was there, it still feels that I wasn’t the one that did all these things.
It’s because you didn’t. Lenora was my wife, and you were just a parasite unable to have thoughts back then. The Cube gave you the life it took from her!
Alien Romance Box Set: Alien Former: Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Books 1-5) Page 70
