Resigned Fate

by West, Shay

  --What happened? Blast you, answer me!--

  Jon looked up at Fa’ Vel, tears springing to his eyes as the man’s face twisted in rage. I’m dying and his face is the last thing I’ll see.

  The ground shook as the Mekan once again started moving. Jon knew he should try to get to his feet and run but his body no longer obeyed his commands. Tears flowed down his cheeks as the faces of his baby sisters flashed through his mind. He cried out as he pictured their bodies crushed beneath the giant legs of the metal beasts.

  I’m not strong enough to save them!

  In a move born of desperation, Jon reached out and grabbed Fa’ Vel’s arm just as the dark magician was about to stand and run from the approaching Mekan. With the last of his strength, Jon reached inside himself to his own seat of magic and combined it with as much as he could pull from every living thing around him. Before Fa’ Vel could protect himself, Jon reached into the dark magician and drained him of his life force.

  Just as a flash of searing hot light blinded him, he sent his consciousness into the Mekan.

  ASTRA

  SAEMUS TURNED IN A SLOW CIRCLE. The Mekans had come to a standstill. The villagers stood huddled in a tight group, their eyes refusing to look away from the machines, scared they would begin moving again.

  “What’s happening?” Kaelin asked.

  “I don’t know.” Saemus shook his head.

  Keera walked up to the pair. “It can’t be over, can it?”

  “I don’t think so. They probably just stopped momentarily and will begin moving again at any second,” Saemus said, refusing to hope that they had stopped for good.

  EARTH

  “THE MACHINE STOPPED DIGGING,” Sloan announced.

  “For how long? It stopped once before,” Forka said.

  “I don’t know. We’ll keep clearing the tunnels. Maybe we’ll get lucky and get through before it starts up again.”

  ASTRA

  DARKNESS.

  Jon floated in darkness, surrounded by a strange humming. It was soothing.

  Am I dead?

  He tried to move but it was as though his body had disappeared. All he had were his thoughts.

  What happened?

  The last thing Jon remembered was lying on the ground and reaching out to keep Fa’ Vel from leaving. Try as he might, his memory was a blank after that.

  What’s going on?

  A light pierced the darkness. He turned toward it—how can I do that without a body? The light grew larger. Jon wasn’t sure if it was because it was moving toward him or if he was somehow moving toward it. Familiar shapes emerged: clouds, trees.

  I’m in the Mekan.

  The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. The view was the same one he had seen when he was looking through the eyes of the machine. Since the scenery wasn’t changing he assumed that the Mekan was stationary.

  Let’s see if I can move this thing like before.

  Jon willed the head to move and just as before, the scenery slowly shifted as the giant head swiveled to the right. Curious, Jon moved the head downward, hoping to catch a glimpse of his body far below on the ground.

  He saw a blackened area with two charred corpses in the middle.

  I’m trapped in here!

  Jon shook his head in denial, panic setting in. He forced the machine to back up, away from his burnt corpse.

  What do I do? Dear Spirits help me, what do I do?

  ASTRA

  JON COULDN’T SAY HOW LONG HE STOOD THERE. He couldn’t help but think of the Mekan as his new body now. He certainly couldn’t return to his old one. When his mind wasn’t churning through the horror of what he had become, it was blank, refusing to accept this new reality.

  He became aware of something missing, something that had been a constant companion since he and the other Chosen had first seen the Mekan in the Blasted Land: a vibration moving through the ground.

  Jon concentrated, thinking that perhaps he just couldn’t feel it through the metal skin. Something flitted across his consciousness, an awareness of the other Mekans on Astra. Jon pushed his mind toward those other machines and was surprised to find that he could easily access their processing units. All of them had come to a standstill. One by one, Jon crept into their processing units, wanting to see the damage they had done.

  Siswae had been completely destroyed, the ground it had been built on now at the bottom of the Sea of Solace. The Blasted Lands had been decimated as had the regions close to the volcano that had erupted. The Shadow Mountains were not as tall as they had been, their peaks ground down by the machines. He observed the destruction of his world through dispassionate eyes. Jon wished he could muster some emotion but he felt as hard and cold as his new skin. He wondered if the machines on other words had also stopped.

  His excitement rose when he contacted the other Mekans scattered throughout the galaxy. All of them were holding their positions.

  Jon didn’t know why they had stopped when he’d entered the one Mekan on Astra and he didn’t care. All he cared was that, for the moment, he had single-handedly stopped the Mekan invasion.

  ***

  Saemus rubbed his face. He never would have imagined that the Mekans standing stark still would fill him with dread. I should be happy. His sweaty palms and racing heart were indicative of anything but joy.

  Kaelin and Keera were whispering together, wondering if the Mekans on Earth had stopped as well. The clone stood off to one side staring serenely at the Mekan as though it didn’t have a care in the world.

  Suddenly, one of the Mekans began moving toward them. Saemus wanted to scream and weep at the same time. The machine took a few steps and covered the large distance in seconds.

  Then it stopped again.

  Saemus and Kaelin gripped hands, each holding their power, ready to hurl everything they had at the Mekan if it started moving again.

  “I can’t take this! What’s the blasted thing doing?” Kaelin asked.

  Kaelin sucked in a breath as a strange voice spoke from within her head.

  [I think I can explain]

  ***

  “Where did that voice come from?” Kaelin asked, whirling toward the clone. Even though the communication wasn’t the same, it had come directly into her mind, so she couldn’t help but turn to the one who was the most familiar with telepathy.

  [Up here]

  Saemus slowly tilted his head so far back he feared his neck might snap.

  [Hey guys]

  Saemus stared at the Mekan with his mouth open. Keera moaned off to his left. He thought he heard her hit the ground but he didn’t turn around. His gaze was fixed on the machine standing before him and somehow speaking into his mind with Jon’s voice. Kaelin gripped his hand so hard he feared she would cut off his circulation.

  “What...what’s going on...how?” Saemus spoke through numb lips.

  [It’s complicated]

  “Then explain it to us.”

  [I’m inside the machines now]

  “Details.” Saemus spoke through clenched teeth.

  [I don’t know, it’s all a blur. Fa’ Vel and I were trying to speak to the Mekans, to ally ourselves to them...]

  “Are you mad? Why would you turn your back on us?”

  [You never accepted me. At least with Fa’ Vel I could use the dark magic whenever I wanted. He never looked at me like I was a freak]

  Saemus shook his head. The voice in his head even had the same petulant tone that Jon often took when speaking about the forbidden magic.

  [Fa’ Vel failed in his plan. I managed to gain access to the computer chip in one of the machines]

  “So why are you still in there?”

  [I’m trapped in here]

  Saemus swallowed against the bile rising in his throat. No matter how much Jon irritated him and how much trouble he caused, he didn’t deserve to be trapped in the body of the machine. “I’m sorry.”

  [It’s okay. I saved everyone. Kind of makes it worthwhile, don’t y
ou think?]

  “What now?”

  [I leave and make all the rest of the machines leave as well]

  “You can do that?” Saemus asked.

  [Yes. It’s the only thing to do]

  The sadness echoed in Saemus’ head, bringing tears to his eyes. As Kaelin saw to Keera, Jon told Saemus of everything he had seen of the damage done to Astra as well as what he had seen on Earth and Kromin.

  Kaelin and Keera both wailed when Jon told them about their husbands and the rest of the Jhinn trapped beneath the mountain.

  “We have to do something!” Keera said.

  “By the time we make it to the portal, they will have run out of air,” Saemus said.

  Kaelin shoved her twin in the chest. “I. Don’t. Care. I can’t just sit here while my husband dies.”

  [Perhaps I can help]

  Kaelin looked up at the machine. “How?”

  [Give me a minute]

  After what seemed an eternity, Jon’s metallic voice once again spoke to them. [I have the machine digging them out. I can’t guarantee they will be alive when it gets through]

  Kaelin took a deep breath. “Thank you for trying.”

  “What will you do now?” Saemus asked.

  [Take the machines and fly them into the sun]

  “Jon, no, you can’t! You’ll die too.”

  [I’m already dead. You think I want to live forever in this thing?]

  “We just need some time. Maybe we can get you a new body—”

  [This is the only way. With each passing moment I am losing myself and becoming more like the Mekans. I can control them for now but who’s to say how long that will last? If I don’t destroy them, they will return someday]

  Saemus dropped his hands to his side, helplessness robbing him of his voice. Keera sobbed quietly, held tightly by Kaelin, whose tears fell on Keera’s fiery red hair.

  [Tell my mom and dad what I did. Tell them I’m sorry. For everything]

  A loud whine sounded as Jon started the engines. Saemus watched as the machines lifted off the ground, slowly at first but gaining momentum as they rose higher. Saemus counted six of the machines, the furthest so far away as to be a mere speck against the bright blue sky.

  As he sat on the ground with his arms around his twin, he became aware of a cheer arising from the villagers. His heart soared and he sent out a prayer of thanks to the good Spirits for saving them.

  EPILOGUE

  “JUST TAKE IT NICE AND SLOW, GENERAL.”

  Forka snorted at Jeb Masters. “Have you ever known me to take anything slow?” He grinned and gave his mare a light kick with his remaining leg. Jeb and his daughter, Melisa, had helped Brent Fields learn to ride with only one arm. Forka knew if anyone could help him become mobile on horseback despite having only one leg, Jeb would be the one to do it.

  Forka concentrated on his riding. He had thought his thigh muscles were strong enough, but he hadn’t realized how much he depended on his feet in the stirrups to give him the confidence to do more than walk the mare. He had to learn to rely on his thigh muscles to keep him in the saddle. Forka smiled as No Name’s foal read his subtle signals to turn around. She’s as smart as her Momma.

  “Brad stopped by earlier. Said to remind you about dinner tonight,” Jeb shouted.

  Forka nodded and flashed a grin to Jeb over his shoulder before digging his heel into the mare’s side. She took off smoothly, muscles bunching beneath her glistening red coat. Forka wheeled her around and shouted at her to run like the wind. He came to a stop in front of the fence where Jeb sat, chuckling to himself.

  “Feel better now?”

  “Much.” Forka swung his stump around and jumped down, landing easily on one leg. He handed the reins to Jeb and grabbed his crutches from against the fence. As always, when he fitted the wooden crutches under his arms feelings of self-pity washed over him, threatening to drown out the joy and expectation of dinner with friends.

  Brad and Kaelin lived on a farm on the outskirts of the Jhinn encampment. By the time Forka arrived at the tiny wooden house, his arms were sore but he welcomed the pain. It reminded him he was alive.

  The front door opened and a skinny girl of two ran at him at full speed, her jet-black hair flying behind her like a cape. She leapt into his arms and buried her face in his neck.

  “Unca Forka! You have dinner?”

  Forka juggled the wriggling girl and his crutches. “Of course. Did you think I would miss our weekly meal together?”

  “Nah.” She gave him one last squeeze before he set her down. She ran ahead, shouting to her parents through the still-open door.

  Brad met Forka at the door and shook his hand. “Good to see you, General.”

  Forka sighed. He had tried for the last several years to break everyone of the habit of calling him “Sir” and “General” but it was as though the townfolk and the Protectors were being deliberately uncooperative.

  Kaelin was in the kitchen, her pregnant belly swelling against her simple cotton dress.

  “What are you doing on your feet? I thought Sawbones ordered you to take it easy,” Forka said.

  Kaelin snorted. “The way that man carries on you’d think this was the first time I had given birth to twins. I feel fine.” She patted his cheek as she bustled past, setting a tall mug of ale on the table. She turned to her husband. “Will you call the kids for dinner?”

  Brad shouted and the twins, Saemus and Keera, ran into the room. Forka smiled at the pair, so like their mother but with their father’s temperament. Kaelin gave each of them a kiss on their heads, rubbing her belly as she watched them fill their plates with food.

  “Is your brother coming for the big day?” Forka asked.

  Kaelin smiled. “He wouldn’t miss it. Keera can’t make it as she is about to bring her second child into the world.”

  “Have you picked out names yet?”

  Kaelin nodded. “Since we named the first twins after people special to me, we decided to name the next set after Brad’s parents, Pete and Vicky.” She beamed at her husband.

  “Are you certain they will be a boy and girl again?” Forka asked.

  “Sawbones thinks so. I have other ways of knowing.” Kaelin winked.

  Brad groaned. “I tried to talk her out of using her power to find out the sex of the children. I thought it would be more fun for it to be a surprise.”

  “I just couldn’t help it.”

  “Well, as long as they are happy and healthy, that’s all that matters,” Brad said.

  After the meal, the adults retired to the back porch. Brad and Forka lit their pipes, ignoring the snort of disgust from Kaelin.

  “I still can’t believe how it all turned out,” Kaelin said as she stared at the stars.

  Brad grabbed her hand and kissed it gently. “All that matters is that it did.”

  “That’s true, but don’t you ever want to know if this is what the prophecy had in mind all along?”

  Brad shrugged. “Not really. I have you and our children. Worrying about how we got here doesn’t change anything.”

  “You’re impossible. What do you think?” Kaelin turned to Forka.

  “I don’t know. Robert preaches that God had a grand plan and that He saw to it that it succeeded, despite losing our friends along the way. Did it happen the way the prophecy said it was supposed to? Who can say?”

  Kaelin rocked in her chair, rubbing her swollen belly. “I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Jon...” She wiped at her cheeks.

  Brad took both of her hands in his. “We don’t have to wonder ‘what if’. He saved us all. We’re alive and we get to live the rest of our lives together.”

  Kaelin grabbed him around the neck and held on like she was afraid he would disappear. She pulled back and kissed him deeply, pouring her love into that kiss. “You’re right, of course. I suppose in the end, it really doesn’t matter how we got here. We’re just lucky this is where we ended up.”

  ***

&n
bsp; “Gwen! You get in here this instant!” Keera shouted.

  “Leave her be. She’s fighting dragons.” Sloan reached around her to place his hands over her belly.

  Keera laid her head back against his chest. “Her dinner will get cold.”

  “We can heat it up again.”

  “You let her get away with too much.”

  “I just like having this time alone with you. It won’t be too much longer until we have another little one in the house.” Sloan nuzzled her neck.

  Keera giggled. “It’s going to be months yet. Kaelin’s the one due any day now.”

  “I spoke to Saemus earlier today. He’s still trying to fit the events to the prophecy.”

  “I don’t see why he even bothers. The Mekans are gone and life is back to normal. Why keep thinking about it?”

  “He’s been thinking about the line that says ‘Only the Chosen can save us’. He thinks that there are multiple ways that line can be interpreted.”

  Keera turned to face Sloan, curiosity overriding her desire to watch her daughter play. “What does he say?”

  “The Chosen is the same when dealing with all of us together. Or only one of us.”

  “So you mean Saemus thinks that the prophecy only meant for Jon to save us? What about the marks we all have that match the planet symbols on the portal? Was that a mistake?”

  Sloan shrugged. “I never said I agree with him.”

  “Well, I think it’s ridiculous. If Saemus is right, all of the other Chosen were never actually Chosen. I can’t accept that.”

  “There’s another thing that supports Saemus’ theory. Remember the part that said something about the Chosen infiltrating the enemy? That could mean Jon taking over their collective minds.”

  “So what does Mr. Head of the Mystics think about the rest of it? What about the part about needing help? I think he’s trying to make sense of something that doesn’t make sense. Maybe we won because we refused to stop fighting. Maybe the prophecy was supposed to mean something different but when the girl from Earth was killed, it changed things. If everything turned out like the prophecy said, why were the Gentran prophets unable to write more prophecy?”