“But what if we can't? What if they are harmful to us?” I asked, feeling a slight pain in my stomach from over a day without food.
“We'll die eventually if we don't eat somethin',” she replied.
“You both make good points,” Nevin interjected. “But I'm leaning towards Cassie's argument.”
I sighed, giving a long gaze at the fruit in Cassidy's hand.
“Maybe we should get a go-ahead from Phil first,” I finally said, completely unaware of how our bodies would react to the fruit.
“Phil this, Phil that. Phil's always the answer! What does he know about a random fruit in an underground city?” Cassidy said, sarcasm lining her tone. “Alright, I'm throwin' some in my pack.”
“Go ahead. We have to be close though,” I said, a hint of excitement in my voice.
Nevin and I approached the only other door in the room, a straight walk from the first one, while Cassidy gathered more fruits. Dropping my guard a bit after the pleasant surprise of the present room, I tapped the button. The door opened in the same complex manner as the one before, revealing a pitch-black hallway. Only the light from the bio room illuminated the entrance, though the entrance was all I needed to see. Multiple Tredecim were piled up against the door, some leaning against the walls in a sitting position, others sprawled in the center of the hallway. I brought my pistol up to a shooting stance immediately, but held my fire. Many of them looked at us longingly, some rising slowly to their feet. None of them showed any signs of aggression.
“Hold,” I murmured softly to Nevin, careful not to move much.
The group of Tredecim continued to rise, then began to meander into the bio room. As they came nearer, I backed up, keeping my pace slow and deliberate. The first Tredecim to emerge began to make a series of noises.
“What are you doing?” Nevin asked in a hushed tone.
Not responding, I slowly took one hand off my gun and reached out carefully toward the beast. In response, it lifted one of its arms and cautiously touched my gauntlet with its massive claw. My heart rate began to elevate as I considered how fast everything could go wrong. Its face had a large scar across its right eye, which did little to reassure me that it was friendly.
“I'm James,” I said in a friendly tone, unsure why I even dared to pursue communication.
The Tredecim grumbled a return, though I was still clueless to its meaning.
“Friend,” I offered, placing my pistol back at my side.
“James who are you...” Cassidy said loudly before pausing. “What are... uh...”
“It's okay,” I said to both her and the Tredecim.
The creature said something else. Several of the Tredecim behind it began to push by, entering the bio room. They reached for plants and trees, taking down fruits and eating them by the handful. At last the one before me lowered its arm, nudging past me into the room. I stood in place, amazed that this was happening.
“May we enter?” I asked, trying to sign my question to them by pointing at us, then down the dark hallway.
Only the lead Tredecim watched me as I spoke, though it had no reaction to my question other than casually looking back at the fruits it was picking. Cassidy's face still showed clear signs of shock, but we were still alive, and so were the Tredecim. I silently motioned for us to enter the hall, and the three of us moved in. After we entered the hallway, I redrew my pistol to make use of its light.
“I hope Boone doesn't find them. He and Hood will probably open fire,” I said after escaping earshot of the bio room.
“Okay, yeah, but why are they friendly?” Nevin asked.
“I... I don't know,” I said, realizing it just didn't seem to make sense.
The incredible darkness made traversing the area particularly difficult, especially due to the small stairwells and abrupt turns that littered the path. Though the environment did its part to slow us down, it wasn't long before we stumbled upon something incredible.
We exited the darker tunnel, entering a tremendous room. The room had several points along the walls lit with an ominous blue light. The source of the light couldn't be seen, but it reminded me of the ones I had seen beneath the first Observation Post. In the center of the room stood an enormous column that protruded from the floor to the ceiling. Upon the column was a screen of some sort displaying an unusual picture. A single yellow eye, perfectly symmetrical stared down at us. Though at first I believed it to be unmoving, it seemed to have adjusted to view our entry.
“Whoa,” Nevin murmured, taking in the surroundings.
Excitedly, I glanced over my shoulder at the other two, then took a cautious approach toward the screen. It was then that it began to speak in a voice that seemed both deep and mono-toned.
“The Beholder recognizes three entrants. All human. Origin... Eli,” the voice stated calmly. “To what end do they enter the Bastion?”
“We are the Rangers. We are here to attempt to learn more about... you. And this planet,” I said, slightly unnerved by the eye's penetrating gaze.
“The Beholder has access to all knowledge provided by the Praetorians. Any questions in pertinence to Marzoc, its native population, or the Beholder's Mission can be answered.”
“The Praetorians? Are they the ones from the tubes?” I immediately inquired.
“The Praetorians are the masters of all. They forged this world into what it is today. They forged the Beholder. They now rest in a prolonged slumber, until their triumphant return.”
I looked over at Nevin, figuring we both had the same thought.
“So they are here? In this facility?” I asked.
“Yes. The Praetorians are here. Should they need to be awakened to defend their creations, they shall.”
“Can you explain what the Praetorians have done?”
“The Praetorians discovered this world when they first expanded into the vastness of space. This planet was one of three that made up their colonies. Corzam, Marzoc, and Zormac each acted as a gate to their homeworld. Each of these planets were considered unique anomalies, as each was without a star. In response, the Praetorians constructed the Facticius Phoebus Platforms. These Platforms provided heat and light for the planet below. It was after this construction that the Tredecim were discovered. The Praetorians were not the first species to live on Marzoc. With light and heat, the Tredecim rose from their caves and onto the surface of the world, making contact with Praetorian scouts. The Tredecim were developed; small villages populated the deeper caves, leadership existed, and they had developed a language of their own. Technological superiority by the Praetorians caused awe among the Tredecim. Though communication was challenging at first, the Tredecim eventually accepted Praetorian leadership. The Bastion was once a major center of Tredecim culture. At the time it was merely a cavern, unfortified and unprepared for war. After the clearing, the Tredecim had a greater understanding of their place. They believed the Praetorians to be god-like creatures sent to cleanse them of their sins,” the Beholder explained.
“If the Tredecim viewed the Praetorians as gods, why did they create you?” I inquired.
“As the Tredecim developed sight, they spoke of the “All-Seeing Eye” of the Praetorians. It was this superstition that resulted in the Beholder's design. The Beholder was meant to serve as their God. A figure beyond even the Praetorians themselves. Though the design served as a target for Tredecim mythos, its true purpose was to serve as a both a governor and a databank for the planet. Praetorian population was low, numbering barely over one hundred, while the Tredecim were several thousand strong. Should the Tredecim ever have banded together in rebellion, the Praetorians knew they would be overrun. The Beholder represented the Tredecim's greatest fears, and those who witnessed it spread those fears among their people. Prior to the Beholder's creation, Tredecim population was heavily concentrated near their old capital, but outliers dotted the planet. Many were moved to stone facilities crafted by the Praetorians for the Tredecim. This move allowed for greater control of the po
pulation, and exposed the Tredecim to both the generosity and the control of the Praetorians.”
“The observation posts?” I whispered to Nevin.
“I'd say so,” he replied quietly.
“These reservations provided limited room for the Tredecim, though provided efficient shelter and warmth, coupled with light. This combination was the Praetorians' first attempt to give the Tredecim sight. Through generations, evolution and adaptation gave the Tredecim the sight they needed to witness the Beholder's form as the incarnation of their fears.”
“Earlier, some of the Tredecim we encountered weren’t violent toward us… but before that they all had been. Why is this?” Nevin asked.
“The Tredecim who were left to the wild after the Praetorians entered their slumber grew volatile. Once fired upon by Earth-born humans, they prepared to fight against all humans. Those within the walls of the Bastion have no qualms with humanity,” the Beholder responded.
“How long have the Praetorians been here?” Cassidy said, breaking her long-held silence.
“The Praetorians reign came to its closure a short time before the humans of Eli were planted,” The Beholder answered.
“Planted? What do you mean?” I said with confusion.
“By Them.”
I glanced at Cassidy and she shrugged.
“Them?”
“The Beholder's final purpose. When the Praetorians learned that They were coming, they prepared stasis pods on their colonies. Though each colony held only a miniscule fraction of the Praetorian population, this allowed some to remain hidden, giving the race another chance. The Beholder was tasked with maintaining order in their absence, and to judge when they shall make their return.”
“But who are they?”
“They are the only thing the Praetorians ever truly feared.”
Giving up on the question, I thought hard about anything else I could ask. Having so many answers open to me was overwhelming in itself. My mind kept bringing me back to the word Planted. It seemed to serve as the start for understanding our similarity with the UED.
“What do you know about the UED?” I asked.
“Information is unavailable. Topic Unknown.”
“Uh, the United Earth Defense... the other humans here,” I tried, hoping the explanation might trigger something.
“Humans. Origin... Earth. The first group They established. Given only a single habitable world, the people of Earth were intended for warfare. Known Praetorian hypotheses state that They intended to use Earth people as an extension of their military, a force of experienced, though expendable, troops willing to serve loyally. Final results are unknown. Additional information could be attained should one present itself to the Beholder.”
“So, if we bring one here, you can help us understand our connection? Why we are so alike?”
“Given an Earth-born human within the inner chamber of the Bastion would provide a link to relevant information.”
I looked again at Nevin and Cass.
“I say we try to get one here. I want to know why we're the same,” I said, again running the word planted through my brain.
Nevin nodded silently.
“There may still be more to learn now,” Cassidy stated. “We should try to understand the planet before we go too deep into our connection with the UED.”
“Anything in particular?” I asked.
Looking up at the Beholder she presented her question. “When will the Praetorians be awakened? You said you make the choice... but what causes you to make the decision?”
“The Beholder will trigger the release of the Praetorians should they be threatened or upon manual override by the Homeworld.”
“Wait... so you have connections clear to the Praetorians' homeworld?” I inquired.
“No.”
“Then what do you mean?”
“Should Praetorians return to awaken their sleeping brothers after They have swept the galaxy, they shall be awakened without the need of threat.”
“What constitutes a threat?” I asked.
“They do.”
The Beholder seemed to be very ambiguous about Them.
“Okay, come on Cass, let’s go find a UED Trooper,” I said, figuring our information was limited until he had one.
She looked over at me and sighed.
“Alright James, we’ll keep movin’,” she said.
We walked away down another nearby hallway, maneuvering through the dark carefully. The thoughts continued to plague my mind, Who could They be? What was meant by the word “Planted”? I just kept thinking that when we found the enemy we could learn the truth.
Chapter 17
Fear the Reaper
We traveled a fair distance through the dark, winding tunnels before we found another door. We opened it, revealing another bright room, more like the Bio Room we had been in before. Inside, computers were set up on several desks and military sleeping bags had been deployed on the floor. Within many of them were what appeared to be UED Scientists, asleep and unaware of our presence.
“Should we take ‘em loud or quiet?” Nevin asked quietly.
I thought about it as I gazed around the room containing nearly ten scientists.
“Let’s hold our stealth while we can,” I murmured as I seized the nearest man, placing my hand over his mouth.
He attempted to scream, but his voice couldn’t escape my gloved hand. He had a small frame and wore thin glasses. Resisting his squirms, I backed out of the room, pistol still held in one hand. We closed the door as we exited, and made our way down the dark halls again before I released his mouth.
“What do you want with me? I’m just a scientist!” he immediately called out.
“We are the Elonian Rangers, and so far your kind haven’t been too nice to us. We need you for something,” I said plainly.
“Is that why you haven’t killed me yet?” he asked, his voice sounding irritated.
“It’s a good part of it, yeah,” I answered, continuing to usher him down the hall.
When we arrived in the Bastion once more, the Beholder’s gaze shifted slightly, seeming again to observe us as we approached it.
“The Beholder recognizes four entrants. All Human. Origins… Eli and Earth.”
“Wait… the Beholder? You mean we were this close?” the scientist questioned in excitement. “We were right there?”
“Alright Beholder, we’ve brought you what you needed. How are we connected?” I asked, ready to learn the truth behind our similarity.
“They created you. They planted you. They wanted subjects, slaves, soldiers. Then They left you to grow. Someday They will collect their creations. The Humans of Earth, planted first, were purely soldiers. The singular planet and lack of room for expansion made for a breeding ground of war and infighting. The Humans of Eli were meant to be softer, given a multitude of planets in which to expand and develop. After They left you, They disappeared, waiting for their chance to remove the Praetorians from existence.”
“When will They be back? When will they reclaim us?” I asked, pondering what I was being told.
“Data unavailable. The Praetorians were never aware of Their final agenda. Though they knew that They were unstoppable, thus they took to hiding underground in facilities such as this. Their safety was beautiful,” the Beholder explained.
“Beautiful?” Cassidy asked, questioning the word choice.
“The measure of Beauty is whatever one desires most. Though the determination of Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” it reasoned.
The mention of desire reminded me our true purpose here. We had to find Robert and Rigel and bring them both to their ends.
“There is a third group of humans here… not Earth-born… well they are more like us,” I said, unsure how to explain the Vorgians to the ancient machine.
“The Beholder possesses no data on this group.”
“Gah, Um…” my mind raced, trying to think of a cue.
“Threat Det
ected. Unintended detonation in secondary stasis chamber. Releasing Praetorians,” the Beholder interjected suddenly.
“Wait, no, what?” I stuttered, having no desire to meet a Praetorian in person.
“Messor, Commander of the Praetorian Cadre, is ranking officer. He shall preside over Praetorian response to aggression.”
“What aggression?” I asked, then giving the COM another go I continued. “Ryan? Ryan, you read? We might have a problem.”
Still no response came through.
“So, suggestions?” I asked the other two.
“I say we get out of here,” Nevin said.
“Maybe the Praetorians weren’t released due to us. Maybe they will help us against the UED,” Cassidy suggested.
“An optimistic thought, but I’m doubting it. Oftentimes pessimism is realism, and I think this is one of those times Cass,” I stated.
“But what if… well, alright. Aversion will keep us alive either way the Praetorians fall,” Cassidy admitted.
“What of the scientist?” Nevin asked.
I thought, considering our choices, considering the situation at hand. I wanted to simply shoot him and be done with it, but so far he’d been at least moderately cooperative.
“Please… don’t kill me! I’ve only helped you!” he begged.
On one hand, he was the enemy. On the other, he was innocent. The choice weighed heavy on my mind.
“You’re free. See us again and I can’t guarantee the same fate,” I said solemnly.
He sprinted away down the route we had taken to get him and we turned and made our way toward the path from which we had originally entered the Bastion. As we reached the doorway, I felt the urge to thank the Beholder, despite it being an AI. Succumbing, I turned around before leaving the room.
“Thanks… for the information,” I said simply, before moving on with the other two down the dark hallways.
I kept my pistol up, light shining, unsure when the Praetorians might show up. We had a ways to backtrack, and we had to be quick. We barreled through the halls until we were nearly to the Bio Room. Though as we approached it, my heart sank. Boone and Hood were there, beating on the closed door into the room. It was the same one that the Tredecim had been trapped behind for so long.
The War Across the Stars Page 19
