Phoenix Rising: The Covenant (Phoenix Rising Infinitology Book 1)

by Angela Timms

  This is what is igniting the fires within our youth. They rebel against our ways. They population and the information building you saw them destroy act, all the files were backed up and are part of the network. They’d have to destroy the whole city to destroy the information. We will rebuild. But it is the intent that disturbs me. It is disastrous for our safety that our people should wish to have such control.”

  Kel coughed. “If I might be so bold. The people who live in poverty at the base of your fine buildings don’t seem so free and informed.”

  Utiah smiled. “First impressions can be deceiving. You were looking down on flying in shuttles physical recreation. Down there they can live out their fantasies. They take on personas unlike their own and are able to play out the games that are created for them physically. This allows an outlet for aggression and a chance for people from all walks of life to interact. Otherwise they would merely play with computer games for the rest of their lives. We have tried other forms of recreation but our useful space is limited and the opportunities for this sort of things similarly limited. What you see down there is real but it also is not. We use a lot of holograms and sensory equipment so what they encounter feels real. The Larping Foundation was established many years ago and is one of our most profitable companies. Its shares on the Exchange have rocketed of late. People enjoy being able to escape and to be someone else in a controlled environment where they can’t actually die. They may die as their persona but when they leave the game they are healthy and well, if a little tired and have got any aggression out of their system. Before the Larping Foundation we were spending a fortune in maintenance and cleaning to keep those alleyways clear. Leasing them out has turned that wasted land into an asset. If you wish to participate while you are visiting we would happily make this opportunity available to you.”

  Kel smiled. “Well I never would have thought. Thank you but no thank you. Although I’m sure it would be highly amusing.”

  Utiah smiled back. “It may seem very alien to you. You live an exciting life. For the rest of us who are tied to the mundane of work and living, we need our escapes and to be able to develop our imagination. But, I digress, not that you are unwelcome to ask. I welcome it. The notebook proves that the origin of the Followers was unlike what they are now. It illustrates that the original message has want to see more control of the that is generally available. The was our Library. It was a needless

  our entertainment district. Other than clinically and airbuses our people have little by way of been corrupted to the all controlling and megalomaniacal cult it is now. This coupled with the footage you have been able to provide us with has almost completed the information that we plan to present to our population very shortly. We are able to provide them with the reasoning and back it up with the evidence of what this organization has become. That is but a start. What we need to do is find out why there was such a dramatic change. I refuse to believe that it was just greed and the need for control and power by certain individuals. It was too dramatic a change and too quickly. Also, the martial state of the Followers is totally contradictory to the gentle and humanitarian approach of its founder. We have the beginning, we have the end. Now all we have to do is find out why. I have provided the Prince with a full scan of the notebook. You may ask why I invited you here when I have already sent the information on ahead. I invited you here because we may well have found something on this planet. We cannot investigate it.”

  Kyla looked shocked. “Why not?”

  Utiah smiled. “Because anything we find must be publicized to the populace. Those are our beliefs. The High Council has suggested that we do not get involved with this. What we do not know we cannot tell.” He pushed a small piece of paper which was water stained and folded in quarters across the table. “Take this and leave. Do not speak further to me about it. I have told you all we know and I would not discuss it further. Do you understand me?”

  Kyla took the piece of paper and slipped it into her pocket. “Completely.” She smiled and took a small black rod data stick out of her pocket. She placed it on the table. “The Prince’s office will send you the information that goes with this. I trust our trading meeting has been beneficial?”

  Utiah bowed his head. “I hope so.”

  21

  The Argo floated meaningfully through the emptiness of space. A multi coloured nebula swirled behind it like a halo of colour and stars and planets dotted the infinite velvet blackness of the Renisinnian Galaxy.

  Kyla rolled over after waking from a fitful sleep. She reached out and switched on the bedside light which illuminated the room. The normal shadows in the room seemed wrong, there was a dark patch she didn’t remember.

  As she reached for her pistol, concealed under her pillow, Joniel stepped from the shadows smiling. “No need to shoot me my love. I’m just here for some time with you.”

  Kyla smiled. “So why just stand there, why didn’t you wake me?” Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the drawer of her cabinet beside where he had been standing was slightly open. “I could have looked forward to your visit if you had let me know you were coming as you usually do.”

  Joniel smiled. “Can’t a lover come and make love to his woman on a whim for a change.”

  Kyla pulled out the pistol and shot him in the chest. He barely flinched and moved towards her with lightning speed. She shot him again and again, emptying the clip into him as he bore down on her.

  Kel was in his room. Dr Samson bent over him and was just withdrawing an empty syringe from his bare arm. “Kel, listen to me. I am your friend Dr Samson. You have to go to Kyla tonight, she needs you. She has been drugged by Joniel and that is why she will not come to you and be with you. You know it is only right that she should be with you. Put that right. If you do not do this tonight there will be no hope for your people. Go to her, take her to make her your own and break the bond and ties that he has over her. Go to her room now. Nobody must stop you. Kill them if they do.” Kel got out of bed as if in a dream, threw his clothes on and grabbed his blaster. He climbed the ladder out of his room and stepped out into the empty corridor and went to Kyla’s room next door. He could hear shots. He opened the door which wasn’t locked and jumped down the ladder. He saw Joniel bearing down on Kyla. In a swift motion he shot him in the back which blew him forwards onto the bed, pinning Kyla down.

  In a couple of paces he was across the room and pulled the prone body off of the bed.

  Kyla looked up at him, visibly shaken. “Thank you. I don’t know…” Kel grabbed her and pinned her arms to the bed. He tried to kiss her but her well placed knee came up under the blankets and all he could do was cough and splutter as she managed to use his momentum towards her to throw him over the other side of the bed.

  She reached over and hit the alarm button as Kel leapt cat like onto the bed. She was out from under the covers, thankful that she had chosen that night to wear at least a silky night gown. She backed away as Kel rushed at her, his eyes wild. She balanced herself for his impact and then used his speed against him. She grabbed his shirt and pushed him past her so that he careered into the wall. He hit his head and slid down as she reached over and hit a nerve center, rendering him unconscious. She then slid to the floor next to Joniel’s prone body, taking his head onto her lap as the tears started to fall.

  Rennon climbed down the ladder and looked about. He bent down and was about to check for a pulse on Joniel’s neck when he moaned slightly and opened his eyes. Rennon took in the wounds all over him. There was very little blood but Joniel looked near to death. Joniel coughed slightly and came around fully. “It was Kel. He attacked me. Kyla are you alright?”

  Kyla looked at him with eyes that did not see. She opened her mouth and screamed until Joniel wrapped his arms around her. Then she fell silent.

  Rennon was taking it all in. “Kyla, what happened?”

  Joniel looked up at him, his eyes flashing with anger. “I told you, Kel came in and attacked me. Then he attacked
her. He will never accept that she is not his woman.”

  Rennon reached down to Kel. “There’s a pulse, a weak one.” He flipped up his communicator. “Dr Samson to Kyla’s room immediately. Kel has been hurt.”

  Joniel was trying to comfort Kyla. Out of view of Rennon he had his hand over her mouth. He looked up at Rennon. “I am taking her out of this.” He threw a small communication device to Rennon. You can contact us via this, keep it safe. I’ll speak to you later.”

  Rennon looked down at him. “Can’t we help with your injuries?”

  Joniel looked down at his chest. The wounds were barely bleeding. “Don’t worry, you concentrate on things that matter. Like getting your shield back up. It was too easy for me to walk in here, you must have a spy on the base. Get Kel dealt with. I’ll bring her back. I’m going to take her out of this dimension so only that device will be able to communicate with us. I want time with her and time is something we do not have here. Give me the location and time of your next mission and I’ll have her back with you by then.”

  Rennon pocketed the communicator. “Look after her and I’ll deal with things here. Just a minute.” He pulled his scanner out and scanned Kel. What Joniel didn’t see was that the scanner was actually pointed at him. He turned as Joniel was bending down over Kyla, pulling his blaster in a smooth movement he shot Joniel in the head. He took the communicator out of his pocket and put it on the floor and blasted it to pieces. The shaped charge inside it blew a hole in the plastic flooring.

  Dr Samson arrived and rushed to Kel and began administering to his wounds. Rennon scanned him as he came in without him noticing. In a smooth motion he brought his blaster around and pistol whipped him in the back of the head just as the real Dr Samson came in. The body fell to the ground on top of Kel and he swiftly cable tied his hands and gagged him.

  Samson looked at the carnage. “So who is the patient?”

  Rennon pointed to Kel. “I’d hazard a guess at him. That isn’t Joniel and that isn’t you.”

  Samson began dealing with Kel. “The last bit I’m certain about. As to the rest of it, what happened here?”

  Rennon was scanning. “Our shields are down so we must have another Follower agent on board. These two must have got in somehow.” As he finished his sentence he saw a wisp of smoke coming from Joniel’s head. “Tell me it isn’t what I think it is.” Rennon parted Joniel’s hair. Circuitry was shorting out. “Well at least the unit is dead now, if dead is the right word for it. Well Samson, I think we just met our first MacKenzie Units. I’m going to call in Joniel. I mean the real one. I don’t know what happened here but if they are able to send Units we are going to need him.”

  Samson was straightening Kel’s twisted leg. “Good idea. Actually, not much damage here. Kel is going to have a mighty headache in the morning though.”

  Rennon sat down beside Kyla and put an arm around her. With his other hand he pulled a small box out of his pocket. Inside of it there was an ornate round transmitter that looked like a pocket watch. He flipped it open and put it on his lap. He pressed a button and a hologram keyboard appeared in the air. He typed. “Joniel 4265397802 Rennon Argo.” He waited.

  The hologram flashed to a blue screen above the keys. A message flashed up on the screen. “Message Accepted. Baron Joniel.” It crackled slightly and Joniel’s voice emitted from the communication device. “Rennon, what’s up?”

  Rennon looked at Kyla, tears were streaming down her face. “Kyla needs you.” The connection went dead, the hologram disappeared and he shut the cover of the device.

  There was a crackle of electricity in the air and a slight popping sound and Joniel appeared. He looked around, taking it all in, especially his replica on the floor. “This alters things. You were right to call. Kyla?”

  Rennon got up and let Joniel take his place. She was staring wide eyed at Joniel’s replica on the floor then looked up at the real Joniel. “I think I’ve hurt Kel. He tried to attack me. Joniel, you, that isn’t you.”

  Joniel got up and pulled Kyla up onto her feet. “Is there anywhere I can take her? Somewhere private?”

  Rennon had just finished scanning him. “Yes my Lord, there is a room down the corridor. Third on the left.”

  Joniel looked at him a bit strangely. “Why “My Lord”? Have we not been friends long enough to dispense with the formalities?”

  Rennon smiled, the softness in Joniel’s expression throwing him. “Had I better scan you again? What happened to the stand offish Joniel we all know?”

  Joniel smiled. “She happened.”

  Rennon was typing on his laptop before he shut it down, closed the lid and helped Joniel up the ladder with Kyla and took them to an empty room at the end of the corridor. He was about to close the door when he hesitated. “Don’t worry, I’ve scanned the ship and restored the shields.” He turned to go.

  Joniel looked up. “I know.” As Rennon shut the door Joniel laid Kyla on the bed.

  She sat up and put her arms around him as he was about to stand up. “It’s the real you?”

  Joniel smiled down at her, his eyes sad, his expression concerned. “Rennon has scanned me, I’m definitely me. So what happened?” He sat back down again.

  Kyla thought for a moment. “He was in my room hiding in the shadows like you always do. I noticed he’d been through my drawer which I assume you never do.”

  Joniel looked concerned. “How did you know it wasn’t me? He looked pretty like me.”

  Kyla smiled enigmatically. “When they programmed him they must have automatically assumed that as we are lovers we make love. You also never tell me when you are coming to visit so he made that mistake as well.”

  Joniel kissed her. “If the world was fair we should. I still would not risk killing you but it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to and it’s getting harder to resist.” He kissed her on her forehead.

  She thought for a moment. “Joniel, the blood is taking a hold on me. I do feel different now, I can hear things, see things I couldn’t hear and see before.”

  He smiled. “That is how it will be.”

  Kyla smiled back and he dried her tears with a handkerchief he pulled from an inside pocket. She looked at him in the neon glow of the room. His hair was neatly brushed, his tie fastened with a phoenix pin and tucked precisely into his suit. “So much has changed. Have I changed enough?”

  Joniel looked nervous. “I don’t know. I want you to have changed enough. I want this waiting to be over. It has been unbearable over the years that others have been with you and all these years I could not.”

  Kyla smiled coyly. “Been with me, in what way?”

  Joniel looked away. “You know in what way.”

  Kyla managed a weak laugh. “Says the father to seventeen children.”

  Joniel turned to face her. “I had to do my duty by my family and they were all before I met you.”

  Kyla smiled and put a finger on his lips. “Who says that I was with anyone? Who says that I have ever been with anyone? I was an initiate of the White Lady. Such things are forbidden until I achieved Master.”

  Joniel looked stunned. “I never thought about it.”

  Kyla looked down. “I would have been an old woman by now if I had not attained Mastery. Was that not one of your fears?”

  Joniel looked at her and raised an eyebrow and mentally did the calculations in his head. “You mean?”

  Kyla smiled. “For someone so bright sometimes you can be completely dim. Didn’t you ever wonder how Maran managed to be hundreds of years old while her people lived to three score years and ten? Mastery has brought me more than the healing arts and the sight.”

  Joniel smiled. “So you achieved Mastery? I thought you were on a pilgrimage to attain mastery when the Followers captured you?”

  Kyla shook her head. “I attained Mastery of the Art of the White Lady nearly fifty years ago. The pilgrimage was to get the “True Light” which is a healing art only given to Masters of the High Order.”

>   The smile fell from Joniel’s face. “Kyla, you call me the dim one. Your mastery would have protected you from me years ago.” He got up and began climbing the ladder.

  Kyla looked at him in horror. “Where are you going?”

  Joniel looked down at her. “Where do you think? I’m going to lock the door to make sure that we are not disturbed.” He turned with a broad smile on his face.

  Rennon had helped Samson to take Kel to the medical bay. They had scanned the Units. One was badly damaged and he had rendered the other inert. The Marines were ordered to take them to Rennon’s laboratory where his assistants were getting ready to start analyzing them. Everyone on the ship was awake after a warning had been issued to every room.

  The mugs were laid out neatly on the table by the time they all arrived at the galley. Biscuits were on the plate and their “Ma” was busying herself with filling pots of tea and coffee with boiling water. “Sit down now my dears you have had a long night. Is everyone here? Where are Kyla and Kel?” Rennon poured himself a mug of hot coffee. “Kel is in the Infirmary. Kyla is with Joniel.”

  Ma smiled. “Good on the last part. They make such a sweet couple don’t they?”

  Samson choked on his biscuit. “The assassin and the barbarian healer, a very sweet couple.” The emphasis was on sweet. “Have you ever taken that woman on in a sparring match. She kicked my ass half way to Endalox Tyrrian.”

  Rennon smiled. “And she kicked Kel’s ass tonight but we’d better be careful about joking about that one.” He cast a glance at the Marines who were all in stitches laughing. “Ok, which of you hasn’t had their butt kicked by her then?” They fell silent. “I thought so.”