The Great Talisman (Intersect Book 2)

by M C I Hinchliffe

  PHANTOMS AMONG US

  THE WARRIANS RETURN

  FELLOWSHIP OF THE PARAMOUNT

  DISCOVERY

  LIBERATION

  PRELUDE TO CONFLICT

  EARTH BESIEGED

  FORCES COLLIDE

  BATTLE FOR ULTIMATE POWER

  BEHOLD, THE GREAT TALISMAN

  THE FUTURE

  RESOLUTION

  PHANTOMS AMONG US

  The sound from the numerous speakers about the night club boomed like thunder, vibrating the structure to its foundations. From the two story high roof shot several laser beams in time with the beat of the latest dance hit. The crowded occupants on the dance floor bobbed and swayed in concert with the lively atmosphere as they danced into the small hours. To the untrained eye all seemed normal, including the outrageous outfits from the more extrovert patrons. To the observant, the two women who sat at the upstairs bar were not here for the night life. They sat silently, sipping their cocktails and watching the other patrons intensely. Occasionally, when the flashing lights caught their eyes at the right angle, one could see the tiny data being projected upon the insides of the corneas.

  The blond on the right was a picture of physical perfection, with soft shoulder length wavy hair and long legs that disappeared into a short black dress. From her angelic face peered two intense blue eyes that were as sharp as mind behind them. The woman on the right was not as stunning as her companion, though she too caught the eye of many young men within the night club. Her legs were not as long, nor was her blonde straight hair and she wore a similar style of dress that was coloured in a blood red.

  A young man that oozed confidence approached the woman on the right and said, “Hi I’m Gary. Can I buy you a drink?”

  She looked up at him and said casually, “Hi I’m married, and my husband’s the head bouncer. Still want to buy me a drink?”

  With his courage shattered, he quickly retreated to the comfort of his friends. He never noticed the lack of a wedding ring on her finger.

  Soon another young man approached the shorter woman on the right and asked, “Hi, haven’t we met before?”

  Her reply was not as subtle as her friend’s, “Fat chance ya big looser. Now be a good boy and piss off!”

  As he left with his tail between his legs, the taller woman said, “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”

  A slight smile grew across her face. “Maybe just a little.” She took a sip from her drink then continued. “It’s certainly hard for us girls to meet guys. What do you think we are doing wrong?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe we need to get out more?”

  The smile on their faces was short lived when an older man approached. His walk seemed deliberately casual as his black suit moved in sequence with every slow step. Like his cool gait, his raven coloured hair was slicked back to add to the casual ensemble. The white shirt he wore was unbuttoned at the top to expose some the black hairs on his strong chest. When he reached the taller woman he said quietly, “Anything yet?”

  “No, not yet.” She replied.

  “This is the place isn’t it?”

  “Yes, and they’re here, somewhere.”

  “Okay, I’ll do another circuit.” He left in the same casual way and went back down stairs.

  Some days ago, two of their colleges disappeared in the area, and after an investigation it was discovered that they had visited this nightclub prior to their disappearance. They were in search of a group of rebels led by a brilliant but mad scientist. Formerly they worked alongside their pursuers until they changed their allegiance to their new commander. One of the concessions of working for their new commander was having access to his inventions. One of those inventions was a cloaking device that made them invisible to the naked eye. However, the crew currently in search of the rebels had special implants that allowed them to see spectrums outside the normal visual range.

  In the disguise of ordinary patrons, they hoped to locate the rebels and disband the misguided group. First they need to find them.

  Walking past three young Greek males, the black suited man accidentally bumped a hand holding a glass, as his attention was upon the far side of the room. The liquid contents splashed over the twenty year old as well as his friend on the left. The man who was a good ten years their senior, promptly apologised. “I’m really sorry.” He pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to the young man who was holding the glass.

  The young man snatched the handkerchief from his hand and briskly brushing away most of the drink from his clothes.

  Still embarrassed, he pulled out from his pocket a monetary note. “Here is a twenty, buy yourself a few refills.”

  The young man snatched up the note as well then pocketing the twenty. When the black suited man began to leave, the younger man said, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  He turned around and faced the young man who was passing the handkerchief to his friend. His friend brushed the small amount of liquid from his clothes as the young man continued. “You have just ruined my thousand dollar suit. Don’t think you can just walk away!” He leered at the black suited man to firm his words.

  The black suited man raised an eyebrow. “You paid a grand for that?! You’re more stupid than you look!” As the other two moved up behind the young man, his eyes narrowed as he added. “And yes, I am going to walk away if you know what’s good for you.” He turned his back upon three angry young men.

  Enraged by his disrespect, the young man in front grabbed the black suited man by the shoulder and spun him around. His right fist launched at the older man’s face with surprising speed. However, the older man redirected his fist from its path with his left hand. Using the energy behind the young man’s strike and the applying force to all the small muscle groups within his arm, the black suited man pulled him off balance and sent him tumbling to the ground. As the other two young men charged the black suited man, he stepped upon the young man on the ground and continued spinning in the direction that was initiated by the first strike.

  His left foot arced up and across the faces of the two young men and knocked them back into the wall behind. The force left two unconscious bodies sliding down the wall into a heap on the floor. His next move was a smooth and concise as the others as he pulled the young man to his feet and pinned him against the wall. The black suited man looked into the stunned expression before him and with his hand on the young man’s throat, his eyes narrowed once more. “I could have killed you in ways you won’t believe. So you stupid little punk, be thankful you’re still alive. Just so you don’t forget this moment, the name is Slick. And I’ll be watching you!”

  Captain Sabastian “Slick” Eli, as he was known to his friends and colleges, was a Starfighter pilot in the Intersect Space Force. He was trained in hand to hand combat, but not against humans, against aliens. Creatures with the size, strength and speed twice that of man. His intense training in techniques born nearly a thousand years into the future had spanned virtually every waking moment for the past five years. The advanced technology used to accelerate his training turned those five years into the equivalence of fifty, only his body was still that of a thirty year old. To battle three young men from the twentieth century was no challenge.

  Sabastian produced another twenty and stuffed it into the young man’s top pocket. “Now you can have it dry cleaned.” In the corner of his eye, he noticed a strange shimmering being projected onto his cornea by the artificial implant. His lightening reflexes reacted instantly. As he let go of the young man, a strange futuristic pistol sized weapon appeared in his right hand. From the barrel spewed a bright blue light, while about the muzzle flared several jets in a si
milar brilliance. The brightness of the discharge momentarily blinded the young man as he averted his eyes. Sabastian somersaulted backwards as a beam of red death darted through the air where he once stood. In mid-air, a bright flash pulsed about his body as an armoured suit was transported about him. By the time he landed, he was encased in a strange metallic suit that was difficult to discern in the darkness of the nightclub.

  Another pulse darted from the invisible source at Sabastian, only this time it impacted with the armoured suit. Turning the suit surface so that the angle of incidence was minimal, the suit was able to deflect it away. When it impacted with a wall, the explosion tore a massive hole in the brickwork sending deadly projectiles everywhere. Screams of shock and terror broke out from the patrons as they cowered from the flying debris.

  Stunned silence befell the young man as he watched Slick defy gravity by running up a pillar, over the roof of the first floor section, somersault seven metres above him and shoot at the invisible assailant. His aerial trajectory sent him down upon the source of the beams, and as he impacted with the ground, for a brief moment he was suspended in the air. Bolts of electricity darted out from under Sabastian’s armoured feet as a figure appeared. It wore a suit similar to what Sabastian wore only it was a flat grey in colour, and in the centre of the chest was a great hole left by Sabastian’s marksmanship. Three more beams of energy darted towards him as he leapt out of the way. He was now outnumbered, and up against worthy opponents; Sabastian was in trouble!

  The night club was quickly being emptied of patrons as they ran screaming for the exits. The club security staff initially approached the skirmish with their typical style of brutish confidence. When they caught sight of the futuristic gun battle that was unfolding, they too scurried away.

  Sabastian tore across the dance floor with superhuman speed avoiding the numerous blasts that impacted around him. One beam clipped the back of his helmet and though it was not enough to penetrate the armoured surface, it still sent him off balance. Sabastian went tumbling across the dance floor surface and skidded into the far wall. Moments before impact, he wedged his feet into the raised edge of the dance floor and flicked himself up against the wall. As the impact sent tremors through his body, he saw the two familiar figures of his colleges gliding down from above.

  Within their armoured suits, the women appeared like alien beings as they came down upon the dance floor. The taller woman shot a blast on the way down that impacted with an invisible object, then she rolled forward into a defensive crouching position ready to cover her college. The shorter woman displayed a combat skill that outshone her peers. Her descent was at a flatter angle taking her almost directly into the two sources of the laser fire. She impacted with the dance floor and slid momentarily along the smooth surface before rolling into a ball. When she reached the edge of the dance floor she timed her rotation so that her feet would lock into the raised edge. When impacting with the edge she pusher her body up into the air and outstretched her legs.

  The full force of her weight struck an invisible body sending it at the nearby wall. She somersaulted again to her feet and spun her whole body in the air. Both her feet impacted with the shimmering object that was projected on the inside of her visor. The last assailant was sent flying across the room until it struck the bar. As she strode up to the armoured figure that was dematerialising, she pulled from her back a one metre long blade of red energy. The broadsword style weapon quickly flashed as it removed the head of the armoured figure at her feet.

  General Sarah Everley was the most skilled in hand to hand combat of any in the Intersect Space Force, and it was her natural ability that enabled her to achieve this high rank. Her colleges knew that she was the best, however her mental stability was often in question.

  The taller woman approached her and said, “Sarah, stop showing off.”

  Through her helmet the taller women could see the berserk look on her face. All Sarah said in reply was, “Here endith the lesson!”

  Sarah strode passed the taller woman and up to the other unconscious armoured figure. As she raised her sword, the armoured figure was sucked into the wall. Sarah charged at the point on the wall where the body disappeared and all she found was a solid masonry.

  Sabastian came up behind her and asked, “Where did he go?”

  “Into the wall.” Answered the taller woman.

  “Where?” He replied.

  Sarah shot an evil look at him, “There is a door behind here you idiot.” She plunged the blade into the wall right up to the hilt as sparks flew out in protest.

  “Remind me not to piss you off.” Sabastian retorted as he shot a look of concern at the taller women.

  As magma poured out from the wounded wall, Sarah moved the blade around until she had cut a large enough hole for them to get through. With a swift kick, the severed metallic door fell in. Behind was short passage a few metres long and at the end was a circular hole in the floor. The walls were constructed with an unusual material that was not formed by twentieth century technology. Sarah stepped back, returned the sword to its scabbard on her back. Then bowed, “Ladies first.”

  The taller woman glared at her before entering the passage. Sabastian followed closely behind as Sarah covered the rear.

  The young man still sat there stunned by what he just saw as the last of the patrons rushed from the night club. His friend on the left came too and said groggily, “Where did he go?” As his eyes re-focused he added. “Hey, where is everyone?”

  The young man replied, “The chick in the red was right. You are a big looser!”

  **********

  The three stood at the mouth of the two metre wide hole and gazed down into the blackness below. Sabastian asked, “Do you think they are waiting for us?”

  Sarah looked at him and answered, “Off course.”

  The taller woman said. “I’ll report in.” She pressed a sequence of buttons upon a small panel on her left forearm then began to speak to the air about them. “Colonel Mitchell reporting in.”

  “Go ahead.” Said a voice that was heard in all their helmets.

  “We have located the rebels. There is an underground installation below the nightclub with an access point on the lower floor. We are going to proceed into the installation to review the status. We will call if we require backup. Mitchell out.”

  “So who wants to go first?” He added.

  Before leaping into the hole Sarah said. “Wimp!” Colonel Mitchell jumped down after her followed by Sabastian.

  Colonel Katherine Mitchell was the Chief Security Officer for the Intersect Space Force. She earned her position though being the only person able to breach the super tight security of Intersect.

  Sarah fell for a few seconds before she activated the rocket pack on the back of her armoured suit. Controlling the descent, she hit the bottom at some speed and used the momentum to roll into the opening that accessed the shaft. Sarah spotted a control panel nearby and dove behind it. She peered over the top for a moment to view what was beyond. In front was a great cavern that extended some three hundred metres, and was over fifty metres high. The dominant structure within the cavern was a large Space Transport. It was then Sarah noticed a platoon lining up along the wall of the lower level that met with the upper level as they position themselves for a fire fight.

  When Katie and Sabastian emerged from above, the platoon opened fire showering them in deadly beams of energy. They used a similar manoeuvre to Sarah and joined her behind the control panel. The firepower from the platoon was quickly chipping away their only form of cover, and the urgency to move elsewhere was immediately apparent.

  “I think it would be a good time to call for backup.” Katie stated.

  Sarah shot a look at her, “Its only one platoon. We can take them.”

  “How do you propose we do that?” Sabastian asked before returning fire.

  “See that walkway on the second level behind them?” She continued without waiting for a reply. “If one o
f us can get up there, we can form a cross fire.”

  Sabastian said. “Impossible. You would be cut to pieces before you even got half way.”

  Sarah cocked her energy pistol and replied. “Just watch me.” She jumped out from behind the control panel and sprinted across the open space towards the far wall. Katie and Sabastian provided cover fire in a vain attempt to stop the platoon from firing upon her. Numerous blasts dashed passed dangerously close to their target. Only the stunning skill of General Everly kept the speeding rockets of death from a direct hit. Some blasts clipped the edge of her armoured suit but she angled the blasts harmlessly away.

  Sarah dove to the floor and utilised the smooth surface to slide passed the most exposed stage of her journey. As the platoon was at Sarah’s ground level, a low dais between them was just high enough to protect Sarah from the laser fire. As she slid along, Sarah angled herself so she could return fire. Her efforts paid off as one of her blasts removed the head of one of the Rebels. When Sarah reached the cover of another small structure, she rolled forward then leapt up to the second story walkway. Despite a flurry of blasts from the platoon, only one made a direct hit. Sarah somersaulted over the rail and impacted with the wall at the back of the walkway. It was then Katie and Sabastian lost sight of their college.

  “Why didn’t you tell me she was nuts?” Sabastian protested.

  “Sarah maybe a little unstable, but she is the best.” Katie replied as she fired back at the platoon.

  “Well the best just got blasted.” He retorted.

  “Don’t be so sure.” Katie said looking him in the eye. “She is like a cat with nine lives. I’ve seen her get out of worse than this.” It was then that a great blast shook the complex. The sound of the grenade exploding echoed throughout the cavernous installation making the two cowering intruders cover their heads.

  As the reverberation settled below the range of the human ear, gunfire reintroduced a more familiar sound. This time the blasts were not aimed at Katie and Sabastian, but somewhere else. Katie poked her head over the top of the battered control panel and saw what she expected. Sarah had scattered the platoon with a grenade, then was cutting down the survivors as they fled. Across her left shoulder was a deep scar in her armour where the impact had scorched it away.