The Great Talisman (Intersect Book 2)

by M C I Hinchliffe

  When the Endeavour appeared again, the heavy artillery on both huge vessels send impossible amounts of destructive energy at each other. The main target for the Manta’s missiles and main guns were the two main guns of the Endeavour. Each gun was over fifteen kilometres across and five kilometres high, and wielded four one kilometre bore guns that could make short work of the Manta’s superstructure. To disable the main guns would leave the Endeavour virtually defenceless. For the Endeavour, the sixteen main missile ports were the target of the main guns as they were capable of firing the planet killers. Most of the ports were positioned beneath the leading edge and the top battlement pounded the Manta surface with superb accuracy. While the two great battleships were facing bow to bow, they were also inverted with the top of the Endeavour matching the keel of the Manta.

  The compromised Endeavour shields failed completely after the first few missile impacts and the next race was underway - to disarm the main defence battlements. Numerous explosions plumed from the surface of each battleship, some of which that were visible to naked eye from Earth. No eyes on Earth were watching the stars to see the spectacular light display; instead they were witnessing the struggle for existence of the human race.

  The keel battlement of the Endeavour was taking the full brunt of the Manta’s weaponry, and was quickly torn apart as the thick armour was breached. Without the protection of the armour, the ammunitions core within was exploded. The shock waves tore and twisted the superstructure surrounding the keel gun and a great chunk was ripped from the Endeavour’s belly. A fireball equivalent to the detonation of several nuclear warheads flared over the superstructure pushing the Endeavour’s pitch out if alignment. Now the deck battlement no longer had a direct line of sight with the Manta and was unable to complete the task of disabling the enemy’s main defences. The twelve missile ports below the Manta’s bow had been smashed by the Endeavour’s guns, but the four remaining ports above the bow were clear to fire upon the Earth.

  Charlie and the Bridge crew fought desperately to counteract the detonation of the keel battlement ammunitions core and to regain line of sight for the deck gun. The time it took to bring the one hundred and fifty kilometre long battleship back around was too prolonged. To the horror of the Endeavour crew, the Emperor had given the order to fire.

  *********

  Excitement and anticipation took hold of Yara’s emotions as she conveyed the order. “Launch the planet killers!”

  An evil grin grew across the face of Zorn as he pressed the launch button on his console. What a tale this will be to tell his children - I fired the planet killers that ended the despised human race. Four bright red flares launched from the Manta and dashed towards the ignorant twenty first century world in the distance. Traversing the million kilometres of space to Earth would take only a few seconds, and no countermeasure had a chance to intercept the swift projectiles in such a short frame of time. Except one person had the power to stop them, and he wielded it.

  *********

  Ryan held the missiles in mid flight with his will and coupled with the power of the Rings of Karn.

  The moment he halted the journey of the missiles, Zardon was counteracting the force he imposed on the Planet killers. Again, a tug of will was fought over the dominance of the missiles. Matching Zardon’s power with his own equal force was achievable, except when an added force was in the Emperor’s favour - the energy pouring out from the plasma drives on the missiles. He could only contain them for a moment, but hopefully long enough to for the Endeavour to launch her countermeasures.

  Charlie immediately saw what Ryan was attempting to achieve and ordered the launch of the countermeasures. The blue exhaust from the countermeasures darted at a similar speed to the planet killers, and reach their mark in moments. Two planet killers detonated sending out a vast burst of fire and energy that momentarily disrupted both of the Ring wielders control over the remaining planet killers. The second two countermeasures failed to impact with the remaining planet killers as they darted wildly about in the confusion of control. After the effect of the burst had dissipated, the battle for dominance over the missiles continued.

  Suddenly, Ryan relinquished his grip over one of the planet killers.

  *********

  Zardon did not stop to deliberate over Ryan’s actions and drove the missile off to its target. The other he left for Ryan to do with as he willed, as long as it did not change course towards the Manta. Zardon vaguely focused on Ryan’s missile as it headed off into deep space. Meanwhile, he put all of his mental energy on ensuring his planet killer met its mark. As the missile under Ryan’s control passed near the Moon its suddenly changed direction and made course for the lunar surface. A heart beat later, it struck the Moon surface throwing out a great burst of Moon dust as it bored towards the Moon core.

  Zardon began to ponder Ryan’s intervention then it struck him, the explosion of the Moon would throw billions of tons of matter at the Manta. His thought wave pulsed out to Yara and met her mind like an explosion, “Get away from that moon!” The Emperor threw his control at the planet killer that bored towards the moon centre, but he was too late. Ryan remotely detonated the missile come boring machine deep within the lunar core, and a few hundred feet from optimum depth. Its location was deep enough to cause terrible devastation to Moon, and as it detonated, the life of the multimillion year old dance partner and sole child of mother Earth was ended. The initial shock wave threw a global sized dust storm up from the lunar surface before diameter long cracks opened up.

  *********

  Charlie instinctively knew what Ryan was attempting and had given the order before Ryan mentally conveyed the message, “Prepare to D jump!”

  The eruption was at a scale that dwarfed every tectonic upheaval or planetary cataclysm since the birth of the solar system. As the Endeavour disappeared, only the Manta was left to witness the death of the Moon. Billions of new asteroids were born, some as small as a grain of sand, some as large as a continent. The close proximity of the Manta gave the Emperor no time to stop the thousands of projectiles hurtling at the Manta’s superstructure. The first of the smaller meteors hit with the infliction of no more than a loud bang, until the larger chunks met the hull. A solid mass ten kilometres across impacted with the bow of the Manta like a speeding train clipping the nose of a stranded car. A large part of the superstructure was smashed away including the bridge. Another piece of lunar surface spanning twice that of the first struck dead centre of the Manta. The entire core of the battleship was punched out leaving a twisted fiery mess behind. The remainder of the new asteroids that hit the Manta were a few kilometres across and chipped away at the remaining hull of the now dead thirty first century vessel. Ten thousand Warrian lives were instantly snuffed out.

  The Endeavour reappeared to watch the remaining Moon matter scatter across the black starry landscape and the disintegration of the Manta wreckage. James felt a sense of regret mixed in with relief as he viewed the destruction of his greatest invention. Charlie had positioned the Endeavour near the Earth and in the path of the oncoming asteroid shower.

  Ryan had two urgent priorities on his mind: stopping the planet killer, and confirming the welfare of his beloved Katie. He was sure that Zardon would keep her safe as insurance, so he focused upon the survival of the Earth. He felt the planet killer searing through the Earth’s atmosphere above the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean. It impacted with the water sending out a great blast like a small nuclear explosion and drove to the bottom of the sea. It was then that it began to bore into the planet. Ryan stopped the planet killer in its tracks. In this position it would do little damage to the Earth. He could no longer sense the Emperor’s power combating his. Ryan had no time to consider the implications of the Emperor’s absence and seized the moment to detonate the Missile.

  A great ball of fire rose up from the ocean floor and sent billions of litres of water up into the atmosphere. As a great superheated mushroom of water vapour bellowed up in
to the sky, massive tidal waves formed from the explosion epicentre and raced out over ocean surface. Speed and power behind the tidal wave was at a scale never witnessed in human history. The nearest land was three thousand kilometres away, and despite the vast distance little of the wave energy would be dissipated. When Hawaii is hit by the tsunami, the wave will be over a kilometre high and obliterate everything on the islands.

  With the immediate destruction of Earth abated, he then saw to the next urgent priority. “Katie! Katie are you there? Can you hear me?”

  No reply came. Could the detonation of the Moon destroyed the Emperor and the one who meant more to him than his own existence? His heart was racing as fear and dread dominated his mind. The light from his body shone like the sun as a swirling ball of tortured ether spun about him like a lightning storm. He stood from the dais and projected his body through the hundred levels within the Endeavour and out into the cold darkness of space. He left behind the false security of the Endeavour hull to face the Emperor and his fear for the last time.

  BATTLE FOR ULTIMATE POWER

  “Target anything larger than a football.” Charlie commanded. “Their impact with the Earth could be catastrophic.” The main deck guns sang their song of destruction as they disintegrated all the large chunks of Moon rock. The smaller segments met the same fate via the smaller anti-spacecraft battlements. Behind the Endeavour, a spectacular light show was unfolding as the first of the Moon matter impacted with the Earth’s atmosphere. Long white streaks darted across the sky then dissipated as they burnt up from re-entry heat.

  **********

  Ryan’s journey to the new asteroid took only a few moments. His apparition like form orbited the massive asteroid searching for the remains of the Manta. It was easy to find. On the leading face of the great hunk of Moon rock was the still smoking wreckage. He swooped down onto the twisted ceramic alloy remains and searched for his destiny. Ryan stood upon an intact section of outer hull that was about the size of a football field. Beyond that the support structure behind the hull was exposed leaving the impression that he stood upon a large plateau. The great surge of energy that shone from him depleted to an eerie glow as the focus of power was reduced. Still the Rings of Karn remained as bright as the sun. With his enhanced senses he quickly found what he was looking for. Deep beneath his feet was an impenetrable sphere throbbing with Zardon’s hate. Within his head rang Valour’s words of guidance, “Remember your teachings! Remember the answer lies in creation, not destruction. Be true!”

  The sphere slowly rose through the wreckage vaporising everything it touched. A deep red glow could now be seen through the hull surface as it moved up towards him. Its supernatural passage came to a stop upon the wreckage of the Manta where Ryan stood. At last he could see Katie, still alive at the Emperor’s feet. She raised her head and looked at him with a stare filled with terror. To leave her so long at the mercy of Zardon was a big mistake. He should have attempted a rescue immediately he knew of her fate. The gilt ripped at his metal and clouded his thoughts. He must push the guilt aside to focus on the great task ahead of him. The serene voice of Valour again sounded. “The future of the universe is in your hands my liege. You must rise above your human ideals. Her life and the life of every living thing depends upon you now. Be true!”

  “I’m sorry.” Was all he projected to her.

  Katie’s expression changed to anger as she replied, “Just destroy the bastard!”

  Ryan drew in a breath of ether and concentrated his mind upon the Evil before him. Zardon stood over her with a sinister grin on his elongated face. His cloak was cast aside to reveal the tradition battle garb of his race. A tight rapping of black leather covered his abdomen from the middle of his thick thighs to his muscular waist. Above that was a thick studded belt that was encrusted with alien inscriptions. Around his great chest were two black leather belts that crossed his mighty frame and held the energy sword hit on his broad back. Adorning his strong wrists were the gaudily engraved Rings of Venal emitting a deep red hot glow. From his thin scaly lips came, “Thiz will be the day of dayz, and the moment of momentz, until the end of time. Today, I become a god!”

  The sphere dissipated leaving the two exposed to the harsh elements of deep space. Simultaneously, the eclipsing of the asteroid by the Earth was subsiding and released stream of deadly sun rays onto the rock and the three passengers. Ryan threw another protective bubble about Katie to defend her against the deadly elements and lethal radiation. Ryan and Zardon left themselves exposed as the power of the magical rings was more than enough to protect them.

  Ryan retorted, “Your battle fleet is destroyed Zardon, and you are out of trump cards.”

  The Emperor released a deep throated laugh, “You are here to fight to the death, zo I don’t need any more trump cardz.” He leapt up and over Ryan and landed behind him with the bright red glow of his energy broadsword at the ready. “Prepare to defend yourzelf human, we don’t want to zpoil the moment with the weaknez of zurrender.”

  Ryan was garbed in nothing more than the silver Intersect uniform; his energy sword was back in the Endeavour. With the paramount power of the Rings of Karn, Ryan could break down the natural barriers that formed the laws of nature. With a thought, the energy sword was transported across the great expanse of space between them and Endeavour, and to his outstretched right hand. The blue blade shone bright in his grasp as he changed his stance for battle.

  A growl came from Zardon. “I zee you have learn a few new trickz. Well so have I.” He pointed his energy sword at Ryan and the blade shot out like a bullet towards his throat. Ryan parried the strike before it retracted back to a natural length. It shot out again and again and each time he defected the attack. He retaliated by sending all the loose debris about them at Zardon. The Emperor parried the first few then put up an impenetrable field about him as the pieces of twisted metal bounced harmlessly off. “You will have to do better than that.” Zardon boasted.

  Ryan had a strange sinking feeling then realised he was being sucked down into the thick hull wall. He immediately shielded himself from the molten ceramic alloy that was now white hot at twelve thousand degrees Celsius. He fell deep into the twisted superstructure before counteracting the forces of gravity. He shot back up smashing his way through the levels until he impacted with the hull below the Emperor’s feet. A three metre diameter section of the outer hull and the Emperor were shot out into space. Ryan fell back to the hull and readied himself for the next retaliation from above. To his surprise it did not come from above, but from about him. The hull came to life and gripped his feet like iron shackles.

  Zardon swooped down and landed next to his captive. The Emperor’s blade flashed to sever Ryan’s head from his shoulders as Ryan blocked the strike. With his feet trapped, defending himself against the Emperor was an impossible task. He had to get free. After parrying a wave of deadly blows, he spun like a tornado with his sword outstretched shattering the hull shackles like glass simultaneously keeping Zardon at bay. In the same manner that Zardon made the hull come to life, Ryan directed the hull to smother the Emperor in a body cast of ceramic alloy. With tables turned Ryan responded, “Two can play at that game.” As he moved in to sever the prisoner in half.

  His blade cut through the ceramic casing like butter, only to find its contents missing. Behind him the phantom figure of the Emperor rose from the depths of the wreckage and cut at Ryan’s back. Ryan sensed the impending danger and thrusted his blade over his head to cover his back and blocked the Emperor’s attack. He spun about and faced Zardon again. Upon the Emperor’s face was a sinister grin and from which an evil laugh escaped. “Thiz iz too much fun.” He spread his long arms out and tens of beams of red heat shot out at the wreckage about them. Strange groans came from beneath followed by terrible sounds of superstructure being bent and twisted by unnatural forces. Then from over the edge of the intact section of hull came six metallic zombie warriors brandishing long broadswords, and marched straight at
Ryan. Behind that six came six more and six more, until hundreds of the zombies marched at their solitary foe.

  As the zombies converged, Ryan’s blade sang its song of destruction and severed the first group into pile of cut scrap. Behind him, he could hear Zardon laughing. Soon Ryan was fighting for his life as he was vastly outnumbered. The Emperor’s gloating became louder. Within Ryan’s head Valour consoled him, “Remember, you are no longer mortal. Don’t fight like one.” Ryan immediately reacted to Valour’s words of wisdom and raised his blade to let the zombie blades meet their mark. Hundreds of zombie warriors slashed at the lone figure in the centre as their keen blades struck nothing but ether. Ryan went to what he called the phantom mode where matter would pass straight through his body. The zombie warriors mindlessly attacked the image that was nothing more than a reflection of the original.

  With a wave of his hand the zombies were shattered into a million fragments and cast over the surface of the asteroid. As the laughing came to a stop behind him, Ryan turned back to the Emperor. “Enough of these games.” He steadied his stance while brandishing his energy sword. “Let’s get down to business.”