I opened my mouth to ask him the key question.
He must have known what I would say. Surely, none of them wanted to hear my voice again. The scholar raised a furry hand. “These are from Zelambre, from the Hall of Honor. There is no doubt. This is what I will tell the Emperor.”
That’s all I wanted to hear. In silence, we escorted them to the airlock. They made the trek through the tube back to their waiting shuttle. Afterward, the vessel began its journey across the star system, back to the crusading armada.
***
A day went by as the two fleets stared at each other across the star system. What did the Purple Tamika Lokhars say to each other? If they attacked, would they attempt to surprise us?
Tensions grew on our side. Five Starkien vessels left the globular formation, making a run for the jump gate to Earth. Baba Gobo broadcast to Seer Sant. Sant openly instructed Baron Visconti. One last time, Baba Gobo ordered the fleeing Starkien vessels to return.
They did not.
T-missiles popped before the running Starkiens. Thermonuclear explosions destroyed the shark-shaped ships.
The Emperor’s crusading armada had just witnessed the event. Had that given them heart to fight it out? Did the Emperor say, “Forget the old articles of honor? Today, we will acquire new ones from their corpses.”
Another three hours passed before the Emperor’s comm officer broadcast a message to our fleet.
“The Emperor wishes to speak on an open line to the human called Commander Creed.”
I agreed, of course. Then, I put on a uniform, a dark outfit with silver trim, with the .44 visible on my hip. Sitting in my commander’s chair on the Quarrel, I readied myself for a talk that would surely go down in interstellar history.
“He’s ready,” Ella informed me.
“Put him on,” I said.
Seconds later, Felix Rex Logos appeared on the holoimage before me. His presence was regal. I knew that every Lokhar, Starkien and human watched the exchange.
“Commander Creed,” the Emperor said, speaking first. “I would address you.”
“I’m listening,” I said.
“You have perpetrated a heinous and monstrous deed,” he said. “You took what did not belong to you. I demand that you return our articles of honor.”
“I’ll gladly do this,” I said, “the moment you return all the billions of humans you ordered to death by your initial attack on Earth.”
His manner grew heavier, more solemn. “You know that I cannot do this.”
“Oh. Well, then neither can I.”
“We will fight and destroy you.”
“That’s a possibility,” I said. “Before that happens, though, I will personally obliterate the soul of Purple Tamika, snuffing out your eternal fire.”
“That is too evil an act even for you.”
I grinned at him. “That’s where you’re wrong. But the choice is yours. Personally, I’d keep your soul and forgo the pleasure of trying to wipe out humanity. You can make this a win-win situation for the two of us.”
Slowly, he shook his head. “You do not understand, Commander Creed. I possess the old knowledge. Purple Tamika knows that humanity is the great plague to life in the universe.”
“I thought that was supposed to be Abaddon.”
“He is long gone, eons ago driven from our space-time continuum.”
“Because of what the assault troopers and Orange Tamika warriors did on the portal planet in hyperspace,” I said, “the Kargs failed to return here. You should be thanking us, not trying to make war.”
“You are the ancient plague, the soldiers of Death. You have also named those who must remain unnamed.”
“Do you happen to mean the Shi-Feng?” I asked.
The Emperor shuddered. Below me, I heard Ella inhale sharply.
“Vain human,” the Emperor said in a hoarse voice. “Do you not realize yet? Once, eons ago, enemies of life fashioned humanity. You are a malleable species, easily led into waging war. In the ancient days, many spoke of annihilating your species. Others said to let you remain for the fateful day of Abaddon’s reappearance. They won the debate and set the surviving humans onto Earth. There, your kind has warred savagely against each other, keeping your ancient battle-skills alive. Now, for the good of the Jade League, you must die.”
“And the soul of Purple Tamika with it,” I said.
The Emperor closed his eyes as if in pain.
I sat stiffly in my chair. Could Felix be right about humanity? I doubted he just made that crap up. Yet, it didn’t seem right. There seemed to be something missing from the story.
His eyes flashed open. “You are the desecrator. You are the ancient plague. You—”
“I’m the one who rode inside Holgotha,” I said.
“What?” he asked.
“Holgotha,” I said. “I’ve just given you the name of the ancient Forerunner artifact. If we were the ancient plague, the machines of the First Ones would have remembered that. Yet, I convinced Holgotha to leave the portal planet and come to Earth. Later, the artifact transferred us to Sanakaht. We raided the Purple Lokhar world and took many weapons of war. Holgotha returned us to the solar system. Are you saying the ancient machine is in league with the ancient plague?”
“You have named the Altair Object,” he whispered.
“No. I’ve named the Sol Object.”
Felix Rex Logos began to pant and his eyes glazed over. What went on in his mind? He stiffened suddenly and hissed.
“I know the name of the Altair Object,” he declared. “I challenge you, Commander Creed. Come with me to speak to Holgotha. We will enter the great machine. The artifact will tell you I am right. Then, Holgotha will sentence you to die and obliterate your race. Afterward, Doctor Sant will return the articles of honor to me, or he will show every Lokhar alive that he is without chivalry. Then the crusaders shall fight the battle we were meant to wage.”
“Do not agree to his,” N7 told me.
I glanced down at the android. “You think he’s right about humanity?”
“Shah Claath had large plans for your people,” N7 said. “I believe the Jelk knew more than he told others.”
“Do you have the honor to accept my challenge?” the Emperor asked.
“Our fleets will wait for the outcome of our venture?” I asked.
“I have already agreed to that,” the Emperor said.
I knew Holgotha had warned me never to come back. But how could I refuse this challenge? Besides, I was curious as to the truth of the Emperor’s so-called ancient history.
“Sure,” I said, “why not? Let’s go see if we can make the artifact talk to me one more time.”
-33-
The Emperor of the Lokhars clanked beside me. We moved along the inner curve of Holgotha. The artificial black hole in the center of the donut-shaped artifact radiated its harmful rays against us.
Felix Rex Logos’ shuttle waited on the artifact’s outer edge. The Achilles, under Zoe’s command, did likewise for me.
No other Lokhar or human walked on Holgotha. It was just the two of us. The Emperor wore powered armor. I had my heavy vacc-suit. He towered over me and possessed greater girth and mass. I was Creed the Killer, born from a race of fighters, if one believed the Emperor’s tale.
Strange how it came down to this, eh? Yet, it was fitting. I’d been right to give everyone the artifact’s name. It had cemented my authority to these religion-besotted aliens. I found it interesting that the Emperor hadn’t rejected my knowledge of the object’s name.
Could I have played this differently?
With a shrug, I continued to trek toward the alien city on the inner edge.
Once, the Emperor stopped and stared. I checked to see what he looked at. It was the city. Back in the Altair star system, he used to guard Holgotha. Now, he had the possibility of going inside. Did it excite old Felix? I imagined so. This must have been a dream come true for him. But he must also fear going in with me.
> With my thoughts jumping from one topic to the other, I advanced with the Emperor to the low buildings. Soon enough, we stood before the wall.
I took a deep breath. Holgotha had warned me never to return. Yet, here I was.
“I knew you would come,” I heard in my head. “It is finally time for the testing. Come, Commander Creed.”
That had been the last thing I expected. First motioning toward the Emperor, I made sure he looked at me. I couldn’t see his eyes, but I saw the chrome color of his visor. Then, I pushed through the wall and began to wade through to the other side.
I quickly popped through. This time, I found myself in a larger room, about the size of a youth-league soccer building with a high ceiling.
I checked a wrist monitor and found the air was good for breathing. With a twist, I removed my helmet and breathed deeply.
Beside me, the Emperor did likewise. After he took off his steel helm, Felix glanced at me. His cat eyes were wide with awe and wonder.
“Here we are,” I said in Lokhar.
“Yes,” he said. “At last, I am in…Holgotha.”
“Greetings, Emperor of the Lokhar,” Holgotha said. The artifact spoke through a vast vibrating membrane along the far wall. The talking screen showed bronze coloring with little red pyramids tumbling across it.
Without another word, both the Emperor and I approached the pulsating screen.
“I ask that you remove your spacesuits,” Holgotha said, with the screen vibrating more rapidly.
At once, the Emperor began to unbuckle his power-armor suit. He did it so quickly that it seemed as if he’d expected the request. Or was it a command?
I began to open the magnetic seals of my suit. What did the Emperor know about the artifact that I didn’t? I would bet a great many things. For too long, I’d been playing a game where I didn’t know all the rules. As per our agreement, neither the Emperor nor I possessed weapons. Before making the trek, each of us had undergone a scan by the other side.
“It is well today that the Emperor of the Lokhars and the Commander of the humans stand within my speaking chamber,” Holgotha said.
“I just run the assault troopers,” I said. “The newly coined Star Vikings, if you prefer.”
“No,” Holgotha said. “That is false. You have allowed Diana to assume leadership of the Earth survivors. In essence, however, you are humanity’s leader.”
“He just leads Purple Tamika,” I said, pointing at the Emperor.
“Again, you are incorrect,” Holgotha said. “Until he entered the speaking chamber, Felix Rex Logos was the true Emperor of the Lokhars and the de facto lord of the Jade League.”
“You’re saying he isn’t any longer?” I asked.
“You are clever, Commander Creed,” Holgotha said. “You use every opportunity in an attempt to acquire knowledge. Few species possess such a rabid curiosity as yours. Today, though. I will only grant one answer.”
“Okay,” I said. “I want to know—”
“A moment,” Holgotha said. “I suspect you do not understand the parameters of the meeting. I will answer one question from the two of you. That means only one of you will leave this chamber alive.”
“What happens to the other?” I asked.
“As I have already implied,” Holgotha said, “he will be dead, and his faction will lose the argument.”
“What argument?” I asked.
“Since I am about to explain, I will not count that as your single question. Two modes of philosophy are in conflict in the Alpha Centauri system. On the one hand is the dictatorial rule of Emperor Logos. On the other is the chaotic flux of Commander Creed and Doctor Sant. If the Emperor leaves me, his forces will undoubtedly defeat the upstart Sant. If you leave me, Commander Creed, I foresee Sant’s elevation to the Lokhar throne.”
“Sant will then rule with dictatorial power,” I said. “That doesn’t sound like flux to me.”
“We both know that is wrong,” Holgotha said. “Ella Timoshenko will know how to address Sant, modifying his behavior to suit humanity.”
“I take it you mean because of our use of the Jelk machine?” I said.
“What machine?” the Emperor snarled at me. “What did you do to Doctor Sant?”
“Ask Holgotha if you want to know so badly,” I told the tiger.
The big Lokhar scowled, and he began to roll his shoulders in a way that told me he was about to fight. That was odd because the tiger seemed too old for hand-to-hand combat.
“Did you purposely set up this meeting?” I asked Holgotha.
For a time, the tumbling pyramids silently moved across the screen. Finally, the artifact said, “I cannot accept that as your question. If you consider it, the answer is obvious. You two have come today to wrestle an old question. We Forerunner artifacts have not been able to agree on the correct procedure for the next phase. Thus, in Earth terms, we have decided to flip a coin.”
“I do not understand,” the Emperor said.
“We have decided to spear the fish barrel,” Holgotha told him.
“You would leave your decision to random chance?” the Emperor asked the artifact.
“I have already given you the truth,” Holgotha said. “Are you so dense that you must ask for a confirmation?”
“I withdraw my question,” the Emperor said.
“You show a modicum of decorum,” Holgotha said. “In these recent years, I have grown unaccustomed to it, as I have principally addressed the impulsive Commander Creed.”
“Touché,” I said. “When are you going to tell us the rules of this little mortality play?”
“I am flipping the coin, spearing the fish barrel,” Holgotha said. “Perhaps the Creator in His hidden wisdom will allow the correct procedure to take place by aiding the one who then goes on to win.”
“You’re going to stick to the story that you’re serving Him?” I asked.
“I have not made that claim,” Holgotha said. “I have said that we artifacts await His appearance.”
With greater vigor than before, the Emperor rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them it appeared.
I faced the Lokhar. “Do you know what’s going on?”
“We have come to fight,” the Emperor declared.
“Are you kidding me?” I asked. “You’re too old to want to face me in this battle cage.”
Instead of roaring with rage, Felix Rex Logos showed his fangs. “I am not just any Lokhar,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“I am the chief of the Shi-Feng.”
“So…you’re going to blow yourself up?”
“You see an old Lokhar before you. It is an illusion, human. According to the ancient traditions of the Shi-Feng, I have taken body modifications.”
“You have bionic strength?” I asked.
“Together with speeded reflexes and titanium-tipped claws,” the Emperor told me.
“I thought no one was supposed to utter the name Shi-Feng. If you hear someone say that, you’re supposed to go crazy with rage.”
“Under normal circumstances that is so,” he said. “However, I am speaking to the dead. One may say anything he wants to them.”
I’ll say this for the old tiger. The Emperor had confidence. Could I have made a mistake in coming here? The idea troubled me. The Emperor must not have wanted to see Lokhar warships destroyed. Felix must have figured this was the easiest way to defeat the rebels.
I faced the bronze screen, asking Holgotha, “What kind of weapons do we get?”
“None,” the artifact said. “This is not a battle of technology but of brawn, bravery and what you might term as brass balls.”
I took several steps away from the Emperor, giving me some separation. Old or not, I respected those retractable claws.
“Seems like I have should have an equalizer in lieu of his natural armaments,” I said.
“Lokhar meets human,” Holgotha said. “It is a fitting contest. There will be no equalizers, for none are required.”
“Why do you say that our meeting is fitting?” I asked.
“Is that your singular question?” the artifact asked.
“I withdraw the question,” I said. Afterward, I waited for the machine to tell me I had decorum. Holgotha never did.
“Now,” the Forerunner object said. “You must each compose yourself and ask your question. Emperor, as the longer-lived species, you will ask first.”
The Emperor sat down cross-legged. He bent his head, no doubt thinking hard.
I walked away from the Lokhar and went to a bulkhead. Sitting as well, I learned against the cool substance. What should I ask the ancient machine? A number of questions tumbled in my mind. I finally settled on what I wanted to know most. Then I really began to think. I had to construct the question in such a way that the machine gave me several answers. Yet, if my key assumption was wrong, I might be throwing away a priceless opportunity. No. I had to ask this the way I planned it.
“I’m ready,” I said.
The Emperor looked up, but said nothing. After a moment, he studied the floor again. Fifteen minutes passed. Finally, the old Lokhar stood up.
“I am decided,” Felix told Holgotha.
“Ask,” the machine said.
“What is the true purpose of the Forerunner artifacts?” the Emperor asked.
I stared at the tiger. That was a good question. It showed me the Emperor had his doubts about the ancient machines. Had he begun to feel manipulated by Holgotha as I was feeling?
“Commander Creed,” the artifact said. “What is your question?”
I cleared my throat before saying, “Why are Abaddon and his Kargs beating the Jelk Corporation?”
The Emperor studied me, and I wondered if he wanted to change his question.
“Your queries are lodged,” Holgotha said. “Now, it is time to fight. There are no rules. You will continue the match until one of you ceases to live.”
Felix Rex Logos roared. As the echoes died, the years seem to shed from him. Had the roar unlocked chemical reactions in his bionically enhanced body? That certainly seemed to be the case.
The big tiger crouched. Slowly, titanium-tipped claws eased from his fingertips. His dark eyes glowed with vitality. He took a combat stance. It must have been a Shi-Feng move. I figured that must be like tiger kung-fu, only twelve thousand years old instead of hundreds.
Star Viking (Extinction Wars Book 3) Page 32
