The Rift Rider

by Mark Oliver

  Charlie's heart fluttered. The blade. It was his way out of here. He relaxed his hand, and the blade returned to its waiting place beneath the flesh.

  Charlie looked over to see if anyone had noticed the flash of steel. But the aliens had turned away from him and were now talking amongst themselves. Ko's and Doctor Sree's nodded and grunted as the old man was dished out orders.

  Charlie tried to hear what they were saying, but they were too far away.

  A small voice called beside him.

  "The scientist." Awani's voice was weak. Charlie moved closer, brushing his ear against her lips.

  "The device stopping you . . . " She paused to gather strength. "On his wrist."

  Charlie stole a glance at the small man. His whole right arm was encased in metal. Two lines of white light glowed down either side of it.

  He put his lips against Awani's ear. "I know how I can get us home. Can you hold on? "

  She closed her eyes, and gave the tiniest of nods.

  "I'll come back for you."

  The trace of a smile appeared on the damaged face. "You better."

  Chapter 29

  After Lade left, Doctor Sree with the help of two fringes took Charlie away. Ko remained in the laboratory, ready to pierce Awani at a moment's notice. The whole time the scientist walked with Charlie, the man shot him furtive glances. The little man seemed like he had a lot of questions but was too reluctant to ask them. Finally they arrived at their destination, the engine room.

  Sree had Charlie chained to a railing and then began preparing the rift engine.

  Charlie rolled his shoulders. His arms had been tied behind him and he was starting to cramp up.

  Two fringed soldiers, one blue and male, the other pale green and female, both armed with electric rods and rifles, stood either side of him. The female guard heard the shaking chain, reached behind Charlie and grabbed his shackled wrists. She tested the restraints and then out of pure malevolence yanked downwards. He yelped with pain. The fringes laughed.

  Charlie kept his curses behind his lips. He was their prisoner for now and subject to whatever petty abuse they deemed fit. But he would have his vengeance, soon.

  Behind him, through the transparent outer wall, Seenthee and its two moons floated in a sea of pierced black. It was some view. But Charlie was more interested in what lay in front of him.

  The engine room stood as tall as it did wide, like a concert hall. At its centre floated the Corporation's most prized possession, the rift engine. It hung four feet above the ground, a metre-wide, egg-shaped hole, pulsing like a black heart.

  A silver pole shot upwards from the engine room floor, piercing the rift engine's dark glow. Lightening bolts flickered around it, racing from top to bottom and back again, entering in and out of the dark cloud floating above it.

  Next to the giant conductor, stood a single empty chair. Energy lashed out at it, wrapping it in white fingers. And just like an electric chair it was meant for one and one alone. Charlie.

  Its monobrowed creator darted around the room, inspecting the machine while his fingers raced up and down his metal sleeve. He kept his mouth shut as he worked, his nose doing all the breathing. The whistling noise it made sounded like the running of claws down a blackboard.

  Doctor Sree smiled, and, flicking a switch on the device on his arm, backed away from the engine. It sparkled into life. A white glow emerged at its dark centre.

  Charlie felt the rift engine come to life. It plucked at the fabric of space with hidden fingers, looking for a point of weakness to plunge them through.

  Charlie shuddered. The darkness shimmered. It had found Charlie. Invisible fingers danced over him, violating him, seeking out the key locked beneath his physical shell.

  Beside him, the fringed soldiers shuffled back and forth, their fingers flicking over their trigger guards. They seemed none too pleased about having front row seats to Doctor Sree's experiment.

  "It's working," Doctor Sree said, circling the machine. His eyes contained a mad gleam. "Guards, in a moment I want you to move the prisoner to the chair."

  "Yes, Sir," they said, their stretched voices giving their fear away.

  "Mr Scott. When you're seated, I will trigger the change in you. You will open a rift inside the engine and allow it to draw out the necessary energy. Don't try anything. Remember, I've got you under my control." He waved his sheathed arm at Charlie. "Offer the least resistance, and I'll message Executive Ko. She's with your friend, itching to act."

  Charlie watched the light running along the scientist's wrist. It shimmered the same white as the rift engine's burgeoning heart.

  Charlie had to destroy that device. But to do that, he needed to get closer. Doctor Sree had kept his distance since leaving laboratory, letting the fringes do his work for him. "There's no need to threaten me," Charlie said, affecting a friendly tone. "I said I'd help you, and I will. You know I'm just as interested to see if your engine works as you are. It looks fascinating."

  The scientist looked at the shimmering oval hole. "It is."

  "I hope you don't mind. But before I help you can I ask you something? Purely scientific, I promise."

  The little man stopped, and looked at Charlie. "Go on."

  "How do you know so much about me? I mean, I only found out the truth a couple of days ago. But you seemed to have known all along."

  The scientist ran a finger across the length of the monobrow, his eyes igniting with an energy that took years off him. "When you crossed over, you left fragments of yourself in the space around the rift. My drones have been sending the data back for study. I've drawn some fascinating conclusions."

  "Oh yeah?" Charlie said, wrinkling his forehead. Beside him the guards watched the glowing vortex at the centre of the room, saying nothing but looking increasingly uneasy. Charlie felt the engines fingertips tapping at his intestines.

  "You're like the rollers." The scientist took a few steps towards Charlie. "You have the same energy signature. Yet somehow you can maintain a solid form. You're a paradox."

  "You flatter me, Doctor."

  "You shouldn't exist."

  "And yet here I am."

  The scientist shook his head, smiling. "You know at the beginning you had us all fooled." He moved two more paces closer. "Even me. Your bio data showed you as a typical turen male. How did you do that?"

  "That wasn't me. The pathfinder who collected me made the changes on his ship's medbot. But it didn't need much to make me appear turen." Charlie paused, meeting the scientist's eyes and holding them in his gaze. "You see if my father hadn't tried to escape, I would have grown up on Seenthee, a turen just like you."

  A strange expression came over the scientist's face. He took another step closer. Charlie had brought him within spitting distance. Two more steps and he would be in reach. Patience, Charlie told himself.

  Beside him, he felt the two soldiers stir. He glanced at them. Their attention appeared caught between the strange scientist and his glowing invention.

  Doctor Sree turned his face away from Charlie, fixing his eyes on the floor at Charlie's feet. "Who was your father?"

  "I never met him. But I heard he was a scientist. Krest, I think his name was."

  Charlie heard the rushed intake of breath. When the scientist lifted his face, it contained a look of horror. "You're his son?"

  Charlie nodded.

  "It can't be," the scientist said, taking another step forward, looking at Charlie, wide-eyed, seeking something familiar in his face. "Impossible."

  "They tell me I have his eyes."

  That was the push he needed. Doctor Sree stepped forward, tilting his head to get a better look at Charlie's eyes.

  Charlie leaned forward as if offering his assistance. Behind his back he slid his left hand over his right. Then he tensed his right fist. The blade slid out in a smooth silent motion. Charlie flexed his hand, stopping the blade once a third of it had come out. He covered the flat surface of the blade with his left hand
.

  Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the guards staring in annoyance at the scientist. They did not welcome this interruption. They wanted to get away from the rift engine as quickly as possible.

  Charlie felt a rush of excitement. This was it. He whispered to the scientist. "You see it, don't you?" As he spoke he sliced through the chain connecting him to the railing.

  Doctor Sree stared at Charlie, disbelief in his eyes.

  Charlie pulled his head back.

  The scientist blinked, and went to say something. But as the scientist's mouth dropped open, Charlie stepped forwards whipping his head at the face in front of him. There was a sickening crunch as the man's nose caved in.

  Charlie pulled back. The scientist stumbled towards the rift engine. The guards had still not reacted. Charlie seized his moment, raising his leg and bringing his heel crashing down against the male guard's knee. The leg buckled and the guard tumbled to his side, his rifle flung to one side.

  Charlie, his hands still pinned behind his back, spun on the spot and kicked out at the second guard. He caught a shin, but she stayed on her feet. She was too close to fire her rifle, so she swung it like a club at Charlie's head.

  He ducked and the barrel flew over him. As she spun, he pushed off both feet, launching himself at the woman's midriff, taking her off her feet. He twisted as he fell, landing on top of her, the rifle pinned between them.

  She tore at his face and hair with wild fingers. Charlie rolled away, slashing out behind him with his bladed hand. He felt a rush of warmth and the woman screamed.

  He looked up. The male guard was back up, reaching for the fallen rifle. The scientist lay on his side, a metre away from the rift engine. He had his hands over his nose. Blood flowed through the fingers, and down over the device on his arm.

  The years of rolling around a rugby field had given Charlie excellent recovery speed. He used it now, pouncing to his feet, and charging at the scientist. Charlie fixed the scientist's arm in his sights. At the last moment he leapt high, bringing his knees to his chest as if he were dive-bombing a swimming pool. He clenched his fist behind his backside and dropped like a dead weight onto the prone scientist.

  It was a perfect shot. Doctor Sree screamed out in pain. The blade had slid straight through his metal sleeve. The hidden arms stopping Charlie from shifting disappeared. He smiled as a whole universe of opportunity opened up to him.

  Across the room the male fringe had his rifle aimed at Charlie. His female partner was leaning against the railing, blood seeping out of a slash in the side of her uniform. "Get away from him," he said.

  Charlie flexed and the blade slid out of the scientist's arm and back to its resting place beneath Charlie's skin. He rolled onto his knees and then stood up.

  The scientist whimpered on the floor behind him.

  "Step forward," the fringed man commanded.

  Charlie shook his head. "No."

  They faced each other like gunslingers. The guard squeezed the trigger, letting off three shots in quick succession.

  But he was too slow. Charlie had already changed to key form. The energy bursts passed straight through him, vanishing into the black orb behind him.

  Charlie stretched his glowing limbs outwards, feeling the energy rush through him. The two fringes looked at each other and then bolted for the door.

  Charlie turned and looked down at the scientist. The device on his arm fizzed and popped, the metal melting. Doctor Sree was desperately trying to pull it off, his fingers caked in fleshy pulp. Horror flashed through his eyes. The pain must have been immense.

  Charlie stood over him. The scientist looked up. His dilated pupils held the reflection of a glowing green man.

  "Say goodbye to your science project," Charlie said, and slashed out a green hand at the white centre of the rift engine.

  The rushing of a thousand hurricanes roared behind the white tear. The conductor pole took on an ominous blue glow as it sucked in the energy. The edges of the rift engine shook and then it was gone, sucked inside the Divide.

  Without the rift engine to control the influx of energy the conductor pole began fizzing, sending bolts of energy out into the engine room. In an instant, the room resembled the inside of a thundercloud.

  Doctor Sree called out for Charlie to help him.

  Charlie looked down at the scientist a final time, winked, and dived through the rift.

  Chapter 30

  The Divide embraced him, its energy flowing through him like an elixir. Charlie took a healthy draft and then turned his eyes inwards, picturing his next stop, Executive Ko.

  Her twilight form painted itself onto the whiteness. Like smoke, the image spread, showing next the laboratory floor, then the cell and finally the trapped girl within it. Ko paced back and forth in front of her, running her silver fingers against the bars. Playing with the trapped girl the way a cat plays with a snared mouse.

  Awani was no mouse though, and even in this pale shadow reflection Charlie could see the defiance in her eyes. She appeared bruised and bloody, but in one piece. Her keeper had yet to take her prizes.

  Charlie followed the silver woman's steps, waiting for the right moment. His glowing form pulsed. He cocked his arm. When she turned her back against the bars, he rushed into the laboratory, his green fist already swinging.

  The punch connected with a stunning crack, shattering Ko's cheekbone and flinging her clear of the cell. She skidded across the floor, landing in a heap by the wall.

  "Charlie," Awani called.

  The room reverberated with the blazing of sirens. In one corner a holographic face called for evacuation. The engine room had blown and the ships energy fields were struggling to contain the blast. The whole ship would explode at any moment.

  Charlie looked at the crumpled form of Ko on the floor and at Awani, her eyes shining bright. And that was when he made his mistake. Instead of finishing the silver woman off while she was down, he met Awani's stare and stopped. He reached a glowing hand through the bars and rested it softly against her cheek. "I'll get you out of there."

  It was barely five seconds, but it was enough time for Ko. When Charlie turned, the woman had her rifle pointed at him. From her position on the floor, she fired a volley of energy bursts. They tore harmlessly through him, but she used the distraction to clamber to her feet and dart to the opposite end of the laboratory.

  She glared at Charlie from across the room. Her rifle hung at her side.

  "Give it up," Charlie said. "You know you can't hurt me. Fire and it'll go straight through me."

  Her jaw dropped open, revealing teeth like pebbles. Her mouth closed and opened, closed and opened, closed and opened, the movement growing faster. A guttural coughing forced its way out of her. The woman's sides began shaking. Grimly, Charlie realised the woman was laughing.

  She took her eyes of Charlie, and looked behind him. Charlie followed her gaze. "You think you're so clever." She raised her rifle. Its barrel now pointed at Charlie's flickering form. "But tell me this, clever boy. If my shots pass through you, then what's going to stop them from hitting your girlfriend?"

  Her jaw shook one last time and she fired.

  The instant Charlie saw the woman's trigger finger flex, he dived in front of Awani, shifting back to his physical form.

  The two shots slammed him up against the cell bars. Awani screamed. He sat, his legs spread out in a crooked V before him. Half of his chest had gone. The shots had carved a bloody crater the size of a rugby ball. It sizzled and smoked. The smell of frying bacon was everywhere.

  Incredibly, there was no pain.

  Awani dropped to her knees, whimpering. She pushed her fingers through the bars, touched his neck, bringing her face up to the bars. Charlie could feel her breath on his neck.

  From the other side of the room, came Ko's sick laughter.

  Charlie raised his head. Executive Ko stalked towards him. "I think," she said, removing a surgical blade from her belt, "I'm going to let you l
ive long enough for you to see me make your beautiful girlfriend far less beautiful."

  Behind him, he felt Awani pull away.

  Ko stopped in front of him. She leant down, and showed him the blade. It was no larger than a butter knife, but its edge looked surgical sharp. The silver woman passed it backwards and forwards in front of his nose. "What part of her would you like me to cut off first? Her nose, her ear, her lip." She paused, looking over Charlie's shoulder at the girl quivering in the cage, "Or how about those lovely eyes of hers?"

  Charlie closed his eyes. His head dropped. He whispered his words into the hole in his chest.

  "What was that?" Executive Ko said, kneeling to better catch his mumbled words. "Speak up, boy. I can't her you."

  Charlie lifted his head. His eyes flashed green fire. This time his voice came out loud and strong. "I said I'm the one doing the cutting." And clenching his fist, he freed the Robundee blade. With every last ounce of strength he drove it into the woman's eye.

  The Executive screeched. Her body jerked. Blood rushed out of her empty socket. Charlie pushed, twisting the blade like a corkscrew. The scream heightened in pitch, a horrible, evil, primordial sound. Her arms flopped against him like the tentacles of a dying octopus. Charlie gritted his teeth and brought his fist downwards across her face, ripping it apart. The death wail ended, replaced by the gurgle of rushing blood.

  Executive Ko, the life gone from her, slumped over Charlie.

  He pulled the blade out of her cheek and wiped it against the gold of her uniform. A flattening of his hand sent the blade sliding home.

  He looked down at his fallen enemy. Her face was the stuff of nightmares. Her one good eye lay wide open, staring at him in accusation. He pushed her off him, and the eyelid sealed shut, forever.

  A pool of Ko's blood had formed on his lap. It looked like tomato soup. It smelled bad. But he was too tired to do anything about it. His eyelids felt as heavy as manhole covers. He shut his eyes, and leant his head against the bars. Sleep had her arm around him, ready to take him into blissful nothingness.