by Adair Hart
“Tough ones too,” said Rakar.
Jazto smirked. “They would be foolish to try anything here. There is a military base not too far away.” He raised his thumb and gestured backward between the two heavily armored Kreagans. “Besides, I have two Kreagan commandos. I doubt they could deal with that. You also have a Kreagan ranger with you.”
“Fair enough, just thought I would mention it,” said Silva.
They reached the end of the hallway, which ended in a T-junction. Ahead of them lay a massive door.
Jazto gestured at the door. “The stone object is in there. This is actually one large square room, with the room ahead occupying a majority of it. These hallways to the left and right are just the gap between that room and the overall room.”
“I see. May we see the stone object?” asked Evaran.
“We can see it through the windows on the side of the room. Follow me,” said Jazto as he took the left hallway.
After a minute of walking, they turned the corner to the right. About halfway down the hallway, they came upon a large glass-like window in the wall to the right.
Jazto gestured at the window. “The stone object is in there.”
Inside sat an obelisk-like stone structure, with a slight red mist engulfing it. A semitransparent shield encased it. Around the shielded object was an array of slabs, each tilted inward at a forty-five degree angle. Lining the walls was a series of workstations that jutted out, and various tables lay between the slabs and the wall.
Rakar jerked his head back and widened his eyes. “Malazim.”
Jazto extended his neck and peered at Rakar. “Come again.”
“That’s the Malazim. It’s what they call themselves.”
“I have never heard it called that before. Where did you hear that?”
“Up close and personal.”
Jazto eyed Rakar for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, well, it just sits there now. Harmless while shielded.”
“Aren’t you worried what might happen if that shield goes down?” asked Emily.
Jazto smirked. “For starters, it wouldn’t get out of the room. If it did, the commandos would handle it. If they failed, the military handles it. Worst case scenario, the military destroys the facility.”
“That sounds like it would handle it,” said Dr. Snowden, glancing at Jazto.
Jazto nodded and continued past the window and to the next corner.
After another minute of walking, they came to a T-junction, similar to the one they had used to enter the overall room.
Jazto gestured at the door. “And this is the door from the other side.” He turned and walked down the hallway leading away from the door.
They wound through several more hallways, until they reached a larger-than-average-sized door.
Jazto gestured at the door. “The Arkaron base is in there.” He interacted with a console, and the door slid open.
Silva nodded. “We will take it from here and appreciate your hospitality.”
Jazto jerked his head back. “You’re saying I can’t be here?”
“Yes. It’s classified. All monitoring for this room while we are in there is to be shut down.”
Jazto sighed. “Figures. For the record, your visit here has been logged, even if I don’t know what you are intending to do, exactly.”
“Noted,” said Silva as he gestured for the others to enter the room.
After they walked inside, Silva faced Jazto, then interacted with the door console, causing the door to close.
Dr. Snowden looked around the room. It was large, with containers stacked in the corners. There were workstations near the front of the room, and the walls consisted of metallic panels. Up top, rows of luminescent rods spanning the width of the space provided light. In the middle of the room was a raised circular platform with guardrails. He saw the Arkaron base sitting on a waist-high pedestal in the middle of the platform.
Evaran walked over to the Arkaron base with everyone following him. Once there, he pulled out the three crystals from the tray container on his belt and slotted them into the Arkaron.
The Arkaron pulsed a line of light on each side from the bottom to the top. Once it hit the top, a steady line appeared at the bottom.
“So what now?” asked Andia.
Evaran narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, then raised a finger. “Wait for it.”
Another line of light appeared on each side above the previous one.
“It is activating. It appears it will take some time,” said Evaran.
They watched it fill up to about thirty percent when the overhead lights dimmed and a red ribbon strip appeared across the top of the sides. Within a moment, the lights returned to full luminosity and the red ribbon strip disappeared.
Dr. Snowden sighed. “That can’t be good.”
“That was an emergency warning. Something’s going on. I should investigate,” said Rakar.
Evaran extended his hand toward Rakar. “We should wait until the Arkaron is fully activated. We do not know what caused the emergency warning, or if it is even valid. Jazto seemed to have a grasp on what to do in case of an emergency.”
Rakar nodded. “Okay. However, I think we should ready our weapons.”
“A wise precaution. Dr. Snowden and Emily, ready your stun beams,” said Evaran as he faced the door. He tilted his head. “There is another presence in the facility.”
Dr. Snowden shook his head. “Not again …”
Seeros stood on the deck in the command center of his ship with his hands behind his back.
Yuldaris turned to face Seeros. “This cloaking system is amazing. Why isn’t it being mass produced?”
“The matter required to generate it is difficult to procure, and that’s with my company’s extensive ability for resource procurement,” said Seeros. He gestured at one of the screens. “Did you find any traces with the modified scanners?”
Yuldaris nodded. “We did at one of the landing pads, but there is nothing there now.”
“I see. Go ahead and land. I will secure our entry.”
“I thought we were going to storm it?”
“There is no need. As a Seeros Industries executive, I won’t arouse as much suspicion as five heavily armed Covendrin mercenaries would. Bear in mind, there is a military base nearby. I would rather not have to deal with that.”
The ship descended and landed on the landing pad. Seeros exited the ship and approached the facility. When he reached the outer door, a laser scanned him, and then a screen flickered on near the door. He walked over to it.
Jazto appeared on the screen. “We didn’t see your ship approach.”
“It is cloaked.”
“There are no cloaking mechanisms that can avoid detection,” said Jazto.
“It is a prototype commissioned by your empire. I’m here to see Kreagan Inspector Silva.”
Jazto looked down and then back up. “Visual profile says you’re Seeros, of Seeros Industries.”
Seeros nodded. “That’s correct.”
Jazto smirked. “Well, they’re in the Arkaron base room now. They didn’t want to be disturbed.”
“Perhaps I can wait inside until they come out?”
“That’s fine. You actually have a higher authorization than Silva. Impressive,” said Jazto.
“Number one supplier of technology to your empire will do that,” said Seeros.
Jazto nodded and looked down, and the screen flickered off.
After a few moments, the door slid up.
Jazto approached Seeros with the two Kreagan commandos in tow. “With all this activity, I have alerted a nearby patrol. They are out in the field and should be here in about two hours or so.”
“This will only take five seconds.”
“What—” said Jazto as he went flying toward the wall from Seeros’s left arm swing.
Seeros lurched forward and grabbed a commando’s head, and squeezed it until the helmet cracked and blood oozed out. The commando fell to the
floor. The other commando backed up and unloaded point-blank on Seeros, but the energy beams were absorbed by Seeros’s shield. Seeros ran forward and grabbed the commando’s head and then twisted it. The commando crumpled.
Seeros tapped at a button on his wrist device. “You can come now.” He watched the Covendrin mercenaries disembark from the ship and begin to head over. He turned his head toward Jazto, who was fumbling with a device on his belt.
The interior lights dimmed, and a red ribbon strip appeared near the ceiling.
Seeros rushed over and grabbed the device from Jazto’s trembling hands. He looked it over and pressed one of the buttons. The lights came back to full power, and the red ribbon strip disappeared.
Jazto trembled as he looked up at Seeros. His eyes dulled, and his head swung from side to side. “Why?”
“Nothing will stand in the way of my vengeance.”
Jazto shuddered, then stopped moving.
Seeros studied Jazto. He did not want to kill him, but unfortunately for him, he was in the way.
After a few minutes, Yuldaris approached with five heavily armed mercenaries. He looked at Jazto and the commandos on the ground, then at Seeros. “That was … fast.”
“Yes, however, there is a patrol headed here in a few hours. I should be done before then. Get your men into position inside and secure the entrance.”
Yuldaris jerked his head back. “We’re not going with you?”
Seeros’s eyes flared. “I want their deaths to be by my hand, and my hand alone.” He took a deep breath. “However, if anyone except me comes back, kill them. If I need help, I will summon you, but I do not believe it will be needed. As a reminder, the remaining owed on your contract will be released to you once I’m safely off this planet.”
Yuldaris nodded. “As you wish.” He turned away and began barking orders at the other mercenaries.
Seeros headed into the facility. He passed the room with the Malazim obelisk. He had encountered them during the Kreagan mass exodus. He was there to gather resources from the planet while it was in chaos. The transformed were no match for him back then, with his unique armor and powered suit, and the obelisks were crushed easily. He smirked as he remembered the Kreagans feebly trying to defend themselves. They had prepared for the wrong invasion.
As Seeros approached the door to the Arkaron, images of his wife, his kids, and his culture flashed in his mind. He gritted his teeth. Evaran would know the true extent of his rage. His blood boiled as he stood before the door, doing a last-minute check on his armor and devices. He rolled his head around, then kicked the door in.
Dr. Snowden’s heartbeat jumped as the door to the room crashed open. He swallowed hard as he imagined the strength needed to kick in the door. Rakar and Andia pulled their weapons while Emily tapped at her PSD. Dr. Snowden looked at the Arkaron. It was still moving slowly. Why the heck was it taking so long?
Evaran snapped his head toward the door. “Seeros.”
Seeros wore a suit made of several layers. The base layer was a red fibrous mesh. The layer above it was composed of a black light armor with silver lines connecting them. The third layer contained thick red armored pads with a ribbed texture that pulsed a soft red light. They covered the chest, thighs, upper and lower arms, shoulders, and the upper part of his boots. His pale white skin and silver hair stood out in contrast to his armor.
“What is the meaning of this!” said Silva.
“Silence, Kreagan dog!” said Seeros, pointing at Silva.
Evaran put a hand out toward Silva with his palm down while facing Seeros. “It is me you are after. Let them go without harm.”
Seeros smirked. “No, they are guilty by association and will suffer the same fate as you. Such is the danger of being around you. Besides, I have Covendrin mercenaries at the entrance. If anyone except me goes up there, they will be killed.”
“You can’t take us all,” said Rakar.
“I can, and will. However, this is the end of a long journey. I have a few words to say, and you will listen. I have been tracking Evaran for over ten thousand years now,” said Seeros.
Evaran glanced at the Arkaron, then back at Seeros. “Continue.”
Dr. Snowden’s eyes popped. How could he live that long? He would have to be some type of cyborg. Maybe Seeros had nanobots. He shook his head.
Seeros gestured toward Evaran. “He probably has not told you why I hunt him. Guilt will do that. I was a family man and an awkward engineer, but the best at what I did. My race developed temporal shielding, and one day, while working on a ship outfitted with it, there was a shimmer. When I stepped outside the ship, my race was gone, my planet a desert wasteland.”
Dr. Snowden looked at the Arkaron. It was at about seventy-five percent.
“It took me a while to piece together what happened. Another race called the Uduul had outposts on my world. They were no match for my technology. I learned they had committed genocide on my people. I removed all of them from my planet. I then visited their home world, and their colonies, and through the use of biotech, removed them from there as well. A genocide for a genocide.”
Dr. Snowden shuddered at the thought of Seeros wiping out a race. What if he had done that to Earth?
Seeros raised a finger. “What surprised me was that when looking through their historical records, I found a point in their history where they shouldn’t have survived, but they did. You see, we knew of their home world before the timeline change, but there were only ruins there. I found out that the Hoxis, a vicious and aggressive species, should have wiped them out. Evaran brokered a treaty with them somehow, changing the timeline, and they left the planet alone. The Uduul advanced as a civilization until they spanned the stars, and then wiped my planet out, no doubt because we are driven as a people and we won’t back down from a fight.”
Dr. Snowden figured saving a planet would be something Evaran would do. It appeared in doing so, there were consequences that Evaran may not have foreseen, or did Evaran know and still interfere?
“It took me a while to track Evaran down to this region of the galaxy, to build an industrial empire and place sensors as far and wide as I could. I did run into Evaran several times, but each time he was out of my reach. Not this time,” said Seeros. He pointed at Evaran. “Your bumbling around and changing timelines made me lose my wife, my children, and my people.” His voice rose. “I will avenge them by removing you, here and now.” He clenched his teeth. “I got you this time. There is no escape.”
Silva walked toward Seeros.
Evaran grabbed his arm, but Silva shook it away.
“I have to say something,” said Silva as he turned his head to face Evaran.
Seeros took a deep breath and gestured at Silva. “I’m morbidly curious. Go on, then.”
Silva faced Seeros. “This is a Fredorian mission with official Kreagan support. You are a well-known industrialist within the Kreagan Empire. You have an issue with Evaran—this is known—however, if you continue down the path you have chosen, there will be ramifications.”
Evaran had walked up to Silva and stood beside him.
Seeros chuckled. “Ramifications?”
“By interfering with an official mission, your company could be penalized and you could also face an investigation.”
Seeros put his hand on his chin and nodded. “I see.” He lunged forward and grabbed Silva by the neck with his right hand, then lifted him off the ground. Seeros’s eyes flared, and his voice rose. “You compare your pathetic rules and regulations against what Evaran has done to me?”
Evaran reached out and grabbed Seeros’s wrist.
Seeros took a small step back, then lurched forward and, with his left arm, knocked Evaran across the room. “I’m tired of Kreagans.” He flicked his right wrist. Snap! He tossed Silva’s lifeless corpse to the ground.
“No!” shouted Rakar as he rushed toward Seeros, unloading his weapon as he went.
Andia had opened fire with her sidearm, and Dr. Snowde
n and Emily fired their stun beams. The energy blasts and stun beams highlighted Seeros’s armor but were absorbed by a semitransparent shield made of hexagonal cells.
“Your weapons are useless. Who do you think gave the Kreagans their technology?” said Seeros, laughing.
Rakar tossed his weapon to the ground and charged shoulder first into Seeros. He bounced off Seeros and fell to the ground. Seeros stepped forward and delivered a kick, sending Rakar sliding toward the containers. Rakar’s head hit the edge of one of the containers, and he stopped moving.
“Rakar!” shouted Dr. Snowden.
Seeros eyed Andia. “You’re next, Fredorian.”
Dr. Snowden had begun to head over to Rakar but went back to the platform. Seeros rushed over to Andia and grabbed her hand with the sidearm still in it. He squeezed. Crunch! Andia screamed out in pain and dropped to her knees. Emily and Dr. Snowden grabbed on to Seeros’s hand to try to free his grip.
“Leave her alone!” shouted Emily.
Evaran had returned and extended his utility handle into a staff. As Seeros reached for Dr. Snowden with his left arm, Evaran struck Seeros’s wrist, causing him to release Andia’s hand. He then hit him across the chest. Seeros staggered back.
Evaran turned to Dr. Snowden. “Check on Rakar, then bring him to the platform.” He then turned to Emily and pointed to Silva. “Get him to the platform.” He placed his UIC on the platform console.
Emily nodded and went after Silva while Dr. Snowden went after Rakar.
When Dr. Snowden reached Rakar, he put two fingers on Rakar’s neck. He felt a pulse, but Rakar was unconscious. He grabbed Rakar’s arms and began pulling him back to the platform. He saw Emily had begun to pull Silva back to the platform as well.
Seeros shook his head and smiled as he pulled his weapon from his back. He fired a red beam at Evaran, who blocked it with his shield. “You’ve upgraded your shield.” He tossed the weapon to the ground. “Doesn’t matter.” He charged Evaran. Evaran sidestepped Seeros and swept his legs out from underneath him. Evaran then took a step back and stumbled while squinting hard. Seeros jumped up and grabbed Evaran’s staff, pulling it out of Evaran’s hands, then used it to hit Evaran away like a bat hitting a baseball. He held up the staff to his chest and placed both hands slightly apart on the middle of it, then bent it. The staff buckled, and the ends dissipated.
