his father came back. He promised a bright new future for Lucas. It was the only reason his parents seemed to suffer. But it didn’t happen. There was no bright future, no laughter, no love anymore.
Alana slapped Jon’s cheek. “Do you feel it?” She slapped him again. “Do you feel anything?”
Jon took a hold of her hands, didn’t say a word.
“You don’t feel anything!” she screamed. “You’re a robot! Emotionless robot!”
“Alana, calm down, you will wake him up.”
“I won’t let you turn him into a robot! I won’t, you hear me?”
“I’m not a robot. I can feel–”
“Can you? Where is your heart? I can’t feel it. It doesn’t beat!”
“It’s our brains, the neurons ... c’mon, you know that, my dear–”
“Don’t call me that!” She tried to wriggle her hands free. “Let go of me!”
“Alana, what changed? We worked on this together.” He let go of her, his hands turned toward his chest. “Here is the result. I am made of plastic and metal and wires and computer chips, but I am still human. My brain is still here.” He tapped his head with a finger.
Alana turned her back on him and started crying.
“Alana, please…”
“I can’t do this anymore. You’re dead, and I can’t let you kill my boy.” She covered her face. “I just… can’t. BioTech will cure him. They will. They have to.”
“They can’t–”
“They will!”
Alana disappeared out of Lucas’s sight. The boy pushed the door gently so he could see where she went. She had opened the drawer next to the bed and she started throwing clothes out, then she took a bag and opened it on the bed. “No, I won’t let this happen to him. I’m taking him with me,” she declared.
Lucas felt his stomach churn. He didn’t want to go anywhere, nor did he want his mother to leave. He wanted it all to end, and his parents to be happy like they were before.
“Alana, you heard the doctors,” said Jon. “He’s got five months to live. Six, if he’s lucky.”
“Get away from me.” She pushed him and started packing her bag.
“This is the only way, you know that. We can help him.”
She tucked her clothes one after another without saying a word.
“Project Eternity–”
“Is flawed,” she pressed her weight over the clothes.
“It is not flawed. I am here. Alive.” He sighed. “I can’t let you take him, Alana.”
She turned and slapped him. He didn’t even flinch. “Don’t you dare!”
“I won’t let my son die. Not when I have the means to help him–”
“You will turn him into a robot!”
“I will turn him into a man that will live forever.”
Alana laughed sarcastically. “Oh, how wrong you are.” She turned and shoved her remaining clothes into the bag.
“What aren’t you telling me, Alana?”
She zipped the bag close and started toward the door. “Lucas!” she called. Jon grabbed her arm, but she yanked it free. “Don’t touch me.”
Lucas backed away from the door. He closed his eyes. It’s a dream, he said to himself, please wake up, please, please, please. He opened his eyes. His parents were still there. He couldn’t let his mother take him away. If she couldn’t find him, maybe she would stay. Lucas ran down the stairs and hid under the stairway.
“Lucas, where are you?” he heard his mother call from upstairs. “Lucas?” He hugged his knees in the darkness. He cried.
Emperor Lucius opened his eyes. Fire burned everywhere. Explosions echoed louder than before. Pieces of marble and metal rolled beside his head. Some fell over his body and bounced off. But he didn’t move. He just lay there and watched his world go away.
I failed. I am not worthy to be an emperor. He couldn’t even protect what was left of his people. He was wrong – his father was way better ruler than he ever hoped to be.
Lucius looked up at the balcony that slowly crumbled under the impacts of dozens of missiles. His entire palace was riddled with smoking craters. The glory of Palatine. Gone.
Someone pushed him. “Lucius, we have to go.” It was Arrius.
Lucius didn’t care. It was over. He lost his throne, he lost his people, and soon he will lose his life.
“Lucius, get up.” Arrius turned to the side. “Soldier! Help me get the emperor on his feet.”
A bunch of hands under his armpits pulled him up. He staggered, but kept himself standing. He looked up at his crumbling palace. He looked at the whizzing ships that unloaded their weapons on the streets. He heard the screams of dying people … of his people. They needed his help.
“We need to get our ship here,” he said. “We will fight in the air.”
“Which ship?” Arrius was confused for a moment. Then realization lit his eyes. “The merchant ship will stand no chance against–”
“I know what it can, captain. Let us move before there is nothing left to save.”
Just as they turned to go, a flash of bright light ignited the night sky, rumbling sound spread like an earthquake but came from above. Cacophony of thunderstorms unleashed their fury, the pure anger of gods. Ships exploded by energy beams that fell from the clouds. Through the blackness a single massive form came out, pulling dark clouds down with it. Tiny lights blinked all over the surface. An Imperial battleship. Lucius couldn’t believe his eyes.
My people are back, he thought. Tired smile crept down his face. “They didn’t attack Talam,” he said to Arrius.
“It’s not them. Look.” Few more merchant ships came out of the clouds, speeding past the battleship. Two more fighters appeared and started chasing two of the Bion ships.
That is impossible. I left her on Burnum. He had to try – Commander Valeria, is that you?
There was no response, only explosions in the sky. Please be you, he thought. And then he received a voice in his head – Your Highness, we came as fast as we could.
Lucius exhaled. Your timing could not have been better, commander – he sent back. He knew he sent his emotions as well – he was proud of her and happy to see his fleet. Secure the airspace and send a shuttle to pick us up.
Your Highness – she sent, worry evident in her transmission – We have a problem. Our sensors are picking up strange readings on Timor.
Timor? Lucius couldn’t hold his surprise.
We have multiple objects inbound. Point of origin: twelve klicks from the moon base.
How many? – Lucius sent.
One hundred and fifty– wait. Two hundred. Two hundred and fifty. Three hundred. Three hundred and fifty – pause – Objects are multiplying every second, Your Highness, I cannot get an exact number yet.
Lucius clenched his jaw. What are they? – he sent back.
Optical sensors indicate single-seated transports similar to Caelus’s children.
It couldn’t be more obvious – An invasion force.
It seems likely – Commander Valeria replied – Our systems estimate that thousands of mobile units are needed for successful invasion under current conditions. The minimum required to assume command and put the remaining citizens under control is ten thousand mobile units, including hundred air support units. There was a pause before she added – Your Highness, we already calculated the trajectory of one thousand units that are currently inbound. They are heading straight for the capital, all districts. We have to leave Palatine, Your Highness. We have to do it now. What is your current location?
The forum – he sent as he looked around. He then paused, remembering everything he saw in the slums, the poor people, the misery, fights for prosthetics. He couldn’t just leave them here to die. His people deserved better than that. They deserved better emperor than Lucius ever thought he could be. If he was anything good at it was fighting Bions. Belay that order, commander – he sent – Clear the skies. We are not letting Palatine fall. You will destroy as many transports as you can before
they reach orbit. Once they enter our atmosphere you will maximize your shielding output and cover the forum. I will organize as many people as I can to stand in your shade.
Her reply took a couple of seconds – Your Highness, the speed of metal chunks from the transports we destroy would be turned into bombs.
I am fully aware, commander. Make sure you destroy them before they reach orbit.
Acknowledged – she replied.
I am counting on you, commander. One more thing. Our planetary defense grid is down. Send Clodius to manually activate as many cannons close to the capital as he can.
Acknowledged. Clodius is on his way.
Lucius watched the battleship lumber toward the heat of the fight, its engines tearing the sky apart, its guns ripping hulls apart. Long range weapons were fired up immediately after they ended their transmission.
Arrius placed his hand on top of Lucius’s shoulder. “Palatine is saved. You did it.”
Lucius didn’t move his eyes away from the battleship. He said, “I am afraid the worse is yet to come.”
AILIOS
Something wet trickled down his nose. Ailios moved his hand over his face only to touch the glass of his visor. He sniffed, the liquid went up. He swallowed. Thick lump went down his throat, the taste of blood made him retch.
It was the explosion, he remembered, the damned explosion. Ailios was lucky he had the helmet, otherwise his brain would’ve been splattered around.
He coughed some blood on the inside of his visor and pushed himself up on his elbow with a sore hand. He then pushed himself into a sitting position. His back leaned against something hard, and he let his head collapse back.
Just to get some air, he said to
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