You aren’t going to die tomorrow, Malir. Saying the words made them real.
“Why are you so certain?” he asked.
Because I’m going to meet Ovalax instead of you.
“Why would they—”
King Uvid! Regnig threw the words at the big Wibox leader, and he dropped the hunk of bone he was chewing on.
“The bird speaks. What is it?”
Regnig braced himself. Would you like to know where Sager is? The one that foiled your ancestors’ plans and put you in bad standing with your oracle?
Uvid rose, knocking a plate to the floor. “Speak now, prisoner.”
I demand a trade.
Uvid stepped closer. “I don’t see how you’re in a position of power, little bird.”
Free the Gretiol. Send him home. The Gretiol are no longer in the Sect.
Malir’s eyes went wide, but he wisely kept quiet.
“I already said the Sect was disbanded. By me.”
Then you have no use for him. Send him home.
Uvid wiped his greasy hands on his leather pants. “He is our sacrifice.”
Take me. Fronez considers me the smartest and most knowledgeable being he’s ever encountered. I am Regnig, but you know me as Sager, my birth name. His feet found the carpet, and he tried to stand taller.
Uvid’s jaw dropped, but he retained his composure as the ground started to shake. “I think he heard you.” The king of the Wibox bared thick yellow teeth. “Ovalax has awoken.”
Twenty-Three
“It’s difficult to believe this is in the center of a desert planet, isn’t it?” Slate dipped a hand into the cool water.
We’d scanned the region, finding nothing dangerous lurking in the nearby trees. “It’s actually nice.” My helmet was off, and the moment the star descended past the distant horizon, the air cooled, making it habitable.
Slate’s tablet pinged, and he turned the screen on. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What is it?” I peered at the tablet, watching an overhead view of a location a hundred kilometers away. I counted ten Runners on the ground, accompanying another smaller ship. “That’s the one from Mount Carve. That means Regnig and Fronez are here.”
“And with the enemy.” Slate tapped his foot on the pebbled lake edge. “Obviously, they’re working together.”
“I’d say. We were supposed to have more time to prepare. I guess we’d better get ready.”
“What’s with the tent?” Slate asked, pointing at a red peaked structure.
“Must be where they’re keeping Regnig. We’ll have to head there.”
Magnus arrived, and we discussed our options. “Going to be a hell of a battle. Two hundred against our fifty soldiers, plus your ten or so.”
“I don’t like the numbers.” I had to find Ovalax, because he’d be my best hope for a smooth resolution—if he could be reasoned with.
Rivo approached, and she pointed to the gadget attached to my belt. “You try it yet?”
We’d only landed an hour ago, and we’d let the probes finish their job. “Not yet. Care to join me?”
I removed the plug-in and placed it in the tablet. By aiming at the ground, I scrolled through the various layers of the planet, and we were shocked to find Newei appeared empty after a crust and a thousand-kilometer mantle layer. “It’s hollow?”
“That’s unique. There is a core layer if you go deeper.”
“They say Ovalax is Newei. What are the chances this is him?” I indicated the center of the world on the blurry scanned image. Everyone gathered around while we analyzed our findings.
Othus stepped closer and pointed down. He chittered, and my translator echoed his words into English. “We can drill a hole to investigate.”
“It’s a thousand feet,” I told him.
Othus’s pink nose wiggled through his hairy face. “My people are burrowers. I will lead you to an opening.”
This could be our ticket to Ovalax.
“What about Regnig?” Mary asked.
“What if Othus and I go underground, and you all fly for their camp when I contact you? Full assault, if Ovalax isn’t willing to play ball.” I waited for Mary to tell me that was out of the question.
“Dean, he’s so close. We can’t fail Regnig. Go. Find Ovalax.” Mary kissed me once and broke away. “You heard the man. Gather your gear and prepare for an attack.” She turned to Slate. “Send them all the map, and let’s figure out the best course of action.”
Othus squeaked apprehensively, and Sergo came to my side. “I’m going with you, Parker.”
I wanted to order him to stay with the others, but couldn’t. “We started this together. We’ll end it too.” I clasped hands with him, and he squeezed with confidence.
I waited a second while he said goodbye to Walo, and she waved at me. “Take care of him, Dean.”
“I will.”
“I thought I was going to watch your back—”
“Semantics. How about we protect each other?” I asked, and Darem jogged over.
“I’d like to join your force as well,” he said.
“If you really want to help me, keep an eye on my wife, Mary. She can handle herself, but with so many Wibox, I don’t want to risk it. I wouldn’t leave her side if I didn’t have to,” I admitted.
Darem glanced at Mary. “Okay, Dean. You have my word.”
After a thank you, he was off. “Othus, please guide us.”
The short, hairy man removed his helmet and unclasped his armor. “You might want that,” Sergo told him.
Othus twittered a response. “I use my nose, and when burrowing, I need to feel the contact on my follicles.”
“Have it your way.”
“Othus, we have to get underground. Where do we access it?” I checked the map on my tablet, but from the drone’s shots, I couldn’t find any holes that would link to the hollow section beneath the crust.
“I follow my nose.” Othus ran faster than I would have expected, and Sergo and I darted after him. He dropped to all fours, galloping out of the oasis and onto the sand. “I can smell the sand beasts. Stay clear.” He kept moving, and we struggled to keep up. Eventually, I decided to follow with my jetpack, and Sergo did the same.
We stayed a few meters above the surface while Othus raced like a cheetah, kicking up a steady stream of sand in his wake. Clearly, the pink-nosed being had intense strength under that blanket of hair, because he was a blurry streak as he made quick work of the kilometers.
About ten minutes passed before Othus slowed. The ground trembled, and he looked to the distance, pointing a finger. “Bad things that direction. We go this way.”
Eventually, around thirty kilometers from our starting position at the oasis, Othus waved us down. I landed with ease, and Sergo almost tripped over his own feet as he settled onto the sand. He flipped the jetpack off and buzzed with annoyance.
“What did you find?” I looked for anything out of place, but all I spotted was reddish-brown sand for as far as the eye could see.
Othus sniffed, keeping close to the ground. “There is an old tunnel from the sand beasts. Smells deep. It will get us most of the journey.”
“A thousand kilometers… seems like a long fall,” Sergo mumbled.
“Show us.” I went with Othus, and he stuck an arm out as the ground began to descend into a pit. It was night now, but the sky was littered with the light of a thousand distant stars, and a low blue crescent moon.
He squeaked out a string of words, and my earpiece translated. “They’ve been gone for years. We should have access. I suggest you continue to wear your helmets and use the jetpacks to propel you lower. Once we clear the sand, we’ll be in an open tunnel.”
“And you? How will you breathe?” I asked him.
“I will hold my breath.” Othus squeaked again and wiggled his nose.
“Okay, you heard the man, Sergo.” I grabbed a rope, tethering myself to Sergo. I wrapped the far end around Othus, securing it around his waist. “
We won’t lose one another, and after we breach the crust into the main tunnel, we should be able to fit with the packs. Understood?”
“You take the lead, Parker. I’ll hold on to the fuzzy guy.” Sergo grabbed Othus, who didn’t object to being cradled in the Padlog’s arms.
“Ready?” I asked, stepping to the edge of the opening. Sand filtered through a hole, but it seemed almost solid. It was an optical illusion. As soon as my weight hit the area, I plummeted. For a few seconds, all I could see was sand, and I worried I’d sink and stop, to be buried in an open grave, but I kept falling. It was slow, like quicksand, but we picked up speed, and after two claustrophobic minutes, I broke through a crusted entrance, my boots smashing it to pieces.
The tunnel was three meters wide, and my first thought was that I didn’t want to meet the beasts Othus was referring to. I assumed the terrifying tentacles we’d seen at the portal were a small extension of the real animal’s size.
My jetpack didn’t fire when I tried to power it up, and I kept plunging, occasionally bumping into the rock-lined wall. My armor took the brunt of the hit, and I attempted to turn the jetpack on again. “Sergo. My pack is broken. The sand must have clogged it.”
“One second.” He was above me, and my rope snapped tight as his pack initiated.
I craned my neck up and used a flashlight feature on my arm to see Sergo and Othus. His jetpack burners glowed, keeping us afloat. “Nice work. Let’s see what’s under Newei’s surface.”
Sergo silently did as instructed, lowering us as quickly as he thought safe. We moved quickly. Every now and then, we discovered bones stuck in the edges, remains from some ancient kill. I didn’t want to end up decomposing inside this hole.
The three of us continued to descend ever deeper into Newei. I checked my suit’s arm console and determined we’d dropped eight hundred kilometers.
“Mary, come in.” I tried to reach the surface. There was no response. “Magnus, come in.”
“Must be interference,” Sergo said. “I’ve seen it before. Usually, we have no issues with these comms, but something in the sand or the rock could obstruct our equipment.”
“How can I tell them when to attack?”
“I guess we trust our friends know what’s best,” Sergo answered.
“Good point. I think we’re almost there.” Since I was below Sergo, dangling from the rope tethered to his belt, I went past the opening first and my boots settled to the packed surface.
The cavern was tall, and I peered up to the hole we’d entered through. It looked tiny in comparison to the giant room we were inside.
“You good, Othus?” I asked, and our new friend said he was. His voice was strained, and he crouched low to the ground. “What’s the matter?”
“This place… something is wrong. The scent…” His squeaks were quiet.
“What does it smell like?” Sergo checked.
His pink nose flinched. “I don’t know for sure, but I’ve been around enough death to know it. It’s rotten.”
“Then we’re lucky we have these on.” Sergo knocked on his own helmet. “Which way?”
Othus peered up at me. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“We have to. It might be Ovalax.” I didn’t think it might be the ancient oracle. I knew it was. I could feel his presence.
“I warned you.” Othus was on his feet and started walking across the cavern. I checked the map and saw we weren’t that far from the Wibox camp, if you drew a direct line on the 3D map. Maybe Ovalax had wanted it that way, and it made me stop and think. What if that tube was intended to drop sacrifices into his cavern? But if he ate their memories, he’d need them alive.
Our lights felt inadequate inside the cavern. It was enormous, with no end in sight, and our beams fell flat against the darkness. Every few minutes, I grew more uneasy. It was obvious Othus did too, because he slowed substantially.
Sergo almost stopped. “I don’t like this.”
“Regnig is up there with the Wibox. I have to find out what Ovalax is, or the Sect will continue stealing innocent people and feeding it.”
“Don’t remind me.” Sergo took the lead. “I just regret volunteering to join you.”
Eventually, after another few kilometers of walking through the cavern, the ceiling began to slope downwards. I could finally see the top with my flashlight beam, and I noticed we were being funneled toward a corridor in the stone. “All paths lead here.”
“Whatever you’re after, it’s not far now,” Othus told us. His nose wriggled, and he squeaked a few times.
We were close. With a hop in my step, I moved faster, wanting to see Ovalax with my own eyes. The mere fact that no one had ever seen the thing made it strangely fascinating.
The dire prophecy of Xanz, the hooved former Sect leader, replayed in my mind. Ovalax has been waiting for you on Newei. He will eat you, absorbing your memories. Your skin will melt, your bones decompose, and you will join him in Forever.
Sergo stood at the outer edge of the tunnel, hand resting on the dry rock. “Parker, are you coming?”
I was frozen, suddenly afraid of entering and facing Ovalax. What if what Xanz said was true, and this thing was anticipating my arrival? How could I defeat a creature as old as time?
Sergo walked up to me and poked a finger into my chest. “We’re not stopping now. You’ve never given in to a threat, and today’s no different. I used to be a thief, a low-brow cunning yet handsome criminal, but you showed me a better path. I believe in you, Parker. Let’s finish this.”
Somehow his pep talk actually broke through, and I regained some of my confidence. “Thanks, Sergo. I needed that.”
I went into the corridor first, finding it was only a few steps in depth. It led us into another cavern, and I pulled two light-drones from my pack. They flew high, programmed to seek out the optimal location in a big space like this before powering the lights on.
It took a minute, and they were in position. The lights slowly brightened, revealing something I couldn’t have anticipated.
You came.
I stared at it and looked to Sergo, who’d slumped to the ground beside Othus. A string of blood oozed from my furry friend’s nose. I crouched, checking his vitals. He was alive.
“What are you?” I asked as tension built inside my head.
I am you. You are me.
Ovalax was seated on a rock, completely naked, and he looked human. He didn’t flinch as I slowly stepped closer.
“Ovalax, I’m here to barter with you.”
There is no bartering with Ovalax. I’ve seen this moment in the past and future. You are absorbed. I absorb you. You become me. I become you. As I approached him, I saw what I’d feared from a distance. He resembled me. Not quite identical, but it was my face that stared back at me. His skin was chalky and flaky, and he was skinny, not much more than a skeleton. His hair was longer than mine, scraggly and dark brown, and his unkept beard was wet. A vein in his forehead throbbed.
Each time it did this, the pressure increased in my own brain. I knew this wasn’t the real Ovalax. He was projecting a version of myself on purpose. I just had to learn where he was hiding, and that might prove a challenge. “I’m more useful to you alive. I can help you restore the universe. With your predictive skills, and my—”
Enough. The word was soft in my mind, but the pain that accompanied it was not.
Ovalax rose from his seat. A wet layer clung to the rock where he’d been sitting. He walked like a newborn calf, unsure of his steps. My substitute's head tilted as he came to me, lifting a hand. Damp fingers extended from the appendage, wrinkled like he’d been in the bathtub for hours, and I was incapable of moving. He’d managed to gain control of my actions, and I looked up at him, not of my own volition. Ovalax’s eyes were black, dripping tears, and I screamed as the pressure built. Blood burst from my nose, seeping inside my helmet.
“Please, I have something more important than me! I can offer you another!” I shouted, m
anaging to find my voice.
“Tell me.” He spoke out loud, his voice gravelly and unused.
I said a single word, and the pain subsided.
Twenty-Four
“You sure this will work?” Karo asked.
They’d sneaked off Fronez’s ship the moment the coast was clear and the sun had set. The Wibox were celebrating, feasting and drinking like trolls from her dad’s old fantasy stories. It had been simple enough to locate a spare set of clothing, but Karo’s gray skin and bright eyes, not to mention his long white hair, made it difficult for him to blend in.
They grabbed a hooded cloak near someone’s tent, hanging on a clothesline, and Karo slipped it over his leather vest. “Better?”
“Much,” Dean told him. “You take the lead, find out where Regnig and Malir are being held, and we’ll do the rest.”
The camp was full of raucous enemies, and Jules wondered if the Wibox were always this loud, or if they really loved a good old-fashioned Sect sacrifice. She bet the truth lay somewhere in the middle.
Jules and Dean stayed at the camp’s border. They were so out of place, it wasn’t funny. This was the time she missed having powers the most. Before, she would have been able to float to the tent, cut her way into it, and retrieve the captives with ease.
The red tent was huge compared to the rest of the schlocky camp, and Jules glanced over the festivities. Roasting meat crackled on bonfires, and some of the Wibox had started singing, their horrible voices drowning one another out.
Karo went quickly, trying to avoid contact with any of them as he headed to the edge of the tent. One moment he was visible; the next he was gone.
“I hope we can do this,” Dean whispered.
“Me too.” It sounded easy on paper. Sneak Regnig and Malir out while the Wibox were distracted, then return to Fronez’s ship. Use the sphere portal to make their escape. Jules would convince the Alliance to reclaim the portal stone later.
The ground shook, trembling for a few breaths, and then it ceased.
“What was that?” Dean asked, but Jules didn’t know. The camp didn’t seem concerned with the tremors.
The Survivors | Book 16 | New Lies Page 22
