“I’d like to see you try,” the woman responded arrogantly.
Through his keen senses, Dorange felt her finger tighten on the trigger, causing him to thrust out his free hand. He ripped the gun from her grasp, sending it hurtling into the darkness. She took a step back as he lunged for her. “Wait! There is something that you may want to know.”
Dorange stopped his charge. “Then tell me,” he said impatiently.
“Celeste is with child.”
Dorange lowered the blade, smiling. This certainly was good news. “The so-called prophecy,” he muttered. He then looked directly at the woman. “You may be of some use to me after all.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim silver case. Tossing it to her, he said, “Everything you need is in that case, including payment.” He then retracted his sword, leaving them in darkness once again. “Now go!” he bellowed.
Without a word, the woman turned and ran.
*****
Earth Time - 2043, Earth . . .
The dark prince stood within the confines of his underground sanctuary, staring at the image before him within the wormhole that revealed past, present, and possible futures to him. For months now, he had been staring at the same image, knowing of the possible location of Earth’s golden tablet. Even though he knew of its possible location, he was becoming more frustrated by the minute. Sending his dark angels out by the billions, they searched far and wide for a way to communicate with his servants on Terrest - Dorange Gar and Koroan Chast. But their efforts were useless.
He squeezed his hand into balls of frustrated fury. “There must be a way to communicate with them,” he uttered. As he continued to stare at the image before him, a whirlwind of fire penetrated through the ceiling of his underground abode, landing on the floor behind him. Lucifer whirled around just as the fire transformed into one of his dark angels kneeling before him.
“My Lord,” the angel said.
“Have you found a way to communicate with Terrest?” Lucifer questioned emphatically.
Without making eye contact, the angel slowly rose to his feet. Staring at the floor, the angel nodded his head. “Y-yes, my Lord. The mortals have constructed a communication array at Scott Air Force Base.”
A small smile began to curl upon the dark master’s lips. Finally, he thought. “How?” he questioned.
The dark angel raised his head, his cold, hollow eyes meeting his master’s. Quickly, he ducked his head again. A surge of rage rippled through Satan. His followers knew better than to make eye contact with their lord. Doing so could bring untold agony to the soul that dared to. Lucifer shook off the overwhelming urge to lash out at his servant. That didn’t matter now. What mattered was getting in contact with his mortal servants on Terrest. He stepped closer to his subordinate. “How?”
“My Lord,” the servant stammered. “The array sends a signal to a satellite that orbits the red planet of this solar system. From there, the signal travels through the wormhole to another communication satellite orbiting Terrest. Th-they have been using this array for months now, communicating with the rebel leader on Terrest, Adrian Palmer.”
“Very well done, Tuala.”
Tuala raised his head, being sure to avoid eye contact. Lucifer could tell that his servant was pleased. Rarely did the dark master offer praise to his servants.
“Have you found a worthy mortal for me?”
Tuala nodded his head, stepping toward the wormhole. “Yes, my Lord.” Tuala placed his finger into the event horizon of the distortion. Instantly, the image of a man working on the array appeared.
“Yes,” Lucifer hissed. “Yes. This man is ripe with iniquity. He is perfect for my purposes.”
Lucifer could read everything about the mortal. He was a pudgy, balding man in his late forties. Better yet, the man’s soul was dark. Prior to the Gnol’s attack, he had been in prison for murder and rape. The dark prince could tell the man did not feel any guilt whatsoever for his atrocities. This attracted Satan even more. Evil attracted the dark ones, making it easier to possess their mortal bodies.
Without a word, Lucifer stepped into the horizon of the wormhole. Instantly, he was transported to Scott Air Force Base. Lucifer looked around to gain perspective of his location. He was outside and it was dark. The man, wearing grease-stained overalls, was hard at work repairing a part at the base of the communication array. He was alone. The dark prince stepped toward the mortal, who had no idea evil was behind him. Lucifer hesitated before possessing the man. He hated this part. Even though he and his angels craved having a body, wearing the mortal shell was agonizing. Whenever he did so, he felt sluggish and slow, and the body inhibited most of his spiritual abilities.
The dark one stepped forward, thrusting his hands into the man’s back and into his heart. He could feel the evil envelop him. This man was truly a follower of darkness. Even the horrors of the Gnols’ attack on Earth had not brought the man to repentance. No. In fact, this mortal enjoyed the destruction all around him. The only reason he was here was because of his mechanical abilities and the opportunity to survive. Once his duties were over, he planned to steal guns and ammunition and search for his own fortune in a new world, even if that meant he would have to kill and make others suffer to do so.
Lucifer lunged forward, possessing the man. He could sense the mortal man’s spirit still in his mortal shell as well. But the man didn’t resist. In fact, he seemed to enjoy having the dark prince present. Seeing through the mortal’s eyes and instantly knowing the man’s skills and abilities, Satan finished the man’s work on the array. He then rose to his feet with the large wrench used to complete the work clenched in his hand. He walked toward a building a few yards away from the array, stopping at the door that would give him access to the computer terminals on the other side.
Reaching into the man’s pocket, he pulled out the security badge that would give him access. He slid the badge over the reader on the side of the door, and the door slid open. Slowly, he stepped in. Ahead of him, there were five computer terminals facing a giant view screen. On the screen was the image of Mars and the blue glow of the wormhole. To his right was the hologram projection room that the mortals used to send live holographic feeds to Terrest.
A young woman, sitting at one of the terminals, jumped from her seat and whirled around. “Oh! Henry, you scared me. A-are you finished with the repairs?”
Henry nodded without a response. He just looked at the woman with a hollow stare. The woman was attractive. Dressed in military fatigues, her brunette hair was pulled into a bun, and her brown eyes returned Henry’s look with fear and distrust. She took a step backward as if she could sense the evil within him. Satan took one step toward the woman. Henry did not resist. No, in fact, Henry knew what was about to happen, making it easier for Lucifer to control his body. With one swing of the wrench, the dark one ended the young woman’s life. A sense of relief and pleasure poured over him. Oh, how he loved ending a mortal’s life prematurely.
Without even a hint of compassion, he stepped over the body and pulled up a chair to one of the computer terminals. Using his superior knowledge of computers from years of observation, he began typing in the encryption codes so he could send his own holographic message to Dorange Gar, indicating the possible location of Earth’s golden tablet – a relic that could give the dark prince untold power.
*****
Imperial palace, city of Chast, Terrest . . .
Dorange Gar stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out at the city that Koroan Chast had built to himself. Anger and frustration rippled through his body as he thought about his current predicament. It had been nearly a year now since Koroan had released him from the brig and surprisingly put him back in charge of his empire. Without an explanation, Koroan had left for Gnolom. The only thing he told Dorange was to wait until he returned from his mission for further orders.
Without their savior, the Gnol civilization on Terrest had fallen into disarray, so much so that
the Gnols were unable to attack the rebel Terrestrians hidden safely within the confines of their underground base. This infuriated Dorange even more. Also, he knew that his military leaders, General Aralt Thourad and General Kamferal Ochalt, were conspiring with other Gnol leaders to overthrow him. To make matters even worse, Jake Palmer and Celeste had somehow come back from the dead and were even more powerful than before.
That’s not possible, he thought as the anger swelled within him. The furniture, the wall decorations, and other assortment of Gnol antiquities in Koroan’s office began to tremble. Without him even being aware, the anger Dorange was allowing to consume him was taking over, causing his telekinetic powers to shake the office. The crystal chandelier, hanging in the center of the room, suddenly exploded, startling him out of his angry fit. Shards of crystal washed over him like stinging wasps.
The exertion of his powers exhausted him. He was getting desperate with the realization that his abilities were beginning to wane faster the more he used them. He turned around and plopped himself into the leather office chair at Koroan’s desk. Wiping away the shards on the desk, he slammed down his fist. Luckily, the desk didn’t break in two like it had so many times with Koroan’s temper outbursts.
He was weak and he could feel it. Reaching into his uniform pocket, he pulled a syringe that contained the god-gene serum that enhanced his DNA. Even though he had devised a way to produce more, his earthly human body was building a resistance to the concoction. He was transforming back into the man he once was, a man he despised - Donald Garret.
He rolled up his sleeve and jammed the needle into his vein. The serum was pure ecstasy as it pulsated through his veins, a drug that no man could resist. He could feel his cells changing, absorbing the powers of the serum. Feeling energized, he hurled the empty syringe into the opposite wall, shattering it to pieces.
He stared at the wall for a long while, not sure what his next move would be. After a few minutes of silence, the small holographic projector on the desk began to chirp, indicating a message was coming through. The screen at the base of the projector read:
Urgent . . . Incoming message from earth. Encrypted . . . Data encryption code required.
A holographic keyboard emitted out from the projector. Dorange hesitated, wondering who on earth would know his data encryption codes. Maybe it was a Gnol abandoned on Earth, hoping to be rescued. He was suspicious. Again, the device chirped, and the same message scrolled across the screen. Whoever it was needed his attention now. He slowly typed his code into the holographic keyboard.
The projector came to life and the 3D image of a man appeared, dressed in grease-stained gray overalls. The transmission was scrambled and waved in and out, but Dorange could still make out the man’s features. He was a pudgy, balding man. Blood was spattered on his face as well as his overalls. His eyes were hollow and dark as if he had no soul. The man spoke to him in a low, guttural voice like evil itself dripped from his vocal cords. “Dorange Gar.”
“How did you get access this channel? This channel is secure. Who are you?” Dorange demanded.
The man’s hollow eyes flashed red with rage. “Dorange, you fool! I am your master. Do you not remember the night that I planted those memories into your mind? The memories that saved you from a miserable death at the hands of Koroan Chast?”
Suddenly, Dorange’s memories brought him back to that night when he came face to face with his dark master. That night, the fallen one had appeared to him when he returned to the White House, only to find death and destruction from the miraculous meteor storm that nearly wiped out his entire fleet. “M-my Lord,” he stammered.
The man on the other end of the hologram continued. “Where is Koroan Chast?”
“I don’t know. H-he went on a mission to Gnolom almost a year ago and has not returned. I fear the worst. He may be dead.”
The man’s eyes showed no emotion whatsoever. “Well, then . . . That leaves you to find Earth’s golden tablet.”
Dorange sat up straighter in his chair, his interest piqued. “Golden tablet, my Lord? Y-you know of its location?”
“Possible location. I have searched the far reaches of this miserable planet for this relic. This tablet is extremely important to the plan, Dorange. You must return to Earth to search for it.”
Dorange hesitated. He knew he couldn’t leave now. “I can’t, my Lord. My forces are in turmoil at present, and my military leaders are planning a coup against me. Adrian Palmer has also returned, as well as his son and Celeste.”
The man’s eyes flashed red with anger again. “You fool! Am I not your master?”
“Yes,” Dorange replied, lowering his head in defeat. Even though the man on the other end of the hologram was twenty-two light-years away, the being within him terrified Dorange to the very core.
“Dorange, put down this little rebellion you have amongst your ranks. Destroy the Terrestrians, especially Jake Palmer and Celeste. Once you have finished those tasks, return to Earth.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
Without a word, the man within the hologram disappeared, leaving Dorange alone to realize the monumental tasks before him.
*****
General Aralt Thourad, the Gnol’s commanding officer over ground forces, and General Kamferal Ochalt, the Gnol navy commander, lay hidden behind a small grove of trees on the outskirts of Chast. General Thourad peered through his night-vision binoculars, powerful enough to view into the giant window of Koroan’s office of the imperial palace.
“What is he doing?” Ochalt asked.
“I’m not sure. He injected something into his arm, and then received a message on his holographic projector. I can’t make out who it is.”
“An injection? Is he ill?” General Ochalt asked as he reached up with his pudgy hand and ripped the binoculars away from Thourad. Thourad looked at him in disgust as Ochalt peered through the binoculars for himself. Kamferal Ochalt disgusted Thourad. Most Gnols were physically fit, a bi-product of their superior genetic make-up. But Ochalt was the opposite. He was short and fat, something frowned upon among the Gnol civilization. Nevertheless, General Ochalt had proven to stay loyal to Thourad, especially with his idea to overthrow Dorange Gar.
“I cannot tell who it is either. Do you think Dorange knows?”
“There’s no question that he does. I don’t believe Dorange expects an attack tonight. That’s why we attack now.”
Ochalt handed the binoculars back to General Thourad and stood to his feet. “My forces are ready. I’ve got four divisions of my special forces units guarding each of the four gates to the city.”
Thourad nodded. “Very well. My forces are already in the city and ready for the order to attack.”
A premature smile of victory graced along General Ochalt’s face. Thourad understood. For too long, they had floundered under the command of Dorange Gar. Even though Dorange was more skilled in the use of his abilities, there was something about him that the two generals didn’t trust. Something he was hiding.
General Thourad returned Ochalt’s smile, reached up, pressed a button on the comlink in his ear, and spoke. “Attack!”
*****
Dorange Gar sat in his office chair, stunned. He tried to comprehend the ramifications of the situation. First, he knew he could handle Thourad’s and Ochalt’s insurrection. The tough part was commencing an attack upon the rebel base. How could he? The loyalties among the Gnol forces were fractured. Without their savior and god, Koroan Chast, present, there was no way they would unite. They would splinter off and ultimately destroy themselves, just as the previous generations had done on Gnolom. He had to do something to prove to the Gnols that he was now their savior, the one for whom they should pledge their allegiance.
A large explosion rattled the office, startling him from his thoughts. He quickly pushed the comlink button on his desk. “Colonel, what’s going on?”
His head of security, Colonel Raul Sapharius, responded from his security station at the palace ga
tes. “Sir, we are under attack from our own forces! What are your orders?”
With plasma fire beginning to erupt in the palace gardens and entrance below, Dorange looked up for a moment before he responded. “This is sooner than I thought,” he uttered to himself.
“Sir! Your orders!”
“Issue our surrender?”
“Sir?”
“You heard me, Colonel. Issue our surrender.”
“Yes, sir,” Colonel Sapharius replied.
Dorange turned back and looked out of the window, down to the beautifully manicured gardens of the palace below. He watched as Gnol soldiers ran about, firing at one another. The glow of the red plasma blasts flickered through the darkness. Soon, the firing stopped. He glanced to the right of the gardens toward the palace gates. He could make out the silhouette of Colonel Sapharius exiting his guard post with his hands raised.
The gates opened, and General Thourad and General Ochalt entered, escorted by four armed guards. As they approached Colonel Sapharius, a wry smile spread across Dorange’s face. “This. . . this is how I will gain the allegiance of the Gnols.”
*****
1 week later . . .
Dorange could hear the sounds of thousands of voices, but he couldn’t see. He had spent the last week in the brig of the palace. During that time, he slept as much as he could, making sure he didn’t use any of his abilities or even move, for that matter. He needed all of the energy his modified body could muster to do what he planned to do. Then, out of nowhere, he was ripped from his cell, his hands bound behind his back, the hood placed over his head, and transported to where he now stood.
Suddenly, the hood was pulled from his head. The light of the noonday sun blinded him for a moment until his eyes adjusted. Just as he figured, he stood on a platform in the center of the one-hundred-thousand-seat stadium in the heart of Chast. The stadium was used for Gnol sporting events and various other entertainment for the Gnols. It seemed that every seat was filled with Gnols, both civilian and military. The stage wasn’t very big. To his immediate left rested a guillotine, the traditional execution method for any Gnol traitor. The ground surrounding the platform was filled with enraged Gnols as well.
Worlds Without End: The Prophecy (Book 3) Page 5
