Worlds Without End: The Prophecy (Book 3)

by Shaun Messick

  Jake took off behind her just as the shuttle shot two more bolts. The plasma energy erupted in front of them, sending them hurtling backwards. Jake landed with a thud on his back, the back of his head smacking against a rock. Celeste landed on top of him and instantly rolled to her left. The ship sailed overhead.

  “Celeste!” Nichelle yelled.

  Celeste jumped to her feet and looked through the fog of the explosion. Nichelle and Ariauna rushed through it, skidding to a halt right before her. They gasped heavily as Nichelle tried to speak. “S-Sage, Adrian, and the others were captured. I managed to escape before I was captured.”

  Celeste reached out for Calum, who was crying, and pulled him from Nichelle’s arms. The instant she touched him, the baby calmed down, staring at his mother with relief. She nuzzled him against her neck and looked at Nichelle incredulously. “Why didn’t you help them!”

  Nichelle returned her gaze with confusion and offense. “W-wh . . . If I wouldn’t have run, they would have Calum.”

  Ignoring Nichelle, Celeste turned her attention to Ariauna. “Thank you, Ariauna. Thank you for saving my son’s life.”

  With a stone-cold gaze, Ariauna nodded her thanks without a word as Nichelle stood in stunned silence.

  Celeste then turned her attention to Jake, who was still lying on the blackened ground. He was unconscious and a small pool of the glowing liquid that now pulsated through their veins lay under his head. Instantly, she turned, walked past Nichelle, and handed Calum to Ariauna. “Take him into the cave with the others.” She then turned her attention back to her unconscious husband, ignoring Nichelle, who stood silently with a look of pain glossed over her face.

  Celeste checked the back of Jake’s head. He had a gash the size of her middle finger snaking its way down the bottom of his hairline. She then checked his pulse. It was still beating.

  She heard Nichelle approach her from behind. “Is he okay?”

  Celeste resisted the urge to lash out at her best friend and ignored her. Ever since her miraculous return from the dead, things were different between her and Nichelle, especially after Nichelle expressed her loneliness among the Terrestrians and how lost she was. Nichelle even told Celeste that she considered returning to her people, which led to a heated argument.

  Behind her, she heard Nichelle take a few steps and stop. “I don’t know what I’ve done to upset you, Celeste. But whatever it is, I am sorry,” Nichelle said.

  Again, Celeste ignored her as she continued to check the back of Jake’s head. The open gash was beginning to heal itself as his skin miraculously came back together and the hair that had been torn out was beginning to sprout once more. Despite this marvelous healing, Jake was still unconscious. Knowing he would be okay and awake soon, she gently laid her husband’s head down on the ground and turned and watched as Nichelle walked into the cave. A deep sense of misgiving penetrated her heart.

  As she stood to her feet, she heard the roar of the attack shuttle making its way through the canyon again. The mistrust she had toward her dearest friend was instantly replaced with rage. She stood up, gathering every ounce of strength she had. She saw the shuttle in the distance heading her way. She knew what she had to do. The question was, could she? She had used her powers to completely destroy the Gnols’ drilling machine when the first underground rebel base was attacked. But now she was more powerful. Yet she still felt weak from Calum’s birth.

  The pilots within the shuttle obviously spotted her and tipped the nose of the craft downward, giving its guns a clear shot. She stood strong and defiant, closed her eyes, and stretched out both of her arms.

  Mentally, she locked onto the shuttle and felt its immense power in her arms. Her muscles strained. It was like she was lifting a twenty-ton boulder. The shuttle ripped off two energy blasts. The telekinetic grip she placed on the ship, however, caused the blasts to miss their target. The bolts shot overhead, exploding into the canyon wall behind her and not far from the cave’s entrance.

  Opening her eyes, she watched as the ship soared toward her barely twenty meters off the ground. She still had it in her grip as it began to slow down. The frantic pilots within pushed the ship’s jets to full power, momentarily breaking Celeste’s link. It gained speed and climbed as it soared over her head. With her arms outstretched, she whipped around and clenched her fists, catching the shuttle once again. The ship lurched forward and stopped immediately in mid-air. She had it!

  As she focused every ounce of energy she had on the massive shuttle, she heard the stunned gasps of people behind her. Everyone that had been in the cave for safety now stood outside in astonishment.

  Again, the pilots did everything in their power to break free. Celeste’s head was beginning to pound and her arms were trembling, becoming weaker by the moment. Her arms ached, and she resisted the urge to drop them. Capturing this shuttle was their only chance of getting off of Terrest.

  The shuttle broke free again. She quickly opened her hand and clenched them, invisibly catching it again. With a scream of agony, she dropped to her knees in pain. Glowing white blood began to drip from her nose. The energy she was exerting was killing her. Just as she was about to pass into unconsciousness, she saw Nichelle out of the corner of her right eye step beside her, with arms outstretched. She too locked on to the shuttle, easing the invisible pull Celeste had on the ship.

  Still maintaining her grip on the shuttle, Celeste staggered to her feet. The jet thrusters were firing at full power, but the ship hovered frozen in the air. Despite their combined effort, they could not bring the shuttle down. Just as the shuttle was about to break free, Celeste felt the link she had on the ship lessen. Stepping on the other side of her was Jake with his arms stretched forth as well. Now all three had telekinetic grips on the attack shuttle.

  With a flick of his left hand, Jake shut the engines down and extended its landing gear. Slowly, they lowered the shuttle to the ground. Celeste dropped to her knees in exhaustion as Jake sprinted toward the downed spacecraft. He stopped just before the cargo hold door just as it began to lower. There, standing at the top of the ramp, was one of the pilots pointing a gun right at him. The pilot fired, sending Jake rolling to avoid getting hit. Just as the pilot was ready to fire off another shot. Jake rolled to one knee, stretched out his right arm, and flung the Gnol from the ship headlong into a boulder. The Gnol was temporarily dazed but jumped to his feet and charged Jake.

  Celeste wanted to help her husband, but she was powerless. She made eye contact with Nichelle. Nichelle nodded and quickly pulled out her sidearm, firing into the pilot’s back.

  *****

  The Gnol’s dead body fell into a heap right before Jake’s feet as he regained his footing. He glanced at Celeste to see if she was okay. She was being helped by Kevin and Kylee. He was about to call out for her when he heard the shuttle’s engines rumble. He was so close to the ship that the vibrations of its engines knocked him down. The remaining pilot was trying to escape.

  As the shuttle lifted off the ground, the landing ramp began to retract. Jake knew he had to act quickly. He also knew that if the pilot escaped, there would be no possible escape from Terrest. The hover jets spat dust and charred debris all over him. It took everything he had just to keep his eyes open. The ship was now fifteen meters in the air. Soon the ramp would be fully retracted and the cargo hold door closed. Gathering every ounce of energy he could muster, he squatted and then launched himself into the air.

  As the ship continued to rise, Jake caught the end of the ramp just as it was completely retracted into the underside of shuttle between the floor of the cargo hold and the bottom of the fuselage. His arms were barely holding on and trembling. With all of his might, he pulled himself up and rolled into the cargo bay just before the door slammed shut.

  He hesitated for a moment, gathering much needed energy. As he staggered to his feet, the shuttle’s jets fired, hurling him back into the door. Pain reverberated through his back but instantly subsided as his new body see
med to heal itself instantaneously. He was astonished at how his transfigured body repaired and reenergized itself, causing him to wonder if he could ever be killed again.

  As the ship leveled out into a smooth flight pattern, he rose to his feet slowly. He could see the cockpit straight ahead and the right arm of the pilot on the controls. The pilot had no idea that there was a stowaway onboard. Jake stepped forward cautiously, knowing that the ship’s engines would hide any noise he made. He was within a few feet of the cockpit when the pilot made a sudden turn to the left.

  The g-forces propelled Jake to the right and slightly forward. He caught himself before his head slammed down into the copilot’s controls to the right of the pilot. He landed softly into the copilot’s seat.

  He turned his head and met the dark visor of the Gnol pilot staring at him in obvious shock. The momentary stun gave Jake just enough time to react as the Gnol frantically reached for his sidearm on his left thigh. Jake reached out and invisibly ripped the gun from its holster and sent it hurtling to the back of the shuttle. As he glanced to see where the gun landed, he felt a powerful blow to his right temple, the Gnol landing a perfect backhand. The hit dazed him for a second, but he regained his focus, clutching the pilot’s arm.

  With his free hand, the Gnol peeled back on his flight stick. Both men were thrown into the back of their seats, but Jake managed to maintain his grip on the Gnol’s strong arm. Out of the corner of his eye, Jake could see the clouds thickening as the shuttle climbed higher and higher.

  The Gnol shook his arm free, leveled the ship into a straight flight path, and set the shuttle on autopilot. Then he desperately tried to unbuckle himself from his seat just as Jake connected a powerful left hook into the visor of his helmet. The visor shattered into pieces, and the Gnol wailed in pain as one of the glass shards pierced his right eye. Blood poured from the wound.

  The pilot heedlessly pulled his flight helmet off and swung it at Jake. Jake parried the attack with his right arm. He then grabbed the back of the Gnol’s head and slammed it into the console just above the pilot’s controls. Suddenly, the shuttle lurched forward and then dropped into a dead dive to the canyon floor below. Jake and the Gnol were catapulted to the back of the ship. They slammed hard into the cargo hold door, knocking the wind out of them.

  Because of the g-forces, neither man fell to the floor. Instead, they were pinned helplessly to the door. Jake heard the Gnol scream just as the pilot reached over and clawed at his face. The Gnol’s gigantic hand wrapped around Jake’s entire face, and he began to squeeze. Jake felt as if every bone in his face was being crushed. He knew that he had to get the ship leveled and back on autopilot so that he could he could engage the Gnol in a fair fight. Ignoring extreme pain from the crushing power of the Gnol’s hand, Jake focused his gaze on the flight controls through the spaces of the Gnol’s hand. He mentally locked on to the controls and pulled back with every ounce of telekinetic energy he could muster.

  He screamed in anguish between the crushing grip of the Gnol and the force he needed to level out the attack shuttle. He felt the ship begin to pull from its rapid descent as both men slipped down the door and onto the floor. Using his powers, Jake engaged the autopilot just as the Gnol crushed his nose.

  Reactively, he forcefully jabbed his elbow into the Gnol’s side, breaking one of the pilot’s ribs. The blow caused the Gnol to let go, and he turned over, writhing in agony. Jake tried to regain his footing, but his broken nose caused him extreme pain. He quickly felt the broken area and popped the bridge of his nose back into place, screaming as he did so. He knew, however, that his body would immediately begin healing the bones, instantly relieving the pain.

  Jake stumbled to his feet but made a critical mistake in doing so. He turned his back to the Gnol. Just as he turned around, the pilot clutched Jake by the throat, whirled him around, and slammed him into the cargo door. The Gnol’s grip was inescapable. In one motion, the pilot pulled his dagger from its sheath on his waist and plunged the jagged-edged blade into Jake’s abdomen. In an instant, Jake felt heavy and weak as his life source began to pour out of him. The Gnol, with crimson blood pouring from his own wounded eye, sneered at Jake in victory as he pulled out the knife.

  Instantly, the miraculous healing power of Jake’s body reacted. But the Gnol was strong and still held Jake’s throat in a crushing grip. Barely able to breathe, Jake surveyed the cargo hold, looking for some way to break free. He glanced up and noticed one of the straps that held cargo in place neatly rolled into its compartment. He then looked into his enemy’s remaining eye. The Gnol leered at him in gratifying victory.

  “Now you die,” the Gnol said, thrusting the dagger into Jake’s abdomen again.

  Just as the blade tore through his flesh, Jake drove his knee into the Gnol’s groin. The pilot keeled over in excruciating pain, leaving the dagger impaled in Jake’s stomach. Ignoring his own pain, Jake jumped up and grabbed the cargo strap. The strap unwound as he landed, and he wrapped the strap around his hand for a better grip. This gave the Gnol just enough time to recover from his own agony. He charged toward Jake like a bull. Just before impact, Jake slammed his fist into the door controls to his left. Instantaneously, the door retracted.

  The vacuum ripped them from the ship and caused the autopilot to disengage. The Gnol wrapped his burly arms around Jake’s waist in terror as the cargo strap unraveled itself and the shuttle began a nosedive to Terrest’s surface once again. Even though Jake’s body was different, and he possessed ten times more strength than the average human male, that strength was waning with the dagger still impaled into his stomach.

  The shuttle plummeted with both men in tow. The air rolled past them like a hurricane. Jake glanced upward to see how far they were from the ship. The strap was completely unraveled and both men dangled behind the ship, whipping about like flags. They were only ten meters out.

  The weight of the Gnol wore on Jake’s strength as he held on with every ounce of energy he had left. He had to get the Gnol off of him. He swung his free hand down like a sledgehammer into the Gnol’s injured eye socket. Wailing in pain, the Gnol’s grip slipped, but he managed to stop himself as he caught the handle of the dagger impaled in Jake’s abdomen. The jagged blade tore down through Jake’s flesh, causing white, glowing blood to spew.

  Jake’s vision went blurry and he resisted the urge to black out. He grabbed the pilot’s wrist and screamed, pulling the Gnol’s hand away from his body and tearing the dagger out. Just as the blade left his flesh, the shuttle careened forward and began to roll in a violent spin. The g-forces were incredible and neither man had control of his muscles. The Gnol’s grasp loosened, and he slipped down Jake’s pant legs. Before falling to his death, the pilot caught Jake’s foot. This, in turn, caused the strap to slip from Jake’s grasp. In one sweep, he caught the clasp at the end of the strap, and kicked down hard with his free leg. The heel of his boot landed squarely on the pilot’s nose. The Gnol let go and spun to his death below, wailing in horror.

  Even though the Gnol was gone, Jake still had to get back into the shuttle and into the pilot’s seat before it crashed. His hand holding the strap’s clasp in a vise-like grip throbbed in excruciating pain, and he could feel the flesh of his palm tear under the extreme force. The shuttle was now below the clouds with Terrest’s surface approaching. He knew that he didn’t have the strength to pull himself into the ship as it spun out of control, so he closed his eyes, stretched forth his free hand, and focused every molecule of energy he had left in his body, creating a detailed picture of the pilot’s controls in his mind.

  Spinning like a top, he pictured himself sitting at the controls and pulling back on the flight controls. The muscles within his arms reacted as if he was actually sitting in the cockpit. He could feel the vibration and spin, but it was like he was motionless at the same time. Time seemed to stand still as he pulled back ferociously. He began to feel the shuttle level out.

  Once he mentally gained control of the ship, he
engaged the autopilot. He was exhausted beyond comprehension as he slowly opened his eyes. The ship was now flying smoothly, but to Jake’s astonishment, he and the ship were flying at high velocity just a few meters above the ground. He began to pull himself into the cargo hold when he noticed that the shuttle was in the canyon again, heading directly toward one of the canyon walls.

  In a frenzied pace, he pulled himself into the shuttle, retracted the strap, and closed the bay door. He turned and saw the impending crash with the cliff rapidly closing. He rushed into the cockpit, plopped himself into the pilot’s seat, and this time physically pulled back on the controls. The shuttle responded, instantaneously shooting upward just before being forever impaled into the cliff wall.

  The energy Jake had exhausted throughout the entire ordeal began to return, and he yelled in pure joy as the shuttle climbed out of the canyon. He banked the ship to the left just above the canyon rim and flew over the canyon, searching for his family and friends. He dropped lower into the canyon to get a better look. Just ahead, he could make out his wife’s exquisite figure with Nichelle, Kevin, and the others watching the shuttle. They obviously had witnessed the entire ordeal and now waved at him in joyous victory.

  A small smile curved along his lips and a sense of invincibility entered his bosom. As he flew past them, he looked down to examine his wounds. While it didn’t surprise him, the gash in his stomach was completely gone, as were the wounds on his hand that had held the strap. There wasn’t even so much as a scar. All that remained were flecks of white dust, the obvious remains of his new blood type.