by Marc Everitt
“Get back inside,” he yelled to Lana and Alan.
Lana looked from the fallen body of her husband and back to the Warrior standing menacingly but not willing to lose its targeting by approaching any closer and replied, “Back in there? But we’ll all be killed.”
“We’ll be killed if we stay out here. At least in there, we’ve got a chance,” Alan shouted as he dragged her back to the door. Taylor stood his ground; he could see Chris was badly hurt; but still alive. He remembered that it had taken two blasts to finish off the Swamp Creature and knew he had to try and help Chris back to the station. The Warrior met his gaze and Taylor knew he was in a face-off with a deadly creature.
He thought about the size of his task, but knew it was possible. He needed to get to Chris, carry him to the station and avoid the alien warrior long enough to set the security protocols and buy them precious time. What he could do in that time he had no idea, but he knew he had to try. He thought about the final comment made by Alan before pulling Lana through the doorway. “A very small chance, maybe,” he muttered and charged at the Warrior with a loud scream of primal anger.
Appendix 4
Extracts taken from “The Religion of the Empire,” by E.K.L. Sanapon. Published in 2462. Edited for clarity.
Preface
We are a part of an Empire, this much is true. We are not a whole society stretched across the stars, however. More of a connected arrangement of differing cultures and ways of life. As our Empire spread across the stars with the expansion of the Company, so did the ideas and beliefs of the Old Earth religions. These traditional views met with, and merged with, other ideas that were founded by the remnants of alien societies until we were left with the melting pot of religions that our Empire has become. This book attempts to put these various religions in some sort of context and give the reader some sort of overview as to who believes what and why.
Extract taken from chapter 7.
The Old Earth religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism were taken by the colonists of various worlds and adapted for their own use, bearing in mind that they were surrounded by another world to the one that had birthed their religion. So it was that there came about the foundation of such religions as the Cult of Karak and The Worshippers of T’suk. Both of whom were based on archaeological remains of long dead civilisations that had been extinct before mankind had ever learned to use vehicles to travel the Earth; let alone leave it for another world. Both of these religions are followed by extremely devout devotees but for the moment we shall concentrate on The Worshippers of T’suk.
These are men and women who are based on a small world with the rather grandiose name of Alpha Prime, in the Far Easterly sector of our Empire. They live in simple contemplation and reverence to the relics they have managed to discover which are supposed to belong to gigantic trove of archaeological remains situated below their monastery. These devout followers religion teaches them the doctrine that the ancient race of T’suk would somehow return to the galaxy and reward them for their devotion. We, as a species, had better hope that this never happens as all evidence which has so far been unearthed by the archaeological experts and scholars of ancient cultures tells us these beings were frighteningly violent and warlike. Strange then, that such a peaceful group of believers could have based their religion on a species so blood thirsty.
Extract taken from Chapter 26
While many of the religions such as the Maghtenian Sun Worshippers and Sidontest Tree People are clearly the result of bizarre social circumstances and can be seen as a step backwards in socio-evolutionary terms; other religions have a kind of purity and sensibility which allows us to share their followers’ mind-sets even if we do not share their beliefs. These are religions like the earlier discussed Worshippers of T’suk and The Watchers from Beta Thargma. Perhaps this is the most frightening aspect of the whole area of multi-religious study. These religions have none of the symptoms of lunacy that we observe in colonies where a fallen tree is a sign from their Gods. If we are willing to accept that religions like the two mentioned in the last sentence are composed of people who calmly await the return of their God then we must accept that this differs very little from traditional beliefs like Christianity. Whether the Christian God or the T’suk Gods will ever return is a matter which this author does not feel qualified to discuss. But this much is clear, we have much to fear from the rational believer. Perhaps from the basis of his religion also.
Appendix 5
Extract taken from “Guns, Weapons and how to use them to kill things.” By Z.Z. Schrollock. Published in 2499.
A Quick Reference to Commonly Used Weaponry
Armour-piercing Laser Pistols - a very useful multi-purpose Gun. This is small and light and can be used in close quarter’s combat with little fear of self-immolation. It fires a concentrated beam of light that has been super condensed. The resultant blast can cut through most things. These are great weapons for the beginner as they can be set to fire pulses in short sharp bursts like old-fashioned bullets or long steady streams of power. Be careful though as these guns can overheat if set to stream and used overzealously.
Concussion grenade, a descendant of the grenades used in the twentieth and twenty first centuries. This hand-held globe releases a wave of sound which can blast through rock or flesh. Cannot be set to any differing levels of use. A very untidy weapon, which most collectors and enthusiasts tend to stay away from. Guided Missile Launchers - a powerful weapon suitable for ground to air combat. This is a shoulder mounted, but extremely light cannon that can send small self-guided smart guiding missiles to their target. These missiles can be adjusted through the controls on the launcher to search for heat, sound, movement or a specified set of co-ordinates. An extremely fun weapon to play with.
Magnetic Pulse Cannons - this is, in terms of destructive capability, the most powerful weapon commonly used today. It fires a disruptive pulse of highly magnetised ions that can punch their way through metal or flesh. These weapons are often fitted to spaceships and are ideal for use in a vacuum.
Plasma Rifles-Snare & Stun Nets - object with a net and then sends an electronic pulse through it. This disables any electronic device, such as a robot, or person it surrounds. Good, cheap weapon. Can only stun a target. So no good for warfare if you want to achieTracker-killer drones - an anti-aircraft weapon. This is basically a small robotic drone that can pursue a target at high speeds and immobilise or destroy it with frequent low power blasts. Commonly used as last line of defence for City-states and Colonial homesteads. Difficult to escape from and hard to target weapons on.
A Quick Easy Reference Guide to Uncommonly Used Weaponry
Company Combat Rifles - these are highly sought after, but almost impossible to find. Only supplied to Company agents and Combat troops, this Gun fires a selection of Laser, Sonic, Magnetic Pulse, Sub-atomic particles, S & S Nets, Missiles, Concussion grenades and Fire jets. A real multi-purpose weapon, this is all of the above in one and more. Amazingly enough it is the same size as a Plasma rifle. If you see one of these you’re probably about to be arrested or killed by its bearer.
Social Control Peace Units - not much is known about these weapons, but they certainly exist. The chosen weapon of the elusive Social Control Agent this gun can apparently do all the things that the Company Combat rifle does but has a couple of distinct advantages. Firstly, it is coded to only respond to the unique DNA of its particular owner. The gun is designed to suit the specifications of the agent who is given it. Any other individual cannot operate it and therefore this makes it an ideal weapon for the shadowy agent of Social Control. Secondly, the weapon features a limited level of sentience, that allows it to sense incoming objects and respond to them independent of its owner. This gives the Agent a huge advantage in a combat situation as he cannot he sneaked up on or ambushed. The Holy Grail of guns. If you have seen one of these fabled weapons you must be Social Control yourself.
Legal Note: The descriptio
n of both the preceding weapon and its alleged users are all printed, by the publishers, as fiction. No resemblance to real weaponry or people is meant to be inferred. Any resemblance is pure coincidence. The publishers note the Company Act 354 of 2472 AD and does not intend to imply the reality of such individuals or weaponry. The publishers take no responsibility for the information contained within this last chapter and would like to confirm that it, in no way, represents the views and beliefs of the publishers.
Chapter Ten
All hands on deck
He could not hear any more screaming and he feared the worst. Eli ran through the shattered remains of the station shouting Sara’s name into all the rooms as he passed them. He hoped she was able to respond to him when he did find the room she was in; if not he didn’t have time to search through the rubble in each and every room. The station had suffered badly from the giant tremor that was only now starting to dissipate. While its structural integrity remained intact, Eli knew it would not take much for the ceiling to cave in on him at any moment. There was huge damage done to the weaker internal supports and partitions that had collapsed with little resistance.
He had covered most of the rooms on the left side of the station and was working his way methodically through the station when he heard the sound of sobbing coming from the room ahead. “Sara!?” he shouted, anxious to be heard but conscious of the risk that a loud noise could bring the ceilings down on them both. He entered the shattered remains of the control room and scanned the wreckage looking for signs that he had heard something and wasn’t letting his imagination run away with him. He saw Sara was indeed in the room and he ran to her side. She had been pinned to the floor by a falling support strut and it lay over her legs. She looked battered and bruised but was conscious and Eli thought that was a good sign.
“Are you hurt?” he asked as he knelt beside her. He looked her up and down to see if he could see any visible signs of damage.
She shook her head gingerly. “I don’t think so. Nothing broken at least. I can’t move though, my legs are trapped.” She tried for what to her seemed the hundredth time to lift the supports off her lower legs but they were simply too heavy for her. She sobbed in frustration and lay back.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to get you out,” Eli reassured warmly. It felt as if it should be wrong, but he had strong feelings of attraction to her at that moment. He knew that this was hardly the time or the place for such feelings but also knew he could do very little about how he felt. As he crouched and held the side of the support strut preparing to use his legs to push up and away from Sara, he knew that he would have to say something to her. He felt as if he would burst if he didn’t.
With a gargantuan effort he straightened his legs, keeping his back perfectly straight at all times and slowly the strut raised a matter of inches above Sara. She needed no encouragement to get out from under the support and rolled out as quickly as she could. When Eli was sure that she was a safe distance away he let the support strut fall noisily to the floor. Dust filtered down from the weakened ceiling as the noise reverberated around the room and Eli made a mental note not to make such a loud noise again.
He knelt beside Sara who was rubbing her shins, where a large bruise was already developing. She threw her arms around him gratefully. “Oh, thank you, Eli. I thought I was going to be stuck under that until the roof caved in.” He stroked the back of her hair and reassured her that they would be all right. She cried tears of relief, and of shock.
“Come on. We need to get outside, before this whole place collapses around our ears.” Eli pulled her up and noted that she winced when trying to put weight on her left leg, which had carried most of the force of the strut. He thought that she was very lucky that her leg hadn’t broken clean in two. She was definitely made of strong stuff. They made their way to the door of the control room, shattered, useless machinery firing sparks at them as they passed. Sara was leaning on Eli and he decided it would be quicker if he were to carry her. He swept her off her feet and carried her from the room and into the hallway. She rested her tired head on his shoulder and he felt a sense of peace he had missed for a long time. She seemed to make him so calm and restful that he felt he had known her all his life.
She had her arms clasped tightly around his neck and he glanced at her face as he moved through the station to reach the exit. She opened her eyes and looked straight into his, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He knew he should say something to her, “I…. I….,” he stammered, suddenly unsure of himself. She smiled kindly and seemed to know what he wanted to say.
“I know Eli, I know.”
With that, Eli was amazed to see her drawing closer to him and kissing him tenderly. The world appeared to slow down and grind to halt as, suddenly, nothing seemed important anymore. The kiss seemed to last forever, when in reality it only lasted three seconds. They were the best three seconds of Eli’s life. As she drew away from him, still smiling and seeming amused by the look of surprise on his face, he realised that he has stopped walking and was stood stock still in the hallway. He pulled himself together, his mind was in all sorts of confused states but he knew he had to get her out of danger and that meant out of the station, or so he thought.
He started to walk on, and was stunned to see Lana and Alan coming the other way. “What?…. Why?….” he started, but got no further as he heard Alan practically bellow a reply at him.
“We can’t go out there. Something’s out there!” He ran past Eli and Sara and disappeared around the corner of the corridor, Lana paused as she passed.
“And it isn’t friendly.” Then she, too, was gone and Eli was left holding Sara in the desolate corridor, wondering what was happening outside.
***
Outside the station, a deadly game of cat and mouse was being played out. Taylor had realised that, for some reason, the alien being did not seem willing to kill him. For that he was eternally grateful, however the Warrior did not want him to get to Chris who lay semi-conscious on the ground. The tremor had passed now and the shattered ground oozed with the fluid he knew could help the fallen man. The Warrior, while not wanting to kill him, had no objection in firing reduced energy bursts at him and frying him a little.
They circled the injured man, and Taylor was trying his best to get between the creature and the fallen man. He knew that the being did not want to kill him, and he did have an idea why. When he had charged at the Warrior, trying to get the advantage which surprise could give him, he was surprised when the alien didn’t want to engage him. Instead it brushed him aside and tried to line up a shot at Maxwell. Since then Taylor had been trying to keep the warrior from being able to do that, and was starting to tire.
The creature in front of him showed no signs of tiring, however, and Taylor had a feeling that it was waiting for him to run out of energy and slow down before it lined up the shot that Taylor knew would be fatal to Chris. He tried once more to place himself in between the two of them and once again was thrown to one side by the irritated Warrior. It did not want to kill him, that much was clear, and Taylor knew that if it was he would be dead by now, but he felt he may be pushing his luck a little.
Chris stirred on the ground and the Warrior strode towards him, it didn’t want the man to get to his feet and present it with a moving target as well as the added irritation of the human it had been advised not to kill. It kicked a foot at Chris and contacted the blow with the man’s head. Chris rolled over on the ground and moved no more. Taylor ran at the Warrior, eager to get in its way before it could apply the deadly finishing touch.
As he neared the being, it grabbed him with one hand and threw him over its head. Taylor had the strange sensation of flying through the air for the best part of twenty metres, before tumbling to the ground. The fact that he had spent so long in the air worked to his advantage though as he had time to prepare his body for the ground. He rolled as he landed and took the momentum away easily.
He rose to his feet and ran back towa
rds where the Warrior was charging its tail weapon. Taylor wondered why it didn’t simply tear the man limb from limb, and concluded that it was a more civilised being then the swamp creature it had killed so easily. Even so, Taylor knew he had to do something of Chris was ever going to regain consciousness. He passed a patch of the fluid oozing out of the ground; there seemed to be a lot more of this about he noted. He scooped up as much as he could in his hand and was startled to feel it working its magic on him already. He felt stronger and the fatigue he had been feeling ebbed away from him.
He knew, though, Chris needed the liquid so much more and he threw it as hard as he could in the direction of the unconscious man. It landed short, but some of the liquid splashed off the hard ground and splattered on Chris’s leg. “Here goes,” muttered Taylor as he sub-consciously crossed his fingers; if he was right then the creature would not want to kill someone who had the liquid on them, if he was wrong then Chris Maxwell was dead. The Warrior paused as it detected the fluid on the prone man’s body, and Taylor was relieved to see the glowing tail start to lose its colour. It stepped back, with the same kind of slow motion that Taylor had first observed on his initial meeting with it.
He thought it was very interesting that the creature would not kill something that had the liquid on it, but couldn’t think, for the moment, why that should be the case. The Warrior walked away from them both and advanced on the station, Taylor hoped they had time to apply the security protocols. He looked around him to see if he could collect any more of the liquid with which to protect the rest of the team, but was disappointed. The liquid was flowing back into the ground from whence it came, as the activity under the surface died down. He knew it wouldn’t be long before another strong tremor hit, and he steeled himself for what he had to do.
