“So, the Asgardians have joined the Earth Alliance?”
“No, not for the time being. I’m the only one helping them. Shortly after I met your friends, you were invaded by Gaia 2, and she used you to kill your friend Spiros. Chase decided to ignore Gaia 2’s warning and we came to rescue Earth right away.”
“We?”
“The fleet, including Olympian destroyers.”
What?
“The Olympians decided to help?”
“I’m not the right person to give you a proper debrief, Cedric. Like you I’m just a scientist. I’m quite new and they don’t tell me everything.”
“Typical. I know this all too well.”
Still, if the Olympians were finally on their side, maybe there was more hope than Cedric had been willing to accept. And perhaps with the help of Kvasir, there was even hope for Cedric himself.
Just the thought that he wasn’t alone in the world anymore filled Cedric’s heart with warmth.
“Very well. What do you need me to do?”
Seeing Earth swallowed up had a dreadful effect on Chase’s psyche. He knew none of this was real, but that image had hit too close to home. He was, after all, near Earth, and the planet was at the mercy of a crazed AI that wouldn’t hesitate to kill everyone on its surface if that served her interests.
Are you alright, Captain? said Kvasir in his mind. Your vitals are all over the place again.
I’m fine, Kvasir. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and I’ll deal with my side of things. How are we doing?
We’re making progress. Gaia 2’s CPU is now at fifty-five percent. But your vitals worry me. There are some serious chemical imbalances inside your brain. I wouldn’t recommend you keep at it for much longer. You could suffer long-term brain damage if you push yourself too much.
I don’t think we have a choice, Kvasir.
Captain, if you lose control of your higher brain functions, this entire plan will fail. I must insist that you back off a little.
We both know I can’t. If I start ignoring these illusions, I’ll simply re-grant Gaia 2 her processing power, won’t I?
I suppose so, but think of the risks.
I think of the alternatives, Kvasir. We started this, and this will be our only chance. We’ve got to make it work.
I’ve located Cedric inside the matrix. Hopefully, with his help and soon Gaia’s, perhaps we can start affecting more of her systems. But if your vitals don’t improve, I think we should send the fleet in.
Chase didn’t like the sound of that. Not one bit. If Gaia 2 was not distracted enough, she would surely retaliate towards Earth long before the fleet could make their last jump.
Keep doing what you’re doing, and try to see how you can help Cedric recover access to his body. If he can, I’m sure his help will be invaluable.
Right now he’s also inside the matrix in stealth mode. Helping him regain control of his body would mean diverting my effort from my hack. You seem to have great faith in his abilities, so should I change my strategy?
How could Chase answer that? While he could invade any tech system with his mind and was no stranger to how most tech worked, he wasn’t a scientist. He was a warrior. But his guts told him that the higher the stakes, the better Cedric was at finding solutions. He knew how to turn an impossibly dire situation into a win. The mere fact that he was fighting inside his own body and mind was proof of his resolve. So Chase decided to go with his gut feeling.
Yeah, focus on giving Cedric back his body. If you can sever his link from Gaia 2, I’m sure he’ll think of something. I don’t know what, I don’t know how, but I would bet my life on it.
Are you sure, Captain? This seems like a very risky proposition.
Trust me, Kvasir, Cedric has a knack for saving all our asses at the eleventh hour. He’s got a gift that way. The bigger the danger, the more ingenious his solutions. Just don’t you tell him I said that.
Very well, Captain. You may feel Gaia 2 fight back a tad more while I attempt this new objective.
Chase didn’t like the sound of that. But he hadn’t liked anything he’d been subjected to for a while now. If winning meant he needed to endure more for a little while, it was a price he was willing to pay. He hoped he’d made the right decision.
Understood.
On the bridge of the Hope, Daniel started to understand why Sarah had been so distressed earlier. He hated having to wait while his best friend risked his life alone, one more time.
Kvasir had reported that, while there had been progress, the toll on Chase’s body was rising by the minute.
“Incoming transmission, Captain.”
He wasn’t used to people calling him captain. He was only an acting captain, but that was protocol. Right now, he was in charge of the Hope.
“On screen.”
The face of Admiral Zenakis filled the main holo-screen. He didn’t look very pleased.
“Where’s Commander Kepler?”
“Resting, Admiral. What can I do for you?”
“How can someone rest at a time like this? I don’t understand how you people do things in this Earth Alliance of yours, but it seems to me you’re in dire need of structure and a tighter chain of command. That is, if we survive this day.”
Daniel didn’t like the sound of that. Nor did he appreciate the admiral’s criticism. Daniel respected the admiral for his past heroic deeds, but he hadn’t been there in the last year. He hadn’t been through all that Daniel and the rest of the Alliance had been through, yet he had no problem openly judging them.
“With all due respect, Admiral, while you were frozen in time, we had to fend for our lives on a daily basis. And we’ve prevailed.”
The Admiral’s face became pensive as he considered Daniel’s words. Should he listen to the words of a commander he knew nothing about?
“Very well; for the time being, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re all still alive, after all. But I think we’ve waited long enough. According to Captain Athanatos’ plan, we should have jumped hours ago. What’s the holdup?”
“Chase—Captain Athanatos,” Daniel corrected himself, “is doing the best he can. It’s just taking longer than he’d thought.”
“How does that relate to his vitals? How is he doing?”
Daniel wondered if he should tell the admiral about Kvasir’s concerns. They needed the admiral’s fleet, and they needed his trust. That was not something they would achieve by lying.
“It’s taking a toll on his body. His vital functions—mostly his brain waves and chemical balance—seem to be fluctuating outside safe limits.”
“Why didn’t you report this earlier?”
“I just got the news, Admiral.”
The admiral sighed.
“I think we should jump and take out their ships. I understand what your captain is trying to do, but we both know he might have bitten off more than he can chew. If it fails, we lose our only opportunity of recovering Earth and ridding the universe of this artificial intelligence scourge. Those were his own words.”
Daniel didn’t want to make that decision, but he knew Chase’s standing orders and didn’t want to disobey them. While technically the admiral wasn’t Daniel’s superior, as long as they didn’t officially join the Earth Alliance, he was still an admiral. And he had been given command of the fleet by Chase himself. And he would, most likely, become his future boss.
“Chase doesn’t know how to fail, but I’m inclined to consider this. I’d rather Commander Kepler decided this, if you don’t mind.”
“Then I suggest you wake her up, but last I checked I am in command here. Still, I’d rather be talking with her as well, and not to a hot-headed fighter pilot. No offense.”
Hot-headed? Me? This guy’s is all about stereotypes.
Sarah was a fighter pilot too, but now was not the time to annoy him with trivial details, nor provide him more reasons to proceed as he saw fit.
“None taken. I’ll have her call you
back shortly.”
“You do that, Commander.”
11
Ares focused on the location of his sister and teleported near her position. She was still in the machine and looked exactly the same. Her skin was still devoid of color. Seeing her like this, trapped in that infernal machine, ate at Ares’ soul.
“Hello, sis.”
He did not expect an answer, and none came. He hoped he would be able to establish contact with her again. To be on the safe side he hadn’t materialized in his energy form. Just his consciousness was there. He probably shouldn’t have spoken out loud in the first place.
No doubt this room was being monitored. He didn’t intend to openly defy Arakan; he just hoped to get news and intel. He approached her with his consciousness and sent a telepathic message.
Can you hear me, Aphroditis?
There was no response. Last they had spoken she had managed to make contact, but it seemed to drain a lot of her energy. It had been a painful experience for her.
Had it been a mistake coming here again? If it took so much out of her to communicate, was it really fair to expect her to do it again? Was there a real danger or specific message that needed to be delivered?
He wouldn’t know unless he asked her, or at least be present should she decide there was something to be said. Ares couldn’t wait powerless aboard the Hope. At the very least this was a change of pace and surroundings.
After a few minutes, Ares wondered if he should go back. Perhaps now was not the right time for this visit.
I guess I should get going, sis. I’ll come see you again soon.
That’s when he saw a slight twitch on her face. What did it mean? Was she trying to communicate but didn’t have the strength? Or was it just a reflex from the pain the machine was inflicting on her?
Ares hated the situation and would gladly swap places if he could. That was wishful thinking. Ares didn’t have a physical body anymore. He could still help Chase in his energy form, but sometimes he felt frustrated.
Were you trying to say something just now?
A small tear appeared in the corner of her left eye. It was black and sent shivers down Ares’ spine. If he’d had one, that is; but the equivalent sensation still applied in his current form.
Aphroditis looked livid now. The tear rolled down her face, then floated towards Ares to hover midair before him.
What the hell?
A strong sensation told him to pay attention to that little drop of black water. As soon as he acknowledged the feeling, the black tear moved away.
Ares knew deep inside that he needed to follow it, and so he did.
Seeing the Earth swallowed by the one person personifying the evil of Gaia 2 had shaken Chase to the core.
Gaia 2 was trying to induce terror in Chase’s mind, and what better way to do it than show him the exact thing he was trying to prevent. He had accepted the terrible loss of life defending Earth shortly after their arrival when the Star Alliance battled with the mighty Zarlack fleet led by Argos, but Chase was still scared by it.
He didn’t want any more humans to pay the price for this war, for his choices, and he wasn’t willing to be the reason for more loss. That’s why he had devised this plan to take out the evil AI, no matter the cost to himself.
He remembered Aphroditis’ words to him. How adamant she had been about saving Earth; that without it, the Fury war would be lost. That fear could be paralyzing at times, but it also reinforced his will to not break the promise he had made to Aphroditis. That no matter what, he would defeat the Furies.
She had sacrificed her own life willingly so he could get Sarah back, and for that alone, Chase wouldn’t entertain the idea of not achieving that goal, no matter how hard and painful the path might be.
Soon after the impossibly large Cedric cyborg face had literally eaten planet Earth, his entire reality changed yet again.
Chase was standing in a graveyard at night, rain pouring down on him. Intermittent lightning strikes illuminated the graveyard and sent long shadows crawling across the muddy ground for just an instant.
Now what?
A lightning bolt illuminated a name on a tombstone that got his full attention. He approached it with dread, his heart beating faster with every step. Even in the near-full darkness, and with rain hacking at his face, he could read the bold, dark, engraved letters.
Here lies Commander Sarah Kepler
The date on the tombstone was two Earth years in the future. Chase’s heart sank lower than he thought possible.
He fell on his knees, his face in contact with the stone, unable to contain his tears. It didn’t matter that this was an illusion. This particular image cut right through his heart. It represented one of his deepest fears: losing the woman he loved more than life itself.
Chase knew that this scene could happen one day. It was in the realm of the possible. Worse than that, unless Chase was killed in the next decades, it would happen. If Chase was, in fact, immortal, he would bury Sarah one day. Whether that happened during their wars with the Fury or much later, there was a good chance Chase would witness this.
Tears filled his eyes.
He was startled by a voice behind him. “That’s right, Dad, this is your fault. All of it.”
Chase didn’t have to turn to recognize the accusing voice of his son, Chris. Each syllable cut into his heart.
“I hope you’re proud of yourself and the cost of your choices, Dad,” added Chris.
When Sarah arrived on the bridge, Daniel rose from the captain’s chair and gestured for her to replace him.
“Did you manage to get some sleep?”
“Weirdly enough, I did,” said Sarah. “Now I just wish I had stayed put instead. Relations with the admiral are already quite fragile. I shouldn’t have asked you to cover for me.”
“You didn’t. I practically ordered you to get some rest. And I’m glad you did. Looks like there’s a long, hard day ahead of us.”
Sarah nodded as she sank into the comfortable chair. A frown crossed her face. “Right. Now let’s see if we can convince the admiral not to do anything rash.”
“Sarah, between you and me, I’m not so sure he’s wrong. Chase’s vitals don’t look good, and perhaps this time he really needs our help.”
“Perhaps, but you’re his best friend in the entire world. You know as well as I do that if something happens to Earth as a result of this, he’s not going to only blame the admiral for it. It will eat at him, and I’m not sure how this could impact his spirit. Gaia 2 is a problem we clearly need to end today, one way or another, but there’s still an entire planet of powerful and ruthless Furies to deal with. I understand your concerns, but the big picture has to be taken into account.”
Daniel rubbed his chin and reflected on Sarah’s words. “What are we going to do, then?”
“For the time being let’s see where the admiral stands; then we can decide how much we can stall him before he takes any action we may all regret later.”
Chris’ words were hard to swallow. Chase rose to his feet and faced his son.
“This isn’t real, you’re not here, and neither am I. I won’t fall for this tactic.”
“You keep telling yourself that, Dad. Whatever it takes to appease your conscience. All you do and ever did was always aimed towards that goal. To prove to yourself that you’re doing the right thing, and consequences be damned.”
Chase flinched. Gaia 2 was playing with his emotions again. These last few illusions were taking their toll. She was pushing harder and finding situations that played on Chase’s internal fears.
Chris created a ball of light above his open palm and sent it slightly higher to cast light all around them.
“Look around you. See who else had to pay for your choices.”
The light made all the names on the tombstones around them visible: Daniel, Spiros, Cedric, Yanis, Saroudis and pretty much everyone Chase knew had a tomb here.
Chase’s heart was swallowed by an i
nternal black hole of fear and guilt. What he was seeing was within the realm of possibility. And it had all started when he helped Argos bring the Furies back into this reality. This single decision could bring about the fall of every living being in the universe.
Then Chase heard a familiar voice in his head. A voice he missed. Aphroditis.
Don’t listen to her, Chase. You’re not responsible for any of it. In your heart, you know you won’t let any of this happen if you can help it. Don’t let her manipulate you and play on your weaknesses. Stop being reactive and fight back. This isn’t your son, and you know it. Just make it go away. The longer you wait, the more Gaia 2 manages to find imagery that will make you doubt. That’s the one thing you can’t afford right now. Strike this simulacrum of your son, and remember what you came here to do. Don’t second guess yourself.
What if it happens, though? What if they all fall and lose their lives because of me? Neither of us can guarantee that it won’t happen.
Your actions shape your universe, Chase. They always have and always will. There are no guarantees in life. Nothing is given. There is only what we do; and even then, we can’t always achieve the intended result. Gaia 2 understands that this is your weakness, but your good-hearted nature and your willingness to risk everything for others is your biggest strength. She knows it and she’s scared. Show her that her false illusions aren’t affecting you. Strike back, Chase. Now. Before it’s too late.
“I won’t let this happen,” said Chase, determination igniting in his eyes.
“It has already happened. The day you listened to wannabe gods and let them control your destiny, that day you lost it all. Your free will as well as your path,.” interrupted Chris.
She was trying to deconstruct his trust in Aphroditis. Anger rose inside Chase’s soul. Should he use it or try to contain it?
Use it, said Aphroditis. Unleash your hatred towards her. Just make sure you don’t let that hatred consume you. But right now, it can be the ally you need. I have faith in you, Chase.
Armageddon Unleashed (Universe in Flames Book 7) Page 13
