by Andrew Gates
The group climbed above the blown apart ship and touched down on the other side of it. Once on the other side, they continued their run through the halls.
“How much farther?” Ikharus asked.
“Not far now, your Majesty,” Vylan replied.
After a few more turns, they reached the destination. Sanja recognized this hangar as the one they had landed in earlier. Blast marks and Hive debris covered the walls on all sides. Mounted Kholvari turrets fired away at Hive ships from above, holding a few off here and there, though Sanja knew this hangar was clearly not the Hive’s main target, or else it would have been destroyed already. She guessed the few Hive ships that were here were simply decoys to draw the Kholvari’s attention elsewhere. They must know that Ikharus is here in the city, but not where specifically, Sanja thought, otherwise destroying this hangar would be their top priority.
A few ships stood ready to go in the massive room, maybe five or six, though the group ran to the one in the center, which happened to be the largest one. A few Hive ships spiraled above it, then dove down to attack, though it was nothing the gun turrets could not handle. The enemy ships were destroyed before they could cripple the parked ship.
“Come, while we still can!” Evirak shouted.
A door opened to the right. Sanja turned to face it as three Kholvari and eight humans entered, rushing toward the same ship as fast as they could. The youngest humans were being held by their parents, but everyone else sprinted on foot.
“They are here!” Ikharus declared in satisfaction. “Excellent! Everyone has made it. Your Kreed has proven itself once again, Kal Jakhu.”
Kal Ukhrani activated some sort of jet-pack on her suit, which suddenly propelled her far ahead of the humans. She raced toward the ship as the rear ramp began to lower. Within seconds, she was the first inside.
The hangar began to rattle and shake. Loud booms grew even louder. The floor trembled.
“They are coming!” a guard said.
“Move, move, move!” ordered Jakhu.
Ikharus’s party was the next to arrive. They quickly rushed up the ramp. Sanja’s soldier was one of the last in the group to enter. As soon as they were inside the large ship, Sanja hopped off the Kholvari’s shell and took a few steps toward the back of the vessel.
The humans and their party were nearly to the ship now. Sanja could hear the engine powering on as they ran. Seconds later, the group met the ramp. They sprinted up as fast as they could.
Just as everything seemed alright, the far wall of the hangar suddenly shattered and collapsed into the room like it was made of brittle glass. The mounted gun turrets quickly spun around to face that area as a black wave of Hive ships appeared out of nowhere and plowed into the room like a massive moving wall. The sound of hundreds of Hive fighters zooming at once was deafening.
The sight was one of pure horror. And yet, Sanja’s eyes grew wide. She was transfixed. She could not move.
“Get away from that edge!” a voice shouted. It could have been a human or a Kholvari. Sanja no longer cared to piece together who was talking, but a massive claw grabbed her and pulled her back, making her think it must have been a Kholvari.
The ramp slowly rose back up as the ship lifted off the ground. As it came to a close, Sanja caught the last glimpse of the incoming Hive wave as it approached the ship.
And then, the door shut. Now Sanja could only see the inside of the vessel.
“Amazing,” she muttered to herself, still staring in the same direction as if the view were right there before her. “The Hive. So much power.”
Sanja closed her eyes now and let out a deep breath.
She remembered what it looked like to see the Hive ships coiling around skyscrapers and squeezing them into oblivion. She remembered the wave blasting through a wall, chasing them with unstoppable might.
It was just as Ikharus said. The city was destroyed in a matter of minutes.
At last she could see it all so clearly.
I chose wrong, she realized. Ikharus and the Kholvari are nothing but insects. They will die without standing a chance. The Hive is the true power in this world. The Hive cannot be stopped, not by anyone. Sanja opened her eyes again and grinned.
I will not run from the Hive.
I will join the Hive.
Chapter Eighteen
Korgo
Sup-Chief. Kho Ikharus
“Kho Ikharus!” Flokh cried as the escape transport rocked through the air.
The builder’s face was flushed white. Her mandibles were open wide. Tears formed in her eyes. She approached Ikharus quickly, prompting the honor guards around him to aim their spears in her direction.
“Hold,” Ikharus ordered. “Kal Flokh may proceed. If I did not trust her, I would not have demanded she be brought aboard this ship.”
The guards stood at ease.
Ikharus watched as Flokh approached, trembling with a panicked need to feel comforted. Flokh opened her arms and held Ikharus tightly. He instinctively responded the same way, pressing his one arm against her back with his scepter still in his grasp.
It felt both calming and strangely overdue to hold her like this. Ikharus had wanted to hold her for a long time, but not necessarily under these circumstances. He wished they could share this embrace without a city falling apart around them. Still, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against his was almost enough for him to forget the horrors of the world outside… almost.
How close were we to death? Ikharus wondered. He recalled the wall of Hive ships approaching as the door closed and the transport ascended. The Hive pursuers must not have been far behind. For all he knew, the swarm of death still followed a mere kotan beyond the rear door of this very ship.
The thunder of an explosion outside filled the cabin, followed by an echoing tremble of bangs and booms. In that moment, the distraction of Flokh’s warmth quickly wore away. Ikharus broke the embrace and turned to face the nearest window only to find that there was no window to be found.
No windows in here. Good. Ikharus looked down at the evolved-ones huddled by the exit like shy nymphs. So much was still new to the evolved-ones, especially the youngest. It will be easier for them if they do not know the full extent of what is happening outside these walls. Knowledge of T’Dakho’s destruction would only make things harder. As if right on cue, one of the male evolved-ones, his face covered in thick scruffy fur, approached.
“You must be Kho Ikharus,” the evolved-one said, walking toward him. He held out his hand, before stopping and remembering to bow.
Flokh calmly stepped out of the way, allowing Ikharus and the male to face one another.
“You may rise,” Ikharus replied, motioning back to him with his scepter. “I see someone has taught you to bow when you address me. You are learning our ways already.”
The evolved-one rose and looked into Ikharus’s eyes. He cleared his throat. The rest of the evolved-ones remained huddled to the rear, save for Kal Sanja, who stood by Vylan and Scion. The new group of evolved-ones each wore white robes provided by the laboratory staff after their procedures, except for a small male evolved-one with dark skin who continued to wear his traditional one-piece garb.
“It’s good to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” the creature said. There was a nervous flutter to his voice.
“What be your name, evolved-one?”
“Daniel,” the creature replied.
“I apologize for the delay in making your acquaintance, Kho Daniel. As you may or may not be aware, it was my full intention to meet with you and your fellow guests last night. Circumstances forced a different result, however.”
Ikharus leaned down and stared at the creature. The one called Kho Daniel still trembled, but tried his best not to show it.
“I am sure you have many questions,” Ikharus continued. “You and your companions are long overdue for answers. I know this is not the most ideal place for a discussion like this, but I promise that I will supply you wit
h whatever answers I can.”
At the very least, it will distract me from what is happening outside these walls.
Kho Daniel paused for a moment, looked to the floor of the ship, then back up to Ikharus and gulped.
“Where is Kho Avan?” he asked.
“Not among us,” Ikharus replied, hoping to avoid sharing the news that Avan was almost certainly dead now, along with the rest of the city.
“I thought he would be here.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, it’s just, I thought Kho Avan was supposed to look after us, but then these guys said to follow them instead, so we did,” Kho Daniel replied, motioning to a few members of Kreed Scion.
“These Kholvari are members of an elite fighting force called Kreed Scion. They are part of my military. You can trust them. I ordered them to bring you aboard this ship. You must understand, circumstances necessitated your prompt removal from T’Dakho. You can no longer be left under the lone care of Kho Avan.”
“Because the city is under attack?” Daniel asked.
Ikharus nodded his head.
“Yes, under attack,” he replied.
Better they think this was an attack, not a slaughter, he thought.
“In the meantime, since Kho Avan is gone, you can report directly to me,” Ikharus continued. “Is that understood?”
“Sure… uh, your Worship,” Daniel replied.
“You must address him as your Majesty,” Vylan jumped in.
“Oh, your Majesty, yes,” Daniel corrected, his eyes darting to Vylan, then back to Ikharus.
Ikharus sighed and waved his scepter. He cared not for these formalities.
“So… this war…” Daniel continued, “are we… you know, safe?”
Ikharus paused before answering. He needed to choose his words carefully.
“That is why we are leaving, Kho Daniel. We are traveling to somewhere safe.”
“I guess that means the city we just came from is not safe, then?”
“It is not. You understand correctly.”
“I see.” The evolved-one gulped. “And who are you fighting?”
“We call them the Hive, an old enemy long-believed naught more than a fiction. My people have not encountered them for generations, but after countless millennia, they are back.”
“Oh,” was all Kho Daniel said in response. It was clear from his tone that Kho Daniel did not comprehend the full gravity of the situation, but then again, Ikharus did not necessarily want him to.
“Ask him about the cups!” a younger evolved-one shouted from the back, before retreating behind another evolved-one’s leg. The creature was obviously afraid to engage him directly, but curious to know more.
“The cups?” Ikharus repeated.
“Oh, it’s silly, it’s nothing,” Daniel replied, dismissively.
“No. I shall hear it.”
“Well, she wants to know why… well… why your cups are pointed instead of flat on the bottom,” Daniel asked.
“Flat?”
“You know, so you could put it on a table.”
Ikharus shrugged.
“We have always used horns for our drink and have never considered an alternative. Horns are sensible. I imagine if one were to place a flat cup of liquid on a solid surface, it would fall or spill with greater frequency than a horn holstered in place. A simple jostle could knock a cup down, while a horn would remain secure,” Ikharus answered, trying to imagine what a flat-bottomed cup would even look like.
“See? There you go, Kaitlyn. That’s why they use horns,” another male said to the young one.
“Your name is Kal Kaitlyn,” Ikharus observed.
The shy one slowly nodded, still behind the adult’s leg.
“What do I call the rest of you?” Ikharus asked.
“Greyson… or Grey,” the adult replied.
“Selena,” said another.
“Margery.”
“Jallah.”
“Ophelia.”
When the last young one did not speak, the one called Kho Greyson spoke up for her.
“And this is Misha,” he said, pointing toward her.
“Greetings to you all, evolved-ones. I once again apologize for the swiftness and unexpectedness of your departure, but it is good that we are finally able to meet at last.” Ikharus turned and motioned toward the others in the ship’s cabin. “Allow me to introduce the others. These Kholvari around me wielding spears are known as the honor guard. It is their duty to protect my life. They are led by Kho Vylan. He not only leads them, but also acts as my personal guard.”
Vylan nodded and bowed to the evolved-ones.
“You have already met some members of Kreed Scion; Kal Ezenkharam, Kho Kozakh, Kho Evirak, our pilot, Kal Ukhrani and their squad leader, Kal Jakhu.” Each of the soldiers bowed as their names were said, except for Ukhrani, who was piloting the ship and therefore not even in the same room. “The other black-armored soldiers you see are members of my military.”
“And who is that?” asked the one called Kal Margery. She pointed toward Flokh with one of her numerous scrawny evolved-one fingers.
“How could I forget? This is Kal Flokh, a builder of great renown.”
Flokh bowed politely to the evolved-ones.
“And this is Soh Saratti,” Ikharus continued, motioning to the pale-shelled captive. “He comes from a different world than our own. Like you all, he is foreign to us. He speaks a tongue we cannot and, unlike you all, his thoughts are not interpreted to words that we can understand.”
“What is he doing here?” Daniel asked, taking a nervous step back.
“Soh Saratti is useful. That is all you need to know, Kho Daniel. His presence among us may prove imperative.”
The ship suddenly balanced out. The intense rocking stopped and the noises outside began to die down. Ikharus had grown so used to the rocking motion, he had almost forgotten it was even happening.
“Supreme Chieftain, Squad Leader, we are clear of Hive airspace now. You should consider yourselves lucky that you did not have to see what I saw,” Ukhrani said through the ship’s speakers.
We must have narrowly escaped the city with our lives, Ikharus thought. Luckily the evolved-ones’ translator chips would not be able to interpret Ukhrani’s words through the speaker.
“Excellent news, Kal Ukhrani,” Jakhu replied, nodding her head and taking a deep breath of relief.
“What were you talking about? My translator chip didn’t catch that part,” Daniel said.
“Your translator will not interpret words projected through indirect means, such as speakers. But if you must know, our pilot was informing us that we have left T’Dakho,” Ikharus explained, intentionally leaving out some key details.
“Where are we going?” Kal Sanja asked, speaking for the first time since boarding the transport.
“Somewhere safe,” Ikharus replied, turning to face the cockpit door. He closed his eyes. “Somewhere not even the Hive can find us… I hope.”
* * *
Though he could not see anything outside, Ikharus knew the moment the transport set down on solid ground. All movement seemed to stop at once. The hum of the engines still lingered, but the calm stillness of the craft provided a long overdue sense of security.
Flokh lifted her head from Ikharus’s caped shoulder and turned to face the inside of the cabin, obviously sensing the same sudden stop.
The flight had taken several hours. They were far from home now, far from anything. The nearest city was hours away still. In the truest sense of the word, they were nowhere.
Flokh stood up, allowing Ikharus to shift across the seat they had been sharing. He let out a deep breath and stood up too, observing the tired faces of the passengers that surrounded him.
“We have touched down,” Ukhrani’s voice said over the speakers. As she spoke, the hum of the engine slowly began to die away. “I have conducted a thorough scan of the landing zone. The area is secure. I read no heat signatures
of any kind. Not even a bird.”
“Where are we?” Flokh asked, wiping her eyes.
“Korgo,” Ikharus answered. After his vision from the swarm queen, he had given the order to retreat here if T’Dakho ever fell. He never expected that order to be enacted so soon… if even at all.
“Korgo?” Flokh repeated, removing her claws from her eyes now.
“Where is Korgo?” Daniel asked, standing up from his own block.
“The Ranji desert, central Kholvaria,” Jakhu answered, powering on some sort of electronics in her claw. She stared down at the cylindrical device in her grip.
“What is that?” Flokh asked.
“Think of it as a key,” Jakhu explained. “This is what will get us into the tunnels.”
“Tunnels?” Flokh repeated.
Before anyone could say anything else, Vylan stepped forward and cleared his throat.
“What you are all about to see is highly classified.” There was a pause as he examined the faces in the room, making sure everyone understood the significance of the words highly classified. “In a few moments, we will be entering an underground safehouse, stocked with equipment, weapons, a few light spacecrafts and enough provisions to last a few months. As far as you all are concerned, this safehouse does not exist and there is nothing in this desert but sand and heat. Nobody knows this facility is here, and if any of you return to the world we once knew, the secret of this place stays with you. Is that understood?”
“Understood,” the Kholvari replied in unison.
The evolved-ones were not as succinct.
“Yes,” one said.
“Got it,” said another.
“Understood,” repeated a few, a couple of seconds after the Kholvari.
“This location, and therefore the present location of the Supreme Chieftain, is now top secret. If everything is understood, you may follow Kal Jakhu.” Vylan motioned to Jakhu, then to the rear door.
As if right on cue, the ramp began to lower. Hot, dry heat immediately filled the cabin. Some of the humans gasped in surprise. Blinding sunlight stabbed at Ikharus’s eyes, forcing him to shield his face with his claw and scepter.
Jakhu, Saratti and the rest of Scion was first to exit the ship, followed by the evolved-ones, then Ikharus and the remaining guards and soldiers. Flokh was last to leave.
