by Zamil Akhtar
Merv arrived at the hatch leading into the Atrium. He put his finger in the hole, interfaced with the lock, opened it, and went inside.
The glow of the Atrium walls blinded him. The energy conduits blazed with the sun’s energy. He smelled blood.
Shit.
There were soldiers sprawled over the floor — limp and bloody. Merv covered his nose and mouth. Trails of blood led to cut limbs. Flesh dripped off the walls. These were his comrades, fellow soldiers of the Emigrant Fleet.
He continued through the hall and couldn’t keep from bloodying his boots. Blood made streams and rivers across the corridors.
A dark figure appeared in the distance. Merv blinked and it was gone.
He hid behind the nearest wall. His heart wouldn’t let him be still. He took out his dagger — the weapon of an officer, suited to close-quarters combat. He filled his aperture with light.
Zauri’s room should be just a few corridors down...am I too late? Have they already killed her?
Merv stood paralyzed by the thought of what killed everyone. How could a few conductors kill so many? He closed his eyes and looked at his spectrum map, but there was nothing.
He recalled what Zauri had said before she collapsed: Every soul shall taste death.
It hit Merv: was that how the invaders turned off the shield? Did they know the Patriarch’s master code beforehand? But how could they know? Who told them?
This wasn’t the time to solve puzzles. He glanced beyond the wall. No one alive in sight. He advanced toward the door, taking care with each step, dagger drawn forth in ready stance. The door to the Seat became visible, where the prime conductor resided — Zauri’s room.
The door stood in front of him. The decryption code was that eerie recital.
A banging sound – behind him. Merv spun around, expecting to confront death. But there was no one. A conduit had detached and sparks were seeping out.
He stuck his finger in the slot of the lock. A request for the code appeared in his mind. He reproduced exactly what the Patriarch had sent him. Every soul shall taste death.
It didn’t open.
“Seriously? Is this thing broken?”
The lock sent him a message: > What about me?
Huh? A talking lock?
> What about me?
What? What do you mean “what about me?”
> What about me?
> What about me?
> What about me?
A programmed response. Merv didn’t know what to do.
> What about me?
> What about me?
He had to say something. Yes, you too. Your soul too. Even you, will die.
> Wrong.
Everything dies.
> Not the one who mounts the Throne. I will mount the Throne, just you wait and see!
By Nur, who made this stupid lock? Open the door.
> Just remember: The Throne rests above the Seventh Heaven.
The latch released. The door could now be opened.
As he pulled it, he heard her coarse breathing.
It was the first time he’d seen her.
Wires wrapped her in their tangle. They sprawled through the room and into the walls, where they connected to the conduits that brought her the ship’s energy.
But where to begin the release process? Merv traced the outline of the wires, feeling them until he came upon something soft: skin. It glowed through all the chaos, covered by the wires that enclosed her.
He found some kind of slot on her skin and disconnected the connecting wire. Her breathing gapped, as if she could feel it. A black mask covered her face.
“Zauri?”
A thick wire sucked on her spine, with a label attached: “SPINAL CONDUIT — RELEASE FOR QUICK DETACHMENT. WARNING — MAY CAUSE NERVOUS SYSTEM DAMAGE.”
I should, otherwise this will take too long. If I’m to save the fleet, I can’t waste time saving her.
He reached for it; his hand quivered.
Why hesitate? The hero Rohimna never hesitated. Seconds are everything in war. He who acts decisively has the advantage.
He put his fingers around the spinal conduit. Merv pulled — as weakly as possible. It didn’t budge. His arm shook.
I have to do this.
He pulled hard; it came half-out.
She spasmed. And the spasms wouldn’t stop. Merv couldn’t bear it. He pushed the spinal conduit back in.
Zauri’s body rested. A message appeared in Merv’s mind, from her.
I want to go home.
I want to go home. The words were a lightning strike on his mind. Kav saw them in his mind’s eye, and they came from a familiar blue frequency.
Layla’s frequency.
It was dark, ocean blue. Solid, without variety. There was only one person who had that color. Layla just messaged me.
The Whisperer added to his thought. Yes Kav, it’s her. This is your reward, this is your vision. This is the garden of your dreams, and she is here, beneath the tree.
I can feel her words in me. It’s her.
I told you I would guide you to her. My promise is true, did you doubt? Go to her, Kav, and do what you failed to do before. Save her.
Kav remembered her face. Wavy azure hair hid her little ears, her sapphire pupils gazing at him. Her lips called his name. The tip of her slender nose touched his.
Layla.
He could see his spectrum map again. Waves of every rainbow hue merged together amid the black lines that defined distance and speed. Her blue frequency came from the lowest part of the ship.
Kav opened his eyes. Shar and Saina were nowhere. Rohimna stood before him, wrapped in fog.
“You seem disturbed,” he said.
The spectrum map showed a tunnel beneath the otherworldly tree, leading to the lower parts of the ship. But Kav couldn’t see it. He approached the tree to get a better look.
Rohimna blocked his path. “And where are you going?”
“Get out of my way.”
“You’re angry. No...you’re scared, aren’t you?”
“Where’s the tunnel? The one that leads below?”
“How did you figure that out?” Rohimna said. “It’s not a tunnel, it’s a lift originally meant for cargo. And it’s not working.”
Kav closed his eyes and checked his spectrum. There wasn’t a tree on the map, just a hole leading to a tunnel. He opened his eyes to believe it, but couldn’t. It was the greatest tree he’d ever seen, its width like a mountain, raining leaves from the sky.
The Whisperer messaged him. Your eyes are lying to you. Jump into the tree and descend. Don’t worry Kav, the bond will protect your fall.
He jumped. Everything became dark as he flew.
Merv took off his shirt and wrapped it around Zauri’s waist to cover her nakedness. With both arms, he lifted her off the seat and settled her head over his shoulder. His palm scraped one of the metallic apertures lining her spine.
The black mask hid her face. It had taken too long to release the wires that connected to the slots in her skin. But she breathed.
Merv stepped back into the bloody hall. The raked out conduits dipped into the blood, electrifying the smell of death.
I ought to take her to the medical ward before I do anything else.
He took a single step forward. The door to the Seat slammed shut behind him.
“Who’s there!?”
Holding Zauri over his shoulder, he pulled the door latch. It wouldn’t open.
“You’re next.” Behind him – a voice.
Merv unsheathed his dagger, clenched Zauri tightly, and spun around to face the enemy.
A familiar face greeted him. “Hi there.”
A child stood before him, but Merv couldn’t place where he’d seen him before.
“State your name!” Merv said.
Clearly he wasn’t a soldier. He was unarmed and his eyes were not dangerous. But there was no fear on his face.
“My name is Ash, I’m not yet a great
warrior like you, but I’m trying hard!”
“You’re an Emigrant? What the hell are you doing here?”
The boy smiled. Then frowned. Then smiled. Then frowned.
“I’m here because I want to be just like you. You saved that girl’s life! You’re a hero!”
Merv extended his blade. “Get out of here!”
The boy didn’t budge. He stood unrealistically still.
“Go back to your parents!” Merv said. “Now!”
The boy froze, stuck in place. “But there’s no way out!” His mouth did not move. His voice became deeper with every word. “No way out for you!”
Gone. As if he was never there.
In all directions, there was no one. Only blood and decaying flesh and burnt faces. Get to the lift.
Merv stepped toward it, weary of seeing the boy again. He feared a death as painful as that of those who rotted around him.
Interacting with the device will leave me wide open, but I’ve no choice...
He closed his eyes, inserted his finger in the slot, and transmitted a command to summon the elevator.
> DENIED — LOCKDOWN IN EFFECT, SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIRED.
Every Soul Shall Taste Death.
> CONFIRMED. PLEASE WAIT...
“No way out.” A voice in his left ear. Merv spun around, cut the air with his blade. Zauri slipped out of his hold and slid against him until she thumped onto the bloody floor.
“Show yourself! Shirmian monster!”
Nothing but an unsettling silence. Then the elevator door opened.
Merv picked up Zauri. Her legs and feet dripped with the blood of dead soldiers. He stepped into the elevator. She clenched him tightly, as if conscious.
“Zauri?”
The door shut, the elevator started moving — down, not up.
Merv set her against the wall. The black mask still covered her face. Blood painted her pale thighs.
“Zauri? Can you hear me?”
“Are you...the one from my dreams?” Her voice was hollow, yet sweet. It was the first time he had ever heard her voice.
“You’ve been dreaming?”
“The one I was with, for all those years. The one who’ll take me back home. The one who will save me.”
“That’s what I came to do.”
She seemed so still behind that mask. “No...but you’re not him. Not him at all.”
CHAPTER 9
THE WAY HOME
The sun dripped yellow. Woodpeckers pecked and crickets chirped. Everywhere was fog. Saina could sense home, beyond the shedding trees.
“There it is!” Her house — it stood in front of oak trees. Seeing the mud arch of the doorway was the most blessed sight for days. Their slanted welcome mat greeted her, the word “Appreciate!” in Kalamic worn around the base of the A and the e.
Momentarily, the leaves wouldn’t crunch beneath her feet despite being there. And sand would swish, though there was none. But she got closer to home with every step; tired, she sought rest in her loved ones.
“I’m back!”
Is no one home?
The stove sat there, idle and clean. The house smelled like bread melted from dough, smothered in dripping butter oil. The fog was inside too. On the stove was a note written with a fat brush in Kalamic calligraphy: Meet at the grave.
The grave? That plot of land from which crystal flowers sprung?
What an odd place for everyone to go.
“Do you not have concern for her?”
“In this situation, no. She’s just some Almarian girl with a sword I’m interested in. Besides, what’s so interesting about a girl who walks in circles and talks to herself?”
“Chasing after phantoms is something we all do, no?”
“Whatever. Listen Rohimna, where is the boy who was with us? He I actually have concern for.”
“He jumped into the shaft of a broken cargo lift. I assume he’s either dead or nearly dead.”
“Fuck. Let me go! I can’t let him die! Dammit, I should never have let my guard down!”
“There’s nothing you could have done. As soon as you entered my garden, you were mine. Your limbs, taken from you by wires you could not see. Your vision, bewitched by an encompassing fog. Your touch, seduced by—”
“Release me! Or I’ll tear out of this and then tear out your liver!”
“Calm down. I’d rather you stayed and watched the girl walking in circles, because it’s about to get very interesting.”
The elevator descended furiously upon the location flashing on Kav’s spectrum. He could feel her presence there. Desire fired up his blood and breathing.
It seems Layla was here all along. This Elkarian ship must have traveled to the Garden and found her, and now they are using her for their own ends. Via the spine, you can reach any organ. Kav — let me take you to her.
The whispers wouldn’t stop.
Soon you’ll be able to touch her, kiss her anywhere you want. And hear her cry out for you, until the end of time.
The elevator slowed. The black walls gave way to light emerging from below.
Protect your happiness, so that love is not fleeting. Unsheathe your sword, and kill the ones who would harm her. Don’t you feel your blood boiling?
I feel it. The spectrum began to flicker; the clear image of her scrambled. But if I can have her back, why would I kill?
Because you must win. The Magi destroyed your happiness that day, brought ruin upon your world, took all that you loved. Don’t let anyone stand in your way.
He remembered. The memory came to life like a lightning strike. The Magi — he saw them in blankets of shadow, standing between him and Layla in the courtyard of the Palace on the Shore.
I just want her back, I don’t want to kill anymore.
He saw her form in his mind, just the outline of her tight body and her blue hair. Metal screeched to a halt. The elevator arrived, and she was only a few feet away.
Every path you take to her will be blocked by the masked ones. I want to see you prevail. When the time comes, you must kill, or you and your wife will perish by their wicked hands.
Merv stood over Zauri in the elevator, waiting to arrive at their destination. “Zauri, how do you feel?”
Zauri’s smooth and black mask looked him in the eye. “Words won’t make you know this feeling.”
She hadn’t moved her arms or legs. It seemed she’d been attached to the Seat for so long, she forgot how to control her own body.
The elevator stopped, the door opened. They arrived at the emergency launch center.
A group of workers wearing civilian Emigrant uniforms approached. “Can you tell us what’s going on?” one of them said.
“Is it safe?” said another.
Merv picked up Zauri. Now out of danger, she felt so light. Her skin was soft and limp.
“My name is Merv, and I’m taking command here as an officer of the Emigrant Fleet. This girl in my hands is of immense importance to the success of our mission. I need a place where she is out of harms way and can rest, and if necessary, be ejected out of the ship.”
“We have capsules here,” one of the workers said, “meant to be ejected out of the ship to serve as life vessels in case of emergency.”
“Not very many though,” said another, “since they aren’t necessary on an indestructible ship!”
Inside the capsule, Merv laid Zauri on a mattress and spread a blanket over her.
“Get some sleep,” Merv said.
“But I’ve been sleeping...all this time.”
“I have to go...wake up your replacement.”
“Wait...”
“What is it?”
“Take this off,” Zauri said. “The mask, please take it off. I want to see things with my eyes for once.”
Someone screamed.
Merv rushed outside. “What happened?”
A man was huddled on the floor. He clenched his left ear; blood flowed through his fingers and down his face.
<
br /> “Someone attacked me! He burned my ear off! Oh Nur, it hurts!”
And then Merv received a message in his mind’s eye.
Ye have ears with which ye do not hear.
The cargo area was a maze of massive steel containers. The wall of containers to the left could provide cover and close off avenues of attack.
“Everyone!” Merv pointed where he wanted them to go. “Get behind the containers!”
Two workers dragged the injured comrade behind the wall of containers. Merv concentrated on the open spaces, looking for the enemy.
And then whiteness engulfed his eyes. A flashbang. People screamed and wailed. Merv huddled to protect his body while he regained sight. He received a message.
Little are ye thankful for those eyes.
Three Emigrants were down, writhing on the floor. Merv rushed to help them. Their eyes had been torn from their sockets. The blood loss would surely kill them. He could do nothing but suffer their screams.
“You two, get the injured to safety,” Merv said. “Get out of here and get backup!”
The one with the burnt ear shivered on the floor. His injury was not fatal.
The remaining two workers tried pulling him up. “Come on! Get up! Before we all end up eyeless!”
But he resisted. “I can’t move. I can’t move. Did you see it? He’s here! A demon, made from darkness, the son of Angra Mainyu. I saw his face, he will devour all our light! Our souls will never reach Nur.”
“Drag him out of here!” Merv said.
Another message appeared.
How worthless are your hardened hearts.
A massive blade pierced through the remaining two workers. Their bodies hit the floor, blood soaked their uniforms. Merv braced for his own annihilation.
The earless man got up and smiled. “You’re in a dying dream.”
And then he vanished.
Worried about Zauri, Merv hurried to the capsule. The earless man greeted him at the door. Merv filled his aperture with light. The earless man vanished before he could release. Merv slid against the outside wall of the capsule. He looked inside. Zauri was huddled against the wall, blanket over her body.
“Zauri, we have to go!”
