Equilibrium of Terror: Part 1 (Splintered Galaxy Book 3)

by Eddie R. Hicks

  “I can’t,” Odelea said aloud. Everyone in the room glared at her.

  “Who are you talking to?” Sinzihea asked.

  “Tell her, tell them what you learned and what else you can find out,” the voice said. “Make them drop their guard.”

  “Stop this!” Odelea shouted.

  Once again, control of her body was taken away, replaced with the burning need to do what the voice asked, in the same manner she was asked to kill Telinei. Her trembling hands reached out toward the console, and input a sequence of commands. The hologram vanished, and the room began to light up while other sections of the structure began to power on. Chamber by chamber, hallway by hallway, the entire fortress they were inside began to awaken from its long multi-millennium slumber.

  … … …

  Chloe, Karklosea, and Stolanei stood next to the alcove they saw the psionic and her bodyguards vanish into. “I hope you know how to use those,” Chloe said, pointing at their rifles.

  “First time for everything, as your people would say,” Stolanei said.

  Chloe led the charge stepping forward into alcove. In an instant, she then later her two partners were teleported into a room where Odelea stood at a Lyonrian computer. The psionic and her three ranger bodyguards appeared to be holding two others hostage. The rangers turned around, surprised at Chloe and company crashing the party. The ranger’s rifles pointed toward them.

  Chloe took aim and fired the first shot.

  It was an all-out assault between the two sides.

  … … …

  Both Eicelea and Vynei were thankful at whoever it was that came through and started shooting up the place. The chaos in such a small space allowed them to run down the halls. Lights in the walls slowly started to activate and shine down as they ran through it, whatever Odelea did, she got main power working. There was a teleportation alcove at the end of the hall, escape was near. Or so Eicelea thought.

  Blue light flashed and the psionic from the ambush appeared behind them, her arms were glowing orange from what Eicelea saw as she quickly looked back. A blast of plasma was going to follow up if Eicelea’s knowledge of psionic combat was correct. And she was, a purple colored ball of plasma energy shot through the halls behind them, gaining on them with each passing second. The alcove was less than a meter away, so was the plasma ball. Eicelea could feel the heat of it from behind despite the protection of her environment suit and it was getting warmer.

  Seconds before they were to meet their end, they stepped through the alcove. It’s blue graceful light teleported them into another room deeper inside the ruins.

  They wondered if the plasma would get teleported with them.

  “Shoot it—”

  Before Eicelea could finish her order to Vynei, his rifle blasted away at the panel and anything else that looked important to the operation of the alcove they just got teleported to. The lights from the device quickly faded

  “If my theory is correct, both pads need to be working for one to use it,” she said.

  They waited, hoping the psionic would not come through, or her ball of plasma. Minutes passed and there were no signs of activity. The alcove was off line. They were safe.

  For now.

  “I don’t remember this room boss,” Vynei said, looking around.

  He was indeed correct, they had ventured into a new chamber. It was a boxed shaped room, with a sunken section directly in the middle. An oval shaped sculpture rested in the middle with a ring like platform around it. Hovering around it were several small holographic screens displaying text in the Lyonrian language.

  “Another exciting discovery,” Eicelea said, taking a closer look.

  “While people shoot at us.”

  “Just like in Morutrin! You should be used to this by now!”

  “They never had military equipment back in Morutrin.”

  … … …

  Odelea diligently continued to work on the ancient computers, unaffected by the roaring gun battle playing out in front of her. Even the stray bullets that came inches toward her head did not trigger any reactions or self-preservation thoughts. Finish the job, restore main power, and make it harder for the maidens to achieve success. The voice demanded it, Odelea had to do it.

  … … …

  Power slowly began to activate in the chamber Eicelea and Vynei found themselves in. The oval shaped object in the center of the room started to emit an emerald and purple glow.

  “Amazing” Eicelea said at the light show that was slowly taking form around them.

  She stepped closer to the oval object with her data pad in hand to take new readings, and record the data being projected by one of the holograms around it. Like the ones they saw earlier, it had a listing of stars, planets, and locations throughout the galaxy, and beyond. The Lyonria had been interested in them all, and quite possibly visited them in the past.

  … … …

  “They should not be seeing this, shoot them, shoot them booth,” the voice said to Odelea.

  Odelea rose her head up toward Chloe, Karklosea and Stolanei as they examined the bodies of the three rangers they dispatched in the gun battle. Odelea was so focused on her task she had no idea when the gun fight had ended, or that Chloe and her companions had been victorious. And where did Sinzihea go?

  It didn’t matter. The voice took control of her once again. “Both of them, shoot them both.” Odelea walked toward the dead rangers obtaining one of their rifles. Chloe was speaking to her as she saw her lips move through her helmets visor, but no words were being transmitted. Karklosea tried speaking then later Stolanei. Three mouths moving, no words and no concern in regard to what might be missed while Odelea held the rifle, checked its status and power levels. It was amazing, she never held one of these, yet knew exactly how to use it, and knew exactly how heavily the device in her hands would weigh in her delicate hands.

  “Shoot them both, their knowledge in the wrong hands could be devastating,” the voice said.

  Odelea looked at the three concerned friends around her, part of her that was aware of what was going on and was screaming, praying, pleading for this madness to end. Fearing that she would once again take the life of someone by force. Shoot them both... but who? There were three in front of her.

  Oh, those two.

  … … …

  “Odelea!” Chloe shouted.

  Like a nineteen-year-old commando, Odelea, sprinted toward the alcove behind them, and vanished. “This is disturbing,” said Stolanei.

  “This whole fucking place is,” said Chloe. “I’m not leaving her here, let’s get her.”

  … … …

  Sinzihea’s hands brushed away the wave of mist that hit her as she lowered the temperatures around the alcove Eicelea and Vynei escaped through. Her psionic plasma ball destroyed the alcove rather than teleported as she thought it would, igniting a large plasma fire as a result. She tinkered with the Lyonria device for a while growing frustrated that it wasn’t working.

  Should those two escape, they would no doubt alert everyone in the region that she was with the order, thus compromising all of the other order members on this planet living in secret. They needed to be silenced at once. Speaking of silence, the gun fighting from the room down the hall had stopped, which means either her team was dead or they had won. She turned around to gaze down the hall, there was no movement. Not a good sign, her men would have at least stood guard or came up here to offer her assistance.

  She jump ported back into the room to find her answers, three dead rangers and no sign of anyone else. At least the computers were working with main power almost restored, or least she hoped it was. Odelea’s data pad with her notes was still active rested next to the computer console. She stepped over to read its contents and Odelea’s quick translations. She hadn’t finished, power wasn’t fully restored. She read the screen more. There were some other things Odelea was in the process of activating which she didn’t finish.

  Sinzihea merged her psioni
c mind with it the data pad to absorb its information then went to work on the computer terminal, finishing whatever ancient process Odelea had started. Hannah will be pleased with the progress we made today!

  Odelea’s notes also had information on the ancient device found in the oceans of Rasi. Sinzihea made a mental note to follow up on that.

  … … …

  The teleportation alcove Odelea used transported her at the start of a wide corridor that eventually led her toward a long bridge with no railings. Below the bridge was a huge drop, rows of flashing lights, glowing pipes and mechanical gears were rotating. Psionic and electricity energy flowed through them in unison, from time to time tiny bolts of energy shot up like a lightning bolt. Across the bridge was a box shaped room that appeared to be floating. There was nothing physically holding it up, unless it was the bridge? No, impossible, a room of that size and mass relying on the bridge would still fall, snapping the bridge in half during the process.

  Odelea continued to walk across the bridge, the closer she got toward the box shaped room, the louder the sounds of Eicelea and Vynei speaking became. They were learning, they knew too much, they might interfere, they must be killed, the voice told her to do it.

  “I... will... fight you.” Odelea struggled to speak to the voice.

  “Telinei tried and paid the price,” said the voice. “Please do not resist us. Please do not make yourself suffer the same fate as Telinei for resistance.”

  … … …

  “Chloe must intervene,” Aviuheart’s voice spoke to Chloe.

  “Not now, really need my head straight,” Chloe said, mumbling the words.

  Chloe, Karklosea and Stolanei came to the same rail less bridge Odelea walked on heading toward the box shaped room. Chloe stepped onto the bridge, and gazed down at the strange apparatus down below. It’s a long way down... she thought, then returned her focus on Odelea.

  Chloe took one step forward. Then lost all control of her body. And part of her mind. “The Chloe must stop the hostilities of the Odelea.” Aviuheart’s voice echoed in Chloe’s head.

  “Major, what’s wrong?” Stolanei asked Chloe, no doubt concerned at how she stopped walking suddenly.

  “We allowed you to walk the path on your own,” said Aviuheart. “But now we must walk it for you to continue. Much like how the other ones force the Odelea.”

  Chloe’s hand slowly aimed her rifle toward Odelea. She was applying every bit of strength in her body to keep it down, none of it had any effect, and all she did was delay the inevitable by preventing her finger from moving toward the trigger. Her trigger finger twitched back and forth, her mind trying to keep it off it, Aviuheart’s will trying to get her to pull it.

  “Major!” Stolanei said, grabbing onto the barrel of her rifle, only for his hand to be forced away by a psionic force.

  Karklosea held onto Chloe’s shoulder and experienced a similar effect. She was launched backwards seconds later.

  “The Chloe owes us,” said Aviuheart “We could have let her embrace the truth while a new host is found. But the Chloe wishes to believe she is doing the right thing.” Chloe started to run toward Odelea who was now out of sight as she entered the box shaped room. “Such determination brought the Chloe here.”

  Odelea entered the room with the rifle aimed toward Eicelea and Vynei. Neither of them heard her enter, as they circled around the oval shaped object with interest. And it was that object that made Odelea’s aim not as accurate. She walked in closer to get a better and unobstructed view. It also put her out of viewing range of Chloe, who was seconds away from pulling the trigger. Just like Odelea, Chloe moved to get a better aim.

  Vynei was the biggest threat of the two, so Odelea’s aim fixed in on his head first as she moved herself to have a cleaner shot.

  “Forgive me,” Odelea said to them, grabbing their attention as the young scholar readied to end them.

  “Vynei!” Eicelea called out. “I’m not paying you to let her shoot me!”

  Vynei returned Odelea’s gesture and drew his weapon and hesitated to pull the trigger. “She’s so young boss.”

  No shots were fired, the voice made a last second change of plans, a new threat, one it did not foresee came around the corner.

  Chloe and her rifle rose to aim at Odelea.

  … … …

  “To Paryo with these suits!” Karklosea shouted and began to remove her environment suit.

  She cast a psionic barrier around her body to keep the air and temperature around her at safe levels. Her exquisite psionic gown and advanced cybernetics on her upper body and back were free from the confinements of the suit, and with that, came her ability to use her gifts freely with minimal issues.

  As the blue light from her jump port faded, she saw the standoff between, Chloe, Odelea and the Rabuabin bodyguard. There were visual signs that Chloe and Odelea were struggling to control their bodies from the visors of their helmets.

  Their rifles discharged, Karklosea’s reflexes formed a purple protective dome around both Chloe and Odelea, neither of their bullets connected thankfully. Karklosea’s telekinesis ended the confrontation, pulling their rifles out of their hands, forcing them to float toward then over the bridge. Gravity did the rest as Karklosea released her mind from the two weapons.

  … … …

  “Another way shall be found,” Aviuheart’s voice said to Chloe.

  Chloe felt her mind come back together, and take control of her body. “What the fuck was that?” she said afterwards.

  There was a noticeable warm feeling coming from the side of her combat armor. Chloe’s hand reached down into the side container where she stored the gem, the source of the heat. It was shining bright like a light bulb as she held it in her hands.

  “The gem,” Chloe said while Karklosea stepped next to her, shielding her eyes from the light. “I think it was controlling me.”

  “And her?” Karklosea said, pointing to Odelea.

  “Something wanted me to shoot them,” Odelea said.

  “And something was compelling me to shoot you.”

  Something, Chloe thought. Not something, someone, Aviuheart.

  The whole situation made no sense to Chloe, why would Aviuheart have her and Odelea shoot each other? No, there was something else in play here, another party, one that wasn’t friends with Aviuheart and her crew.

  … … …

  Sinzihea hands input the last command into the console. The final task that Odelea was trying to accomplish, whatever it was. Main power was already restored and according to Odelea’s rough translations, whatever it was she was trying to activate required an enormous amount of power.

  A high-pitched nauseating noise smashed through Sinzihea’s head. She fell to her knees screaming. Her psionic barrier shattered seconds later.

  … … …

  Karklosea collapsed to the floor, yelping in pain. Both Chloe and Stolanei ran over to assist her, Chloe dropped the gem on the floor. Karklosea hands were over her head like she was having a massive migraine. They couldn’t do much for her, they needed a doctor and quickly. The Abyssal Explorer was still in orbit, and Karklosea was in no state of mind to teleport up, it was all on Stolanei now. He began to remove his suit to gain access to his psionics much like how Karklosea did earlier. He then fell down to the floor, screaming in pain holding his head along with Karklosea.

  I guess that’s why psionics were required to wear the suits, Chloe thought as she looked back towards the gem on the floor. Aviuheart stood above it. Everyone in the chamber was clearly oblivious to Aviuheart's presence as she waved at Chloe smiling.

  Karklosea and Stolanei embraced each other, Chloe could see that their cybernetics was starting to glow and glitter at the same time. She joined up with them, hoping that her theory on the situation was correct, that they were combining their gifts together to muster enough power to teleport all three of them away.

  She was right.

  … … …

  Eicelea and Vy
nei looked up and down at each other respectively after witnessing everything that happened and torn at what to do next. Leave? Or continue to uncover the many secrets inside this room? Eicelea lifted her data pad toward her face. Pirates and salvagers in the Morutrin system never stopped her from venturing into ancient ruins, why should a mind controlled scholar, soldier and two psionics having a mental breakdown be any different?

  “Incredible, this structure is generating an immense level of psionic energy,” she said after analyzing the newly collected data. “It’s equal to the minds of seventy thousand psionics, and its growing exponentially with each second.”

  Several seconds later the oval shaped object in the room started to shudder. Eicelea looked on at with intrigue as her data pad’s screen populated with the latest information. The central section of the oval became black, then populated with specks of white dots, it looked like a door way into space. And according to her data pad, that was exactly what it was, until the imagery changed. The doorway into space turned into a doorway into a dark room.

  A signal from her missing drone began to ping her data pad shortly afterwards. Excited at the new-found discovery, she reconnected with it to discover what happened. The systems of the drone were partly locked down. A psionic mind had taken control of it.

  “I am starting to accept the distinct possibly we have over stayed our welcome here.”

  Odelea, from behind, snatched Eicelea’s data pad out from her hands.

  “Hey now!” Eicelea shouted to her.

  Odelea however, ignored Eicelea’s tiny form and angry facial expressions as she fingered the data pad, reviewing something. “She went ahead with the plan,” Odelea said after reading its contents.

  “Who did?”

  “Sinzihea, the psionic that attacked you in the other section,” Odelea said. “The celestial accession, this is where it begins, and they’re several years too early. She must not have known what she was doing.”

  … … …

  ►► Celestial Order camp site, Oyuri