»Engage them in close combat formations – direct approach to their ships! They won’t be able to use the ultimate weapon without endangering themselves! Battle ships against carriers! Execute!«
The Kerba shot forward with all her might. Cranas and his pilots gave it their all. Like a fireball, the ship knifed through Lanuk’s atmosphere into space. The first Progonaut ships exploded under the unleashed fire of the ultimate weapon – the crews had no chance.
»Anti-matter reactions!« the scanner section reported. »They’re delivering the charges right into our ships! How do they do that?«
Two more Progonaut ships flickered on the holos and exploded from the inside out.
»Fire with all we’ve got!« Cranas commanded, followed by a full broadside of plasma charges. All other Progonaut ships followed his lead. Countless small, blue suns appeared over Lanuk, exploding among the enemy ships. The Kerba’s commander watched the destruction of the first carrier, accompanied by the victorious screams of his command central crew.
»The enemy can be hurt! Let’s show them!« Cranas shouted euphorically.
»They could be using our energy matrix as reference or counter pole to deliver the anti-matter charges into the targets!« Cranas said to himself.
Morgotradon overheard his commander’s comments and paled.
»What did you just say, Cranas?«
»Maybe our ships are the reason why they can lock on to us easily,« suggested Cranas.
»… shut down all tachyon drives immediately! Message to the fleet: Shut down all tachyon drives and tachyon related energy sources, at once!« he interrupted Cranas and gave his orders to the fleet via command-channel.
His orders were executed immediately.
»Are there any more losses?« Morgotradon wanted to know. His voice was stern..
»None, my Raghoon!« the scanner section reported.
Morgotradon clenched his fists.
That’s it! They’re using our tachyon energy matrix as counter pole for their anti-matter weapon! he thought, enraged.
»Regroup … assume cone attack pattern!« Morgotradon commanded loudly. His orders went out to the other ships, while the Kerba kept firing at the enemy ships, destroying several carriers.
The enemy had noticed that their ultimate weapon had been blunted, and began launching combat drones.
»They’re trying to defeat us with conventional means. They’re using drones!« Commander Cranas reported to Morgotradon.
»How many?« he asked.
»Each carrier has a couple of thousand onboard,« Cranas replied in muffled tones, »and without our tachyon drives, we can’t escape onto the tachyon trail!«
»We wouldn’t have been able to anyway, Cranas,« Morgotradon replied calmly, leaning over to Cranas. All we can do is give Mandatt a chance to put as much distance between his fleet and this place as possible. The longer we can pin them down in this system, the less the chance they’ll find Mandatt’s echelon!«
Cranas nodded and clenched his teeth until his cheekbones stood in relief.
He was ready to pay the ultimate price!
»We’ve penetrated the Brotherhood’s attack line. Their fleet is staggered deeply into space. We’ve eliminated some of their ships, but we’re taking losses. The combat sector is shifting toward Baldar!«
The crystal world!
Danger
»There’re Humans on that planet!« Arkroid yelled out. »No more passive observing! We have to launch a rescue mission!«
»How is it possible to find Humans here … so far away from Earth?« Vasina asked, perplexed. »Are you sure, Arkroid?«
»Think, Vasina … if there’s one of these portals in our solar system, then Humans could have been transferred here,« Pi replied excitedly.
»Hmm … possible, yes, but is it likely?« she argued. »We knew of no such portal when we left – unless you were keeping some information from me?«
»You can answer that question yourself, Vasina!« Arkroid snapped at her. »Why would we do that?«
»It could be a trap,« Pi warned. »Besides, we don’t know how many people we’re dealing with.«
»Techno-Ferry!« Arkroid interrupted, indicating that the discussion had ended. »We’re flying to the planet to take a look. Can you get us past the guard ships?«
»Yes, I can, but a flight through the atmosphere under my stealth conditions can produce secondary effects which could be detected by the guard ships.«
Arkroid frowned.
»How else can we get there?«
»A personnel transfer to the surface would work, while I remain in orbit.«
»How?« Vasina asked curtly. »We have no receiving station on the planet.«
»Uhh … yes, we do, Vasina!« Pi replied, slightly mockingly, it seemed. »I’m sure that the ferry can thread us into the transport trail of the planetary portal, right?«
»That’s the only real possibility,« the ferry acknowledged, and the command central widened before their eyes and a new object appeared.
»You created a Tachyon Portal, just like that? It looks just like the ones we used on our ships!« Vasina shouted in surprise.
»The destination coordinates have already been entered,« the Techno-Ferry announced.
At the same time, three thin belts materialized before Vasina’s feet, obviously extra equipment the ferry provided for them.
»These are personal dimensional field projectors. Put them on. I can also communicate with you via these devices. You need to be extremely cautious on the planet. I’ve detected another source of emission, similar to the crystal being’s energy matrix!«
Arkroid and Pi froze.
»The crystal being in the Vega system?« Pi inquired, not believing his ears.
»The received data is conclusive. In this case, however, we’re dealing with inactive crystal components. They‘re located around the portal. There‘s a much stronger source on top of an extinguished volcano, close by.«
»Riddles over riddles!« Pi remarked. »Where did we end up this time?«
»As usual with you … inside the lion’s den!« Vasina mocked and observed with fascination how the Techno-Ferry just flew past a Trox guard ship.
»These Trox ships still look the same as the ones I knew,« Vasina wondered. »They haven’t changed much over a million years.«
The cone-style spaceship looked threatening at a length of over three hundred meters. Many of its weapon turrets were extended, as if the ship was on a high state of alert.
»A single ship like this could devastate our solar system and throw us back into the Stone Age,« Arkroid remarked bitterly. »We’ll have to adapt to this threat and upgrade our defenses at home.«
»Please, give us all information about the twin planets,« Arkroid addressed the Techno-Ferry.
»The twins orbit each other at a distance of 166,000 kilometers in only 1.9 days! The distance to Procyon A is 225 astronomical units. Both planets are desert worlds with strong geological activity. The atmosphere of the target portal planet is suitable for you. The temperatures are between 30 and 60 degrees centigrade and can reach 80 degrees near the equator. The Tachyon Portal is located on the backside of the planet, so you can’t see the other planet from there.«
»Have you come up with a name yet, Pi?« Arkroid asked.
Pi nodded and pointed at the holo.
»I’ll call it Un-ta-line.«
»What does that mean?« Vasina inquired interested.
»In my mother tongue it means: Danger!«
Unconscious
Morgotradon realized that he had been unconscious. He slowly awoke, and noted with horror that he was plunging toward the crystal planet’s surface. The planet’s gravitational field had caught him and pulled him down – mercilessly.
What happened? he thought in pain.
His memories of the last events onboard the Kerba returned.
The ship had been hit by hundreds of enemy drones and had broken apart.
Cranas had push
ed me into the emergency exit before he perished in a ball of fire. If I hadn’t been already suited up I would’ve never survived the ordeal. The emergency catapult threw me out into space before I lost consciousness. My spacesuit must have revived me and pulled me to!
Morgotradon felt as if he had just awoken from a nightmare, only to sink into another one. He was falling toward Baldar’s crystalline surface, an absolute deadly environment for Progonauts! Panic stricken, he groped for the crystal growth-inhibiting plant extract injector in his leg side pocket.
That won’t save me either!
Suddenly, he became very calm. His fall became faster. He played with the idea of committing suicide by simply plunging into the ground. Then his survival instincts took over: He activated his suit’s survival protocol.
A thin but very strong glider parachute unfolded from his backpack. A painful rip in his groin indicated to him that the chute had deployed, and was carrying him slowly downward in a wide spiraling descent. His personal defense shield had implemented life-sustaining measures, providing him with sufficient oxygen. Gigantic crystal pillars grew into the sky over an area of several hundred square kilometers below him.
So it ends! he thought bitterly, and tried to manipulate his rate of descent and touchdown location. He was only partially successful. After three hours of gliding through Baldar’s atmosphere, he finally landed. In the meantime he had increased the defense shield to maximum, enveloping himself in a yellow-hued aura.
He landed at a rate of descent of five meters per second and pulverized the surface crystals under his feet. Then he broke through the surface, struggling to hold on to its edges. He quickly realized that he was stuck in a quicksand-like crystal morass that gave way underneath him with every movement he undertook. The more he moved his legs, the more he sank!
Terrified, he noticed how the space slowly solidified and a fine crystal web developed around him.
It’s active and has some sort of consciousness! he thought in rising panic. Then he felt a painful sting in his right hand.
With all his might, he tried to free his hands from the ever-tightening crystal grip and tore the web apart.
The crystals have penetrated my defense shield and my space gloves!
He looked at his hand and clearly saw where the crystal had penetrated his glove.
It’s spreading throughout my entire body. I’m doomed!
Morgotradon grew nauseated. He was ready to resign himself to the inevitable. His physical and mental defenses died down quickly. With a last flaring thought, he opened his leg pocket and rammed the injector into his upper left leg. He felt a strong, burning sting in his leg, and almost lost consciousness. While his left hand went numb, the pain raged through his entire body.
Pain is good … pain is my friend. As long as I can feel pain, I’m alive!
He saw that the crystal growth had reached his left upper arm.
If it reaches my brain, I’m dead!
He fell into a feverish dream, while a huge shadow spread over the land, darkening the sun’s rays.
Morgotradon fell unconscious.
You’ll both die
Disgusted, Maya Ivanova turned away from the projection. The strange crystals had taken possession of Morgotradon and turned him into the monster he was today.
Today …, she thought, frightened. That happened so long ago … a million years! Today, he’s the Lord of the World, a whole different being. The Raghoon of the House of Persia had died back then.
The energy field at the entrance to the room collapsed.
Maya’s hands trembled at the sight of the man entering the room. His golden eyes looked at her, surveying her every move.
»Now you know who I am,« Morgotradon said loudly. His golden eyes gleamed with passion.
What’s he up to? she though in rising panic.
Morgotradon came closer, slowly opening his robe. Maya leaped to her feet and into a defensive stance. She took a deep breath and said, »So you’re just going to rape me, because you can’t have it any other way?«
Morgotradon’s lusty grin made Maya Ivanova angry.
»I gave you the opportunity to understand who I am. Now I’ll show you …«
»… you’re a traitor, a Brotherhood agent!« she interrupted him with a trembling, angry voice.
»Once you have become my partner, you’ll forget all that, Maya,« he replied softly. »A Brotherhood ship rescued me from Baldar. I survived in a temporal force field until they found the means to regenerate my body. The crystals had already begun replicating my brain. The Brotherhood found a way to control and partially reverse the process. When I awoke, I realized my true destiny. I am a new and better living being!«
»You’re a zombie, if you even know what that is! You’re just a copy, a replica! The Raghoon would have never turned against his people!« she threw at him. Morgotradon threw his robe to the ground … standing naked before her. »What, you’re really going to try to rape me?«
»You’ll never forget this night, Maya. I still have the longing for a woman in me. I still feel like the old Morgotradon, who had loved and was loved. I need to rekindle those feelings. I will make you like me, so you can accompany me through the thousands of years to come. You’ll become powerful … very powerful, more than you can imagine!«
»… and then betray my people?« she shouted at him. »Stay where you are!«
Her voice was threatening. She was determined to defend herself with all her might.
»Your brain’s and body’s crystallization has effects that will astound you. You‘ll no longer feel pain in your soul, your aging process will be slowed … and you’ll develop extraordinary powers. You’ll feel the might of the crystals in you, a radiation that showers your body with lust and excitement!«
Maya looked around in anger.
That’s why the crystal dust is on all these walls and ceilings? The dust seems to glow in the dark. Is it emitting a radiation that Morgotradon is receptive to?
»Tell me … how did the crystals get here?« Maya asked, subtly sliding away from him while he considered his reply.
»When I was released from the temporal field and healed, Lanuk and Baldar had already collided. The resulting crystal dust settled in the former orbit and was slowly blown into the system’s outer regions by the solar winds. There were huge amounts of crystal dust, because most of Baldar had been crystallized by the time the collision occurred. I built a portal close to the outermost giant gas planet to collect the dust. However, the crystals had mostly become inactive during their exposure to space. They were no longer able to replicate DNA. Only a fraction of them maintained that property, one per million. What was left was a characteristic emission of a higher order with which I could connect. It supplied me with the energy for life. You should feel it … it’s fantastic!
»What I didn’t count on was that the crystals tried to reorganize. Several millions of tons of dust had been blown into the gas giant’s atmosphere, where it developed a new consciousness under the extreme atmospheric pressures. The crystal intelligence overpowered my guards and transferred itself to this world via the portal. It attacked the Treugolans and transformed their brains. I destroyed the portal near the gas giant and severed the crystal flow. The crystals on this planet fell from the skies – deactivated. They could no longer live without a connection to the crystal intelligence. They were still of use to me … very valuable, for future projects.«
Morgotradon stretched his upper body, showing Maya his muscles, his eyes sparkling.
»I feel the longing for a woman for the first time since I transformed. I’m boiling inside, I can hardly wait to unite with you. I can’t give you any offspring, but you will become like me in return!«
Maya was freezing and moved to the farthest corner of the room – away from him. She had a suspicion that she didn’t dare to further explore …
»You’re no longer Morgotradon, right? All that’s left of him is just this body!« she concluded.
»… and some memories, feelings, longings, wishes,« he finished.
Morgotradon’s eyes seemed to focus on an imaginary point for a moment.
»Unfortunately, I never found the Progonaut fleet. I remembered their destination coordinates, but they were nowhere to be found!« he raged. »Mandatt didn’t follow my orders – he went somewhere else! They could be anywhere in the galaxy, but we will find them. One day the Brotherhood scouts will find them!«
Morgotradon opened his arms, inviting her to join him.
»You can come voluntarily or I’ll take you by force!«
Maya clenched her teeth and ran toward him. With both feet forward she jumped at him. He merely moved lightning fast to the side – laughing at her attempt.
»What you don’t know, Human woman, is that the old Morgotradon was a skilled warrior and athlete. The crystals have only enhanced my reactions – give it up!«
Maya fell, hard, to the floor and crawled into the nearest corner, her body trembling.
Again he reached out for her with his hands.
»Together we’ll rule over this space sector and drive the Humans back into the reserve! You’ll be their new queen, ruler over the Earth for a long, long time, together with me.«
Morgotradon grimaced. He quickly stepped over to Maya Ivanova, pulled her up and threw her onto the big bed.
Maya wasn’t able to move even when he tore off her clothes. The lust in his eyes seemed to paralyze her. The Lord of the World acted like an animal!
Suddenly, Maya felt sorry for him.
He’s no longer a Progonaut, he’s just acting on animalistic sexual drive. Maybe the only thing the crystals have not yet destroyed in him. Everything that had made Morgotradon, the great Fleet Commander, died a long time ago! she thought, feeling his hot breath at her neck.
As he forced her naked body into his arms, he saw the pitying glance in her eyes and twitched. He pulled back and looked at her in surprise.
»Don’t look at me like that! Never do that again or I’ll kill you!« he threatened her.
»Then kill me, you animal!« she screamed at him through tears. She could no longer fight back.
NEBULAR Collection 3 - Morgotradon: Episodes 12 - 16 Page 6
