by Frankie Rose
I picture my mind as a fist, closing around the raptor. Tightening its hold, capturing the craft inside its grasp. Then I picture pulling the ship back, tugging on it, pulling with all my might. The raptor shudders but continues on its path, tearing through thick layers of cloud. I clench my mental fist even tighter, pulling even harder. This is more difficult that I’d anticipated. Instead of slowing, the ship’s speed increases, straining at my grasp.
“Beylar! We’re breaking through the cloud. We’re breaking though!”
I shut Col out. Inhaling one last deep breath, I picture both of my hands closing around the raptor, grappling hold of it, dragging it back, forcing it to obey. I envision it bending to my will with every scrap of power I possess. We clear the cloud layer, and a mere three or four thousand feet below, the ground rises up to meet us. Sand. So much sand.
“BEYLAR!”
I jerk the craft back with all my might, and the raptor finally obeys, pulling up a little. We’re still hurtling toward the planet, but our speed is cut in half by my efforts.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
I have no idea if it will be enough.
I have no ide—
SEVEN
REZA
SUB CITY
I feel the impact the moment it happens.
The ground doesn’t shake. No alarms go off. I’m lying on my cot inside my room when a jolt of fear slams into me, knocking the air clean out of my lungs.
Jass Beylar is here.
Not close. But somewhere on the planet. I have to fight the extraordinary need inside me to bolt out of my window, as I promised only hours ago that I would not. Instead I lean over the side of my cot and I throw up. I’ve never known such a feeling of dread and apprehension before. Not like the one that coils itself into knots inside me like a pit of snakes right now. There’s a polite knock at my door, and then a slightly more urgent, harried knock when I don’t respond.
“Yes. Enter,” I wheeze, spitting onto the floor.
A young seer enters, maybe no more than fourteen cycles old, his shaved head and the missing sleeves of his robe marking him out as an apprentice, not quite yet in possession of his sight. He bows his head in deference. “You have been summoned,” he says softly, avoiding making eye contact with me. “The council wishes to speak with you about a matter of great importance.”
“Yes, I know. He’s here, isn’t he? Jass?” If the squalls on Pirius weren’t so harsh, the sub city would be alive with technology. As it stands, few electronics function properly under the ground due to interference from the persistent, choking squalls of sand. Pirius has advanced radar systems that can cut through that interference, though. They must have watched Jass’ ship enter the planet’s atmosphere. They know he’s arrived just as well as I do.
The young apprentice blinks at the floor, shaking his head. “That was the only message I was told to give to you,” he says. “I’m sorry, I can’t—” He winces as he tries to look up at me. Fails. Looks back down at his feet. “Your presence here is very strange,” he tells me, almost as if he’s imparting a secret against his will. “I can’t…I can’t seem to look at you straight on.”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry.” Seems like a worthless offering, but it’s all I have to say. Other, more practiced seers always have that tightness around their mouths whenever they’re in my presence. For a long while I thought it was simple displeasure; I didn’t consider there was a chance that I made them physically uncomfortable until Darius explained it to me.
I get up, already fully dressed, sliding my feet in my boots, and I follow behind the young apprentice, whose shoulders twitch imperceptibly with every few steps he takes. There are ancient chisel marks in the walls here, millennia old, made by seers of the past who carved out this particular tunnel way by hand. Most of the tunnels are natural formations in the rock, volcanic lava tubes from when Pirius was young and still forming. Darius told me once that this people used to live in cities and towns on the planet’s surface, but many generations ago the seers had visions of a terrible catastrophe that would lead their world into darkness and destruction. They prepared by relocating underground, and managed to complete construction of their subterranean home a mere four months before a massive asteroid hit the planet and caused a seventy eight year sandstorm that blotted out the suns and made it impossible for flight or space travel altogether.
The apprentice walks ahead of me, taking only left hand turns for a long time. At last, he finally turns right, leading me into a large, cavernous space with what looks like a glass domed ceiling. The glass is clear when we enter, but then a cloak of darkness spreads across it, sparks of white light punching through the black—countless star systems, and galaxies beyond ours, some flashing red, while others glimmer a pale, ethereal blue. This must be the only place in the entire sub city that houses any form of real technology. On the cavern floor, a number of tables and chairs have been arranged around a central observation deck, where three seers stand together, faces lifted to the ceiling, staring up at the grand star map overhead.
Darius is nowhere to be seen. A woman steps out of the shadows on the other side of the room: Chancellor Pakka. Her white hair is heavily braided, and her nose is high and unusually narrow for a seer. She gestures, and the apprentice heads right for her. A cool breeze whistles down the tunnel behind me, buffeting my back. On the surface of Pirius, the binary suns will be baking the desert sand dunes, cooking the sand to glass in some regions. Down here, miles below ground, the temperatures are quite opposite. I shiver as I cross the cavern floor, winding my way through unoccupied chairs toward Erika. She inclines her head as I arrive, dismissing the apprentice boy, who bolts and vanishes, running back the way we came, his shoulders hunched up around his ears. “Please accept my apologies, Reza,” Erika says, in her raspy, rich voice. “Van To’s considered an adult now, but he’s still very inexperienced. He’s yet to build up his mental shields or learn how to protect himself from harmful outside influences. To some of us, you burn our minds. Others have reported that your presence causes considerable nerve pain. Then, others…” She cocks her head to one side, smiling ever so slightly. “In rare cases, others have reported an uncontrollable sensation of pleasure that travels over their skin. Much like a lover’s caress. They’re intoxicated by you, only to find themselves instantly sober the moment they move away from you. Poor Van To’s blinded by you in more ways than one. He says you shine brightly to him. Too bright to look at. You bring about a deep and distressing loss of control in him. He finds it difficult to focus on his tasks. I should have sent someone else to bring you here, but I thought it might do him good. Desensitize him to you. Over time, he’ll grow stronger. You just take a little getting used to.”
Strange. Troubling. I fold my arms around my body, holding onto myself, not quite sure what to do. Erika just smiles a formal smile, holding out her hand. “It’s good to see you again, Reza. The other Chancellor’s will be here shortly for our meeting. I trust you know why you were summoned?”
The shockwave of fear that hit me only twenty minutes ago resonates inside me all over again. “Yes. I know. He…Jass Beylar has arrived on the planet. You sent your own son to bring him back here? I didn’t know Col was completing solo missions for the Commonwealth.” As long as I’ve known Col, he’s only ever wanted to be a pilot. A solo mission for him would have been a giant undertaking.
Erika nods slowly, tucking her hands into the vast pockets of her robe. “I know. I wasn’t sure it was the best move, but…I saw many things that are yet to come to pass, and that was one of them. I acted as a demonstration of faith to other Pirians. I believe the visions I received seven cycles ago will all come to pass. And how better to show that than to offer up the safety of the one most dear to me as proof? It will take them some time to reach us, however preparations must be made. We need to make sure we’re ready when Col and Beylar arrive.”
“And what can I do to help?” I’ve al
ready told them everything I remember about my encounters with Jass. Everything I experienced of him in person, and everything I know of him through others. I’ve recounted every tale and rumor I’m privy to.
Erika’s eyes are slightly cloudy. A faint, milky white hue rests over her irises—a sign that she has spent very little, if any, time outside on the surface of the planet. Only the richest, most highly esteemed seers are honored enough to remain underground their entire lives. The burning suns affect—or used to affect—their visions. The more time spent on the surface of the planet, the less frequent and intense the visions. Erika’s eyes skate over me and everything surrounding me as if they barely perceive what stands before her, and instead she is in a constant state of trance, seeing an entirely different plane of reality.
“It’s not often we’re shown conflicting visions of the future, Reza. Before my sight vanished I saw the people of Pirian being attacked. I saw great ships falling from the sky. Construct ships. I saw a black moon, floating out in space. I saw fire, and pain, and death. So much death. But then, I also saw you here, Reza. And…I saw Jass Beylar, too. He was helping us. I saw him help us defeat the Construct.” She trails off, her eyes growing even cloudier. Her thin, barely there brows pinch together, a tiny line forming between them. “I was shown two potential futures. One where we all suffer and die. And one where the unlikeliest person in the galaxy comes to our aid and protects us. Some visions come about without any assistance,” she says. “In circumstances such as these, a little interference is required, though. A helping hand, if you will. We’re aware of Jass’ interest in you, Reza. If he comes here, there’s a chance, a very slim chance you might be able to convince him to work with us.”
Oh gods. There’s no way Erika understands what she’s asking of me. She can’t understand Jass at all. He’s never going to leave his position of power with the Construct to fight for the Pirians. She might as well ask me to stop the planet from turning. She might as well have just asked me to stop the suns from rising. It won’t matter who pleads this case to Jass. He won’t listen.
I’m saved from having to crush Erika’s dreams when Darius and another seer I haven’t met before arrives in the cavern, talking hurriedly between themselves. Erika’s eyes are suddenly sharp. Focused. Her head whips around, her gaze locking onto the two men. “Darius. Chancellor Gain. Thank you for agreeing to meet here in my sector instead of the council chambers. I’m afraid my condition appears to be worsening rapidly. The walk would have caused me considerable trouble.”
I scan the woman standing next to me from head to toe. There doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with her from my assessment, but both Darius and Gain bow their heads, very real concern all over their faces. “Of course,” Gain says, his voice grave. “Whatever you need, Erika. Let us know if you require any assistance in the coming days.”
Darius even goes so far as to place his hand on the tall woman’s shoulder. An out-of-place gesture for this very reserved, stoic race. “I’ve already sent out word to the second sector. People will begin to make their way here shortly.”
Erika smiles, nodding slowly. “I’m sure the gathering will be splendid. I’m only sad I won’t be able to attend myself.” She turns to me, holding a hand out, gesturing for me to follow her. “Now that these pleasantries are over, we must hurry. Reports from the outer deserts state that a Construct craft crash-landed there less than an hour ago. Men on the ground have requested permission to approach the craft—”
“That mustn’t be allowed to happen,” Gain interjects. “They need to know we have a plan in place. It’s critical that Col and Jass Beylar must make their own way here, through the channels that were arranged. It has been seen.”
Erika holds up a hand as she leads us over to a display screen. Tapping the screen to activate it, she gives Gain a reassuring sideways glance. “Don’t worry, friend. The timeline is set. Everything will occur as it’s supposed to. In that instance at least, there is nothing to fear.”
“And once you have him?” I hesitate. “Once Jass Beylar arrives here at the sub city, what happens then?”
All three of the seers turn to me. They remain silent for far too long. Eventually Darius speaks, and his words do nothing to comfort me. “You will have to be ready to face him, then, Reza. You will have to be the one to confront him, and for that…there are things you must learn.”
My veins are suddenly filled with ice. “Learn? And what do you mean, confront him?”
Darius’ strange eyes do not blink. They are dark voids that whisper of eternity. “There are training exercises we can show you to help strengthen your mind and your body, Reza. Certain techniques we do not usually share with outsiders. The boy can control others with his mind. He can delve deep inside a man and pluck out his most terrible secrets. We seers were once strong, but he is beyond us now. We will not be able to restrain or resist him. You, on the other hand…you’ve recounted to us on many occasions that the boy could not affect you. He couldn’t read your mind, and he couldn’t force you to bend to his will. That makes you unique in all the universe. That makes you our only hope.”
EIGHT
JASS
SAND
Pain.
Pain, everywhere.
A buzzing, high pitched and irritating.
A loud drum, pounding inside my head.
Hands on my body.
Hands, turning me over. Shaking me roughly at the shoulders.
“Jass!”
When was the last time someone called me by that name? When was the last time I heard it on someone’s lips? For a second, I’m stunned, struggling to remember. I open my eyes, squinting at the knife of pain that slices through my head, causing me to shield my face with my hand. So damn bright. Too bright. I try to suck in a breath and suddenly I’m writhing in agony, an impossibly strong vice tightening around my ribcage.
“Huh. Looks like you’ve earned yourself some bruised ribs, too. How ironic. Can you get up?” It takes me a long moment to recall who’s talking to me. The voice is vaguely familiar. And then I remember: the Commonwealth fighter. Leaving The Nexus. The asteroid field. Crashing on Pirius. The girl.
My eyes adjust slowly to the burning suns overhead. Two of them. I hadn’t noticed this was a binary system on approach to the planet. I wasn’t paying attention. I was too busy thinking about her. What I’m going to do with her when I get my hands on her. Where I will take her. What I actually want from her. All I know is that an undeniable force draws me to her. Trying to ignore the pull would be as impossible as trying to deny my lungs oxygen.
Ankle deep in sand, the fine white powder spilling over the tops and filling his boots, Col Pakka stands over me, face splattered with blood, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face. “Y’know, you could use a hair cut,” he remarks, clearing his throat. “Honestly, I didn’t think you’d have hair at all. I expected you to look like an albino rostick.”
There were no rosticks on The Nexus. I know what they are though—pink, wrinkled rodent type creatures with small yellow nubs for teeth. On other ships and outposts with less diligent cleaning crews, the creatures chew through thousands of meters of wiring every year, causing pandemonium wherever they can, demolishing ration stores and breeding like…well, rosticks. I scowl at Col, easing myself to my feet. Now that I’m fully conscious and my faculties have returned to me, I make sure I don’t display my pain as I stand. It’s a show of weakness. A sign of vulnerability. I don’t want to advertise the fact that I’m hurt to a man I consider my enemy.
“Why didn’t you kill me? Why didn’t you end this when you had the chance? You were just…standing there.”
Col laughs, slowly bending to collect the jump bag that’s sitting at his feet. “I could have,” he muses. “I could have easily buried your head in the sand and let you suffocate. The seers told me specifically to keep you alive, though. They’d be pretty pissed if I came back without you, and it’s no good trying to lie to those guys. They’re very t
alented at spotting a lie.”
I growl under my breath, spinning around, searching for my own bag. Frustration hits me like a wave when I notice how badly damaged the raptor is. It’s in pieces. Literal pieces, scattered through the desert, twisted metal impaled into the sand. The shards jut out of the ground at odd angles, littering a deep impact scar that runs a mile due north from here right to the very dune I’m standing on. A thick plume of black, acrid smoke rises from the furthest, largest piece of debris—obviously the engine blew as soon the craft hit land. If it weren’t for the cockpit’s emergency collision shields, both Col and I would most certainly be dead. My stomach lurches even further when I look up and see beyond the mess that was once my ship. A wall of orange, brown, yellow, black seethes on the horizon. So much sand, swirling up and crashing in on itself like a breaking wave atop a wall of even more sand and dirt so high it almost blocks out one of the suns. And it’s headed directly for us at an astonishing rate.
“Yeah,” Col says. “I let you sleep a while, but when that thing started to get a little too close for comfort, I figured it’d be better to wake you up and get the hell out of here.”
“I need to find my bag.” I scan the debris field, looking for anything that vaguely resembles the aft section of the Raptor, where I stowed my military bag. It’s impossible to discern one part from another, though. Absolutely impossible.
“No time for that, boss.” Col spits into the sand, tilting his body weight with the look of someone very used to standing on unstable ground. He points at the huge, swirling mass that’s heading toward us, shaking his head. “I’ve seen some storms in my time, but that big bastard’s a deal breaker. We need to find somewhere to wait it out. Underground. And right now. It might look like it’s moving slow, but it’s not. We have thirty minutes to find shelter and that’s pushing it.”
