The Shadow Connection

by Adair Hart

  The vampire that had led them down pointed at everyone except Evaran, then at benches.

  “Guess we just observe this one,” said Dr. Snowden.

  The vampire nodded.

  Dr. Snowden shrugged and took a seat along with the others. This was a bit more formal than he expected, but he was not worried.

  Evaran approached the table. “I await my hearing.”

  A man with a white robe, white hair, and blue eyes spoke in a deep voice. “I am Gozerul, supreme leader of this council. Your request came from the Helians, which we would normally not accept. However, it is you, Evaran. A special case has been made. It has … been a while since you last saw us. We are aware that the Evaran Protocol is in effect.”

  Dr. Snowden noted that the six Daedrould sitting to the right of Gozerul wore similar clothing and were a mix of female and male. He sensed that although they were Daedrould, they were not vampires as he knew them.

  The five vampires to the left of Gozerul each wore very different outfits. Dr. Snowden’s nanobots sensed that each of the five were a different strain of vampire. The first one wore a pure-black outfit with a cape and a neck piece that extended back over his head. Dr. Snowden realized that the feeling he got from that one was similar to Count Boris. Maybe he was a Raskarian.

  The second one wore an expensive-looking black business suit. Sunglasses covered the eyes, and a gold watch shimmered under the lights. The third one had a shaved head, with tattoos on his neck. His uniform was more military based. It was the fourth one that caught Dr. Snowden’s eye. Unlike the others, the fourth was female. She had on an outfit that reminded him of a cross between a trench coat and a black Victorian Gothic dress. Her dark hair and almost pure-white eyes were startling. He gulped as she turned to look at him. He focused on the last vampire, a dark-skinned male. He wore an elaborate dark-blue robe with a belt.

  “What is the purpose of this hearing?” asked Gozerul.

  “To ask for help in assaulting the various bases controlled by Caltorus.”

  “Caltorus … we have heard of him,” said Gozerul. He gestured at the first vampire to his left. “This is Count Razero. He has talked with Count Boris and verified that Caltorus is no threat.”

  “Your information is out of date,” said Evaran. “Count Boris was killed recently. He had been committing genocide on another planet, through a rift door. He tried to capture us but eventually failed and was captured himself. During his imprisonment at the Helian base, Caltorus attacked. That is where Count Boris died.”

  Count Razero stood. “You surround us with your twisted truth! I talked to him last week.”

  “You can verify after this.”

  Count Razero shook his head for a moment, then slammed a fist on the table. “Then who was responsible for his death? Name this person so we may seek vengeance.”

  Dr. Snowden noticed Zed looking down.

  Evaran sighed. “What is important is that Caltorus has grown in power. He will threaten this world in time. Please, sit so that this meeting does not take longer than it needs to.”

  Count Razero glared at Evaran for a moment, then sat back down.

  “So the facts, as you know them, are that Caltorus attacked a Helian base and Count Boris is dead,” said Gozerul. He narrowed his eyes as he extended a hand out toward Evaran. “Your request is that we help you … how exactly?”

  Evaran nodded. “The Helians have split, and with that went roughly half of their bases, which are now under Caltorus’s control. I plan to attack the base with the second rift door but will need help taking the other bases simultaneously. That requires intelligence centralization and logistics in regard to ships and manpower. The Ollikrin Nation has already agreed to help with both. I always prefer a less violent solution, but Caltorus has shown to be quite clever. I would not expect this to be without casualties.”

  Gozerul checked with those on his right, then on his left. His gaze settled on Evaran. “And … if we refuse to help you?”

  Evaran tapped at his belt, causing a portion of it to slide out. He reached into the dimensional pocket and pulled out a ring. He held it up for the council to see. “Are you familiar with what this is?”

  Gozerul shook his head and verified with the others that they did not know what it was either. “What is it?”

  “It is a Kreagan emperor ring and is given to those who have performed a service above and beyond for the empire,” said Evaran. He pointed at Dr. Snowden, and then Emily. “They also have one. This means that … whoever helps during this situation will be part of the new governing body for Earth. This ring allows me to influence what group the Kreagan representative speaks to.”

  The vampire in a business suit sat forward. He raised a finger. “Erik here, grandmaster of the Blooded vampire strain. I recognize the … business value … of supporting you, regardless of what this council does. You’re Evaran, someone who is a sure bet in my book, an asset worth dealing with.” He smiled, showing his fangs, while gesturing outward with both hands. “Let it be known that the Blooded will assist you. Let me know how we can help.”

  The female vampire grinned. “I’m … Lady Hassrik, elder priestess of the Vanar coven. Like Erik, I too would participate in this … venture. The Vanar are in.”

  Evaran raised a hand. “You can take time to discuss this among yourselves. I will leave my contact information, and based on who is helping, and what data I get, we will formulate a plan and go from there.”

  “Your proposal will be taken under consideration,” said Gozerul. He sniffed the air in Jake’s direction. “The scent of Lord Noskov coalesces around you. Where are the self-righteous ancient vampires?”

  “Umm … sleeping,” said Jake.

  Gozerul harrumphed. “As expected, they believe themselves to be superior to this council.” He raised his head a bit at Evaran. “We’ll be in contact.”

  “We will head back to the Helian base with the first rift door and have a meeting in one week’s time. Anyone who wishes to be there can be,” said Evaran.

  “This council meeting is adjourned then.”

  As the council began to filter out, Erik and Lady Hassrik came up to Evaran, who had joined Dr. Snowden and the others.

  Erik extended a hand toward Evaran. “Finally, I get to meet you. This is one business meeting I would never miss.”

  Evaran returned Erik’s handshake.

  Lady Hassrik sequentially eyed Dr. Snowden, Emily, and then Evaran. “The great Dr. Snowden, heroic Emily, and noble Evaran. I too finally get to meet you all.” She shook Evaran’s hand and then the others’.

  Dr. Snowden gulped. Lady Hassrik was much more attractive up close than he expected.

  “You can count on the Blooded. We’ll always go in on a sure thing, and any event that involves Evaran is just that,” said Erik.

  “Your support is appreciated,” said Evaran.

  Lady Hassrik smiled. “The Vanar may not have the resources of the Blooded in terms of soldiers, but we have power in our own right that we can lend.”

  “Any help is welcome. I am guessing the others will discuss it among themselves.”

  Erik shook his head. “They’ll debate … but come around eventually. Their loss if they decide not to help. They don’t always see … opportunity, even when it’s presented before them. I wouldn’t expect Gozerul’s loose union of witches and warlocks to commit, or the Dazricans, for that matter,” said Erik, gesturing at the dark-skinned, blue-robed male that was leaving the room.

  “I am not familiar with them,” said Evaran. “I hope those who decide to help do it soon. When we get back, there is some planning to do. In the short term, we have one more stop.”

  Lady Hassrik grinned. “If you went to the Ollikrin Nation, then came here, the next one would be … the Imperium, the last bastion of the ancient gods. You chose the three most powerful groups outside the Helians, although the Helians’ power status is debatable.”

  “I am not sure what to expect there, but I und
erstand they wield significant power. That and … one of their members seemed to be involved.”

  “You’re Evaran,” said Erik. “They’ll do whatever is necessary if you’re involved, just like the Blooded will. The Imperium are smart like that, and you’re very well-known to them.”

  Evaran extended his hand to them in sequence. “I will take my leave then.”

  Erik and Lady Hassrik shook Evaran’s hand before he exited the room with the rest of the group.

  Jake rubbed his eyes as he sat in the lobby of a building in Lower Manhattan. It had only been a few days since they had gone into the underground tunnels just west of there. He smiled as he observed the Imperium security guards hustling around. Although they had on modern blue slacks, white shirts, and blue jackets, they also had advanced-looking helmets with eye pieces that stood out. Their weapons were much different than what Jake was used to seeing.

  He had read up on Outsiders, dimensional beings that crossed over into Earth from other dimensions. Most of the Ollikrin Nation were Outsiders. The one trait that defined all members of Imperium was that they were Outsiders and posed as gods or legendary figures historically. Ares was a part of the Imperium, so Jake was not sure how that would be addressed. Although they had gotten in at 2:00 a.m., it was now 10:30 a.m. He yawned when he saw Emily yawn.

  She smiled. “Yeah, feeling it a bit too.”

  “Well, we won’t have to wait too long,” said Jake, pointing at a small group of security guards headed their way.

  The lead security guard stood in front of them. “Evaran?”

  Evaran stood.

  “This way, please.”

  Everyone followed Evaran, and after thirty floors in an elevator and a short walk, they entered a large boardroom.

  Jake raised his eyebrows as he examined everyone. He recognized Odin sitting at the head of the table. His dark business suit seemed to have a glow about it, and his white hair stood out as it flowed behind his shoulders. He was popular and often considered the face of the Imperium. Everyone else wore professional attire. It was apparent they ran their empire like a business, the path to power in today’s market. Jake knew that not all their business was legitimate, but for the most part, trying to pin anything on them would be difficult.

  Odin stood and gestured for Evaran and the others to take a seat on the other end of the long table where he stood.

  Evaran and the others took their seats.

  In a booming voice, Odin said, “We couldn’t get every board member together on such short notice, but seven of us were able to come, and we can make a decision if need be.” He pointed his finger from left to right across the seated members. “We have Zeus from the Greek pantheon, Brahma from the Hindu pantheon, Quetzalcoatl from the Aztec pantheon, Amun from the Egyptian pantheon, Dagda of the Celtic pantheon, and, finally, Raweno, who is here as a representative of the many Native American pantheons. Guan Yu could not make it.”

  “I am glad you all could come on such short notice,” said Evaran.

  Zeus wagged a finger at Evaran. “You know Hermes is going to be upset you didn’t stop in and greet him. Hercules would be too, if he were not off running around in other dimensions.”

  “They will see me again,” said Evaran. “I hope they are doing well.”

  Odin took a seat. “Well … we know why you’re here. The Daedrould and Helian councils have already updated us, and it looks like what you want to do is already sanctioned by the Ollikrin Nation. Impressive. However … in all the chaos, there are other … groups … that are taking advantage of the Helians’ weakness. We are dealing with that. Nonetheless, we’re willing to help you, but we’re unsure of how to do so.”

  “It is appreciated.” Evaran stood and gestured at the center of the table. “V, show them all of Caltorus’s bases.”

  “Acknowledged,” said V as he flew above the table and shot down a projection of a globe that had multiple red dots on it.

  Evaran pointed at the red dot just off the coast of New Zealand. “That is where I am headed with a small group.” He flicked his hand, causing the globe to spin, and he pointed at the red dots as they passed. “I believe with the support from the Daedrould Council, the Helians, and the Ollikrin Nation, we will have the numbers and transportation to hit all the bases simultaneously.”

  “You’ll have the numbers,” said Quetzalcoatl. “What role did you have in mind for us?”

  Evaran smiled. “With so much activity, it is bound to draw the attention of the humans. There will need to be a blackout of this event.” He pointed around at the various board members. “This company is old, and very powerful. It has multiple media companies under its belt, and from what I researched, a very extensive reach when needed. This blackout will include satellite feeds.”

  “Well, you came to the right place,” said Dagda with a big grin. “We have our own army that can help. We’re not toothless, and if the battle is to be joined, then the Imperium should be involved in all aspects.”

  “If you wish to add support in that manner, I have no objections. I am only asking now for help with managing the public relations aspect of this.”

  Odin rubbed his beard. “Help can be given on the media front. You’re asking for a blackout, but the other will need some consideration.”

  Evaran raised a finger. “There is another issue. Ares has aligned himself with Caltorus. From what I know, Ares is a member of the Imperium. He will be subjected to my judgment, which could be a problem if he is an Imperium member.”

  “His … membership … has been denied,” said Amun. “Some Imperium members … have been joining up with Caltorus. As such … they lose membership with us, and gain our wrath.”

  “Then it is not an issue,” said Evaran.

  Amun smiled. “I would not think it would be.”

  Raweno ran a hand over his mouth and in a deep voice, he said, “Your plans … after?”

  Evaran reached into his dimensional side pocket and pulled out the Kreagan emperor ring. “This ring will bring the Kreagan ambassador to meet with the new ruling group for Earth. It will not be just the Helians. Whoever helps me will have a seat on a new council.”

  Odin’s eyes widened. “You’re … you’re going to change Earth’s management?”

  “Something like that.”

  Zeus nodded. “If that’s the end goal, then there’s no debate here. We represent all the old gods and various other Outsider groups.” He glared at Zed. “It would be preferential to have some say in Earth’s role in galactic affairs, especially since nonhumans are not allowed off planet unless the Helians allow it.”

  Zed looked away.

  Evaran swept his gaze around the table. “It will take some time to coordinate everything. I will be at the Helian base outside this city. I suspect it will take a week to get the full assessment of who is coming and work out logistics. Caltorus knows we are coming, and that is okay. Until then.”

  Dr. Snowden yawned as he checked out the rest of the briefing room. It had been upgraded over the course of the week, as more holo emitters were installed. It was 10:00 a.m., and with only seven hours of sleep under him, he felt he could use a few more. At least with all the buzz going on, it was easy to get caught up in the activity and keep his mind occupied. He noticed Evaran looked fresh and wide awake as always.

  Evaran had worked diligently for the last week, as various players from the groups began to show up in holo conference. He had requested Dr. Snowden and Emily help with coordination. Sometimes there were several people wanting to discuss strategy simultaneously, but Evaran had to talk to them alone due to confidential reasons.

  Dr. Snowden enjoyed talking with those who waited. It gave him insight into the perceptions they had of the world.

  At least Emily seemed to be in better spirits. She had talked more with Evaran about the Zed incident, but Dr. Snowden could see how being taken out of the fight by Jake and then made to be part of Count Boris’s death would weigh on her. The date with Jennifer
three days prior was probably a good distraction for Emily, and he suspected that had something to do with her good mood.

  Jake and Robert were their usual calm selves. Dr. Snowden enjoyed talking with them, and he could see them as traveling companions if they ever wanted it. He doubted they would take Evaran up on it, given all the ties they had established on Earth. Zed was in the room, and it seemed there were several other managers standing in the back. Zed seemed to be isolating himself from the other managers. That was probably for the best. From what Dr. Snowden understood, some of the managers were very close with Lee.

  As the holo forms began to appear, the room went quiet. The first three to appear were the Helian council members.

  A lump formed in Dr. Snowden’s throat as he saw the empty holo seat that Ardorin would have taken. The memory of Ardorin’s ruthless death played in Dr. Snowden’s mind, making him breathe a bit harder. He closed his eyes and focused for a moment. When he opened them, he saw that Mary Everoak and Tim had appeared.

  “We’re here,” said Mary.

  Evaran performed a slight bow with his left hand across his stomach.

  Gozerul, Erik, Lady Hassrik, and the vampire with a shaved head and militaristic uniform appeared next.

  “Greetings to the Daedrould Council,” said Evaran, repeating the same action he did with Mary Everoak.

  Gozerul and the others slowly dipped their heads. Gozerul raised a hand. “The Daedrould Council has arrived. Those in attendance have agreed to help you. Those not in attendance have chosen not to.”

  “I am glad for those who have decided to help.”

  Mary tilted her head. “Gozerul.”

  “Mary Everoak,” said Gozerul with a slight nod.

  Dr. Snowden watched as the other vampires, Helian council members, and Mary exchanged greetings. It was apparent that she wielded some influence.