by Darren Sloan
"Where are we?" I asked.
"This is where the generators are regulated and controlled. This is as close as I was able to get us. Arkane must be further inside."
"Do you have any idea where he could be?"
"He must be headed to the main control nest. That's two floors below here."
"Fine. Let's go." I didn't know how much of a lead Arkane had on us, but I was sure it was significant. I was hoping since he supposedly hated technology, even if he had made it to the control center, it would take him some time to figure out how to do whatever he had to do. I looked around at all the computer equipment that filled the room and I could tell it would probably take someone who knew what they were doing some time to figure things out.
Panther and I ran out into a hall and she led me along to an elevator, but as she pressed the button to turn it on, the lights went out. The backup lights came up shortly after.
"He knows we're here." Panther said.
"How?"
"If he does have your power, he's connected to you."
"Fine. Doesn't matter. We take the stairs. Where are they?"
"There are no stairs."
"What?"
"Access to the control nest is highly regulated. There's only one way in."
"Then how do we get down there? Can your Comm-Sphere get us down there?" I looked up at the flying sphere, but then it exploded in the air. My eyes drifted down and I saw Red Janet standing at the end of the hall.
"Hello, sister." She said as she stalked toward us. She held a rather large rifle in her arms and smoke was rising up out of the barrel.
"What are you doing here?" Panther asked.
"I was following your little friend. No easy task, I admit."
"Your master is about to destroy Xenos. I'd think you'd be secured in his little rat city."
"My duty is to destroy him," She said, pointing toward me. "Lord Arkane has no need for the alien anymore." Panther pulled out her sword and stepped in front of me.
"There's no time for this. If you don't let us pass, you'll die too."
"To die for Lord Arkane would be the greatest honor!"
"What happened to you?" Panther asked.
"To me? How did you stray from the true path? For generations our family has served the Great Truth!"
"And I still do, but Arkane is nothing more than a despotic psychopath! He turned Xenos into an empire of slaves. How can you so blindly follow his madness?"
"I have faith in our master. I have faith in Xenos!"
"On that much we can agree, but I will never bow to Arkane!"
"Then you will die!" Red Janet threw her rifle aside and pulled out a large bladed weapon from her back holster. She then leapt forward, but Panther was quick with her sword as well, and they were locked in battle. By the intensity of their faces, I was getting the idea there was more going on than a simple ideological disagreement. As they fought, I noticed another Comm-Sphere floating nearby. I assumed it was how Red Janet had caught up with me. I ran over to it and once it was close enough, I grabbed it. It began to vibrate and shudder as it tried to break free from my grip, but I held on with all my might. I looked over my shoulder and Panther and Red Janet were so focused on fighting we could have been floating in space and they wouldn't have noticed. I looked down at the Comm-Sphere. I had no idea what to do. It was flashing and buzzing and I had no idea how to control it.
"Take me to Arkane. I don't know if this is how you work or anything, but if this might work, just do it. He's down there. Take me there!" The Comm-Sphere kept freaking out, but time was racing away. My patience was gone. I started banging the damned thing against the floor as hard as I could, screaming at the top of my lungs. It then leapt out of my hands and another Wurmhole opened up. I had no idea where it was going to take me. All I could hope was that it would be better than where I was. I ran into the light and after a bright flash, I found myself in a large glass chamber. There were computer terminals lined up in several rows. It was like I was in the heart of the internet. I wandered through for a bit and then I saw a path that led to a small room in the front, and there I saw Arkane.
His back was to me and as I got closer, I saw that he was pressing holographic buttons in the air as he was accessing the generator controls. I couldn't tell what he was doing, but I knew he had to be stopped.
"Pretty fancy button pushing for someone who hates technology." I expected to take him by surprise, but he merely tipped his head toward me with little concern.
"I've had eons to learn the secrets of my enemy,"
His voice was deeper than I remembered and made the whole room shiver. "I have had this planned for a very long time. I must say, I'm rather pleased to see you, alien."
"Are you?" He snapped around to face me. I froze for only a moment, but that was long enough. His armed snapped up and I fell back and slid across the floor. I looked up and he was standing right in front of me again. His eyes were sparking with power. I could feel his strength pushing against me. As our eyes met, I felt a chill run through my entire body.
"My intention was to have you eliminated back at the castle, but I regretted the decision right away. It just felt empty to achieve this great victory without you to be witness. Your powers are what are fueling me. I owe this all to you."
"I can stop you." I said as I struggled to my feet. Once I was balanced, Arkane took another swipe and I fell back against the wall. My mouth was filling up with blood and I felt a tooth swirling around. I struggled forward, but with my first step, I felt Arkane's fist driving into my stomach. It felt like I was getting hit with steel bars. I fell to the floor and was only able to stay up on my knees. I felt my bones rattling around and my hearing was starting to fade. Arkane then stooped down and our eyes locked.
"You are weak. It was only the God's Blood that made you strong. Without it, you are nothing. This is not your world. This is not your fight. You are just a spare piece of this universe with no purpose or destiny. This gift was never meant for you. You were always meant to return here so that I may reclaim it. It has all come to pass. Do yourself a favor, and just lay down and allow yourself the peace of death." He said. He then stood up and returned to his business. The idea of just falling down and letting go was tempting, but I couldn't. The idea of just letting him win was contemptible. I started crawling, like a baby, toward the maniac.
"You'll die too!" I barked. He turned and smiled once more.
"You really think an explosion, even of this magnitude, could harm me? With this power? I am forever! I am immortal! I will outlive the mountains and seas!" As Arkane went on, I noticed the crystal in his chest was glowing in an erratic pattern. It was shifting colors and flashing fast and slow. The power I was feeling wasn't coming from Arkane, but from the crystal. My eyes focused on it and I felt as though I were in slow motion.
I leapt up and flung my hand out, snagging the crystal. The power inside surged through me. It was like a thousand bolts of lightning shooting through my body. Arkane tried to pry my hand away, but it was fused. My eyes began to fill with light. I started to see things. Visions ran across my eyes. I saw the city above and all of Arkane's forces advancing and destroying everything in sight. It then all started to play out backward. Everything that had been done came undone. The lives lost were restored. It felt like I was pulling back time itself.
One last jolt threw me back and Arkane tumbled down as well. As I got up, I felt different. I felt stronger. Complete.
"No! No!" Arkane bellowed. I turned to him and he looked smaller and the crystal he held was no longer glowing. He had lost the power and I had regained mine. I let the suit out. I allowed myself the indulgence. As it covered my body, I felt whole again. It was like an old friend had finally returned. I felt the energy crackling through the air.
"Well, Arkane," I said as I approached him. "How about round two?" His face was twisted with rage and he lunged at me. I wound up to punch him, but I felt the suit start to slip from me and it retreated back int
o my body. It was in that moment I realized I was still wearing the collar. I was a bit taken aback, and Arkane took the advantage and tackled me to the floor. He was still very strong, even without my powers. I felt his hands enclose my throat and he started pressing down.
"I'm sorry. I guess I exhausted the God's Blood. Without your power, you're nothing!" He barked. It felt like something in my neck was about to break as I peered past Arkane to the computer. The read out was turning red and even though I didn't understand a single thing it was displaying, even I could tell something bad was going to happen. I tried to recall the suit, but the collar wouldn't allow it. My vision was growing dark. "And once I have reclaimed my kingdom here on Xenos, I can expand it to Earth! I've always wanted to colonize new worlds. To spread my power across the universe! I'm almost tempted to let you live to see everything and everyone you love trampled under my boot. Almost." My mind went to Tyler. My city. My friends. There was no question Arkane had great power, even without the God's Blood, and against the forces of Earth, he would lay waste to everything. I couldn't let him destroy Xenos and I sure as Hell wasn't going to let him touch Earth.
My vision started to rally and I was able to muster up a sharp convulsion and I managed to push him off of me. I got to my feet and prepared myself for the worst. He just smiled at me. He looked at me like I was just a child. He came at me again, but I ducked and came back up fast. I caught him right in the chin and he fell back. When he looked back at me, it was obvious that I had caught him off guard. I lunged at him and it was like I could see everything in slow motion. I countered his every move as though I saw it happening seconds in the future. His body language was clear to me and I knew what he was thinking and what he was going to do. I finally had him on the defensive. It felt good. I drove my fist into his jaw and I enjoyed the feeling of his bone cracking under my fingers. He fell to his knees, blood dripping from his nose. My mind finally started to calm down and I thought back to the visions I had when I was fused with the crystal.
"When I grabbed that crystal; did I turn back time?" I asked.
"Don't be too pleased with yourself. It was your power, but it was my skill. I don't know how you managed it, but it will have been for nothing!" I looked up and saw the computer. It was doing something. I didn't know what, but it was doing something fast. Symbols and numbers were ticking away faster than I could blink. "It's too late." Arkane growled.
"What did you do?"
"What I said I was going to do. The generators are going to overload and all of this will be gone!" I could only believe he was telling the truth. I had no idea what to do. I tried to recall the suit again, but it had no effect. My stomach sank as I realized I was on my own. I had to think fast. I didn't know if what I was doing was stupid or not, but I didn't have time to think. I ran toward the computer and started pushing at the symbols. It felt like I was doing something right. I just shut everything off when I got the choice. I guess it was doing some good because the computer was beginning to overload and spark. Glass panels began to explode and finally after a great crash, everything died. As the lights failed, I was panicked I had just ended the world, but soon the lights came back on and everything seemed to be normal.
"Backup systems initialized." A soothing voice said over invisible speakers. Everything looked a mess, but it was clear I had stopped Arkane. I turned toward him, hoping to taunt him, but he was gone. There was only a small puddle of blood where he had been.
I went back up and found Panther with an unconscious Red Janet trussed up on the floor.
"You stopped him? You stopped Arkane?"
"He got away, but yes. I also think I fixed everything up there, but we won't know until we see for ourselves. Let's get out of here."
Chapter 28
The Decision
We made our way back to the city and everything was repaired. I had turned back time. All the pain and damage Arkane had inflicted was undone. The city center had been restored as well. Panther escorted Red Janet back to the Hunters Academy. She said they would be able to contain her until she could be held accountable for her crimes. I went on to meet with The Council. I figured after everything that went down, it was time to have one last conversation with them.
It was much easier to get to them than last time. The streets were whole and there were no massive, prehistoric beasts stomping all around the place.
I made it to The Council's chamber and they were all there and seated at their table. It looked as though they were expecting me.
"Hello." I said as I approached.
"Hello," Prime Nero said. "And I think a 'thank you' is in order as well. You stopped Arkane and saved the city."
"How did you know?"
"The collar was also a monitoring device. We have seen everything you've gone through with it."
"You didn't mention that."
"Of course we didn't. If we had, you would have been aware. The test requires complete disclosure. I must say, what we have seen is very impressive. I don't think any of The Intended have ever faced such odds with so much at stake. And as an off-worlder, you handled it masterfully."
"Thank you."
"The Council has much to discuss concerning the recent events. You'll be taken back to your cell until tomorrow and we will render our decision at that time."
"What? Are you kidding me? I almost killed myself stopping Arkane and you're keeping me in a prison? After everything?"
"I'm sorry, but it is the procedure. Guards."
Two guards came in behind me and forced me along.
I was back in my cell and I was stretched out on the bed with nothing to do but wonder what the next day would bring. I heard some footsteps and I looked up to see some more guards bring Panther back to her cell. She stepped in and just sat down on the floor and stared straight ahead. The guards left and everything was quiet again. I looked over at Panther and she seemed fixated on whatever was in front of her.
"Hey." I said. Her head rotated toward me.
"Are you all right?" She asked.
"I'm fine. How did it go with your sister?"
"She's in secure custody now, but after I delivered her, I was sent back here. The Council's orders."
"Yeah. Same here. You'd think after saving the day, we'd get a break."
"The Council's will is strong. I'm sure justice will win out."
"Very reassuring." I turned over on my side to face Panther. She looked stoic in her spot.
"I never had a chance to ask, what happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"When that Wurmhole took me to the desert, what did you do?"
"I looked for you. Gunther's Comm-Sphere was damaged so I couldn't see where it had sent you, so I simply remained on our path, hoping to pick up your trail."
"Did you make it to the city?"
"No. I had been searching for you for days and then a Wurmhole transported me back. That was when Arkane launched his attack."
"You really looked for me?"
"I was your guide and it was my duty. I couldn't allow you to be stranded alone here."
"Well, thanks."
"You are welcome, but I owed it to you for saving my life. It seems now the entire planet owes you."
"I'd settle for just being let go at this point. What do you think they're going to do?" Panther looked over to me. She tried to look confident, but I could sense the doubt in her dark eyes.
"I don't know. Nothing like this has ever happened before."
"Great. I love being a trail blazer."
"The Council is fair and will take into account all that has happened. You must have faith." I leaned back and allowed my head to fall upon the pillow on my bed.
"I know I should, but you'll forgive me if I'm running low on faith, being locked up in an alien prison."
"All will be as it should." She said. I turned to her, but she was back in her quiet pose.
It looked like she was meditating, so I chose not to disturb her. I began to just stare at the ceili
ng and allowed my mind to drift. It was hard to concentrate on anything. It was either thinking about what was going to happen next, or thinking about what was happening on Earth. I wondered what Tyler was doing. I didn't know how much time had passed on Earth. Had he moved on? Was he out on a date as I was lying in an alien bastille? Would I ever see him again? I began to feel cold inside and a helpless, hopeless wave came over me. I was desperate. I clasped my hands together and rested them upon my chest and did something I had not done in decades. I prayed.
The next morning I woke up in the exact pose I fell asleep in. I estimated I had managed about three hours rest. I got up and looked over into Panther's cell, but she was gone. I then heard the sound of approaching footsteps. I saw Denwall and his guards coming up to me. He stopped in front of my cell and pushed a button on a control panel on the wall and the laser walls came down.
"Please come with me." He said. I had nothing to say to him and I had no motivation to fight. I just did as he instructed.
The path we took to see The Council seemed the same as all the other times we went, but at some point, we took a left when normally we turned right. The areas we were walking through were unfamiliar. We soon were getting on a lift that took us down and we actually left whatever building we were already in. We walked out into a large courtyard that seemed to be centered between four of the largest buildings in the city center. The sun was out and shining as brilliantly as it did on Earth. The people passing by seemed to avoid looking at me, and that started filling me with dread.
We entered another building and Denwall led me to a small circular pad.
"Remain here." He said and then walked off. I soon discovered I was alone in a dark chamber and then a bright light filled my eyes. When my vision returned, I found myself still standing on the circular pad, but I was in the center field of a great stadium. There were millions of people in the seats surrounding me and they were all cheering and setting off fireworks. It was a celebration. I looked up and I saw The Council ahead of me on the field set upon a large platform. They were lined side by side with Prime Nero dead center and Panther was flanked beside them as well. Nero motioned at me to approach, so I marched toward them. I stepped up onto the platform and Nero came up to me. The crowd grew silent and even though there were millions surrounding us, I felt utterly isolated.
