How did you do that
Despite his dubious humor, Herimos was a highly renowned scientist. His particular field of research was temporal anomalies. This made him a very important man among his peers. He was here trying to shed some light on the spherical object and its temporal effects.
After a short introduction, Herimos wasted no time explaining, »This spherical energy matrix could be a bridge to an unknown continuum. Not a simple portal you could stumble through into a new realm though. There’s some kind of lock that prevents that – that’s the temporal anomaly!«
»You call it a Temporal Vector. Why?« Vasina inquired. She had received a very detailed scientific schooling while her father was still alive.
Herimos looked at her attentively. Arkroid would have given a month’s pay to know what he was thinking, considering that Arkroid and his team were aliens, visiting Herimos in his bubble.
Herimos cleared his throat loudly.
»We’ve had trouble analyzing the energy matrix as a whole, but we can detect a temporal down drift. This drift or shifting becomes more evident the closer we get to the object. As we get closer to the object time elapses more slowly, almost as if we were entering the event horizon of a Black Hole … Our experiments are cut short when our probes are suddenly seized, becoming effectively frozen in time! So far we’ve not been able to compensate.«
Vasina knit her eyebrows.
»I don’t believe that it can be a natural phenomenon,« she proclaimed. »I could imagine a micro black hole or the exit of a wormhole, but I doubt that two entities like that would have stayed stable over all these years, and in a fixed position. Let’s talk for a moment about the other point you mentioned, Herimos. Why do you think this is a higher dimensional bridge or portal?«
Herimos snapped his fingers and activated a holographic presentation above their heads.
»As you can see on the display, there is not only a temporal but also a spatial anomaly. All these data were determined indirectly, but it seems feasible to believe that the energy matrix, or at least its surroundings, is subject to different laws than our time-space continuum. The closer you approach the object, the more space-warping occurs. Our measurements prove this. The laws of nature are literally reversed. If I want to believe our mathematicians, their calculations and models lead to the assumption that a space fold is establishing itself at this position.«
»Your assumptions and models are correct!« Kuster~Laap interjected, catching everybody by surprise. »All its attributes point in this direction. An artificial anomaly is creating a space-time fold.« Kuster~Laap turned toward Ray-Tor and remarked, »I must explore this phenomenon. It could be a Dark Brotherhood depository!«
Kuster~Laap’s words had vindicated Ray-Tor’s decision to bring them to the ice-barrier.
»You think there’s – what? Something hiding inside the space-time fold?« Pi picked up the thread.
Kuster~Laap’s ears were flirring as he replied, »The capacity of this anomaly is more than it seems. It might be as large as this bubble or big enough to hide an entire planet!«
»So our enemy is storing equipment, weapons or other goods there for future use?« Ivanova suggested. »What kind of technology would they need to sustain a matrix like that over all these years?«
»Well … it would certainly surpass the Languins’ and even the Neo-Sapiens’. This is much more advanced, and probably installed by the enemy or his charges.«
»This would explain why the Looters want us out of here!« Herimos announced.
»If this is a depository then there must be a way to enter it,« Vasina concluded. »We need to find the way in, without subjecting ourselves to the space-time effects ...«
Suddenly, a siren wailed, cutting off Vasina’s sentence. The scientists twitched, but then, calm and disciplined, left the compound through security gates.
»Hurry!« Ray-Tor demanded. »We need to join my warriors – a Looter attack!«
Immediately, Arkroid activated the comm-link to Nautilus.
»What do you detect, Nautilus?« he inquired.
»I have numerous biological signatures, advancing rapidly toward the Frost Station from the North!« the ship replied. »It looks like they’re oozing from a glacier rift to the surface. Crustacean-like beings … using their shell-like backs, sliding down the slopes.«
Hissing sounds from plasma weapons sounded from the outside.
»Maya, Vasina, we’ll follow Ray-Tor. Establish a defense shield around us if necessary with Vasina’s shield. Pi, you take care of Paaf! The ZyClonians will protect Kuster~Laap as usual!« Arkroid commanded.
Ray-Tor and Arkroid’s team stormed up the stairs, out of the bubble and into a heavy snowfall with only 20 meters visibility. The sporadic fire of a forward plasma launcher resounded in the distance, eerily illuminating the scene through the dense snowfall.
»Nautilus … how many attackers? Direction!« Arkroid shouted.
»126 individuals, probably Aboriginals, accompanied by 2 robot-like beings moving above the ice with anti-gravity energy fields!« Nautilus replied.
»Looter drones,« Ray-Tor speculated. »126? That’s a large attack wave! Keep on your toes!«
The hissing of plasma beamers was growing louder, prompting Arkroid to also pull his weapon. He turned around, but could not quite determine which direction the shots were fired from.
»Where do we go?« Maya Ivanova yelled against the wind. »We can hardly see the Frost Station in this snow! The Languins picked the right time to attack!«
»There!« Ray-Tor pointed to the right, obviously familiar with the terrain. »One of our foxholes!«
Suddenly, Pi saw shadows approaching out of the snow.
»Watch out!« he yelled, while Paafnas gripped him harder.
Two massive, red-shimmering bodies slid directly in between the team, making everybody scramble to the sides. Their shots only melted the snow.
The two attackers saw the danger at once and threw themselves up from the sliding-back position onto their six feet. The Languins, 2 meters tall, almost the same size as Humans, immediately took a different attack strategy, running on their six feet while sensing the surroundings with long feelers.
›Walking lobsters!‹ Arkroid thought in alarm.
»Watch out!« Arkroid yelled as one of the Languins ran toward him. »I don’t know how but they can see us. The disguise fields aren’t working on them!«
Arkroid caught a fast movement from the corner of his eye and ducked, only to hear an ugly snapping noise a second later. Ray-Tor’s weapon discharged and tore the arm from the being who was trying to decapitate Arkroid. Greenish blood spewed, discoloring the snow-white ground. The Neo-Sapiens were fighting everywhere, hand-to-hand combat with only meters between other opponents. The Languins pushed and fought to enter the tent village … with bare claws.
›They don’t have defensive shields!‹ Arkroid thought relieved.
Two deafening explosions occurred about 30 meters away, whirling the snow around. A heavy Neo-Sapien plasma cannon position had opened fire on the two drones and destroyed them. Ray-Tor had warned Arkroid’s team about the drones – they targeted living beings, implanting degenerated technology modules into their victims.
Pi watched in horror from a short distance while a Languin cut one of the Neo-Sapiens, who had come to help Ray-Tor and Arkroid’s team, to pieces. The fight was turning into a bloodbath as it grew more intense. Wounded warriors fell to the ground with bleeding and severed limbs.
The scene was horrific.
›This is like being in a bad, gory war movie!‹ Arkroid thought in disgust. ›I’ll never forget this!‹
Maya Ivanova slammed his back with her right hand, interrupting his thoughts.
»Arkroid! Don’t stand there like a statue! What’s wrong with you? Goddammit, Pull yourself together and fight!« she barked.
Arkroid saw that Ivanova had defended herself successfully against a Languin who was now gasping for air, dying, but still twi
tching at his feet.
He straightened up and looked around.
Nood and Naad were protecting Kuster~Laap but also participating in the fight, using energy jolts, throwing a Languin 50 meters through the air to impale him on two meter long icicle. Even Kuster~Laap wasn’t as defenseless as he seemed. His deep voice cracked a Linguin’s body shell with an ultra-low frequency scream.
Ivanova turned in disgust, pulled out her second weapon and kept Pi’s back free of attackers as Pi, with Paafnas on his back, tried to reach the Neo-Sapien foxhole.
Vasina took a hard jolt on her right arm, which caused her shield to slip to the ground. She screamed in pain and was jumped by one of the attackers who pinned her with one of his six legs. Before his claw could snap off Vasina’s head he suddenly collapsed and buried her underneath him. The Languin was dead before he hit the ground with his hind legs.
Then the battle field fell suddenly silent. Only sporadic shots were fired further away, among the painful calls for help by the Neo-Sapiens.
Arkroid looked around mesmerized. Trembling, back to back with Ivanova, he stood listening.
›Is it over?‹ he asked himself.
Instinctively, he aimed his weapon at the wall of snow before him, but only Ray-Tor came toward him, bleeding profusely from his left arm. He was trying to apply pressure on the arm’s artery to stop the bleeding.
He stepped close to Arkroid and glanced at him with a strange look.
»Almost half of the group of attackers was killed before the Frost Station …«
Arkroid looked around for his team members as he put his weapon back into the holster.
»What happened? Where did they go? Did the Languins retreat or flee?« he asked.
»No, they all collapsed and died suddenly!« Ray-Tor replied, sounding irritated. »I should be happy about it, but I can’t explain it. My men didn’t do that.«
Arkroid thought of the ZyClonians, but they were standing at Kuster~Laap’s side, still guarding him. Arkroid counted his team members – Voit Masgur was missing!
»Voit, where are you?« Arkroid yelled into the snow.
Vasina found him, not far from the team’s position, once she had freed herself from her dead attacker. Masgur was kneeling on the ground, shaking but unhurt. Vasina tried to help him get to his feet, but he refused her. He slumped down, stared into the snow, and wept.
»I am sorry, Vasina, but I could not let the Languin kill you!«
Vasina was breathing heavily.
»I’m okay. The attacker is dead, probably killed by a blaster. He wasn’t able to kill me.«
»No, you don’t understand, Vasina,« Masgur replied through trembling lips. »I killed the being … I killed them all!«
»What?« she asked and stepped back. »What are you talking about? How did you do that?«
»I made their auras implode!« he explained and looked at her sadly. His golden eyes were glaring.
A prime example
The snowstorm died down and the Neo-Sapiens began a body count. The result was devastating: 22 Neo-Sapiens had lost their lives and 50 were wounded.
Pale-faced, Ray-Tor received the news about the casualties, always looking at Arkroid and his team. He was especially interested in Voit Masgur who was still staring into the distance.
»A rift in the glacier allowed the Languins to get this close to the Frost Station,« Ray-Tor recapitulated. Normally we have enough early warning to prepare for their attacks. We threw a thermal bomb into the rift – it’s closed for good. It won’t help too much. The Languins always find new ways to get to us. We were lucky that your companion acted in time, and saved all our lives. I don’t think we’d have survived otherwise.«
Speechless, Arkroid watched the heap of dead Languins grow higher and higher. The dead beings were checked for degenerated technology. It was a horrible sight; Arkroid had to look away from the bloodied and maimed bodies.
After a few minutes, Voit Masgur got up and said in a raspy, sorrowful voice, »I’ve always used my abilities for the good of Humanity, I’ve never killed anyone. I never even thought about using my powers in destructive ways. I don’t know what came over me …«
»I know,« Vasina replied mutedly. »Still, we’re grateful. We’d be dead without your help.«
Her words were no consolation to him.
»You don’t know how I feel. Don’t you understand? The responsibility … the power? I’m afraid of another situation where I’ll have to do this again. It terrifies me that I am even capable of unleashing this might on living beings, killing them … I’ve never experienced this side of myself before!«
»In your defense, the Languins weren’t indifferent to you!« Kuster~Laap remarked. »They were intelligent beings like us, yet without free will.«
»That is true,« Ray-Tor agreed. »We found modules of degenerated technology on and in their bodies. Come with me, I’ll show you.«
Masgur just shook his head.
»No, thanks, but let me see your wounded comrades instead. I may be able to help them.«
Ray-Tor snarled and ordered a detail to escort Masgur to the wounded warriors.
Arkroid closed his eyes.
›He’s still in shock and in awe of his own powers. If all the Hybrids have the same abilities, they could wipe out entire nations with a blink of an eye!‹ he thought worriedly.
»Let’s go,« Ray-Tor offered Arkroid to follow him.
He led the rest of the team to another of the pressurized bubbles where the dead Languins were being autopsied. Herimos was also present and watching on a holo.
He merely nodded with a low growl when he saw Ray-Tor and Arkroid’s team entering the bubble.
»Every time we open up these Languins, we hope to learn more about the modules ... how they work and why the degenerated technology infects these beings so easily but not us,« he remarked.
He donned a white lab coat and pointed at a spider-like object that had buried itself into the skin of his lower arm.
Fascinated, Pi came closer.
»What’s that?«
»One of the Looter drones must have got to me before it was destroyed. These machines don’t understand that we’re immune to their implants. This infector will try to dig itself deeper into my body – and fail! We don’t seem compatible. That’s our good luck!«
The spider-like object was moving slightly. It appeared to be breathing.
»Why don’t you remove it, Herimos?« Vasina inquired, and frowned in disgust.
»It can neither infect me nor reproduce inside me, but if I remove it too soon it can still hurt me. That’s the wrong approach. Once it uses up all its energy it will fall off all by itself,« Herimos explained.
»Like a parasite …,« Pi shuddered.
»… but only if you’re susceptible!« Herimos grinned, showing his yellow teeth.
He pointed at the holo.
»Look at the Languins. They’re infected and the degenerated technology is spreading over their entire bodies. That doesn’t kill them, however, on the contrary …,« Herimos searched for words, »… the parasitic technology uses the Languins as hosts.«
»Same with the Globusters,« Pi remarked, watching as the autopsy brought more and more nano-conductors to light, infecting the whole body, even the brain.
»You autopsied a Globuster and you’re still alive?« Herimos laughed out loud. »Are you pulling my beard?«
»This is a serious matter,« Kuster~Laap interjected. »Nood and Naad had to kill a Globuster with their nanopods by selectively destroying modules after they had penetrated the being’s defense shield ...«
»… we were also able to autopsy dead Globusters ... without ZyClonian technology,« Maya Ivanova added.
»It would be interesting to know if the Languins are infected with the same type of modules as the Globusters. Kuster~Laap, is it possible that the nanopods can establish a reference or at least a comparison?« Vasina asked.
Ray-Tor and Herimos exchanged glances.
&n
bsp; »Go ahead, I’ll allow that!« Herimos invited Kuster~Laap.
As usual, Kuster~Laap communicated wordlessly with Nood and Naad, and seconds later, clouds of nanopods were flowing like thin fog throughout the Laboratory and attaching themselves to the modules. Arkroid and Herimos watched breathlessly on the holo.
Only Nood and Naad seemed disinterested. They didn’t look at the holo display. Kuster~Laap commented, »Nood is telling me that the modules only resemble those on the Globusters.«
»I don’t know if your bodyguards can understand me, but could they be a little bit more precise?« Ivanova hissed at Kuster~Laap.
He turned his head toward her and said in a deep voice, »Even Nood and Naad need time to analyze their findings. Please be patient!«
»There’s no need for tension,« Arkroid stepped in to mediate. »I’m sure the ZyClonians are doing everything they can.«
›Those two are never going to be friends!‹ Arkroid pondered. ›She’s still angry that he held back information about the Second Retreat before we set out for Delta Trianguli.‹
Kuster~Laap turned back to the holo.
›She’ll keep an eye on him!‹ Arkroid thought, worried. ›She doesn’t trust him.‹
The nanopods returned to the ZyClonians. Turning his back toward Ivanova, Kuster~Laap addressed the team, »The analysis is finished. The modules are not like the ones we found on the Globusters. These are specialized units, matched to the cellular structure of the Languins. The Globusters’ DNA is different, and they are silicon-based, while the Languins are carbon-based like us. The nanopods detect no module activities; the modules cease to function when the host dies – and if the modules fail, the host dies.
»Catch twenty-two!« Pi remarked dryly.
»We caught more than 22, my Human comrade!« Ray-Tor responded proudly, misunderstanding Pi’s remark.
Pi smiled inwardly, but didn’t bother explaining to him what the expression meant.
»We haven’t found a way to heal the Languins,« Ray-Tor admitted.
»I’m impressed with your analysis,« Herimos admitted to the Chiropter. »How does the matching process between the modules and the victims’ metabolisms work?«
NEBULAR Collection 4 - Second Reserve: Episodes 17 - 21 Page 17
