Equilibrium of Terror: Part 2

by Eddie R. Hicks

  It was also in the western portion of the city where the human refugees from Earth made their home. Generous construction workers and volunteers studied the designs of human houses and apartments and used the eight years the human refugees spent on the Abyssal Explorer, designing, and building a community for humans to live. Everything one would typically find in a suburban neighborhood on Earth existed in this district. Streetlights, roads, (even though cars didn’t exist on this world,) houses, markets, theaters, and malls.

  Weather seasons and sunrises aside, the human refugees felt at home almost instantly. Best part of all? The edge of the district overlooked a beautiful untamed jungle for those lucky enough to have a home in that section. It was a house like this where Corporal Rana Farhadi of the EDF spent the night asleep on a couch.

  She had soft dark hair and rich olive skin highlighting her Middle Eastern ancestry. Her green eyes opened to the sound of chirping and growling of animals in the jungle outside of the backyard as the backdoor was left open, letting in the hot humid air. She pulled her body up to sit upright on the couch and took notice of the empty bottles of booze on the floor, Linl lager. The empty bottles gave her an explanation as to why her mouth felt so dry and her body dizzy.

  She heard plates clang against the surface of a table coming from the kitchen, she wasn’t the only one awake. She walked across the carpeted floor, barefoot, wondering what happened to her shoes last night as she entered the kitchen. It too had empty bottles all about, while Lieutenant Diego Gomez, her friend and commanding officer prepared something that smelt . . . bad. It must be his breakfast.

  His shirt was off and she saw his large powerfully built and heavily tattooed body while he continued to cook his meal. “Yo, Jefe,” she shouted out to him. “What is that smell.”

  “Breakfast,” Gomez said as he showed her a frying pan with dark orange substance in it. “An omelet made from Dericalian eggs, ya want?”

  “I’ll pass thanks.”

  “Smell like ass, taste like heaven, yo.” He used a spatula to push the omelet out of the pan and onto two plates, offering her one of them. She shook her head while her nose cringed at the potent scent that it emitted. “Your loss, but you should get some food in ya for that hangover.”

  She sat at the dinner table with him and asked. “What the hell happened last night?”

  “Remember the party?”

  “I remember the going away party yeah.”

  “You, Gavin, and I think Sarah got pretty fucking smashed.”

  She didn’t remember what happened when the night started to die off, just everything leading up to it. EDF-1 along with Gavin and Ella were spending their last night here at Gomez’s place before being shipped off to Earth. There was a going away party, lots of drinking, followed by stupid stuff soldiers do when they are allowed to have too much fun . . . Rana’s hands performed a quick pat down of her body, something felt off.

  She figured it out and asked. “Where’s my fucking bra?”

  “Strip poker,” he said, grinning while digging into his breakfast.

  “I didn’t . . .”

  “Oh you did.”

  “I remember playing that with Chambers and Lynn, but it didn’t go that far.”

  “There was another game later in the night.”

  “Damn it . . .” she said, stroking her hand through her long hair, frustrated. “Anything else I should be aware of?”

  “That involved you? No that was it, Gavin and Ella however.”

  “I don’t want to know.”

  Rana got up from her seat and proceeded outside onto the patio via the opened back door. Clear blue skies were above while the dual sunrise continued . Beyond the fence in his backyard stood the expansive jungle that went on for god knows how many kilometers. Most of the landmass Unity City was on was still largely uninhabited. So much forest, so much land, untouched by civilization since the dawn of time, it was a mesmerizing thought. One that often made her wonder what life would have been like had she chosen not to enlist and become a member of EDF. Being a solider didn’t provide a lot of time to explore an alien planet on your own accord.

  Gomez followed behind her with his plate in hand, he was still consuming his awful-smelling meal. Both of their heads tilted upward to the skies. “They’re probably long gone by now,” Rana said.

  “Lucky bastards,” Gomez said. “They get to return to Earth and we’re stuck out here. It’s good though, I kinda grown fond of this place. All that’s missing is some food and entertainment from Earth.”

  Gomez’s data pad beeped, notifying him of an incoming message. He returned inside to pick it up while Rana stayed on the patio looking at the wonders before her, and listened to the sounds of children in next door backyards play. It was a little slice of normalcy, something that was taken away from everyone five years ago, well more like thirteen if the years spent in cryo are included. She heard a man call out to the children asking them to come inside for breakfast, their father by the sounds of it.

  Father.

  There wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t think about him, left behind on Earth because Radiance didn’t have enough space to bring him and many others aboard the Abyssal Explorer.

  “Hey Rana!” Diego shouted to her.

  There was a sense of urgency in his voice, she returned inside to face him. “What’s up Jefe?”

  “Priority one message from command,” he said. “Someone attacked EDF-1 on their way out.”

  EDF HQ, Unity City, Lejorania Sanctum, Alpha Centauri System

  The main headquarters for the EDF on Lejorania Sanctum was located next to the primary Radiance military installation on the planet. It was a symbolic way of showing the alliance the two formed as they faced a common enemy, the Hashmedai Empire and now the Celestial Order. It also made it easy for Radiance to take control should the UNE choose to become the sixth member of the union.

  A briefing room deep inside the base held members of EDF teams 2 and 3, while Brigadier General Glenn Anders stood next to a holographic projection. Rana and Gomez were the last two to enter and took a seat next two other members of their team, Sergeant Tatiana Stepanovich and Private John Cooper.

  “Let’s get started,” Anders said and interfaced with a hologram that dimmed the lights in the room. The hologram later switched to security camera footage of Chloe and Chris coming under attack. “Approximately three hours ago a Hashmedai assassin attacked EDF-1 while they were preparing to go aboard the Abyssal Seeker which was going to take them back to Earth.” A male Hashmedai assassin with long black hair dressed in black appeared in the hologram. He was seen beheading the pilot to a transport EDF-1 was aboard. “The transport EDF-1 rode on crashed, and two members were forced to escape on an underground train. Around that same time.” The projection switched to one of a female Aryile psionic with long violet hair killing several Radiance members who sat at computers. “This psionic attacked the primary operations center for the city and began to take control of the trains, allowing the assassin to catch up with them.”

  “I presume the two EDF members were the targets of the assassin?” Gomez asked.

  “Seems like that,” Anders said. “Major Chloe Vaughan and Sergeant Chris Boyd were the two that were chased by the assassin. However reports from Radiance suggest that the main target was Boyd as he was the first to come under attack.”

  “What’s the status of EDF-1?”

  “They survived, however, Major Chambers suffered some head trauma. They’re aboard the Abyssal Seeker now, heading out of the system. This brings us to our next issue, the attackers . . .” The hologram changed showing a closer view of the assassin in question, “facial scans show that this assassin is the same one that managed to infiltrate the hospital that was treating General Hilemei, killing him and the medical staff that were looking after him. Nodevar Phantasms.”

  “How did a lone Hashmedai make it out here?” An EDF member asked.

  “Nodevar was supposedly present
during the invasion of Earth,” Anders said. “It’s possible he somehow managed to infiltrate the Abyssal Explorer and arrive here at the same time as the rest of us.”

  “He would have needed a cryopod of his own to survive the trip,” Rana said. “I doubt anyone aboard the Explorer would have provided him with one.”

  “The Celestial Order might have . . .” Gomez said.

  “That’s what we suspect,” Anders said. “Considering the psionic that attacked the operation center was an Aryile woman, and most likely was working with him.”

  “Isn’t the order still a Radiance cult?” Rana asked. “Why would they be working with Hashmedai?”

  “That’s what I hope you all will find out,” Anders said while the light level returned to normal. “This attack was aimed solely at humans so it will be our job to get to the bottom of this. Radiance will provide assistance in any way they can, but ultimately, we will be spearheading this operation. We need to find out where Nodevar Phantasms and this woman ran off to and who are they taking orders from.” Anders then addressed Gomez. “Lieutenant Gomez, I want you and EDF-2 to follow up on all leads within the city.” Then the leader of EDF-3 was given orders. “Lieutenant Hawke, your team will investigate leads off world.”

  Lieutenant Kasidey Hawke nodded in confirmation. “Aye sir.”

  Both EDF-2 and EDF-3 entered the docking bay of their HQ. Two Radiance transport ships were primed and ready for takeoff and waiting for their human Special Forces teams to enter. Rana along with Stepanovich and Cooper entered their transport. Stepanovich as per usual kept silent in her seat, while her large shades hid any emotion she had on her face. Her long black hair was tied into a bun, while she performed a series of system checks on her magnetic sniper rifle. Cooper was the opposite, his hair was cut short, he performed no checks of his equipment as he hung out in the cockpit chatting with the Rabuabin pilot. He said about how different his life was currently compared to when he was living on Earth in his mother’s basement.

  Gomez was the sole reason neither transport left the docking bay, he was busy calling for Hawke to leave her transport and speak with him. She came out eventually. Her tied-back brown hair was blowing in the wind that entered from the entrance leading to the outside world. “Kasidey,” Diego said to her. “No, hello? No nice to see you again?”

  “You’re an idiot,” she said, then gave him a hug in her armored protect suit. “Satisfied?” He merely laughed. “Yeah good to see you again, man.”

  “Good luck out there,” he said holding onto her shoulder.

  Hawke joined the rest of her team aboard their transport. Its wide doors slid shut and the craft took off. Something ours should be doing . . . Rana thought as she watched Gomez stand and watch the transport leave.

  “Excuse me . . .” a voice yelled from behind.

  Gomez turned around to see who had called out to him, with a curious look on her face, Rana did the same and stepped off the transport. A Javnis man wearing a grey jumpsuit approached them. He had a cybernetic arm, but clearly wasn’t a psionic, it was a prosthetic arm by the look of it.

  “You are the human team searching for the assassin?” the Javnis asked.

  “Yeah that’s right, Lieutenant Diego Gomez, EDF-2 leader.”

  “Corporal Rana Farhadi, also for EDF-2,” Rana said.

  “I am Captain Mil Gengei of the Abyssal Sword.” He raised his arm to perform the traditional Radiance greeting. “Your acquaintance is recognized.” The two returned the gesture, before offering their hand to shake. The traditional human greetings. “I have some information that may assist you in your search.”

  Gomez’s lips curled. “Really?”

  “I fought the assassin you are seeking. He was on Earth during the invasion of your world.”

  Chapter Six

  Abyssal Pelican, Oyuri orbit, Barnard’s Star System

  “Sir, the transport we captured from the Explorer . . .”

  Jainuzei spun his chair around to face the young Vorcambreum officer at her computer station hoping for some good news. However the body language on her three-foot-tall body said otherwise as she looked at her small holographic projection. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “It’s leaving Oyuri,” she said after reviewing the data before her.

  Jainuzei faced the former captain of the Pelican, who now took on the role of second in command and still hadn’t gotten around to giving him a full update on their situation. Jainuzei asked him. “I presume that wasn’t part of the plan?”

  “No, they were supposed to stay and terminate the rest of the crew that escaped.”

  Jainuzei paused, knowing that the whole operation was now on him and not that of Peluei the former captain. Jainuzei was determined to prove to those around him he had no fear of this new, monumental task. The Celestial Order must be successful here for its final plans to be put in motion and the crew of the Explorer was a threat to that. Jainuzei needed to make the right choice, and it needed to be done now.

  “Contact them,” Jainuzei said.

  “We’ve tried sir, no response.”

  Jainuzei noticed the Vorcambreum officer panic in her seat, there was unexpected activity on her screen. Something was going on outside of the ship. “They’ve entered sub light!”

  “Location?”

  A Javnis psionic began to focus, using his mind to track the fleeing transport ship, the transport ship that was supposed to be under Celestial Order control. “Looks like it’s on a course toward,” the psionic paused, then after a suspenseful sixteen seconds said, “Rasi.”

  “How soon can we get another team on the surface?” Jainuzei asked.

  “I can a have a transport ready in fifteen minutes,” an eager to please crew member said from behind him.

  “Do it, then have us follow,” Jainuzei said to them, then addressed the rest of the communication officers. “Contact all Radiance ships in the system, tell them. Tell them someone might be trying to break quarantine from Rasi.”

  Transport En Route to Rasi, Barnard’s Star System

  The trip from Oyuri to Rasi was just under an hour, a perfect time for Chloe to sit back in her chair as she began to think of the past. Just not Chloe’s past, rather Vaish’s past. She remembered a time . . . must have been hundreds if not a thousand years ago when the Linl government was still an independent power in the galaxy. The Hashmedai Empire attacked an outpost in Dark Lejorania aka Proxima Centauri. Imperial Destroyers could be seen out the windows of the small Linl frigate she and Fiesei were aboard. Fiesei, his name was simply Fies back then.

  The ship was boarded and the captain called for an evacuation of all personnel. Both Vaish and Fies wore experimental suits similar in design to the protect suits. Several of the intruding Hashmedai tried to stop their escape, none survived the husband and wife duo, they were a deadly force. They encountered a wounded crew member who looked like Karklosea, though her blonde hair was much longer. The shuttle bay was near and Vaish along with Fies and the woman who looked like Karklosea had boarded. Gods, what was her name?

  Vaish took the control of the shuttle; she was not only a fighter but a trained pilot. It flew away from the Linl ship that had more or less been captured by the Hashmedai navy. It was the memory of those flying skills that allowed Chloe to pilot the transport, steer it clear of the Abyssal Pelican and set a course to Rasi, on a journey to where ever the hell the Whisper on this planet were hidden. And it was Vaish’s foggy memories of being a Whisper agent that allowed Chloe to hack and adjust the mind shield settings of the transport, blocking out all psionic activity inside it, including Radiance. Sadly most of Vaish’ memories were fragmented, as much as she tried, the only memories of Rasi that popped up technically belonged to Chloe, as she arrived via the Silver Raven.

  She woke sometime later from the flashback. The transport’s computer played an audio notification in the Radiance language, letting her know that she was about to arrive at her destination. She took control and slowed it dow
n from sub light speeds as the dark and icy world of Rasi appeared up front, along with a large blockade of Radiance ships in her path. Several messages from each and every ship pinged her, requesting that she turn around and leave the area at once, for Rasi was under quarantine.

  Their warnings fell on deaf ears. Chloe piloted the transport forward toward a small opening between the multi-ship blockade, just small enough for a transport to fit through. She double-checked to ensure their shields were at maximum. She had a feeling they would be needed in a few minutes.

  Silver Raven, outer edge of Barnard’s Star System

  The Silver Raven’s engines remained dormant for nearly a day after its dramatic escape from the Abyssal Pelican. The small Hashmedai ship placed itself far away from the inner planets namely Oyuri and Rasi so that ship based sensors would have a hard time detecting it, and far enough so that it was just out of range of psionic ESP.

  Both Veloshira and Eupiar diligently checked the location of all known ships in the system to monitor if they were adjusting course toward the Silver Raven. No ship however did so, all them remained around Rasi, while the Pelican remained at Oyuri, another Radiance ship that was in orbit around Oyuri vanished from sensors.

  Of course the data they got was a few hours out of date and it was that knowledge that caused Eupiar to be surprised as new data transmitted to her laptop. Her hands flicked away the holoscreens that hovered next to her and a new one appeared listing new data for her to pick and have fun with.

  “Well, well, well,” Eupiar said after reading the new data.