Equilibrium of Terror: Part 2

by Eddie R. Hicks

  “If you don’t hear from us within a day, we failed, head to the space port and buy passage on a transport to Morutrin Prime,” Phylarlie said as Odelea, Eicelea, and Vynei floated through the airlock.

  Odelea nodded toward Phylarlie as they crossed the threshold. The doors shut and the Crimson Arrow pulled away and slipped into the void of space at sub light speeds.

  “Why couldn’t she just drop us off at Morutrin Prime?” Eicelea said to Odelea.

  “If she succeeds then this ship will be our base to counter the wraith threat.”

  The three ventured into the cockpit, after meandering around the cold dark corridors of the ship. At one point they were lost for ten minutes, Phylarlie should have at least given us directions to the cockpit.

  “These computers are crude, but will have to make do,” Odelea said, eying the old and damaged Hashmedai hardware.

  Odelea pulled out her a data pad, Eicelea’s data pad, she forgot she never gave it back. She began a search on the knowledge network to see where one could find the environment controls of a ship of this make. Like the Crimson Arrow the temperatures were near freezing and she grew tired of keeping the environment suit on.

  A small sub screen on the top left corner of the data pad flashed blue constantly. Odelea wasn’t sure what to make of it; Eicelea however did and snatched the handheld device out from Odelea’s slender hands.

  “My drone . . .” Eicelea said, tapping the data pad’s screen. “It’s still active.”

  “Really?”

  Eicelea held onto Vynei’s body and pulled upward sending her weightless body higher up. The only time a Vorcambreum could look directly into the face of another species without having to look up while they looked down. She spun around while showing the contents of the data pad’s screen to her. Odelea grinned at what was shown on the data pad. A live video feed from Eicelea’s drone.

  “Scan everything you can find inside,” Odelea said. “The key to our success will be our ability to not only make the cure, but deliver it back to Rasi and Oyuri in a timely manner.”

  “That means finding a way to get the wormhole operational again,” Eicelea said. “A challenging task indeed.”

  Eicelea returned to her data pad, and used its screen to guide the drone throughout the Linl ship, scanning and looking for clues. Odelea moved toward what looked like a computer and began to utilize its research and note taking application. The Dark Star just became her new lab to work, one that was a major downgrade from the one she worked on in the Abyssal Explorer and Rasi R&D mountain complex.

  She started to review what she knew thus far to help her get a better idea where to start. There were a lot of puzzle pieces to handle. The gods made the wraith as some sort of weapon to use during ancient times, this part she knew. The order wanted an army of them for Hannah to use as part of the celestial ascension. The virus that accompanied the wraith was the sole reason the project she was tasked to work on was in the state it was. The order wanted wraith they didn’t want others to get infected and become wraith, what they wanted was humans, ideally those who had psionic potential.

  Telinei’s work on Earth was to find humans that fit that profile, outside of his side projects like Anna Chambers and her prolonged exposure to the gem and the unborn child she was carrying. This was the reason why those selected to flee Earth as refugees during the invasion were selected to board the Explorer. Telinei’s data concluded they would make the strongest wraiths once covered.

  Odelea began to type her data into the computer and wondered why she was allowed to make it this far without her body being controlled. “That’s because you’re on path Telinei was meant to be on,” the voice in her head said to her.

  A cold chill ran down her scaly back.

  And it wasn’t because of the temperatures of the ship.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Whisper Safe house, Rasi, Barnard’s Star system

  Jazz’s head hurt like a motherfucker.

  He got up to his feet from the cold floor upon realizing he was in the same room he and Vaishea slept in when they first came to this place. He touched the side of his head, it felt sore. He couldn’t remember who had hit him only the events leading up to it.

  Chloe and Vaishea right. Vaishea was being strapped to that operating table, forced down while she screamed, pleaded, cried for help. Her memories were going to be wiped out to make way for Chloe’s to be transferred back into her body, which apparently was originally Chloe’s body to start with. Jazz’s PTSD rage kicked in and things got pretty violent from there as he saw the crew sedate the two of them.

  Then some asshole came in with a pistol whip from behind.

  Yes, Jazz understood that in the end he had no real say. Vaishea was in control of Chloe’s real body and Chloe wanted it back. If he were in that spot he’d demand it too. But overwriting the memories of Vaishea in the process? It was a death sentence, Vaishea would no longer exist, Chloe’s mind returning to her body was murder in his eyes. And there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He failed to save her, much like how he failed to keep Alisha and Hannah out from the order and their twisted plans.

  Jazz left the room and entered the central computer room where various Whisper members worked, diligently observing the crisis on Rasi and beyond. Heurol stood behind one tech with his augmented arms crossed viewing a holographic screen. Jazz walked over and picked up the computer core from the helmet him and Vaishea found on the surface, resting on the table. He held the device up toward his face, wondering if Vaishea had known that putting it down here was going to be one of the last things she did in life before getting erased from existence.

  “Yo,” Jazz said, handing Heurol the computer core. “We found your missing agent. Vaishea said this will provide you the details of their end.”

  “I had a feeling the order got to her before we realized something was wrong,” Heurol said, then handed the device off to a computer tech who loaded the contents of the core into a holo player.

  They watched the contents of the core play; it showed recorded helmet camera footage of Katotea last moments. She was in the lab they had discovered and shoot up prior. Heurol translated to Jazz what was being said in the projection. The order needed humans specifically with psionic potential due to genetic alterations the Lyonria performed on the human race many years ago. Katotea in the projection hacked into a computer in which she saw information regarding a newly discovered wormhole generator deep beneath the surface of the ice. The report theorized that the Lyonria used it to travel to Earth in ancient times; they just don’t know how to activate it.

  Katotea was caught by rangers loyal to the order during her hack. A gun battle broke out and her programmed memories allowed her combat training to resurface. She became a hardcore markswoman from a timid scientist in an instant as she gunned down and killed five order loyal rangers. When she thought she was in the clear, a lone ranger ambushed her and shot her dead. Her body was later tossed out of a transport in the middle of the snow field where Jazz and Vaishea found her.

  The projection ended, Jazz groaned as he rubbed the side of his sore head. “I want things to get simple not more complex.”

  “This changes everything,” Heurol said. “The Lyonria visited your world in the past.”

  “If I’m not mistaken the order was also interested in coming to my home planet long before the invasion.”

  “They must have known about the Lyonria coming to an ancient Earth.”

  “Yo, hook me up with a copy of all that shit,” Jazz said. Eupiar’s smart, she’ll make sense of it all.

  Another stash of valuable intel came into Jazz’s hands as the holographic recording was saved onto a data crystal and a copy given to him. One of the doctors working on transferring Chloe’s mind back into her body shouted toward Heurol. Both him and Jazz returned into the room where Chloe and Vaishea were sedated for the transfer. No, Vaish and Chloe, Vaishea no longer existed.

  Chloe rose, now in her true body
, the body Jazz had gotten so used to referring to as Vaishea. “How do you feel?” Jazz asked her.

  “I have fucking migraine.” She examined her body, intrigued at what she saw. She brushed her hands through her short brown hair; Jazz could tell she wasn’t digging Vaishea’s hairstyle. “I feel younger.” She tried to stand, but her movement looked slightly off. “And slightly weaker, Vaishea wasn’t one to workout, was she?”

  “Take it easy, you shouldn’t be moving about just yet,” Heurol said.

  Chloe said. “I’ll rest when I’m dead, we got work to do.”

  Jazz watched Chloe’s personally convey through Vaishea’s body. It was the final reminder that just like that, Vaishea was gone. Jazz looked at Vaish, the Linl body Chloe had been in control previously. She was still sedated, resting on the operating table.

  “What’s her story now?” Jazz asked Heurol.

  “She still only has fragments of her memories now that we removed Chloe’s from her head. From her point of view—”

  Heurol was cut off mid speech as Vaish had awoken from her slumber and leaped off the table. Vaish’s head moved around, her eyes were wide open; she was dismayed at what she saw around her as she began to scream and yell words in the Radiance language.

  “She has no idea where she is or who we are,” Heurol said.

  Vaish attempted to make a run toward the exit only to be tackled by concerned Whisper agents. She fought and struggled with them, she was pissed off as far as Jazz could tell from the tone of her voice. Whatever her plans were, they must have ruined them as she put it the facts together quickly. More Whisper members ran in to subdue her. A medical device was injected into her arm, sedating her once again.

  Jazz and Chloe weren’t surprised of the power she had, after all Chloe had been in control of her body and kept up with the rigorous training EDF members needed. Which brought to Jazz’s mind a new stipulation, Vaishea wasn’t a soldier. Chloe’s body wasn’t as fit and strong anymore as a result.

  “Holy fuck . . .” Chloe said as Vaish’s body was lifted back up onto the operating table.

  “What did she say?” Jazz asked.

  Chloe said. “She said ‘the fleet has awoken’”

  “What fleet?”

  “Don’t know and I guess we never will until we get the rest of her memories back,” Chloe said. “We need to head back to Sol.”

  Heurol laughed at her idea. “Ask the Pelican for a lift?”

  “The Pelican is under control of the order,” Chloe said to him. “They destroyed the Abyssal Explorer and sent people to attack us prior to coming here.”

  Heurol’s laugher turned into a frown. “Are you serious? Because the Pelican is not only the strongest ship in the system, but has the power to order all other Radiance ships to do its bidding.”

  “And made an example out of the Explorer,” Chloe said.

  “Were they any survivors from the Explorer?”

  “Not many, all are stuck on Oyuri.”

  “Fuck,” Heurol said, and ran toward a computer in the central computer area. He began to examine a map of the system, listing the location of all Radiance ships, Chloe and Jazz followed behind. “We’ll have to make contact with them somehow. If what you say is true, then as it stands we and those survivors are the only ones that know the truth and stand a chance at retaking the system.”

  “Retaking the system without a ship? Good luck that,” Chloe said.

  “We need to contact a ship that has the balls to defy the Pelican’s orders and get it to side with us.”

  Heurol changed the screen of the computer to display satellite footage of the surface of Rasi. He saw the conflict growing outside of the walls of the arcology, and zoomed in further to take a look. “You weren’t kidding about the Pelican,” he said. “They just deployed more ground forces. And there’s a ship under attack by psionics.”

  He pointed to the Silver Raven as it circled around, firing its plasma cannons at levitating psionics that attempted to attack it. “That’s the Silver Raven, my ride,” Jazz said. “We probably shouldn’t keep them hanging any longer.” Jazz reached for his communicator, something he probably should have used upon arriving to let them know they made it alive. “Eupiar how goes it?”

  “Vel is getting upset, otherwise fine for now,” her voice transmitted back with static in the background.

  “More psionics just teleported down, along with several transports, ya'll see that?”

  “Yeah, and according to the Pelican’s comm chatter,” Eupiar said. “They’re looking for human survivors. At first, I thought it was you and Chloe, until they mentioned they’re looking for you two as well.”

  “I knew those humans were going to be a liability,” Heurol said to himself.

  “We need to get them off world,” Chloe said to Jazz.

  “How? The Silver Raven doesn’t have enough space.”

  “I’m not flying multiple transports at once again,” Heurol said. “Besides with all the fire power outside, they’ll shoot the transports down in minutes.”

  “Then ya’ll gonna have to keep them safe from not only the wraith but the Celestial Order’s death squads,” Jazz said.

  Heurol rolled his eyes at his comment. “Oh brilliant, why didn’t I think of that.”

  “Yo Eupiar, we’re coming back to ya’ll standby,” Jazz transmitted to her.

  Chloe finished the tedious task of swapping the environment suit she had on with the combat armor Vaish wore before she placed Vaish's body inside the environment suit. Jazz took the time to bring her up to date in regard to the wormhole that was discovered, the two agreed it was worth looking in to. It was a surprise considering the long list of conflicts and disagreements she and Jazz shared since their lives along with the galaxy got turned upside-down.

  Jazz picked up Vaish's body with the intent of bring her aboard the Silver Raven. Regardless if the wormhole idea pans out or not, their destination was back to Earth; Vaish's memories existed in a data crystal somewhere in the Sol system, assuming someone found it aboard the JFK in the aftermath of her battle there.

  The two left the safe house minutes later, backtracking through the slums and back up onto the streets of Courelia city. Chloe took point as she was the only one in combat armor and Jazz had his hands full, carrying Vaish's body over his shoulder. They made it back to the airlock they came through evading roaming wraith in the process.

  “So you remember everything eh?” Jazz said as he stopped to secure his helmet along with Vaish's.

  “All of my memories and experiences are back where they belong.”

  “And Vaishea?”

  Chloe opened the airlock doors; she looked out the windows into the darkened skies. The blizzard finally came to an end. “Don’t recall anything. It’s all gone.”

  “Eupiar, same entrance as before,” Jazz said, while they stood before the final airlock door.

  The doors swung open and they stepped onto the rail less raised platform. Both of them saw the Silver Raven still under attack come down toward them. Down below several rangers were seen looking for a way in via the lower airlocks. The snow that covered the platform blew up and scattered in the air as the Silver Raven rapidly swooped down with its door wide open. Chloe ran and leaped aboard first and tossed her rifle aside. She extended her hands outward in a come-the-fuck over now motion as Jazz ran with Vaish’s body still laying over his shoulders like a firefighter making an epic rescue from a burning building. And what a dramatic leap he made, several balls of plasma exploded behind him just as he boarded.

  They were safe, for the time being.

  Jazz moved to place Vaish in cryostats, right next to his shape shifting Aryile science project he picked up on Paryo. With Vaish secured and frozen in time, the two entered the cockpit, in which Veloshira, Eupiar and Destiny waited for them.

  “Now what?” Eupiar asked Jazz.

  Jazz tossed a small data crystal toward Eupiar. She quickly caught it with her quick reflexes. “Ther
e’s a mention of wormhole here on the planet,” Jazz said. “Its location was revealed somewhere in the video, find it quickly.” He tossed a second data crystal toward her. “Dunno what the fuck that shit is. Take a look at it later, we found it at the mountain complex.”

  Jazz took a seat next to Veloshira while Eupiar inserted the first data crystal into her laptop and reviewed its contents. As the Silver Raven flew away from the arcology, Chloe noticed the amount of rumbling the ship was receiving from the attacks had subsided. “The psionics seem to be letting up,” she said.

  “Probably too drained from their attacks,” Eupiar said.

  Jazz and Veloshira said words back and forth in the Hashmedai language, the look on his face changed to a more concerned one. “The psionics are the least of our worries,” he said. “They’re trying again with the missiles from orbit.” He looked at Eupiar and asked. “Please tell me you got something?”

  “Found it,” she said. “It’s underwater.”

  “As in below the snow and ice?” Destiny asked her.

  “Yup.”

  Chloe’s understanding of Rasi was that it was a planetary version of Europa a world with a giant thick layer of ice around it and a warm ocean below. The Silver Raven was a space ship, not a submarine. How the fuck are we getting down there with everyone shooting at us? A thought Chloe hadn’t considered when they were still in the safe house.

  “No need to fret,” Eupiar said. “I have a plan to get us underwater, provided Vel approves of it.”

  “Veloshira?” Jazz said to her. Veloshira spoke and Jazz relayed the translation to the rest of the non Hashmedai speaking passengers. “She said its fine and doesn’t see any other option for escape right now.”

  “That sounds like approval to me,” Chloe said. “What’s the plan?”

  Eupiar explained. “First, we need to get close into orbit, as close to the Pelican as we can.”

  “Why?”

  “I need to download files off their databanks; the connection to the backdoor I installed on the Pelican isn’t stable at the moment.” Before she could finish, the Silver Raven rocked, they were under attack, and this time it came from orbit. “The closer my laptop is it the better the signal, not to mention faster download speeds.”