“It had this clutched in its hands,” Jonna said and picked up the remnants of a flag. Stitched into the cloth was the Z symbol, the same as the necklace Gregaor gave Da’Mira, and what was carved into the cask that Charles possessed.
The Z symbol appeared all over the galaxy, at every expedition site, in one form or another. On uniforms, on jewelry, and on weapons. It was the one constant thing that led to Uklavar. Or perhaps a government that opposed the horned beast, Da’Mira thought.
Jonna picked up what appeared to be a palm device, but larger and bulkier. “I tried to turn it on,” she said. “But the power is long since depleted.”
Da’Mira reached for it but retracted her hand when a sudden pull tugged at her. Gravity increased, and she, Colin and Jonna had to reposition their footing. Standing upright became difficult. The unseen force pulled hard on them – relentless it yanked them, tore them and moved them against their will.
The light ahead grew steadily brighter. Beyond the cavern through another opening, the radiant light was intoxicating.
“Hug the wall, and find a finger hold,” Jonna shouted. “If you don’t, you’ll be pulled in.”
Da’Mira and Colin followed Jonna’s instructions. A thunderous BOOM, BOOM, BOOM sound grew louder and when the three stopped at the cusp of the opening. The hairs on Da’Mira’s arms stood up, there was static electricity in the air – it was like nothing she ever experienced before.
“Join hands... and follow me...!” Jonna shouted.
Da’Mira stepped out away from the wall, following Jonna – she held tight to her companion’s hands. A wash of superhot air engulfed them.
Da’Mira’s eyes dried out from overexposure of the heat. She blinked trying to add moisture to them and clear her vision. When her eyesight came into focus, she stood there in disbelief. Overwhelmed – it didn’t make any sense, yet there it was, right in front of her. Free-floating, contained in the center of a spear of pure white energy. There was a moment of disbelief, when reality seemed to disappear. Yet, the words were spelled across the hull of the ship. COSMOS.
Cosmos was a prototype ship. The first vessel to have the capability to create manmade wormholes for instantaneous travel across the galaxy. Incidentally, it was also captained by Rachel Tannador, an ancestor of Da’Mira’s.
Thought destroyed, it wasn’t discovered until recently that it survived its maiden voyage – a voyage that sent it hurling back in time eight-thousand years.
The vessel was intact and in pristine condition. The bombastic drumming sound intensified. The booming made it difficult to think. The electricity in the air tingled the skin – it was nerve-racking. Is this what Origin wanted us to find...? Da’Mira wondered. Is this the catalyst to fight Uklavar...? “What does it all mean?”
The Xavier Explorer Ship – Seeker
In Deep Space Between Wormhole Jumps
October 9, 2442 – Earth Time
There was a darkness aboard the Seeker. So dark, that it blotted out all emotions, save one – fear. My Own had remained in a constant stupor since Uklavar brought her aboard the Xavier exploration ship several months ago. Time was meaningless, the space outside her window, endless. She was lost. Lost and scared. The first time she had ever been scared in her life – and that included her time incarcerated in the breeding facility on Earth. At least there she knew her brother, Colin, would be coming for her. But in the emptiness of space, the chances of her ever seeing him again were remote.
Though she hadn’t seen the horned beast since they arrived on the ship, his presence was never far away. What crewmen she saw, seemed mindless, their movements controlled. Although My Own had no proof the beast had invaded their minds, their movements seemed constricted and under constant scrutiny. But if that’s true, why hadn’t he taken control of me? She wondered. Considering for a fleeting moment, Maybe I’m not important to his plans or maybe I’m only needed for the real reason that he brought me here... I don’t warrant any other concern.
Uklavar was a monster. A creature of battle who waged a war on all sentient life throughout the galaxy. Trillions of lifeforms wiped out in their attempt to quell his thirst for power. But there was more to it than that, My Own was sure of it. She had known people who had delusions of grandeur, the High-Born on Earth, who pressed those less fortunate under the heels of their shoes. But unlike the oppression of man against man, Uklavar’s desires were far more terminal. Where man relished in the pain of others, Uklavar reveled in death and destruction.
But who do you rule, when everyone is dead, My Own wondered. “Earth...” she said in a tight anxious whisper.
My Own found herself staring at her reflection in a mirror. Her hand caressed the curvature of her face, the age lines indented into her skin were deep for a girl so young. She lived an arduous life, a life many would consider torture. But on Earth, among the Highlanders, she was free. Free to think, free to live the way she wanted and free to die the way she wanted, too. She might not have had the typical life of a sixteen-year-old – even for a Highlander, but most girls in the clan didn’t have Colin McGregor as a brother.
After the death of their parents, Colin did the best he could for them, even if he didn’t realize his bravado had a lasting impact on her. My Own wanted to be just like Colin. A rogue, a fighter, a rebel. That’s what got her into trouble – and led to her being captured and put in the breeding facility. She didn’t harbor ill toward Colin, but he should have seen that his actions played a part in her upbringing.
My Own drug her fingers through her unruly dark hair. It had lost its luster and faded, looking grayer every day. The rings under her lavender eyes darkened, the glow dimmed. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t set foot on a planet in many weeks. If only that was true, she lamented. It was simple, Uklavar was siphoning the lifeforce from her – her vitality slipped away from her moment by moment. My Own knew her fate. It was only a matter of time.
She turned away from her haggard reflection.
Her heartbeat quickened – a nervous tension overcame her. She wanted to cry, wanted to bury her face in a pillow and smother the life out of her. She drew a sharp breath. Suicide had been an option since Uklavar abducted her. Death would prevent his renewal and his eventual rise to power. The only thing that kept her from that heinous act, was who she was... a McGregor. She was stronger than that. Am I?
My Own had heard stories of Highlander’s taking their own lives. Those who could no longer stand the starvation, the cruel winters and the constant attacks from the Orlander security forces. Colin called them cowards for taking their own lives. But My Own knew it went deeper than that. To take your own life, to be in control of your destiny, takes the power away from others. She thought. It takes a strong person to consider suicide, and an even stronger person to do it. My Own’s mind went blank for a moment. Am I that strong?
No – who would I be to leave a fight before it is finished? She was a clansmen, a warrior and a fighter to the end. Her heartbeat leveled when she came to that conclusion. Uklavar was the enemy and unlike her brother and the Lady Tannador, she was on the frontline and the battle was now. In any case – he would find another to take my place.
The door of the chamber swooshed open and caught My Own off guard. She turned toward it, reaching for her side as if she expected to find a sword there.
A second later Gregaor Xavier entered the room. “It’s dark in here,” he said and commended, “Lights on.” The room brightened.
Gregaor Xavier was dressed in gold and black, the colors of house Xavier, his uniform crisp and clean. An energy weapon was holstered on his hip. A sour expression drew up on his face, and he held the back of his hand to his nose. “What is that horrible stench?”
My Own stood feet from Gregaor, he eyed her filthy attire. Her clothes hadn’t been changed since she arrived on Seeker, still wearing the one-piece coverall that she had worn down to the planet. Her hair was filthy, and it was apparent that she hadn’t bathed.
“Dear God, I
always heard Earth born people were dirty, but I never thought, never realized how filthy you really were.”
“Now you know,” My Own said snidely. “What do you want here High-Born?”
Gregaor’s eyes smoldered with contained anger and with twisted mouth, said, “You are summoned. The Great One requires you.”
“Why?” My Own asked.
“I wouldn’t dare guess his thoughts. I am merely obeying his will,” Gregaor said.
“You mean an instrument of his will, don’t you?” My Own asked. “When you saw the creature on the planet for the first time, you fled in fear – I thought you pissed your pants. Now look at what you’ve become. His lacky.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s in your head High-Born. He’s controlling you and everyone else on this ship. Otherwise you all would be resisting him, except maybe for you. Like a child you’d be hiding somewhere, cowering in your own feces.”
“How dare you.”
“How dare you,” My Own replied adding a razors edge to her words. “He’s taken your ship – for what I do not know, though I’m sure it’s not good. Where are we headed anyway?”
“The Great One has set the course. His will be done.”
“His will be damned.”
Gregaor pulled the pistol from his hip and pointed in My Own’s direction. “I can’t kill you. As much as I want to,” he said. “But if you don’t clean yourself up to present yourself to his Highness, I will beat you with the butt of this weapon until you do as I, and the Great One commands.”
“I’d like to see you try,” My Own said taking a half a step toward him, only to stop and reconsider. She was weak. Under different circumstances she could hold her own in a fight with Gregaor. Now is not the time, she thought. If Uklavar was wanting her to come to him, things have changed. Maybe he wanted to finish her. Draw the remaining life from her and cement his power. Whatever the reason, and whatever happened next would forever change what was to come.
“Alright, High-Born. I’ll do what you say. I will need to shower and have clean clothes.”
Cautious, Gregaor replaced his pistol, but kept his hand close to it and said, “I will have some garments brought to you. But do not keep his greatness waiting. He is not patient.”
My Own sequestered her reply. Anything else she would say on the matter would fall on deaf ears. She kept her opinion to herself, weighing her options – though there were few of those at her disposal.
Colin once told her, “If you are out of options, then you have nothing to lose.”
My Own’s choices were of her own making and she already settled on the most predictable outcome. It would not end well for her.
The Xavier Explorer Ship – Seeker
In Deep Space Between Wormhole Jumps
October 9, 2442 – Earth Time
My Own followed Gregaor down the long hallway on the upper deck of the explorer ship. After weeks of living in a dark room, the bright lights of the corridor stung her eyes, and caused an underlying headache. She stared at the floor as they walked past members of the ship’s crew. Their scrutinizing stares were uncomfortable and judgmental. She refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing their disdain. But their actions were not their own. Uklavar was everywhere, his power resonated throughout the crew, they were his eyes and ears. Through them he was the true master of this vessel. The more she resisted, the more she weakened the horned beast’s power, or so she thought – she hoped. In the grand scheme, her act of rebellion did nothing to oppose the will of Uklavar, but My Own hoped it annoyed him a little.
The hot shower and clean clothes put My Own in a different mindset, though the weight of the galaxy still pressed on her shoulders, she approached her problems with a different perspective. If her story was going to end soon, she would do so with dignity and unafraid, even if she was terrified.
My Own slipped her fingers through her new hairdo. Gone was the unruliness, hacked off in the shower with a dull knife leaving it uneven but manageable. The shower rejuvenated her, the color had returned to her face and she looked young again. What has changed? She wondered. For weeks an unnerving presence invaded her soul and ate away at her resolve. Cooped up in her chambers, she saw few people except for those who brought her food and drink, yet, My Own was never truly alone.
An underlying manifestation kept her company and chewed away at her like a beaver on a giant tree. It kept her awake at night with whispers of conquest and domination over everything. Every second, every minute, every hour of every day, the voice never stopped, but it never once tried to persuade or lure her into obedience. It was like Uklavar wanted something more from her.
Before Gregaor came into her chambers the inexorable voice stopped. A weight on her heart lessened and any hope of escape she had when she arrived on the Seeker had gone – forever. She would die here, she felt that, even though she couldn’t explain how, it was an unrelenting feeling she couldn’t shake and, she prepared herself for what was to come. If it meant death... So be it.
With death looming, My Own decided she would not go out of the universe looking like a beggar. Instead she dressed in an all-white jumpsuit, that zipped up the front with a black belt pulled tight against her waist and equally black ankle high boots cinched just as tight. Without some kind of weapon, she felt naked and vulnerable. Yet even if she was armed, she couldn’t think of a weapon that was a match for Uklavar.
Gregaor stopped outside a door and looked down to My Own. “You will be respectful to the Great One.”
My Own looked into Gregaor’s eyes and studied him. She wasn’t sure if the man she was looking at was Gregaor Xavier, or a vessel for the evil of Uklavar. Could they be one and the same? She wondered. Had Gregaor been under his control before the beast was released from his prison? She wasn’t sure. My Own heard stories about House Xavier. They were people without honor. They manipulated and bent others to their will. Perhaps that’s why the creature can control them so easily, she thought. Evil knows evil.
My Own didn’t once consider that she was pure of heart and that was the reason Uklavar was unable to control her. There has to be another reason.
The door in front of them slid aside and My Own preceded Gregaor into the room. The chamber was well lit. It smelled like fresh roses – she expected to find some elderly grandmother sitting in a rocking chair staring out at the starfield just beyond the window. Instead – the monstrous form of Uklavar stood at the window – his back to them. His horns had grown since he escaped his incarceration, his skin a darker green.
The exoskeleton surrounding Uklavar’s hulkish frame bulged from the pressure of his mass. The muscle tissue under his skin ripped and flexed. His breathing weighed heavy on the room. Each breath made My Own’s skin crawl, as the chamber grew colder.
Rolling her eyes over to Gregaor, My Own saw a glare of sweat on his face. Before they entered the room, he was cool and calm. Assured of his service to the horned beast. She couldn’t tell by his expression if he was fighting the control of the creature or succumbing to Uklavar’s willpower.
“I want to thank you – for nourishing me, these last few months,” Uklavar said in a deep, yet calm voice. His temperament vastly different from what My Own saw back on the planet.
“I’m not sure how to respond to that,” My Own said.
Uklavar stepped forward – his ruby eyes dull, he offered a faint smile, less insidious than before. “A simple you’re welcome would be a start,” he said.
Defiant, My Own demanded, “What are you going to do with me?”
The smile from Uklavar’s mouth faded and he said flatly, “For now you are a guest aboard my ship.”
My Own glanced at Gregaor who remained expressionless. If anything, she would have thought Uklavar saying the Seeker was his ship would have caused some kind of reaction from Gregaor.
My Own didn’t reply. She didn’t want to push her luck. At that moment she should be happy she was alive. The creature had stopped feeding of
f of her, which was better than the alterative. But to make demands might anger him, and that wasn’t something she wanted to do. Colin had told her, “The best defense is to do nothing. Waiting. Waiting for the right time to either escape or kill the creature.
My Own drew a sharp swallow breath when she saw Uklavar staring at her. Can he read my thoughts, she wondered, drawing her eyes to the floor.
Gregaor drew a breath and finally spoke up, saying, “What are your orders, My Lord?”
Uklavar kept his eyes directly on My Own, but addressing Gregaor, said, “For several days I have been sensing a presence of an intelligence at work. Probing deeper and deeper into space.”
“The Origin computer?” Gregaor asked.
My Own studied Uklavar’s eyes, they grew brighter by the moment. A tightness formed at her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. Keep calm, keep calm. He can’t read your thoughts, she tried to convince herself. She became drawn into him, her vision blurred, and the only thing encompassed in her mind was his eyes, his mesmerizing eyes. He can read my mind... her heart drummed, a fire stung the back of her eyes and her brain throbbed growing warmer, then hotter and hotter still. Her legs weak, My Own stayed focused, afraid she was going to pass out.
Strength returned to her legs when Uklavar broke his gaze. My Own sucked in a wanted breath and took half a step back but remained aloft.
“It is not Origin,” Uklavar said. “I sense an organic intelligence married with that of a computer. A hybrid mind at work and it’s coming from the planet you designate as Earth. Is ape descended man so cerebral that they can create an amalgam such as this?”
“I am unsure my lord,” Gregaor said. “I have never encountered such a thing.”
“I know you haven’t, I am in your mind – I see what you see, I know what you know. And you are right – though it is not as intelligent as the Origin computer, it is growing and evolving and will be a valuable ally if properly nurtured.”
Origin Equation Page 3
