Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure

by Christian Kallias

  The blackness in his mind began to recede, little by little. His consciousness returned to him as the hate and anger dissipated slowly away. When he felt he could stand it, he dared to open his eyes.

  What he saw made no sense to him.

  There was simply nothing left. The ground he was standing on had vanished. As had the rest of the planet and its three moons. He was floating in space. Drifting helplessly amongst a sea of shards from the planet he’d destroyed and faceless bodies that looked like shadows.

  What—just happened?

  Chase looked around in horror as an overwhelming feeling of dread settled in the pit of his stomach.

  Had he done this? Had he just destroyed an entire solar system? It wasn’t possible…

  Tiny, weightless tears poured from his eyes before losing themselves amongst the debris in the blackness of space.

  This can’t be happening. It can’t be happening.

  He repeated the silent mantra again and again.

  I couldn’t have done this. And Sarah has to be alive. She can’t just be gone…

  One of the tears landed upon what looked like a tiny hand made out of glass. Upon impact, the hand began to solidify before Chase’s very eyes—hardening and coloring itself until he was staring into the grave face of Aphroditis.

  Chase stared at her in horror, fighting the urge to hide his face. He didn’t want to ask, but he had to. He had to know. “Did I do this?”

  Her sad eyes looked back at him with pity. “Such is the power of the Fury, Chase. Without control, it can destroy everything in its path.”

  Chase’s eyes flickered wildly around, resting on the debris of the shattered planet. “But this? I didn’t mean to do any of this.”

  “Of course you didn’t,” she said kindly. “But the loss of your beloved sent you into an uncontrollable spiral of hate and rage—unleashing the Fury inside you.”

  Chase covered his mouth with his hands, unable to reconcile the terrible guilt ripping his heart in two. All those people… All those worlds…

  Dead. Because of him.

  “You must learn to control your powers,” Aphroditis cautioned, “or there will be casualties your soul will not be able to bear.”

  “I… I already can’t. How could I have done this?”

  Then she gave him a small smile. “Fear not, Chase. This isn’t real.”

  It was like someone had popped the molten balloon growing in his chest. He covered his face and exhaled slowly. “This is a vision?”

  “Yes, and an important one. One that shows what can happen if you lose control.”

  Chase’s mind flashed back to the battle. “Like I did on the ship?”

  “Yes.” She inclined her head. “On the ship you were able to control your powers by sheer instinct, but we may not be so lucky next time around.”

  “Well, what can I do?” Chase cried in desperation. “I didn’t ask for this! I don’t want these powers! They’re a curse!”

  “No, Chase,” she answered quickly. “They’re not a curse, but a gift. In you lies the key to saving the universe from the forces that seek to destroy it.”

  Chase’s mind struggled to keep up. “Obsidian?”

  “The Obsidian Empire is but a pawn. There is another threat out there, a far more dangerous one…”

  “But—”

  She held up her hand. “All in good time, Chase.”

  He bit his lip. “Can you at least tell me if Sarah is alive?”

  Aphroditis smiled. “She is alive. At least for now. But you need to wake up, Chase. And please, try to keep yourself calm.”

  Chase frowned. “Why would I need to—”

  Before he could finish, the stars blurred to lines and he was sucked into space at a speed faster than hyperspace. He struggled to keep breathing as the sky around him faded to black. A few seconds later, the force of a tremendous impact knocked him awake.

  His vision was blurry as he blinked several times, trying to open his eyes. A muffled buzz blasted with familiar regularity, and he shook his head slowly as he tried to place the sound. All at once, it clicked. He was back on board the Destiny, and the buzzing he was hearing was a red alert. Pulling himself up, he looked around his quarters in shock.

  Now what had happened here?!

  It looked like someone had taken a wrecking ball to the place. Every bit of furniture was smashed. Everything Chase owned was in a splintered heap on the cracked floor. Even the walls were dented in.

  “Holy shit,” he murmured as he looked around.

  Then the doors opened and Daniel ran inside with weapon drawn. He stared around at the demolished room in utter shock before his eyes fell on Chase, standing in the middle.

  “What the hell?”

  Chase felt all the color drain from his face. “I… I think I did this.”

  Daniel shook his head with a frown. “What? Chase, no. How is that even possible?”

  Chase took a trembling step backwards. The room around him started spinning and he began to feel sick. “I… I—”

  The last thing he remembered was the ground coming up to meet him and the distant echo of his friend calling for a medical emergency…

  2

  It had been days since Sarah had been left to rot in the dark cell. From time to time, a reptilian Zarlack would come in to leave what they obviously took to be food. It tasted horrible, a green-grey goo that Sarah had decided to pass on for at least five or six meals, until eventually her hunger grew too strong.

  The interrogation sessions had been grueling, but she had staunchly refused to say anything about Earth or the Alliance to Chase’s brother. She still couldn’t accept, understand, or even fathom the fact that he was Chase’s brother. How could brothers be so different? Chase was such a good man. He was so kind, brave, selfless. Willing to sacrifice his life, even for those of a different world. But this man, this thing, who looked so much like Chase, was nothing like him.

  She wanted to stay strong, but in moments like this, moments when she was finally alone, feelings of utter helplessness would overtake her and tears began to flow freely down her dirty face. She lifted a shaky hand and wiped them away. She could feel the calluses and caked blood on her palms scratch against her cheeks. Her fingertips ached where the nails had been cracked and splintered. She couldn’t see her body, but she could feel where each massive bruise cried out in anguish.

  Her cell was so dark that she could barely see anything. There was no bed, no view to the outside. It was a pit, a dark hole. And the longer she was trapped within it, the darker her own thoughts began to grow. That must be the point, she thought. Another mind game crafted to make her talk. She knew she needed to buy as much time as possible for Chase and the Earth Alliance to come and rescue her, but she wondered how long that would take. Maybe the Droxians went to war with the Alliance, as she had feared they would. If that was the case, she could be here for a very long time.

  The only thing that kept her going was the firm belief that no matter how long it took, no matter what he had to do to get there, Chase would come for her.

  She heard sudden footsteps coming down the hall beyond the door of her cell and hastily wiped her face. She was determined not to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break. The steps stopped in front of the door, and shortly after, it opened. A Zarlack grunt stepped inside. With no preamble, he grabbed her by the elbow and started dragging her away. Long gone were the days when they’d try to coax her to her feet or wait for her to walk beside them. Everything was force now. Unceasing, unrelenting force.

  The room was unassuming but somehow menacing at the same time. As though her own pain, and that of the prisoners before her, had seeped into the taupe walls. It was also, by now, eerily familiar.

  As soon as they arrived, the Zarlack released her elbow and left her alone. Just like the day before and the one before that. The monster wasn’t there yet, but she had no doubt he would come soon enough. Even before she could hear him, her body started to floa
t in the air.

  Here we go, she thought. Without a word, she closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind of everything—everything except an image of the one thing that was keeping her going.

  Chase.

  It was her only sanctuary. Her only escape. The only thing that made these interrogation sessions slightly more bearable. She would retreat to a place where the monster couldn’t follow. He couldn’t touch her there. Unfortunately… that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.

  “How about we don’t lose another few hours torturing you for nothing today?” he asked as he swept inside. At this point, he didn’t even bother to look at her.

  “How about you go fuck yourself instead?”

  “Impetuous as always. I can already tell today won’t be fun for you. I have neither the time nor patience, so let’s expedite things, shall we?”

  Sarah bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from trembling with fear. Now was not the time to show any weakness. The previous sessions had been nearly impossible to endure already. And while she was strangely proud that she hadn’t cracked under the pressure of the pain, the mental abuse, and the feeling of helplessness that grew every single day—if things got more violent, she wondered if she would be able to get through it.

  I have to, she thought, I just have to.

  And with that, she closed her eyes and thought even harder about Chase, projecting him mentally, trying to block all her other senses even as the pain started shooting up her body.

  Today she focused on the image of her and Chase walking down the aisle, hoping such a wonderful image, though fictional, would help her face what already promised to be the worst session yet. She had considered using this particular tactic a few times before, but kept it in reserve for a truly horrible time. Rationing the happiness for a day when she’d need it the most. Judging by the overwhelming sensory return she was getting from her pain receptors, today was going to be that day.

  The hall of the cathedral was magnificent. High ceilings, sparkling stained glass. Sarah stood in the center of the floor and pulled in a deep breath as she looked around. In just a short matter of time, she would marry the man of her dreams in this cathedral. It didn’t even matter to her that he wasn’t from Earth.

  He looked human, of course. A good looking, tall man with long, dark hair. She’d noticed him the first time she saw him in the briefing room back on Earth. He’d noticed her too, though he’d tried to keep it together in front of his commanding officer. She remembered the first time they’d made love in her apartment. She wasn’t the kind of girl who usually allowed herself to form such an intimate connection with someone so quickly, but Chase was different. She had felt it in her very soul.

  The fact that mere hours before he had invited her to pilot the first Earth-Alliance hybrid fighter to leave orbit and make a hyperspace jump had definitely helped. That alone had counted for at least twenty dates in her book. It had been the most exhilarating experience of her life, so when he came to see her that night, she already felt as though every single nerve was firing, aching for another adrenaline fix.

  She remembered how gently his hands coursed her naked body, how sweet and attentive he had been, how his tongue and lips softly caressed every inch of her burning skin, making her tremble and vibrate with pleasure.

  A piercing scream ripped the fantasy apart.

  Sarah felt like her skin was being ripped apart from the inside out. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her contorted face. She was still floating in the air, but her back was arched at an impossible angle, as though some invisible hook was pulling her spine to the ceiling, leaving her limbs to dangle towards the ground. As she was rotated to face the fiend, she could see that his mouth was moving. He was clearly exasperated, demanding that she give him some kind of information. She quickly closed her eyes again, willing herself back to her beautiful memory of the wedding that might have been. That could still be.

  That will be, she thought as her lips curled into a wistful smile.

  All at once, she was back in the dream. The wedding would be magnificent, though she was slightly disappointed to miss an opportunity to be the first Earthling to actually marry on an alien world. She had thought about it, but the circumstances made it more logical to marry on Earth at the time. Chase was such a sweet man, she couldn’t really know for sure if he had been disappointed or not. He had suggested that they use some flowers from his native planet to add a breathtaking alien touch to the hall, and she had loved the idea. The aisle and altar were both magnificently lit with star lilies, each pulsating a luminous white light into the cathedral, adding what looked like a living, breathing energy.

  “I have to say, I’m impressed by your tolerance,” her torturer taunted. “Most people would have given up by now, or at least lost consciousness. But you? You continue to surprise.”

  A sudden burning pain in the side of her body showed her how impressed he was with this little revelation. She gritted her teeth and forcibly tuned him out, returning to the dream.

  When she rounded the corner and proceeded down the aisle, the entire church stood up with a gasp. She and Chase met eyes immediately. He looked as happy as she had ever seen him, a radiant smile erasing every trace of his usually shy demeanor. The lace of her gown whispered across the smooth marble, and, a second later, she was by his side. They locked eyes for another moment before Chase suddenly winked. Then the ceremony began.

  A sharp pain in her belly made her open her eyes for a split second, just long enough to catch a glimpse of her imaginary groom’s brother smirking at her, his hands dripping with her blood. Even though she closed her eyes as fast as she could, she could still hear him laughing in the distance as she returned to the cathedral.

  “Are you alright, my love?” Chase whispered questioningly.

  “Yes, I’m good,” she panted. “Don’t worry, just some… cramps.”

  The minister began to talk about the beauty of marriage, the value of commitment. It all felt so perfect, so magical. She had to admit that she had never imagined a big wedding. Most days, she never thought she’d be getting married at all. While other girls spent their childhoods planning out the big day, Sarah had dreamed about going to the stars instead. Flying through the celestial heavens and exploring brand new worlds. But she realized, as she held Chase’s hand tightly in her own, that in this moment, she was truly happy. The longer she stood up by the altar, the happier she felt.

  The minister took a step back as it was time for the vows and rings. With a little smile, Chase stepped forward to go first.

  “I promise to always look after you and love you for as long as I shall live. I will always be there for you. I will always be kind and patient, and give you strength and support when you need it the most. You can always count on me, through thick and thin. I love you with all my heart and soul. I pledge myself to you for the rest of our lives.”

  Simple, yet beautiful, she thought. It was exactly what she would expect him to say.

  As his long, thin fingers slid the ring gently up her finger, she fought the urge to forget the crowd and just kiss him. The cool metal made her feel safe somehow. Wanted.

  It was her turn now. She looked at him with a smile so broad that her face hurt, and, before she could stop it, a single tear ran down her cheek. With a deep breath, she began to speak.

  “You are my everything. My best friend, my teacher, my role model, and my true north. I love you now, and vow to love you forever. In sickness and in health, through sorrow and success, through times of darkness and light, I shall forever enjoy your sight. I love you more than anything in this world, and today you make me whole.”

  She slipped the ring onto his finger as well, and when she looked up his eyes were swimming with tears.

  The minister stepped forward again with a smile. “If anyone here sees a reason why these two should not be joined in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  There was perfect silence in the cathedral.

&n
bsp; “You may now kiss the bride.”

  Sarah gave a silent gasp as another wave of pain threatened to rip her from her body. It was greater than anything she’d felt before. Like a sand storm beating against her raw nerves. She stared into Chase’s peaceful eyes and held on with every ounce of strength she had.

  She would not let go of this moment. Not this moment. She would hold on with everything she had.

  Chase leaned towards her and she leapt into his arms, pressing herself into him as their lips finally met in a kiss. It was as if everything around them had melted away. It was just the two of them in their own little perfect world. Alive and in love.

  The crowd jumped to their feet in applause, but she barely heard any of it. Even when she and Chase finally pulled away and started marching down the aisle, the noise was nothing but a warm hum in the back of her head.

  She was with Chase now. She was with Chase. Nothing could ever pull her away.

  A huge smile spread across her face as she tossed the bouquet over her shoulder to no one in particular. The happy faces of the crowd swam before her eyes, and she and Chase walked hand in hand back through the cathedral. They didn’t have time to stay and mingle. They had a fairytale life to get to, after all.

  But one face suddenly stood out above the rest. One face… that shouldn’t be there at all.

  She squinted and leaned forward for a better look, but the next thing she knew, she was flying towards the ceiling with a scream. It was as if someone had lassoed her around the stomach. One second she was standing next to Chase, the next her hand was ripped from his as she flew backwards up into the air.

  “There you are.” A cruel voice made her open her eyes. “Did you really expect to keep me out forever?”

  3

  Ryonna stood in front of the guard in Hellstar Prison. She hadn’t slept more than four hours in the last five days, there had been several close calls and near misses, and she couldn’t even begin to describe the intense aching behind her eyes, but she had made it. She was where she needed to be.