“Every chance I got. I’m summoning my powers with much more ease than before.”
“Let’s see what you’ve learned, shall we?”
“Ready when you are.”
Ares launched himself toward Chase, who assumed a defensive stance. He was already casting a crackling ball of blue energy in his fist, his aura radiating a deep blue. Fully ready to counterattack, he prepared a powerful punch with his right arm when Ares did something that Chase didn’t understand. He split, somehow! There appeared two Ares’ before him now. They circled him slowly, one approaching from each side.
Recalculating, Chase decided on one target, the nearest one. He threw himself forward, launching his attack abruptly. Ares blocked the incoming fake jab, just as Chase thought he would. But then he let the energy in his fist free, and it sent Ares flying. At the same moment Chase was perfectly aware that his second foe was nearly upon him, so he dropped down in subterfuge. Hunched over and looking forward, he performed a sneaky, arching kick at foot-level into the water behind his body. In an instant it threw lots of water into the air, before, with a crack, the kick landed against the foot of the second Ares. He lost balance, and Chase lost no time taking advantage of the situation. His bent left arm rocketed down towards the second Ares’ torso. Upon impact he opened his palm and released all the energy from within. It sent the second Ares flying on top of the water, skipping like a stone. The force of the attack then split the water into two frothing troughs that closed over him.
Chase felt empowered like never before. He’d finally felt the energy within his body flowing in perfect harmony, in control. He exhaled slowly. The familiar sense of fear was nowhere to be seen.
Both Ares’ got up and smirked. Both disappeared. They reappeared on Chase’s side, both thrusting powerful kicks at him. He raised his right arm and blocked the first kick but was late to block the second one and lost balance. Both Ares’ merged back and became one once again.
Before Chase could regain his balance, Ares grabbed his leg. He aimed to use Chase’s body as a hammer to throw, and had already started spinning. The more Chase was spinning in the air the more he felt dizzy, until Ares released his grip on the leg and sent Chase speeding hundreds of feet into the air. Ares then jumped towards Chase in the air in a maneuver that simply seemed impossible: the shockwave from his rocket-like departure from the ground sent water flying all around. He arrived in a roar with his hand in a tight fist, ready to crush Chase with his next attack. Then something inexplicable happened. At the moment Ares’ fist was about to crush Chase’s face, he dodged the incoming attack by only a few millimeters, grinning. Ares fell down towards the water, creating yet another big splash of water. But Chase did not fall. Instead he stood in the air, levitating.
“What the hell?” said Chase, with both amazement and fear in his voice.
“I told you. I knew you could fly.”
I can fly? thought Chase. “This is unbelievable!”
“Now try to lower yourself slowly to the surface.”
Chase tried to move but was unable to. He instantly felt like whatever amazement he had felt before, had become anxiety. All of a sudden, he felt gravity take a hold on him once more. He fell towards the water at full speed, like a stone. His body cracked the ground deep down beneath, sending a huge wave of pain through his left shoulder.
Chase emerged moaning from the muck, grasping his shoulder with his right arm. But he still had the wherewithal to center himself, close his eyes and heal himself.
“What happened?” inquired Ares, running through the water. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine now. I don’t know. I think my brain had trouble reconciling what was happening. I levitated a little on instinct there, trying to avoid your attack, but once I got back into the reality of it all, I lost my grip on it and started falling.”
Ares nodded. “Don’t worry. Flying is not something natural for humanoids. It may take a while to master this particular gift. I’m already amazed you managed to dodge my attack in mid-air.”
“So am I,” said Chase, reflecting on what had just happened.
“Alright, that’s all for today. I’m glad you have learned to control your power more effectively, and not wasting it as before. At this rhythm we probably could’ve fought for hours.”
Chase nodded, overwhelmed.
“Next time you get the chance, try to empty your mind as much as you can first, and try levitating again. Little by little, I’m sure you’ll learn how to do it.”
“I hope so.”
“Look at the bright side. We know it’s possible for you at the very least. It doesn’t matter if you can’t control it just yet. Your progress is already quite impressive. While I didn’t throw all my power at you just yet, I am amazed how you anticipated my attacks and kept your head clear.”
“But am I ready to face Argos?”
“I would avoid it until you get more control. Aim to master your abilities about tenfold.”
“Tenfold?”
“Yes, be patient. You’re progressing at an amazing pace, but I sense you are still far from your full potential. You’ll get there. But now I must go. Keep practicing.”
“Thanks, Ares. I’ll see you soon.”
He nodded and vanished into thin air.
For the first time in a long while, Chase felt really good. The fact that he was learning to control his powers gave him hope. Perhaps Aphroditis was right; perhaps these powers were indeed a blessing.
“Having fun?” said a familiar, feminine voice from behind Chase.
He turned around, and bumped straight into Aphroditis. Her hair was flowing in the light breeze as she took small steps towards him, with an almost childlike smile on her face.
“Hello, Aphroditis,” said Chase, returning the smile.
“You look good, Chase.”
He nodded in answer.
“I’ve been observing you, but I didn’t want to interrupt. Ares seems to have taken a liking to you. I think you remind him of himself, when he was younger and impetuous. I’m glad he is able to teach you some important lessons.”
“He’s a great teacher.”
She nodded, but then her expression became grave.
“What is it?” inquired Chase.
“I sense darkness and pain ahead. I don’t exactly know how or why, but something is amiss.”
“I don’t think I like the sound of that.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know so you might be ready to face something hard in the coming days. I wish I could tell you more...”
“Well, we are about to go destroy Argos’ precious shipyard; I have a feeling I might cross paths with him again. At least now I feel more confident about myself, if that happens.”
“Remember what Ares said: Argos is immensely powerful, and you are just discovering what you are capable of. You are not yet ready to beat him. I know you want revenge for what he did to Sarah, but don’t let anger or hate cloud your judgment. Chase, I implore you.”
“It’s true that I want to crush him with my bare hands.”
“Just remember that you aren’t ready. Soon enough you will be, of that I have no doubts, but please try to avoid a direct confrontation with your brother.”
Chase didn’t like the idea of avoiding Argos, but he knew in his heart that if both Aphroditis and Ares told him he wasn’t ready, that it was probably true. Suddenly he realized that he no longer harbored doubts about their intentions. Not long ago he’d doubted whether or not he should be listening to the Olympians, now they seemed vital to his survival.
“Can you promise me you will try to avoid fighting Argos until you are ready?”
“I can promise you that I will do my best, but if he endangers Sarah again...”
“I understand. Perhaps it would be best if she didn’t come with you on this mission.”
“I’ve tried that.”
“I see...” she said, closing her eyes for a few moments. “I must leave now, but please
be careful.”
“Will do. Thanks for dropping by.”
And, like Ares before, she vanished into nothingness. The landscape, too, changed, from the dreamy, triple-star planet to the familiar surroundings of standard Alliance quarters. Chase found himself atop his bed looking at the ceiling, alongside a wailing alarm clock. Sarah hadn’t come; probably not done with her run yet. He got up from his bed and went to the bridge. Upon arrival he sat in the captain’s chair.
“Status?”
“We’re back around Earth orbit. We’ve just received slave jump coordinates from the Destiny. Incoming transmission.”
It was Fillio.
“Admiral Thassos asked me and three other Omega fighter pilots to report to the EAD Hope. Requesting permission to board the ship and join the pilot roster.”
“Permission granted.”
Soon her shuttle landed onboard the ship. He was glad the admiral had granted his request. He preferred to have seasoned pilots to fly the Omega fighters. They were a rare commodity. He would hate to lose the fighters by putting inexperienced pilots at their helm, and Fillio seemed like a godsend. Then Chase turned to his helm’s officer.
“Link our jump engines to the Destiny’s.”
“Engines linked, Captain.”
The battlegroup jumped out of Earth space.
21
Onboard the Star Alliance Station Damocles-3, elder scientist Spiros Malayianis was crawling behind a crate. He had clambered out of sight just in the nick of time. Three impressive Zarlacks had just entered the room, clumsily searching around on their rounds.
Lately it had become more and more difficult for him to evade capture. Fortunately, as soon as Obsidian and the Zarlacks had taken possession of the station, he’d managed to hide his life signs from the sensors. He knew the technical systems of this station like the back of his hand. He had designed most of them, after all.
The past few months had been tiring, though. He now spent most of his life hidden in crawl spaces between decks; places where he’d doctored computer reports to list as “fire-damage areas with no life support.” The trick had worked, and he felt safe enough in these places. He could even fall asleep, sometimes.
Of course, at first sleep eluded him. The fact that lizard men almost twice his size were roaming the station was enough to chill his blood. But even in the times he slept out of total exhaustion, he still hadn’t been spared the disturbing and violent nightmares. After a few weeks he’d installed booby traps and a new array of sensors, which were disconnected from the main computer’s network, so he could be woken up should anyone approach his position. That had helped him drastically as far as sleep was concerned. After that security measure had been put in place, he slept like a baby. After the first month of occupation, he’d only leave his shelter to steal food from the hydroponics level.
He’d grown tired of all of this. At age one hundred and seven, he was no longer young. While he’d implanted himself with some high-tech augmentations to enhance some motor functions, these needed repairs. These tasks were getting increasingly difficult to do while the enemy occupied his beloved station.
His second mission was safeguarding former projects within his R&D lab from Obsidian hands. He had been tasked by First Admiral Zagorakis to create new weaponry, shields and even a new hyperspace engine just a few months before all hell broke loose. As it stood, most of his projects were quite advanced, and he did not intend to give Obsidian any new edge in technology.
However, the presence of multiple Zarlack and Obsidian ships docked to the station presented a unique opportunity. He’d managed to get sensor readings and conduct thorough analysis of most of their systems. So he managed to continue his research, making new strides in both his weapons and shield program by analyzing the systems he was encountering from the occupying force. In fact, he felt confident that, should he manage to deliver his plans to Alliance survivors, it could tip the balance of power and give them the much-needed tools and identified weaknesses required to crush their enemies.
But had anyone survived? That thought haunted Spiros every single day.
With his research now safely encrypted and stored outside of the station’s network, he’d hardcoded a failsafe in order to make sure he could delete any of it remotely, if required.
I need to try and contact survivors, he thought. And fast!
But that was easier said than done, and he knew it all too well. Communications areas were crawling with lizards. He had once tried to re-route the command pathways so he could access them from a remote location, but his efforts had triggered an unexpected security alarm and he’d almost been captured. It had taken some pretty fancy programming and on-the-fly thinking to engineer fake logs to disguise his intrusion as a system’s malfunction, so that the enemy wouldn’t start sweeping the station, bulkhead to bulkhead, to find him. That day, he had decided, would be the last time he attempted such a reckless move. Too much was at stake.
Of course, he couldn’t let it go; it wasn’t in his nature. So for weeks, he brainstormed and plotted. He refused to give in. He finally determined that he had to find a way to get rid of the current unwanted inhabitants of his station. He’d managed to procure all the elements he needed to make a lethal gas: one that should kill anyone who breathed it, himself included, unfortunately. So the next part revolved around the acquisition of a gas mask, which he needed to execute his plan. Unfortunately, with almost an entire battlegroup stationed around the station, it was unlikely he would succeed. At best they’d sense the presence of an intruder; at worst they’d tire of investigations and just destroy the station, which was another unacceptable option under the circumstances – what with all the exploding and all.
The three Zarlacks finally continued on their rounds, leaving the premises. About damn time! When a good minute had passed and he felt that it was safe, he quickly approached one of the lockers and opened it. Most of the gear had been taken, but he managed to find a service pistol. More importantly, and the main justification for his risky mission: he found the gas mask. With his prize possession acquired, it was time to return to what passed for a home these days—deep within the bulkheads.
But the way to the armory had not been easy. It had taken him no less than five hours of careful movement in order to avoid detection. He was already dreading the trek back. He took out the life-signs detector he’d jerry-rigged from various secondary systems and scrap he’d acquired piecemeal since the occupation, and examined it carefully. The corridor right outside of the armory seemed free, but there were still life signs detected in the next corridor. He would either have to wait or try to crawl up a ventilation shaft, something he was not too keen on. His left leg’s motorized augment was sometimes causing him problems, and he dreaded the prospect of unexpected noise due to mechanical spasms: the risk of detection was simply too high. Who knew what he would do if the damn thing decided to shake uncontrollably like it had done a few times before, and with increasing frequency over the last week? He had no wiggle-room here, and therefore decided to get behind the crates and wait some more. After half an hour, he fell asleep.
A vocal message delivered through the station’s sound systems woke him up from his slumber and he jumped in surprise.
What a fool! How could he have fallen asleep? That’s even more dangerous than trying to crawl up a ventilation shaft! His sudden waking from a deep sleep had jumbled his thoughts, but he could hear something being said in the Zarlack tongue over the speakers. He quickly took another gizmo from his pocket and activated it. It translated the clicky, incomprehensible language directly into his brain’s Head’s-Up-Display implant.
The message was simple: “All non-essential personnel, return to your ships at once. We are departing within fifteen minutes, having been ordered to rejoin the fleet near the Gatos Nebula. This is not a drill!"
He couldn’t believe it. Was this the lucky break he had waited so long and patiently for? Were the ships really about to vacate the area? If s
o he could put his plan into action, and try to regain full operational control of the station. Even from the safety of his semi-hidden position, he was well aware of the commotion that followed the speaker’s announcement. He heard multiple loud footsteps in nearby corridors, and his life-signs detector display proved that most of the occupation troops were indeed rushing to embark.
While he patiently waited for the evacuation, he wondered what was located in the Gatos Nebula. He resisted the urge to try and hack one of the ships in orbit for one, two, three minutes. Finally he decided that whatever he could find could potentially outweigh the risk of being detected. He also counted on the perceived urgency of the evacuation: urgent enough so hopefully nobody would notice his little incursion into their digital systems, if he was careful. He’d already placed several backdoors on their systems, back when he had studied their ships’ capabilities to improve his research. He approached the nearest terminal and entered his command code.
Stealth mode engaged, was showing on the holo-screen.
“What are you stinky reptiles up to?” he murmured to himself, still not yet feeling easy or entirely safe.
Once through the three main firewalls and into the last backdoor he’d installed on the biggest ship of the fleet, he started searching for files pertaining to the Gatos Nebula. The ship he’d chosen was a behemoth of Zarlack monstrosity with incredibly strong shields. Files in that area were encrypted, and required a high level of authorization within the enemy’s rank.
He stopped and pondered. Such files could definitely trigger a log or an alarm, and the time when he almost got caught still weighed heavily on his mind. But the scientist in him loved a challenge. He quickly entered multiple commands on his terminal. He then took a cable out of his pocket and plugged one end in the terminal and the other behind, in the back of his neck, where the input port for his brain-augment tech was located.
Soon he was within the ship’s systems with his thoughts. This way, he would drastically lessen the time required to input commands compared to using the touch terminals. Plus he could also monitor logs and system alarms in real time, and intercept them before they could be registered, if need be. His next task was to get into the sealed files. By his account he only had a few minutes left to do so, before the ship left dock.
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 68
