Now is not the time to display weakness. I’ll just have to tough it out.
Ares teleported back from Earth successfully with the shields up. Tar’Lock stood next to him, their hands still locked together. He clicked his tongue nervously.
“So we’re in business?” asked Yanis. “Hello, Tar’Lock.”
Tar’Lock didn’t answer.
“Kind of,” said Ares, not looking well.
“What’s happening?”
“I don’t know. It took a lot out of me to make the trip and return. I might be able to do it once more before the deadline, but I doubt I can take many people with me.”
Tar’Lock collapsed on the ground.
“What the hell?” exclaimed Yanis. “What’s wrong with him?”
“I’m not sure, but since I don’t feel so good myself, I’d say whoever makes the trip through the shields will probably suffer from it.”
Yanis opened a channel to Chase. “You’d better come up here, fast.”
A fraction of a second later, Chase appeared in engineering. His sight was drawn towards the collapsed insectoid. “What’s up with him?”
“You may want to heal him. I think transporting him through the shield has taken a toll.”
Chase kneeled next to Tar’Lock, put his hands on his torso and closed his eyes. He grimaced as the white healing light enveloped Tar’Lock for a rather long time.
“He’s not doing well,” said Chase, his eyes still closed. “There, I think I repaired most of the damage, but he should probably get a cycle inside a regen tank just to be sure.”
Chase grabbed Tar’Lock in his arms, then looked at Ares. “Are you alright?”
“I’m not sure, Chase. I feel weak. I’ve never felt anything like this before in this form.”
“Do you think it’s related to the shields? Could it impact your energy makeup perhaps?”
“It’s possible. I’m not sure how wise it would be to teleport anyone down there while the shields are up. They might not survive the trip.”
“From the damage I sensed in Tar’Lock on a molecular level, you may be right. Let me try something.”
Chase opened his right palm and aimed at Ares.
“What are you doing?” asked Ares with worry in his voice.
Without answering, Chase shot a bright white ball of energy that enveloped Ares for a few seconds, turning his usual golden aura brighter for a while, until the energy dissolved inside his human energy form.
“How’s that?” asked Chase.
“For lack of a better word: interesting. Thank you, Chase, I do feel a little more like myself now. Let’s hope it lasts.”
Chase put his right arm under Tar’Lock’s body. “I’ll be right back,” he said, before teleporting away from engineering.
“It must be practical to teleport,” said Yanis.
“It has its advantages,” said Ares, just before Chase re-appeared in front of them.
“Okay, we’ve got only a few minutes left until the deadline imposed by Gaia 2 expires, and I don’t think we should stay here another second if we can help it.”
“Yeah,” said Yanis. “We have about zero chances of defeating her ships in our current state. Whatever’s left of the fleet is no match for her armada. After all, a Fury super-destroyer turned tail. That alone proves my point.”
“I know, Yanis. You need to analyze all the logs of the battles. Keep reverse-engineering the tech Ryonna brought you as well as Timoros’ armor.”
“What’s left of it, you mean?”
“Yeah. We’re all tired and could use some rest, but we need to find a way to defend ourselves against, not only the Furies, but also Gaia 2.”
“I think that last part should be easier.”
“Really? How so?”
“You see, Chase, she used whatever basis of tech she had learned from infiltrating the computers on board Alliance, Obsidian and Droxian ships. No doubt she made improvements of her own, but most of that tech is known to us. I just need a little time to figure it out and provide shields and weapons modifications to increase the effectiveness of our ships against hers.”
“That’s the first bit of good news I’ve heard all day. Keep at it. Ares,” said Chase, then turning to him he added, “Please transport Cedric and Spiros to the surface. Make sure they’re near an Alliance med-center, so they can treat the damage they will suffer during transport.”
“Chase, while I’m sure regen tanks will do them well after the transport, they could suffer long-term effects from that. Are you sure you want to gamble with their lives this way?”
Chase didn’t answer right away. He looked pensive.
“I don’t like gambling with any of our lives, Ares, you know that. But in less than five minutes we’ll have run out of time. The only way to ensure Gaia 2 doesn’t take over the planet in the short term is to have these two work on a solution from within while we find the help we need to retake control of our own space. I wish there was another way. I wish we had more options. But right now, risking their lives isn’t really any different from what any of us are going to do in the future.”
“I guess you’re right, but I wanted to make sure you knew the risks. I’ll get them now. Do you need me to bring anyone else back this time around?”
“No, just hurry back. The moment you’re done we’re going to pay a visit to your father.”
“Swell,” said Ares, “I can hardly wait.”
Chase looked at the viewport from the bridge. Sarah and Ryonna were next to him.
“What are you thinking, Chase?” asked Sarah.
“That it may be a while till we get back here.”
Sarah put a hand on his shoulder and attempted a smile. Chase took her hand and squeezed it affectionately.
“Ryonna,” said Chase, “how much time do we have left?”
“About a minute or so.”
Chase made a bleak face for just a moment, then closed his eyes. He accessed the Hope’s jump systems, made sure every jump-capable ship left in the fleet was slaved to the Hope’s engine and, without a second thought, activated a hyperspace window.
When he opened his eyes, the image of Earth was no longer there. The fleet was in hyperspace, on its way to Droxia.
“Now what?” asked Sarah.
“Now we do whatever it takes to survive. I’ll need you to captain the Hope while I’m gone.”
“Where are you going?”
“To Olympus, with Argos.”
“You should take Chris as well.”
Chase didn’t like the idea, but he could use whatever help he could get. They needed to secure more powerful new allies and fast. If Chris could help in this endeavor, then Chase should at least consider it.
“Yeah, okay, I’ll ask him to come with us. I’ll protect him, I promise.”
She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “I know you will, Chase.”
Chase entered cargo hold five, which had been retrofitted as a temporary lab for Argos. He looked at the medical bed where his son rested while machines scanned every inch of his body.
“Please tell me you have good news,” said Chase.
“I wish I had,” said Argos. “Whatever he did to himself, he didn’t really think about the long-term effects. It’s going to take a while, and the sooner I get my hands on my bio-engineer, the better. I did find a way to slow down the aging process a little, though, thanks to her.” Argos waved towards a containment tube with Admiral Thassos floating inside a purple liquid.
“That’s better than nothing, I guess. Why is Chris unconscious?”
“I had to sedate him. He wouldn’t stay in place and I need him still while I map every part of him. He’s full of life, but he’s also just a boy, so lying in a bed without moving an inch wasn’t his forte.”
Chase smiled, but the smile was soon replaced by a frown. He hadn’t been there for the birth of his child, even though it wasn’t a birth in the conventional sense. And he’d already looked like a young adolescent
when they first met. He wished he could have been there to train him, to watch him grow, no matter how little time that had taken. He felt sad, but he put the thought to the back of his mind. There was no way to change the past, so better not to linger on it. Still, a wave of sadness permeated him for a few minutes as he looked at his sedated son.
“Would you like me to leave you alone with him for a moment?” inquired Argos after what had seemed an eternity to Chase, lost in the moment.
“No, that’s fine thanks, Argos. How much have you managed to slow his aging?”
“By a factor five. He will still mature to be an adult in a matter of weeks, instead of days.”
“That’s already something. It will allow you both to accompany me to Olympus.”
“About that . . .”
“What, Argos?”
“Any chance we could train a little before we get there? I know we agreed I need to fix your son’s condition, but . . .” Argos let the words hang in the air.
“How long will your nephew be out of it?”
“Hmm, right, my nephew,” repeated Argos uncomfortably. “A few hours, until I have a complete holographic representation of his body turned into a computer model that I can use in simulations. Once this is done he can go. I will just need to monitor his vitals, so I’m installing, with your permission, some nanites into his bloodstream.”
The mention of nanites made Chase cringe. Could Argos be trusted? What if he installed a microbomb inside Chris as he did with Sarah? While Chase didn’t sense any more hatred in Argos, he wasn’t someone he could blindly trust. Even if it wasn’t long ago that Argos almost sacrificed himself to save his life.
“I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but if you try anything on my family again . . .”
“Oh I know, brother, I’ll be dead before I have time to wonder what happened. I’m not that stupid. By joining your merry band, I’ve definitely sealed my fate with yours now, for better or for worse. But I understand why you can’t trust me yet.”
“Trust takes time, but you’ve gained some today. Thanks for taking care of Chris. Now come, let’s see what we can do about powering you up a little before we meet Zeus.”
3
Chase teleported them both aboard the training ship, with Gaia.
“That’s a neat trick,” said Argos. “While teleporting has been achieved by very select Furies in the past, I wasn’t aware it was something that could be learned. I thought you needed to be born with it.”
“Perhaps that’s the case. Perhaps I just needed to know how to access it.”
“That would make sense.”
“Which would mean it’s entirely possible you can get that power as well. We share almost the same DNA, after all.”
Argos smiled. “That would be something.”
“First we need to work on your speed, and then your stamina.”
Before Argos could answer, Gaia’s avatar combat robot walked through the door.
“Hey, Gaia,” said Chase.
“Hello, Chase, what are you doing here? I’m afraid Spiros isn’t here. I’ve tried to contact him but I can’t seem to find him anywhere.”
“Right, we forgot to tell you. I sent Spiros to Earth’s surface before we left orbit. We need him to find a way to either convince Gaia 2, like he once convinced you, or defeat her altogether. Aren’t you linked with the rest of your AI on Earth?”
“I was while we were in orbit, but now that we’ve entered hyperspace, I’ve lost the link. This body was not equipped with a subspace transmitter sufficient for the link to be kept at such distances with Earth’s shield up. Until we return to Earth, you’ll have to be content with only a fraction of my AI matrix.”
Her avatar looked at the ground.
“Are you alright, Gaia?” asked Chase.
“Don’t mind me, Chase, I’m just sad that Spiros isn’t here, and a little concerned too.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. We’ll do our best to get back to Earth and restore things. You have my word on that.”
“Thank you, Chase.”
Argos snarled.
“What is it now, Argos?” asked Chase.
“Why do we care about the emotions of a tin can, exactly?”
“Gaia is more than merely a machine, Argos. She is sentient like you and me, and I’m pretty sure she could kick your ass on the battlefield as well.”
“Let’s not exaggerate the gap between our power levels. No tin can, no matter how advanced or sentient she is, would be powerful enough to bring me down.”
“Why don’t we give that assessment a test?”
“Chase, I’ll turn this thing into recycling material. Is that what you want?”
Chase turned to Gaia. “Do you have what you need to rebuild yourself another body if what Argos says is true?”
“Yes, Chase,” answered Gaia. “My partial matrix is saved in this vessel’s database. I can create many avatars, and we also have a few battle bots left, those I used to train with Chris.”
“Very well,” said Chase with a smirk, before turning to Argos. “You’re up against Gaia. Show me what you can do.”
Argos cracked his neck and fingers as they walked into the shielded arena. He looked at Gaia with disdain. “Give me your best shot, tin can,” said Argos, not waiting for an answer.
He extended both his palms in front of him and fired a dozen small, red fireballs towards Gaia. She deflected them all except the last, which she decided to block with her hand. She consumed its power within her own circuits.
“Impressive,” said Argos reluctantly.
“For a tin can,” added Gaia.
“My thoughts exact—” He never finished his sentence because Gaia was on top of him in the blink of an eye. She landed her knee deep in his left cheek, sending him flying against the arena’s shields that illuminated blue for a brief instant as Argos impacted into them. He then crashed to the floor but got up quickly, holding his bruised cheek and ego. He saw his own blood on his palm. Soon, the arena was filled with crimson light emanating from Argos’ body. Bright red lightning bolts danced around his body and his eyes flashed red.
“Now I’m pissed,” he said as he spat a little blood on the floor.
Gaia made a derogatory hand movement, waving her metal fingers in a motion suggesting she was ready and willing for Argos to show her what he could do, which seemed to anger him even more.
He launched himself at Gaia with all his might, unleashing punches and kick combos with great efficiency. While some of them landed on Gaia, briefly lighting up her green shields, she blocked most of his attacks. It went on like that for quite a while, both trading blows, when a low thrumming permeated the arena.
Argos felt his body become extremely heavy all of a sudden, and it reminded him of what he had felt when Arakan had punished him for not destroying the Iron Fire as ordered. The memory stung and Argos became a little afraid.
“What’s this? What’s happening?” he asked.
Chase’s voice echoed from the speakers. “Sorry, it took me a while to find the controls. The gravity in the arena is now five times that of Earth.”
“What? Why?” exclaimed Argos.
“You wanted me to train you, right? Well, this is how I trained on my own. Let’s see how long you can go head-to-head with Gaia at this setting.”
And the answer was, not long. Within minutes Gaia had taken a large advantage and Argos barely managed to hit her anymore. He spent most of his time dodging and receiving powerful punches across his body.
An hour later, many more bruises had appeared on his body and much blood had been spilled in the arena. But he was getting used to the new gravity settings and was soon going toe-to-toe with Gaia, and even getting the upper hand, even though he looked in bad shape. His aura was still shining brightly and Chase could tell that he was getting stronger with every minute of training. Faster, in fact, than it took him to progress. That was a good thing, Chase thought. He could use a stronger Argos by his side.
>
“Chase!” shouted Argos. “Double the gravity.”
Chase smiled. Argos was really motivated to progress as fast as possible. He entered a few commands on the control room’s console to set the gravity inside the arena to 10 G.
Once again the balance of power was reversed and Gaia was now more powerful and faster than Argos, thanks to her avatar’s anti-gravity modules.
“Would you like me to heal you?” asked Chase over the comms.
The question distracted Argos and he received a flurry of blows from Gaia that sent him flying and crashing fifty yards away.
“Ooops, my bad,” said Chase with a chuckle.
Argos took a little while to get back to his feet as large amounts of his Fury blood spilled to the floor. He looked towards Chase through the viewport in the arena with murder in his eyes. He intensified his energy and a wave of bright red light engulfed him for a second. When it vanished he had no more bruises.
“I can heal myself just fine, brother.”
“I can see that.”
Argos didn’t look that beaten now, and Chase could feel he still had a lot of juice left in him. If there was one thing Argos was very good at, it was power management. While Chase was now in another league power-wise, he had to admit Argos was a master at managing his pool of energy.
Argos still had trouble anticipating all of Gaia’s moves, but he was learning her combat strategies fast and, the more time passed, the less overwhelmed he got. Now, he could even land some powerful attacks of his own every now and then. Chase found it fascinating how fast his brother was counteracting the gravity field. It had taken him longer to get comfortable working at 10 G. Argos had done it in only a handful of hours.
Argos dodged the last wave of attacks from Gaia and stopped fighting. Gaia looked at Chase.
“Is there a problem, Argos?” asked Chase.
“I understand the importance of such physical training, but when I asked you to train me, I didn’t expect to trade blows with a tin can all day long, no matter how advanced it is. No offense,” added Argos, looking back at Gaia.
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 170
