War of Mortal Gods

by Kipjo K Ewers

The Eye of Ra stood calm as an enraged Sister Sledge, being held back by both Heavy Element and Merge in metallic form, attempted to get at him, while Oliver, Cyclone, and Nitro stood in between them.

  “Where are they, Ra?! What have you done to them?! Where the hell are they?!”

  “Sister Sledge! Come on! Now’s not the time to be a comic book cliché!” Nitro yelled.

  “Shut the fuck up, Aashif!” She barked him down.

  “How’s it taking both of us to hold her back?!” Heavy Element asked his sister in perplexed disbelief.

  Rogers used his fingers to make a high-pitched whistle getting everyone’s attention.

  “Alright! Knock this shit the fuck off! Sister Sledge, stand down now!”

  A flustered Sister Sledge glared at him while shrugging both siblings off of her as they held up their hands, backing away. Rogers then took up where she left off, making a beeline to get into the Eye of Ra’s personal space.

  “You need to start talking and telling us what the fuck is going on! Now!”

  An unintimidated Laurence calmly responded.

  “I would not be here if that was not my intention, Sergeant Rogers.”

  “Alright, then.” Rogers huffed, calming down a bit. “Let’s go.”

  ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜

  Twenty minutes later, Laurence stood in the middle of the Regulators’ central command running down to them on who attacked Sophia, why, what happened to Kimberly, where they were taken, and what was each of their fate before he returned to Earth.

  He was unfazed by the mixture of emotions that choked the room backed by hostile glares. Sister Sledge sucked in some air, further calming herself while taking a step forward.

  “Right.”

  She exhaled the air before continuing.

  “You, sir, will be taking me to your homeworld now.”

  Her stern request caused several of her team members except for Rogers, the Eye of Ra, and Lady Tech to widen their eyes or disengage their lower jaws.

  “That will not be possible,” Laurence calmly answered.

  “You have my goddaughter on your planet comatose in a pod!” Sister Sledge snapped at him while pointing a finger.

  “She is both well protected and cared for; you have my word.”

  “I don’t give a damn about your word. I give a damn that Kimberly’s there by herself while her mother faces some bullshit trial on some trumped-up charges! I need to be there when she wakes up!”

  “You do know this allegation is the most asinine thing I have ever heard,” an irritated Lady Tech spoke up. “You’re talking about a woman who hasn’t been past Mars being accused of traveling to other solar systems billions of light-years away enacting universal war crimes. If that’s a term you people use.”

  “I am in agreement with you, Dr. Champion,” Laurence said while turning to her.

  “So, you mean to tell me a network of advance alien races can’t figure out that they have the wrong woman?”

  Lady Tech began waving her hand around, giving proposals.

  “No energy signature or trajectory scans, facial recognition that you guys can use to figure this out?”

  “As technologically advanced as other worlds are, there are still limitations to their capabilities, especially against the vastness of space,” Laurence responded with a furrowed brow. “The ships and crew that were destroyed and massacred were struck by long-range energy attacks that disabled most of the ships’ functions. The assailant, whose face was covered by a hood similar to Dennison’s uniform, stayed a safe distance away and emitted a pulse that prevented proper identity detection. The only evidence was the attire and the Fawohodie Adinkra symbol on the assassin’s outfit, which only Ms. Dennison wears. No other species in the universe has this symbol aside from Earth, which originated in Ghana.”

  “But you still believe she’s innocent,” Rogers stepped in expecting confirmation.

  The Eye of Ra turned to Rogers, giving him a nod.

  “Someone knew where those ships would be. They wanted it to appear as if Freedom attacked and destroyed those vessels.”

  “It wouldn’t happen to be the same alien species that came for Freedom?” Heavy Element speculated. “Based on the damage they caused, it didn’t seem like they were interested in taking Dennison alive.”

  “I have been wondering that as well, considering they have the most to gain from this incident.” The Eye of Ra grimly answered.

  Unified scowls grew on everyone’s faces in the room from his answer, as Rogers stepped up, asking the question, they all thought.

  “What do you mean they have the most to gain?”

  “If the Dominion Council finds Dennison guilty of these crimes, they may also conclude that she did not act alone.”

  “You’re saying they’d believe she was acting on behalf of the human race?” Lady Tech filled in the blanks.

  “Yes.”

  “Which would be perceived as an act of war.” Rogers impatiently followed up. “What do these Thracians get out of it?”

  “An act of war means the probable swift extermination of the human species. Because the Thracian Empire is the current shepherds of this quadrant, they will be awarded possession of the Earth, and the six other viable planets that technically belong to the human species.”

  The Eye of Ra’s blunt answer delivered the effect of a Deantay Wilder punch without the real knockout for everyone.

  “Holy shit,” a floored Cyclone uttered.

  “Six …we the human race own …six fucking planets?” Merge gasped.

  “Six including this planet capable of sustaining human life within this quadrant totaling three galaxies,” the Eye of Ra elaborated. “If and when humans are deemed worthy of joining the fold of the Dominion Council, they would be informed of this revelation and provided with the necessary technology to travel and occupy these worlds.”

  “This Dominion Council would freely aide us humans in doing this?” Blitz skeptically inquired. “Why?”

  “To forge the bond between species and fortify the strength of the Council.” The Eye of Ra turned to him with an iron tone. “It is why the Dominion Council has maintained peace and prosperity throughout the universe since its formation for eons.”

  Laurence made stern eye contact with each Regulator member as he continued to speak.

  “Otherworlds, including the human species, owe their existence and current progression to the Dominion Council. From the shadows, they protected countless lives from those whose intentions varied from subjugation to extermination.”

  “Excuse us if we’re not more appreciative,” Nitro snidely jumped into the conversation. “You just told us that we’re on this Dominion Council’s chopping block.”

  The Eye of Ra gave him a subtle nod before unleashing his retort.

  “Let us have understanding. Humankind will not survive a war with the Dominion Council. If the Council renders a judgment that humans are a threat to this universe, they will wipe this planet clean, and it will come as quickly as a summer breeze. You will be fortunate if they elect to spare the younglings, which will be removed from here, adopted and integrated into other species.”

  “Younglings meaning children, right?” Heavy Element whispered his question to his sister.

  Merge, wearing a soldier’s poker face, nodded that he was correct.

  Lady Tech, with her arms folded, had a face that read she was processing everything. She took a step forward, drawing Laurence’s attention. She raised her head, locking eyes with him before she spoke.

  “So why tell us? If we’re as powerless as you say and the fate of mankind rests on a murder trial several light-years from here, what do you want from us aside from filling in some blanks which we do appreciate?”

  “Can you confirm the exact time Dennison tapped into her reserve power?”

  “Yesterday at exactly 3:45 PM.”

  “Sol.”

  On comm
and, Sol popped out of the back housing within Laurence’s armor, becoming animated and slithered sitting across his shoulders.

  “Exactly ten Earth minutes after that, the Volorions dropped the shielding on their planet.”

  “Oh shit! He’s got a talking King Cobra in his back!” Nitro jumped.

  “Its form is called a Seni, a creature similar to a King Cobra on Anu,” Lady Tech corrected him. “Sol is a cybernetic machine.”

  “I am a familiar,” Sol corrected Lady Tech.

  “Why are we comparing time frames?” Rogers asked, demanding to know.

  “My team and I were on a diplomatic mission to a planet outside of the Dominion Council to negotiate terms for compliance. Unfortunately, the line of communication broke down in a hostile manner.” The Eye of Ra began to explain.

  “Means they were trying to kill one another,” Cyclone whispered to Nitro.

  He nodded in agreement as Laurence continued.

  “They deployed a planetary shielding that prevented us from leaving. During the battle, Sol informed me about what was happening here on Earth. I began disabling the shield when the Volorions chose to drop it on their own to get here. We immediately came here.”

  “You think someone was watching what was going on here and ordered these Volorions to let you and your team go?” Sister Sledge asked, filling in the pieces.

  The Eye of Ra nodded.

  “Yes, I believe so.”

  “Seems to me these Thracians might be working with the Volorions,” Rogers deduced. “And when shit went south, they herded you guys here to calm things down.”

  “It would be a plausible theory if I did not know that a Thracian would rather eviscerate a Volorion than converse much less work for them. A Volorion would also do the same. The hatred between the two species is oceans wide and deep for them to even consider working together.”

  “Still doesn’t mean it’s not plausible,” Heavy Element backed Rogers’s idea up.

  “The risk of consorting with the Volorion Regime that stands for everything that the Dominion Council is against would be cripplingly damaging to the Thracian Empire. It is not a risk the High Region or anyone in his government would dare take.”

  “Would anyone responsible have knowledge of creating this?” Lady Tech asked. “Maxine, bring up the formula, please.”

  On command, Maxine displayed a holographic image of the red serum formula capable of permanently turning humans into EVOs. Sol instantly began to analyze it.

  “This is a reverse-engineered altered version of Aten,” Sol answered.

  “Are you sure?” Laurence grimly asked.

  “The base of the formula is Aten. Slight modifications entail targeting Dennison’s genetic material and behavioral change.”

  The Eye of Ra turned to Lady Tech with a stern right eyebrow lifted.

  “Where did you get this formula?”

  “We got several cases of it off of insurgents in Iraq, who bought it off a Mexican Cartel,” Rogers said while stepping in between the two of them. “They purchased it from an elusive superhuman group selling the stuff to select criminal organizations. One capable of waltzing into our own base when we weren’t home, boosting the shipment we confiscated from our vaults, and then erasing all traces of the formula from our database and Maxine.”

  “All traces except for me,” Lady Tech informed him.

  “What else has taken place?” Laurence inquired with narrowed eyes.

  “You’re MI-6’s prime suspect for the murder of Sir Knight Light,” Merge bluntly answered.

  “What is the basis of this accusation?”

  Lady Tech sighed before giving him the rundown.

  “Major Henry Butcher was found dead within his home on September 8th, 2016, at eleven A.M. His internal organs, muscle tissue, and bones displayed severe burn marks. The assailant, who appears to be extremely powerful and capable of leaving no DNA traces, was identified as a male due to the large burn mark print of his hand around the front and side of the Major’s throat. The only evidence left at the crime scene was grains of sand on the Major’s fingertips, which trace back to Luxor, Egypt. A local superhero here in the U.S. known as Flaming Jay was murdered by the same M.O., except her death was made to look like a suicide when the killer dropped her from several miles up onto a parked car. Both victims had every single cell within each of their bodies burnt to a crisp.”

  “Let’s not forget that this same individual was able to impersonate the Major for several months before his actual body was found,” Blitz threw in. “So, we’re uncertain if the suspect is actually a man or woman.”

  “You said the sand came from Luxor, Egypt?”

  Lady Tech nodded while answering Laurence’s question.

  “Yep, we went down and scanned the area looking for clues ourselves. All we found was an empty tomb approximately twenty miles from the Valley of the Kings.”

  “What are the exact coordinates to this tomb?”

  Lady Tech’s spine vibrated from Laurence’s voice, the unnerving glare that was not intended to be hostile toward her.

  “Maxine …pull them up.”

  On Lady Tech’s command, Maxine pulled up a holographic display pinpointing the tomb they found in Egypt.

  “Sol?”

  “They are the exact coordinates where he was imprisoned.”

  “Where who was imprisoned?” Rogers demanded to know.

  “And you are certain the tomb was empty?” Laurence pressed Lady Tech while ignoring Rogers.

  “It was empty,” She quickly answered. “Although the ground appeared to have been disturbed and …”

  “Eye of Ra, I am still receiving the original signal from the Bleed Casket within Horus’s tomb that contradicts Dr. Champion’s answer.”

  “Horus’s tomb?” Rogers asked a second question with irritation in his voice.

  “Did you’re familiar, just call me a liar?” Lady Tech inquired, taking a defensive tone.

  “On the contrary, Dr. Champion, I detect that you are telling the truth based on your vital signs,” Sol spoke up for himself. “However, I am still detecting a signal from the tomb, which indicates that Horus’s Bleed casket should be there.”

  “What the hell is a Bleed Casket?” Heavy Element asked.

  “Sol, open a portal into Horus’s tomb immediately,” Laurence ordered.

  “As you command.”

  Sol’s eyes blazed as he opened up a portal in the middle of the Regulators’ command deck. He then transformed into staff mode while slithering down into Laurence’s right hand as the Eye of Ra walked through the portal. Erica nervously glanced at Rogers before darting into the gateway after him.

  “Erica, wait! Dammit!”

  Rogers quickly turned to the rest of his team to give commands.

  “Blitz and Merge with me! Heavy Element, you’re in command until we get back!”

  “Yes, sir!” Heavy Element acknowledged.

  Blitz and Merge followed the Sarge, diving into the portal before it closed. On the other side, they found Erica standing behind the Eye of Ra, slowly looking around an empty tomb.

  “Sol, are you still detecting the false signal indicating that the Bleed Casket is here?”

  “Negative,” Sol answered. “The signal stopped transmitting the moment we entered the tomb.”

  Laurence clutched Sol tighter as the hair stood on the back of his neck, knowing that there was a strong possibility they had walked into a trap.

  “You should not have followed me here,” He said without looking in the direction of the Regulators.

  Laurence’s weighted statement brought mixed reactions from the team. Lady Tech wore a face of nervousness, while Blitz’s own was that of confusion. Merge chose to pull out the sidearm in her right holster, check the clip, reload, and remove the safety preparing for anything.

  The Sarge donned his mask of irritation as he stepped into the Eye of Ra’s personal space.

  “Enough with this cryptic one-liner bul
lshit!” Rogers spat. “Who the hell was down here?”

  Laurence paid no attention to Rogers as he narrowed his eyes, staring straight ahead at the wall on the other side of the empty tomb. It did not take long for the air to crackle forcing Rogers to turn his head along with the rest of his team to the interdimensional commotion before them.

  A portal opened and expanded out of thin air allowing for Apedemak to step out into the tomb that once housed his father with Seker perched on his shoulder.

  He dismissively scanned the room before zeroing in on Laurence and spoke.

  “The descendant of Amun-Ra, I presume …I pictured you to be much larger.”

  Rogers pointed to the lion god of war, asking the Eye of Ra a question.

  “Is that Horus?”

  “No,” Laurence answered. “That is not Horus.”

  “Descendant of Amun-Ra…remove your armor and familiar,” Apedemak commanded. “Prostrate yourself before me, and I may allow you to breathe air a little while longer before delivering you to my father.”

  “I take it your father is Horus,” Laurence calmly guessed.

  Rogers answered for the Eye of Ra by pulling out his sidearm, taking aim. Merge also had sights on Apedemak from her vantage point, while Blitz powered up, taking his electrical plasma form.

  “Leave it to me to run into a portal without my toys,” Lady Tech muttered.

  Erica tapped the side of her visors, which activated her bodysuit and the nanotechnology within it, causing the sleeves to expand, coating her hands becoming form-fitting gauntlets. The upper part of her suit began to form a malleable helm covering her entire head while connecting to her visor.

  The act of aggression brought a scoffing smirk to Apedemak, with his eyes still focused solely on the Eye of Ra.

  “Detecting a temporal displacement,” Sol announced.

  “Where?” Laurence asked.

  “All around us,” Sol answered.

  The walls, ceiling, and floor all around the tomb began to crack and crumble, bringing in cosmic light.

  “Sol.”

  Laurence’s familiar immediately created individual golden sphere constructs enclosing all of the Regulators' members, while the Eye of Ra’s faceplate to his helm came down.

  “Combatant before us is a Cosmivorse with red supergiant star energy output,” Sol confirmed.