Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller

by Brandon Ellis

  Jaxx drew his mouth in a straight line and bit his lip. “That’s not much, but it will be enough. When is ETA?”

  “Ichibu.”

  “One minute? Too soon. That’s not enough time to retrieve Fox.” He paused, crossing his arms, watching the forest burn in front of him, anger slashing through him like a sword. He came here to help the Taiyonians against this illegal, uncalled-for invasion to steal natural resources. He wanted to choke Gentry’s neck. He wanted to kick the living shit out of Fox. He also wanted to save Fox because there was something about Fox, something that tied he and Fox together. There had always been. And Jaxx could change the guy and get him to help Jaxx and the Taiyonians. He knew it. There was a light not yet aflame in that guy’s heart. Jaxx could reach it. He could change the killer.

  “Relay for air support to delay another minute.” Fox was heading right for the trap they set. It was funny, here Fox came to extract Jaxx. And here Jaxx came to insert Fox into his resistance.

  Mako-zan spoke into his cuff, sending the message off to air support.

  “Let’s go.” Jaxx ran forward and away from the fire, heading in Fox’s direction. Off in the distance, they saw a heavy exchange between the S.A.S.M.’s and the Taiyonian men Jaxx left a short duration ago. The S.A.S.M.’s, though, were heading back. Were they going back to the dropship? This fast? They’d just landed. It wasn’t like an S.A.S.M. team to turn tail and run, leaving a mission without attempting to fully carry it out.

  Up ahead, a flurry of bombs detonated and Fox came into view as he was tossed high, flipping in mid-air.

  Jaxx ran faster. “Trap initiated, let’s take him. Get the e-straps ready.”

  Kiyo-zan held both hands together as he ran, his gold, metallic wrist bands ignited, and a long energy-chord manifested. He gripped the chord tight in one hand, pulling the bow from his back with the other hand.

  Jaxx scooped up a pine cone, took in a big whiff out of the top of it, then dropped it on the ground. Instantly, more endurance and strength came to him. He rounded a tree and saw Fox getting up, his exo-suit covered in black soot, a chunk of his leg armor hung by a sliver.

  Fox turned and in a quick motion, grabbed his weapon and let off round after round.

  Jaxx and his buddies went into a defensive crouch and activated their shields, leaning into the concussive blasts.

  “Enough!” yelled Jaxx, pushing his arm outward, sending a mass amount of Chi. A flow of dirt erupted in front of him and a line of soil catapulting out of the ground, speeding toward Fox. Fox lifted off the ground and was pushed sideways, landing hard on the forest floor.

  Mako-zan smiled, then laughed, letting down his shield. A blast rocketed into Mako-zan and ripped through his upper back and out his chest. He took the hit well and stood his ground. He then gave Jaxx a stunned looked. His eyes rolled back and he fell face first.

  Kiyo-zan and Jaxx twirled around, seeing an S.A.S.M. member heading toward them. In a few minutes, the entire Taiyonian Kasai Company would be here, but not soon enough.

  “Kiyo-zan, hold him off. I’ve got Fox.” Jaxx rushed Fox and leaped from a higher position. He landed on Fox’s back as the S.A.S.M. leader went to get up.

  Fox slammed into the dirt, then twisted, pushing Jaxx off of him.

  Jaxx kept his balance and remained on his feet. He eyed Fox’s Oospor dropship only twenty yards away, powering up and about to lift off as a dust cloud started to form under it. Some of the S.A.S.M. team must have made it to the craft.

  Fox ran toward the dropship, detaching a percussion device from his leg armor and tossing it over his shoulder.

  Hitting the ground, the device lit up like a light, momentarily blinding Jaxx and everyone else in range. It rose into the air and twirled, then exploded shrapnel and neurotoxins throughout the area.

  Jaxx dropped to the ground and curled into a ball. Lifting his arm, he initiated his shield. Pieces of thick munition pounded against his shield along with neurotoxin spray. It lasted a few seconds before Jaxx pushed to a standing position. Kiyo-zan was by his side, his shield up, safe as well.

  Jaxx took a deep breath. Fox had boarded the dropship. Chasing him now would be useless. He dropped his head, then gasped. He remembered something. Fox would be a sitting duck upon lift off or shortly thereafter. A few Taiyonian starfighters were on their way, ready to bombard the S.A.S.M. team. A few cannon bolts and short range missiles would blink the dropship out of existence.

  “Call it off.”

  Kiyo-zan blankly stared at Jaxx. “Nani?”

  “You heard me. I said, call it off.”

  Kiyo-zan relayed the message through his wrist bracelet. He shot another look at Jaxx. “Doshite son’za koto o zimashita?”

  “Why did I call it off?” Jaxx searched his heart. “I don’t know.” He wanted to say because he was a dumbass, but that would be too simple, too easy. It was something intuitive, telling him that if they ended Fox’s life, a piece of Jaxx would end as well.

  Kiyo-zan paced a few steps to Jaxx and placed his hand on Jaxx’s heart. “Wakarimazu.”

  “Thank you for understanding.” Jaxx patted Kiyo-zan’s hand, closing his eyes, then taking a sudden quick breath.

  Opening his eyes, he was back in the dome, in the place called Flood of Dawn.

  A hand gripped his. It was Fox, still on the table, eyes narrowed. “You saved me. Why did you save me?” His eyes darting left and right. “And why are those red cones important?”

  Jaxx shrugged, pulling his hand out of Fox’s grip. “I don’t know. They open up something in us.”

  “They open up your soul,” came a woman’s voice.

  Jaxx spun. Liberty stood in an open doorway, Rivkah by her side. “Come with me. We don’t have much time. There’s something important you need to see.”

  Fox pushed himself off the bed, his voice low. “I fight for SSP only. Not for you. Not for Jaxx. I’m giving you an hour to get me back space-side before I fuck more shit up. I owe Jaxx this, but only once.”

  Liberty dipped her head. “If you wish.”

  41

  Georgia and Tennessee Border - Earth

  “I don’t exactly know where your father is,” explained Drew, his eyes on the road, the vapors from the gas cans seeping into the car from the trunk.

  They had used all but four gas cans, an odd gift from an even more odd and suspicious drone. Drew could count on his fingers how much luck he’d had his short life and he was happy to count one more.

  “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” his mother used to say when he was younger.

  “Then how do you know I’ll see him?” asked Mya.

  Drew blinked a couple of times, staring at the road. Dusk was settling in. He was out of the mountains and heading for the shared Tennessee and Georgia hills, otherwise known as Lookout Mountain. From his estimation, he’d be there in twenty minutes or so. Then, what?

  He tapped his noggin. He was a genius with a photographic memory. He had the directions in the forefront of his mind, plus every direction he’d ever read was filed away in his mind to be conjured up whenever needed.

  “Drew?”

  Drew jerked back, his mind intent on the drive and not the girl’s questions. “What?”

  The girl looked up at him, eyes wide and angelic. “Will Mom be there when I see my dad?”

  The freeway was long, uncomfortable, unknown. A car could come out of nowhere and try to get him to pullover for God knows what, or a Chinese jet could pick him off, or a bullet could shatter through the side window at any time. This wasn’t the United States of a few months ago where he was relatively safe—relatively. But this girl’s question trumped it all.

  He cleared his throat. “Mya? I don’t want to lie to you. Your mom won’t be coming to see you.” He glanced at her for a moment, his heart seeping up to his throat. “And I don’t know how to get a hold of your father.”

  Mya looked down at her fiddling hands. “What do you mean? You said my mom and dad were going to
see me.”

  Drew blinked a couple of times. The sweat rolled down his sides and soaked his belt. “Well, you see, I was scared and because I was scared, I lied. I didn’t want you to have a hard time while I was trying to keep us safe, so I made all that up.”

  Mya kept her head down. “Oh...” she started to shake and tears welled up in her eyes.

  Drew rubbed her back. “I will try to find your dad.” He shook his head. “No, I will find your dad.” He couldn’t believe his last statement. How would that be possible?

  She grabbed his arm and squeezed it tight, leaning her cheek against it. How quickly she trusted him, how quickly she knew what he was saying would be true. “Mommy, too?”

  He wanted to pull his arm back, he wanted to tell her how horrible life was and to be ready, because it’s going to get worse. He wasn’t a pessimistic guy, he was a realist leaning toward ridiculous optimism. He had this mindset that he could get anything accomplished that he wanted to, and he usually did, no matter how many different paths and windy roads he had to go onto to meet his accomplishments.

  He peeked at his rear-view mirror. No one in sight. He pushed the volume button, turning on the radio. Static. He upped the dial, zipping through station after station. All static.

  What else could he do to avoid the question?

  He took a deep breath. “Mya? Your mom died.”

  Mya released her grip and Drew brought his hand back, resting it on the middle console. Mya looked out of the passenger window, watching the trees pass by on the freeway. “What does die mean?”

  How did she not know what death was? This wasn’t going to be easy. “When someone—” He slammed on the breaks, the wheels screeching a whine he’d only heard in movies, black rubber smoke trailing behind them.

  Four cars—police cars—and a heavy SWAT-looking vehicle were lined across the freeway. Men in uniform stood in front of the car. Police rifles rested in their hands and across their arms. They spread out the moment they heard the screeching from Drew’s car.

  Drew twisted the wheel as the car abruptly slowed, fish tailing, the back end skidding and nearly turning the car around. It came to a sudden halt. Smoke rose from the tires and surrounded the car.

  Drew patted down Mya. Seeing no blood, he checked her eyes. She was awake, alive, and just as astonished as him. “Are you okay?”

  She slowly nodded, her mouth curling downward. Drew’s hand was still on her chest, her heart beat rapidly against it.

  “Sit still. That’s the police. Maybe they know what’s going on or where your daddy is.” Drew opened the door and stepped out. He eyed a police man with short hair, nice and tidy, mid-fifties, police-issue trousers and short sleeve shirt. He was clean shaven, although he had missed a spot. Several other policemen stood by him, all walking slowly in Drew’s direction.

  Drew put his hands out, showing them he wasn’t someone to be wary of. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting a barricade.”

  A policeman held his hand up, stopping the rest of the advancing police, then spoke, “In a different time, you would have been cited. Where are you trying to get to, son?”

  “Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.”

  “Why?”

  Drew pointed behind the police man. “It’s just fifteen-minutes that way.”

  The policeman gingerly looked behind him, as if that was a surprise to him. “I see. What for?”

  “To meet with my friends.”

  “What for?”

  “For...uh...safety.”

  “I’d suggest you turn around. The next city over is quite accommodating.”

  Drew jabbed a finger over his shoulder. “Which one?”

  The policeman flicked his nose with his thumb. “Piney Woods.”

  Drew looked over his shoulder. Mya was in the car, watching Drew’s conversation. Drew looked back and eyed the policemen. They were standing patiently, though not happily. “If you guys part your cars, I can just drive on by.”

  “Please turn around, Sir.” All policemen, as if they were part of a perfectly synchronized flock of flying birds, pointed their rifles at Drew. “I’m not going to ask again.”

  Drew raised his hands. “All right.” He slowly backed up, then turned around, cautiously making his way to his car. Mya was in a ball on the front seat, hiding.

  Thrum. Thrum. Thrum. Thrum.

  Drew twisted around and faced the police, his eyes trained to the sky. A helicopter. The policemen, however, were in front of their cars, leaning against them, as if nothing was happening out of the ordinary.

  The helicopter descended. The first rush of rotor blade wind slammed against Drew.

  It lowered toward the police vehicles.

  “Watch out. Just above you,” yelled Drew. How could the police officers not see the helicopter?

  The helicopter’s landing skids were now a few inches from the top of the cars. It moved lower, its skids passing through the cars and the police as if they weren’t there. As if they were a hologram.

  The helicopter touched down, its body slicing through the men and women in police garb, yet the they still hadn’t moved an inch. Drew jerked back. The police, along with their vehicles, disappeared.

  A young man, hair smoothed back in an overabundance of hair gel, fixed his tie as he stepped out from the copter and buttoned his suit, yelling something at Drew.

  Drew put his hands out. “What?”

  The young man waved Drew over, the swirling air from the rotor blades kicking up dirt and tiny gravel, slapping Drew across his face.

  “Sir,” said the man, coming closer. “President Jefferson Kennedy has asked to see you. Please join us in the helicopter and we can get you to him.”

  Drew’s eyes swept across where the police were only moments ago. “Clever.”

  “They’re holograms. Very advanced.” He cocked his head to the side, gesturing for Drew to get in the helicopter. “This way, Sir.”

  Drew took a step forward, then remembered. “I have to get Mya.”

  The young man’s eye brows lifted. “The young girl?”

  Drew nodded.

  “She’s already well on her way.”

  Drew turned, seeing a young woman carrying Mya to the helicopter. Mya looked at Drew for help.

  Drew rushed over and grabbed her from the woman.

  The young man put his hand on Drew’s back, prodding him forward. “The President is in communication with Starship Atlantis.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “Trust me, that’s not the only surprise you’ll see.”

  Drew stopped, his arms tightening around Mya. He could take her and get back in his car, turn tail, and find Mya’s father, who could probably protect her better than he could. But protection would be difficult racing through a war zone.

  “I need to find this girl’s father.”

  “We have all records of military personnel. We know where her father is.”

  “Good.” Drew took a few steps forward and only feet from the helicopter, he halted. How could they possibly know this girl’s father was in the military?

  42

  J-Quadrant, Solar System - Flood of Dawn, Callisto

  Fox left in his Oospor Class 9 Dropship in a hurry. Jaxx guessed Fox would orbit Callisto in wait for the Secret Space Program’s arrival, where he’d help pound the Atlanteans to shit. Why the Atlanteans let the prick leave, Jaxx didn’t understand. Fox would just be another asshole coming down to take the Atlanteans away from their civilization, most likely to enslave, beat, use them for bartering tools, or worse.

  Jaxx sat at a picnic table. The table didn’t have legs and instead hovered in place. The bench he sat upon was soft like a cushion. He pressed his lips together, baffled with it all, especially with Fox. Not because the guy had left, but for his lack of excitement that Fox was gone. Something in him missed the guy—a guy that would kill him at any chance he could get. How could you miss a guy like that?

  He rubbed his face. His stomach growled. />
  Rivkah approached on a path, holding a book so huge and thick he was surprised one person could carry it alone. A few men and women in combat uniform strode behind her, the trees surrounding the area fluttered on the breeze. Their pinkish-yellow leaves and golden needles shimmered in the artificial light from the glass dome above.

  Past Rivkah, trees in the distance cascaded from hill top to hill top, accompanied by domed structures dotting the hills. A plethora of waterfalls plummeted everywhere.

  He dropped his forehead into his hands. It was a beautiful city, but almost too beautiful, too concocted as if these people spent their entire life constructing, fixing, creating, and designing the greatest city in the galaxy. A city that would be gone in a matter of weeks, especially since the Kelhoon were already here.

  He hung his head, pressing his forehead more into his palm. The Kelhoons were beatable. But even if they held off the Kelhoons, the Secret Space Program was on route. There was no way the Atlanteans could fend off both militaries. It was a logistical impossibility. The best the Atlanteans could do would be to leave, find another home, one that was putrid enough that not even the Golgath Boars of Panzea would find enjoyment there.

  An image of a bi-ped human type creature with a hair-like mane, large furry ears, a pig nose, prominent tusks, and barrel, stout body came to his mind. Where the hell had that come from? He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that was a Golgath, probably another race he had met during his stint with the Secret Space Program. The memories were returning; faster now. And they were sticking.

  When he’d worked with Doctor Donny, back in Underfoot Black, he’d had trouble holding on to the simplest memory from that time, but now he was seeing entire swathes of his own history in full, living color. If there was one thing he needed to do, it was apologize to Rivkah. No wonder the woman hated him. She believed he’d left her for dead, or at least left her burned to a crisp when her ship had gone down. He hadn’t, but she didn’t know that, or rather, didn’t believe it.