by A. K. DuBoff
At the front of the herd, I recognized the female elder we’d met earlier. “Do not do this, Huefneril,” she cautioned telepathically.
Hoofy continued forward slowly, meeting her gaze. “This is the only way, Maricaela. Leave now and let this play out as it may.”
She turned her attention to the rest of us. “It is just like your kind to think only of yourselves.”
I stepped forward to stand abreast to Hoofy. “The future of the Hegemony is at stake. We’re doing this for all of those worlds.”
“Bringing your problems to us,” Maricaela replied.
I didn’t care that I was talking to an ancient, powerful being; I wouldn’t stand by while I was belittled because I was trying to save my civilization. “No, this place is the origin, and those problems came to find us. I won’t make excuses for my commitment to protecting my home and my people.”
She tossed her mane. “Such a young race. You believe your lives and homes are the only ones which matter.”
“Not at all,” I softened my tone. “I’m sorry if it seems that way, but that isn’t the case. In fact, I suggested that we call off our plan because I found out what damage it may cause to your realm. I feel awful about it, truly. If you know of another way for us to stop the Overlords, then please, tell us. But right now, this is the only way I know. I understand that the structures on this plane can be repaired, but our worlds can’t. This is our chance to eliminate an evil that will keep coming back over and over again if we let them go now, and I can’t allow that threat to be a shadow on my people’s future. We want to seal the Overlords away and then reset our worlds back to how they were—to give people back their lives and futures. Maybe that’s selfish, but we wouldn’t be worthy of survival if we didn’t fight for it.”
Maricaela evaluated me in silence. “I sense purity of intent in your heart. However, actions must be judged on the result, not the motivation.”
“Then let’s look at the results,” I said. “If you allow us to proceed, you’ll need to leave this place and go somewhere safe. I don’t know how long it will take, but the hyperdimensional bridges will mend, and eventually you can return here. The Hegemony and all of its worlds will be saved. However, if you insist on stopping us, all of the Hegemony will eventually fall to the Overlords, and stars know how many other civilizations. They will figure out how to ascend, and you won’t be safe, either. When you look at it like that, I’m not sure you can call us the selfish ones.”
Hoofy bowed his head. “This is why I have aligned myself with them,” he stated. “I would gladly accept banishment for helping to save this young, promising race on the cusp of coming into their own.”
Maricaela looked to the other members of her herd, possibly in a private telepathic discussion. “We will leave this place, as you ask, and make sure others follow. Sacrifice is needed for the greater good.”
Maris clasped her hands. “Thank you.”
Kaiden and Toran murmured their thanks, as well, and I smiled. “If we meet again, I hope it will be to begin rebuilding the past friendship between our races.”
“Yes. Perhaps when the Overlords are no longer a threat, we will one day walk among you again.” She turned away from us. “We will alert the others about the need to evacuate. May you succeed in your mission.” The herd bounded into the mist alongside the bridge and disappeared.
Kaiden placed a hand on the small of my back. “Amazing job, Elle. Well said.”
“I wasn’t sure they’d listen,” I admitted.
“They were never truly against us,” Hoofy said. “Their desire to avoid interference can blind them, but they would never condemn billions to death.”
“It certainly seemed like they were ready to let that happen,” Kaiden said.
“A test of your resolve, more than anything,” Hoofy replied. “To ensure the destruction of their home would not be in vain.”
I nodded. “Can’t blame them for checking. I’d want to vet us, too, were the roles reversed.”
“And now we must deliver,” Toran said. “The others are waiting on us.” He motioned down the bridge in the direction we’d been going.
“Let’s go get that sphere.” I resumed running after Hoofy.
Several bridges and intersections later, I spotted our target at the center of a six-way intersection: a translucent sphere identical to the one on the Evangiel. We’d reached the location of the underground chamber.
“Time to summon our ride,” Kaiden said.
I drew my sword. “The Saps are going to be waiting for us—I know it.”
He gave me an encouraging smile. “Then you’ll slash them into oblivion like always.”
“Standing by with a shield for as soon as we transition,” Maris said.
“I will be watching,” Hoofy said. “Stars be with you.”
“Thanks, see you soon.” In unison with my team, I reached out to touch the sphere.
Reality folded inward and new surroundings resolved with a flash. A protective shell appeared around me, and I raised my sword in anticipation of an attack, but the underground chamber was empty.
I lowered my weapon. “That’s strange. I really thought they’d be waiting for us.”
“Yeah, I did, too,” Kaiden agreed. “Well, no complaints.”
“We should summon the Sanctum before the Saps change their minds about an attack,” Toran advised.
“On it.” I tapped behind my ear to open a commlink. “Sanctum, this is the Dark Sentinel team. We’re in position.” Only static sounded. “Stars! Are the comm’s working?”
Toran frowned. “Should be. They were working before.”
“Could the rock be interfering?” Kaiden asked.
“Possibly, but—”
“We read you,” Richards replied over the comm, cutting Toran off. “Sorry about that. We needed to clean up the signal.”
“Great to hear your voice!” I breathed a sigh of relief. “We’re in position in the cavern.”
“We see you,” Kess acknowledged. “Geological survey has us cutting through clay and then several meters of rock. The beam weapons on this ship weren’t designed for precise excavation, so I suggest you clear the area.”
“There’s an adjacent chamber where we can go to,” I told her.
“Perfect. Keep an eye on our progress and let us know when it’s about to punch through,” Richard stated. “We won’t be able to see where we’re going once everything starts to melt.”
“Good thing we have shields,” Maris said.
“Yours will be more reliable than the ones you cast for us. Mind being on watch duty?” I asked her.
She smiled. “Happy to.”
“All right, give us a minute or two to get situated,” I said while motioning Kaiden and Toran to deal with the sphere. We’d agreed during our planning session that it would be best to move it away from the drilling site so it didn’t get coated in molten rock. While the crystals were supposed to be near-indestructible by most physical means, it wouldn’t be easy for us to move if it was glued to the floor by a blob of rock.
Kaiden bent down to nudge the base supporting the crystal wrapped in the dark, alien tendrils, but it gave no sign of movement. “Argh, this thing is on here good.”
Toran joined him, grimacing as he reached through the mass of vines to grip the inner support structure with both hands. It wouldn’t budge. “I did not anticipate this problem.”
“Hold off on the drilling,” I instructed. “We haven’t been able to clear the area.”
“ETA?” Kess asked.
“Not sure. Hang on.” I motioned for Kaiden and Toran to back away. “Let me try levitating it off.”
I focused on the base, imagining the bonds within the stone and breaking them down. I held out my right hand, palm open, and shot a dark orb toward the center of the column. The vines recoiled, and the rock underneath condensed and crumbled at the impact site. When the structure began to tip ov
er, I redirected my energy to catch the sphere and lift it up, then set it gently on the ground atop the bed of vines.
“You should really do that kind of stuff more often,” Kaiden said.
I shrugged. “Too difficult to do in battle. I need a ton of concentration.”
Toran jogged to where I’d set the sphere down. “We need to get it to the other chamber. Kaiden, your cloak.”
Hesitantly, Kaiden removed the outer garment and handed it to the other man.
Toran draped the cloth over the crystal so he could grip it without touching it with his skin or gauntlets. He easily lifted the meter-wide sphere in his arms and strode toward the doorway to the adjacent chamber. “A little light?”
“Of course.” Kaiden conjured a light orb in his palm and sent it floating ahead of Toran.
“Stars, no!” Toran almost dropped the sphere.
Red eyes reflected the light from the orb. Dozens of eyes.
Toran quickly stepped back. “Maris, shield. Now!”
Maris cast a shield over the passageway a moment before half a dozen of the Sap fighters lunged toward us.
“What are they doing in there?” Kaiden took a step back.
Maris cautiously approached the passageway so the silvery magical forcefield from her artifact sealed most of the opening, in case the cast one failed. “We might have to get cozy.”
I looked between the Saps and the chamber that was about to turn into a lava tube. “They set us up.”
Kaiden’s face dropped. “Must have known we could use the sphere to go to back to 7D and get away from them. So, they tried to ambush us where we’d have nowhere to run.”
I groaned. “And we could use the sphere to escape now, but there’d be no way to take it with us. Except, stars! The sphere is how they transition. We need to… block it somehow before more come through.”
“Maybe, like, one hand on it?” Kaiden speculated.
“I dunno, worth a shot,” I agreed. “Not sure if it’s a one-activity-at-a-time thing, or it doesn’t matter.”
“I’ll try,” he said.
“Hey, what’s going on down there?” Richards asked over the comm.
“Unexpected company,” I replied.
“If we huddle together, maybe…” Maris sounded unsure.
“No choice,” I said. “Come on.”
Maris regulated her forcefield to allow us to pass inside while keeping the enemies at bay. The three of us had to crouch near the ground where the bubble was widest, but we managed to get within its boundaries along with the viewing-sphere, still wrapped in Kaiden’s cloak except for the one bit he was touching.
“Okay, we’re ready,” I told Kess and Richards.
“All right, activating the beam,” Kess stated.
The ground trembled and loose bits of rock and dust rained from the ceiling. On our other side, the Saps redoubled their efforts to break through Maris’ special forcefield, though their clawing and biting bore no results.
I inched closer to Kaiden as the shaking intensified. “We were never supposed to be in the same room as this.”
“Improvisation,” Maris said.
“Three meters down so far,” Richards informed us.
“Long way to go,” Toran responded.
The Saps shifted in and out of our perception, but each time they tried to dimensional-jump to the other side of the bubble they immediate retreated because of the heat from the drilling.
Kaiden closed his eyes as one of the Saps snapped at him ten centimeters away on the other side of the forcefield. “These guys are getting antsy.”
The mass of Saps pressed against the shield, unable to push through, but a force nonetheless. Maris slipped backward, unable to stand up to their combined strength. Snouts and limbs of some of the creatures began slipping through new gaps between the forcefield’s dome and the passageway walls.
“Gah! I can’t hold them.” Maris leaned into her shield artifact, which formed the front of our defensive wall.
Toran braced himself behind her. “We’re in this together.”
As much as I loved the sentiment, that desire didn’t change the physical realties of the situation. We needed to force the enemy back. I concentrated on my sword, trying to put myself in the mindset that had enabled me to augment our shield on the shuttle to stave off destruction from the spatial disruptor before. Energy surged through me, and I directed it toward the shell already around us.
“Kaiden, try to charge the shell,” I instructed.
Confusion flitted across this face, then he nodded his understanding. A moment later, an electrical charge shot from his staff to the dome, which transitioned to the outer barrier.
The Saps cried out as electrical bolts shot toward them when they tried to touch the forcefield. The pressure sliding us backward began to dissipate enough that we could seal the gaps around its edges by pressing further into the passageway.
“How’s it coming, Kess?” I asked over the comm.
“Getting close,” she said. “You see anything yet?”
I checked the caver’s roof but there were no signs of the drilling beam aside from the continued tremble and loose rocks falling. “Not yet.”
The seconds dragged on as the Saps continued to snap at us. The electrical charge began to wear off.
“Recharging,” Kaiden said, holding up his staff to pass the electrical current. However, with the sparks dancing on his staff, he suddenly froze.
“Hey, what are you—” It took me a moment to realize what had happened, but then I saw one of the Saps staring at him with its glowing, red eyes. Somehow, it had managed to ensnare him through the shield. “No, Kaiden, snap out of it!” I shook his shoulder.
The electrical charge arced inside the forcefield, unable to pass through without his coordinated direction with Maris. I bobbed to avoid being struck.
“This is going to fry us!” Maris cried. I saw her attempt to create smaller shields around each of us inside the dome, but her attention was already too directed on maintaining the larger protective dome for them to take hold.
I passed my hand in front of Kaiden’s face with no response. The lightning continued to dance along his staff. If it kept up, we might fare better with the beam drill in the cavern.
“Stars, the rock on the roof is starting to glow!” Maris noticed.
Okay, so our chances in that chamber had just dropped significantly. I didn’t think our odds against that many Saps was much better. We needed to do something. “Kaiden…” I pleaded.
“Let him go,” Toran’s voice boomed to my right. He was staring directly at the Sap who had telepathically linked with Kaiden.
The creature faltered.
“Let him go,” Toran repeated even more forcefully.
To my surprise, the Sap ducked its head and turned to walk away.
“What the…” I faded out as Kaiden took a gasping breath.
“What happened?” he asked, his tone one of confusion and distress.
“One of the Saps got you,” I replied. “But Toran here… he just gave it a treatment of its own.”
“Do more of that!” Maris urged. “These guys are still pushing.”
Toran locked in a staring contest with the Saps. “Leave us,” he commanded. A couple of the Sap fighters hesitated, but there were too many of them for that to make a difference. It would seem one-on-one was the only effective strategy—at least where his abilities were now—and that would take more time than we had to address each of the creatures in turn.
“We’re going to have to make a run for it,” I realized. “As soon as the platform drops—” I cut off, noticing the roof of the cavern. “Stars, that’s glowing a lot!”
“Dialing it back,” Kess stated over the comm. “Almost through. We’ll drop the charge.” The bright point faded the slightest measure. “Detonating in three… two… one!”
I instinctively covered my head with my free arm as
an explosive charge broke through the final section of the ceiling so the beam didn’t cook us. Chunks of rock flew throughout the chamber, leaving a pile of super-heated rubble at the center, on top of the alien vines. As the dust cleared, I could see our three-meter-wide access shaft to safety now dominating the center of the ceiling.
“Get ready to run,” I told my team.
“Lowering the evac platform,” Richards said.
The deployment took nearly a minute, requiring Richards to hold the ship steady so the platform didn’t touch the near-molten rock walls, which had yet to cool. It would be impossible for us to exit through the chamber if it wasn’t for Maris’ protective shields.
Finally, the platform came into view—a simple rectangle two meters by one with a railing around three sides.
“Okay, Maris, wall off this opening as best you can,” I instructed. “Toran, get the sphere. It’ll be a mad dash to get out of here.”
“Ready,” all members of the team confirmed.
I planned my running path to avoid the patches of hot rock. “Okay… go!”
We sprinted across the sweltering chamber and made a running leap for the platform hovering a meter above the ground. I landed first, lending my hand to Maris to help her aboard. Kaiden and Toran easily made the jump. To my relief, Maris’ shield had managed to hold back the Saps.
“Get us out of here!” I shouted into my comm.
The Sanctum began to rise while the winch on the lift simultaneously engaged, pulling us toward the belly of the ship. Maris encased the platform in a new shield, diffusing the heat. The glow had faded from the rocks lining the shaft, but I could still see distortions in the air from the heat.
After a slow initial ascent, the platform finally cleared the shaft. A gust of wind rocked the platform, knocking me off-balance. I held onto the railing as the platform swung dangerously far to the side, pitching us toward the open side of the platform.
“The sphere,” Kaiden warned, hugging the sphere still wrapped in his cloak.
Toran steadied it on the other side. “We won’t let it go anywhere.”
I looked between the sphere and my friends once we had safely entered the Sanctum’s cargo hold. “Let’s go put those hyperdimensional bastards in their place.”
