《The Fall Years》 Roswell, CH1: Survivor If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Roswell, CH2: The Welcome Wagon
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Roswell, CH3: One Small Step for a Kaskari ¡°He¡¯s alive, but only just,¡± came a soft voice at Vadir¡¯s side. It spoke in a human language and he couldn¡¯t understand a word they were saying. He was thankful that they hadn¡¯t saw fit to restrain him but he couldn¡¯t afford to just lie here. Not while the Dauntless remained an ever-present threat to this world. He began fidgeting and could see various clear bags and tubes being used to pump liquids into him. Maybe that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t need restraints. They wanted him napping. I can¡¯t have that. He may have put more into his roll than he intended because he spilt out onto the hard dirt and felt suddenly dizzy. He also lay there for longer than he meant to. This is the first time I¡¯ve touched real grass and dirt. So many years spent on the Dauntless¡­ all my friends. The realisation hit him as his grey hand brushed over strands of grass. Am I the only one who made it out alive? His movements were sluggish and it took a while for him to adjust to this new world, all the while, the humans simply watched him. The soft-spoken one had stepped ahead of those close by and appeared to be gesturing more to those armed, than Vadir himself. ¡°WE. WILL. NOT HURT YOU.¡± Vadir cocked his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Doctor, trying to reason with him won¡¯t work, he can¡¯t understand you.¡± Vadir looked from the long-haired person to their more grizzled companion. Lighter in skin, but looking far worse for wear. The years had not been kind to them. This was someone that had seen war. He soon knew that getting them on his side was the only way to get out of this alive. But how do you convince someone who can¡¯t understand a word you¡¯re saying? While he argued with himself, he failed to notice the gap close and a soft grip around his wrist. On instinct, his trace triggered, the veins of his skin turned a vibrant yellow and he saw them raise their weapons. ¡°DO. NOT. SHOOT.¡± She was stern now, and better yet, he now understood her. But the trace did not end there¡­ In a matter of seconds, her life, up until now flashed by in his mind. The unmistakable scent of burning plasma and the sound of wounded crying would have led a weak-willed person to turn away from it all. To turn inward in hopes of shutting it all out but she had to remain steadfast and strong not for her sake but theirs. She had a duty and so did they. That meant getting them back to the fight, no matter how much they begged her. Now and then, a single question weighed on her mind, what were they even fighting for anyway? Sure, the Japanese had a vested interest in securing the Pacific region but that was as much a reaction to China¡¯s growing strength as it was a desperate power grab on the part of the United States to keep up with the other world powers. That was the paraded answer but there was probably more to it than just that. On the one hand, they wanted security and the resources that came with that. On the other hand, if the rumours were true. There were ¡®alien sites¡¯ dotted across South East Asia. She knew this because she had been reassigned from Site 51. One of those alien sites. The treasure trove of ancient alien technology had accelerated the race for technological superiority in a world that was progressing ever more off a cliff and into the unknown. She dreaded how this would all end. But as long as she did her duties, and if things went as intended she might actually be able to return to her parents at the farm. Or they would just send her back to Site 51. To live the rest of her miserable life under the Earth. The vision blurred and shifted then to a cold sterile environment. Outside lay a vast unforgiving space. Many on board had already resigned themselves to accepting that this vessel would be their tomb. There would be no salvation in this dark forest. Vadir Kor could not allow their doubt or existential issues to enter his headspace. He had a duty of care to this ship, nothing else mattered. As always he had been informed of a power fault in this corridor and with his assortment of precision tools, he set to work on removing the grates and soon found the issue. A split wire. Fixing it took very little time and as he fixed the grate back into place he stood up and stretched. In doing so he turned to see where they were. A grey crater-ridden surface was below them and beyond that sitting on the horizon was a handful of large interconnected domes that stretched out in all directions. Another fledgling civilisation, one that had just begun reaching out into the dark forest. A new player to join this doomed game. Beyond the alien domes sat the planet itself. Indescribable in its sheer beauty and majesty. He took a minute to absorb its finer details. From each continent to the wide blue oceans. He had longed to set foot on an alien world. Perhaps this would finally be the one and their journey could at last end. Little did he know what hell would soon follow. She threw herself into the embrace of the grizzled man. He cupped her head as she cried into his chest. ¡°Did he hurt -¡± ¡°No, just ¨C I think he can understand us now. And I, him?¡± Vadir looked at his hand. An alien¡¯s touch. Another new experience. He knew their words. Understanding fully would come later. The two words he planned to say next seemed to fit his current predicament. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Etu elfriq er gel venad,¡± the woman said letting go of the man and facing Vadir Kor. (1) She spoke my language. His eyes widened in disbelief. Her pronunciation was lacking but the intent was there. ¡°You di- did not do anything. That was me. I can do this thing called ¨C reguv¡­ trace. In your language. It helps when we need to clear up misunderstandings.¡± The grizzled man stepped forward, moving the woman aside. ¡°Like attacking the city of Lazarus?¡± Vadir cocked his head. He had no idea what Lazarus was. Then it dawned on him. ¡°Grenigh vorgundai.¡± (2) ¡°The Lunar city, yes,¡± said the woman. ¡°Captain Miller, if I may say my piece.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t stopped you so far, Doctor.¡± ¡°This alien is no soldier. He maintained the ship.¡± ¡°And you know this how?¡± She sighed. ¡°When we linked minds. I saw him maintaining the ship. It must have been moments before they attempted contact with Lazarus.¡± Vadir nodded slowly. ¡°Yes ¨C Por hundera told me a team was sent to the grinigh surface.¡± Vadir began pacing and those with him remained guarded. As well they should. When contact failed, we made the first move. And then¡­ Vadir stopped and faced them again. ¡°Primor! ug qala. Danger.¡± (3) Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Morte stormed the ship,¡± the Doctor said. ¡°and human too. A three-way fight broke out. Chaos. I -¡± he looked at his scarred hands and struggled to keep his breathing under control. I left them all to die. ¡°Captain Miller, would you mind giving me and my patient some alone time?¡± ¡°Your patient?¡± ¡°He¡¯s shellshocked, experiencing both trauma and a new world. We need him on our side to face what lies ahead. What happened to Lazarus was a tragedy. But the mistake can still be fixed.¡± ¡°You think you can get through to him.¡± ¡°The trace kicked down the door. Now it¡¯s my turn to make him feel at home.¡± The Captain looked concerned but said nothing, he gestured for his men to leave. ¡°I will leave two men at the entrance. I may also send the Wagon¡¯s medics to interview him in the meantime. He may be of use to us yet.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± said the woman. The Captain left with the two soldiers following on his heel. Now it¡¯s just the two of us. Vadir looked at the woman, he understood some of what was said, and that the Captain would send in two others to ask questions. That was fine, as long they didn¡¯t kill him. He was happy. The woman folded her arms, ¡°So our minds joined, anything else you want to tell me?¡± Before he could answer, everything lurched forward and spun. He could hear her call her help but not much else, soon the darkness returned and with it an uncertain future. # He awoke a little later and found himself still in the company of the Doctor he had traced. As the heat faded to give way to the evening. He felt a chill run through him. If he wanted to be of use to these people, he would need to be able to speak to them fluently. I wonder could another trace give me what I need. He looked over to the Doctor wearing white and waved her over. She smiled at him, stood up and approached his bed. She carried in one hand an old electric lantern. Its illumination kept back much of the darkness and it allowed Vadir to take in the alien person¡¯s features. He had been too caught up in his circumstances to appreciate them. The Kaskari had encountered many alien races across their travels through the vast void of space. Some alive. Many more extinct, and some of those races had come close to looking like them but the humans were so similar he almost wondered if a group of Kaskari had got here first centuries ago. It would explain much of their technological feats unless something else was responsible for that. ¡°How can I assist you? Are you feeling better?¡± she asked, placing the lantern on the side table. She had interrupted his train of thought and he didn¡¯t know how to communicate his intention. He simply held his hand out. She understood. ¡°You want to do another trace?¡± ¡°Yes, to better understand.¡± Her hand hovered above his silver palm. She looked visibly shaken, their first mental collision had left them both reeling. No telling if would happen again. Not wanting to give her the chance to pull away he gripped her pale pink hand and engaged his trace once more. The veins on his skin turned a brighter yellow. If I can read her mind, I can better understand them. I can make this right. There were no visions this time, she was calm and composed. She had learned, either consciously or unconsciously to block his attempts to pierce her history. But her language, English. It unravelled before him. It had a lot in common with his own tongue but diverged in just as many places. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°Nobut tu¡± (4) ¡°You¡¯re the first alien to speak to me in my own tongue.¡± ¡°Says the alien.¡± They laughed at that, and the tension lifted. He couldn¡¯t fathom what the Captain planned for him but she at least seemed trustworthy. It would have to do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for Lazarus. My people would have found a better way if -¡± ¡°If they could have run a trace like we did.¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s never that easy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve merged with your head twice now and your name still escapes me.¡± ¡°Vadir Kor and I could say the same of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kate Underwood.¡± The silence following this was a long one, he didn¡¯t quite know where to begin but there was one matter that concerned all life on this planet. ¡°Your moon city had fallen when we found it.¡± ¡°We suspected as much.¡± ¡°We call them, Primor. You call them Mortan. I had hoped we left them behind.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve faced Mortans before?¡± ¡°It would be centuries now since then. Most of what is known are just stories. To give us hope that we may rise again.¡± ¡°How long have you been travelling for?¡± she asked raising an eyebrow. He shrugged. ¡°I spent some of it in sleep. I know one thing. I was born on that ship. It¡¯s been my home for so very long.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that your people''s journey ended this way.¡± He wanted to say that more would come but he hesitated. He trusted her, but the soldier. What would he do with that information? I wonder. ¡°I want to see how it looks from the Earth.¡± ¡°See what?¡± ¡°The Moon, as you would call it.¡± She closed her eyes and shook her head but appeared to understand his sentiment. ¡°I saw the Earth from your perspective. She looks so -¡± ¡°Inspiring.¡± ¡°Yes but also inviting. It gives me hope in a way.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well, that we can join the stars.¡± ¡°After meeting us, do you really want to?¡± ¡°You think we made this far by getting along right off the bat? You might understand what we say. But you¡¯ve got a long way to go till you understand us.¡± He didn¡¯t object as she went about removing the tubes. She grabbed some nearby bandages from a storage unit and applied them to where openings had been cut. He sat up after she finished and swung his legs over the bed, planting them once more on the dirt. It sent a cold shock up through his ankles. He had forgotten he was barefoot. He used his toes to rub dirt between them once more. I could get used to this. This odd coolness proved soothing. It also hurt as his feet rolled over small stones. The Doctor soon helped him to stand. Dizziness overcame him again and it took a moment to steady both his nerves and himself. Kate thankfully helped him remain steady. She was just like the memory. She had a duty, and that was to send him back into the fray. ¡°Careful, don¡¯t do anything too sudden, you¡¯ve been out of it for a while, remember.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kate.¡± She met his red eyes and huffed. ¡°No problem, Vadir. I¡¯m sure the others will come round to you, once you get to talk to them.¡± ¡°The Wagon medics?¡± ¡°They can talk to you tomorrow. I wanted to make sure you would be ready for them first. Now let¡¯s get this over with. Come with me.¡± She parted the flaps much to the surprise of the two guards. A simple request gave them the room they needed to exit. By now night had fully settled. Vadir removed her hand from his shoulder and stumbled forward so that he stood alone. Behind him, Kate and the guards remained vigilant. The two men looked at each other unsure of what to do about this developing situation. In truth, he was more than a little lost too. There was so much to take in, from the chatter and laughter coming from the nearby tents to the ship he came from, almost invisible due to its sleek silver metal design. Its final resting place would be here. He looked beyond it and saw her at rest. The Dauntless sat in an open grave. Above it, the moon shone down, its translucent light spreading across the barren landscape. On that celestial body, humans likely remained fighting against the Mortans and any Kaskari fortunate enough not to have returned to the Dauntless before it crashed. Vadir''s legs crumbled beneath him and he landed on the dirt. Kate hurried to his side and crouched down next to him. He drove his hands into the dirt and traced. He felt the earth, and its infinite majesty as it hurtled inexorably through space. He sensed a world teeming with life both large and small. And then he felt it, cold and foreboding. The husk of the Dauntless held horrors inside of it. If even one Mortan made it out. We all lose. He rejected such a notion. We didn¡¯t come this far, all to die! He felt her hand on top of his. Anger gave way to calm and he met her green eyes for what felt like the first time. ¡°Tell your Captain, I have to help. They took my home from me. I must destroy that ship.¡± ¡°I promise I¡¯ll do that, but first Vadir. You need to rest.¡± And rest he would as he collapsed into her, drained of energy until the dawn fast approached. Roswell, CH4: One Giant Leap for All Mankind ¡°You really wear this?¡± Vadir asked scratching under the sleeves of the green tunic, Doctor Underwood had requisitioned some spare uniform for the alien to wear. As Vadir¡¯s flight suit was in such a sorry state she thought it would be prudent to give Vadir at least something decent to wear. Though he wondered how he would look to the humans dressed in their clothing. ¡°It¡¯s standard issue for most serving men. Don¡¯t tell me the Kaskari don¡¯t have dress codes?¡± ¡°We do, but it¡¯s not so basic.¡± ¡°Oh really? Impress me, spaceman.¡± The phrase spaceman took him aback for a second. It sounded strange to his ear. Even though he now understood human speech. The way she described him sounded weird. It wasn¡¯t exactly wrong but in all his life he had also seen himself as from Ascendaris even if he had never set foot on the world. Being called a space man reminded him he was the human equivalent of a nomad. A wanderer without a home. Would Earth be enough to fill that void? ¡°Vadir?¡± Doctor Underwood asked snapping her fingers. ¡°I asked you about Kaskari dress codes. Do you lot do this often? Just drift.¡± Vadir bristled and rubbed the back of his grey neck. ¡°No, it¡¯s a new experience for me. As for gear, other than the suit, we have how you say proper combat gear with in-built shielding too. I noticed you don¡¯t seem to have that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still learning the ropes. We¡¯ll get there.¡± ¡°Anyone other race said that and I¡¯d be doubtful, but you humans. Once you stop shooting each other. Who knows what you might achieve up there.¡± ¡°Shooting each other is something of a hobby of ours. Don¡¯t tell me the Kaskari never had civil wars up there.¡± Vadir leaned forward. ¡°I won¡¯t lie, I¡¯ve been told things got heated in the past. It¡¯s half the reason we¡¯re even here. Trying to start again. It could be going worse though,¡± Vadir¡¯s thoughts drifted back to his main ship. ¡°She can¡¯t be allowed to remain like that. Won¡¯t be long until those things you call Deterrent start spilling out.¡± The flaps of the tent being disturbed got both of their attention. As expected, the Welcome Wagon¡¯s two medics entered. One was small and scruffy looking while the other looked more well-kept and wore glasses. They both raised eyebrows at the sight of the alien wearing human clothes. Vadir imagined this wouldn¡¯t be the last time that happened. ¡°Reports are saying he can speak English?¡± asked the man wearing glasses. Kate Underwood gestured to Vadir as he remained sat in his wooden chair. ¡°As fluently as any native. He picked up the language remarkably well. Either his native tongue is like ours, or his brain is wired in ways we can¡¯t ever hope to match. At least not yet,¡± Kate said managing a small smile to both men. ¡°Vadir, this is Master Sergeant Gregory and Corporal Munroe. They are Welcome Wagon¡¯s squad medics.¡± Neither seemed all that eager to get any closer. Vadir didn¡¯t need a trace to tell both men were just a tad afraid of him. They are wise to doubt me, but I need to dispel that fast. If we¡¯re to survive what comes next, we need to be on the same page. He rose to be at full height and realised he cleared them both. And as naturally as he could, he held out a hand for a handshake. Apparently, it was a show of mutual respect between two people. He hoped this would be the first of many actions to undo the rocky start between humanity and the Kaskari. The smaller man, Gregory stepped forward first and took the handshake. It was a stronger grip than Vadir expected and he had to resist turning on his trace. He didn¡¯t one to scare them just yet. ¡°Impressive, Vadir you didn¡¯t show off that power of yours,¡± Kate said folding her arms. Gregory cocked his head at her. ¡°What kind of power are we talking about here?¡± ¡°I can show you if you like.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± Vadir engaged the trace and unlike the thoughts of Kate. Gregory¡¯s had a violent tinge to them. He was a man shaped by war and all that came with it. The first memories showed a troubled youth that the army would later mould into something useful. In return, Gregory was shown the vastness of space and life in an environment he could only hope to experience one day. He let go of Vadir¡¯s hand and stepped back. ¡°What else can you do?¡± ¡°I may be able to form weapons from compacted light, but I¡¯m no soldier. My training only really involves tracing. It¡¯s useful when you have a big ship and lots of moving parts that easily break.¡± ¡°I bet,¡± Gregory said stepping back. ¡°Enough of whatever this is, we have some questions for you, Vadir. Are you prepared to answer?¡± Vadir sank back down to his chair and looked at the other man, Munroe. Sharper features in general. He wondered what type of man he would see if he traced him. And would he even want to? ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll answer to the best of my ability.¡± ¡°The big ship, does it have a fancy name?¡± ¡°The closest word in your language would be Dauntless. Vadt Wer Undu. The Dauntless Spirit.¡± ¡°And that ship you came down in, why were you the only occupant?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°As you can probably tell, and Sergeant Gregory and Doctor Underwood can verify if you doubt it. I¡¯m not a soldier. Not like you at least. I was never meant to leave that ship. My job was to keep her running. I got her here, I guess if that counts for anything.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not lying there, Sergeant. I think he could help us better understand the vessel he came from,¡± said Gregory. ¡°Anything that¡¯s Kaskari and you need help with, I¡¯ll do what I can. I owe you that much. Even if you shot me down.¡± ¡°A lot of shit is happening right now, and with Lazarus being here nor there, we can¡¯t take any chances,¡± Munroe said. ¡°I know. Things started well enough but that didn¡¯t last long.¡± It was Munroe''s turn to stand before the grey alien. ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t have all the answers but what happened from your perspective? After contact was made with the Moon.¡± Vadir looked at his bruised hand. ¡°I can show you. It¡¯s recent enough that the vision should be clear.¡± Munroe held out his hand. ¡°Do it.¡± Vadir grabbed the man¡¯s calloused hand and traced, his red eyes turned orange and he took the soldier back within his own memory, to the moments after his ship made contact with those on the Moon. # The corridor¡¯s illumination now being a deep red indicated the Dauntless Spirit and her crew had encountered a dire threat. Vadir had caught sight of the domes on the lunar surface as he did his maintenance duty. Had those who built those structures perceived a threat? It seemed the most likely. Now the ship maintained a steady orbit above the surface, casting a long shadow below. Beyond the moon itself sat a prize, the Kaskari had spent centuries hunting for. A world that was habitable and would give them the chance to begin again. The only issue was, the planet was occupied by a lesser race. A race that had settled on the moon and now it was reacting to an invasion. A soldier entered the narrow corridor and stopped before Vadir. ¡°You know what the red light means, Engineer Kor.¡± ¡°I know, I know. All non-combatants head to their allocated barracks. I just needed to finish this work first.¡± ¡°And have you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then go already,¡± the soldier said grabbing Vadir by the arm. ¡°These aliens, are they fighting us?¡± The soldier stopped ahead of Vadir and looked across the expanse, past the lunar surface to the jewel in the darkness. ¡°It¡¯s much worse, Kor. Remember those stories about the Primor.¡± ¡°All the time, my parents couldn¡¯t stop telling me about them at bedtime. I just assumed they were just that, stories.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°First contact came across folk that matched the description. But these ones are different. They are faster, stronger and smarter too. High Command made an executive decision to purge the lunar surface.¡± ¡°And the planet?¡± The man shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t know, we¡¯re still trying to decipher the language.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that hard, surely,¡± Vadir said joining the man as they walked the length of the corridor and entered the ship¡¯s next section. ¡°It is when you have more than one language to deal with. I need to get going. If I¡¯m any longer, they¡¯ll be questions.¡± ¡°Ke¡¯el.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Stay safe.¡± ¡°You too, and Kor, don¡¯t leave your barracks until the alert is lifted.¡± Vadir held up his hands, ¡°I promise, not like there¡¯s anywhere for me to go anyway.¡± The soldier was soon gone, hurrying off up the corridor, his heavy boots reverberated around them as Vadir took the right corridor that would take him to his barracks. The only reason he would have to leave those confines is if the ship was damaged and they needed a small team to do repairs. Or worse if an evacuation was called. For now, he was better off not getting in anyone¡¯s way. The trip took him passed one of the ship¡¯s Rapid Deployment Modules. Mostly used by the Kaskari in times of war to quickly begin any ground-based assault. What caught him off guard with this one was that it had been launched and had since come back. While possible, it still put him on edge. He used the interactive panel nearby to run a diagnostic scan of the module. There were no problems with the craft, it even showed that the last launch had fit around ten Kaskari drop-soldiers. Now the module flagged to him that only one person occupied the craft. From his current position, the airlock was well-lit but the module looked pitch-black. He engaged the comm unit. ¡°I detected someone on board. Do you need medical assistance?¡± he paused and for a second realised that if it wasn¡¯t a Kaskari, this solitary life sign could either be Primor or the race the Kaskari were struggling to make formal contact with. Through a hiss of static, he got a response. ¡°Help me ¨C two sides fighting a war down there. Their interested in why we¡¯re here. Just another threat.¡± ¡°You docked safely, the airlock should cycle you in.¡± ¡°Can you do it for me?¡± Vadir stepped back and took a breath. The only reason the module remained sealed could be due to contamination or the alert itself. He cursed to himself not being versed on the ship¡¯s combat protocols. ¡°I¡¯m running the cycle now, you should be able to enter the airlock in a second.¡± Once the module confirmed it was secure, the door opened and out stumbled a bloody-looking Kaskari. They fell into the wall and could barely hold themselves up. ¡°What kind of weaponry does this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, it punched through our shield units like it was nothing,¡± wheezed the Kaskari soldier. The final part of the cycle ended and the last door opened, allowing the soldier to more or less throw himself at Vadir. Who caught him well enough? Vadir put one bloodied arm around his neck and tried reaching the medical sector through his own internal suit comm. ¡°This is engineer Kor, I have a soldier who needs medical assistance.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got your location, a medbot and team will be with you soon.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the guy keeping this place intact.¡± ¡°I try my best. How about you, enjoy meeting new life?¡± The man choked a laugh. ¡°I can¡¯t blame them for shooting first. I¡¯d probably do the same.¡± Sooner than later, the team arrived and the soldier was being escorted away while the Medbot listed off his various ailments. Just as Vadir was preparing to resume his trek to the barracks, a sudden scream pierced his ear and he found himself drawn to the sound. Poking his head around the corner, he found the soldier, bent over one of the medical officers, their body being torn to pieces. He fell back in horror and put a hand over his mouth to stifle any noise. I think I just doomed us all. # Munroe took a step back and flexed his hand a few times. ¡°You do that often?¡± ¡°No,¡± Vadir said. ¡°Most of what I did was fix small issues with the ship. Nothing special.¡± Munroe to his surprise put a sympathetic hand on Vadir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known, a Morte had infected that soldier.¡± ¡°I should have known something was up when the airlock didn¡¯t cycle. I just override the lock on impulse. Just trying to help someone.¡± ¡°You and how many others? Those Rapid Deployment Modules? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly how it works but the name speaks for itself. When my people want to establish ground control. The modules punch a hole through aerial defences. It¡¯s quite effective. Not that they ever got used until now.¡± ¡°Makes sense, Gregory. We should get this guy to show us around the ship he crashed in.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± The man looked over to the Master Sergeant. ¡°I mean who better to show us how this stuff works, than a guy whose job is to maintain this stuff.¡± Vadir rose to his full height and folded his arm. ¡°After all that¡¯s happened so far. It¡¯s the least I can do for you.¡± Roswell, CH5: The Enemy of My Enemy Leaving the sanctuary of the tent behind left him feeling more naked now than in his own gear. He clocked the occasional stare of a human no doubt surprised to see an alien like him in their uniform. It certainly wouldn¡¯t be something you see every day. But it could be a sign of things to come if everything ends well enough. ¡°Ignore them,¡± said Master Sergeant Gregory. ¡°As long you don¡¯t get in their way, they will stay out of yours.¡± ¡°Not like I¡¯m free as it is,¡± muttered Vadir. Corporal Munroe butted in. ¡°And who said you were even our prisoner?¡± Vadir looked back at the man confused. ¡°Trust me, if you were our prisoner, you would know about it,¡± added Gregory as they came upon the downed transport. Outside on guard, First Lieutenant Caleb Jackson was waiting for them still wearing his exo-gear. Despite an antiquated look compared to what Vadir had seen some Kaskari wear as theirs typically offered more coverage and protection. The one worn by Jackson looked like it only served to make his life easier carrying heavy weapons. ¡°Master Sergeant, Corporal. Care to explain why the enemy is with you?¡± ¡°I am not -¡± Both soldiers glared at Vadir who took it as a signal to keep his mouth shut. He held up his hands and allowed them to take the lead. ¡°You can relax, Jackson. Vadir here isn¡¯t our enemy.¡± ¡°And how did you two come to that conclusion, how do you know he hasn¡¯t wormed his way inside your heads.¡± Both men awkwardly looked at each other. ¡°Well, when you put it that way¡­¡± Gregory said as it soon dawned on his face that he had let Vadir inside his head. ¡°I might be able to read memory, but I can¡¯t awshar (1)¨C puppet you. If that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about,¡± Vadir said. This caught the black man¡¯s attention. Despite Vadir being a little taller, Jackson almost met him in height. He¡¯d have to choose his next few words very carefully. ¡°Is that how you¡¯re speaking English?¡± ¡°Better than speaking Ascendarian. We¡¯d never make progress then. I was told you were having trouble making sense of this craft. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± The man smiled, he even shook his head. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that in the first place?¡± ¡°I -¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stress it,¡± Jackson said stepping aside and slapping Vadir on the back so hard, the grey alien fell more than stumbled into the transport. The humans had already begun stripping it from what we saw, but his main focus was on the pilot section where he had been sitting. The two soldiers with him followed him up the slight ramp into the pilot section. As he had been told, the Welcome Wagon¡¯s engineers were doing their best to make sense of everything while shouting at each other. ¡°This shit is in a language we can¡¯t read, Web. Just strip what you can stop trying to make -¡± he looked up as Vadir stood over him. ¡°I must be seeing a ghost. I did not expect to see you walking again. So soon too,¡± the man rose to his feet and held out a blackened oily hand for a handshake. Vadir took it eagerly. It¡¯s nice to be welcomed for once. The man let go and Vadir cursed his missed chance to learn more about his captors. There¡¯ll be another chance, probably. The man pointed his wrench at Web who lay on his back near the main console that Vadir knew housed the A.I. They hadn¡¯t managed to crack it open. Their tools are like his power armour outside, low tech and outdated. Vadir strode over to where Web lay, the engineer looked up at him as if to say, can I help you? ¡°You¡¯re not having much look with getting to the A.I, I see.¡± The man sat up and dusted off his hands. ¡°A what now?¡± Vadir looked at his companions. ¡°You surely must know what an Artificial Intelligence unit is¡­¡± ¡°Oh that, yeah. Welcome Wagon got briefed on that stuff in the advanced seminars. Man were those a drag. I slept through most of it. So an A.I. is in there, you say. Could you kindly motivate it a little?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Vadir watched the man be helped to his feet by Mason. ¡°Care to explain why we¡¯re letting this Xeno, tinker with broken shit.¡± They all looked to Gregory and Munroe. Vadir ignored them as he worked on establishing the ship¡¯s backup power but the damage was greater than he expected. He looked over his shoulder, not knowing what they had just talked about. ¡°Do you have anything that can give temporary power to this console?¡± Caleb shrugged. ¡°We might have something, what¡¯s the occasion?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get enough power to circulate, need a boost if we¡¯re to get the A.I. out of here.¡± ¡°You heard the man, Webber. Go and find a tactical generator. Would you even be able to use our tech in that console?¡± Vadir half smiled. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± After some tracing and brute force on his part. It turned out that the Earth¡¯s gravity actually made him stronger, he lifted with ease what the humans around him struggled with. They watched in a mix of awe and what he sensed was slight fear as he expertly connected two foreign systems. It left a trail of wires in its wake but the solitary console containing the stranded A.I. had a steady stream of power. He entered the request that allowed it to project itself. The small Kaskari-shaped figure looked up at him. ¡°You survived then,¡± it said in Ascendarian. ¡°No thanks to you.¡± The A.I. cocked its head. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, you used their substandard generator to power my console.¡± ¡°Most of the main power sources are shot. I also need you out of that thing.¡± He noted the A.I.s look of concern. It was right to be. The humans were cooperative so far but how long would that last? He might have strength on his side, and while technologically primitive he knew better than to doubt the lethality of the rifles they carried. They would not hesitate to put me down if I stepped out of line. I need to work with them, even if they will never trust me due to who I am but then I never expected to be my people¡¯s ambassador. I need to show them that the Kaskari could be a boon for this world. With their resources and our knowledge. Both of us could achieve great things¡­ ¡°Vadir, how¡¯s the extraction going?¡± asked Jackson, as he and the other members stared at the small blue man. ¡°Almost done, give me a second.¡± ¡°Now will anyone care to explain what I¡¯m seeing here?¡± The voice made even Vadir stand to attention. He powered down the A.I. in preparation to remove it from the console. He had transferred to it a remote universal drive that should hopefully be accessible for the humans. Still hearing Miller¡¯s voice sent chills down his spine and he faced the man resolute, but ready to prove they needed him more than they knew. Before anyone could answer properly, Vadir spoke first. ¡°Helping you prepare for what comes next. Despite being a simple A.I. It is fully programmed with Ascendarian language, a language your people will need to understand when my people arrive. And they will, Captain. The dying transmissions of the Dauntless Spirit will have reached them. I will do everything in my power to prepare you for their arrival.¡± The man approached the grey alien and measured him, despite Vadir¡¯s size and imposing shape, the Captain held his ground well enough. ¡°Is that so? Look at you, wearing our gear, talking our language. You think you¡¯re one of us.¡± ¡°No ¨C not yet. But I have no other choice.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a choice.¡± ¡°Like heading into a downed ship with no knowledge of its interior. You know that¡¯s a suicide mission right.¡± At least some of the other members risked a hint of a smile but Miller remained stoic while stepping back. ¡°Maybe it is but what do you suggest?¡± ¡°I go with you. I know it better than you. And I know what must be done. I¡¯ve seen that ship fall to the Primor. It cannot be allowed to leave.¡± Miller managed a smirk and even some of the other members chuckled at the idea of the Mortes escaping. This confused Vadir for a second. ¡°We¡¯re already up shit creek with the Mortes, what¡¯s a few more.¡± Those words stuck with Vadir and said so much. ¡°Captain,¡± it was Vadir¡¯s turn to step into his personal space. ¡°How long have you been fighting these creatures for?¡± ¡°Longer than anyone cares to mention at this point,¡± spat Caleb. ¡°Doesn¡¯t help some Sov thought he could control them. Fucking idiots.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± Vadir said. ¡°There¡¯s still time to save your world from them.¡± ¡°You really think so?¡± Gregory asked. ¡°We need to destroy the Dauntless Spirit, as much as it pains me to admit that. And then we to prepare for my people¡¯s arrival. They will have a means to an end. You just need to stand long enough to greet them properly.¡± ¡°How long?¡± Miller asked. ¡°Hard to say,¡± Vadir said returning to removing the A.I. from where it was held. He soon removed the stick and stared at it for a while. He held it out to the Captain. ¡°Could be tomorrow, could be a century. But I can help you prepare for that day. Plus while we¡¯re on board we can extract the archives. There¡¯s too much history there to throw away. If the ship must be blown up, I would rather not leave with nothing.¡± Captain Miller held out his hand to grab the A.I. contained stick. ¡°You sure you want to go back there.¡± Vadir looked over to Miller, the man had seen his memories and known his fear. ¡°Yes, if you would let me,¡± said Vadir staring down Miller. The man smiled. ¡°Forrestal might take some convincing but if what you say is true, your help will be pivotal to us succeeding in there. I assume you know how to blow it up?¡± Vadir shrugged at that. ¡°I¡¯ve spent most of my life fixing her. Do you think they wouldn¡¯t tell me how to blow her up if it came to it? Trust me, the method is absolute. There¡¯ll be nothing left but dust once we¡¯re done.¡± Roswell, CH6: Is My Friend? The towering alien craft loomed over them from where it rested in a long scarred trench. The alpha team had wasted little time in securing the perimeter and so far nothing had escaped. Despite the great impact, the hull looked mostly intact and not wanting to take any chances the Site 51 response unit had deployed large spiked pylons that looked noticeably alien in design and marking. They were positioned in a loose circle and close by to them were heavy machine gun placements that would disintegrate anything that left the ship. To oversee the escalating situation on the ground, the Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal arrived not long after everything was in place. He had made it absolutely clear that no one was permitted to enter the craft until he gave the order. Word had also reached him that a survivor of the alien ship had been recovered from the other downed transport vessel. But one friendly alien didn¡¯t mean they all would be. ¡°We should use the A-bomb on this wreck. One less mess that way.¡± The senior advisor that had joined him for this trip looked a little shaken by that statement. ¡°And risk an incursion? It would create a whole other kind of mess, one we are not yet equipped for.¡± ¡°We know the Imp¡¯s Deterrent overran Lazarus. It¡¯s not out of the question that this ship may have fallen to a similar fate. We need to have all options on the table, and the last thing we need right now is a Deterrent outbreak on American soil. I considered us lucky to avoid the worst of it when things went awry in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia itself¡­¡± At that point, someone came on over the radio. ¡°Sir, before we proceed. There¡¯s someone that wants to help. I wanted them to rest and relocate but they were insistent.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Forrestal to understand who Doctor Kate Underwood was referring to. He left the tent as a short distance away from base camp, a helicopter could be heard making land. He watched as the grey man wearing an American uniform approached him. The sight alone made James nervous but he remained impassive even if the alien stood taller than him and despite looking a little human, it had a noticeable curve in its ear shape. Even the pupils in his eyes were shaped like diamonds. The Secretary and his advisor met them halfway. ¡°I assume the Doctor made progress on your ability to communicate with us. I am James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy for the United States of America. Any questions you may have about this operation go through me or my advisor here,¡± James said holding out a hand. The alien ignored the gesture and looked past him towards the wreckage. ¡°If you possess a means to, destroy it. If you don¡¯t, I know my way around the ship. I can destroy it from within.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I have entertained the possibility,¡± James said returning his hand to his side. ¡°But the ship also possesses rare technology. As much as I would like to do this the easy way, it¡¯s too much for us to lose.¡± ¡°Then going inside is our only option,¡± The alien said. ¡°Has anything come out?¡± Forrestal shook his head. ¡°Nothing yet. We have strike teams in place ready to enter at a moment¡¯s notice.¡± ¡°If anything survived the crash. They¡¯ll wait and then swarm you. Your people are not equipped for this¡± ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°I know every part of that ship, and the Welcome Wagon will be all the support I need. Any more is just feeding the Prim-Morte more meat.¡± ¡°I assure you, Xeno, this is not our first time dealing with Mortans. If you insist on going in with the Wagon, I can¡¯t object since the contents of that ship will likely help us prepare for the inevitable arrival of any allies you may have.¡± The alien looked surprised at how easily convinced James was. ¡°Well, I know a few ways inside, the outside of the ship has hatches used by maintenance personnel to carry out outside work. Get me to one of those hatches and I can get the Wagon inside. I¡¯ll get you all the data you could want but I must be allowed to destroy her afterwards.¡± ¡°Sounds like a deal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you two are getting along,¡± Captain Miller stated as the Welcome Wagon fell in behind him. ¡°So am I right in saying, we get the data and blow the ship to high heaven, how does that sound, sir?¡± ¡°Are you confident in your team¡¯s abilities Captain?¡± ¡°This is what the Welcome Wagon has been preparing for, ever since we were assigned to Site 51. If we fail, you can go to Plan B. We all know the bomb is ready for deployment. Especially since its power has already been demonstrated in Tokyo.¡± The Secretary of Navy grimaced but looked over to the ruined vessel. ¡°A dirty bomb is what that was. And nothing to do with us.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Miller. ¡°Since you¡¯re confident, I¡¯ll let you take the lead on this. But know this, you will be up against a force that decimated Lazarus. They won¡¯t go easy on you¡­ That¡¯s if any of them are still alive of course. We can only hope the impact killed most of them. ¡± ¡°Appreciate the vote of confidence sir, we¡¯ll prepare for insertion, and our new friend here can tell us where to find one of these hatches.¡± ¡°Then you best not hang around, you¡¯re dismissed, Captain.¡± The Welcome Wagon departed to one of the nearby tents, hesitant to follow, James patted the alien on the back. ¡°You know that uniform suits you. Maybe it¡¯s a sign of the future. I promise you, we don¡¯t all bite. Besides, we need to leave a good impression, especially if more of you show up.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s more on me, and sorry I forgot to give you my name, it¡¯s Vadir,¡± the alien said holding out his hand. James chuckled at that and accepted the handshake. ¡°Go, Captain Miller doesn¡¯t like to be kept waiting.¡± James and his advisor watched the alien stride away and they looked at each other. ¡°Do you think we can trust this one?¡± ¡°I wish I had the answer to that, sir.¡± Roswell, CH7: The Way Ahead ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t run a trace on the man.¡± Vadir held up his hands as he followed Captain Miller into the large yellow tent. ¡°I promise you I did no such thing.¡± The inside of which had a single large foldable table. There on it sat a strange-looking metal sphere. Vadir wouldn¡¯t need a trace to know the Terrans didn¡¯t build it but they must have gone to some trouble to make it work for them. The Welcome Wagon had all positioned themselves around the table with just enough room for Vadir to position himself opposite Captain Miller. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say that¡¯s a scouting drone used to image any given area.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be right,¡± said Webber. ¡°Took us a while to rig it to understand our inputs. Much like your ship, the language is quite the barrier.¡± ¡°Mind if I?¡± Captain Miller¡¯s eyebrows narrowed but he nodded and Vadir placed both hands on the strange spherical drone craft. His veins glowed yellow as those same lines traversed the shape. Alien voices, unrecognisable and impossibly close but distant filled his head with mindless babble. He lifted his hands. And pressed a series of buttons much to the protest of Welcome Wagon but Captain Miller gestured for them to back down. The projection showed the Dauntless Spirit alone and it proved easy for Vadir to find the points of entry he needed. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say you¡¯ve come across this tech before,¡± said Gregory. Vadir looked over to him and nodded. ¡°We travelled far and found many relics belonging to those that came before us. This drone is slightly larger than previous ones I¡¯ve tinkered with. It shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise but like you, my people¡¯s technology was also reverse-engineered from stuff like this, left behind to just waste away until we found a use for it.¡± ¡°It looks like there are no immediate signs of any breaching either,¡± said Captain Miller. ¡°Those inside have all either perished or they are biding their time,¡± said Sergeant Munroe. ¡°I don¡¯t think our new friend here needs reminding of how stubborn Mortes are.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but I know my way around that ship, we shouldn¡¯t be in there long.¡± Captain Miller stared at Vadir. ¡°You said to the Navy Secretary that there are hatches on the outside of the ship. Are you confident you can get us in that way?¡± ¡°I was a part of the ship¡¯s maintenance team, bypassing the manual lock should be easy. Convincing the ship¡¯s onboard A.I. that you¡¯re not hostile could be tricky, but there should be no reason as to why it shouldn¡¯t recognise my clearance codes.¡± ¡°You mean there¡¯s another one like the one we found in your ship,¡± said Gregory unfolding his arms. ¡°Yes, and it has more responsibilities too like handling security breaches, assisting the pilots in minor course corrections and managing the ship¡¯s energy consumption. It should also be able to guide us to the Archive Sector since it''s there we will find a data shard containing what you need. You can leave that to me.¡± ¡°How can we trust you though?¡± asked Caleb. ¡°Who''s to say you don¡¯t wipe that data the second you¡¯re plugged in.¡± ¡°Same reason you could have killed me when you found me but you didn¡¯t. I need you just as much as you need me. That¡¯s the truth, and for those who have seen inside my head, you know where I stand. After we¡¯re done I want you to take me to this Site 51, so I can help you even more than I already am. The technology of those who first discovered your world is the very same that went into everything the Kaskari built,¡± Vadir said, resting his hand on the table. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Is that why you think Site 51 will have everything you need?¡± Miller asked. ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Fine, I hope you''re right. Our next problem is destroying the ship. What can you tell us about its main power source?¡± ¡°It¡¯s powered by opening a subspace aetherial tear within its core chamber. The psionic energy is then taken by the extractors, and stored in coolant stores before being converted into mass power. This is what allows the ship to travel through the Aether and powers more or less everything from weapons to the Psionic field generators. Since this kind of power is fairly unstable in large quantities. Measures exist that monitor the energy levels within the core chamber. If they go too high, the extractor vents are sealed and an internal protective field activates before the tear is sealed. This avoids internal damage to the core chamber.¡± Vadir paused only to see if anything he had said so far was sinking in. Only the Captain and his two engineers seemed to follow what he was saying. ¡°So how does that help us destroy the ship?¡± Mason asked. ¡°The self-destruction of a Kaskari vessel has two stages. The first part involves triggering a large tear in the core chamber, enough to induce ship-wide instability. Once a tear is large enough, the command is given to initiate the sealing without engaging any kind of protective field. The ship is then pulled apart, piece by piece and dumped into the Aether. An ignition trigger also activates in the extractors that detonate anything present within the stores.¡± Once more the Welcome Wagon looked more flabbergasted than ever before. Webber was even rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°So it¡¯s like some kind of black hole drive with a bit of an explosive finish?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a similar technology. My people did uncover that on the other side of black holes there is a near-endless source of aetherial energy.¡± Caleb just rolled his eyes and shook his head. ¡°You seriously buying what he¡¯s selling.¡± Captain Miller looked from one man to the next and soon straightened up. ¡°All of you should know by now, that none of what he¡¯s said is new to us. This self-destruction mechanism was observed during the Fall of Tokyo. Entire portions of the city just dumped into nothingness. It¡¯s quite a scary prospect to face. It¡¯s just unnerving to know how -¡± ¡°Outmatched we are, Captain,¡± Munroe said, folding their hands together. ¡°Yes, Sergeant. Besides, I trust Vadir¡¯s words. Maybe he can also help us make sense of Site 51 too. He may even know who built it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s if we even make it out of this alive, Captain,¡± Jackson laughed. ¡°I¡¯m still just an engineer. I don¡¯t know everything. Just stories I¡¯ve been told as I grew up. You really didn¡¯t know who built this Site 51?¡± The Captain shook his head. ¡°We only got this far, like you, by reverse-engineering the technology we could make sense of. The site itself was there when we found it, buried deep under the Nevada desert, abandoned, forgotten. A relic and a tomb. Someone¡­ Something was watching us grow. But then they disappeared and left little trace of who they were and where they went.¡± It all points to them, they who went extinct, that¡¯s what I was told growing up. The Nirikiri perished thousands of years ago. How far did they run to escape us? And what sinister machinations did they intend for these Terrans? He shuddered to think about it. Seeing his odd disposition, the Captain reeled them in. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d suggest we rest up and go in with more preparation. But we no longer have the luxury of time on our side. The longer we wait, the more of a threat any surviving Mortan becomes. Vadir, can you identify an access point from this projection?¡± Vadir enlarged the hologram and rotated it a few times also. He soon pointed to one part of the ship, close to its centre. ¡°Here, though one of you may need to give me a little boost to reach the hatch itself.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes,¡± Captain Miller said smiling. ¡°Everyone, look alive. We¡¯re entering Site Alpha. We can¡¯t rely on the idea that everything is dead inside. For all we know, there could be humans, Kaskari and Mortans. Deal with them as you see fit. Time is limited, we get what we need and evacuate as soon as the self-destruct is in place. This may well be a one-way trip but we¡¯ve trained our whole lives for this opportunity. Let¡¯s not disappoint our new friend here. He¡¯s also the main priority. No one leaves him alone. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± chorused the Welcome Wagon. Much to their surprise, even Vadir joined in their chant. As they all left the tent, Vadir paused once more to take in the ruined ship one more time. It was hard to believe that mere hours ago he had escaped from it. Now I¡¯m heading back in. I don¡¯t know what will remain of my friends. But if I can¡¯t save them. Then I must avenge them. Roswell, Ch8 : What Lies Within? A jeep took them close to the force field that surrounded the derelict ship and upon arriving they found a small contingent of soldiers keeping watch on the still smouldering craft. When they saw the jeep pull up, one of the soldiers stepped forward. ¡°Secretary sent word ahead that the Welcome Wagon plus one would be first in. I can¡¯t say I envy that task.¡± Captain Miller stepped down from the jeep and approached the soldier. ¡°Anything come out yet?¡± ¡°Nope, the ship is dead as far as we can tell. We tried scans but we¡¯ve been unable to get past the hull. It¡¯s like it was designed specifically to stop other ships from scanning its contents. Which is not good for us.¡± ¡°I might be able to help,¡± came the voice of Vadir leaning over the side of the jeep. Captain Miller gestured for him to come over. Vadir did so, joining the two of them. ¡°You¡¯re correct that the hull is designed to shield against scanning but there¡¯s a way to get around that. Mind if I take a look at your setup?¡± ¡°Go right ahead,¡± said the soldier. The three of them entered the nearby tent where a bunch of support equipment had been hastily put together. Some of it, like the miniature-sized pylons, supplied power to the larger ones that supported the force field barrier while technicians nearby also worked on determining if anyone had actually survived the crash itself. Vadir approached the group and saw on the computer that the projection showed a blanket of red across the ship. They were using some form of thermal imagery with little success from what he could see. ¡°The hull has a thermal plating that obscures heat signatures, you need to do the opposite. Filter out the heat from your scans and focus on the cold spots instead.¡± ¡°The technician looked confused for a moment. Vadir looked at those around him in shock. ¡°You can shoot me down, but you can¡¯t adjust your scanners to amplify the blue over the red. How did you even make it this far?¡± ¡°Luck, probably,¡± said Captain Miller. Vadir eyed the pylon nearby. ¡°Luck and some help, I bet.¡± ¡°It seems we have that in common, eh, Vadir?¡± Captain Miller said as the Alien worked their magic on the computer. Instead of showing the thermal image generated by the ship¡¯s plating, the new image showed mostly cold spots in white while in black it displayed multiple concentrated sources of heat. Vadir looked back at him. ¡°Help? I consider them more a curse if anything.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Vadir straightened and couldn¡¯t meet Miller¡¯s eyes, instead, he directed attention to the screen. ¡°I managed to bypass the thermal plating by scanning for cold spots. The areas in black are where large sources of heat are gathered.¡± Realising that Vadir wasn¡¯t willing to answer his last question, he followed the train of thought. ¡°Do we have to enter those sections to complete the mission?¡± ¡°That depends, are you still wanting to access the Archive or would you rather just destroy the ship.¡± Captain Miller chuckled. ¡°You seem awfully adamant about destroying the ship regardless.¡± ¡°Because I know how this ends. Your planet is not the first to fall foul of the Nirimor. Even if it takes centuries once the seed is planted, much like what you would call a weed keeps coming back. So does the Nirimor. Each time stronger, each time better equipped. And of the worlds that fell, all had tried to control it. To subjugate it. We failed as the usurpers when they weren¡¯t monsters. What makes you think you can control them now that they are?¡± Vadir asked, pointing a long silver finger at the Captain. ¡°Subjugation is a concept that man has excelled at. For better or worse.¡± Vadir simply scowled. ¡°Let¡¯s get going then, Captain, and since you¡¯re so insistent about the data banks, I¡¯ll take us through a section that likely doesn¡¯t see much activity.¡± ¡°Glad you¡¯ve come around to our way of thinking,¡± The Captain said as the two of them left the tent and climbed back into the jeep. The commander took the front passenger seat, while Vadir joined the Welcome Wagon in the back. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Lower the barrier, and throw it up once we cross the threshold. Let¡¯s not get complacent,¡± Captain Miller said to the nearby soldiers standing at the main console. The jeep soon crossed the force field and it wasn¡¯t long before the Dauntless Spirit occupied much of their vision. For the humans, it was unlike anything they had seen before but for Vadir a strong sobering dread entered his thoughts. Those thoughts were soon dispelled when they came to a sudden stop near where an airlock was located. Another was situated above it but was inaccessible. ¡°Will this one do?¡± Captain Miller asked Vadir as he stepped down from the vehicle. He was soon joined by the Welcome Wagon and their new alien friend. ¡°It will get us in for sure, give me a moment.¡± Vadir approached the rounded door and looked for a panel of sorts that he would be able to open. After a bit of tinkering, the airlock door made a clicking noise but didn¡¯t open. Vadir sighed. ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s jammed. One of you needs to open it.¡± Captain Miller signalled for Jackson and Mason to take a position on opposite sides of the door. ¡°Everyone else keep your weapons trained on the opening. While unlikely, it¡¯s not impossible that something might have taken refuge in the airlock. Jackson and Mason began pushing and soon the metal ground as it was forced open. The small crack let light flood into a small chamber. With weapons primed, they each held their breath waiting for something to emerge. When nothing came, both men stopped once the opening was big enough to let them all in. The airlock had a couple of spacesuits behind clear transparent doors and so far as they could see, there were no dead bodies. Vadir was the last one in, ¡°Turn on your torches.¡± The Captain understood and relayed the command to his men. ¡°Nothing leaves this ship, even us if it comes down to it.¡± Vadir opened another panel and pulled a small lever that jolted the airlock shut. He approached the second seal that would let them into the main body of the ship. He tried peering through the glass but couldn¡¯t make out anything. ¡°Looks clear so far, give me a moment.¡± Just like before he did whatever was necessary to force a manual release. Soon all of the Welcome Wagon stood inside the ship and waited for Miller¡¯s next order. To all their surprise a nearby cylindrical station lit up and a hologram emerged. It turned its focus to Vadir without regard for the other intruders. ¡°Welcome back, Engineer Kor. Who are these guests?¡± the A.I. asked in the Kaskarian tongue. ¡°Friends,¡± Vadir signalled. ¡°Our only chance at stopping what now roams this ship unopposed.¡± The A.I.¡¯s expression showed defeat. ¡°Despite my best efforts, the Nirimor are entrenched in hydroponics. I suppose you intend to destroy the ship by heading through there to reach engineering.¡± ¡°Yes or by going through the maintenance tubes but first the humans seek information.¡± The A.I. looked to them and then back to him. ¡°Make them talk.¡± ¡°Chatter amongst yourselves, it needs to run linguistic checks.¡± The Welcome Wagon didn¡¯t quite understand why except for maybe Miller. ¡°It wants to communicate with us right.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Vadir said. ¡°How can we trust it?¡± ¡°Because as a member of this ship, I have some authority now that much of the crew is dead.¡± ¡°The Captain still lives but was relocated to medical,¡± the A.I. suddenly said in English. ¡°That was fast,¡± Mason said, standing to attention. ¡°Captain aren¡¯t these A.I. similar to the ones in control of each Site? They were fast learners too.¡± ¡°This one¡¯s probably based off of that template,¡± Webber said. ¡°You¡¯re probably not far off,¡± Vadir said. ¡°We should hurry to the Archives, Vadir can the ship show us the best route?¡± Captain Miller asked. ¡°I can even light the way for you,¡± The A.I. said, facing the Captain. ¡°It¡¯s not objecting to us at all, why?¡± Captain Miller asked, transfixed by the blue translucent holoform. Before Vadir could speak, the A.I. spoke up. ¡°I have run the calculations and assessed that the valuable data present on board this vessel must be secured. Otherwise, the centuries worth of cataloguing would be for nought. It may not be in the best hands. But I cannot see any alternatives.¡± Vadir approached the A.I. ¡°The Archives require clearance. Which means we need to get the code from the Captain.¡± ¡°I have already generated the optimal path that will give you access to him.¡± One of the medics, Munroe spoke up. ¡°Is the Captain infected?¡± The ship¡¯s A.I. flickered for a moment. ¡°I lack the necessary information. With how fast things got out of control - I just saw him be moved to med bay.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s a trap? Captain. The Deterrent must be pretty rooted into this ship. We know they can mess with technology. It¡¯s how we¡¯re in this mess in the first place.¡± ¡°I assure you, I have not been contaminated. The mind chosen to rest in the heart of this ship has not yet matured. You still have time but other forms of resistance will fall soon enough.¡± Captain Miller folded his arms. ¡°Are there humans on board?¡± ¡°A couple, their status is unknown. The damage done to the ship has made me more limited than usual. I apologise for that.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Vadir said. ¡°Lead us to medical, we get what we need from the Captain. Download as much data as we can, and then we destroy this vessel. This Deterrent cannot be allowed to leave. How much of the hull¡¯s integrity remains?¡± ¡°It is at 60 per cent, some areas have weak spots but for now the Deterrent is more interested in gaining a numerical advantage.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Munroe said. ¡°Even if it can¡¯t leave right now, it doesn¡¯t take much effort to realise it has to account for human resistance. Something it knows well enough.¡± ¡°Well enough to be patient,¡± Miller said. ¡°And now that intelligence has incorporated a new race, may God help us all.¡± Roswell, CH9: The Monsters at the Gate The illumination from the yellow corridor lights stood out against the dark red glow that also surrounded them. They followed this route, with Vadir Kor in the lead. ¡°This will take you to the shuttle station,¡± the A.I. said. ¡°I know. What I want to know is there anything ahead of us?¡± Vadir asked. ¡°I¡¯m picking up readings, but I¡¯m unable to identify if they are friendly or not.¡± ¡°How many of them are there, at least?¡± asked Vadir. ¡°Two, they stand between you and the shuttle at the right turn after the upcoming T-Section.¡± They followed the light left and soon heard the sounds of Kaskari voices. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the right turn. Vadir stopped the Welcome Wagon behind him. ¡°Talk to them,¡± he said to the A.I. The A.I. projected itself at the bend. Vadir hugged the wall and edged along until he could just see the two Kaskari men, bloodied and disorientated by all that had come to pass. ¡°Soldiers, I have guided someone to you who can help destroy this ship. They have also brought Terran allies.¡± The soldiers raised their rifles and allowed the psionic power within their palms to fuel the weapon¡¯s core. ¡°You¡¯ve been exposed to the Nirimor. Why would one of us work with the dogs of this planet?¡± Vadir rounded the corner as the A.I. blinked away. ¡°It tells the truth,¡± he said as the Welcome Wagon also prepared their weapons. Jackson moved to the front of the group. ¡°They are the Welcome Wagon. They saved me.¡± One of the Kaskari men pointed his gun at Vadir. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I escaped this ship before it crashed. Didn¡¯t get very far, though. They could have left me for dead, but they needed me, and there are many more outside. The ship¡¯s surrounded. You need me. You need them.¡± Both soldiers moved forward in sync. ¡°How do we know you haven¡¯t turned? How do we know you are you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be talking to you for a start. There¡¯s no need for any more bloodshed. We aren¡¯t their enemy.¡± ¡°There¡¯s movement in the vent, singular, and closing fast,¡± the A.I. interjected. ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± said the other soldier. ¡°No! The Nirimor knows something new has entered the ship. It¡¯s coming for all of us.¡± The Captain directed two of the squad to focus on their behind while Jackson stood ready to grab Vadir with Mason and Webber there to act as support. ¡°He¡¯s a sitting duck, Captain,¡± Jackson whispered. ¡°If they look like they are going to shoot, pull him back,¡± the Captain answered while keeping one eye on the ceiling vents. They heard it first, slinking along first above Vadir and then moving away toward the soldiers. The two soldiers shifted focus and wasted no time in unleashing a load of energy upon the vent. The creature let out a visceral howl before bringing its full weight down and dislodging the grill, sending it hurtling to the ground. Jackson pulled Vadir back down their corridor as the two soldiers advanced to the hole, expecting it to drop. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I can¡¯t see it,¡± said one soldier, moving up to the bend. He saw Vadir behind Jackson and the rest of the Welcome Wagon. ¡°Are you sure they want to help us?¡± Vadir nodded. ¡°I had no other choice. The situation demands we-¡± The other soldier let out a scream. He had been distracted by the creature and drawn to the sounds it was making. It plunged from a different section in the vent and drove its psionic energy claws into the soldier¡¯s neck. The alien¡¯s blood erupted from the gaping wound, spraying the creature and the walls. It took a moment to rest on its haunches. Both Jackson and the other soldier rounded the corner. They aimed and unloaded on the creature. It thrashed as the combined stream of energy burnt through its ragged, rough-looking skin. But that only seemed to anger it more. A curved-bladed tail shot out from its back and penetrated the Kaskari soldier¡¯s chest with enough force to send him back into the wall. Jackson directed the rest of his fire at the creature¡¯s centre as the bladed tail flicked up and pulled back, undeterred by the shots of energy that continued to strike its body. The tail flicked downward and Jackson caught it with his free hand. He held it still and with the tail in hand; he fired again with his exo-rifle splitting it in two. Vadir took up the fallen soldier¡¯s psionic rifle. It still had some charge in it and he fired at the chest of the creature. With the tail tossed aside, Jackson joined him as they finally penetrated the Mortan¡¯s outer shell. It howled again and withdrew the destroyed tail. It charged at them, phasing itself to avoid the bursts of plasma energy. Its focus was on Vadir. Once more it moved to strike first with what remained of its lethal tail, but Jackson intercepted the attack and used the momentum behind his exo-suit to shoulder the Mortan into the wall. This caused a momentary flicker from the lights above as he put the exo-rifle barrel under its jaw and blasted its head clean open. ¡°Welcome Wagon, on me!¡± Ordered Captain Miller. They all rounded the corner, weapons primed and ready. The monster summoned its remaining strength and pushed Jackson off of it. This signalled for the Welcome Wagon and Vadir to unleash their concentrated barrage on the beast. Battered and bloody the creature stumbled toward the Welcome Wagon but the combined plasma fire from them proved too much to bear. It stopped dead in its tracks as a growing number of holes became dotted across its chest area. It folded over in a heap. The tail dropped, and Captain Miller removed a large bowie knife from his belt. ¡°I¡¯m going to remove the Symbiote, cover me and check on the fallen soldier.¡± It only took a minute for the Captain to hack open the Mortan, its innards spilled out a little but he soon had the Symbiote¡¯s remains in his hands. He threw it down and stamped on the tentacled remnants. ¡°That should keep this one down at least. How is the soldier holding up?¡± Munroe and Gregory both shook their heads. ¡°He¡¯s in and out. Won¡¯t last much longer,¡± Gregory said to Vadir. Vadir looked down at his fellow Kaskari as they struggled to stay living. The silver of their face had turned a dark blue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s Fulcren, right?¡± The soldier nodded. ¡°Vadir - Kor, now I remember, we were escorting you to a safe area when we got separated. A bunch of Terrans and Nirimor got in our way. Things kind of got out of hand from there. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t recognise you,¡± Fulcren said. ¡°I could say the same. I barely made it off the ship.¡± The soldier tried to stand, but Gregory motioned for him to stay put. He remained as he was, his breaths getting longer. ¡°Why did you come back? You could have Aether hopped while in a dropship. No one would know.¡± Vadir looked back to the Welcome Wagon and then to Fulcren. ¡°Where would I even go? My duty was to this ship and that also includes destroying it if it can¡¯t be saved.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re heading in the opposite direction,¡± Fulcren said. ¡°I won¡¯t lie. They want data. And losing that would make this entire journey here pointless. The information we gathered could save countless lives.¡± Fulcren¡¯s fading eyes took in each member of the Welcome Wagon before refocusing on Vadir. ¡°Or be used against us.¡± ¡°The Terrans were under attack; they did what anyone would have done. When the Arks arrive, that first contact should not begin in bloodshed. Or we¡¯ll have the Dauntless Spirit¡¯s fate scattered across this planet.¡± ¡°We know they are low-tech. Don¡¯t be so confident in the abilities of your new friends, Vadir. Don¡¯t lose sight of who you are.¡± Vadir saw the Welcome Wagon communicate amongst themselves. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fulcren. I mean it. We didn¡¯t come this far to lose all over again.¡± Fulcren placed one bloodied hand on Vadir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°At least you came back. Send them back to their maker. No one should suffer the Nirimor, brother.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Vadir said, watching the last flicker of life leave the soldier. He rose to his feet. ¡°We should hurry to med bay. The longer we delay. The stronger it will become.¡± Roswell, CH10: A Fathers sins, passed to his Son He struggled to comprehend all that had happened so far. The once familiar comforting silver walls of the Dauntless Spirit had already begun being claimed by the Symbiote bio-matter. The strange black resin rippled with an unnatural life of its own. His ship. His home now belonged to something else. The Primor of old had always been tenacious, but their fatal flaw of deep-rooted individuality often undermined their forced subjugation. That was the purpose of Great Minds. It through force of will alone brought inhibition to many minds begging for release and it gave the Mortans something they often lacked. Purpose. This variant, named by the Terrans as the Deterrent, acted with a ruthless synchronicity he had never seen before. They had easily overpowered him and the few remaining officers not long after the ship crashed. They had also been far more merciful to his men. He had expected the same fate to join them in a growing mass of minds, but the Deterrent¡¯s silent thought-based communication left him more than a little nervous. The two Mortans dragged him to what was once Hydroponics. The place where they once grew food was now the core of the Deterrent Hive. Its tendrils and black mass had coagulated on the walls and left no spot untouched. The two Mortans in their joint silence dragged him to the central platform and released their hold on his arms. He flopped before the tall imposing creature in front of him. A Patriarch or Matriarch? It faced him. Its gaze looked sympathetic if that were possible. ¡°You look surprised?¡± The distorted voice made the silence all the more unsettling as it spoke to his mind. The oppressive will made him shake in place. ¡°The Deterrent needed me to set the ball rolling but I¡¯m not enough to make this work. That¡¯s where you come in.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to plant me then do it. Stop wasting -¡± He began levitating as suffocating pressure was pushed against his throat. The Kaskari tried clawing at the nothingness attacking their throat but the Creature simply forced their arms down. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°If I intended for that you wouldn¡¯t be granted an audience. The truth is, there is one other mind in this world that moves against us. It seeks affirmation from our joint master. Thus I need a Great Mind to either subjugate or destroy it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a Lieutenant. Surely the Captain would be a better choice¡­¡± The Creature let go and the Kaskari collapsed, gasping for air. ¡°The Captain gave the orders yes¡­ but you were his will. His guiding hand. That¡¯s why I wanted you and why he rots in the med bay. A great deal many threats move against us. Time is not on our side. You will guide us to our final victory.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just one mind.¡± ¡°Soon you will be master of many.¡± It took him a minute to realise what this Creature was referring to. He had been so caught up in the current state of Hydroponics he failed to spot a growing pile of corpses. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t just plant them.¡± ¡°Not everyone needs to be converted and some can serve other purposes. We are all one being in the end. We just have to come together. Convergence is inevitable.¡± A group of Mortans referred to as Spitters arrayed themselves around the body and with their open palms fired the strange black substance at the bodies. It took little to no time at all for it to become a massive pile of sludge. The Spitters broke their circle and went off in different directions. The slimy mess crawled its way to the Lieutenant and tiny little stubbed arms reached out on mass. To make this process seamless, the Creature held them in place with their mind. The various parts of the slimeball now attached themselves to its new host and he could do nothing to stop himself from being swallowed by it. He screamed but those too became muffled leaving behind a suffocating silence. ¡°Our minds will soon become linked. Our Great Mind will rise to meet the other. Though it may be far away, it will fall to us¡­ or perish.¡± The Creature turned away from the writhing mass as tendrils from the floor and ceiling found purchase on its body. The sudden lunge from the black mass staggered the Creature forward but it soon straightened and felt its reach grow. Entering a trance-like state it found the rats heading towards med bay. ¡°I see you, Vadir Kor. There is nowhere on this ship where you can hide. I see everything. Wherever you go. We will find you. Always.¡± Roswell, CH11: The Great Illusion They hurried to the Dauntless Spirit¡¯s shuttle station, experiencing no further resistance while on their way there. Vadir suspected many of those trapped on board had perished in the initial crash. Or worse they are being converted and we''re not even considered a major threat. That wouldn¡¯t be a surprise but it just means when they do come for us it will be in force. It had taken some time for Vadir to get things up and running. He had two hawks on his shoulder both more curious than offering assistance. One of the engineers, Mason, looked back at Captain Miller. "Why do you even need us? When he can just interface with this stuff." "Consider it hands-on experience," Miller said as the shuttle lurched forward, grinding along the rail. Vadir stood up and checked the controls to make sure they all operated in a functional capacity. "That thing you just did with the glowing veins. What is that?" Webber asked. "It''s a trace. Helps me understand stuff, and in the case of this shuttle. How to get it up and running." "Can all of you do that?" Mason asked. "Most of us can do a simple trace. Anything more takes practice. There are some far more skilled than I." "How do you mean?" Webber asked, cocking his head. "Well, this power can manifest in different ways. It can help you lift stuff, move faster, and even think faster. But it has its limits." "How so?" Jackson asked. "Too much channelling of the Aether can have long-term negative effects on the mind. Nothing for you to worry about though. It shouldn''t take too much longer for us to reach Med Bay. That''s if the rail is still intact. It''s a miracle the ship isn''t more damaged." "She seems built to take some punishment," Webber said. "Even the ship we found you on wasn''t that bad on the outside." Vadir rested on the console. "Built to last. The motto of the Builder Sect. It''s been a long time since I thought about them. I might very well be the last of them¡­" The awkward silence didn''t last long as the shuttle shuddered violently and the light above him blinked out. When it came back on, a chill ran down his spine. Something is wrong. The shuttle had been drenched in a blue hue and even though it was still moving. He heard nothing. Where''s the Wel- The whispering sounds of low growls set him on edge as the first Mortan clambered into the tight space. He had on instinct raised his weapon to shoot it when something climbing in from his right side grabbed the barrel and pointed it up in the air. A spray of plasma painted the ceiling and he clenched his free hand, focusing his power into his fist he drove it at the head of the other attacker and they soon bounced back against the wall. He tried to aim again but another Mortan appeared right in front of him and pushed the rifle up against his chest. Where are they coming from? Vadir released another powerful punch. The psionic energy lifted the creature off its feet before allowing it to hit the ground. From his left side, his arm was grabbed and held back as the Mortan on his right did the same, stopping him from engaging them normally. He tried to struggle free but saw two more Mortans enter the tram. Their combined strength pushed him to his knees and one of those Mortans soon loomed over him. At the end of its arm was a sharp point. An injection tendril. I can¡¯t become like them. I can¡¯t - He could do nothing as his head was pulled back and the sharp point entered his neck. Whatever the fluid was, it blurred his vision because before passing out he saw the Mortans for who they really are¡­ The Welcome Wagon? Then that means¡­ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
¡°Welcome back,¡± Gregory said beside him. Vadir Kor lay across two seats, his head was dizzy, his throat was dry and any sudden movement made him want to throw up. ¡°Had to make it a strong dosage. Otherwise, we might all be dead.¡± ¡°I was attacked by Mortans but they were you.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± said Mason. ¡°You went to shoot us and we had to think fast to avoid any real casualties.¡± Vadir sat up in a puddle of sweat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think something got in my head and tricked me. Made me see things that weren¡¯t real. We need to get that data and head to Hydroponics. This thing can¡¯t be allowed to explore its power. Otherwise, I might kill you.¡± Gregory scratched at his beard. ¡°Can you stop it from getting inside your head? Could we be affected?¡± He¡¯s right, all it takes is it to end their heads and we¡¯d be easily picked off. No wonder we¡¯re not seeing much resistance. It doesn¡¯t even need to send Mortans after us. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried to create a mental block before. I could try but it may not stand against this type of enemy.¡± ¡°While it was in your head, did you learn anything?¡± Mason asked. ¡°Not sure, it¡¯s all kind of fuzzy. I saw what it wanted me to see. Speaking of - where is Captain Miller?¡± Vadir said, trying to sit up. Mason put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Slowly does it now, Vadir. We don¡¯t want you off balance.¡± ¡°We had to stay behind to make sure you were okay. The others are being guided by your A.I. friend to the Captain¡¯s body. Once they have the authorisation key they¡¯ll head back to us,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Then they are in more danger than they know. If it got in my head. Just think about what it can do to you.¡± The two soldiers looked at each other. Gregory removed a two-way radio from their belt and tried to reach the others. ¡°Whatever they say, if it comes down to it. Put me under. I might be able to help them if it goes for their minds.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Mason asked. ¡°Dream walking. It¡¯s a rare practice for some of my people.¡± ¡°Have you ever done it before?¡± Gregory asked as static buzzed from his radio. Vadir couldn¡¯t bring himself to lie to them. ¡°No.¡± ¡°If - worse comes to worst and they come after us. Greg can send us on ahead to the archives, you could then guide them through the tunnels if you do this dream walking.¡± Vadir rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll try but it¡¯s new ground for me. Have you reached them yet?¡± Gregory grumbled. ¡°Lots of static. Could be the ship, could be range, I¡¯ll keep trying though. May need to boost the signal.¡± He adjusted a dial and spoke some more.
The Captain¡¯s radio crackled into life and shattered the silence. The rest of the Wagon paused as he answered, ¡°This is Miller, I read you.¡± ¡°Gregory here. Vadir is well but we may have a new problem.¡± ¡°Well don¡¯t keep us waiting, what made him attack us like that?¡± ¡°Something got inside his head. He¡¯s not sure what but he¡¯s worried it could go after you.¡± Miller signalled for the others to continue walking. ¡°Noted, appreciate the warning. We¡¯re not far off where the Captain is.¡± ¡°If anyone shows any irregular signs let us know, Vadir will try and help.¡± ¡°How would he do that?¡± Miller asked. ¡°It sounds daft but he calls it, dream walking.¡± ¡°At this point, nothing about him surprises me anymore. We¡¯ll let you know -¡± Miller, Webber, Jackson, and Munroe all stopped as they rounded the corner. Other than the dim orange-tinted lights the only thing they saw was a human awkwardly propped up against the wall. Their badly torn coveralls had seen better days and the sleeves of their arms were covered head to toe in a mix of red and black blood. They jerked their head up as the Group came to a stop. ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch, Gregory. We just made contact.¡± Roswell, CH12: The Greater Madness ¡°Papa, please¡ªdon¡¯t go.¡± He tried to keep his voice steady but he just couldn¡¯t. His father Andriy had both large hands on his shoulders. He simply smiled. ¡°You are the man of the house now, Sergei. You need to be strong. You can¡¯t let them see you as weak now,¡± Andriy said before looking over his shoulder. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting. They told me that once the work is done, you and Anna can join me. Think about it, we will be the first of the Lunar Men. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡± Sergei managed a slow nod as his father embraced him one last time. He wished he would never let go. ¡°I should not keep the soldiers waiting.¡± Sergei watched his father leave with the soldiers. The dark embrace that claimed his father was soon replaced by the old wooden door being slammed shut by his mother. Despite the stress of it all she hardly looked phased by the ordeal. ¡°He¡¯s gone, Sergei, time for bed. You have school tomorrow.¡± He remained where he stood. ¡°They¡¯re not going to hurt him are they?¡± She bent down to him. ¡°They need workers. Able bodies, hurting him would mean going against the Maxim. Now go on. Off to bed, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.¡± # Deep in the bowels of the Tellus Dome, he was disgusted by what he found. While the socialites, rich oligarchs and the West¡¯s mongrels reaped the benefits of a Luna lifestyle. The ever-growing needs of the workforce were overlooked and left to be someone else¡¯s problem. He had come here searching for his father but had found only death, disease and missing persons instead. Something was happening in the city of Lazarus and he planned to uncover the truth. By any means necessary if he had to. He had his cover as did other Black Knight operatives. His was the unpleasant job of mopping the floors. Not that it mattered, the act itself was a purely performative and futile battle against the dust and grime that was dragged in by those doing tours and other moon-related activities. He slithered along the long narrow corridor, humming to the sound of rumbling pipes and excess steam. A man rounded the corner, wide-eyed and terrified, his long black hair a frizzled mess. Sergei straightened at the sight of the man. It was not uncommon to see someone so dishevelled but this man was different. He had the look of a man who had gazed upon his maker and had no plans to do so again. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Sir, Can I help you?¡± The man¡¯s heavy breaths did little to reassure Sergei. ¡°No, no,¡± he repeated. ¡°What was in those drinks?¡± ¡°Drinks? you came all the way from Apollo?¡± The man rushed down the corridor toward Sergei. ¡°You need to get off this rock.¡± ¡°Sir, look at me. Does it look like I can go where I please? I¡¯m just the janitor.¡± ¡°Not anymore.¡± Sergei just wanted to be done with shift so that he could go and rest but something about how the man talked had him interested. ¡°Just tell me what happened.¡± The man placed grimy hands on his hips. ¡°The Lazarus Ball, a toast to the future. You know about it?¡± ¡°Heard about it, not on the invite list as you can already tell.¡± ¡°Be grateful then because whatever was in those drinks. It¡¯s killed everyone. God¡¯s above what if they have also contaminated the water supply.¡± ¡°Say that again,¡± Sergei said looking down at the blackness of the bucket, he thought he saw movement on the surface. Just my mind playing tricks, keep it together Sergei. ¡°Everyone at the ball turned on each other. I¡¯m lucky I made it out alive.¡± ¡°Did you drink anything?¡± He could see the man¡¯s eye twitching and the telltale signs he wasn¡¯t all there as his veins took on a black colouring. If only this was madness. He¡¯s harbouring it. They didn¡¯t tell me they would spike the drinks so soon! ¡°Only a sip.¡± Sergei let go of his mop and it clattered upon hitting the floor. ¡°Only a sip, you say. Prosti menya, moy drug.¡± ¡°What?¡± The man didn¡¯t see it coming. A psion energy-laced fist painted the insides of his head against the far wall and Sergei had no plans on cleaning that up. He was certain of one thing though. The symbiote gestating inside the man hadn¡¯t fully developed yet. Still, Sergei couldn¡¯t afford mercy in a time like this. So he did the only thing he could and began stamping down on the man¡¯s chest until it all became mush. It can not be allowed to take hold. That which is dead must stay dead. But why now? I haven¡¯t even found, Father yet. I refuse to believe he¡¯s dead! Now fully distracted he barely heard the bucket tip and spill its contents across the floor. That which is dead¡­ He lifted his blood-stained black boots and looked over his shoulder as the amorphous mass he knew only as Deterrent acknowledged him in a tranquil manner, bobbing up and down. Must stay dead¡­ It launched itself at him covering his face and body in black sludge. It would force its way into him and then what? I become like them. No! He raised his calloused dirty hands and engaged the proto-cores that had been installed back when he was on Earth and had been selected for this mission. To serve the Maxim we must sow the seeds of our enemies¡¯ downfall and claim the world in the aftermath. He pressed his hands against his face and ignited the psionic flames. To say agony threatened to send him to the other side of sanity was an understatement. He would burn the monster from his body if it guaranteed his freedom. He dropped to his knees as the black sludge dried out and fell from his body. His face would be left scarred but he would still live. Father¡­ where are you? Roswell, Ch13: The Greatest Sin The alarms finally ceased and their current sector''s lighting returned to normal. Sergei and Chernov had since been joined by another ally. This one was Spetsnaz and his being alert and out of breath did not signal good news. ¡°Something has gone terribly wrong,¡± he said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Sergei. ¡°The Masquerade operators aren¡¯t responding to hails. I think the op-¡± He was cut off by the loud sound of gears turning as the shelter doors began to rise. The metal sound was soon replaced by something more feral, growls, deep and guttural grew louder by the second. ¡°Do you have a spare gun?¡± Sergei asked Chernov. The man removed his sidearm and handed it to Sergei. ¡°You can tell us what happened later, I think we need to fall -¡± The first group of heads appeared at the top of the exit ramp. Drenched black and red. Blood¡­ and what else? ¡°Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit¡­.¡± muttered the Spetsnaz. ¡°We need to run, get off this rock.¡± The man was already making moves and they struggled to keep up with him. He heard the rapid monstrous breaths bearing down on them. The heavy feet reverberated off the ground, as the horde grew in numbers behind them. They soon reached one of the tunnel entrances and once inside. The Spetsnaz sealed them in. ¡°That won¡¯t hold ¨C them,¡± he said barely catching his breath. ¡°This was not part of the plan.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Chernov. The Spetsnaz pointed at the sealed door as loud bangs could be heard. ¡°Someone brought the Deterrent onto the station and now it¡¯s infected the people we trapped. Handed them over on a silver platter. Fuck!¡± Both men looked equally perplexed at the man. ¡°What the hell is a Deterrent?¡± ¡°The one type of Mortan you never want to come across. Come on, the shuttles are this way. We need to hurry. If the other shelters are open. The others in their domes will be out roaming for those not caught in the trap.¡± Sergei followed the other two men as they reached another smaller dome. A residential sector. ¡°Keep your wits about you. They could be anywhere.¡± They navigated through the narrow abandoned marketplace that made up much of the lunar street and had apartment blocks flanking both sides. Everything had been left as it was and soon they reached a turn-off that led to a narrow darkened corridor. In the darkness stood a figure armoured in black. He had no distinct markings but the size of the pads on his shoulders and the type of armour he wore. He knew something they didn¡¯t. Before a dialogue could even be established, he sprayed at them. Sergei barely had time to trigger his psion cores which allowed him to dive to the ground. The mixed set of wooden and concrete stalls became peppered with a hail of bullets. He looked back and saw that Spetsnaz wasn¡¯t so lucky. Bullet holes riddled his body. Chernov was now seated clutching his rifle like his life depended on it. His eyes were bloodshot and he snarled at Sergei. Yeah, me too. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Sergei jumped to his feet, activated his cores and avoided the pre-fire attempt that would have hit him had he been seconds slower. Not wanting to waste his momentum he pushed again and aimed for where there was a gap in the shoulder plates. His shot punched the man back and it took a solid minute for him to reorient as the dizziness threatened to swallow him up. Chernov was on him now too. The larger man had the soldier in a chokehold. Soon they were met with a rifle hitting the floor. ¡°No, not yet. I want to know what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Make it quick, Sergei.¡± ¡°Why release this Deterrent?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Maxim Front, right? The useful idiots we outsourced much of this job to.¡± The man had a strong Australian accent, it didn¡¯t take long for both men to put two and two together. Sergei advanced on the man and took off his helmet then he pressed the barrel of his gun to the man¡¯s forehead. ¡°Who do you work for?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯m telling you shit. If they don¡¯t get you. We will.¡± Sergei looked past Chernov and saw a group of stragglers, painted black, already their skin had begun to mutate as skin and clothing melded together. Sergei nodded to Chernov who released his grip and stepped to the side as Sergei put a bullet in the man¡¯s head. That gunshot alerted the newcomers. ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on,¡± said Sergei. ¡°Amen to that.¡±
They were soon back in one of Tellus¡¯ Commerce districts and already it was a grim sight to behold. It was nothing but a scattering of bloody limbs, and dead bodies. All while urgent runners headed in any direction they could. They barely gave them a passing glance, these people were now creatures of instinct. Survival was all that mattered now. Some dead bodies had monsters crouched over them, feasting and spitting the remains everywhere. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can leave the normal way. Won¡¯t be long until everywhere is nothing but Mortans,¡± said Chernov. ¡°There¡¯s always the underground. It¡¯s possible the Mortans have yet to breach into it, too focused on the surface-level fresh meat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably our best shot at this point. I assume you know the way?¡± ¡°Like the back of my hand, Chernov. Come on and try not to draw their attention.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t hoping to.¡± They kept to the edge of the level, close to the shops and restaurants where they could remain obscure if only for a little longer. Very soon there wouldn¡¯t be any place to hide. Chernov kept low behind Sergei as he kept a watchful eye for people or Mortes. He stopped near a low wall and signalled for Chernov to come beside him. A large fern¡¯s leaves partially hid them. ¡°What do you see?¡± ¡°These guys aren¡¯t like the one we saw earlier.¡± ¡°Station security?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± The giveaway was the riot gear. It was designed for human enemies but the Mortans, he knew that wouldn¡¯t stop them. Sergei kept low as a bright torch was shone at them. The group spoke in German to one another. Sergei saw them reach where they had seen the monsters feasting and then the madness began. The signal to open fire breached the silence and soon any Morte in earshot would be on them. ¡°Now would be a good time -¡± Sergei pointed up to where they had planned to head. A small horde, partially mutated, the amorphous skin of the monsters had begun creeping over them. They charged at the security detail like wild dogs. ¡°Once they are past, we go. Don¡¯t look back.¡± ¡°Like I planned to,¡± growled Chernov. They were soon heading away from the ensuing carnage. Screams now perforated the air around them and the smell of blood and sweat lingered every which way they went. Sergei risked a glance back and was relieved to see the Mortans had indeed kept their focus on the riot squad. We need to get to the underground, otherwise, we¡¯re as good as dead! Roswell, CH14: Like Fish in a Barrel The two men ducked left and descended down a set of stairs that would take them into relative safety or so they hoped. Chernov stood behind Sergei pointing his gun up the ramp, praying deep down that the monsters would ravage each other on the surface. The sudden loud beep made both men jump. The door opened and they were soon inside, sealing the exit behind them. These parts of the Domes were often called the Slums. Home to the builders that had erected the city, years past. This was their reward for their service. To be hidden away, forgotten about and only called upon if something goes wrong or faulty. It was narrow, cramped and riddled with pipes and wiring leading to the surface. The narrow corridor opened out to another doorway which they entered. It took them to what looked like an empty barracks area. The builders and the miners shared a residence, both men had expected company but there was only the sound of whirring fans around them. ¡°You don¡¯t think that stuff was pumped down here do you?¡± Sergei looked around and leaned on the black metal railing. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything can you?¡± ¡°Do the Slums even have protection shelters?¡± ¡°You would think so,¡± said Sergei walking down the steps. All he saw was a mess. People had dropped what they had on them and scarpered. The two men followed the trail gifted to them. Soon they entered another corridor that led to a T-Junction. Where their joint suspicion was soon answered. Gunfire cut through the silence as two bloodied people stumbled around the corner and stopped short of Sergei and Chernov. A blur emerged next and made short work of one of those fleeing. The disembodied head flew away from a fountain of red. The body hit the ground as two Mortans grabbed for the remaining person, digging blackened teeth in their shoulder. Chernov acted first and opened fire. The person they had encountered was already dead. This was a mercy. The spray now shifted the attention. One recoiled back while the other advanced, the rough amorphous Morte skin made their hands now look like large bestial claws. They don¡¯t have formed Cores, for now. Normally, Sergei aimed for the top half but for Mortes he knew to focus fire on the centre of mass. As a new Morte it didn¡¯t have protection yet. The bullets tore through skin and clothing. The monster stopped dead. Chernov did the same for his Morte and Sergei engaged his core to cover the ground. He poured Aetherial energy into the aura around his fist and drove it through the monster he staggered. He found purchase and pulled. Separating the symbiote from its host. The creature folded and hit the floor in growing blackened pool. Chernov had also downed the other and had begun stomping on their chest like a madman. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Pull it out, proper. They always come back,¡± said Sergei. Chernov bent down and began scooping out whatever innards he could. Sergei was surprised to see the second victim of the two Mortes still breathing. He approached them and crouched down. ¡°Can you talk? Can you understand me?¡± He tried in English first. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t understand how I¡¯m still alive.¡± The man was badly wounded and to such an extent that normally it would be fatal. It could only mean one thing. ¡°Have you drank anything recently?¡± ¡°Before the alarms rang? Maybe. It can get pretty hot down here.¡± ¡°Bottle or tap?¡± ¡°Filled a bottle with a tap why?¡± Chernov finished doing his dirty work and looked to Sergei. ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯m becoming like them. I can see it on your faces.¡± ¡°Then already know what we need to do, but first how many more are you?¡± asked Sergei. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really paying attention¡­ Maybe I can help you escape. There has to be a way to reverse this right?¡± Sergei cocked his head at Chernov. ¡°There is but one cure for the Mortan.¡± Sergei inhaled and fired off a couple of shots. Putting the man out of his misery he then proceeded to do as Chernov had, scooping off the black liquid that had begun taking over the body¡¯s inside. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t expect us to do this for all of them. It¡¯s just wasting time, Sergei.¡± ¡°I know. I know. But the point is to keep them down. If it¡¯s not done they¡¯ll regenerate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying we really shouldn¡¯t be wasting time if we want off this rock.¡± Sergei agreed and looked at the signs. They needed to reach the Portunus Front as that was where they would find the shuttle station. He pointed it out. ¡°If we follow the way they came from, we can reach the main plaza and steal a shuttle.¡± Chernov sighed. ¡°Somehow that sounds easier said than done.¡± Roswell, CH15: The Path of Least Resistance ¡°How much farther is it? Sergei!¡± ¡°Quiet, idiot, do you want them to hear us?¡± he hissed looking back at the man. Chernov sighed. ¡°The wall map made it seem smaller, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that far now. Actually, it should be right around here.¡± Their joint journey through the narrow, concrete corridors had revealed a sorry sight of death and madness. The man they had to put down was not alone at all. Many had succumbed to the Deterrent. What had once been a hostage situation they could control had turned into a full-scale outbreak. And we handed it to whoever was behind this? They played us like a damn fiddle! That was probably the idea. Release the Deterrent and we take the fall. Bastards the lot of them! His thoughts were interrupted by a strong grip on his shoulder. He hadn¡¯t been paying attention and had nearly walked them right into the open arms of waiting Mortans. The giveaway was the mutated black bubbled skin forming, merging with cloth and skin. They all looked dead to the world with their icy, hunger-glazed stare. The silence was palpable with neither moving first, one stalked to the other. Until eventually something had to give. One of them launched itself at Sergei. Its speed nearly had him. He could see the glow in their eyes and veins as black claws grappled with the barrel of his gun. Chernov soon equalised the matter as a shot to the infected¡¯s unprotected head sent them sprawling. The others were up now. Sergei sprayed aiming for any part of the body that could slow them down. No way we have enough bullets to put them down. ¡°Chernov, start running.¡± The other man didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Another Mortan threw itself into the fray but this time Sergei triggered his core and stumbled backwards, twisting he propelled himself down the corridor. Forcing the aether¡¯s power to augment his every step. The pressure he applied left cracks on the floor. Chernov was waiting down the corridor, motioning with his hands. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Hurry up, man!¡± Sergei soon barrelled past the man and had to focus hard to slow down. And by the time he stopped lurching this way and that, he managed to put his back to a wall and bend over. He heaved the contents of his stomach. He looked up where Chernov had been and saw the man waddle his way looking rather smug. ¡°Sealed them off with that emergency door. Must mean this is one of those areas. High security.¡± ¡°That is rather fortunate. Dare I ask, how many shots do you think we have?¡± ¡°Not enough to get us off this rock if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. It¡¯s not like we can outrun them either. Those cores man. I mean you¡¯ll be fine. Me though.¡± Chernov shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m pretty fucked.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. Are you ready? Don¡¯t know how long that door is going to hold them, especially if they¡¯re persistent.¡± They both looked back and could see growing dents. They really don¡¯t know when to quit. ¡°I¡¯m ready, lead the way,¡± said Sergei gesturing the man to take the lead. Chernov¡¯s statement of high security hadn¡¯t been completely incorrect. As it turns out the long corridor they had run down had led them to the one place they probably wanted nothing to do with. The faded sign sat above a metal windowed door. It had a keypad next to it and a comms system. ¡°Orcus,¡± said Chernov. ¡°Not our people,¡± said Sergei. ¡°Privately owned. Corpers.¡± Chernov groaned. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll let us in?¡± ¡°Not like we can go back.¡± Chernov looked back and his face paled. ¡°We¡¯re fucked if we can¡¯t get in.¡± ¡°I know. Talk to them, you¡¯re the security guy.¡± Chernov approached the comm system first and pressed a button. ¡°This is Sergeant Chernov. I¡¯ve got with me one of the conspirators responsible for this outbreak,¡± he spat the words with such venom that Sergei did a double take. But behind the man¡¯s back, he had crossed his fingers. Bold strategy. Chernov, let¡¯s pray they take prisoners and don¡¯t just shoot me dead. ¡°Is that so,¡± said a deep male voice. ¡°And what do you expect us to do?¡± ¡°This is the prison, correct?¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± ¡°Then I have a prisoner.¡± ¡°He¡¯s clean.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be dead if he wasn¡¯t,¡± said Chernov. ¡°Fine. But you better not try anything. I¡¯m sending someone your way to let you in.¡± Chernov stepped back and scratched at the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to do it this way.¡± ¡°No, need. I¡¯d probably do the same, honestly.¡± Roswell, CH16: The Seventh Circle A glaring light and cool air greeted them as the door slid open. The guard sent to welcome them wore Orcus riot gear and had a black visor masking his face. He also carried a sleek-looking MP-40. He gestured with it for them to enter. The door hissed shut once they were inside. ¡°Is it just you two?¡± Sergei looked at Chernov. ¡°Yes, just us.¡± ¡°And you weren¡¯t followed.¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°And this one is part of the plot to release the Deterrent?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Chernov. ¡°Then why the gun?¡± ¡°Self-defence. One man can¡¯t hope to fight a war against those monsters.¡± Chernov reached over and pulled the rifle away from Sergei¡¯s sweaty palms. I hope you know what you¡¯re doing, Chernov. ¡°If that¡¯s the case -¡± Sergei didn¡¯t hear the rest because he was blind-sided by the back of the MP40, hitting his skull and knocking him into a wall. The last thing he heard before passing out fully was the guard¡¯s single request. ¡°Carry him to an unoccupied cell.¡± # By the time he came around, his head was still throbbing. They had put him in one of the many cells. Dull, grey walls surrounded him and presented a clear view out onto his cell block. He stood up and approached the gap. Upon reaching out, the sudden shock made him jump back while recoiling his arm. Force fields. Makes sense. I wonder how Chernov plans on getting me out of this. Not long later, he had his answer as the man returned with a beaming smile. ¡°Good news, comrade, because the situation is so dire and the city itself is so past the point of return. The guards here have concluded they need every man they can find to help bring her back from the brink.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they seriously think they can stop this?¡± ¡°Have you ever tried convincing Germans of anything and do you think they¡¯ll listen to me, a Russian? You know, considering all that¡¯s happened so far.¡± ¡°Good point.¡± Sergei stretched a little as he heard the force field power down. He was glad to be free. He checked his two adjacent cells and was met by the horrific forms of two nearly fully developed Deterrent Mortans. This mutation works faster than the base variant. Very soon it will become altogether unsalvageable. ¡°Pretty grim, huh? I¡¯ve seen many a Mortan but non quite like this,¡± said Chernov grimly. ¡°They¡¯re all the same beast. Just these are more feral.¡± ¡°There¡¯s dozens of them in these cells. I pray we don¡¯t lose power.¡± Sergei folded his arms and smiled back at his friend. ¡°Now don¡¯t go giving me ideas. These things could be useful yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s if they don¡¯t tear you to shreds first,¡± ¡°Or plant you¡­¡± Sergei said as the one in the cell to his right gawked at him. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The creature, with its hunched back and fused, tattered clothing gave a laugh that sounded more like it was choking. ¡°You don¡¯t recognise me, comrade. Do you?¡± ¡°Alexei¡­¡± ¡°You know this one?¡± said Chernov walking behind Sergei so that he stood on his other side. ¡°We ran a few jobs together back home. I had no idea he had been recruited for the mission.¡± ¡°My job was given to me by some illusive friends,¡± Alexei said arching his back and crying out as it made a loud crack. ¡°What did it entail?¡± Sergei asked. ¡°Beneath us, the demons of old are kept in cold storage. So many of them. I was caught early. Must have tripped an alarm. They threw me in here. It¡¯s been weeks. Then it happened. The water turned black and I knew. Deliverance had come,¡± the man said holding back the manic laugh bubbling beneath the surface. ¡°Was he always this crazy?¡± Sergei wanted to say no but Alexei had always been deeply spiritual to a degree and the Symbiote growing within him now amplified his fears. I wonder what he means by demons. The Mortans? This whole place is their playground now. ¡°He¡¯s not crazy, Chernov but we are for agreeing to this mission. Let¡¯s get going, Don¡¯t want to keep your new friends waiting.¡± # The remaining Orcus guard alongside Sergei and Chernov had all gathered in the former Head Warden¡¯s main office. It overlooked the atrium that gave some glance into the madness occupying the cells. The head of the group sat behind the cleared desk. The guards aligned with him stood on his left while Sergei and Chernov occupied the right. ¡°As you are all no doubt aware, a new strain of Mortalis has consumed the city¡¯s population, courtesy of our new friend Sergei,¡± the guard said, gesturing offhand to him. ¡°I presume the lockdown was part of that.¡± Sergei shrugged. ¡°If I¡¯m being truly honest, I had my instructions. Anything else is far above me.¡± ¡°So they probably saw you as disposable.¡± ¡°We all are.¡± ¡°I also hear those attending the Masquerade were infected but with the chaos, it¡¯s difficult to get any proper answer whether Lazarus himself is still alive.¡± One of the four guards with them stepped forward. ¡°The men we sent to investigate have still yet to report back. We should consider the worst.¡± The man leaned back in his chair and spun to face the baying crowd, throwing themselves time and time again at their cell¡¯s force fields. He stood up and leaned against the rounded window. ¡°I don¡¯t see any other way around it. We need to get a message back to Earth. Hopefully, they can pause their pissing contest long enough to get some men up here. Hell, it might even be worth wiping this city off the surface of the Moon. Can¡¯t take any chances with the Mortalis. They¡¯ll never stop.¡± ¡°We can do that,¡± said Sergei. ¡°You and Chernov? No. It can¡¯t just be you two. Especially if you¡¯re working with the enemy that started this. Sergeant Becker and Corporal Meyer here will accompany you. I assume you know the way.¡± ¡°If we take the tunnels, we can-¡± A pounding reached his mind as the person standing at the window transformed along with the room itself into a black pulsating mess of biomass. The strange, tall figure faced him. This grotesque being looked demonic in stature and their entire body was covered in an amorphous, rippling shell. It looked like a human stripped of its skin instead replaced by black, pulsating muscle. it said as it approached him. Its true height became apparent as he existed in its shadow. ¡°Sergei -¡± the slap brought him back to reality. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Your eyes glazed over and you began talking in a real low, guttural way. Said something about the Motherland!¡± ¡°Shit, it must be my aether cores. One of those things must have found some way to interfere with them,¡± Sergei said his breathing becoming laborious. The other guards had their weapons trained on him. He held up his arm. ¡°I promise you, I¡¯m not one of them. I have prototype cores installed that allow me to tap into the Aether. I had no idea a Mortan could get inside my head in that way.¡± ¡°On second thoughts, if this one turns. You have my full permission to execute him on the spot,¡± the lead guard said. Shit. ¡°The only person killing my friend here will be me. Not your lackeys. We¡¯ll get the message broadcast. Someone¡¯s bound to be wondering what the hell is going on up here.¡± ¡°You can find extra weapons in the armoury. Since you might not be coming back, take as much as you can carry and spare no one. It¡¯s safe to assume the entire city is compromised. And whoever that voice is, they¡¯re making moves. Our enemy might only become more dangerous if it becomes coordinated. Be prepared for anything.¡± ¡°Aye sir!¡± said the guards with a salute. Sergei and Chernov remained silent. Sergei felt sweat run down his cheek. If it can force me to perceive it, what else can it do? I can only hope that is the extent of its power- ¡°Chernov if I lose my sense of reality because of what just happened. Don¡¯t even hesitate to kill me and do whatever it takes to destroy this hell. Before it dooms the Earth.¡± Chernov chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t think the folks back home need any help there, Sergei. But since you asked, if it comes to it. I promise I¡¯ll make it quick.¡± Roswell, CH17: The Road to Hell They spent a short amount of time restocking ammunition and changing into Orcus riot gear. Sergei appreciated the extra protection, especially since they were heading to the Hermes Communication Array, the broadcast centre that allowed Lazarus¡¯ personnel to contact Earth. He suspected that if the Mortes were to become more coordinated, that location would be one of the first places they would secure. Chernov looked over to him after fitting his helmet. ¡°Do you think getting a message out will change anything about our predicament?¡± ¡°Hard to say. I¡¯m not confident it will, but we¡¯ve got to do something right,¡± said Sergei. They then joined up with the two Orcus guards assigned to keep a close eye on them. After all, as far as they were concerned, this entire ordeal was what he wanted. If only it were that simple. We were used for someone else¡¯s goals. The question is who and why? They had to journey past the cells of infected prisoners before reaching the Penitentiary lobby. The desk that a receptionist would normally man was now occupied by another Orcus guard. The desk had also been fitted with surveillance equipment. However, the footage looked grainy from where Sergei stood. Sergeant Becker approached the man. He managed to look relaxed despite the situation. ¡°How bad is it out there?¡± The guard leaned forward putting his feet on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s quiet on our doorstep. Soteria patrols are becoming more infrequent though. Imagine most of them perished when the outbreak happened.¡± ¡°What about beyond our territory?¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Hard to say, why?¡± ¡°We¡¯re heading to Hermes to try to send a message to Earth.¡± The man scoffed. ¡°Good luck with that then, and don¡¯t forget to lock the door once you leave.¡± Becker grumbled and signalled for the rest of the group to get moving.
The route to the access tunnels that would give them a shortcut to the Hermes Comms Array saw them cross a bloodied pair of Soteria security. The man struggled to hold up the woman by having her scratched and bruised arm around his neck. They looked both to be in dire need of medical attention. The Orcus guards already had their weapons up, and Sergei and Chernov kept themselves back in case things got dicey. ¡°You two, Soteria, right?¡± asked Becker. ¡°Yeah, why is Orcus sending you out here?¡± asked the man. ¡°We¡¯re heading to Hermes¡¯ Array.¡± The man baulked and shook his head. He also coughed up something black. He held up his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not ¨C I swear. But we in Soteria had the same idea. The problem is, it¡¯s under the control of those things. They did quite a number on the place. We¡¯re reporting back to our bosses. Please let us through.¡± Sergei looked at Chernov. He could tell his friend would rather kill these two. If they were coughing up Morte stuff, it was probably a sign of things to come. ¡°No, first, you get checked over at Iaso Medicinal. The last thing Soteria needs is being overrun by someone unaware of how compromised they are,¡± said Becker. ¡°It¡¯s just some scratches, man.¡± ¡°Still, get yourself checked over,¡± he ordered. ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± said the man as the Orcus team made room for him to pass by them. A shot rang out that came from neither Chernov nor Sergei, but from the Orcus guard who had led the questioning. His Luger smoked, and he glared at the others before marching over to where the woman was gasping for air. Her fingertips were now covered in the man¡¯s blood. The guard delivered the finishing shot, then did something unexpected. He stamped first down on her chest, crushing it under his black boots and not long after, did the same to the man he executed. The loud squelching of pulped flesh made Sergei grimace. The man marched back to the front while saying, ¡°We all know how these things work. Killing them was only doing the symbiote a favour. It needed to be crushed in the place it makes its home.¡± ¡°No objection from us,¡± Sergei said. ¡°I would be more surprised if you didn¡¯t shoot them both.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Right,¡± the guard said. ¡°The access point is close. It should get us to the comm array in no time at all.¡±
The darkness of the tunnels made them all hesitate to enter. It soon swallowed them and they were forced to use their shoulder-mounted torches to light the way while walking in mostly single file. ¡°Anyone else feel something on the walls?¡± asked Chernov. Sergei reached out and rubbed the wall. Instead of concrete, it felt rough and slimy. Putting his torch on it soon made him feel disgusted. ¡°It¡¯s biomass. It¡¯s begun to establish a hive, I think.¡± ¡°Then we best hurry,¡± said Chernov. ¡°The longer this takes, the more this stuff will spread.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help but notice it¡¯s getting thicker too,¡± said Corporal Meyer. ¡°Starting to get why those two had to back off from this place,¡± added Becker. They soon reached the exit point and noted that the biomass had begun encroaching on it too. It took some chipping away before the door opened and they entered a long but wide corridor. Once metallic looking, its walls now pulsated due to a rapidly encroaching black bulging biomass. ¡°Eyes up, everyone,¡± said Sergeant Becker. ¡°If this is here. So are they.¡± Upon reaching the entrance to the array, a towering Deterrent Mortan greeted them in its full monstrous shape. With deep black aether energy wrapping around its hands, it manifested two elongated claws and in one formed a ball of black energy that it not soon after launched at the group. It took the squad a few seconds for them to dodge and avoid the ball of energy as it exploded against the biomass behind them. The creature blinked away and appeared in front of Corporal Meyer. Its large black feet met the man¡¯s chest and he tumbled to the floor. Chaos erupted as they all tried to land a shot. It read them like a book and used its blink to weave back and away from the gunfire. Imagine a claw. Something that stops it dead in its tracks. Sergei engaged his blink and travelled the twisted other side before returning to the real. The creature barely had time to reorient itself as Sergei¡¯s aether-generated blue claw penetrated its sternum. Enraged, the creature tried to hit back, but he propelled himself away from its swipe. With a clear opening, the remaining three of them easily made short work of the wound and the monster soon found itself writhing on the floor. The one remaining Orcus guard, Sergeant Becker had the pleasure of wrestling the symbiote from its chest. The black amorphous thing leaked fluid everywhere. He dropped it and stamped on the thing. ¡°I guess they didn¡¯t expect anyone to try and come here,¡± said Chernov. ¡°Most people have no experience fighting these things. It makes sense they¡¯d only station one up here. Anyone else wouldn¡¯t be standing right now,¡± Becker said before looking at Sergei, whose claw had disappeared. ¡°You imitated it.¡± ¡°The aether core did the most of the work. Can help me keep up with them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± The Hermes Comm Array was a large building with a sleek, Art Deco design. Or it would have had it not been consumed by the Deterrent biomass. They soon found the source of the corruption. A large glowing black bulb sat atop one of the many projectors and from its base stretched bio-wire and biomass that connected to the various consoles in the command area. ¡°So we just destroy it?¡± Becker asked. ¡°I would think so,¡± said Sergei. ¡°But that might not be as easy as it looks. The bulb looks like it¡¯s made to take a hit or two.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you use that claw of yours and tear out its centre.¡± Sergei rolled his eyes and reformed the claw, the aether flowing around him made him dizzy but he composed himself long enough to penetrate the bulb. He found the internal core and ripped it out. Whatever it was, put an end to the strange glow coming off of the bulb. ¡°Now let¡¯s see if we can broadcast a message out,¡± said Becker. The group approached the front set of consoles and set to work restoring the biomass-covered computers to working order. With a few correct button presses, they had a live transmission. Becker pressed the mute button. ¡°What should I even say?¡± ¡°Mortalis have overrun Lazarus. Send help,¡± said Chernov. The man nodded and removed his finger. He spoke into the mic. ¡°This is Sergeant Johann Becker. I represent Orcus Security of the Lazarus lunar city. This message is a warning. The city has fallen to the Mortalis. If anyone down below hears this, we need urgent backup.¡± One of the screens above them flickered on, displaying a bald man wearing a grey British army uniform whose insignia on his right breast resembled that of a fob watch with temporal symbols inside. They all recognised the uniform. Grey Watch. ¡°This is President Edmund Grey of the Grey Watch, Syndrix patched in your transmission. What do you mean Lazarus has fallen to the Mortalis?¡± They both looked to Sergei, who sighed and stepped forward. ¡°There was a plan to take over the city. Most of the population was herded into shelters, and then someone flooded them with Deterrent gas. Now the city is rapidly falling to those¡ª things.¡± ¡°Russian¡­ Let me guess. The Imperium put you up to this -¡± A burst of static cut off Grey. ¡°Another transmission, but it¡¯s not coming from Earth. It''s¡ªno, that¡¯s not possible,¡± said Becker. ¡°Spit it out, man,¡± said Grey. ¡°It¡¯s coming from beyond the Oort cloud and heading straight for us.¡± ¡°Can you let it broadcast?¡± ¡°Doing so now.¡± Soon the static screen revealed some kind of bridge and tall grey and silver-looking aliens. They looked surprisingly humanoid. They were speaking in rapid clicks and in a way that was hard for anyone to follow. ¡°I¡¯ll have Syndrix work on translating¨Csomething is -¡± Both screens went blank and the whole system powered down. The only glow now came from the multiple projectors behind them. And from one of them manifested the blue hue of one Francis Lazarus. He looked a little worse for wear and even a little mad. ¡°All my hard work ruined by that bastard Vasechkin. Do you not realise what you¡¯ve done? I spent my whole life avoiding the legacy of my people. And yet you insects bring it into my domain. My home! I should have you all killed for this. If I can¡¯t stop it from taking the city from me. Then I shall bring you all to ruin! I offered you salvation, a future beyond petty human squabbles, but that dream is dead. Because of you. Your selfish actions here will be remembered as a monument to all your sins.¡± Roswell, CH18: Monument to the Fall The hologram disappeared and they were back in darkness. Becker tried fiddling with dials and when that did nothing he brought his fist down upon the robust-looking console cursing to himself. ¡°Lazarus has control over the whole city¡¯s power distribution. We might need to take him out if we have any hope of getting things back under control.¡± Chernov marched over to the man and grabbed him by both shoulders. ¡°Are you mad? Have you seen the state of this place? We should be leaving. A short-range shuttle should get us off the Moon and back to Earth.¡± ¡°The problem with your idea is that Lazarus controls where we go. There¡¯s a good chance Port is already locked down. And I somehow doubt he¡¯s in the mood to let anyone leave. Now get your hands off of me!¡± Chernov let him go and rejoined Sergei. ¡°We got a message out at least,¡± said Sergei. ¡°Yeah, but someone else heard it too,¡± Becker said as he rubbed his brow and faced them. ¡°We still have time before they arrive but by the time they get here. They¡¯ll be marching headlong into a bloodbath.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it then we agree. We take Helios,¡± said Sergei. ¡°It¡¯s about the only thing we can do,¡± said Chernov. Before they could do anything the door they came from hissed open and in walked three others. Each of them dressed in neutral black matching that of the person, Sergei and Chernov had killed earlier. These people were the ones responsible for the outbreak in the first place. ¡°You know how you thought I was one of those responsible for this mess, well Chernov and I encountered someone like these guys before. They set us up.¡± The middle man looked to Sergei and spoke in Russian first. ¡°You killed one of us.¡± ¡°Aye, he tried to kill us first though.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± the man said looking at Becker. ¡°Orcus? This far from home. Must be nice to take a walk every once in a while.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°No thanks to you of course,¡± said Becker keeping his weapon pointed at the newcomers. ¡°I¡¯m afraid, this is just the beginning. The Deterrent will bring all of us together in Unity. Isn¡¯t that what your Maxim strives for? Comrade,¡± the man said raising and clenching his fist towards the two Russian men. Sergei snarled at the thought of ever calling this man comrade. ¡°The Deterrent would strip us of our minds. Our freedom. It would be a tortured existence.¡± ¡°No, no, no. Comrade, it would liberate you. All of you would be spared from this torment.¡± The guttural voice in the back of his head sent shivers down his spine. ¡®You¡¯re using my cores for this.¡¯ Sergei found himself tuning out the conversation it was hard to know which of the three was talking to him. They all looked the same. Then it dawned on them, their outfits weren¡¯t covert uniforms. Instead, they were a rubbery-looking projection of the symbiote deep within them. This amorphous shell looked nothing like the monsters he had encountered already. Sergei¡¯s eyes shifted black and he raised his weapon, he let loose a couple of shots into the unprepared Orcus guard. That sent him sprawling to the ground. ¡°Sergei! Snap out of -¡± Chernov gargled as an elongated psion blade pierced his back and came out through his chest. ¡°All good things come to rest.¡± ¡°Once you have Lazarus, what then?¡± Sergei asked dryly. ¡°The World,¡± the man said his blade dissipated and he stepped back. Chernov hit the ground and Sergei shook his head in dismay. ¡°I won¡¯t do your dirty work.¡± A force unlike any other forced him down to his knees. ¡°You don¡¯t understand there¡¯s an alien ship coming. We¡¯re all going to die!¡± The strange force lifted long enough to let Sergei stand as the three black-suited men spoke to each other. The one responsible for Chernov¡¯s murder looked back his way and smiled. ¡°Perfect. When the time comes, we¡¯ll take that ship too.¡± A voice came over the radio attached to the dead Orcus guard. ¡°Sergeant Becker, do you read me? The penitentiary just experienced a massive power fluctuation. All power is being rerouted to Helios. Do you hear me? I need a response.¡± Static made it hard to follow what he said next. ¡°That power redirect just released a whole lot of hell. Listen, forget saving this place. Get off this rock, before they get you too.¡± The next sound was heavy gunfire followed by a long drawn-out death scream before it cut out for good. ¡°Lazarus is bunkering down in Helios and letting everyone suffer because of it,¡± Sergei said. ¡°Then we are aligned,¡± said the leader of the group. ¡°Time to finish what you helped us start, Sergei.¡± Roswell, CH19: The Path to Power While Lazarus continued its death spiral they made the long arduous journey from the comms array to the industrial sector. It took them through numerous public districts and the growing dire state of things almost made Sergei feel nauseous as bodies covered in black fluid lay everywhere and the small pockets of resistance they did encounter were easily thwarted. So far they had been lucky to avoid the growing number of Deterrent Mortans, but Sergei couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was intentional on his new friend¡¯s part. ¡°Are you controlling them?¡± The leading member of their group looked back his way. ¡°I wish it were that simple. We can influence them but the vast majority are feral.¡± ¡°So how did you avoid the same fate?¡± ¡°A lot of it comes down to will. That and causing serious trauma can wake the symbiote without killing the host. Near-death shock they call it, I think.¡± ¡°Why do all this?¡± ¡°We follow the tenets of Truth,¡± interjected another member of his escort. ¡°What truth is that?¡± Sergei asked. To make it out of this alive, he would need to know as much about them as humanly possible. ¡°How does releasing a deadly parasite save anyone?¡± The three Mortans stared at each other, but the next voice came from within Sergei. It was unfamiliar, and not one of the ones he had heard earlier. They caught sight of his wide-eyed stare and the group leader smiled. ¡°As intended, putting the Deterrent fluid into your cores was the best way to make use of your little band of idiots.¡± ¡°You infected us all.¡± ¡°We liber-¡± Their conversation was cut short as the lead signalled them into cover as shots began flying but it was not directed at them. They had reentered the Commerce on an upper floor that looked down onto a wide market street with bridges connecting both sides. From the wall he was crouched behind he recognised the Soterias security armour. They had engaged with a group of Deterrent on the bridge with the Mortes using swarming tactics. One even hovered in the air and had black psionic crystalline wings coming from its back. Its spikes rained down but most missed their intended target, as Soterias used what cover they had available to remain safe from the psionic power demonstrated by the monsters. ¡°Are we helping them or not?¡± Sergei asked before rolling his eyes at his own stupid question. ¡°I¡¯ll let you figure that out,¡± said the man next to him. He sensed a deranged joy in that man¡¯s tone of voice as he rose to his feet. In his Mortan form, he looked like a tower with bristling muscles and rough-looking amorphous skin. He was soon gone, travelling the other side gave them a small boost in speed that allowed Mortans to get the drop on unsuspecting victims. The man barrelling towards Soterias was no ordinary Mortan. No, he was something worse. When he emerged from dark rent he had already formed the aetherial blaster and sent the first of Soterias flying backwards, so much so that they toppled over the railing and hit the ground below. Dazed by this turn of events, the second Soterias had frozen in place making them an easy kill. The last member opened fire but to no avail, the amorphous shell merely absorbed the bullet spray. The Mortan grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him before skewering him. The feral Mortans had stopped their advance seeing one who looked much like themselves. The leader prodded Sergei to follow him and the others to the bridge. The winged Mortan dropped down and tilted its head. ¡°You helped us.¡± ¡°We have a similar goal, after all, who do you think let you loose here?¡± said the leader. The Mortan tilted its head as the ambusher reverted to a more human shape. ¡°What is your goal?¡± ¡°To spread the word of Truth. And to do that we need to take down the security protecting the Industrial sector.¡± ¡°It is impenetrable, well-defended. You would not survive.¡± ¡°We only need one of us to get into the sector and disable the security systems.¡± ¡°And who might that be?¡± asked the Mortan. ¡°Our newest convert,¡± said the Aevetas leader gesturing to Sergei. ¡°He knows the maintenance tunnels better than anyone. Those are designed to bypass a lot of security.¡± ¡°We could just use those to storm the facility.¡± ¡°We could but an organised resistance would only slow us down. Sergei taking down the power gives us an advantage.¡± ¡°What advantage is that?¡± the Mortan asked. ¡°Chaos. With the security systems offline, whatever resistance we might encounter will be disorientated and unable to mount a full defence. All you need to do is gather as many of you as possible. Once the great door opens, let loose the dogs of war.¡± ¡°Your terms are agreeable. We¡¯ll be waiting,¡± the Mortan said as black aether wings burst from its back and it flew off. The remaining Mortans let them pass. ¡°The security checkpoint for Helios is where you will need to go. The controls for it should let you disable the power to the bulkhead doors. Once the maglocks are disengaged let the Deterrent do the rest.¡± It dawned on Sergei then. I¡¯m going to doom those who sought sanctuary from this nightmare¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but shiver as the Morte voice within him squeezed his mind. The group pressed forward. In the time since the Deterrent had been unleashed the public sections of Lazarus had begun to warp beyond recognition. If the body couldn¡¯t be reanimated it was instead claimed for the dark biomass that now coated the walls alongside the blood splatter. They soon reached the maintenance tunnel that would allow Sergei to bypass the lockdown keeping Helios and its occupants safe from the rest of the hell plaguing everywhere else. ¡°We¡¯ll see you on the other side, comrade.¡¯ Sergei was really beginning to hate how they used that word. It almost felt like mockery, an insult. To think we had been led to believe this was all for the Sov Imperium. That from the Moon our power could be projected across the planet. Bring unity back and end the chaos reigning down below. All we¡¯ve done is bring the monster here with us. ¡®You seem troubled.¡¯ ¡®You can still hear me?¡¯ Sergei asked. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®You are part of us, whether you like it or not.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t even know your name.¡¯ ¡®Archon.¡¯ ¡®Really.¡¯ ¡®Yes, how far are you from the access point.¡¯ ¡®It shouldn¡¯t be much further.¡¯ While Lazarus¡¯ maintenance tunnels had always been a maze to navigate the addition of biomass had made it only harder for him to find his way. He relied on his torchlight and came across various nauseating scenes of bodies in a decomposed state. He even came across one bound to the wall, still breathing. ¡°Kill. Me.¡± Sergei looked down at the sludge at his feet and aimed his gun at the man¡¯s chest. To his shock, while the shot had eviscerated the man¡¯s innards the resilience of the Deterrent revealed itself as the amorphous fluid quickly plugged the hole that had been made. The man¡¯s head lolled. Sergei risked prodding it with the pistol and when he got no response he almost continued onward when the head lurched up and at him. ¡°You can not resist us forever.¡± ¡°I can certainly try.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they all say before they join the chorus,¡± the man¡¯s voice came out distorted as if many were speaking through him. ¡°Convergence calls us all to a higher purpose!¡± ¡°Yeah, well as long I¡¯m still in control. You can¡¯t control me.¡± The reverberating laugh cut through him and he pressed onward until he reached the connecting point that would take him past the Helios Sector¡¯s lockdown. He had hoped that Lazarus had only sealed the main ways into the sector but he had accounted for everything as the way ahead was sealed. ¡®Small problem, Archon.¡¯ ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®Helios¡¯ Maintenance tunnels are also sealed, looks like Lazarus is covering all his bases.¡¯ ¡®Is there no other way?¡¯ Sergei looked to his right and attempted to remove the pieces of biomass that had clustered over the panel. ¡®Yeah, but I would have to be quick about it. There¡¯s a manual override crank for these types of scenarios. Should only take a couple of minutes to open the way. Just have to hope it doesn¡¯t crush me as it closes again.¡¯ He forced open the panel and more strange biomatter landed at its feet. He reached inside found the manual door release and began cranking. The door struggled against what had now claimed it and for a second Sergei thought he would have to spend an even longer time removing the biomatter that had claimed the door itself. In the end, it wasn¡¯t necessary and the door began to edge open open until it locked in place. He would have around four to five seconds from releasing to crank to cross into Helios. Three, Two - He released his grip and stepped over the threshold. He jolted when the door slammed shut behind him. ¡®Archon, I¡¯m in. Heading to gate security now. Once I¡¯ve dealt with them. The way ahead is yours.¡¯ ¡®Excellent. See you on the other side, comrade.¡¯ Sergei gritted his teeth and wondered how he could hope to take on a security gate full of armed Helios guards. That did little to alleviate his fears. There was a noticeable difference here compared to the state of the lunar city he had just left behind. For one he could see the metal of the walls and the way ahead itself was lit. Most likely due to Lazarus¡¯ consolidation of power. Even if everywhere else fell he would survive as long as Helios remained his. Sergei hated that he was forced into this situation. Every time he thought was alone in his thoughts there was always that lingering presence like if he just looked at the corner of his eye, Archon or the monster forming within would be visible. Instead, they came and went freely. Every idea he might have they would be privy to. ¡®You get used to being part of something greater.¡¯ ¡®Are you ever not listening.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not just you, you know. I hear them all. Crying out for direction.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s stopping you?¡¯ asked Sergei as he began a meandering journey toward one of the Helios gates. ¡®I lack the mind to. This entity we serve, it¡¯s quite selective.¡¯ ¡®You act like it¡¯s god or something.¡¯ ¡®No, I am of no delusion that this Truth is god. It has only just become aware of us. It¡¯s waiting out there though far beyond our solar system¡¯ ¡®For what?¡¯ He sensed Archon chuckle, ¡®You will know in due time. First, we need to breach Helios. Then the rest will fall into place.¡¯ Sergei followed the route using the signs on the walls to guide him to where he needed to be. The door in front of him opened easily enough and he was back in Lazarus itself. From how fancy everything looked, he was close to Helios¡¯ welcome centre. A large paned glass window looked out into a wide-open corridor. A white arrow on the floor pointed right to Helios and Sergei found he could hear chatter some ways down the corridor. If the red laser sights hadn¡¯t already been giveaway. He noticed that the computers ahead of him were also wired to scanners outside. He was about to check the door on his right when he heard something interesting. ¡°Why are we posted here, those are maglocked doors. Nothing is getting through. Especially no Mortan.¡± ¡°Lazarus doesn¡¯t want to take any chances with the entire city under lockdown and much of the other sectors are lost. Our best hope now is holding this place until help arrives.¡± ¡°And when will that be?¡± ¡°No idea, Private. Now stop asking stupid questions and instead focus on what¡¯s in front of you.¡± Sergei moved carefully to not draw their attention. He checked the door to his immediate right and found it opened automatically. The way led to a spiral set of metal stairs that would take him up to the Helios West Gate monitoring station. It¡¯s there he would find his means to unlock the doors into Helios and release the horde already knocking at the door. Those below were trained to handle rioters. Mortans were an entirely different thing altogether. He climbed the stairs until he reached a locked door. ¡®How?¡¯ Sergei saw the black sludge cover his hand. Sergei obliged and pressed his hand on the panel. He waited what seemed like forever until that oppressive presence rejoined his current thoughts. <765> ¡®You sure?¡¯ There was no immediate response so he keyed into the code and waited. The light above the panel flicked green and he entered the room. This caught the attention of those in the room and he had to act fast. With the pistol at the ready, Sergei made sure to direct his aim at the gaps in the shoulder padding and without any active thought from himself some amount of aether energy wrapped around his right wrist and hand forming an aether blaster. He pulled the trigger in sync with a burst of energy exploding against one of the guards launching him back. The other personnel he had been aiming spun from being shot while the third had him in their sights. Once again it overrode his active thoughts and actions. He found himself a passenger in his own body as time slowed and he travelled the decayed other side, stumbling out of the portal he made and fired again at the stunned guard sending them sprawling. He approached the wounded guard shifted his blaster into a blade and stabbed them in the back. They landed on the floor with a heavy thud. ¡°Did any of you hear that? Sounds like trouble above us!¡± Sergei saw one of the riot guards below come into view and before another word was exchanged he began firing. The glass held for now. ¡®Can you do what you did before?¡¯ Sergei watched as the creature within him extended various tendrils, some merely touched the console while others interacted with it in various ways. Meanwhile, below, the guards continued in their efforts to pepper the glass with bullets. A collection of cracks had begun to take shape and Sergei knew it was only a matter of time. He also caught sight of one of the riot guards coming the way he had and without even looking fired a shot at the panel sealing him in. ¡®That should buy some time.¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s deadlocked the door, get me some plasma -¡¯ The man¡¯s voice fell away as everything shut down and plunged everything into darkness. ¡°Hey! What did you do?¡± shouted one of those down below. Sergei felt it before he saw it. A tidal wave of minds washes over his psyche and would have driven him mad had his symbiote not blotted it out. The gunfire stopped as the noise beyond them reached a crescendo and the Mortalis horde descended upon the riot guards ripping them to shreds like they were paper. Sergei stepped back in abject horror. I doomed us all. ¡°No, please- don¡¯t¡± The guard never got to finish his sentence as his words became pleas for help. Whatever now had him in its grip slammed him repeatedly against the door and made indentations. The final thrust bent the door fully and creature, carcass and all fell into the room. It was slathered in the blood of its victim and rose to be of far greater height than any Sergei had seen before. Normally he would be afraid but instead, he just stood there as it squared up to him. The creature managed a curt nod and burst forth through the damaged screen, spraying glass shards everywhere. Sergei made sure to shield his eyes. Once done he took one last look at the carnage he had caused. The once sterile clean walls had been painted in blood and soon a familiar voice reached him. ¡®I knew I could rely on you.¡¯ He watched Archon and the other Morte deterrents survey the scene, satisfied. ¡®The work is not yet done, comrade! After all, we still have the old Master to deal with.¡¯ Lazarus, all roads lead to him. Nowhere left to run. Nowhere left to hide. Roswell, CH20: A Slave Obeys The way ahead was clear and had been paved in the lives of those giving themselves to protect a man who would have otherwise thrown them to the wolves regardless. Sergei could still hardly believe how off-track the original plan had gone. ¡°So this was always the plan, Archon?¡± he asked. ¡°In a roundabout way yes. Your Maxim friends were easy enough to fool but Black Knight were hesitant to even let Mortans onto the mission.¡± ¡°How did you even convince them?¡± ¡°Simple we stated that for things to go smoothly, they¡¯d need Mortans to at least influence those turned.¡± ¡°And they bought it.¡± ¡°The results speak for themselves,¡± Archon said as they soon reached a long blood and gore-lined corridor. From one of the rooms to their left, a door opened and a Deterrent stumbled out, riddled with bullet holes it soon collapsed as the one responsible emerged wielding a shotgun. They stopped dead upon seeing them. They pointed the shotgun at the group. ¡°Relax,¡± said Archon. ¡°We just need to pay Lazarus a visit, at the end of this corridor is an elevator that will take us up close to his penthouse. You let us pass, I can promise you the way we came is mostly clear. The Deterrent is too busy focusing on those deeper within this facility.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die than let you get through.¡± ¡°That can be arranged.¡± The man cried out as a black claw dug into his leg. That was all the distraction Archon needed as he blasted the man with an aetherial blast. The energy ripped through the man and he fell to the ground in a growing pool of his own blood. The Mortan he had failed to kill rose to its feet and set to work feasting on the corpse. Archon gestured for those with him to pay it no mind. Once in the elevator, they took it up to Helios Administratum. The ride there was a slow one but it soon came to a stop and dinged not long after with the doors opening. ¡°Weapons hot, that includes you, Sergei. No doubt Lazarus is well entrenched.¡± The group emerged into the Administratum. It had a wooden decorum and Art Deco style that made it distinct from other places in the Lunar City. The other members of the group each formed blasters over their hands and arms. Unsurprisingly, Sergei¡¯s symbiote soon followed. They followed a maze of corridors and cubicles until they began climbing a stairwell. They barely crescented the top when the first shots were fired. Archon signalled for them to keep low. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re on the right track. Just need to deal with those up ahead.¡± ¡°How many are they?¡± asked one of the Mortans. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°About four from what I saw, a blink rush should catch them off guard.¡± Archon pointed to the two other Mortans and signalled for them to go first. They disappeared and soon emerged close to their targets. Before they could get any shots off an explosion occurred. Unable to shift or channel aether, the two Mortans fell under a hail of incendiary rounds that ignited their insides. Archon revealed himself and Sergei found himself compelled to follow. Outside the range of the Anti-Aether pulse, the two made short work of two of the guards. The remaining two took cover and tossed grenades their way. Archon and Sergei blinked together and travelled to the Other Side where they emerged close to the barricades hiding the two guards. Once they reemerged it was as simple as blasting aether through their skulls. Sergei looked back the way they came and noticed something. ¡°Those two are not getting back up.¡± ¡°Incendiary rounds do that. It doesn¡¯t surprise me that Black Knight had those ready to go,¡± Archon said looking at the shoulder of one of the men they had killed. The patch had the unmistakable insignia of the Black Knights, a black knight¡¯s helmet with white swords crossed behind it. ¡°You think they cut a deal with Lazarus?¡± Sergei asked. ¡°It would explain how he got here so quickly after communication broke down following the Masquerade lockdown.¡± ¡°Well not much else stands in our way.¡± Archon approached the double sliding doors and made short work of them by using his aether blade to cut open a hole big enough for the two of them to step through. As the door pieces hit the floor he shifted his blade into the blaster and prepared to fire on any remaining defenders. Sergei followed behind and once in Lazarus¡¯ office. They noticed it empty except for the man himself. He stood facing away from them staring out at his burning city. ¡°I have contingencies in place that could reduce this city to rubble. But that would be such a waste. I made her hoping to give humanity a future beyond its petty quarrels below but I should have anticipated you would ruin it, my child.¡± He turned to face the two of them, hands behind his back. He was a small, stout-looking man with a bald and elongated head. ¡°I know why you¡¯re here. If you so much as get any closer to lay a finger on me. I will swallow a pill that destroys my nerves. The symbiote requires a functional nervous system does it not? Without it. I¡¯d be a sack of flesh and thus utterly useless to you.¡± ¡°You underestimate the Deterrent if you think a measly pill can stop it,¡± Archon said beginning his approach. Lazarus gritted his teeth and stepped back. ¡°You know me like I know you, Nirimor. I spent my whole life running from the monsters it made. It haunted my every waking dream. The screams of those long past! You fight for someone else¡¯s dream. You think it offers you peace. No, all you will know from this point forward is endless war. You know it won¡¯t stop with Earth.¡± ¡°I dream of us all being united. It matters not what form it takes-¡± His words were cut off as a rift above opened and a large alien vessel came through. ¡°You know what they say about the enemy of my enemy.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°They bring salvation.¡± Archon allowed a long tendril to wrap around his arm as Lazarus swallowed his pill. ¡°Humans are fodder to you. But them out there! My ancestors couldn¡¯t hope to stop them! What makes you any different,¡± Lazarus cried out falling onto his table. He barely held himself up and glared at Sergei. ¡°And you, you seek your father, right? if he saw you now and knew of the monster growing within. He would not-¡± Archon grabbed the back of the man¡¯s neck and pulled his head back before thrusting the tendril down his throat. ¡°Enough of that, you will join us, Lazarus. The work is not yet done.¡± Once done he released his hold and Lazarus fell to the ground, writhing around in agony. Sergei hurried to Archon¡¯s side and the two of them watched the ship above the lunar city deploy both drop pods and transports. ¡°What did Lazarus mean, who are they?¡± Archon stood quietly. ¡°Bad news.¡± Roswell, CH21: A War in Heaven Leaving the Administratum with the newly converted Lazarus. Archon led them back into Helios¡¯ industrial complex. Where the other domes proved easy enough to navigate, Helios was a maze of corridors that led to factories, manufacturing divisions and even some research stations. Lazarus who now led the group paused. ¡°Helios has docking stations if they intend to establish control over each of the sectors we should head there.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll save having to go back to Portunus,¡± said Archon. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done to the place!¡± Lazarus scowled as they passed more signs of recent conflict between the bludgeoning Deterrent horde and survivors. ¡°Still resisting?¡± ¡°No, just disappointed it¡¯s come to this. Still, there is some truth to your goals. Perhaps this is a way for my people to return. Not as they were but something new.¡± ¡°You talk like you¡¯re not human to begin with.¡± Lazarus looked over his shoulder, both men had forgotten they had Sergei in tow. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m not. My ancestors were aliens that had modified themselves to become human. I don¡¯t know the full story behind it but the structures built beneath this city once belonged to them.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true then. An ancient alien outpost is built into the moon. I thought it was all rumours.¡± ¡°Not rumours, it very much exists. Truthfully, it¡¯s the entire reason this city exists. I wonder if the Deterrent has made it that far yet.¡± ¡°Hard to gauge too much noise,¡± said Archon mocking the act of cleaning out his ears. ¡°That¡¯s where I come in, isn¡¯t it? You need me to be the controller. The Convergent Mind as you call it.¡± ¡°That was the original idea, would have happened sooner if Black Knight hadn¡¯t grabbed you.¡± The three of them slowed briefly, hearing noise ahead, coming from a mineral processing plant. The part they were in was massive and had huge vats and machinery designed to separate the various minerals that would later be transferred over to the manufacturing floors. A small band of survivors had to come to rest near one of the vats. To avoid being easily seen the three Mortans took to hiding close to one of the cylindrically shaped vats. With their collective hearing augmented, it was easy enough to listen into the conversation. ¡°You all saw that thing right?¡± asked one of the seated men. ¡°What thing you mean? We¡¯re already knee-deep in Mortan shit as it is,¡± said the woman with her arms folded. ¡°He means the silver aliens we saw. A whole damn platoon of them, armed to the teeth. Thankfully the Mortans pulled their attention.¡± The man looked up at his companions. ¡°I wonder if they left their ship docked?¡± ¡°You know how to fly one of those things.¡± ¡°No, but the alternative is being eaten by Mortes.¡± ¡°Worst case scenario it¡¯s got some aliens still on board but they might to distracted by all that¡¯s going on to stop us.¡± ¡°Hey? You hear that.¡± The three of them looked up as, along the walkway overhead, dark pitch-black forms revealed themselves. One levitated as black spines resembling wings emerged from his back and directed the dark energy at the survivors. Two tried to bring the aggressor to the ground while the last one only watched as the other Mortans leapt over the railing and landed close by. The skirmish ended as quickly as it began, in screams and then dying whimpers. The winged Morte made land and revealed itself to be capable of planting. Soon the three survivors would join the Deterrent in their struggle to secure the city. Not wanting to waste any more time, Lazarus emerged from cover first and approached the newcomers with Archon and Sergei not far behind. The winged Morte acknowledged them first. ¡°I came as soon as you requested,¡± the Winged Morte said to Lazarus. ¡°Now that we have the numbers we should head for the docking station,¡± said Archon. ¡°The sooner we can secure one of those alien crafts. The sooner we can also take their ship.¡± ¡°Can you fly it?¡± the Winged Morte said. ¡°As Mortalis we should be sharing a connection to the ancestral memory¡­ Wait a second! The Deterrent as a whole is separate. But that¡¯s not possible,¡± said Lazarus even more perplexed. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The Winged Morte looked to Archon. ¡°The Deterrent was originally meant to be an Anti-Morte weapon. It would sever the True Mortes from their controlling intelligence. Turning them on each other. But the Deterrent could also force them to work together too against this alien influence. The people I work for see it as the best of both worlds. Humanity stands united and doesn¡¯t have to answer to this entity called Truth.¡± ¡°My child, you stand in its shadow. It cannot be resisted forever.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve all been experiencing them right? Hallucinations, paranoia and feelings of growing hostility. That¡¯s the True Eye obelisk trying to get you to succumb. Everybody that falls will be mutated by its Degradation signal.¡± ¡°So we just don¡¯t die then,¡± said Archon. Lazarus rolled his eyes and pointed towards the docking station. ¡°Let us not waste any more time, the docking station is up ahead,¡± said Lazarus. ¡°Even without True Eye forcing us to, Convergence is coming one way or another. The ship will be our means to shape the universe. And¡­ I also sense another Great Mind. On the planet itself, buried beneath ancient sands.¡± ¡°The Great Mind of Rub Al Khali, its Mortalis are half the reason much of the West is the way it is. All those wars, free bodies as far as it was concerned,¡± said Archon. ¡°Can you reason with it?¡± ¡°I wish it were that simple. It is both fearful and rejecting me. I think it feels threatened,¡± said Lazarus as they pressed forward. ¡°If it is threatened, we must force it to submit to my authority. Force the True Eye to follow our will.¡± # The docking station was surprisingly quiet as they walked down the short hallway and reached the main landing area. The station was designed for ships to enter from above or be attached from outside through the airlock. Deliveries would often come from above while personnel transfer would be handled by attaching the shuttles to the station via a docking tube. As far as they could tell the alien transport had come in from above. Its back-end ramp had three helmeted and suited alien soldiers that didn¡¯t waste any time and engaged them. Unlike human lead-based weapons, they fired plasma and already downed some of the Mortes with them. The Winged Morte took to the sky and attempted its usual spray but met some difficulty as the aliens were able to blink away from the spray of crystals. One of the aliens let loose a single charge and brought the Morte down and reduced it to a smouldering heap. Sergei repaid them using his blink to time it right so that one of his shots connected and sent the alien to the ground. Archon had also got up close and used his aether blade to slice through the second soldier. Now surrounded Lazarus reached out mentally to the alien and through some psychic manipulation got him to kneel. ¡°Archon, deal with the pilots. Leave enough of them for me to plant. Other Morte groups are doing the same. They can¡¯t possibly stop us all.¡± ¡°And the True Eye?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Now go.¡± Archon hurried up the ramp and Sergei almost joined him when he heard heavy metal boots stamping down the corridor they had come from. ¡°Son,¡± came the deep mechanical voice. Lazarus looked from his newly converted victim to the newcomer. ¡°Sergei, deal with him quickly.¡± Sergei was now left alone as Lazarus hurried on board with his newest ghoul soon following. He stepped away from the craft and met the metal man halfway. He knew them as Clockworks. These were once ordinary men who against their will had had their bodies grafted into armoured suits. ¡°Son, Sergei. My child. Is that really you?¡± Sergei didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Please¡­ answer me. My scanner shows it has infected you. Protocol dictates termination. I can¡¯t resist for long.¡± ¡°Yes, father. It is me. Sergei. I came here looking for you.¡± ¡°And you have found him,¡± that creeping echoing voice stepped out from behind him. The form of his mother stood between them. ¡°Dear, you know there is another way. A way we can be a family again!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not my wife. You promised me you would take care of her.¡± ¡°I did what I could. You never came back. I had no choice. I had to find you. Those monsters they attacked one night. A whole horde of them. I was too weak to stop it.¡± ¡°Not anymore. See what it can give you. Everlasting peace. A timeless chorus.¡± ¡°You know this is wrong right, son? These creatures will bring nought but ruin and damnation. Will you at least submit?¡± ¡®His decision is made, and now so is yours,¡¯ said Lazarus. Sergei saw as his father raised his left arm and began charging a blast that would tear him apart. He engaged his blink but he did not fully submerge himself in the other side. While his father fired off his shot, Sergei had already moved out of his firing line and had ignited his aether blade. Once everything sped up again he struck and severed one arm off his father¡¯s clockwork body. Now disorientated his father tracked him and engaged him with his shoulder-mounted minigun. The bullet spray forced Sergei to blink in and out avoiding taking serious damage. The deep voice of the symbiote within him began transforming his body. It wasn¡¯t long before Sergei had become a full-on Morte and a towering presence due to the exoskeleton it projected. He leapt at his father covering the ground like it was nothing. The man tried a couple of energy blasts but his aim was off and soon enough Sergei descended upon the man. His full weight brought him to the ground. Shifting his blades into long black claws, Sergei ripped pieces of the armoured shell off his father. And saw him truly for the first time in years. His face had become ghostly white, sluggish and with much of the suit now removed the man¡¯s body could be seen more easily from the numerous extra appendages attached like various wires and tubing. He even had metal jotting out from parts of him. Sergei could only imagine the pain his father now felt. ¡®He is still my father.¡¯ ¡°Forgive me, son. I should never have left you both. It was this or the war. I had wanted us to escape it but it followed me here. At least I got to see you one last time.¡± From behind Sergei once more, his mother stepped forward and appeared to cradle her husband¡¯s head in her hands. ¡®He¡¯ll join us soon, dear. Now you rest easy. Your work is done. You¡¯re safe now.¡¯ ¡°Natalya¡­¡± ¡®He¡¯s dead? Good. Now get on board, Sergei. Their ship is waiting.¡¯ Roswell, CH22: Harbinger Sergei wasted no time in entering the alien craft. It looked as he expected it to with its crescent-shaped, silvery blue ceiling and ahead of him was the cockpit area for the pilots. Lying close by coated in Deterrent fluid was an alien with its helmet removed. The first thing he noticed was their thin white hair and silver skin. It contrasted against their red, diamond-shaped irises. Lazarus and Archon stood close by while some ways ahead, the other pilot lay dead. ¡°We only need one of them,¡± Lazarus said. ¡°They match the ancient records too. This one must belong to one of the Silver Houses.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Sergei. ¡°This one here is a Kaskari. The records stored in the alien site beneath this moon made mention of them. The once Nirikiri called them their Ascenders at first and then betrayers.¡± ¡°Who were we to the Niri?¡± ¡°A countermeasure,¡± said Lazarus crouching before the pilot. He began speaking in a way that neither man could understand and it got the Kaskari¡¯s attention. The alien soon responded and Lazarus helped them up. Though not enthusiastic the alien took his seat and the ramp raised. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You are our harbinger. This is his destiny¡­ and my righteous vengeance,¡± Lazarus said approaching the troop seating area. ¡°You both might want to stay back here. The Kaskari mustn¡¯t suspect we¡¯re on board.¡± Sergei took a seat opposite. ¡°You trust him?¡¯ ¡°I planted him, he has no choice but to do as I say.¡± ¡°Must be nice,¡± said Archon folding his arms. ¡°I¡¯m a bit excited. Never thought I¡¯d get to storm an alien ship.¡± ¡°First for everything,¡± said Sergei as a hologram appeared before them showing both the pilot and a view outside the ship. The pilot began speaking in a manner that sounded spiteful even though Sergei couldn¡¯t begin to understand him. The Symbiote should surely clear up that issue in due time, right? ¡°For better or worse, we are not alone in aiming for the alien vessel,¡± said Lazarus leaning back and closing his eyes. He folded his palms together and seemed to be listening for something. ¡°At least one of the other ships is Deterrent controlled.¡± ¡°I guess they underestimated us.¡± ¡°They had no way of knowing what nightmare was playing out in that city,¡± said Lazarus. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time, the Kaskari falls to their own hubris¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Sergei leaned forward. ¡°Who are you really Lazarus? You speak of this alien like you know him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated like many things. My ancestors had to hide just to survive the slaughter happening around them. I only know about this because I gained access to various observation sites. Due to Aether communication, the Nirikiri could interface across space if they wanted to. Towards the end, lots of messages hinted at an extermination of my people.¡± ¡°You translated all that yourself?¡± asked Archon. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®So you are not just a Terran. You simply wear their skin, you hid well.¡¯ The three of them looked to where the pilot sat. That voice in their head now was the alien and they understood it. Lazarus rose to his feet and joined the pilot¡¯s side. Though difficult to see from where he sat, the hangars of the alien vessel loomed. ¡®I am permitted to land but it¡¯s going to be chaos. Perhaps I go first?¡¯ the pilot asked. ¡®So you can rejoin your allies. Don¡¯t be so eager, once landed we will let the other groups commit first. Then we aim for the bridge.¡¯ The transport jolted and jostled as it narrowly avoided the incoming plasma shots. Looks like the others aren¡¯t as fortunate. Despite the pilot¡¯s best efforts, it was still a tight fit and they had a rough landing, sliding sideways across the hangar. From the front viewport, two other transports made land in far worse shape. A large group of Kaskari had gathered fully armed and ready to meet whatever would leave those ships. The first transport had human occupants and engaged the waiting force. Not wanting to be left out the second transport opened its door and hell spilled out. whispered the guttural voice deep within Sergei. ¡°Look, alive comrades. It¡¯s time to claim what is ours,¡± said Lazarus. Bodies lay scattered everywhere, humans, Kaskarians and Mortes. They blurred together in a mix of blood and bile. The embattled defenders and surviving humans cut their losses and retreated from the hangar but Sergei sensed it. And if he did, so did Lazarus and the other Mortes. There was no other place for the uninfected to run. It would be a tug of war for the ship. Planters among them had fast begun converting the bodies. One of the Morte shamblers approached Lazarus, its host long since dead. The symbiote within puppeteered the corpse in a manner that no human ever would. Its body had also been almost completely taken over by the toughened sludge-like exoskeleton. From behind it, Sergei noticed even those untouched by the planters were twitching just like back on the Moon. ¡°Truce,¡± came the voice from the Shambler. ¡°We serve the same master. We exist in the same grave, you just don¡¯t know it yet.¡± ¡°Better the devil you know, should make things easier,¡± said Lazarus. Archon looked over to the spilling mass of Mortes moving off in various directions. ¡°Even without your agreement. I see Deterrent among them.¡± ¡°Like them, you will soon be with us, one mind. One body. One intent.¡± ¡°No, thanks, I like my freedom,¡± said Archon. The shambler hacked a cough in mock laugh and moved away. It led a group to one of the doors out of the hangar. Leaving only a handful of them left. ¡°They seem to know where they are going at least,¡± said Sergei. Both men looked at him. ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste time,¡± Lazarus said. ¡°I need to assimilate an officer to have the edge over the True Mortes. I fear they won¡¯t make it easy though.¡± Roswell, CH23: Aggressive Diplomacy The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Roswell, CH24: Mercy Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Roswell, CH25: Circling the Wagon ¡°Sir, can you understand me?¡± asked Captain Miller offering out his gloved hand. ¡°We¡¯re the Welcome Wagon if you need help escaping this craft. We can get you out and get you to a medic. You''re from Lazarus, right?¡± Nothing but a single long groan came from the black, sludge-covered man before him. ¡°Captain, judging by the state of the others we¡¯ve encountered so far. It¡¯s safe to say he¡¯s probably been contaminated,¡± said Jackson moving to prime his exo suit heavy rifle. ¡°He¡¯s not hostile yet, Lieutenant.¡± ¡°Yet,¡± scoffed Munroe. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Webber stepping forward. The man¡¯s head jerked up and his hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly until he finally answered, ¡°Vasha¡­ ¡° ¡°Say again?¡± asked Miller. Vasha Ten¡¯!¡± The man roared as he blinked out of existence. Webber had stood closest to him and could barely react as the blurred man returned abruptly, covering the distance between them like it was nothing. The man had no time to react to the monster whose shadow he now lived in. The burst of aetherial fire burst through his chest and took what breath remained from his lungs. ¡°Take him down!¡± commanded an enraged Captain Miller. Despite a myriad of shots from their weapons. Most of them missed as he weaved backwards, almost taunting their innate weakness as a group of blanks. When he next appeared, his new target was Munroe. It fell upon Lieutenant Jackson at that moment to engage the experimental features of his exosuit and tap into some of what the Morte aether cores offered. He accelerated forward as the Deterrent Mortan moved to strike down Munroe. Jackson caught the wrist of the Mortan before it made its mark. ¡°Not happening,¡± growled the man. The Mortan gritted its teeth together before managing to warp backwards from the enhanced grip of Lieutenant Jackson. It darted once more back at the Lieutenant and swung wild in hopes of catching the man, but Jackson was able to use the suit to push himself away from the hot blade. He planted the barrel of the heavy rifle into the centre of the Mortan and fired. The rounds not only made their home in the Mortan¡¯s body but they staggered him back, the holes around his stomach, dribbling black and red blood. His body worked overtime to create a Morte scab layer. Miller took the initiative once more. ¡°Pull back and switch to frags.¡± The Welcome Wagon pulled back and pulled pins. A series of grenades landed close to the stunned Mortan. It appeared to disintegrate in the following explosion, and the Welcome Wagon made sure to be outside the worst of it, as chunks of the monster landed all around them. ¡°Will not die¡­ will not die¡­¡± The deep voice gurgled from the lingering smoke. ¡°How the hell is it still alive!¡± shouted the Lieutenant. ¡°Sheer fucking will,¡± said Munroe. ¡°Fuck that, you don¡¯t get to kill one of us and still be standing.¡± ¡®I agree,¡¯ came a voice from the emptiness surrounding them. ¡°Vadir?¡± Questioned Miller. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡®The Other Side, I¡¯ll explain when you get back, he has what we need. Just hope your little display didn¡¯t destroy it.¡¯ Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°The access key, damn it. We had no way of knowing, Kor,¡± said Munroe. ¡®I know, the Other Side picks up electrical signals. I can sense the key¡¯s inbuilt beacon. I¡¯ll put the Mortan out of its misery.¡¯ ¡°How, when you aren¡¯t even here?¡± asked Lieutenant Jackson. # Vadir stood in the grey, decaying other side. Both a dream and nightmare all rolled into one. The residual soul auras of the Welcome Wagon each were represented as strange glowing orbs. Except for Webber who sat close to the nearby wall. ¡°You took your sweet time.¡± ¡°Sorry, had to fight off a mental incursion of my own.¡± ¡°I miss when the enemies I fought didn¡¯t have all these weird mental powers.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Vadir as he stepped past the downed man, to now stand before the downed fluctuation before him. The hybrid soul before him was in a war of its own and the human side would soon lose or split from the Mortan remnant. Vadir knelt close to the head of the man and reached out, touching the forehead. He engaged something he had never tried before but had heard rumours of. Rend. A more aggressive trace that not only learned all it could from the target but wormed its way into the soul or body leaving them vulnerable to a purge that left nothing left. Through the hybrid soul, he was able to connect to the body and the symbiote as it tried to repair itself. ¡®You would seek to end us.¡¯ ¡®You are a blight upon this world. You take the living and turn them into puppets.¡¯ The creature laughed in the mind of Vadir and appeared as a spectre close to his shoulder. Only visible to him but he felt its strong presence fighting to flip the effect of Rend. ¡®And whose fault is that, child of my enemy.¡¯ ¡®Only yours.¡¯ The deep throaty laugh made Vadir shiver. ¡®First there is separation¡­¡¯ The hybrid ceased its fluctuation and splintered into two distinct forms. One a man had been forced to embrace the monster. And the other was the monster itself trying to claw its way back to him. Vadir stood up as two vaguely humanoid forms stood opposite him. ¡®I¡¯m me again,¡¯ said the human. ¡®I thought that was it, I would be its host forever.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not safe yet, I can¡¯t bring you back to what you were but I can help you pass on.¡¯ ¡®Do what you need to do, because of this thing I killed my father. In death, I can be at peace. I can find them.¡¯ ¡®The Other Side is not the easiest to navigate.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll find a way.¡¯ came the distorted voice of the Mortan, Vasha Ten¡¯. ¡®It was supposed to be just a hostage situation. Lazarus was never meant to become a haven for things like you. I had to watch my friend die while you wormed your way into my body. It¡¯s Vadir Kor right, purge this monster and release me.¡¯ Vadir nodded and approached the bound monster. He placed both hands on the creature''s writhing head. ¡®Purge.¡¯ # The man¡¯s body finally came to a stop and Vadir¡¯s echoing voice returned. ¡®It¡¯s done, it shouldn¡¯t be getting up any time soon. The access key is on his body, find it then come back to us.¡¯ Even if Captain Miller trusted what the alien said, he had dealt enough with Mortans to know they never just stayed dead or down. Those that remained advanced past the body and scanned the corridor that the man had come from. Miller crouched beside the body and rummaged around until he found the strangely shaped access key, ¡°I¡¯ve got what we came for, time to head back to the shuttle.¡± The sudden eruption of noise from beyond the corner became a crescendo. ¡°Welcome Wagon, fallback! We¡¯re about to have company.¡± Jackson and Munroe moved back as the first of the Mortans appeared from where the man had come from, tall, bearing claws and with bristles along their bulging bodies. They bared their bloody teeth and as they all charged, two of them were stunned in place. ¡®I can only hold them for so long, run!¡¯ came the strained voice of Vadir Kor. Jackson opened fire aiming to cut open the bodies of the oncoming horde. Munroe followed also while Miller watched their front. The spray of bullets was enough to stall the monsters until they reached the shuttle and climbed aboard as Vadir woke up. Not wasting time he hurried to the shuttle''s controls and imputed the request to head to the archives. The remaining members of the Wagon offered cover fire to keep the monsters from advancing, aiming at arms or legs to slow down the advance. ¡°Archives first, then we blow this ship to the Other Side," said Vadir. The shuttle burst forward heading back the way they came as a great number of monsters flooded the platform. ¡°Who was he?¡± asked Captain Miller. ¡°The guy we took the key from.¡± ¡°An unwitting tool for people who only saw him as disposable. He¡¯s at peace now.¡± ¡°I figured as much. Let¡¯s get this data then blow this craft to hell. These monsters can¡¯t be allowed to spread beyond this ship.¡± Roswell, CH26: Strength of Will The shuttle jolted as they sat in silence while it hurtled backward towards the archive sector. ¡°We should scrap the recovery mission, Captain. The longer we¡¯re here, the stronger they become. We¡¯re here to destroy the ship. That should have been a priority from the get go,¡± said Munroe. ¡°We¡¯d be losing a lot by doing that,¡± said Captain Miller. ¡°We¡¯re staying the course, Corporal. No matter what lies ahead.¡± ¡°No issue, Cap, but how do you expect us to survive this when these things can attack our minds?¡± The Captain faced a huddled over Vadir Kor. ¡°I was hoping our new friend here might help.¡± Vadir folded his hands together and looked up at the man. ¡°It¡¯s difficult fighting psionics as a blank. We have two actual choices. I can go under and project myself to fight any supernatural force they throw at us. Meaning, some of you will need to remain with me to guard my body.¡± ¡°And the alternative is?¡± ¡°I explain how you can shield your minds from what tried to influence me to kill you.¡± Lieutenant Jackson leaned forward. ¡°Now this I got to hear.¡± Vadir straightened and looked from one man to the next. ¡°These monsters rely on psychic energy to attack the mind. Even if you yourself can¡¯t draw from the Aether, your will can fight it. Imagination is both its strength and weakness. A powerful imagination can keep the madness at bay.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Explain what we need to do,¡± said Mason with an offhand gesture. ¡°You¡¯ll think I¡¯m mad, but it might just save you,¡± said Vadir Kor, standing up. ¡°When my parents explained it to me, I didn¡¯t fully understand it, but,¡± he said, pointing to his head, ¡°Up here will. Picture yourself in a safe place, far away from here or anywhere else. How would you defend it? What would you do to make sure no one got through?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this concept,¡± said Mason. The others looked at the engineer to explain himself. ¡°The Net, works in the same way. Before the wagon, I ran down some deep dive missions in the ProtoAsia Net architecture. Like us, they hid stuff behind data forts and other means of protection. I¡¯m talking about fully visualised virtual mines reminiscent of naval mines that would rend your data and leave you catatonic. Probably the scariest period of my life. You want us to think in those terms.¡± ¡°If we make it out of here, I want to see this net for myself.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Mason. ¡°Because in the stories about our past, passed down to us by our elders, they sometimes described a virtual interconnected system. The VIS. It used fragments of something that already existed as the foundation.¡± ¡°That sounds awfully similar to how we did it.¡± Captain Miller stepped in between the men. He placed a hand on Vadir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We can talk tech later, this concept of mental warfare. You¡¯re sure this will work.¡± Vadir brushed the hand off and connected to the mind of the Captain. ¡®It only works if you believe it will. I can¡¯t do much more than that.¡¯ The connection ended and Vadir returned to where he was and sat down. ¡°It will work, Captain. Like I say, you just need the strength of will to make yourself indomitable.¡± Roswell, CH27: From the Past Vadir Kor had seldom in the past been given a reason to visit the Archives. As he knew it, the only ones that worked here were the scientists and researchers. The people who spent much of their every waking life here handled the beacon deployment and recovery. In times of real space operation near celestial bodies, they may sometimes lead an away team, but due to the urgency of their current scouting mission, those deployments were few and far between. Still, as he understood, the Dauntless had recorded much on its journey to its now final resting place. The realisation of that hit him as he led the way through dark, empty corridors. This place had been his home for so long that it never once crossed his mind that his circumstances would ever change. Now he trawled the damaged interior, finding only the dead in his path. The crash had likely killed those caught unawares, but how many now carried a Symbiote within them? He had to hurry, get the data and destroy this ship so that what occurred on Lazarus could not be allowed to spread further. Something tells me, though, that we may already be too late to stop what is inevitable. Not wanting to lead the Welcome Wagon around aimlessly, Vadir halted them all and approached a wall that had a monitor built into it. By accessing it, he could gain an idea of the route they needed to take to reach the Archive Mainframe. ¡°It should be a short walk to the mainframe provided nothing stands in our way,¡± said Vadir. ¡°We already know that¡¯s wishful thinking,¡± said Captain Miller. ¡°Anyway, lead the way. You know this ship better than us.¡± Vadir led them onward and when they next rounded a corner, the amount of growth that had consumed this section stopped him dead. The dark, pulsating biomass had punched through the vents and begun spilling out. ¡°The AI said Hydroponics had fallen to these monsters. We¡¯re pretty close to it. That¡¯s probably where most of this stuff is coming from.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any more time,¡± said Mason. ¡°I can only hope these Mortes haven¡¯t begun trying to leave the ship.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be stopped by the guard posts,¡± said Gregory. ¡°Not if the Mortes discover the ship¡¯s turrets are operational.¡± Vadir knew the fellow technician was right. If even some of the ship¡¯s weapons still worked, it would take very little effort for them to punch a hole big enough for the Mortalis to flood it. ¡°Remember, if you feel anything prodding at your mind, do not answer it, or let it in.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± they all said in unison as Vadir led them across the squelching biomass of mutated dead cells. ¡°Maria!¡± cried Gregory, pushing to the front. Vadir tried to grab him but he was met with an elbow to the chest. Captain Miller swore, ¡°Get after him. It¡¯s inside his head somehow.¡± The corridor led them to a large open room with what looked like research and computer stations dotted on either side. At the very end of this room was a massive chunk of biomass. And Gregory had begun grabbing it, still begging for Maria to come with him. The man¡¯s expression became one of pain as the biomass shifted revealing some kind of large arm and hand. In no time at all it had Gregory by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The faceless drone then looked up and from one of its three-pronged claws, it generated a ball of energy that it tossed at the newcomers. They all made for cover and opened fire on the monstrosity. If they didn¡¯t know where we were before they do now. Vadir joined the fire aiming for the weak points in the joints. This appeared to work as one of the arms dislodged and landed on the floor. The creature bellowed both verbally and mentally. Enough to make Vadir shudder. He looked over at Miller. ¡°Captain, we¡¯re about to have some company.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.A vent cover on the right side of the room exploded and a fully formed black exoskinned Deterrent emerged. Its right arm had already appeared to morph into a bioblaster-type weapon. Jackson, the only one who had remained standing focused his heavy rifle¡¯s fire on the creature¡¯s centre even as it phased in and out of existence and was soon on him. While he handled the Deterrent, ventilation covers above them broke and more Mortans dropped in. ¡°Mason, Munroe keep suppressing the big fucker. Vadir, help me take our new friend down too.¡± Vadir needed only a nod at the Captain before he opened fire, this one had yet to fully realise its strength and the first shots left it staggered. Miller bravely or stupidly charged forward and made the most of the creature¡¯s disorientated state. He had drawn a large serrated knife and made sure to plunge into the charred centre left by Vadir. The creature lashed out and its claw caught the Captain¡¯s face causing him to hit the ground. Vadir transferred a large chunk of his psychic energy into his rifle¡¯s spherical aether container and held down the trigger before releasing. The explosion of energy made short work of the damaged creature¡¯s centre. It stumbled back a little before falling backwards to the ground with a smoking hole in its stomach. This allowed a recovering Miller to finish him off by forcibly removing what remained of the smouldering symbiote. Behind Vadir, Jackson had already dealt with his problem while elsewhere the Morte drone remained suppressed under the precise fire from Munroe and Mason. Soon much of it was left in pieces on the ground. With a bit of calm now surrounding them Miller pointed to Vadir. ¡°Hurry up and get us to the mainframe. Before more show up.¡± Vadir didn¡¯t need to be told twice and he left the group onward until they reached a server mainframe. It was easy enough for Vadir to override the lock and despite the impact, the contents of the room remained thankfully in good condition. Vadir led the Welcome Wagon to the back of the room where sat a massive computer that stored all the recorded data that the Kaskari had learned on their travels. Mason, the surviving technician was trying to keep up with his key presses but instead only managed to look confused. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have much time I¡¯m preparing a bunch of data to be downloaded onto a storage shard. You see how I do it, Mason. Can you keep going down the list?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t read it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to. Just follow the buttons I¡¯m pressing and it will work out just fine.¡± Miller and the other members of the Wagon continued to watch their backs, but Vadir could sense their fear. As he leaned more into the Aether, so too did the group¡¯s emotions reach him. ¡°What are you doing while I do this?¡± ¡°Finding a storage shard, there¡¯s bound to be one in here somewhere,¡± said Vadir, checking inside the drawers that sat beneath the massive computer station. It didn¡¯t take too long for him to find what he needed. A long purple-looking shard with a metal end. He stood up and looked back at Miller. ¡°Need the Captain¡¯s access key to authorise the transfer.¡± Miller rummaged inside his pockets and then tossed over the device to Vadir. The first he did though was plug in the purple shard and watched as Mason finished the file transfer. Once done, he plugged into the Captain¡¯s key and an authorisation message appeared then disappeared upon recognising the code. He pressed the button that started a download and a bar appeared on the screen to show its progress. Once done, Vadir removed it and pocketed both the devices. ¡°Data¡¯s secured,¡± said Vadir. ¡°That only leaves one thing left for us to do.¡± ¡°To send this blasted ship to hell!¡± spat Captain Miller. As much as Vadir had fond memories of his time on this ship, the Captain¡¯s current sentiment was one he now sadly shared. Roswell, CH28: To Salvage the Future You would condemn us all. All for the sins of those who led us here. And you think yourself deserving to live. You who fled into the night and dared come back in shame! Vadir shivered, the temperature in the room had plummeted creating an icy coat on his breath. That venom had come from a familiar voice. She had been an engineer he had worked alongside as they travelled through the vast reaches of space. She came to him now as a wraith would, a manifestation of his guilt and abandonment. A challenge to his resolve. If I could have done anything else¡­ A hand fell on his shoulder and it shocked him enough to turn sharply. It was Miller looking back at him. ¡°You looked lost there for a minute.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Vadir said. ¡°It¡¯s still trying to manipulate you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s trying to do that to all of us,¡± said Munroe. ¡°Our will can only do so much. The visions will continue to get stronger as it spreads across the ship. If we¡¯re not careful we¡¯ll all end up like Gregory.¡± ¡°Then all the more reason to get a move one,¡± said Jackson. ¡°Sooner we¡¯re done, the sooner we can put this behind us.¡± ¡°Amen,¡± said Mason. ¡°The shuttle will take us into engineering. My only concern,¡± said Vadir as he began leading them back the way they came. ¡°Relates to what the AI said about the bulk of the Mortalis being holed up in Hydroponics. We¡¯ve been lucky so far but that won¡¯t last forever.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it luck. Something tells me they are more interested in getting out than dealing with us,¡± said Miller. Vadir frowned. ¡°We¡¯re still a threat. It knows we have the Captain¡¯s key. Even if the bulk of them try and breach the barrier surrounding the ship, some will have remained behind-¡± The sound of clattering and low growls up ahead signalled the imminent arrival of more Mortalis. The Welcome Wagon knew how to fight them but this was quickly becoming a numbers game. The one directing the Mortes would do all it could to keep them from reaching their destination. The light flickered in the corridor and that was followed by a loud crash as a grate a few feet away became dislodged and met with the floor. What followed in its wake was a large, bulging mass of Deterrent Mortalis. Only one? ¡°Don¡¯t give it a chance, fire!¡± ordered Miller. The Welcome Wagon began their combined assault that kept the beast at a distance but even with their plasma weapons its hard exoskin was proving difficult to penetrate. A loud bellow came from where they had just been and another Mortan, sleeker in shape and more bestial bound forth. It used all fours to cover the ground like it was nothing. Munroe had caught sight of its approach and began firing off a series of shots. The creature soaked up most of them and lunged at the man, driving him back into the wall, and forcing him to use his rifle as a block for the Morte¡¯s massive black claws. Vadir let off a single charge shot that blasted the creature backwards. As smoke curled off its grotesque body, Jackson in his more appropriate gear led the charge against the first Morte while Vadir and Munroe dealt with the second. The creature clasped its hands together and pulled them apart creating a small ball of energy. A psionic clap- Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The Morte slamed its large hands together and the small shockwave buffeted the two men while also having wider ramifications. The Welcome Wagon¡¯s weapons stopped working. ¡°Vadir what just happened?¡± asked Miller. ¡°A psionic electric pulse, our weapons and yours rely on electricity to function. The pulse disables them.¡± Jackson gave a wide grin and his exosuit shifted around his hands and arms to form metal blades. ¡°Up close and personal it is then!¡± ¡°How long until our weapons are working again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Vadir as he watched the second Mortan look on, its wide grin and grunts seemed to show it was laughing at them. With no means to stop it, it gunned for Munroe who once more managed to crack the side of its head with the butt of his temporarily inactive rifle. The creature lashed back, catching Munroe and sending him stumbling backwards. This gave Vadir Kor an opening to try and overwhelm the psionic suppression affecting him and their weapons. It was all he could hope to do. He focused his power on his right side and lunged forward, caught between the real and the other side that had in the past only haunted his dreams. He was fast enough to see the Morte''s lunge, slicing his psionic blade through the creature¡¯s hand and sending it screeching back and much like how it has used the psionic blast to be disruptive, he wanted to try something he had only ever been taught about. He channelled the residual energy he had built up away from his projected blade and let it form in front of him, a large, writhing ball of psionic mass. Using his mind¡¯s will he thrusted it at the creature. It had nowhere to go as the ball collided and exploded upon impact, showering them all in bits and pieces and leaving the monster to fall backwards to its demise. That left Jackson and his problem. Turning back to it, the big man kept the beast on its toes but for how long? ¡°I would ask you to do that again, but I¡¯d like my Lieutenant to make it out of here in one piece.¡± ¡°I need time to recharge anyway,¡± said Vadir dropping down to a knee. ¡°I¡¯m not used to channelling that much energy.¡± ¡°Better start getting used to it!¡± roared Jackson as he slammed the large monster into the wall. ¡°It just keeps growing back, god damn it!¡± Jackson hacked away at the tough shell until he could stab the exposed weaker flesh. The creature tried to resist but nothing could stop Jackson from ripping its symbiote free and casting it aside. The creature lingered a little longer before coming to rest. The silence was only broken by the sounds of their weapons regaining their charge. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back to the shuttle before more show up.¡± Vadir imput the destination and the shuttle lurched again into life. He rested on the console and shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re heading straight into hell, Captain. They won¡¯t go quietly.¡± Captain Miller stood close by and looked from Vadir to his men. ¡°Well, neither do we. We¡¯ll fight till the last. Even if you alone have to light this place up, do what you must. The Welcome Wagon knew this might be a one-way trip.¡± ¡°Did we? I had a retirement plan and everything!¡± objected Jackson. ¡°I wanted to live the rest of my days out in the Bahamas after this,¡± said Mason. ¡°What about you, Roe?¡± ¡°I had plans to propose¡­¡± Vadir looked over, he had been able to understand the humans a lot better since he had first performed a trace. He didn¡¯t need to ask to know what Munroe was referring to. Before more could be said, the screen next to the console flashed red indicating a blockage ahead. The shuttle slowed to a stop. ¡°Mortans?¡± said Jackson. ¡°Vadir and I will check what¡¯s outside,¡± said Miller. ¡°If it were Mortes wouldn¡¯t we know about it by now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said Mason. The doors to the shuttle opened outward and allowed both men to climb onto the main track. They approached the front of the shuttle and stopped dead, neither man could believe what they were seeing. ¡°Not just a Mortan,¡± said Vadir. ¡°A piece of something bigger.¡± ¡°The whole ship is being converted. It¡¯s no surprise they¡¯d eventually block the track. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve not been gunning for us,¡± said Vadir. ¡°They know there¡¯s only one other way we can approach Engineering.¡± ¡°Hydroponics¡­¡± ¡°Either through the main corridors or the maintenance tunnels, but with this blockage here. No telling what we will find.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to like it but if we¡¯ve got no other choice,¡± said Miller. ¡°Let¡¯s go tell the others, we''re making a diversion into hell.¡± Roswell, CH29: The Point of No Return ¡°So that''s it then. We head through Hydroponics,¡± said an unenthusiastic Mason. ¡°I know,¡± said Miller. ¡°I don¡¯t want to either, but whatever that obstruction out there is, it clearly doesn¡¯t want us to take an easy route to engineering.¡± Vadir finished starting up the shuttle and they were soon hurtling back the way they came. He was out of earshot and could only just make out behind him the Welcome Wagon members talking amongst themselves. He faced them. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Miller just shook his head. ¡°No, Vadir. We were just coming to terms with the fact that this will probably be a one-way trip for us.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be, once I prime the Aether Core and its extractors to explode. I can guide us to a nearby teleporter. Should take us to a safe place beyond the ship.¡± Miller just smiled at that. ¡°We¡¯ll just see how it goes down. How far out are we from Hydroponics?¡± ¡°Not be long now,¡± said Vadir. He dreaded the very idea of taking a direct approach. Against that many Mortes, they may as well have had a death wish. The shuttle soon came to a stop. They stepped out onto the empty platform and since Vadir knew the ship better than them he led the way forward. The first thing he noticed as he led them down the meandering corridors was the amount of black growth and biomass present. The Mortalis had been busy. He could only imagine what the ship would end up like if he didn¡¯t manage to destroy it. ¡°We need to pass through the Vegetation Growing Sector first and then from there I can access the maintenance section. Should be some vents that can take us through to engineering.¡± ¡°Easier said than done I bet,¡± said Jackson. ¡°Especially looking at how this place looks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s those Mortis seeds. They practically shed them and are highly reactive to blood. If they¡¯re dragging bodies here then that could explain the biomass,¡± said Munroe. ¡°Well either way keep your wits about you, they could crop up anywhere,¡± said Miller. The Welcome Wagon stalked down long, dark, biomass-infested corridors. Now and again they passed multiple people, dead and encased in strange cocoons. Munroe had even looked one over. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to best explain it, Captain. But his body is connected to the biomass. It¡¯s like he¡¯s being absorbed into it.¡± ¡°What an ungodly fusion,¡± said Jackson. ¡°Are they fully dead?¡± Munroe stepped back. ¡°Maybe, hard to tell seeing them in this state.¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± said Mason. ¡°We¡¯ve been here a while and haven¡¯t seen anyone. I thought this place would be crawling with them.¡± As if on cue they rounded a corner and found a large Mortan standing idle. They stopped dead and were each surprised at the creature¡¯s lack of action. It also looked fused to the floor and wall. Its fully Morte body had a strange reddish glow emanating from its veins. ¡°That¡¯s kind of like what you do,¡± whispered Miller to Vadir. ¡°It¡¯s recharging- or mutating. Hard to say.¡± The Morte appeared to sense their approach and stepped forward while from its back burst forth a tail that looked reminiscent of a dual, black scorpion metasomal. The two ends of the tail were pointed downward but soon shifted their direction to point at the approaching group. The tail''s solid form turned into a more spiky, crystal-like state and began glowing an intense red. ¡°Welcome Wagon get down-!¡± Captain Miller was cut off by the sudden firing of explosive crystal spines. Each member did their best to throw themselves to the floor except for Jackson who engaged his exosuit¡¯s abilities and was able to narrowly avoid them. He approached the creature from its left and sidestepped the swiping tail. He primed his weapon and launched a series of shots into the monster¡¯s stomach staggering it for a moment. Its tail lashed at Jackson forcing him to dodge back. With the monster suitably distracted Vadir closed his fist and ignited an aether blade. He lunged for the Mortan making sure to avoid its swiping tail and drove the aether blade into its spine. The creature let out a bellow and appeared to half blink out of existence allowing it to twist free of Vadir. Once it reformed, the Welcome Wagon didn¡¯t give it time to press an attack and launched a joint assault that soon enough caused the creature to fall leaving it now riddled with holes. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Vadir made sure to remove the symbiote from the monster¡¯s body and froze for a moment. He felt something was watching them. He looked around, from one Welcome Wagon member to another and saw no one else. Something''s definitely prodding my thoughts but what? ¡°Something bothering you, Vadir?¡± asked Jackson facing him. ¡°I feel like something just tried to reach out.¡± ¡°The thing behind the hallucinations?¡± ¡°No, this one was more familiar. Anyway, we shouldn¡¯t be standing around if they weren¡¯t aware of us before. They are now.¡± The group decided to pick up the pace and elected not to dawdle with any Mortan opposition. Their best shot at making it to where they needed to be was by working fast and not fully destroying the Mortans. Keep them pinned was what Miller said. And he was right, while Vadir¡¯s alien weapon had an indeterminate amount of ammunition, the human laser weapons had a more complex charging system that couldn¡¯t be influenced by his aether abilities. He just had to hope the numbers narrated against them weren''t insurmountable. The group soon slowed as the corridor widened out leading to the main Hydroponics area that handled vegetation growth. The biomass was slowing them down. It gripped their boots and Vadir could only look on horrified as the mutation encroached on everything it touched. Its thickness had meant the automatic doors had been left in a forced open state. ¡°Ever feel like you''re walking into a trap,¡± said Mason. ¡°There''s no other way?¡± Miller asked Vadir. Vadir just looked resigned. ¡°I wish there was but this is our best shot at reaching this deck''s maintenance access.¡± ¡°Then we spring the trap.¡± They entered the growing area and much like everywhere else around them was covered in the same black substance, though some of it had latched on to the surrounding plant life. The amount of Mortans was too many to count. The first one that caught sight of them blinked and soon appeared within touching distance. Thankfully, Jackson also clocked it and sent it staggering back with a single punch from his exosuit. Other Mortans began their approach, though not choosing to use blink in the same way. Either they don¡¯t know how or their cores are undeveloped. The Welcome Wagon opened fire at their approaching enemies, aiming for the centre in hopes of at least destroying the symbiote. Jackson had also got up close and personal with his staggered Morte and his heavy exo-suit rifle was pressed against their stomach. He fired off a couple of shots and the creature hit the floor. Some of the Mortes had generated aether weaponry and begun firing from a distance. Vadir took cover behind one of the metal pillars while Jackson did the same to the one next to him. They both caught sight of Miller narrowly avoiding a swinging blade allowing Mason to fire off a charged shot into the Mortan that sent it falling backwards. Vadir decided to help by aiming to pick off the distant Mortes as they too launched aether-based energy projectiles. They exploded upon impact with some distant glass casings and caused both plant and biomass to spill out into the open. Vadir charged up his rifle and burst from cover, firing a shot that exploded between two Mortes. Despite their armoured shell, their limbs exploded off of them and he was able to get closer to the centre of the room where sat the largest part of the biomass. He without realising put his hand against the slimy, pulsating mass and was surprised to be met by a bombardment of voices. It almost made him drop to his knees as Jackson hurried over to make sure he was okay. ¡°Vadir- What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°This thing is alive.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°So many voices...¡± Vadir looked up at the mass as Jackson provided covering fire, shredding any Morte that tried to blink close. He couldn¡¯t hold it forever, they¡¯d get more cocky eventually and try to catch them off balance. ¡°We need to get moving, man. These things are spilling out of everywhere.¡± Vadir didn¡¯t need to be asked twice and withdrew his hand. He stared at it a while before moving forward and reuniting with the other three Welcome Wagon members. Despite a dent in the numbers, the Mortans had begun flooding the room, all in different stages of infection. Miller launched a grenade into the mix and attempted to spray at some only to be caught out by the zigzag of their blinking. As one got close and prepared to strike, Mason timed it right and blasted the creature in the head. ¡°Captain, it¡¯s obvious their messing with us.¡± ¡°Vadir, where is this Maintenance Access?¡± Vadir pointed to a door with a sign above it written in Kaskari. They couldn¡¯t read it but at this point, they had more important matters to deal with. Vadir was close to the doorway when a Morte clinging to one of the walls leapt for him, his exoskin forming to create a crude lance-like weapon. Jackson used his suit to intercept the Morte grabbing the monster by the throat and using his suit''s augmented strength he launched it into the crowd of Mortans. Vadir was guided over the threshold first with Miller and Jackson not too far behind. Jackson grabbed Vadir by the arm and began running. It took Vadir tapping into the aether to push his synapses into overdrive just to keep up with the man. ¡®I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening?¡¯ ¡®Captain wants us to go on ahead. He¡¯s not optimistic any of us are making it off this ship and he wants to also buy you as much time as possible. Which is why I¡¯ve got your back.¡¯ Gunfire erupted behind him as the three remaining Welcome Wagon members prepared to lay down their lives for him. ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± he said. ¡°Jackson. I never asked that of any of you.¡± ¡°Orders are orders, we blow this ship up and hope for all our sakes these freaks haven¡¯t made it too far on the outside.¡± Roswell, CH30: The Art of Self Destruction ¡°They will just not stop coming!¡± Mason''s voice rang out as the three continued to be pushed deeper into the ship. Their weapons punched holes, dismembered and staggered, but the monsters did not stop their advance. ¡°Captain, our ammo is running dry. And it¡¯s not like we can reliably use the xeno weapons.¡± Miller who led their retreat and watched their front to ensure nothing caught them lacking had no choice but to agree. Their stalled backtrack into Hydroponics had left a trail of regenerating Mortans and even he was beginning to fear no end to the horde. ¡°We took too long, gave them too much time.¡± ¡°Sir, with all due respect. Even a sizable group coming in here would be as good as mulch for these walls,¡± said Munroe. ¡°There¡¯s also Jackson and Vadir. They¡¯ll need all the help they can get,¡± said Miller. Miller went through the next door first and walked a few steps forward when a loud crash jolted his synapse. He spun, pointing his smoking laser rifle at the sealed door. ¡°Mason, Munroe, report!¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine, sir. Just thought we¡¯d buy you some time,¡± said Mason. ¡°To do what?¡± ¡°Reconnect with Jackson and complete this damned mission,¡± added Munroe. ¡°Give the rat bastards hell.¡± As Miller turned his back on the door he heard the two men shout Oorah! in unison. ¡°Semper Fi!¡± shouted Miller, gritting his teeth and deciding to run hell for leather deeper into the alien ship. It then dawned on him that he was directionless in an alien vessel. He had no way of knowing what route the two men took. He¡¯d at best have to guess and worst¡­ pray for a miracle. It didn¡¯t take long for destiny to come crashing toward him from a nearby room. The glass exploded outward, showering him while a hulking monster forced him to the ground. He had no way of directing his weapon as the monster snapped at his face. Bloodied saliva soon covered him as he did his best to ease out his bowie knife. Once the hilt was in his grip he positioned it straight and pushed it deep into the monster¡¯s chest. If the symbiote was there, it was in for a nasty shock. The Mortan rose back to its full height while Miller scrambled for his rifle. Once in hand he narrowly avoided a black aether claw brushing past his left shoulder. He directed his fire at the small hole he created and let the fire and plasma do the rest. Soon enough the monster had been felled. He first worked to pry out the symbiote before tossing it away like scrap. Then he looked at his weapon and frowned at how dire it looked. It wouldn¡¯t have many shots left in it. He needed a solution. These things manipulate aether like Vadir. If I free one of its core. Will it listen to me? This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. There was only one way to find out. He didn¡¯t know how long it would be before another monster came across him. In a way he had to hope that Munroe and Miller were still clinging onto life but right now that hope was fading fast. With his hands covered in Mortan goo and slime, Miller soon fished the aether core out from where it resided. It pulsed in his hand and suddenly he felt the ship¡¯s living presence in the sludge he knelt on. It was disorientating for a few seconds. No, you won¡¯t direct me to your master. You belong to me now, submit. The core danced in his thoughts and soon through the strange aetherial vision presented he had a rough idea of where Jackson and Vadir were. They were close to a maintenance door, at least that¡¯s how it looked to Miller. Vadir looked around him confused. ¡®Captain? Is everything okay? Have they got you?¡¯ ¡®No, I needed to find you. The core I stole from one of their bodies is still connected to this network. It¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever felt before.¡¯ ¡®What about the others?¡¯ ¡®Buying time, I¡¯m coming to find you, I know where you are and how to get there.¡¯ ¡®Please, hurry, we can¡¯t wait forever if you¡¯re not here in - ten minutes. We go on ahead without you.¡¯ To his surprise, it was Vadir¡¯s mind that cut the connection. Miller looked at the pulsating core and his weapon. I need you to make me stronger. I need you to merge me with this gun. The core pulsed at a rate he hadn¡¯t seen before. He seemed to understand it and pressed the small sphere close to where he held the grip and waited to see what happened. First, the core became stuck to him while its shape morphed, coating his hand and then the rifle. He dropped to his knees as the first of the stabbing pains jolted up and down his left side. He gritted his teeth trapping the air in his lungs as the strange core began warping his biology in ways he never thought possible. It was a miracle he didn¡¯t pass out. Once the torturous process was done he noticed the rifle had become a full-on extension of his being. He also suspected it now channelled aether because on top of his left hand had formed a circular bulb that glowed red. The Mortan aspect had also begun eating away at his wrist and arm. To become a weapon, I had to become like them. That makes sense. Not wanting to waste any more time, Miller composed himself and made a point to get a move on. Jackson had a struggling Mortan held against the wall and wasted no time blasting its chest to pieces before allowing it to flop over next to him. ¡°We have to move, Vadir. I can¡¯t fight them all like this.¡± ¡°Miller said he was coming - there!¡± Vadir shouted pointing down the black biomass-coated corridor. The wide-eye Captain Miller stumbled forward like a man possessed and it took Vadir narrowing his eyes and engaging a pulse trace by touching the wall to realise the Captain was now something new - a Hybrid. The Captain was a changed man if the spike emerging from his shoulder didn¡¯t already give the game way. He wasn¡¯t a True Mortan or Deterrent even if the trace hinted at it. The word he understood as Hybrid echoed through Vadir''s thoughts. The man came to a stop a few feet away. ¡°Sorry, to keep you both waiting. So it¡¯s just through there,¡± Miller said pointing at the door behind Vadir with his mutated arm. ¡°Captain,¡± Lieutenant Jackson¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°Oh this,¡± Miller said gesturing with his bio-augmented aether rifle. ¡°I had to, low ammo and weapons aren¡¯t easy to find in a place like this. So I improvised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not questioning the decision, sir. But are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve felt better but I feel powerful. You wanted me to hurry so are we going to finish this or what?¡± Vadir Kor turned around and punched in the door panel code. ¡°A short tunnel that will take us into the Aether and Engineering Deck. Once we get there, we rig this ship and run. We don¡¯t want to be on board when this place gets dumped.¡± Captain Miller grinned. ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡± Roswell, CH31: The Fall The way through maintenance saw them squeezing through tight corridors full of dislodged piping and bursting steam. Vadir led the group from the front and said very little as he checked each corner before leading them further. He had a bubbling feeling within him that things were about to get a whole lot worse before they got better. The hissing and spitting from the pipes didn¡¯t help his anxious mind either, every time they stopped he heard clattering metal and distant growls. The whole ship had been turned against them. The least he could do now was save her from further becoming one with the monster that had made its home within her. They soon reached the end of the corridor, Vadir did the same as before and keyed in the code that allowed the maintenance hatch to slide open. He led the way and the last two Welcome Wagon members followed. Last two. That thought lingered in the back of his mind. The others died to get me here. It almost doesn¡¯t seem worth it. This has to work. These monsters can¡¯t be allowed to win. ¡°Vadir? You good.¡± The hybrid had his unchanged hand resting on Vadir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m fine, we¡¯re close to where the magic happens, follow me and watch my back. Something tells me once we prime this thing, the Mortans of this ship will be all over us.¡± ¡°As if they haven¡¯t been already,¡± said Jackson checking his large heavy rifle once over. Despite the other¡¯s struggles, he hadn¡¯t complained about a lack of ammo. For now at least. The dark red and dimly lit corridors of the engineering deck remained narrow as Vadir led them forward. He couldn¡¯t tell if the others noticed this but being so entwined with the aether meant it resonated most with him here, like a living entity had laid claim to this part of the ship. He didn¡¯t need to wait long before he found the entity, its biomass riddled the floor and walls, leaving it dark and difficult to navigate with each step creating a loud squelch underfoot. So far no Mortans had shown interest in them but he knew that luck wouldn¡¯t last forever. The one controlling them, likely knew they were here. It also knew it could strike at any time. If he didn¡¯t know any better he¡¯d say it was toying with them deliberately. Can¡¯t let it get in my head like this I need to clear my thoughts and focus on the task at hand. They came around a corner and were met by three Mortans standing a few feet away down the corridor. They stopped whatever they were doing and each rose to full height. The centremost one looked to Miller first and cocked its head. Before any of them could charge Miller had loosened off a charge of aether that upon impact blew the centre Mortan into pieces. The remaining two blinked their way towards the three and used the Other Side to avoid the sudden gunfire. One emerged out of its rent close to Vadir their aether-infused claws came down forcing him to block with his rifle. Miller had this one too, getting behind the monster he drove his hybrid weapon into its back, making short work of the exoskin. The creature had frozen in place as the symbiote was fast removed. Jackson meanwhile wrestled with his Mortan, driving it backwards he let off a couple of shots from his heavy rifle. The creature remained undeterred and charged him igniting its aether blades. It attempted to swipe at the man and failed as his exosuit helped to enhance his natural reflexes. This gave Miller the opening he needed from point-blank range. The hybrid arm bio rifle, he wielded required little charge. It proved easy for him to blast the monster¡¯s head into pieces. ¡°How are you feeling, Miller? Still with us?¡± asked Jackson. Miller looked at his left arm and saw the Mortan growth had become larger. ¡°Better than ever, I think I can alter its form too. Like they can.¡± Vadir began walking and the other two soon followed. ¡°Just be careful, you think you¡¯re in control now. That¡¯s what it wants you to think.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a symbiote, Vadir.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t need one, all it needs is your body. All Mortans are living weapons. I get the feeling if you weren¡¯t as you are now, they¡¯d have an easier time with us.¡± ¡°How so?¡± asked Jackson. ¡°Not sure, it¡¯s possible they think he¡¯s one of them that might explain the brief moment of reprieve before they engage. You¡¯re new to them too. Nothing like you has ever existed. Don¡¯t even remember hearing any stories of hybrids.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Well, now there can be, how much further is it?¡± ¡°Not far now. Keep that strange weapon of yours ready, it seems to be good at thinning their numbers.¡± ¡°Ha, so much for that being my responsibility,¡± Jackson growled. They reached another set of doors that had been left shunted open by the growth and had left the way up ahead completely covered in Mortan biomass. The three of them entered the large open area and Vadir crouched hoping to keep him and them concealed for as long as possible. He led them to a cluster of cylinders that they hid behind. He peaked over them and saw a large mass of Mortans in their final stage hovering close to the large Aether Reactor. From the reactor extraction ports, they funnelled the extracted aether into storage tanks that could then be rapidly cooled allowing the strange gas to liquify. ¡°To pull this off, I need to close the extractors and lower the protective field that activates when a tear is opened. Once done we can fire the ignition that should overload the power cells and cause a fail cascade,¡± whispered Vadir. ¡°The problem is we¡¯re outnumbered by quite a lot,¡± said Miller. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll thin the horde.¡± ¡°Just how -¡± Before Jackson could finish his sentence the Captain burst from cover and fired a glancing shot at a Mortan. It didn¡¯t appear to do much except upset it. Vadir and Jackson moved so they were out of sight while Miller ran back the way they came. The horde barrelled after him, igniting their aether weapons. I have no idea how he plans to survive that many. ¡°Time to make this count,¡± said Jackson grabbing Vadir by the arm. The remaining Mortans charged and Vadir¡¯s reflexes kept him out of range of their long aether-generated claws. Thanks to the creature¡¯s momentum he was able to put more than enough shots into its back. Jackson also swiftly dealt with his opposition. Once they were done, the two remaining Mortans lay dead without their symbiote. Vadir could no longer afford to wait, every bit of time wasted the Mortalis grew in strength. He approached the console and first plugged in the Captain¡¯s override key. That would allow him to bypass many of the restrictions in place. As he ran through the system logs he noticed that this self-destruct had been triggered more than once and disabled each time. Third time''s the charm, he thought as he closed off the vents and then opened a spatial tear. He allowed it to build in strength, and as Aether spilt out, gravity acted against it. The reinforced reactor¡¯s casing showed signs of buckling under pressure with cracks showing across its surface. ¡°You sure we will have enough time,¡± said Jackson. ¡°Absolutely, I can set a small timer for when the ignition happens. Once that reactor blows, the tear will expand rapidly before closing, taking this entire ship with it.¡± The sound of plasma fire caught their attention. Miller had returned guiding his new friends. His arm had grown inside as if the power could no longer be contained within his mortal body. ¡°Captain!¡± ¡°Jackson, exfil Vadir. By any means necessary. I have one last surprise for these freaks.¡± Jackson didn¡¯t get to respond as the number of Mortans swelled for a moment, swarming the Captain in a frenzy. The subsequent explosion of his aether power building up led to the Mortans being ripped apart. Not many would survive that. ¡°Vadir, the teleporter where is it?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Vadir walked down the biomass-claimed steps and led the last of the Welcome Wagon down the corridor adjacent to the reactor. ¡°The teleporters for this deck are up ahead -¡± His words were cut short as two Mortans blinked towards them. When they reappeared preparing to strike, he and Jackson made sure to time their shots so that the Mortan limbs were destroyed. The creatures howled and fell. Neither man had time to remove the symbiote. Vadir led the way down the t-section. He caught another group in his peripheral heading their way. One had wings and had fired its explosive spines at them. Jackson avoided them barely but it was becoming obvious that only one of them would make it off this ship. Vadir wasted no time entering the code, as aether energy began being launched past them. He didn¡¯t realise until the door opened but Jackson had used his massive suit to shield him. As the door opened, Jackson pushed him inside and punched the panel. This triggered the door to lock. ¡°This is where we part, Kor.¡± Vadir faced him and wanted to object, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Not your fault. Fucking Soviets, had to ruin everything for the rest of us. Now go.¡± Gunfire erupted behind him. Vadir reached the main chamber of the teleportation area and was unsurprised to find it too had undergone transformation but the biomass had thankfully not completely rendered the console inert. Why would it, I imagine teleportation would be quite handy. He began searching for viable locations when the ship shuddered and buckled. That would be the tear. Surprisingly, one location appeared to have an active teleportation network. ¡°That will do,¡± he muttered and primed the ignition sequence. He hurried onto the pad and caught it briefly, the door to the teleportation room being blasted into the room. The horde entered and would never reach him in time. The world had already gone dark. Where he would next appear he could only dream it was safer than this. I don¡¯t want us to be the reason this world died. I can¡¯t allow that. Roswell, CH32: Epilogue A blaring alarm rang out that sharply brought him back to his senses. Before this present moment, he had never experienced teleportation. That was usually reserved for deployments. Now that he had experienced it, he never wanted to again. He struggled to see through his blur, and the dizziness didn¡¯t help much either. It took him a good few minutes to get his bearings as a pounding headache did little to alleviate the numbness afflicting much of his body. It felt like he had been turned inside out but managing a look across himself. He was at least in one piece. That alarm won¡¯t stop. That can¡¯t be good. Please tell me, it¡¯s not what I think it is. They can¡¯t have made it here already! He pulled himself up to one knee, noting first the blood stains, then the bullet holes as the rotating red light hit the glass window of the door. He shielded his eyes, groaning while he got back to unsteady feet. He dragged himself forward. It can¡¯t end like this. For them. For us. I need to get to safety. I need to find a way out. He reached the door and put his grey head to the glass. He could hear it now that his ears had ceased ringing. So much death. How did they get here first? Vadir knocked his aching head against that glass while he racked his brain as he remembered what the Captain had implied about Site 51. If it¡¯s one of those outposts, then it¡¯s part of the Nirikiri Gate Network. That network would also have a connection to the Moon. If the humans fled back here from the Moon and were also infected- He stepped back and muttered, ¡°idiots, they handed this place over to the Mortalis without a second thought.¡± Before he could do anything else, a body flew past his vision. He jumped back, sliding right to hide in the shadows of the dark chamber. A hulking, monstrous figure stopped at the door. Its great shadow fell into the room. He held his breath and saw its heavy breathing fogging up the glass. To his relief, it drifted onward. He considered trying the teleporter again, but those things had a long cool down. There was no telling where he would end up a second time. He approached the door and opened it slow and quiet. Not that it mattered since the alarm drowned out everyhing else. The carnage was now clearer despite the stretching darkness. Bodies of those unfortunate to be caught unawares lay before him in various states of dismemberment. He looked to his right and considered following in the wake of the creature, but instead, he moved forward from the t-section, only stopping next to a dead guard so that he could pry free their rifle. It dawned on him that he had no idea how deep this site was and where he would go next. If he even made it back outside. One step at a time, Vadir. Right now, I need to stay alive and try finding other survivors. They won¡¯t be the Welcome Wagon, but I can¡¯t possibly hope to do this alone. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. That hopelessness sank in with each of his steps. Part of him even considered seeking out the Moon gate and using it to reunite with fellow Kaskari survivors, but considering how things had played out so far, he thought better of it. Upon rounding a corner, he caught sight of a man dragging his beaten and broken body forward some ways ahead. He didn¡¯t get far before a black tendril wrapped around his neck and dragged him out of sight. It didn¡¯t take too long for the one responsible to appear, a tall Mortan coated in the black skin of Deterrent Mortalis. From its back rose a bladed tail. It bared its teeth at him before breaking into a run. It used its blink, trying to confuse Vadir, but it did not account for his attunement to the aether. While to a human, the Mortan was functionally invisible. He could still see the faint residual glow as it barrelled towards him. Once the Mortan emerged from the Other Side with its tail primed to strike, Vadir used the blink to dodge the sweeping tail and get behind the Mortan. Once behind it, he used his free right hand to ignite an aether blade and sliced off the tail. The monster spun, and he jumped back. He concentrated fire on the monster¡¯s centre, keeping it stunned long enough for him to drive the hot aether blade through the creature¡¯s body. It let out a shrill scream as he ripped the symbiote from within. Now unanchored, the monster stumbled and fell onto its back. Vadir dropped the slimy creature and stamped on it. He heard a resounding noise echo through him. They know I¡¯m here. So much for thinking the worst is behind me. Vadir checked his weapon and traced it to learn how much of the magazine remained. I should have grabbed some spare mags. It¡¯ll take a while to get used to these human weapons. He steadied himself for the hell that was fast approaching. For the Welcome Wagon! Their deaths and those of the Dauntless will not be in vain. I¡¯ll save this world even if it kills me! The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 1 ¡°Anything at all from Hermes?¡± This was the third time in as many minutes that Ross had asked her this question, and each time, she had answered with a no. The communications centre at the heart of Lazarus, a city on the Moon, had seldom dropped out of contact, but this was getting close to half an hour with no word from anyone. The use of aether communications had made the tedious process of contacting the mother world considerably easier, and like with a lot of technology, it was prone to faults. She had her doubts this time. While her mind wandered, the screen on the console lit up and showed a new arrival had breached Mar¡¯s atmosphere. Accompanying it was a transmission. They both put headsets on and prepared to listen to it. ¡°This is BK765, from Luna to Tower. Sending you the manifest now.¡± ¡°More supplies and building material. Even some Constructoids and parts. Identification checks complete. It¡¯s everything we asked for,¡± said Ross. ¡°This is Tower. BK765, you have clearance to land in Docking Bay Two. Once you¡¯ve landed, ground control can handle you from there.¡± ¡°Good to hear we will maintain this altitude and orbit before beginning the final descent. There are no departures planned?¡± ¡°This is Mars, dumbass. Get used to seeing red and not much else.¡± Ross disengaged his mic and looked over at Anya. ¡°Let¡¯s hope they are good company.¡± ¡°Yeah, amen to that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take my break. You good to hold the fort?¡± ¡°Nothing ever happens, Ross. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Ross chuckled and stood up. He did a long stretch before heading downstairs. Anya waited until she was sure he was no longer in earshot. She opened a private channel to BK765. ¡°Black Knight, can you confirm?¡± A different voice came through this time. ¡°Is it just you?¡± ¡°For now, my colleague is on break. He won¡¯t be gone long so we have to make it quick.¡± ¡°Good, then you know why we¡¯re really here.¡± A chill ran down her spine. It¡¯s finally happening. We¡¯re taking control of this operation. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve waited a long time for this moment.¡± ¡°So have all in the Maxim Front. No one suspects anything either?¡± ¡°This is the first frontier world. The rules aren¡¯t like those back home. It¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world down here, Black Knight.¡± ¡°I bet. For now, you maintain your cover, and we will slowly take over this operation. If we¡¯ve timed it right, in the next few hours, both the Moon and Mars will be in the hands of the Sov Imperium. It is by the Maxim that we obey - It is by the Maxim that we serve - It is by the Maxim that we thrive.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Anya found herself subconsciously crossing her right fist over her heart. ¡°Continue your landing, we¡¯ll talk later.¡± She disconnected the comms and soon heard heavy footfalls on the steps as Ross reappeared with two coffee cups. Upon coming into view, she dropped the gesture and tried to appear less tense. He smirked at her while handing over the still-steaming cup of coffee. He approached where he had been sitting. ¡°Something bothering you?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Thanks for the coffee.¡± He collapsed into his chair. ¡°I can only hope that once things settle back home, we¡¯ll start seeing more activity.¡± ¡°Well, if rumours are anything to go by.¡± ¡°It keeps getting worse, I know,¡± said Ross before taking a sip. ¡°Whole of Earth is going to shit, and if it does get worse, what then? We¡¯re as good as stranded out here.¡± ¡°Stop worrying so much, Ross. I¡¯m sure everything will be just fine.¡± ¡°Man, I wish I had your optimism.¡± *** ¡°At least we know someone is on our side,¡± said Francis standing between the pilot and co-pilot¡¯s chair of the cockpit. The co-pilot, Pyotr, who had been managing their communications with the Mars base, looked at him. ¡°For now at least, these people have been out here for a while, remember? There''s no telling where their loyalties lie.¡± He couldn¡¯t disagree with that and even appreciated the irony of the man saying this. He was here under the impression he was bringing glory to the Soviet Imperium. If only it were that simple. ¡°Keep us updated, Pyotr. I¡¯ll go let the others know of our warm welcome.¡± Francis returned to the dark part of the transport ship, lit only by a set of red lights above, the other infiltrators sat in silence. Both from nerves and anticipation of what was to come. Only some of those inside this flying casket were aware of the true mission. Francis reclaimed his seat opposite Charles, a fellow member of the Black Knight division of the Black Watch. Unfortunately, to get this far they had to cut some deals with some unsavoury types. On one side they had the Maxim Front, a nationalist Soviet Imperium militia group who believed they were taking over for the Imperium¡¯s benefit. They had no idea they were being used. The other side of things could prove troublesome if left unchecked. Charles¡¯ cool expression showed a mutual understanding as Frank looked down the seating area. The Aevetas members also held a neutral expression and the Maxim Front members had no idea they were amid Deterrent Mortans. From the time of them being in the Aether, the plan to usurp Lazarus, the luna city had already been set in motion. Now it was their turn to secure Mars for the benefit of the Black Conglomerate. ¡°Something tells me this won¡¯t be as easy as we hope it will be,¡± said Charles. ¡°We play the long game, we shouldn¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The voice of the pilot came over the comms. ¡°This is Echo, we¡¯re set to land in docking bay two. Let them unload the cargo and put it in storage. The weapons we brought will be transferred to the armoury too.¡± ¡°Surprised they authorised that,¡± said Eva, like Pyotr, who also was part of the Maxim Front. ¡°I get you want to keep some element of authority but this type of firepower, makes you wonder if it¡¯s for something more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for what¡¯s beneath the Martian surface,¡± said Melina of the Aevetas. ¡°Early planetary scans showed structures deep beneath the Martian surface. The mines are trying to dig down to them.¡± ¡°What are they expecting to find? It¡¯s been what? Thousands of years! You don¡¯t seriously think anything could survive that long.¡± ¡°You already know the state of Earth, Eva. What they are capable of. How long they are willing to endure?¡± Melina looked over at fellow Aevetas member, Andrey. The two Mortans shared a knowing look and Andrey whose head had dropped finally spoke up, "Yes, Mel, we all do.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get to it,¡± said Frank. ¡°For now our focus is getting into the good graces of our Martian hosts. Remember, no funny business, don¡¯t give them a reason to launch us out the base¡¯s airlock.¡± The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 2 Once the engines finished cycling and the ship came to a full rest the transport¡¯s ramp lowered. This allowed light to spill into the seating area and not wanting to waste anyone¡¯s time, Frank led the way with Charles and the others following not far behind. They were greeted by a handful of security personnel dressed mostly in standard black colours. Each of them had a badge marking them as a member of the Lazarus Foundation''s Outreach Corps. ¡°This is just a formality,¡± said the officer closest to Frank. ¡°I¡¯m Adam Cain, Chief of Security. For you to be let loose from here, we will have to run some quick checks. If you would follow me please.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± said Frank. ¡°I presume you¡¯ve all installed the required biomods. Our scanners require them to verify your identities. Any problems, we¡¯ll deal with it, if it comes to that,¡± Adam said while leading them to a biometric scanner. He left them to enter the observation room that looked into it. The extra guards remained at their backs, looking a little more nervous than usual. Do they suspect something is up with us? ¡°If you would kindly one at a time, pass through the scanner before entering the decontamination chamber.¡± Frank looked out of the corner of his eye at Melina. He knew most Aevetas members had symbiotes inside them, and he was sure she said she had one too. What would happen if it got exposed? Would they suspect us or think we were non the wiser? A bead of sweat ran off his brow, and he had to resist wiping it. The doors parted, and he entered a long, narrow corridor. It had all kinds of technology plastered about, from cameras to heat sensors. From what he could see, there was no expense spared. ¡°Please stand right in front of where we are standing.¡± Frank said nothing and approached the centre of the corridor, where he came to a stop. The scanner began running, and a red line draped over him. This ran back and forth before a buzzer signalled the all-clear. ¡°This one¡¯s clear. Please continue into the decontamination chamber.¡± At the end of the long corridor awaited a bulky, reinforced white door that led into the decontamination chamber. The green light above the door turned on and he stepped inside the small white-walled box. The process of decontamination was shorter than he expected. He was sprayed with some gas that completely shrouded the room. Once satisfied and the gas was sucked away, the door unlocked and he was now safely past the main hurdle of this mission. Next to enter was Melina. If it detects her having a symbiote this could be troublesome. Frank waited, tapping his foot at certain moments until he heard the chamber he just come from whir up. After some time passed, the door opened and the residual gas dissipated outward. Clearly unphased by everything around her, Melina joined him. ¡°You need to meditate more, Captain. I can teach you some time if you like.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°I appreciate the offer, Mel, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She gave him a sinister grin. I know what you are, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to be alone with you. Last thing I need is a Mortan teaching me how to meditate. How does that work anyway with there being two of them in one body? ¡®Easier than you¡¯re making it sound.¡¯ ¡®Less invading my thoughts, Mel.¡¯ ¡®Spoilsport.¡¯ The next person to join them was Charles and others soon followed. The last one to join them would be Andrey. Frank spotted something off with Melina, a paleness had come across her face. ¡®It¡¯s Andrey, his symbiote failed to cover his biomods. He thinks he¡¯s been exposed.¡¯ ¡®We play it dumb. It¡¯s not uncommon for Mortes to hide in plain sight. ¡¯ he winked at her. ¡®Never do that again, Frank.¡¯ The warning sign came when the light above them faded and turned a dim red. From the small square window into the decontamination chamber, another light rotated blocking the room in a mixture of light reds and pure darkness. Frank got close to the door and cupped his hands so that he could see inside. Crouched in a foetal position was Andrey. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this happens more than you might think. A lot of Mortes think they can escape persecution by coming out here. Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t work that way,¡± said Adam from behind Frank. ¡°Move aside, Captain Clarke. We¡¯ll deal with the monster.¡± Frank stepped back and joined his crew. Adam was flanked by two other guards carrying high-powered plasma rifles. The type of weapons that would make short work of anyone never mind a Mortan capable of regenerating its body. Frank almost stepped forward but Charles grabbed his wrist and shook his head. ¡°Let it go, Frank. How were we supposed to know.¡± Even Melina showed little care for the execution that was likely about to happen. Likely as a precaution, the door shut trapping the guards in the room with the downed Mortan. Frank approached the glass window once more and peered inside. He could just make out the three guards standing over the man. He remained still and unmoving. Frank looked back to the others. ¡°Hard to say what¡¯s happening, but Andrey doesn¡¯t appear to be moving at all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Melina. ¡°He¡¯s curled up for some reason and doesn¡¯t appear to be responding to anything.¡± An unexpected eruption of aether energy from Andrey¡¯s back hit the warning light above and plunged the whole room into darkness. Frank stepped back uncertain of how best to proceed. ¡°This could be a problem, Charles.¡± ¡°You think we might have to deal with Andrey?¡± ¡°I would hope not,¡± said Melina. ¡°I really liked him, he was a charming man.¡± ¡°You think all men are charming,¡± said Frank. Melina almost looked offended but they each were distracted by the fluctuating light overhead. ¡°That can¡¯t be what I think it is, right?¡± asked Frank. ¡°What actually happened?¡± said Charles folding his arms. ¡°An energy of sorts exploded from Andrey¡¯s spine. And then plunged the chamber into darkness.¡± ¡°You mean to say he possibly breached,¡± added Melina scowling. ¡°That is not good. I hope they are okay in there.¡± The standard lighting for the chamber soon returned after a few more minutes passed and the doors parted. Adam came out first with the other two men behind. He looked flustered but mostly fine. ¡°I saw the light go out, what happened?¡± ¡°Not sure,¡± said Adam. ¡°Your friend just became like dust. I hope you all understand, that we may need to detain you all for a little bit longer. You see nothing like this has ever come up before.¡± Before Melina could mouth off, Frank held up his hands. ¡°We never wanted any trouble, Chief. We¡¯ll comply with everything you need us to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, take them to the detainment centre. Once we¡¯ve cleaned up here, we¡¯ll get to the bottom of whatever just happened¡­¡± The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 3 The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 4 If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 5 If hell was real, Harvey was sure he was in it. The surface of Mars at least had the beginnings of something human but deep within her bowels, the endless cave systems and caverns offered only a quick end. On Earth he¡¯d at least have air to breathe but down here, there was none of that, if something breached his suit, he was done. So every step they took, every wall of rock they broke down had to be a calculated risk. Times like his he zoned out, much easier to run on auto than worry all the damn time. He was part of a small crew escorting a mining drill into another large section. One thing that had stood out since they began uncovering Mars¡¯ hidden wonders was that not all of the tunnels appeared to be natural. He didn¡¯t say it out loud because they¡¯d call him crazy, but he was sure some of it had to be dug out by a machine. The drill continued noisily churning through dirt and rock while the accompanying crew of four watched on to make sure it didn¡¯t get stuck. Soon enough it began making a slow hacking noise and stuttered like it had hit something that wasn¡¯t rock. The driller came to a stop and slowly began edging backwards. He along with the others stepped back to give it all the room it needed. The last thing they wanted was to be crushed by its large rubber wheels. Once it stopped properly, Harvey approached the front of the massive machine and couldn¡¯t mask the shock on his face at the sight of the mangled drill head. The green metal door swung up and hit the driller¡¯s side. The driver, Devin stepped down from the massive driller and joined them in taking in the damage. ¡°It fucked the drill. Things busted.¡± ¡°I can see, what did you hit?¡± he asked. ¡°I think it¡¯s what they¡¯ve had us really burrowing for, Harv! Go take a look yourself, if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Harvey stepped past the man and strode down the full length of the carved-out tunnel. He saw nothing for yards except rock walls and crushed stone. That soon changed once he met the dead end and was greeted by an ominous black wall, definitely not made of rock. The rest of the mining crew had now joined him and neither had the right word for what they were seeing. ¡°We¡¯ll have to breach it,¡± said one of the men, Alex as he approached the black surface he brushed his hand over it. ¡°Didn¡¯t even scratch it,¡± he chuckled. ¡°We could try a plasma charge or two?¡± said Ricardo. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Would it even burn through a wall like this,¡± said Harvey. ¡°I mean that drill is no slouch and you saw the state of it.¡± ¡°We have to try,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we first call this in?¡± asked Samuel. ¡°Probably won¡¯t hurt to,¡± said Harvey folding his arms. ¡°Do we even get a signal down here?¡± ¡°I can use the driller¡¯s radio to transmit to the surface, should reach them, hopefully,¡± said Devin turning away and returning to the driller. ¡°The plasma charges are held in compartments on the side of the driller. We¡¯ll try four for now. If that¡¯s not enough¡­ then it¡¯s time for plan b.¡± For the first time, a report came his way that he had been hoping to receive for a while now. Giovanni had the unfortunate task of keeping track of Mar¡¯s fledgling mining operation. Even just getting set up had proven tricky. He had overseen the tedious task of constructing the dome and then after that, they had to find a means of accessing the body of the planet. Of course, they were after resources but Giovanni knew why Lazarus had sent them here. He remembered the man¡¯s words well when he first met the strange eccentric head of the Lazarus Foundation. ¡°You¡¯re the first man I¡¯ve told who doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m off my rocker,¡± said Lazarus sitting across from Giovanni. His new boss had decided to hold this meeting in his luxury suite in the lunar city. Lazarus¡¯ ambition was something that the rest of humanity seemed to lack, too caught up in their archaic politics to see what was before them¡ªunlimited reach, potential, and a future that lay in a dark, endless forest. He took a sip from his glass of wine and looked at the large window wall that showed the majesty of Earth in a way he had never seen before. ¡°I mean, forgive me, but can you blame them? I¡¯m starting to understand why you hired me though.¡± Lazarus swirled the liquid in his glass. ¡°Few humans have had the fortune to enter the old outposts and most of them remain outside my reach.¡± ¡°Is that your plan? To take control of everything.¡± Lazarus stood up and approached the glass window, he downed his wine and rested his palm on the transparent surface, his right hand appeared to touch the Earth. ¡°If it means ending the Long War, sure.¡± ¡°Then you already know the Long War is functionally over, all eyes now point to you and your operations here. You¡¯ve poached people from both sides. The stick they wield against each other will soon be pointed at you.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I hope to remain ahead.¡± ¡°And that answer lies on Mars?¡± ¡°The Earth is too complicated for me to navigate properly. Most of the sites that belonged to my people are controlled by those who have no idea what they are sitting on. They see technological advancement as an excuse to make crude weapons of war instead of actual progress.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± said Giovanni standing up now. He joined Lazarus. ¡°So you¡¯re expecting this Mars site to be untouched, what are you hoping to find?¡± ¡°Answers.¡± ¡°To what?¡± Lazarus grimaced, ¡°to the scourge that set all of this in motion.¡± The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 6 Not long after receiving the report of locating the alien facility, contact with the miners was lost. Giovanni uncertain of how best to proceed had decided to meet with the Chief of Security to discuss their next move. The Chief, Adam Cain sat at his desk with a viewscreen behind him that looked out onto Mars¡¯ desolate surface. It served as a grim reminder to Giovanni that this planet was never meant for them. The fact they had made it even this far in colonising her had impressed him, and now they had something in their hands the powers back on Earth had spent decades fighting to control. A brief thought crept into his mind. What if the facility connects back to Earth and those bastard powers discover this base? What then? ¡°You¡¯re silence is concerning me, Director.¡± ¡°Sorry, Chief, there¡¯s a lot on my mind right now, I only just heard about what¡¯s happening on the Moon.¡± ¡°Forget about the moon, what about these lost miners? You say their last contact was that they found what we presume to be part of the alien facility we¡¯ve been digging for, is that right?¡± ¡°By all accounts and how it was initially described yes. I also had hoped they would pull back but I guess they were too eager.¡± Adam Cain leaned forward and rested his large fists on the desk. He too looked ready to pop a blood vessel. ¡°Normal circumstances, I¡¯d send other miners in to locate them but these circumstances are no longer normal. It can¡¯t be a coincidence that we find an alien facility right when a Mortan is discovered entering the base.¡± ¡°It probably is, it¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve dealt with Mortans trying to escape from the conflict back home.¡± Adam Cain stood up and walked around his desk to where Giovanni sat. ¡°Either way, I¡¯m not about to sacrifice my men for this, I have some prisoners you''ll be meeting. You¡¯ll brief them on their objective.¡± ¡°The newcomers? You want to send them into the planet so soon.¡± ¡°I want them as far away from the base as possible. And if something were to happen to them while locating our lost men,¡± said Adam shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s no skin off my back¡­ or yours.¡± ¡ª Loud footsteps finally broke the silence and Francis was finally glad to see another face that wasn¡¯t a guard or the testy Chief of Security. This man was different, taller than most with v-shaped black hair. His stare was no less piercing and Francis quickly suspected they weren¡¯t out of the woods yet. He stopped before their cell, straightened up and had his hands behind his back. Francis stopped leaning on the wall and approached the man. ¡°Is this charade finally done? Are you finally going to free us?¡± ¡°I wish I could, but the Chief of Security is indeed of a team for a rescue mission.¡± This caught Charles'' attention and he joined Francis¡¯ side. ¡°Rescue mission? What kind?¡± ¡°A group of miners were lost while digging. They¡¯ve been out of contact for a few hours now.¡± ¡°And you want to send us in, all of us lacking any real experience in that area.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°The first thing you will learn about this place is that you learn on the job.¡± Francis sighed. ¡°If we agree to this job, will we be free?¡± ¡°That is not my decision to make but I can put a good word in with the Chief.¡± The man nodded to the guard on his left and the cell¡¯s barrier disappeared allowing everyone to leave. Melina had been keeping the others company when she approached the now open cell. ¡°Are we free to go Captain?¡± Francis looked at her and shook his head. ¡°Not yet, as a sign of our goodwill, we have to complete our first assignment. ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain on the way,¡± said the newcomer. He turned and began walking. One by one the Black Knight squad fell in behind him with Francis a few steps behind the man. ¡°I should introduce myself at least, I¡¯m Giovanni, I run the mining division and its logistics. I¡¯ll run you through the basics but once you¡¯re in the mines, the rest is up to you.¡± ¡°No problem, I¡¯m Francis, Captain of this little group¡­ Fr the foreseeable it seems. You¡¯ve got Charles, Melina, Echo, and Pyotr. Unfortunately, Andrey was infected with the Mortalis. I had a glimpse into the chamber where the checks were being run and saw some of what became of him.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± asked Giovanni. ¡®Don¡¯t tell him anything that could make him suspicious of us.¡¯ Melina¡¯s prodding of his thoughts was something he would never get used to. ¡°Well that¡¯s the thing, the room went black so I only saw him curl up into a ball and then once the guards were done, he was like dust. Never seen anything like it.¡± ¡°Sounds like degradation, accelerated possibly due to his circumstances.¡± ¡°At least he¡¯s no longer a threat.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said Giovanni. The mining sector began with a dome, but unlike where they came from it looked less attended to and more lived in. Containers were stacked on all sides and Giovanni not uttering a word led them down a meandering series of corridors past various personnel and what looked like a mess area until they reached the very edge of the sector. The two gunmetal grey slowly opened. ¡°This is where I leave you. You¡¯ll find your suits in the locker. The next set of doors will lead you to the garage.¡± Francis chuckled. ¡°At least we¡¯re not going on foot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be watching your progress from this sector¡¯s control room, good luck.¡± He turned and headed back the way they came. Now that they were alone and able to suit up, Charles turned to face Francis. ¡°Honestly, not what I expected my first job to be on Mars. The last thing we want to do is rescue some lost miners.¡± ¡°If they found a piece of an alien facility, then we could have trouble. The longer we leave them¡­ there¡¯s no-¡± Melina flew back into one of the other members, Pyotr. He managed to turn in time and stop her from falling. ¡°Everything okay, Comrade?¡± ¡°Nothing just some static buildup. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°We should run a diagnostics on your suit, just in case,¡± said Echo. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, I assure you,¡± she said looking to Francis. ¡°I¡¯m good to go.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said a voice over the comms system. ¡°Her suit still has integrity and seeing as how you are all suited and ready to go. Please proceed,¡± said Giovanni. The door behind them turned red, locking them in while the one in front opened into a large garage and storage area. On the right were cargo containers, while to their left was something none of them expected to see this far from Earth. Francis ran across the metal walkway to take in the full size of the beastly machine. ¡°A goddamn crawler, this far from Earth.¡± ¡°The crawler¡¯s good at navigating Mars'' inhospitable environment. It¡¯ll get you to the mine entrance.¡± ¡°The last time I saw one of these was in some blasted desert back on Earth. Makes a change, Captain. To finally be able to pilot one,¡± said Charles. That was when Echo stepped forward. ¡°Actually since I¡¯m the only registered pilot. If anyone is driving her, it¡¯s going to me.¡± Charles looked down at the woman and folded his arms. ¡°What does being a pilot have to do with driving a walker.¡± ¡°They have similar functions. Do you even know where the on button is?¡± ¡°She¡¯s got you there,¡± said Melina. ¡°Fine, Echo can drive there but I¡¯m bringing her back.¡± ¡°Fine by me,¡± said Echo. ¡°Now get in everyone, sooner we get there and find those miners. The sooner we can get back and put our feet up for a change!" She was right about that. So far the mission had gone sideways but Francis was nothing if not adaptable. He had to prove to Cain he could be trusted then maybe that would get the man off their backs. One can only dream. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 7 Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 8 The way down to where the miners had last been meant a meandering slog through narrow rocky tunnels, open caverns and steep declines. The other miners barely gave them attention and Francis preferred it that way. Most of the team stuck close to him but Melina had been lagging behind the whole way. He couldn¡¯t shake that something was off with her. She was normally on the ball and aware of her surrenders, he had never seen her zone out like that before. Maybe what happened to Andrey is finally sinking in, or maybe like the rest of them she¡¯s regretting ever being involved in this stupid scheme. What does the Black Conglomerate even care about this rock anyway? The Moon I get but Mars isn¡¯t exactly a paradise, but everything has worked out for the big guy at the top so far. James must know something we don''t, that elusive bastard. While being careful not to let the others out of his sight, he dropped back to Melina¡¯s side. ¡°Something¡¯s got you rattled what is it?¡± ¡°What if this facility is like the ones back home?¡± she asked. ¡°Meaning.¡± ¡°The seeds of the Mortalis were able to spread because we unsealed them. What if that happens here too.¡± Normally, he would agree with her, but with how Mars looked above and below, he doubted the seed would grow. ¡°Even if that were possible, the seed would need water or something else to help it to grow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like the others lacked hydroponics. The aliens that made these facilities intended to stay a long time.¡± ¡°I get you¡¯re paranoid, Melina, but this place has been abandoned for years, so the chance of any monster surviving here is slim. Still, we have this tracker. It pings when we¡¯re close to something. I highly doubt we¡¯ll see anything red, and just think, once we¡¯re done, we can take a break and then figure out how to execute the plan.¡± ¡°I feel like that ship has long since sailed, you could have seized control the minute we left the ship.¡± Francis shook his head. ¡°That might seem obvious and I considered it for a brief moment, but we can¡¯t run this base by ourselves. The only way we¡¯re winning here is by playing the l0ng game. Once we have their trust, then we can strike at them.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Melina looked past Francis and was relieved the others had travelled a little bit faster. ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t talk like this, the team might get the wrong idea about us.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ we should really catch up, they¡¯re probably wondering where we are.¡± The tracker made it easy to catch up with the rest of the group, and Charles saw their approach. ¡°I thought you two got lost.¡± ¡°Sorry for lagging behind,¡± said Melina. ¡°I don¡¯t do caves.¡± ¡°None of us really do,¡± said Charles. ¡°Anyway Echo thinks we¡¯re close, the last place they had contact with the miners. It should be just down there.¡± He pointed to a slope that led down into a cavern. In the centre of the room was a large drill with no one nearby. ¡°So they abandoned the drill then,¡± said Pyotr walking up alongside the back of it. He soon stopped near the front and waited for the others to catch him. ¡°That drill head¡¯s seen better days.¡± ¡°Could that really have broken the facility¡¯s wall?¡± Melina asked folding her arms. ¡°It must have unless there¡¯s another entrance,¡± said Charles. They continued into the narrow carved-out tunnel left by the drill. It soon reached a dead end that at least confirmed what they already knew. ¡°Why would they risk going inside?¡± Echo asked. ¡°Curiosity, probably.¡± ¡°The drill didn¡¯t do this either, the wall was too tough. See those scorch marks,¡± said Melina. Francis nodded. ¡°They must have a death wish.¡± ¡°So, boss, it''s your call to make. You want to enter the beast.¡± Francis gritted his teeth together and sighed. ¡°We have a job to do.¡± ¡°Just wanted to make sure you know what you¡¯re in for with these things. They say when Stonehenge was first explored. It wasn¡¯t as empty as people had expected it to be.¡± Melina side eyed, Francis. ¡°You told me nothing could survive in these places.¡± Francis stepped forward and poked his head into the alien facility, the dark gloom that hung over the black metal flooring had him on edge. ¡°The Mortalis are the most persistent thing humans have ever encountered. They thrive in the dark, not saying we¡¯ll find any but you can never be too careful,¡± he said stepping inside. This was his first time entering such a facility. It had a soft hum to it like it was alive and calling out to him from deep within. From the corner of his eye, a figure drifted around the corner, it looked and had the shape of a woman. It reminded him of someone he knew back home. He shook his head and gestured for the others to enter. ¡°Let¡¯s find these miners, the less time we spend in some alien tomb. The better.¡± No one objected to that. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 9 Away from the camp¡¯s fire, the night¡¯s chill found its way to her. She stood resting against the side of the mechanic''s tent. Inside, her father was hard at work finishing repairs. She steadied herself and opened the flap stepping into the musty cramped space. The massive armoured truck took up much of the tent and her father was somewhere beneath it. ¡°Carly is that you?¡± ¡°Yeah, need something.¡± ¡°I need you to turn the key in the ignition, let me know what happens.¡± She approached the vehicle and opened the driver''s side door. She twisted the key, and the ailing beast only managed to splutter. ¡°Damn fuel pump, knew we should have got it replaced at that last stop. Thanks.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± she said. ¡°The others were wondering when you were going to join us.¡± ¡°Soon, I promise. You know how it is, the sooner this is fixed, the sooner I don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t be here all night. Even you need some sleep, Dad.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re sounding like your mother!¡± Carly rolled her eyes and left the tent and trudged someways across the dry dirt until she reached the large campfire. Someone with large shoulders saw and moved to give her space on the end. Before a word escaped her lips a bowl was put in front of her. She cocked her head at this. Normally it¡¯s got a bunch of meats and stuff this is just black. She looked at the man who had given her it. He ate greedily, and the strange sludge found a way to latch onto his thick beard. As the tip of the bowl reached her lips, something else caught her eye: two faces among her family that didn¡¯t belong. Her eyes widened in recognition. Francis, and Melina. How are those two here? I didn¡¯t meet them until much later. ¡°Eat up, girl. We¡¯ll be up early tomorrow. No one likes to work on an empty stomach.¡± Francis slowly shook his head at her. What does that even me, Captain? Say something. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± The question sounded normal enough, but its deep reverberation put her on edge. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± she said. She put the bowl down and looked up to see her nomad family staring at her with black in their eyes. We¡¯re your family now. We were always your family. We always will be.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. She jumped her feet and backed away. She ran back to the sanctuary of her father¡¯s tent and found him facing away from her, a dripping black coat over his calloused and rough hands. ¡°You don¡¯t turn down a gift, Carly. That¡¯s not what I taught you.¡± The man¡¯s neck cracked as he turned to face her, the strange substance dribbling down the edges of his lips. ¡°You will join us, everything is destined to join us. You will never feel alone again.¡± Something grabbed her shoulder and she almost panicked but a hand across her mouth silenced her. She was pulled out in the night and was met by both Francis and Melina. ¡°Francis, is that really you?¡± ¡°Yeah, Echo, turns out Melina can tell when she¡¯s in a mind trap.¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated, it overwhelmed us as soon as we entered the facility. Some kind of mental trap designed to keep people down here,¡± he said. ¡°That black sludge?¡± ¡°The Mortis fruit probably. Hard to tell where we are in relation to this dream. Melina can¡¯t break out of it yet. We¡¯re probably sleepwalking if that makes sense.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t this happen once we got to the Moon?¡± asked Carly. ¡°Yeah, but that was just hallucinations and hearing voices. This on the other hand is powerful psionics.¡± ¡°I would say it''s an Obelisk causing it. Probably a massive one too if it can trap people in a mental prison,¡± said Melina. ¡°How did you even find me?¡± Melina looked to Francis for help. Francis revealed he still held the tracker. It showed them on its screen he then gestured to their surroundings. ¡°What do you see right now, Echo?¡± ¡°My camp from before I joined up with the Black Knights. Why what do you see?¡± ¡°Well put simply. I¡¯m at base training recruits and Melina is back home in Russia.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re both here.¡± ¡°Yes, and you are with us,¡± said Francis. Echo began rubbing her forehead. ¡°How do we escape or find the others?¡± ¡°We stick together and keep walking, imagine you¡¯re lucid dreaming if that helps.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Echo. Out of everything so far that had happened to her this was definitely the weirdest. It made her wonder what the others were seeing as they walked alongside each other and how each dream synced up like this. It was all so alien. From her side of things, they walked until they reached a small abandoned town. The road much like the various buildings had all begun to fall into disrepair. ¡°I¡¯m in a town,¡± she said. ¡°Same,¡± said Melina. The two looked to Francis. ¡°Desert. Just desert. It¡¯s hot though. I keep seeing oases with black lakes. The fruit is calling to me.¡± ¡°Keep fighting it,¡± said Melina. ¡°There has to be some way of breaking free of its hold on us.¡± Echo looked from one ominous ruin to the next. She saw a ruined bar on the left, and far up the road she saw something a little more odd. A large black box. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here, but I do see a large box.¡± ¡°Same.¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed,¡± Francis said. ¡°Just endless sand as far as the eye can see¡­ wait I see it too. A box.¡± ¡°I want to believe that is a good sign but it most likely means it knows we¡¯re aware of the trap,¡± said Melina. ¡°So we enter the box then?¡± asked Echo. Melina looked to Francis for his wisdom. He just shrugged at her. ¡°I don¡¯t see any other option. If it gets us closer to escaping this place, we have to try it.¡± The black edifice stood in contrast to the town around her, its walls towered high above everything else and yet the door to enter was at the height she would expect. ¡°We should at least do this together.¡± Neither disagreed and on the count of three opened the door revealing the same sight. Pitch-black darkness. ¡°Still want to go in, Captain.¡± ¡°Do you have a better idea? Mel.¡± ¡°I wish.¡± The three of them were soon swallowed by the darkness. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 10 The darkness persisted for a little longer until a blue light illuminated their surroundings. The three of them were standing in a massive chamber. The metal architecture that surrounded them was distinctly alien, bending and contorting itself into various states. Some of the walls were also coated in brown, fungal-like biomass, and growing from it were strange reddish leaves with sanguine-looking pears that looked larger than they would be on Earth. In the centre of the room, and surrounded by three of the lost miners was a large oval-shaped obelisk. Unlike the metal and fungi coverage that made up much of the room, this appeared to have been carved from stone but the black colour matched nothing that indicated it was from Mars. At the foot of it extending in various directions were also the roots of the fungi. ¡°This was shaped by the mind,¡± said Melina standing before it. Francis pressed her on this. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a stone made from the Aether.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s possible how?¡± Melina looked his way. ¡°The aether can be drawn out and shaped, given enough time it can become as solid as crystal and burdened with all manner of properties.¡± ¡°Is that what caused us to hallucinate?¡± asked Echo crouching down next to one of the miners. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible,¡± said Melina. ¡°And don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know what this is, Frank.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Francis approached a miner who was propped up by the black structure. ¡°I know what it is, I just didn¡¯t know how they got made.¡± ¡°Just be careful not to touch it or anything else in here. This thing''s been here for centuries, there''s no telling what psychic power is contained within it.¡± Francis looked closely but made sure not to touch it. ¡°I can see plenty of alien symbols but nothing else. Nothing to indicate a power source.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t need one. It being of the Aether is enough.¡± Francis noted her arm twitching towards the black obelisk, whatever influence it held over her, she could not be allowed to remain close to it for much longer. He didn¡¯t want to take any chances that it could turn her feral. And with the Sanguis fruit in the mix, there was no telling what that would do to her either. Echo stood up and gestured for him to come over. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this, it¡¯s like they¡¯re catatonic.¡± Francis found himself agreeing with her. The miner lay facing upward, his mouth open and his eyes glazed over. All he could see was the white of their eyes. They looked ghostly pale. ¡°The real question is, why did it break our illusion? Did it know we were together?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± said Echo. ¡°More importantly, how do we get these guys out of here safely without causing anyone else to be ensnared.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to radio for backup and see what other support vehicles they have. Melina, you got that? We¡¯re falling back to the drill then heading topside to contact the base.¡± A few minutes passed with no response and Francis finally turned away from the downed miner. Melina was now within touching distance of the black aether-made surface. He ran over and got between her and the tall structure. ¡°Melina, snap of it, we¡¯re leaving,¡± he said placing two hands on her shoulder. She met his concerned gaze and tilted her head a little. ¡°It didn¡¯t say you could leave yet. The Feast is about to begin.¡± Once more, the darkness of the True Eye Obelisk overwhelmed his vision, and for the first time, he noticed something in that darkness. A glowing red pulse and an insatiable hunger. The Sanguis called to him. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 11 The bitter cold clung to her thick, tattered coat as her heavy breaths fogged the air ahead of her. A big, hairy hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality and she turned to see someone, dressed in green, Soviet military gear that looked barely held together at the seams. They were saying something to her, but it sounded muted and distant. Her brain kept playing the same scenes before her eyes, a fire sweeping across the village and monsters wearing big bulky metal suits that tore through anyone that came close. The ones still alive told her to run and here she was, now at the edges of the town¡ªa blaze at her back and a darkness beckoning her forward. ¡°Eva - Are you listening? You can¡¯t stay here. If they find you.¡± She looked at the man. His bushy beard and heavy-set eyes showed the same fear that had carried her to this point, but even if she embraced the darkness, they would still find her. It was not a matter of if but when. ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡± The man got down to her level and took hold of her thick, but still a little holey gloves. ¡°We all are. Sometimes you have to be brave, even when it seems impossible.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with me?¡± The man rose to his full height and shouldered his Mosin¨CNagant, directing it back to the burning village. ¡°Someone must face those demons.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°It is by the Maxim¡¯s will that I stand here now, child. Now go. I will buy you as much time as I can.¡± She didn¡¯t need to be told twice and began running. Soon enough she was enveloped by the thick tree line and when her hand touched one tree, something happened. Instead of feeling rough bark, or even snow. The cold was metallic and when she looked around her, she was surrounded by a thick, viscous fog and tubes full of liquid. Close by each one, were something akin to trees but these were blackened and leafless, its long branches reaching out to her. She blinked and was once more surrounded by endless wood and falling snow. She burst into a run but found her boots sinking wherever she stepped. Her feet became increasingly numb, the further away she got. A shot ringing out into the night made her stop dead. Two more followed and then silence returned. She ran a little further before taking cover behind a tree and tried to calm herself in the hopes it would stop the dizziness. ¡°Eva, it¡¯s over, Eva. You can come out now,¡± said a deep, gravelly voice some distance away. ¡°You can¡¯t outrun me.¡± She could certainly try. She flew from her cover and ran in a diagonal direction. She would only get so far before a large shoulder collided with her back and she hit the nearest tree. This broke her vision, as steam from the mesh-like floor blinded her. With her back to one of those strange trees. The monster before her was different now. Not the Dogs of the German war machine, but a man trapped between his suit and the creature taking over him. ¡°They sent you here to bring us home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one of the miners,¡± she spat and looked for an escape. ¡°There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. They¡¯ve been waiting a long time for us.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The old masters.¡± She had heard enough and mustered what strength she had left to keep pushing forward. I need a way out of this room, there has to be one. The two worlds blurred together, metal and wooden hell as she recalled that night she fled the dogs of the German army. They had left none alive, torching anything they could. She never even learned the soldier¡¯s name. Damn it, Eva now is not the time to be saddled with regrets!This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. No matter which way she went, the result was row upon row of strange tubes and trees. Some bore fruit, others barren. It now sank in just what type of trees they were. The corruptions of the Mortalis had consumed this alien facility, and now it sought to claim her too. She pushed on, aimlessly and raised a shaking hand to touch the button on her suit that would reconnect her to others in her team through an inbuilt radio, instead, the creature that stalked her every move uttered a series of gurgling laughs. She ceased trying and with tears rolling down her cheek pushed on. A blur coming at her side caught her by the throat and slammed her against the glass case. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be afraid anymore. You came here to save us, now let us repay you.¡± The Mortan lifted her with ease using its right claw and held her struggling body against the tree. It had biomechanical additions on its left arm that now came to life. The tube-like blade that came down from the elbow and to its wrist soon punctured her chest. A pain came first and she cried out, but then even she was silenced by a tidal wave of voices¡­ so many voices. They¡¯ve been waiting for someone. They¡¯ve been waiting for us, all this time. Primordalis.
He sat in sobering silence, flanked by other mourners. Some were family, while others had simply come to pay their respect. The war had left them broken and what lay ahead was an uncertain and shakey union with Lenin now at the helm. The word had already reached them of events elsewhere. While the Russians fought amongst themselves, the West had begun to shift too. As the Great War carried on without them, whispers spread of revolution, from Great Britain to the other European powers. He didn¡¯t know what to believe with hands folded together he dreamed of peace. Soon enough it came his time to pay his respects. He stood up, straightened his suit jacket and made his way to the open casket. He stopped before it, in a muffled silence. This was the first time he noticed that the hairs on the back of his neck were standing and looking back over his shoulder, something felt dreamlike about his surroundings. It looks too perfect. The faces of every other mourner were also well hidden and their features were each too difficult to discern. Part of him wanted to believe the reason they all hid was because they were all blank. He shook his head and faced the casket once more. There was no scent of death at least. It actually looked quite serene. He brushed his hand over the wood and tilted his head. His eyes stung as the metal before blurred in and out of focus. That was when he looked into the casket and saw the dead man for the first time. I don¡¯t even know you. Are you even human? The body looked too tall and thin, while the head was more angular at the chin. The skin looked smooth and unblemished. Before he knew it he was reaching inside. The dark eyes opened and the hand, with three digits instead of five, seized his wrist. Memories not of his own flood his vision and the funeral was replaced by endless steel, steam and various apparatus. The casket lay before him. Except it wasn¡¯t a casket. It was a cryosleep pod. He was Savin, and as to not be a burden to the other researchers, it would now be his time to sleep until eventually he would be needed once more to swap with someone else. A hand rose and he grabbed it sharing with the newly awoken all he had learned so far. Once they were out of the pod, it was his time to climb into the clear, cool liquid. He closed his eyes and entered a tranquil state while the lid sealed. To dream of our glorious future. ¡®Glorious future?¡¯ Pytor questioned staggering backwards as the hand went limp and flopped back into the now dirty-looking liquid. ¡®How long has it been?¡¯ he asked out loud and then paused. ¡®A different tongue, and¡­¡¯ he looked down and saw the strange suit he now wore. Pyotr found the nearest reflective surface he could and looked at himself in it awhile. ¡®I am no longer, Nirikiri. The dreamlink¡­ I overwhelmed him. He¡¯s not dead in here - sleeping- perhaps?¡¯ Pyotr rotated around the room. What had once been carefully maintained equipment, had begun to falter and flicker. Some of the walls had strange fungal growths on them and the light of the room had dimmed significantly. It had never been this dark before. He put a gloved hand to his covered head and wondered how this new body would feel and why it required such insulation. Incapable of breathing without assistance. He moved his hand further back and noted something cylindrical on the back. Tank of sort? For breathing. Fascinating, but inefficient. ¡®Where is everyone?¡¯ he asked again out loud. ¡®Wait, that nightmare I had. It spoke to me from the darkness. It called itself Truth. Only Truth.¡¯ Pyotr stumbled forward, his mind a flurry of different thoughts and ideas. As a Nirikiri he had never done a full transplant like this into another body, but now he had questions. What happened in the intervening years since he went to sleep? And more importantly¡­ Why had their thousand-year experiment shown up to greet him? The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 12 Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 13 ¡°Still no updates from Luna Command?¡± Asked Anya. ¡°You mean, Hermes? No. Nothing since we first asked for more information regarding our new arrivals,¡± said Ross who had put his feet up. ¡°The lockdown can''t be still in effect right?¡± Anya began using the console and opened up the transmission from her side, attempting to connect with Hermes. ¡°It can''t hurt to chase it up,¡± she said. Ross nodded, put on his headset, and waited for the connection to be accepted. Time ticked by until eventually, someone accepted their call. ¡°This is Luna Command, sorry for the long wait, Frontier Red. Things have only got worse since you last called us.¡± ¡°Any progress with learning who our new arrivals are?¡± asked Anya. ¡°That¡¯s a negative -¡± Sudden static made it hard to hear the speaker. ¡°When the lockdown was lifted, something had happened to those inside their bunkers. They¡¯ve -¡± The sound of crackling in both their ears had them staring at each other. Ross¡¯ fingers curled inward as the voice cut through the static. ¡°Most of those within Lazarus are now contaminated. There¡¯s nothing much more we can do for you. You¡¯re on your own regarding your new arrivals. Luna Command out.¡± The connection and Ross took off the headset, swearing. ¡°It has to be the Mortalis.¡± ¡°I can only imagine what¡¯s happening on the Moon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go report this to Cain. He¡¯s not going to like this.¡± ¡°Still no word from the miners or Black Knight?¡± asked Cain sitting at his desk. ¡°No, Outpost One attempted contact via Aether transmission but no one is responding. We have the weapons, maybe a more direct approach is necessary.¡± Cain put the tips of his fingers together and looked past the small holo-projection of Giovanni to the rest of the Security Operations Centre. The place was a hive of activity, as his people managed the day-to-day running of the facility, from resource gathering to disputes. Some days were mercifully quieter than others but with recent happenings on the Moon. He had some of his people try and figure out what was going on. ¡°I would rather not lose more men. We¡¯ll prep another smaller team to go only as far as the entrance. It could just be because of how deep they are that communication is difficult.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Aether comms aren¡¯t exactly known to struggle at depths.¡± ¡°I still would rather not commit men to what was already become an expensive expedition.¡± Giovanni chuckled. ¡°Now you¡¯re starting to sound like the Overseer.¡± Cain cracked a smile.¡°I¡¯ll be in touch, Gio. Keep me updated if things change.¡± Before Cain could relax another familiar face appeared outside of his office. The communications officer, Ross had the look of a man possessed. Cain pressed the button on his desk that allowed the glass door to slide open. He stepped in and Cain gestured for him to take a seat in the black chair opposite. ¡°Had a feeling you would come with an update.¡± ¡°Luna Command got back to us.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯ve been compromised. Whatever happened after the lockdown, it led to people being infected with the Mortalis.¡± Cain sat forward. ¡°That puts us in an extra tricky position. The Moon was our primary means of importing resources. If it¡¯s lost, things could become quite dire over here.¡± ¡°I think the Black Knight group were connected.¡± ¡°Same, but you needn¡¯t worry about them, they are currently preoccupied with something deep below us.¡± Ross straightened at that. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing to concern you. There is only one other matter I need to talk to you about.¡± ¡°What is that? Chief.¡± ¡°For wasting the Overseer¡¯s time, he wasn¡¯t too happy about it.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll be written up?¡± Cain shook his head. ¡°No, that would be silly. My concerns relate to the shifting balance of power. Look around this sector, how many do you truly think are aligned with Lazarus? We have people from all walks of life here.¡± ¡°You think once word spreads, we¡¯ll be pitted against each other.¡± ¡°The Private Sector only cares about its investment, the people not so much. Honestly, I¡¯ve long thought Raine was a bit directionless.¡± ¡°So-¡± ¡°When the time comes, Ross. I want to know I can count on you.¡± ¡°Of course, Chief. Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± ¡°Good, keep an eye on your colleague for me, too will you? She¡¯s not all that she seems.¡± Ross leant forward at that. ¡°She seems pretty normal.¡± ¡°Oh she probably is, but she¡¯s working with them, the ones who set this ball in motion. If she does anything out of the ordinary, let me know.¡± ¡°I will, sir.¡± ¡°Good, you¡¯re dismissed.¡± The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 14 The man he knew as Pyotr stepped into the dark room with him and despite the bulky suit, he now carried himself more majestically than anyone from his team. Charles wasn¡¯t sure how best to tackle this situation since he was without a weapon or backup. What had started as a simple recovery mission had gone far off the rails and, with the others unaccounted for, he was alone with a man possessed by an ancient alien conscious. ¡°So Savin, is he just asleep inside you, or did you fully supplant him?¡± ¡°I wish I could give you the answer you want to hear. It¡¯s not so simple. Who are you? And why do you trespass here?¡± ¡°Look inside his memories.¡± ¡°Perhaps he is still alive inside me, as I am drawing a - how would you say, blank?¡± ¡°We had been sent down into this godforsaken place to rescue some miners. I knew we might run into some problems, but none like this.¡± ¡°You were at least smart enough not to come alone,¡± said Savin, looking disdainfully around the room. ¡°The fungi, what is it? What is the Mortalis?¡± ¡°Something you¡¯ll get to know soon enough, I imagine.¡± Savin approached the ruined obstacle and crouched down, almost being able to touch it, but he recoiled back and looked at Charles. ¡°While I slept, I dreamed. I dreamed of my people¡¯s screams. Is this what they became?¡± ¡°How should I know?¡± asked Charles. ¡°Savin, you¡¯re coming with me topside. We¡¯ll get one of Cain¡¯s men to run a trace on you, and see if we can save Pyotr from whatever this is.¡± The man laughed. ¡°You think I would surrender willingly?¡± ¡°Or would you rather stay here with the remains of those you once knew?¡± Savin swallowed anxiously, staring at the dark gloop that coated the walls and floor. ¡°Lead on Charles. I presume you know where you¡¯re going.¡± ¡°You think it''s that easy? That totem I destroyed. It gets inside your head and makes you see things. No telling how deep we are inside this facility,¡± Charles said, using his wrist-mounted suit control to switch on his shoulder lights. That at least illuminated some of the room. It really has been thoroughly consumed by Mortalis. ¡°You know, since you know this place better than me, how about you lead Savin?¡± Savin rolled his eyes and took point, though Charles could sense the man¡¯s palpable fear. And no wonder, not every day you wake to your home being turned into a hive and your people turned into monsters. The bowl of black fluid was almost to his lips when the illusion broke and he was standing once more before the giant obelisk. Except this time he, Melina, and Echo had their hands pressed against it. At their feet, the miners previously entranced appeared to regain consciousness. Francis stepped back from the eldritch structure and looked to Melina for answers. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would just let us go, right?¡± ¡°It just did, I¡¯ve never felt the greater presence shift its focus so - aggressively.¡± ¡°Could it relate to events on the moon?¡± asked Echo also stepping back. ¡°Possibly, I don¡¯t want to wait around for it to ensnare us, we¡¯re leaving this place and telling the Overseer to bury it!¡± Melina shook her head at the suggestion. ¡°You know that¡¯s not how this works, Frank.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still worth trying. If we can¡¯t last down here, I don¡¯t see how anyone else can.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying he won¡¯t listen to reason. No one does when faced with all this technology.¡± ¡°We can discuss this later. For now, let¡¯s check on these three. It seems they¡¯ve been released too. A bit convenient, don¡¯t you think?¡± The three miners that had once been lying down were now standing, and each of them had a look of immediate confusion. ¡°What happened to us?¡± asked the middle one. ¡°You were caught in the Obelisk¡¯s snare, but it¡¯s let you go,¡± Francis said as he side-eyed Melina. ¡®If it¡¯s what I think you''re asking, no, I don¡¯t sense the mutation in them.¡¯This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®So we can take them topside.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t see why not. The problem is, I doubt we can all fit in the crawler.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll see if the outpost has a spare transport parked up.¡¯ ¡°They sent you to find us, then.¡± ¡°Yeah, and we got a lot more than we bargained for,¡± said Echo, folding her arms. ¡°There were others with us, too. Did you find them?¡± asked the left miner. Francis shook his head. ¡°Not yet. We kind of got split up from our main group. I hope they aren¡¯t too far away.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just follow you then,¡± said the same miner. Eva dragged herself back to her feet. A cold, numbing sensation traversed her being as the oozing brown amorphous fluid appeared to integrate with her suit. The two stood idle beside her until one helped her stand without even giving her a chance to protest. I''m still alive? No. She shook her head and put her gloved hand to where the monster had punctured her suit. It had simply laid claim to her. Even as she stood there, she could feel the other two¡¯s mental presence overpower her own individual thoughts, pushing her down until the darkness claimed her. In her place, the newly formed symbiote would pilot her and she would be nothing more than a passenger in her own body. The two miners led the way, drawn by the other presence, corrupted by individual will and the machinations of the inheritors. While they were aware of her, the three True Mortans made sure to camouflage their own minds, existing in an isolated bubble while their symbiote resembled the original organ it had once been. By the time they rounded the corner, the other group was caught completely off guard. Thanks to Eva joining them, they knew who had been sent to recover them. The man was Francis, and the two women were Melina and Echo. Melina was the corrupted Mortalis, a manmade weapon cut off from the True Mind. We will change that. Francis did little to hide the relief on his face. ¡°Eva, we thought we lost you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Frank, and as you can see, I¡¯ve found two other miners.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re missing one,¡± said Harvey. ¡°There were six of us.¡± Francis looked at Melina. He knew, all along! ¡°It¡¯s possible they are with Charles. He¡¯s the only one on our side unaccounted for.¡± ¡°If they found us, maybe he will too,¡± she answered. ¡°Maybe, but we can¡¯t stay down here. That presence is still gnawing at my mind,¡± said Samuel. The now larger group attempted to navigate the labyrinthian alien tomb, but the strange architecture bled together, from Mortalis fungus and spreading symbiote bio-matter, the metal structure bent and warped reactively to their presence, like the metal itself also had life in it. The ancient Nirikiri had not slacked on defending their home from intrusion. Once you get in, they won''t let you leave. After walking in what felt like circles, the group soon came across the missing two members of Black Knight. One was the frustrated-looking Charles. His mind signalled something was annoying him. The other was Pyotr, except his behaviour and posture indicated something else. Francis said with a single hand gesture, ¡°glad you¡¯re both okay. We have found all but one miner.¡± ¡°I killed him,¡± Charles spat. ¡°Bastard was infected. It¡¯s a miracle they aren¡¯t too.¡± Melina then spoke up, ¡°we aim to keep it that way, Charles. We¡¯re trying to find a way out, but it¡¯s looking quite hopeless. This facility conspires to keep us here.¡± Pyotr stepped forward, arms still resting behind his back. He had an unnatural presence about it. Like he was a different man. ¡°That¡¯s how we kept prisoners. Breakaways would soon find that nowhere in our facilities was safe, the walls see and hear all.¡± ¡°Excuse me, did he just say our?¡± said one of the miners. Charles just shook his head and shrugged. ¡°Long story, Frank, Pyotr is possessed by - I¡¯ll let him explain.¡± ¡°It better be good.¡± Peter smiled. ¡°I am Savin, formerly Nirikiri, now human. Your friend is sleeping within me.¡± Just like Eva sleeps within me. The two of them are caught in different dreams and neither will likely wake. Francis balled his fist. ¡°What are you? Some kind of Mortan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to believe this, Frank. He¡¯s one of the guys that ran this place before we even existed. Pyotr came across him napping.¡± ¡°When we get back to base, we¡¯ll have to run some tests. At least most of us are accounted for and that¡¯s all we came here for. Let them worry about what becomes of this place,¡± Francis said. ¡°You - Savin, can you lead us out of here?¡± ¡°Of course, not a problem. I wish to better understand what has changed in the intervening years.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Cain is going to love him,¡± said Echo, managing a smile. ¡°Yeah, I bet,¡± added Charles. Pyotr took the lead and, as promised, he led them to the exit hole. He baulked at it. ¡°You apes blew a hole in the facility, you compromised it!¡± ¡°How else were we supposed to enter, Savin?¡± Melina asked. The man struggled to keep his anger in check. ¡°Using the entrance lift, of course.¡± ¡°Like we knew where to find it, we burrowed our way down here.¡± ¡°How very human, even when presented with something easy, you make it difficult,¡± Pyotr said with some amount of disgust. Once everyone had passed through the breach, only Eva and Francis were left. He had insisted on being the last one out. He put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Nothing happened while you were separated, did it, Eva?¡± ¡°No, sir. Had a bit of a scare, but I think that was just the hallucinations. That place gets inside your head even without something eldritch poking at your brain.¡± He scrutinised her face and looked down at her miner suit. ¡°Well, get going then. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± Soon enough, the facility¡¯s corrupted walls were replaced by rock and stone. As the group climbed back to the surface, they passed miners going to and from shift. ¡°I¡¯ll radio to the outpost and make sure they have a spare ride. The Crawler isn¡¯t exactly built to hold that many passengers.¡± ¡°Crawler?¡± asked Pyotr. ¡°Is he stopping you from seeing his memories?¡± Melina asked. ¡°Somewhat.¡± ¡°Then I guess you¡¯ll be in for quite a surprise once we¡¯re topside. For you, this will be the first you left the facility, right?¡± ¡°Now that you put it that way¡­¡± Pyotr¡¯s voice trailed off. Eva stopped focusing on them because she couldn¡¯t shake the fact she was being watched and still, behind her, still ever suspicious, was the leader of the Black Knights, Francis. I just need to play it safe and not do anything to upset him, besides even he can¡¯t hope to stop what comes next. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 15 The way back was quieter now, no stories shared, just a shared sense of dread that was all too palpable for Francis. Nothing seemed right about any of this. He had considered giving the order to kill the miners and bury them out in the barren plains of Mars, chalk it up as a lost cause, much to the likely reprimand of Security Chief Cain, but as Melina said, they showed no signs of Mortalis infection. Except for the one that Charles said he had killed. ¡°The miner you killed. How did he look and how did you kill him?¡± ¡°Like any newly converted, he showed the early signs of the infection. As for how I killed him, well, I encountered one of those True Eye obelisks. You know, big monolith-type thing shaped like an open eye at the top.¡± ¡°You used the obelisk?¡± ¡°I had to pull it on top of him, took some effort. It did the trick, though.¡± Francis¡¯ eyebrows twitched as he ruminated on this. ¡°Melina, can those structures induce infection?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of. A big enough one would definitely have a stronger degradation signal. You think we¡¯re being deceived?¡± she asked. Francis leaned forward and looked at the others of Black Knight, except for Eva, who had elected to drive the miner transport. ¡°One thing is clear: it let us go. When we get back, I want everyone on guard and ready for anything. One thing¡¯s for sure: we aren¡¯t out of the woods yet.¡± ¡°And what about me?¡± Pyotr asked suddenly. His sternness brought Francis back to the next issue he would have to handle. Honestly, the man was already quiet enough as it is, so his silence here didn¡¯t surprise Francis, but his possession by an alien, he didn¡¯t know what to make of it. ¡°That¡¯ll be up to Cain.¡± ¡°The Chief of Security¡­ And if he deems me a threat?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t protect you from him. You¡¯ll just have to make yourself valuable to him.¡± ¡°I am an alien mind. Why wouldn¡¯t I be valuable?¡± ¡°We humans aren¡¯t exactly the definition of rational, Savin. I¡¯ll vouch for you, but no funny business.¡± ¡°I had no plans. I¡¯m curious to see what you¡¯ve made of yourselves in our long absence.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll probably not even compare,¡± said Charles, laughing. ¡°We barely understand your technology as it is.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it fortunate your friend found me?¡± The question is then, Savin. What are you hoping to gain from controlling Pyotr? If you somehow survive this, where will you go I wonder? If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The Processing Sector of the Medical Dome had never been on this high an alert as most of their patients were often injured miners or those prone to more easily treated illnesses. A quarantine had been ordered to be established to welcome back the lost miners and the team that had been sent to recover them. Those involved knew it was serious since the Chief of Security himself had shown up to oversee the return. ¡°We have both airlocks prepped and are ready to receive the new arrivals.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Cain. ¡°I want the miners sectioned off in Ward B and the other group in C.¡± ¡°Both Wards are set up for the handling of a certain kind of infection. Do you suspect they may be infected with the Mortalis?¡± the Doctor asked. ¡°Not necessarily, but you can never be too careful.¡± Cain watched the airlock cycle as the first group entered; the miners and plus one. He cocked his head. She hadn¡¯t been all that noticeable when she arrived, but there was no doubt in his mind the woman with the miners was one of the new arrivals. Cain swallowed back his apprehension and approached the communication console. He pressed a button on it that engaged the intercom system. ¡°You there. You¡¯re supposed to be processed with your people.¡± The miners look confused at first, except for the woman who, after taking her helmet off, turned to face the viewscreen. He saw an uncanny lifelessness in those eyes. Cain looked back at the Doctor. ¡°Any signs?¡± he asked after he lifted his finger off the button. ¡°Could just be exposure, remember they¡¯ve been active for longer than the average. It could just be tiredness.¡± ¡°Hmm, tiredness - you really think that¡¯s tiredness,¡± he said before pressing the button again. ¡°Explain yourself.¡± She managed a weak smile. ¡°The Crawler wasn¡¯t big enough for us all, so the miners acquired a spare transport. I drove them here.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re with them, you¡¯ll be processed separately from your team, do you understand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Frank won¡¯t miss me that much, Chief.¡± Cain lifted his finger. ¡°I bet once they are in their Wards, run a full scan. We¡¯ve already had one Mortan we had to put down, rather not have there be any more.¡± ¡°Understand, Chief. Once each of them has been treated. I¡¯ll send you the results.¡± ¡°Excellent, and if anything happens, don¡¯t hesitate to raise the alert. A single Mortan is no laughing matter, Doctor.¡± ¡°We all know that, sir. We¡¯ll keep you in the loop.¡± The Security Dome was a buzz of activity now that Chief Cain was preoccupied with events taking place elsewhere on the Mars base. Logistics Officer Derrick Cutler had been monitoring the progress of the new arrivals and feeding it back to his real boss back home, Edmund Grey of the Grey Watch. They weren''t the only ones tacitly aware of events developing on the Moon. As Derrick understood, it was all getting pretty dire, like a powder keg ready to explode any moment. ¡°LT765 was their callsign. Full name, Logitek. They are headquartered in the Sov, they work largely as a contractor. They have personnel on the Moon and now, here,¡± said Derrick. The picture of Edmund was on his screen, and they were talking through Aether intercommunication. The audio band elevated as the man spoke. Derrick made sure to have his headset on and cubicle sealed. He didn''t want any sound leaking out. ¡°Anything out of the ordinary with them?¡± Edmund asked. ¡°They have a lot of active contracts back home, and here¡¯s the really interesting part: they only got the Soteria job a couple of months back.¡± ¡°Private Security and -¡± ¡°Whatever you need them for, they offer a wide range of services with personnel of varying qualifications. The thing is, Edmund. On the surface, they are above board.¡± ¡°So go deeper, Cutler. I have my leads to chase.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but it won¡¯t be easy while having Cain and Overseer Raine breathing down my neck.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t get caught.¡± Derrick gave him a sly smile. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me, boss.¡± The man gave a long sigh. ¡°Grey out. Keep us updated if things change.¡± Once disconnected, Derrick looked at his screen and the report, showing what he had found out about Logitek. Now I just need to figure out who is behind you, and then it will all become clear. The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 16
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The Ones We Forgot: Chapter 17 Once back in the room, Cain stared at Pyotr''s still-dozing expression. The man¡¯s head dropped and hit the table. He let out an audible groan but remained otherwise motionless. Behind him stood Reginald, now possessed by the alien mind of Savin. ¡°It¡¯s true then. You really don¡¯t need eyes to see.¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t Pyotr waking up?¡± Reginald grabbed the man by both shoulders and pulled him back up. ¡°Perhaps I was too much for him.¡± Cain stood up and dragged a hand down his face. ¡°We¡¯ll have to transfer him to medical. He¡¯s not dead at least.¡± He approached the comms unit on the wall and raised the request. A few minutes later, a team arrived to take Pyotr off their hands. When asked about the cause, Cain explained what happened as best he could. ¡°You¡¯re telling me there¡¯s an alien in there?¡± ¡°I can prove it if you want me to show you,¡± said Savin. The Doctor shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take the Chief¡¯s word for it. What will you do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking him to the Private Sector. He¡¯s requested an audience.¡± The Doctor huffed at the idea. ¡°Good luck getting the Overseer to believe you.¡± Savin grinned. ¡°I can be very convincing, isn¡¯t that right, Chief?¡± Cain grumbled at the way Savin acted. I practically handed him an upgrade on a silver platter and he has the nerve to act all smug. The bastard. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s got quite the way with words.¡± ¡°Well, good luck, either way,¡± said the Doctor once Pyotr had been loaded onto a stretcher. He was soon on his way to medical, leaving Cain and Savin to head to the Private Sector. Savin appeared to drink in the more beautiful and pristine-looking Private Sector. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say your people are entirely without taste.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m starting to understand why that dynasty of yours fell if you keep talking to others like this. No wonder they had enough.¡± Savin leaned in close to Cain as they walked to where the Overseer¡¯s office was located. ¡°Is that a threat, Chief?¡± ¡°Ha, if you think that¡¯s a threat, you haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡± The waiting room was full as always, a lot of people had minor complaints and others were simply homesick. Cain could hardly blame them. Being here for so long eventually grew into a miserable experience. Once the queue was dealt with, it was their turn to speak to the Overseer¡¯s Executive Assistant. She pushed her glasses up and looked surprised to see the Chief of Security. ¡°Chief Cain, not like you to show up unannounced. What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Cassandra, it¡¯s not going to be easy to explain, but it concerns my new friend here. He¡¯s got a proposition for the Overseer.¡¯You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. She leaned back in the chair. ¡°You may run the security side of this operation, but even you need to book an appointment. I can¡¯t just let you in there.¡± Cain could feel the tension rise in the room. Before Savin did anything irrational, he leaned on the desk. ¡°Cassie, this is serious, believe me. I wish I could follow protocol right now.¡± She looked from his iron stare to the stiff posture of Savin, who looked down upon her like she was lesser. He really cannot help himself, can he? ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll call ahead, tell him the Chief of Security has requested an urgent meeting.¡± ¡°Thank you, Cassie.¡± ¡°No problem, Chief.¡± Cain led the way while Savin kept staring at her before snapping out of it and joining him after a ¡®ahem¡¯ got his attention. ¡°Lesson one of being human, Savin. It¡¯s rude to stare.¡± ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s pretty. What can I say? I wish we had staked our future on your people. You¡¯re much more pleasant than those grey bastards we called Ascenders.¡± ¡°You flatter us,¡± said Cain as he opened the door into the Overseer¡¯s office. The dark-haired man stood up from his desk and walked around it. ¡°Chief Cain, Cassandra sounded fairly distressed. I hope this isn¡¯t related to that Mortan incident that Comms Officer Ross reported.¡± ¡°The situation has changed, Raine. We found something beneath the surface, not just an alien facility.¡± ¡°That is to be expected, the other sites weren¡¯t exactly empty either,¡± said Raine with a shrug. ¡°What¡¯s so different here?¡± he asked, leaning on the back of a chair. Cain folded his arms and scowled, looking at the possessed Reginald. ¡°It¡¯s my friend here. He was with the away team, he found something new. Something not yet seen before in any previous alien site.¡± ¡°Oh - enlighten me then.¡± At that moment, Savin straightened and strode forward with a confidence that looked distinctly alien. He¡¯s bold¡­ too bold. ¡°Overseer Raine. I am Savin, and I¡¯m here because you breached my facility and I¡¯ve concluded that it is in your best interests to hand control of this operation to me before any more of your people get hurt.¡± Francis sat on the end of the medical bed and wondered if they would be much longer, and worse still, Pyotr hadn¡¯t returned to them. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong. He looked at Charles and Melina and gestured them over. ¡°Pyotr is still with Cain. I don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°Not much we can do, boss. He¡¯s the Chief of Security.¡± ¡°I know. I know.¡± A few minutes later a stretcher rolled in, surrounded by nurses as it went past them. Francis caught a glimpse of Pyotr, his eyes glazed over and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from following. ¡°What happened to him?¡± he demanded of one of the nurses. ¡°We¡¯re not certain. After the interrogation, he was rendered unconscious. We need to keep him in for treatment.¡± Francis stopped and watched them get set up. Soon enough, the ones of the Black Knight that were with him joined him. All except for Eva, and even she was acting weird. So much for a simple operation where we would bide our time. Too much is up in the air. I hate this. ¡°He¡¯s not dead, is he?¡± Melina asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s likely he¡¯s in a coma.¡± Charles growled, and half turned away from them. ¡°Savin, that alien bastard probably rearranged his mind. Should never have let Pyotr out of our sight, Frank.¡± Francis clenched his fist and eyed Melina. She held up her hands in protest. ¡°No, Frank.¡± ¡®You know that¡¯s a bad idea.¡¯ ¡®If you¡¯re careful, they¡¯ll not suspect you. You¡¯ll be just another psion to them.¡¯ The others all stared at her, and she shrunk back a little. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re right. Can you do that?¡± she asked, more so to the other voice inside her head. Her passenger. Most are fairly talkative, but hers is definitely more hands-off. For better or worse? I¡¯m still not sure. ¡°Alright, Frank. I¡¯ll see if I can bring Pyotr back from wherever Savin left him. If I saved us from the Obelisks, this should be a piece of cake, right?¡± Francis could only hope as she walked to the nurses and tapped one on the shoulder. They almost shooed her away until she explained herself. Although reluctant, they let her work. Melina approached the head of the bed, and with both hands placed on either cheek, the veins on her skin lit up, and her trace began. ¡°You sure she can do this?¡± asked Echo. ¡°She has to. We can¡¯t let this Savin run circles around us. Lord only knows what he¡¯s coerced Cain into,¡± said Francis. ¡°Nothing has changed for us. If anything, a little bit of chaos might speed things up.¡±