A New Divide (Science Fiction) (22 page)

              "What in the world are they doing?" I asked Mark as I leaned towards him. Mark shook his head and shouted back to them.

              "We can't hear you!"

              They continued to sprint in our direction, and began pointing up at the sky behind us. As Virgil neared closer, I vaguely made out what he was trying to say.

              "The sky is falling."

              We slowly turned around and gazed at the catastrophe that was about to unfold. "Oh no, no, no, no," Mark said, and I could say nothing, for when I turned around and saw it, I gasped, and stumbled slightly backwards. How did we not see that coming?

              The first we heard was a sound like thunder that coursed across the plains. It shot through the deepest of valleys, and echoed off the tallest of peaks. The sound was, at first, very quiet, but over the next several minutes, it would become almost deafening.

              The gravity beam from the stolen gravity cannon had been triggered, and it had plunged the black asteroid moon into the surface of Minerva.

              On Minerva's surface, the occupants could do nothing but wait, as their lives were swiftly taken from them. Once the incredibly heavy asteroid had been caught in Minerva's gravity well, the hollow moon was doomed. The weight of the world had impacted, and the force of a million nuclear weapons was released. The asteroid landed in the middle of the ocean on Minerva, creating massive tidal waves that consumed everything on the surface while a fiery shockwave completely incinerated absolutely everything it touched. Then the weight of the asteroid did the rest, completely obliterating my home world.

              The asteroid collision was so violent and fierce that it ripped Minerva into trillions of pieces in a matter of minutes. We could do nothing but watch as flames engulfed the sky.

              I felt paralyzed witnessing the truly magnificent display of raw, natural power that covered the sky with debris, fire, and dust, and soon after, the sky did begin to fall. All around us, the people on Rayden panicked, and ran in complete disarray, as the remnants of the planetary collision began crashing down all around us. The sky was broken, shattered to pieces, and everyone on Rayden, as well as the ships in its atmosphere, felt the weight of the two worlds colliding.

              The beautiful sky had transformed from a bright and wondrous smile into a sad and miserable expression where teardrops of molten rock and metal were striking the surface of Rayden. The beautiful rolling hills of our sacred world were being transformed into a wasteland, constantly being bombarded like artillery by planetary debris and fire. The gravitational force from the apocalyptic collision had triggered earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that were felt over the entire western hemisphere of Rayden.

              Despite the destruction, I was still unable to move, shocked with disbelief, and overcome with fear. Arcoh had finally announced his return to his campaign. The thought of it revived that familiar feeling I once had. It was that familiar feeling again, the same one I had felt when my people were annihilated, so scared, helpless, and angry.

- ACT III -

GOODBYE BLUE SKY

CHAPTER 13 - THE LIBERATION OF OBLITERATION

             
"Collin! Collin, can you hear me!"
I could hear Mark's extremely distorted voice through the ringing in my ears. I dropped to my knees as the debris from the planetary collision was crashing down all around us. I admit, I did not know how to feel. It was such a surprise, and I hate surprises with a passion.

              "COLLIN! MARK! HURRY!" My father shouted to us. "MOVE IT! OR WE ALL DIE!"

I was snagged away from my paralytic stupor when Mark began dragging me to where my father and Virgil stood. The ground shook so furiously that it was nearly impossible to walk without collapsing. Incredible earthquakes tore the terrain open like tissue paper, while the ocean brewed with incredible intensity from the gravitational force of Minerva's brutal destruction. The relentless waves crashing against the shore, the turbulent ground beneath, and the planetary fire falling from the heavens. It was pure destruction like I have never witnessed before.

              Virgil and my father had called down a tractor beam and were anxiously waiting for us to make it there in one piece. Though the distance was short, I could see that the surface, the once beautiful rolling hills, were being transformed to ash by the fallout of that terrible catastrophe.

              Mark and I had reached the tractor beam, we shot through the air, and instantly, we were aboard the Alexandria. I vomited all over the hologram floor, as soldiers were landing into the room left and right. My father held me as Virgil and Mark rushed to the bridge, which was but a stone's throw away. I pushed my father off of me and screamed at the top of my lungs. As he tried to comfort me, I pushed him aside, tripping and collapsing out into the hallway. I ran, extremely disoriented, into a woman and knocked her onto the ground.

              "Collin?" she asked.

              "Helena! Oh, thank god!" We embraced in a long-awaited hug. We were both so relieved to see each other, we were crying tears of joy. When I let her go, she wiped off the nasty vomit from her chest that I had rubbed onto her. "Ew! What the hell is this? I'm going to throw up."

              "Sorry, I already did!" I said. Helena then puked on the floor and yelled at me as I was kneeling down to her.

              "Oh my god! Collin! That is so fucking disgusting!"

              "You act like you've never been puked on before." Still disoriented, I attempted to stand up; after stumbling into the wall I slid up, and tried helping her to her feet, leaning my head into hers, and my hearing started to cease again.

              "Hey! I'm sorry! I'm still getting used to the traction beam!"

              "Ah! Do you have to scream directly in my ear!" I couldn't hear her so I continued to scream into her ear, still teary, and so thankful she was alive.

              "What! I had a giant rock explode right by my face! I can't hear so well!" She pushed me back, and I stumbled on the floor. I looked back to her as she swung her arm around me, and helped me to my feet so we could greet the others, and find out what the hell was going on. "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought you were dead!"

              She then screamed in my ear, "COLLIN, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP SCREAMING DIRECTLY INTO MY EARHOLE!"

              "WHAT! WHY AM I AN ASSHOLE?"

              She looked directly into my eyes, just before we reached the sliding door to the bridge, grasping my head, so I could understand her. "COLLIN, STOP TALKING!"

The bridge was overwhelmed with activity. My hearing began to return, and I was able to make sense of what was happening on the bridge. Helena brought me to the center of the command center where Mark stood on the balcony, overlooking Rayden's planetary horizon. He looked to me with a grim expression as Victoria stormed onto the bridge. "I want a battle-damage assessment done immediately! What the hell just happened!"

              "Sir, all interplanetary transmissions are disabled, we can't call in support!" the technician exclaimed to Mark as he remained silent. Mark knew then exactly what had caused the destruction of Minerva. The Remoran's very own gravity cannon; he gripped the railing very tightly and spoke under his breath.

              "He did it. I can't believe he really did it." Mark pressed the intercom button, and addressed the confused stationary fleet of his.

              "Attention, all Remoran ship captains! Charge shields at 200 percent! Prepare for light jump in ten minutes. I have reason to believe that we are under attack."

              "Commander! Multiple jump signatures detected in quadrants 4 through 19! Oh my god."

              "Ready weapon systems! Prepare for impact!" I looked through the windshield of the Alexandria as we all witnessed thousands, upon thousands, of Crusader warships instantly jumping in from every direction. They completely surrounded a third of the great Remoran fleet, several hundred kilometers above the surface of Rayden. It was an ocean of warships, ready to fight—the entire Crusader fleet, with the Hammer
at its helm.

              "Sir! The crusader fleet outnumbers our ships 84 to 1. The computer predicts a .0003 percent chance of success if we engage."

              "Extremely irrelevant information right now."

              "This is it," my father said as Silas rested his hand on Mark's shoulders. "It's been an honor serving next to you, sir."

              "Fire all weapons!" Victoria shouted out, but as she did, Mark finally broke his silence.

              "STAY THAT COMMAND!"

              The bridge was filled with silence and confusion. Everyone except for Victoria, and Silas, rushed to the command center below to investigate the current matter.

              I learned that day that confusion is the most effective method of intimidation. The more we anticipate the events ahead, the more safe we feel, the better we can plan—it is instinct. It's the feeling of not knowing what to expect that is the pure form of fear. Arcoh was truly a master of persuasion in that regard.

              "Why aren't they firing?" Virgil asked.

              "Sir. They haven't even charged their shields."

              Mark sighed and again said something under his breath. "What is going on?" Just then, a technician turned around in his chair and approached Mark from the balcony above us.

              "Sir, we are being hailed!"

              "What's the origin of the transmission, Private?"

              "Computer says it's from the Hammer, sir."

              Mark pointed to the windshield, and stood upright, correcting his posture. "Bring it up on the main interface."

The transmission was coded through and it became projected on the windshield. There, a giant thirty-foot Arcoh sat in his throne, crossed-legged, smoking a cigar, on the elegant bridge of the Hammer. Ivan was standing to his right with his arms crossed behind his back. Arcoh presented a confident look across his face, as Mark and the rest of us stood there in shock and awe.

              "Arcoh," Mark said in anger. It felt like time stood still as Arcoh smoked his cigar, and smiled through his teeth, exhaling the putrid smoke. Waiting for him to speak, waiting for him to say something, so we could know, the traits of a master manipulator, and as we stood paralyzed with fear and anticipation, Victoria broke our silence.

              "What is it that you want, Arcoh?"

              Ivan stepped forward a few feet and spoke for Arcoh, who continued to remain silent. "How dare you address His Eminence, you worm! You will speak when spoken to."

              "Listen here, asshole! Nobody attacks the Remoran fleet before addressing terms of battle! How the hell did you bastards find us!"

              "Admiral Andrews, hold your tongue! The Last King is about to speak." Ivan turned around to Arcoh as he lightly waved him aside. Ivan moved out of the picture while Arcoh adjusted his posture. Exhaling the smoke of his cigar, Arcoh finally spoke very calmly and collectedly. The crew on the bridge looked on, completely captivated at the terrifying presence of Arcoh the Eminent.

              "Gravity. It is truly incredible how the force that brings us so close together—can tear us so far apart."

              Silas stepped up and trembled as he responded to Arcoh's statement.

              "King Arcoh. Perhaps we can reach a diplomatic solution. No more blood needs to be shed today."

              Victoria turned furiously to her brother and spoke out in rage. "Did you seriously just greet this psychopath with formalities? You are no brother of mine! He is going to destroy all of us! He seeks no diplomatic reason!"

              Arcoh smiled as the holotransmission zoomed in on him. "As a matter of fact I could not agree more with the young man. Diplomatic—I like that. I prefer not to destroy your fleet with your own precious weapon."

              "Commander, what do we do?" Victoria asked as I jumped towards the screen with anger. Mark held me back, as I shouted to the man I despised more than anything in the universe.

              "Arcoh! What have you done!"

              "You people think you are in control of your fate; you are not. You spent so much time trying to figure out how to outsmart me, you failed to see how I would outsmart you. If you play a big hand, or in your case, Collin, execute a power play, and you know you will win, your opponent then knows what to expect of you. The trick is, not to play the hand big, but draw them in, make them bet on themselves, give them the illusion that they have won, and boom. Then you prove to them that you are in control."

              "You are a monster! A disgrace to military leaders!" Victoria blurted out.

              "Victoria, that is enough!" Mark sighed and turned back to the screen to address the king.

              "What are your terms, Arcoh?"

              "Well, Commander, I would first like to say, I've had a change of heart. The old me would have destroyed your fleet without any hesitation. Despite what you may think of my malicious, and perhaps sadistic, nature concerning the purge, I am a changed man. I owe that all to the young man at your side."

              I became furious at the comment and I clenched my fists in anger. Mark continued to hold me back. Arcoh then took a minute to exhale the smoke from his cigar, and fixate his position on his throne.

              "Now. I am only going to say this once. So please try to pay attention."

              Mark nodded in agreement. "You have our attention."

              Arcoh laughed slightly, and creepily, as he slowly began to rotate on his throne, continuing to enjoy his cigar. "You will surrender yourself along with Mr. King to my armada. We will meet hallway between our vessels to make sure the contents are there. For this, and only this, will I spare your fleet. You have one hour to comply."

              Arcoh ceased his transmission, and gave way to our path. That moment reminded us of the seemingly endless plains of Crusader ships stretching over the planetary horizon, now littered with remnants and fire. The yellow star's light, peaking over the curve, highlighted their masses.

              "Partner? It seems we are at an impasse."

              "Seems that way, doesn't it, Virgil?"

              Victoria ran up to the railing and spoke out. "Sir, you cannot hand yourself over!"

              "We don't have much of a choice, Admiral."

              "He is going to kill every single one of us, sir. I'm not asking you! I'm telling you! Don't do this!" Victoria shouted, and her comment sprouted anger in Mark.

              "What would you have me do!"

              Silas walked slowly up to the railing directly next to Victoria, and asked the question we were all thinking, but too distraught to ask: "How did he know?"

              Victoria looked to him with curiosity.

              "What are you talking about, you fool?"

              "How did he know when to strike, where to strike, and how to strike us?"

              Victoria glared at her brother as she began to walk down the balcony to the command sphere, where the rest of us stood. "Call it coincidence, brother. I have no idea!" Mark paced around, and began to think, as Victoria called out to him, "Commander Wyman?"

              "Soldiers are not allowed to believe in coincidence, Admiral." I then expressed my anger towards Victoria.

              "You idiot! Do you seriously think this was all caused by coincidence!"

              "I am no idiot! You sniveling little prick!" My father rushed at Victoria, and tackled her to the ground. He tried to pin her arms to the ground. She was fiercely struggling to break free. "Don't ever talk to my son like that, you bitch!"

              "Get the hell off me! I will kill you!" Victoria flipped my father over her shoulder, and then she planted her knee on his chest and attempted to strangle him. I ran up to her and kicked her in the face, sending her straight on her ass. I helped my father to his feet, as Victoria sat up and groaned, wiping the blood from her face. "You hit a superior officer! I want him off my ship!"