Page 17

17

A Taboo Talisman

ZANE

‘ A pproaching the beacon.’

‘ Sante Mirage.’

Zane strode from the captain’s ready room and onto the command deck of the Phantasm into a hub of low-humming organization and precision.

He nodded to the Sable Group crew members at their stations in front of enormous monitors on three levels.

On one wall were the mechanisms for science, weapons, and life support functions. The room also boasted a sequence of swivel chairs and control boards with navigational holograms that tracked the cruiser’s movements.

The warship was an amazing vessel—a super-strength showcase of Pegasi’s best space defense technology.

Its lasers and cannons were up to date in all things destructive, while its black exterior and stealth capacities meant it traversed systems without being seen.

An efficient armaments system added to its reputation as a formidable combatant.

The cargo bay held up to ten sizable corvettes and multiple small fighter crafts. It featured an extendable flight deck and hangar for drones capable of targeting enemies independently.

This neo-steel city had been manufactured for speed, and it was home to hundreds of astronauts, soldiers, and medical personnel.

Its interior was glossy with silver chrome and gray finishes maintained by a multitude of robots.

The cabins had everything a spacefarer wished for—a kitchenette, holo screens, private bathrooms, and a library.

Zane walked over to the XO’s chair, where Xion already stood, staring at the high-end camera holo vision of the panorama outside.

It displayed a roiling nebula.

The burly, long-haired Rider acknowledged him with a jerk to his chin. ‘Are you seeing this shit? It’s beyond wild, it’s raging.’

‘Mirage, please give me more to work with,’ Zane murmured.

‘It comprises a series of ion-intense stellar tempests generated by hot stars, churning funnels of glowing substance, and energetic star formation. It covers a massive area over fifty light-years wide, consisting of a roiling haze of ionized hydrogen and pitch-dark clouds.’

He glimpsed more intricate structures through the dense clouds of gas and dust, sensing a bright energy embedded at the centre of the gloomy mass.

One capable of pumping out vast amounts of ionizing ultraviolet radiation that knocks electrons loose from their atoms in the surrounding gaseous mass.

All of a sudden, he felt a burst of pain through his temple.

He groaned and slumped into the captain’s chair as his psionic senses went wild.

Gathering all his power, he pushed the penetrating needle out of his brain.

He opened his eyes to see his Sable brothers crowding around him.

‘That is no nebula,’ Zane snarled, his face screwed in agony.

‘What is it then?’ Ki’Remi clipped, leaning in to place a hand on the side of Zane’s head, where his temporal artery throbbed in an untamed cadence under the skin.

‘Wait, brother,’ the medic growled as Zane tried to push his hand away.

Ki’Remi shut his eyes for a moment, triggering healing noids to flood the area, pressing down on the thickened blood vessel until it subsided.

‘Done,’ he rasped, stepping back. ‘If you hadn’t let me, that psionic assail would have burst through your brain.’

‘ Sante ,’ Zane paused and touched the medic’s arm with genuine appreciation.

He strode to the massive view screen of the ship and glared at the entity churning before him. ‘To confirm what that is, I first need to know where we are. Not by current maps and charts, Mirage. I require the ancient name of this place.’

‘Working on it,’ the Sable AI said.

Mirage ran a myriad of computations in a few seconds. ‘It was once called the Mira expanse.’

‘ Fokk ,’ Zane growled. ‘I thought so.’

Xion harrumphed behind him. ‘Please be more generous with your insight, brother?’

‘Give me a moment.’

Zane closed his eyes and touched his right thumb and forefinger, summoning his psionic energy from within.

Zane’s gaze flew open, revealing a wildness of blue arcs. He turned his gaze to the voluminous tornado beyond. The lightning-like arches from him reached forward, extending past the view screen. They unfurled in ever-growing loops, reaching for the nebula beyond.

A starburst and disturbance in the roiling entity followed as the electrified ribbons touched its edge.

‘The nebula is reacting,’ Mirage intoned.

Zane pursed his lips together. ‘Tis. I sense something familiar in its depths, a presence of sorts.’

‘Who or what is it?’ Xion pressed.

‘Brother, give me a moment,’ Zane groused.

‘Damn, if only I could travel between dimensions and universes and cross over planes of existence, traveling across various forms of reality in milliseconds,’ Xion grumbled behind him. ‘I’d have this wrapped up by now.’

Ki’Remi huffed at his fellow Rider. ‘Isn’t moving at the speed of light enough for you?’

‘Brother, I am never satisfied. I’m a greedy son of a -.’

‘Stop squabbling, totos . I need to concentrate,’ Zane murmured, his mouth twitching in amusement.

After a few minutes, the sapphire arcs died in Zane’s eyes, snapping back to their usual meta-like glow.

‘It’s the lost Shard. The third one that was cast into the nebulas of Mira.’

Xion bucked in shock. ‘Like the one we rescued under Eden II?’

‘ Naam . We’re aware of three all-knowing, all-seeing Shards. They were once a single entity, called the Elysian Eye, an Oculus of providence and divine guidance that provided a vigilant gaze over all the Pegasi.’

‘Give me a reminder crash course,’ Ki’Remi murmured. ‘How did these shards come to be?’

‘The custodians of the Oculus became greedy with their watchful power over the galaxy. So, a King named Selassie took it upon himself to diminish the power of the Oculus so that its caretakers would stop wielding it in this universe. He fought their high priest, won, and banished them to a never-ending purgatory within the Shard. He broke it apart so they would never return and hid its three main fragments. To prevent any one person, people, or ruler from having such great reach ever again.’

Xion gestured to the mass outside. ‘This Shard isn’t behaving like our Eden one.’

‘You’re right,’ Zane said. ‘The Eden entity can see into the future and the past; it can even raise those long gone and bring them to life. Since encountering it, it has found no reason to believe it is dangerous. This one, however, is another story. Something is very wrong with it. It seems devoted to pain and suffering. Its surges have caused great havoc in this region.’

Mirage nodded. ‘My telemetry tells me we may discover a planetoid inside it, caught up in its distress. This is probably where we’ll find Riv and Ankis.’

‘So Ankis found this entity and has entered the nebula in pursuit?’ Xion huffed.

‘He seeks its power for himself, so it’s likely,’ Zane growled. ‘The assumption is that he’s somewhere in it. Also, this is where Riv’s beacon is sending us, confirming he is within it.’

Ki’Remi came alongside Zane. ‘Does this mean we’re going in?’

‘We have to. We’ve got the best shields to attempt entry. Once we find Riv and Ankis, I can work on the Shard. I might have enough pull to speak to it.’

‘Use some of that nigh-high omni psi juice,’ Xion quipped.

Mirage interjected. ‘Zane, I’ve also detected warp signatures from a fleet of ships about two to three days away from us, even sooner if they accelerate. They’re coming from the Far Rim of Pegasi and headed straight here. My data tells me they’re Katánian.’

Ki’Remi jerked at the news. ‘The Katánē? Fokk nada .’

Zane gave the medic a sharp look. ‘Pray to tell.’

‘I came across thousands of their victims when I was on the relief medical ship in these parts,’ the Sable medic murmured. ‘They’re a most aggressive, obscure race who’ve pillaged the outer reaches in their quest for power and glory, oppressing weaker settlements and planets.’

Mirage spoke up. ‘I can confirm that. My database labels them as apocalyptic, conquest-drunk beings.’

Ki’Remi shook his head. ‘I once met one. Tall mofos, lethal-looking, who transform into giant hawks with laser-sharp feathers capable of firing thunderbolts. They’re also malevolent and cunning, and their culture has a reputation of being a repressive, misogynistic travesty.’

‘What the hell do they want here?’ Xion asked.

Zane turned to the view outside. ‘The Shard, perhaps. Or something inside it. Either way, we must move fast and solve this puzzle of a taboo talisman before they’re upon us. Mirage, send word to Kainan about the Katánian marauders as well. The last thing we need is to be caught up in an ambush without backup.’

‘Agreed,’ the AI intoned.

Zane strode back to the captain’s chair. ‘Also, Mirage, ready the ship for entry into the nebula. While you probe the area for any sign of Riv and his gunship.’

He settled into his seat with a sigh. ‘Everyone else, strap in. I sense gnarly times ahead.’