Intro story outline

The Worldship Chronicles

Temporal illusions

By Raven c.s. McCracken

Scifi Fantasy: 12,873 words.

The ever changing stars shined like the eyes of the gods, transforming the clouds into an endless silver sea. Coalax reached into his blacked armor and withdrew an omni, on the holographic display the tracer signal marked the target far below.

The assassin’s pale skin appeared almost translucent in the moonlight, his bluish eyes, topped by a short length of jet black hair matching his armor. The rider snapped the device shut, and gave slack on the reins whispering into the night wind, “Shiva, dive.”

The small stormdrake thrummed with pleasure and folded his blue gray wings around the missile launchers; in seconds they were through the solid cloud cover.

Suddenly the Forbidden City stretched out below them, a brilliant sea of lights. The massive ‘scrapers,’ buildings over a thousand stories in height, dangerously close. Amidst the gigantic towers, congested air traffic flowed like rivers of light.

Shiva narrowly avoided a scraper and it’s “above the level” connection tube filled with the wealthy, weaved around the air traffic, and continued downward toward the Underwarrens.

“Who’s tonight’s target?” asked the drake.

“Tonight’s client is an Alorian, usually the perfectly courier, as they have wings and are naturally undetectable by the mystic arts…”

“-And thus your sword,” Interrupted the drake.

“Yes, and my sword, but not tonight. Tonight my friend, someone slipped a radio tracer into his satchel. And while the courier is invisible, the tracer most defiantly is not.”

The Alorian’s wings pulled hard on the dark air between the lower buildings. Muscles straining, he swerved and bullets raked the loose stone as he flew through a narrow alley.

Coalax pressed Shiva; sighted; however, before he could release another burst, the drake breathed a bolt of lightening. The arc just missed the client; marked the top of a dilapidated building and made the rider wince.

“That’s gonna cost us.” He muttered under his breath. The drake only chuckled darkly in response; the sensation traveled through his thighs where he gripped the mount.

The rider guided the drake over the alley and set his weapon to thermal, teeth clenched in a determined grin. In the shadows, the silhouette of the client locked, and the missile from beneath his mount’s wing fired automatically.

The Alorian must have felt the launch with his radar. At the last second, he made a spine breaking evasion through the window of a dilapidated building. The assassin pulled up, and there was a splash of glass as the client punched out the other side, just before the missile detonated within.

As the explosion painted the night, Coalax screamed and scanned the sky for signs of the Guard. In the distance, he could make out lights, and saw the sleds closing in.

The drake growled: “We have just violated one of the most important laws in the Forbidden City: Do no property damage. And with each passing moment, the Alorian is winging his way to freedom.”

The closest guard transport opened fire, the warning shots all he needed to make a decision. Coalax said, “Go boy.”

With a grunt of satisfied acknowledgment, Shiva folded his wings and dove for the alleys, three imperial troopers in pursuit.

The cop’s sleds, armed with sonic stunners, were reputed to be accurate; however, after several missed volleys, Coalax began to think otherwise. They were maneuverable, but not as solid in the air as the small storm drake.

The assassin finally caught up to the client after a dizzying chase of several more blocks. With the thought of the burning building clearly in his mind, the rider was careful to not take a shot until it was right. He could not afford another mistake; perhaps could not afford the mistake he had just made.

His opportunity was not long in coming. The Alorian took a single large stroke; his form perfectly silhouetted against the cities lights, the magnetic acceleration weapon sang, and the winged warrior collapsed onto a rooftop with many holes in his chest.

Coalax circled a moment to assure the client was ‘serviced’ and then had Shiva touch down. When he reached for the satchel, the courier grabbed his wrist forcing a small object into his hand.

The Alorian’s eyes were open, but his expression that of someone blind, “They can’t…you must stop them!!!” and he was gone. Within his hand lay a small memory chip.

Coalax palmed the memory just as the rooftop was surrounded by imperial guard sleds. Blinking against the floodlights, he stood to greet the police: his assassins ID in hand.

While the assassin waited, one of the imperial guards asked, “How does it feel, to know that you would have to kill your own mother, if handed the contract?”

Coalax shrugged, “Same as you, only worse,” snorted the assassin, “no one is above the law.”

The cops looked incredulous. “So that’s all you are…the job? You gotta family, kids?”

He patted the storm drake “I got Shiva here.” The beast purred affectionately. “What more do I need?”

The imperial guard snapped his Omni closed, “Maybe if you got a life, you’d feel something, eh?”

“And then what?” Coalax scanned the horizon sarcastically: “I might start to give a grave?”

“Maybe?”

“Maybe?” Coalax shook his gun at the cop. “If I started to care about all the holes I’ve filled, I have yet to fill. I might get… you know, sentimental.” The assassin leaned in close to the cop and growled in a deep voice. “And where would that get us, huh? Who would you call when you need your momma in a body bag?”

The guards were shocked into silence.

The assassin looked them up and down and snorted, “Thought so.”

Amazingly, costs were minimal; the fines- picked up by the guild, were strangely almost nonexistent. Coalax was detained just long enough to feed Shiva, and reload his weapon. Fortunately, the circle of floating cop sleds provided ample light for both activities. Once his papers were verified, and his statement recorded, he was allowed to go on his way, just as it began to rain. It had been a nearly perfect workday.

With a mock salute to the imperial guards, Coalax clipped his flying harness to the saddle and urged his mount over the edge of the building. The drop was long and little energy was wasted in getting airborne. He stayed below the dense air traffic and skimmed the rooftops, gliding through the Forbidden City like a shadow.

Coalax dropped the satchel on the well polished desk and took the heavy pouch of coins under the eyes of his employer. The employer’s gaze flicked across the package, and found the diplo seal intact. Coalax noted there was something strange about the way in which the contractor inspected the satchel, an intensity the assassin had never before seen. Seemingly satisfied, he turned that same unusual penetrating attention toward Coalax and for an instant the assassin was visited by an unfamiliar emotion…fear.

His voice carried a voluminous distain, “Was there… anything else?”

Coalax’s mind touched thoughts about the chip, but remained silent. Something about the client’s last words, they had been loaded with desperation beyond the normal concerns of his own life. Veteran of many jobs, the assassin was well acquainted with his client’s reactions to death, but this was something more, and when a being is concerned with something more than its own demise, that ‘something’ is usually a cause for grave concern.

Expecting telepathy, Coalax armored his thoughts in a severe discipline of music, math and images before he replied evenly, “Nothing, just a little property damage.”

The contractor remained silent for a few moments, probing with his eyes, his face absolutely expressionless. Coalax saw no trace of the art, but his hand fell to his weapon just the same.

The subtle movement broke the contractor’s contemplations, and he said. “Property damage…ah, well then, if we need anything more I’ll…”

“…Contact the guild.” finished Coalax. And with a click of his heels, the assassin backed from the room; hand’s on his weapons, eyes on his employer.

Lilem Cross watched the assassin make his ceremonial departure and was glad he contracted a ‘sweeper,’ to clean up this loose end, even if it would enrage the guild. Lilem looked at the satchel; and poured himself a glass of water. The end of his search was finally in his grasp and he had to fight with himself to open it. Lilem contemplated the diplomatic seal of the guild, Sanctus. It had been so many years…

And then there was the loss of his wife, and children; punishment for loosing the way. Images of their deaths haunted his thoughts. The memory motivated his hands; it only took a glance to realize that the object of his search still eluded him.

Lilem reached for his omni, his voice tight, “Please pass a request: the sweeper should capture and not kill. I have questions.”

Coalax’s home was the penthouse of a small tower on the edge of the Forbidden City. Perched atop a cliff, the view was magnificent. Shiva approached from a different route each time and circled the area on alert for anything out of the ordinary before he landed lightly on the edge of the roof. Once inside the hanger like enclosure, Coalax slid from the saddle and began helping the drake unfasten the harness. The leather smelled strongly of the drakes sweat; a clean almost bird like scent filled the pen as Coalax hung the complicated harness on the far wall next to the fresh one.

Once Shiva was comfortable, which meant the drake’s overlarge omni was tuned into his favorite program, and a large slab of meat had been provided, Coalax finally made his way downstairs to a very cold glass of Shilamead.

The glass fizzed pleasantly as the memory slid into the omni and the playback began.

The face of the eternal emperor filled the display; he appeared to be human, in his middle age, slightly grey at the temples with short black hair.

Shiva took a bite and grumbled, “Hardly enough there for a mouthful. Wonder how he keeps himself alive after so many centuries?”

The announcers voice said, “Select the weekly imperial review for more information, or stay tuned for the performance of the Bats, live from the Crossed Guitars in Terra.”

Shiva was intently watching the display when a noise outside caught his attention. With a snort of annoyance, the small stormdrake crawled from his enclosure and glanced over the edge of the building, and quickly back again.

“This is not good.” Rumbled the drake.

Quickly, he made his way back into his pen and reached for the fresh harness.

The playback complete, Coalax closed the omni and lifted the device carefully by the edges. Light from outside the windows, reflected off its polished surface and caught the tears running down his face. The event only took a second to register before the window’s exploded.

Instinctively the assassin thumbed on his shields and calmly made his way to the stairs amidst a hail of glass shards. As expected, the first wave was covering fire; what was unexpected was the fire was to subdue, not kill.

After a few moments of chaos, the room went quiet and several figures teleported into view. In the heart of the short ‘v’ formation was a Shadowmaster, recognizable by his glowing tattooed skull and purple robes. He was the one responsible for the teleport. Coalax adjusted his shield to include psionics, leveling his weapon.

Several of the others opened fire almost at the same instant, their attacks deflected by the Force field belt. The Shadowmaster followed their attack with a binding spell, released with a burst of cobalt light from his skull. With a flash, the blue radiance snapped itself around Coalax like a fishbowl, dampening all movement and sound. The assassin glanced at his power meter and noted that the psispell was draining on his shield quickly. Fortunately, as the binding did not hold him, it did stop the sonic blasts and stun bullets, and while that made his magnetic acceleration weapon useless, it did allow him to make his way toward the stairs unscathed.

The Shadowmaster watched the assassin take a few steps within the blue glow before he angrily released the Binding. Free of the effects of the spell, Coalax shifted his aim; with a bark of fear, the master cast a tesseract-and vanished. Abandoned, the guards opened fire almost simultaneously. Coalax wasted more of his shield’s energy by standing amidst the hail and cutting them all down. As the last body fell, a grenade rolled from the man’s hand; the assassin thought it prudent to make for the stairs at a run.

Coalax reached the roof just ahead of the explosion to find Shiva attempting to struggle into a fresh harness; almost comically, the drake had gotten himself tangled.

The Guard carrier drifted outside the tower lights scanning for signs of movement; the Shadowmaster appeared in a flash of light and hissed over the pilot’s shoulder “Search the roof, Switch to thermal.”

The carrier rose gently in the air and an image fuzzed; the silhouettes of the drake and assassin came into view within Shiva’s pen.

The Shadowmaster growled, “Fire.”

The gunner shook his head, “Uh, negative, sir…the capture orders; besides we’ve already done enough property damage, sir.”

The master’s expression was sour as his head began to glow; then there were the screams.

Moments later, light panned across the drake’s pen and the new gunner opened fire. Shiva took a deep breath and braved the phalanx. Trailing gunfire he darted over the far side of the tower. Coalax aimed his rifle and locked as they fell; automatically a missile launched. With no urging, Shiva plummeted as the vehicle was wrapped in an explosion.

Bethany awoke to the sound of knocking coming from, of all places, her bedroom window; which should have been impossible, as she lived on the 730^th floor. Moments later there was another knock, this time more insistent.

Bethany snapped off the bedclothes and breathed, “What good is a security spell?”

Ordinarily she could trust the enchantment would stop whatever it was from getting in, but it wouldn’t prevent knocking. With an exasperated flick of her fingers, the mage was clothed in an illusion of a long red dress and in a huff; she threw back the massive curtains with a wave of telekinesis.

Outside the window, Shiva did his best to hover in place; however, the strain was evident. He raised a single claw in way of hello, the gesture echoed by a black clad rider.

“Shiva,” exclaimed Bethany, in a tone that one would expect should be reserved for a small animal covered in fur. “You poor thing!” She pointed to the roof, but the drake shook his head.

“You want me to come out there?”

The drake nodded. Bethany’s brown eyes went to Coalax and the unfamiliar figure shrugged. Shiva made an overdramatic motion of dropping from sight and struggling to maintain the hover, wings pumping in ragged rhythm.

“Ok, ok, orbit a beat.” The curtains closed.

Shiva dropped into a slow circle away from the building and said: “I told you she would be home.”

Coalax shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable, “You told me she would be awake.”

“Her family raised me, and from what I remember, Bethany was always a night owl.”

The conversation was cut short as the mage appeared via a tesseract cross legged and supported by a levitation spell, her forgotten steel tipped mage staff across her lap. She was now wearing a short midnight blue skirt with a ragged hem, white hose, black boots and a short black cape with a fur lined hood. Shiva swooped beneath her and she found a place behind the assassin, keeping her body at a polite distance.

The mage warrior grabbed a handful of her long brassy colored hair and coiled it into a pony tail against the wind. She had graceful hands and a beautiful neck, noted the assassin, and she smelled nice.

The drake’s wings found a rhythm, and after a moment Bethany managed to say, “Hi my name’s Bethany, what’s yours, and what is this all about?”

The assassin spoke into the wind, “I discovered something tonight; if it’s true, we will never be the same. I asked who could help me with something big and Shiva said I should come to you.”

“What do you mean ‘we’?”

“Us,” said Coalax, “you, me, Shiva… everyone!” The assassin fished out the omni and handed it to the mage. “Take a look for yourself, if what I saw is true, we don’t have much time.”

Once the playback was complete, Bethany closed the device and whispered, “It can’t be possible.”

Coalax leaned back against her, “It would explain a lot of things, like Darkmonth, and the ever changing stars.”

“But…it can’t be.”

“Maybe,’ answered the assassin, “the only way to know for sure, is to go to search those coordinates.”

Shiva stuttered in the air, “Um excuse me, what in the world are you two talking about?”

Coalax patted the drake and replied, “Not world my dear friend, Worldship.”

After the explanation, Shiva glided along in contemplative silence, his wings in a quiet rhythm. “Bethany, you’re a mage, do you believe we live on a gigantic spaceship planet?”

“Well,” she began her tone distant and speculating. “I have been to the prime astral plane, and our world there has mountainous bolt like structures that appear to hold parts of the hollow crust together. Reputedly, astral worlds reflect the world they border, so...” She let the thought trail off into the darkness.

“But how could anyone build such a thing?” Muttered Coalax, as his eyes took in the vast horizon. The ocean was black beneath the clouds, and seemed to stretch on forever.

Bethany gripped Coalax’s shoulders and whispered almost romantically, “I could do it with the right spell.”

The assassin scoffed, “Right, no spell could make a world.”

The mage had a far away look in her eyes, but she declined to argue.

Shiva fought a turbulent and said, “And this, whoever-it-is, is actually going to blow up our so called Worldship?”

“If what’s on the chip is correct, yes,” Bethany tried to make the answer sound light hearted.

The drake rumbled, “Not on our watch, right boss?”

Coalax was silent for a moment, “I’ve got no orders, if we go after whoever it is, we have no authority.”

“So you propose we just fly out there and look around?” Shiva sounded annoyed, something that has a profound effect on any creature small enough for the drake to eat.

Coalax defensively shook his head, “No, I suggest we go and find out if this is really a big spaceship?”

“And, while we are at it, what if you catch someone trying to blow it…us…up?”

“Then I suppose, I will have to become self-employed for a bit.”

In response the small storm drake began to stretch its wings; Bethany cast the invisible defender about them to spare Coalax’s depleted force field belt. In a rush of acceleration, Shiva pushed close to the supersonic. At his best speed the drake steadied his wings and Coalax thumbed the antigrav assists beneath each one, almost instantly they vanished from sight.

As the missile screamed toward the carrier, the pilot activated a shield and for several seconds they were encased in the explosive force. When the flash subsided, his quarry was no where in sight.

The master opened a communication channel to his employer: “The client vanished sir, do you have a method of tracking?”

“Yes,” there was a pause, “He vanished, or you failed to capture him Master Renyon North?”

The shadowmaster controlled a spike of anger and responded calmly: “We do not fail,” the use of the plural meant to remind his employer that the telepaths shared a strong mental link and that he was not unprotected.

His employer’s image waved it way, “It doesn’t matter, he is heading to these coordinates,” the image punched at the controls on the omni and a series of numbers appeared in the holographic display. The numbers flashed red and the display shifted to a map, the image zooming in to reveal a detailed coastline.

“I suggest you leave right away, the small storm drake is a very fast flyer; undoubtedly it will outrace you to the destination.”

It was still dark when they reached the island. Exhausted, Shiva managed to land near the outer edge on a tall chimney of stone.

The mage found a flat section and inscribed several light runes; activating the candle like flames with a gesture. From within her clothing, she withdrew a small purple crystal and cracked it like an egg. With a tiny flash of violet light it released a sparkling mist that rolled out and pooled on the stone before her feet. In a few more moments, the mist dissipated and in its place was a feast, complete with filled wine glasses.

“I love Matter-to-mist crystals,” Said the mage, tossing a roasted baron of beef toward Shiva.

Coalax snorted his agreement over a mouthful of wine, “I agree; they’re the only thing the alchemist’s are good for.”

Bethany feigned mock indignation, “What, you don’t subscribe to their whole “science-as-religion dogma?”

The assassin shook his head politely, “I don’t make any decisions. I just use what they let me.” He slapped his shield belt to emphasize, as he gulped the last of his glass down before stooping to refill it from one of the three carafes.

“Shiva,” Bethany pitched her voice to the drake, “Where did you get this one?”

The drake seemed to laugh, “At least he’s not a blood mage.”

“No, maybe not a Ravishem; but, close!”

The drake looked up from his meat and said, “He rescued me from a life of comfort and indolence as I remember it back home.”

Bethany laughed, “Did you tell him I was your first?”

Coalax spit out a mouthful of wine, “You’re what?”

“His first…rider,” Bethany’s expression was mischievous. “Shiva and I took our first fight together when I was what four or five?”

“Five.” Snorted the drake: “And we both nearly got eaten for our trouble as I recall it…”

“Yea and we crawled through a mile of tunnels to get back home; but, we made it.”

Shiva became indifferent, his eyes far off on the horizon: “And I’ve been claustrophobic ever since…What the..?” The drake’s voice trailed off.

“Well, at least you’re not afraid of heights,” Added Coalax with a chuckle.

The tiny drone flitted on the wind like a bat gliding just off shore. Renyon looked at the readouts on the screen and at the silhouettes in the thermal representation. They had absolutely no idea they were being watched by the micro air vehicle.

Renyon keyed the missiles to track the thermal images and selected two for each target.

The pilot looked back at him, and the shadowmaster locked eyes with the imperial guardsmen. Both knew this was cowardly, but the missiles would not kill, they would release a series of stasis fields and chemical weapons. With a sigh, the shadowmaster activated the “All-fire.” And watched six missiles chuff free from their tubes and go invisible, silent and cloaked.

The moment the missiles were out of sight, Renyon whispered to the pilot, “Go to stealth, and begin the arrack run; I want to collect them as soon as the fields are in place.”

The small storm drake saw the tiny flashes of light off in the distance and recognized them for what they were: missile launches. Grabbing both of the humans as gently as he could, he made for the edge of the chimney.

“What..!” was all Coalax had time to shout.

The drake pulled up just above the tree line, as unmistakable lights from the antigrav carrier came on behind them.

Shiva shouted into the mounting wind, “I thought we got them?”

“Could be another carrier,” answered Coalax, “whoever it is we pissed off, they’re staying mad.”

“Maybe they are trying to stop you from....” Bethany’s voice went cold.

“Stop me from what?” her eye met Coalax’s, “no, you don’t mean… why would any guild want to help destroy the world, er, Worldship?”

“Maybe they don’t know,” said the mage. “Maybe they’re just doing a job.”

Coalax thought about his own profession and barked: “Shiva, let’s take the fight to them.” Unceremoniously the drake deposited the pair on his back.

Coalax belted himself in and started in on Bethany when the mage waved him off and took flight with a laugh. Coalax shook his head and drew his blaster, and thumbed the missiles to auto-launch.

Bethany invoked the invisible defender and raced Shiva toward the carrier. As they approached the vessel opened fire. Gritting her teeth against the strain she drew on the reserves in her staff and covered the group with a spell as they approached.

The large armored vehicle spit fire from a dozen places, chipping away at her shield as if it were made of ice. Bethany let Coalax’s missiles past; they exploded on the carrier’s shields in flashes of yellow and green.

In unison, the group arched away for another attack run, her shield coated by the carrier’s fire; Bethany showed the strain as she flew; her face drawn and pale with the exertion. As they approached, she began to carefully work up a spell with her remaining concentration. It didn’t do a lot of damage, but it was phazed and would pass through the vehicles shields…hopefully.

The mage allowed her partner’s fire to penetrate her spell and batter the carrier as they approached. Each second was like a nightmare eternity of concentration as the carrier seemed to intensify the onslaught it unleashed. When they were within range, she carefully aimed her spell with her staff at what should be the carrier’s engines, and fell into herself in an attempt to maintain the shield.

The phazed fire bolt crawled like snakes along the mage wood in shades of orange and blue, before it lanced out like a salvo and passed through the platform’s defenses, to melt a hole through the drive system. For a moment, the massive vehicle had power; all weapons blazing, and then it went dark, just before it fell to explode below on the rocks.

The group searched the area for a while and saw no survivors. Bethany cast a Sense lifeforms and came up empty. After a final ragged circle, Shiva winged off into the night.

The morning won the duel against night as Bethany stepped from the shelter spell and the magical construct, an elaborate tent pavilion, vanished behind her. Another crystal revealed towels, fresh clothes, and a scented steaming bath. With a gesture she dropped her illusion of a beautiful turquoise gown, and settled into the tub, an artful mist appearing to obscure her nudity.

Coalax watched from around Shiva’s flank. The drake followed his gaze and turned back with a quiet rumble. “Skinny, isn’t she?”

Coalax used this as an excuse and looked again, her skin was perfectly tan. “Yea, skinny.”

“She’d get fat, if you got her pregnant.”

The assassin busied himself cleaning Shiva’s hide, “She’s a mage and we don’t even know each other, and besides that: I might have to…she might become a…a…”

“…Client,” Finished Shiva, with a quiet sympathetic rumble in his throat.

The assassin nodded quietly.

“We could always retire,” Shiva wrapped his tail around Coalax’s waist and pulled him close, “That magic sword of yours would fetch more than enough to retire on in style.”

Coalax’s put a companionable arm about the drake’s neck and his fingers found the hilt of the weapon; it’s not as if I ever use it anymore.

After breakfast Shiva pitched himself into the bright morning. With Bethany and Coalax securely on his back again, they glided over the island. Coalax checked the coordinates on his omni and put them right on course.

They flew on for a bit and Bethany said: “I take it from your armor that you are an adventurer of some sort, and the way you fought the carrier. Do you belong to any guild or formal organization?”

Coalax winced inwardly; whenever he truthfully answered this question, folks became squeamish. “No…no formal organization, just freelance work; mercenary stuff.”

Bethany sensed he was hiding something, but did not press, “How did you come across the information on that chip?”

“A dying Alorian gave it to me and said that I must stop them. He seemed pretty serious.”

Bethany gripped his shoulders, “Dying people usually are. If we had the time we could have the amazons call up his soul. A little more information might be useful.”

“Don’t mages have a spell like that?”

“Yes, it’s called Necromancers call and leash; problem is it requires a bunch of equipment we haven’t got handy.”

“Well in any case, according to the GPS we should set down there in that patch of mountains.” Coalax pointed and Shiva nosed downward.

A tiny movement caught the drake’s keen eyes and he said: “We won’t be alone down there.”

Coalax glanced downward, checked his weapon and thumbed on his shield just over half a charge left. “Bethany, we might run into trouble when we land.”

The mage made a few quick gestures with her staff in hand; interconnecting triangles of light surrounding her movements and then slid the weapon into a holster on her back. She smiled complacently as they neared the ground, and said, “I’m ready.”

Shiva braked and set down on a bounder like a great eagle. Coalax rolled from the saddle weapon at the ready and Bethany dismounted like a queen in a form fitting leather outfit that looked more like armor than clothing. The assassin scanned the surrounding and saw nothing that looked in any way menacing.

Bethany painted the air with her fingers; in response light appeared in three dimensional geometric patterns of blue black flame in concentric rings about her hands and wrists.

Coalax panned the vegetation, “Shiva, I don’t see anything.”

“They are here,” the drake made a point of sniffing the air, “I smell them.”

Bethany completed her spell and asked, “What are they?” Her fists now encased in steaming light.

As if in reply, an arrow sliced out from the underbrush. Coalax caught it and spat, “Scarrok.”

A solid wave of red bearded men followed his words; it had to have been one hundred to one.

“Scarrok are savage sub intelligent animalistic relatives of the human race, mutated by the plague that caused the Dark Ages. They are large, love to fight and hate virtually any other race they encounter.”

“They sound charming.” Added the mage flatly.

In unison nets suddenly appeared to drape across Shiva; the drake responded with lightening.

Coalax set his weapon to wide beam and fired into the wave. He needn’t have bothered, behind him Bethany slammed her glowing fist into her palm and released the spell she had conjured: the Magnificent Deadly Rain. In a heartbeat a black cloud appeared overhead, smudged with lightning the color of purple and deepest violet.

Slamming her had into her fist for each strike, she began disintegrating the Scarrok in bunches with the cloud’s blackfire bolts. When a few neared, she made another sweeping gesture and the Invisible Defender blocked their path.

The attack soon transformed into a rout, as the Scarrok fled in fear of the mage and Coalax’s blaster. In there wake, was a left profound silence and the stench of vaporized flesh.

Shiva clawed his way free of the last of the nets and growled, “They aren’t done yet.” Just in time to herald another wave.

This time the Scarrok were attempting to be clever, and a huge volley of arrows darkened the sky. Shiva roared in frustration and covered his head with his wings. Coalax watched the arching mass with anything but concern.

“Oh don’t be such a baby.” The mage cast another Invisible Defender over the drake with a snap of her fingers. “Do you think I would let you get hurt?” Shiva felt the air solidify above his head just before the arrows struck. When the drake looked up, the Scarrok had surrounded the area, and had begun a war-chant.

Coalax considered a well placed missile, but opted against it, they might need the fire power later. Instead he shouted at the drake: “Shiva get airborne, we need cover.”

“Right boss.” In seconds the drake was clawing his way upwards, a few arrows trailing him half heartedly.

Coalax watched Shiva gain altitude, and turned to the mage warrior, all business. “Lady, you’ve got my respect, now let’s kill these guys and be on our way.”

Bethany withdrew her staff like a sword and started another spell as Coalax opened up on the Scarrok. His blaster tore bloody holes in the ranks of the Scarrok. From above, Shiva began to rain down destruction with lightening.

Amidst the fray, Coalax stumbled toward the largest clump of warriors and ceased firing. Scrambling up the hillside, he feigned exhaustion. Most of the Scarrok that could see him fell for the ruse and quickly turned to charge back down the hill. Coalax looked up at the wave and raised his hand as if too weak to carry on. He waited until they were almost on top of him before opening up. Standing out of the screaming Scarrok, Coalax started laughing. It was like slaughtering cattle, only cattle had rudimentary intelligence.

Bethany watched Coalax cut down the savages and worked her own brand of death. Bored of the massive disintegration of the rain, she opted for a more satisfying approach: fire bolts and telekinesis.

The work was hard and lasted longer that either of them expected, as wave after wave poured in. The forest, now aflame, made the battle field into an arm of hell. At one point, Coalax found himself resorting to the blade, slicing his way through the wall of flesh as if it were a spring rain. The enchanted weapon flaring and blasting everything it touched.

When the last had fallen, Coalax was exhausted, and panting on his knee, the mage, at his side. Together they managed to stand and found for a moment a bond that only comes from hard fought victory. The assassin looked about at the carnage and whistled appreciatively. Bethany’s eyes found Coalax’s.

Within the dappled forest another set of eyes watched, carefully concealed by the shadows of the trees and an invisibility spell. While Renyon felt somewhat lucky to be alive. The Shadowmaster did not take kindly to the escape of his clients, three times, and he was certain at least one of clients would feel the same were the situations reversed; he recalled the night the mission began.

That night the sea raged against the mushroom spires, massive waves exploding in steam against the small glowing lava falls forever crawling down the thin stalks of stone to the sea.

The brightly lit city of Adreamus dominated the edge of the plateau. Renyon glided toward it taking in the view, his purple shadowmaster robe fluttering in the breeze artfully.

Amidst the tall delicate towers, buzzing with activity and life; were all manners of airborne traffic. Renyon made his way above it all levitating towards the center of town, and disobeying every air traffic law; he dropped directly toward the crystal tower of the Shadowmaster guild “Mensiea.”

As previously directed, Renyon reluctantly touched down outside the tower wall on a small patch of dew covered lawn; the gates already open for him. The shadowmaster picked up his robe and distastefully walked across the grass, ruining his new silk slippers in the process.

Two Master gatekeepers appeared via a tesseract as Renyon stepped up to the gates. They were dour faced, each with a bald, tattooed covered skull: one held a retina and DNA scanner the other a wicked blaster of some sort; both their heads were glowing white.

Without a thought, the master placed the scanner on Renyon’s chest. The device resembled a mechanical spider. It crawled on to Renyon’s face and began the examination.

Renyon went through the process and thought to the gatekeepers: “You have stepped up security. My thought-print is no longer adequate?”

The telepathy from the master with the weapon tasted angry and sour. “This contract is unusual we have all communed on it, this prospective employer remains somewhat of an enigma, hidden from the powerful eyes of the guild.”

Renyon gasped, “Hidden, but that’s not…”

“…Never the less he is, and this is not something that rests well with, ‘Those-who–see.’”

The Scanner beeped green and confirmed his identity; prompting the other gatekeeper to add, “The oracles are still attempting to divine any information; up till now, they don’t have a workable plan for dealing with this Lilem Cross.”

The tower appeared to be a solid piece of amber transparent crystal precisely like the one in Terra. Renyon walked directly at the side of the tower and passed through the wall.

Inside he was met by several other masters, hoods up and heads glowing. They stood in a horseshoe formation, as if ready for battle. The darkened chamber was lit only by low burning braziers filled with scented oils. The rich thick smoke made the expansive chamber seem close.

The thoughts did not originate with any in this group, “You will step free of your robe so that they may examine you.”

As he removed his clothing, Renyon’s mood darkened even further: this was uncalled for.

“Your thoughts betray you brother…why is this uncalled for?”

Renyon allowed his contempt flow along the telepathy and loaded it with the taste of ashes. “I subjected myself before entering, were I not a master the tower would not have admitted me, and now you have felt my thought-print. So can there be any doubt as to my identity?”

“It is not your identity we are concerned about in truth…it’s your time.”

Renyon scoffed aloud, the sound invaded the silence of the chamber like a blasphemy. “My what?”

“Your time.” As the voice finished, a portal opened in the chamber floor, sparkling and swirling with light. Arising from within was the top portion of some enormous elaborate machine, housed someplace far from here. Its dome covered top opened and hundreds mechanical probes extended.

Each device appeared to have a specific purpose, some exuded fields of multi colored energy, and others held wiggling arthroscopic invaders. A shaft of light encased him and for a few moments the tendrils hung in the air about his body, tasting. A trio of the thin devices spray painted cool anesthetic all across his exposed form, and then as one, the probes dove beneath his skin.

Renyon tried not to scream as his awareness was transformed into heartbeats of agony. Pain upon pain stoked furnace of his senses, until in a white hot flare, all was darkness.

Renyon awake on a soft couch, in the guildmasters private study. He searched himself and found no trace of discomfort; only the memory. The shadowmaster thought back to the experience and tried to judge if this honor was worth it.

“I hear you are awake,” the guildmasters thoughts were powerful and carried the taste of age, orange and cinnamon, “no harm done, was there?”

Renyon answered truthfully: “No harm physically, but as to my nerves…that’s a different matter.” Renyon couldn’t keep the sour taste from his thoughts.

“Yes, I have been told you are…sensitive…yes. As well as one of the best we have ever trained. Some even say that you may be the one who replaces me, humm, yes.” The guildmaster moved to behind his desk, he looked to be in his mid forties, his shaven head bore only a single tattoo that of a perfect circle in the center of his forehead, a small beard accentuated his sharp features. Warlock Cragwarren read the reports before him and confirmed them in the Omni before closing the computer with a grunt. To his credit, Renyon kept his thoughts clear and patiently waited.

“I want to start by apologizing, for any pain and suffering you have had to undergo.” The guildmaster stood up suddenly, he seemed at a loss for thoughts. “The points is…hummm, yes. Well, the point is, this contract. We selected you for the mission only because the oracles divined your presence, yes. With no clear specifics, humm Yes. Most unusual. Of course, we can divine everything about you up until the moment you sign this contract. Then you simply vanish.”

“And the tests?”

“Humm, yes, they were to determine if there was any trace of Thorium Radiation in your cells. The radiation is present in any being that has recently traveled through time. This is the only explanation for Mr. Cross’s ability to remain unseen. We fear he is from, yes… “Out of time,” and may be here to change some crucial event.”

Renyon shifted uncomfortably on the soft leather and spoke aloud, “Why not contact Cronos, and let the time troopers handle it?”

“We have, and they have no indication of a paradox associated with him, so they have refused…yes.” Warlock shook his head, “They have refused us. And now…yes…now, we can no longer see past the third sunset. The future is empty…of us.”

Renyon gained his feet, and said aloud: “Empty…”

The guildmaster spoke in kind. “Yes, of us…yes; I fear for our future and have no means to ‘See.’” “You will be the guild’s only eyes in this matter. Guided into a chain of events we might be, but we remain able to change the future, I am certain of it...humm, yes!”

The guildmaster was excited now his eyes alight with the complexities of this dilemma. “If your prospective employer is from the future, or the past, we should be able to divine his other temporal self; although, we cannot...yes. Somehow, this Lilem Cross has merged with his form from this time, and the combination has created a discontinuity that colors every event associated with him, and makes it impossible for the oracles, us, to see the future. Yes…It is the only answer.”

That night on orders, Renyon accepted the contract; acting as an independent mercenary, while secretly remaining on guild business. This additional support, allowed him to act with a certain amount of indiscretion; the master’s thoughts flashed to the loss of the carrier. Such were the sacrifices; the imperial guard knew the risks, and so on and so forth. The mantra served to sooth the master’s frayed nerves.

From within the forest, Renyon was very uncomfortable, the insects and other plants worrying him to no end. One particularly large spider was hanging within a foot of his face unperturbed by his invisible presence; it had a large bounty in its web and appeared quite content. For it, life was good. Renyon considered smashing the insect, but forced himself to calm. The action would serve no purpose and might even anger the gods.

The Shadowmaster’s features were lined with concern beneath the protective spell. His quarry was powerful and very dangerous; they managed to defeat the Scarrok he had led to them, as well as wipe out an assault carrier full of imperial guardsmen. And there were too many unanswered questions, especially why were they here? All it would take is one mistake, and the guild would never know…and then two sunsets from now..?

A small bit of vegetation found its way within his slippers, irritating him with every step; beneath his breath he informed the spider: “I hate it out here.”

Bethany admired their handy work with a morbid detachment borne of many conflicts. Coalax, used to one death at a time, shook his head at the destruction; clicked his tongue and sadly pulled out the Omni and used the GPS. “Poor dumb gravers.”

Shiva reared back distastefully after a sniff of one of the Scarrok, “Uggg, they smell terrible.”

Bethany looked over Coalax’s shoulder and asked, “So, which way?”

The mage’s sweat mixed in with the scented oils of her bath, drowned out the stench of the Scarrok. Without meaning to, Coalax took a deep breath and his eyes met the mage’s. The assassin turned the Omni so she could see. Bethany leaned in closer and let herself touch his arm. The sensation sent the assassin’s heart pounding harder than the battle.

The mage gripped his hand and tilted the display, “Looks like it’s just over there near those rocks in the trees.” When she pointed, the release of her hand was almost painful.

All Coalax’s could manage to say was, “Um…yea.”

The trio started directly for him. Renyon quickly backed into the forest and moved carefully into the rocks so as not to disturb his invisibility illusion. The drake cleared the way, opening a clean path with its large body by pulling itself across the undergrowth.

Coalax, eyes to the omni, took careful steps and stopped right before an unusual formation of rock. Renyon watched intently trying to remain perfectly silent. The drake sniffed the air and the shadowmaster tensed. He was invisible, nearly silent, but he had forgotten about the drake’s sense of smell.

Shiva snorted and tried to clear his nose, the stench of the Scarrok still with him. He caught a strange scent, he thought, and just as he was about to say something when Coalax took out the computer and set it to wide view to replay the message for clues.

The image solidified, it was of a massive intricate complex of organic looking machinery, stretching off in all directions. Amidst the devices was a raised platform with a lone human standing on it, bathed in light.

“My name is Albert Cross and I am speaking to you from within our world. That is correct, from within our world. What you see around me is the machinery that maintains everything that we hold dear.” The figure gestured to the control panel before him. “This panel is capable of shutting down the entire complex with a simple code, and with it, our world, or should I say Worldship. For that is just what it is, a gigantic starship riding through space.”

The image shifted to Albert’s face. “We of Sanctus, and the Phoenix legions, are pledged to keep this place safe. And we alone know these secrets, not even the alchemists have guessed what we now know. Under normal circumstances, this complex would only be a secondary back up system; however, for some reason it is the only active system to maintain the environment. This puts our world at a severe risk…” The image was disrupted and another face appeared covered in a distorted shadow.

The voice carried a fanatical tone. “So, the truth is revealed about this abomination…this artificial world that you would call home. Mankind was meant to die on Earth, consumed in the fires that would free all of our souls to heaven.” The image closed in on what could have been a distorted face. “And so it shall be, by Fatesfist.”

The image faded to be replaced by a set of coordinates and an outline of the island. It was the final lines that Coalax had been waiting for, information that did not make sense at the time.

The directions were fairly precise considering the location, “Place hand on the stone, pull on the air: and there was a series of digits: 1.61-3.14-32.17, followed by another series, this time in bright flashing red: 011-010-110-101.

The mage read the instructions and wasted no time as she stepped up to the stone formation and placed her hand on the center directly in a natural depression. Bethany pulled outward and was surprised as a holographic panel slid free of the stone, as if waiting for her touch.

At the sight of the transparent panel, the shadowmaster was stunned. He rolled back behind the rock and had to fight himself from storming out and attempting to stop them. His eyes took in the surroundings and he suddenly saw the value of every little thing. Overwhelmed, Renyon had to stuff his fingers into his mouth to keep from crying out.

Bethany looked at the display and tried the first series of numbers. The panel accepted the code and slid back into the stone, the bolder transforming into an open doorway.

Coalax shut down the omni and caught the mage’s eye, “What should we do now?”

Bethany looked at Shiva; the drake gave a massive shrug. She looked into the interior and covered her eyes against the glare.

“Wait!” Renyon stumbled from behind the bolder his illusion fading. Coalax’s found his blaster was already pointed at the familiar shadowmaster, Bethany’s staff encased in an eldritch glow.

Renyon dropped to his knees in the dirt, picking up a small bit of soil in his immaculately clean hands and cupping it to his breast, as if it were precious beyond compare.

“Please,” cried the shadowmaster. “I’m sorry; please let me come with you…” His tears were uncontrollable now, and the master curled on himself choking and sobbing. “I had no idea…We can’t…we can’t let...” he held up the dirt by way of explanation.

As if on cue, there was the sound and flash of a magical teleport: “Oh, but we can!” Said Lilem Cross, “and you just have. All I needed was that last bit of code, the part in red.”

Cross stepped boldly up to the group and even snorted at Shiva when the drake leaned in close, tiny bolts of electricity crackling amidst his fangs in anticipation.

Lilem raised a hand, “And before you go and try to kill me, know that if I am to perish, it will set in motion a paradox.”

“He’s lying.” snarled Bethany.

“How can you be so sure? Cross indicated Renyon with a casual nod. “Without the Shadowmasters ability to foresee, you are crippled and unable to act…blind.”

Renyon looked up and sniffed, “How…no, why?” The last word was thrown at his former employer.

“Because this place shouldn’t exist,” Lilem gestured, taking in everything around him, “because we should have all gone to god’s arms, long ago. Think of the reward I shall have earned, when we all arrive, a grand procession of souls, led by me! I will sit by god’s right side.”

Coalax found his fingers around the hilt of his sword, “Which god?”

“The one-true-god.” Replied Cross, his tone nearly matching the fanatical voice on the vid.

The assassin snorted, “There is no ‘one-true-god,’ you know this.”

Lilem’s voice grew solemn: “It is not a matter of proof; it is a matter of faith.”

“You mean fantasy,” interrupted Shiva. “That’s any religion with no basis in fact. It’s a fantasy.” The small storm drake leered at Lilem, nearly pressing his fanged snout against the fanatic’s face.

Lilem took a breath and invoked Major Temporal Kinetic. Speeding up time about himself, he moved around his opponents. Carefully avoiding any physical contact, outside of the suddenly slippery ground he walked on, Lilem walked behind Bethany. With each difficult step, he felt the stinging snap of the micro-sonic boom as the air was forced out of his path. The release of the temporal control was a balm; when he snapped back into reality, a dagger pressed against the mage’s throat.

“Not a sound little mage warrior,” purred Cross. With his free hand, he quickly clamped something to the base of her skull. Bethany grimaced from pain and then the mage’s expression went slack.

Lilem angled toward the doorway gently guiding Bethany with the dagger, and as the portal closed he said: “I’m activating the automated security systems. Please, attempt follow me, they will destroy you…sooner.” Closing on his words, the stone became itself once again.

Shiva threw himself against the rock with a wail, “No…!”

Coalax pushed the drake aside before Shiva ripped the stone apart. He checked his power supply, about a quarter a charge left; it would do. The assassin thumbed on his force field belt before he positioned his hand over the precise spot Bethany had; and pulled on the air. To his surprise, the holographic display slid from the stone once again. With a sigh of relief, Coalax punched in the code, and hit “enter.” Eyes alert for any defenses.

The panel went red and very unexpectedly the image of the Emperor of the Forbidden City appeared: “This access point has been sealed for security reasons. Closest entrance point at the following coordinates: Panel access: standard. The screen listed a series of numbers; Coalax opened his omni and fed in the information to the GPS. There was an icon of a hand pulling on the air.

“It’s on the other side of the island,” announced the assassin, shutting down his force-field.

“Then we had better get going,” said the shadowmaster; “I wish I had practiced more with long range telepathy; then I might be able to call for back-up.”

At the same time both checked their Omni’s; no signal, GPS; but, no com satlink.

Shiva watched Coalax pan the device in the air and snorted at the humans: “Fools, we are the back-up.” The drake pointed at Renyon, a very human like gesture. “I know nothing of you Master?”

“Renyon…Renyon North.” interjected the shadowmaster.

The drake nodded, “…Master, North. But Coalax here is one of the deadliest assassin’s on Synnibarr. If any can stop that graver, it’s him.”

Coalax stiffened under the drake’s complements, but the shadowmaster agreed quietly. “I must admit you did get away from me three times. No one has ever done that before.”

Coalax seized the opening and fought for a portion of humility. “Ah, you were under orders to apprehend, not kill.” The assassin wagged a finger; “That changes everything; and that binding you threw on me, if it wasn’t for my shield…” Coalax let it trail off as he turned followed his omni moving in the direction indicated. “Come on; let’s get out of this thicket and into the air.”

Renyon looked up at Shiva and managed a sheepish smile as he considered the soil in his palm; he withdrew a pouch and poured it within, reverently looping the satchel over his neck he started after the assassin. Over his shoulder he asked, “And what do I call you?”

The drake leaned in close, his expression terrifying as tiny bolts of lightening arched between his fangs, “You may call me, Shiva, the destroyer.”

The cool interior of the maintenance access tunnels still retained that “new car smell,” as if the Worldship were right off the showroom floor. Tubes, some with glowing pulses of light within, others with strange colored bubbling liquids, stretched off into the distance. Bethany stood silently a square patch of light appeared above them.

Cross found a panel and depressed a few switches. “That should slow your friends down long enough.” Once he was finished, Lilem brushed away Bethany’s hair and checked the synaptic modulator attached to her medulla oblongata. The fat body of the spider like device still held a large quantity of the regulating chemical, its fangs sunk into her spinal column administering the dosage on a constant basis. It stirred as if annoyed when he tapped it. Bethany winced.

“Looks like everything is in order here my dear, so I would like you to follow me and remain peaceful; do not try and escape or fight me. Do you understand?”

Bethany nodded her head and ventured slowly, “I feel so strange,” she began, “I can’t seem to concentrate…” Her words trailed off.

“That’s the modulator, it’s a strong narcotic combined with a synaptic suppressant that stops you from concentrating enough to use any of your powers or equipment. Don’t fight it; you will only become more disorientated, perhaps even nauseous.”

She nodded, unable to work up the will to even protest, she followed him along as they made their way to a tram of sorts. Red velvet cushions, leather and brass, gave the device the appearance of an ancient seagoing conveyance. Lilem moved to the device and the door opened automatically.

The mage managed a question, “How do you know about all of this?”

Lilem raised an eyebrow as if surprised she still possessed the will to speak. “My father was a member of Sanctus. He raised me to be one as well, until I discovered the truth hidden in the archives. The truth about the last days of our true home…Earth.”

“That’s just a myth.” Replied the Mage halfheartedly, fighting to remain conscious, all she wanted to do was sleep. Outside the window they passed by wonders and she could barely manage to hold open her eyes. A massive section of tubes containing of what appeared to be plasma clouds undulated like miniature quasars, the gas exchanging energy with whirling gyros of light, the power pumped off into the vast complex.

“No little mage, it is not!” Lilem leaned in close and straightened her hair and helped her into a better sitting position. “The fact of the matter is that this ship was made to escape our true fate. There was a vote; the faithful lost to the cowards, and humanity fled its rightful punishment by the hand of god.”

“Stop saying that,” Bethany was surprised she found the will to protest. “It makes you sound ridiculous and crazy.”

Lilem slapped her, his eyes alight with fury. “You will not speak to me that way, woman. In a few more minutes, you will realize that everything I have said was correct as you all stand behind me before god, in final judgment.”

Bethany managed to look her captor in the eye, “In a few more minutes you will be dead.”

Lilem considered striking her again but instead he sat back and chuckled confidently, “Not until I wish it! Not a soul can find me little mage. I am invisible to the eyes of the future, lost to those of this time. There is no one to know what I am about to do to stop me.”

Bethany’s head dropped as she fought against the modulator, and managed a sleepy, “How?”

“Oh at great personal expense I can tell you. Traveling to the dimension of Limbo is perilous in and of itself, what with the various denizens that call the region home, but fighting my way into Timekeep, that was the most difficult part of all. Something only managed by allowing myself to be captured by one of the Bonelords.”

Lilem’s expression grew hard as he considered the memory. “My time spent in the dungeons was brief but awe inspiring.” Images of his torture, and that of others, were stuffed back into his thoughts. “In time, my tormentor grew bored and left me to rot, but not before kidnapping my entire family and forcing me to devour them or starve. Eventually, as I was protected by god, the demon allowed me time to recover my strength and escape to the upper levels of the castle.”

Lilem stood up and watched the view engrossed with his memories, “And once within the ‘Halls of time,’ I did the unthinkable…I stepped back, and permanently moved backwards in the time continuum.”

Even through her stupor, Bethany found the will to sit up straight. “You fool, now you are…”

His voice was almost a whisper, “Out of temporal sync, yes; forever removed from my real time.”

Bethany fought to take advantage of Lilem’s momentary inattention, her hand inching toward a dagger sheathed on her thigh. “With the dimensional shifting architecture… how did you manage t’ find your way out f’ the castle?” Her fingers were just on the hilt, but it was as if her hand was asleep, she couldn’t pull the blade free, could barely speak.

“I am not a man without powers of my own. And once free, I returned, via a Bridge of Valhalla spell and possessed my own body.” There was a snap and Lilem held Bethany’s dagger. She had not even seen him make a gesture, let alone a movement. Trying to appear non-chalet, Lilem winced and used his willpower to prevent going into shock from his nearly broken hand. The expression of respect on the beautiful woman’s face was what he expected of those awaiting him in heaven; it was worth the pain.

Renyon eyed Shiva doubtfully, “Are you sure it’s alright?”

Coalax extended his hand, “Come on, we need to conserve all the energy we can. Shiva’s too big for those tunnels; it will be just you and me down there so we need to be frosty.”

Renyon stepped in front of the drake and locked eyes with him, “Shiva?”

The drake snorted and lowed away, “Oh just get on!”

The shadowmaster shouted and nearly fell off when Shiva squatted and leaped into flight with a spine jarring motion. Wings vibrating like a massive humming bird they were at their destination within a few minutes.

They flew for a moment and then Renyon said, “Coalax, if I had known what this was all about…” he let his words trail off in the mounting wind.

“That’s what we figured, if any guild knew what this guy was up to they would have stopped him. I can’t believe I had him dead and didn’t take the shot, I shoulda called his bluff.”

“Now that you mention it, if what he said was true the Time Troopers would stop him as well. They police any temporal activity that causes a paradox; from what I understand about the organization the stunt he pulled would act like an alarm.”

“Sounds like a big job,” rumbled the drake as he envisioned a massive city with troopers ready to go to battle.

“What?” asked Coalax.

“Policing time.” Replied Shiva beginning his decent, “Just the though of it gives me a headache.”

The shadowmaster chuckled and ventured, “Well, I’ll tell you this for nothing, since Cross is invisible to precognition; the gods won’t be able to prevent this mess either.”

Coalax looked back, “What do you mean?”

“I know for a fact, the gods use the same precognitive abilities as the oracles. If the oracles are blind, so are the gods.”

Coalax tightened his grip on the reins: “My concern is his power. How are we going to deal with that?”

Renyon’s expression grew dark. “His power is based on mutations, if I nullify mutations. At least that ability will be useless.”

“You can do that?”

Renyon nodded; “For a short time, yes. But we must get close.”

The coordinates were precisely located within an ancient stone circle set around two crossing paths. The surrounding area was clear of trees as if the meadow were tended by a gardener; the stones composing the circle looked to weigh close to a ton each.

Shiva wasted no time orbiting the area. He set down just outside the stones, digging up the grass with his landing; the moment after they dismounted he was airborne once more.

Coalax looked about the area seriously and back at the shadowmaster. “So, on the small chance this guy isn’t bluffing, just to be on the safe side, we go in set to subdue, not kill, agreed? The shadowmaster shook his head.

Coalax adjusted his weapons harness, “At least I can track Bethany.”

“How?”

The assassin rested his hand on the hilt of his enchanted sword, “Trade secret.”

As the pair stepped into the circle Shiva announced from above: “Scarrok.”

With a roar the group exploded from the trees, and-if possible, they seemed even angrier than before. Renyon felt awkward at the sight of the mob he had assembled.

Coalax looked at the circle of stones, each with a carved hole. “I bet this is some type of sacred place and we have offended them, on top of their general dislike.”

The assassin thumbed on his shield and stepped to the crossroads. In the very center he made a pulling gesture as is lifting something from the ground. The holographic panel extended upwards like a podium.

Renyon cast a greater Psishield as Coalax carefully typed in the code. The moment the assassin hit ‘enter’ the panel went red. At the same time, surrounding them, several holographic turrets popped up from the ground; each with the image of a nasty looking beam projector.

A small red light began to blink on the operations panel of the tram. “I think your friends have found the other entrance,” said Lilem cross. “Little good it will do them. I couldn’t lock the door; but, I set the security system there to eliminate threats attempting to enter.”

Unexpectedly, the beam projectors swiveled outwards and began to fire at the oncoming Scarrok while the ground seemed to melt away and the entryway appeared, a spiral stairway leading downward. Coalax led the way; Renyon raised his hood and followed, turning back at the last moment to watch the display with amazement. Coalax had to reach up and pull the shadowmaster from the scene.

Renyon stumbled down the stairs close to Coalax, “I can’t believe it; the system must have considered the Scarrok a greater threat.”

Coalax had his sword out as they neared the end of the stairs; “Wouldn’t you?” The assassin pointed the blade in various directions and finally said, “This way.”

Renyon’s head glowed.

“What are you doing?” asked the assassin.

“Now that we are inside I am trying to contact, what’s her name?”

“You mean Bethany?..”

“Bethany, yes that should help…Bethany.” The master closed his eyes and whispered, “I can picture her face perfectly. With her name I should be able to make contact, if she is within range and if she is still conscious.”

The shadowmaster reached out and mentally called Bethany’s name. Closer than he expected he felt a response and was quickly able to establish a link. Like the shredding of a piece of paper, the distance between their minds was sundered.

Bethany blinked several times when she heard Renyon’s voice. “Whoa..?” a wave of chemical taste accompanied her thoughts.

“It is I, Master Renyon, I mean you no harm; we have entered the tunnels, are you safe and well?”

Bethany’s telepathic speech was slurred, “As can b’ spect’d, h’ve ya’ foun’d the tram?”

“Tram? No, what does it look like?”

“Its…its…” Her thoughts became tangled as she fought to remain conscious.

Renyon stopped walking and added his total concentration to the contact. “Relax Bethany, let me in; I am going to look through your eyes and memories.”

The mage resisted, rallying what she could of her considerable mental defenses. Renyon relaxed his press and continued gently. “Bethany, milady mage, I can smash my way into your mind to get what we need to rescue you. But I won’t, it is against our order’s beliefs. You have to let me in…it’s the only way. I will touch nothing else, you have my word.”

Coalax stepped back from the Shadowmaster; drew his blaster, and kept a nervous watch. Too many bits of machinery were moving, as if the complex was truly alive. A small device of some type scurried across the floor, dragging a bit of cable with it while another was operating on a bit of equipment in what looked more like open heart surgery than routine maintenance.

The surgical crew included dozens of smaller robots each assisting the larger man sized ‘surgeon’ with absolute precision as it worked with probes within the heart like mechanism.

Suddenly from around the corner, a Scarrok charged; his claymore like sword damaging several components as he swung at the Shadowmaster’s glowing head.

The complex device was on the last phases of its ‘operation’ and quickly closed the sections ‘chest.’ Once complete, it very nimbly leaped free of the wall and landed directly in front of the charging Scarrok blocking his attack. The repair droid resembled a human with dozens of thin appendages. Three of the thin arms quickly snaked away the sword. Several more were emitting scanning beams.

A mechanical voice sounded, “You have been deemed a threat to the Worldship.”

The Scarrok reply was a scream and his massive fist snaked around the device’s throat, as the machine quickly opened the warrior’s armor, and along with it- his chest. Snaking in tubes and life support assist, the robot held the Scarrok’s heart within a glass vessel, intact and still beating within seconds. As the Scarrok watched helplessly, the rest of his organs were harvested nonchalantly.

The process uncompleted, the device picked up the remains of the Scarrok and began to move the entire mess to off into the complex as it said. “These components will make a fine addition to the internal systems…thank you for your cooperation.” Just before it left, the devices head swiveled and it scanned Coalax and the Shadowmaster.

Coalax blurted out: “Were on the same side, out to protect the Worldship.” The device’s tendrils waved across the assassin’s weapons, beeped and then said: “Noted, proceed with caution.” And then it vanished around the corner. In its shadow Coalax watched the head of the Scarrok being opened and the brain extracted and then it was gone.

The assassin let out a long sigh of relief and looked at Renyon, the shadowmaster completely oblivious to what had just transpired. Coalax touched his hand to his chest and swallowed.

Small cleaner bots crawled around where a few drops of blood hit the floor, a few trailing after the maintenance robot; others were already at work repairing the damage done by the Scarrok’s sword.

“Efficient,” admired the assassin.

Bethany’s mind was filled with a morass of chemicals and Renyon felt as if he were probing through a nightmare. He paged through her memories and followed Cross’s every step. He even smiled when Bethany attempted to draw her dagger. Good woman thought the master…Good woman.

With the memories digested almost right up to the second, Renyon looked through Bethany’s eyes. Cross stood cradling a swollen hand, eyes unfocused through the window. Renyon urged Bethany to look about her surroundings.

Suddenly the vehicle began to slow, Renyon noticed that each passing second the link grew stronger and ventured a guess that they were getting closer. Their destination located somewhere between the two entrances.

The panel’s readout said Green Gate One; Section-back up environmental override systems: status: operational. The information was of no use but the visual image of the interior of the tram was.

The shadowmaster allowed his confidence to flow long the link: the taste of victory, “Bethany we are on our way hold tight and don’t do anything to upset him. We will be there directly.”

Renyon fixed the interior of the tram into his minds eye and worked it. Imagining the area from every angle, he burned the destination into memory.

“I believe I can teleport us to our destination.” Said the shadowmaster at last, as the glow subsided around his head.

Coalax allowed a whistle to escape his lips. “Sounds risky,” said the assassin, “Do you know if you can teleport, in here.”

Renyon vanished and reappeared a few feet away. “If a tesseract works…” he let the thought trail off.

“That was reckless, if there was a Security spell. You could have ended up in a 1 inch cube in a wall someplace.”

“We have little time to waste,” demanded the shadowmaster.

Coalax dropped down on one knee and touched where the Scarrok had been eviscerated; scattering the last few cleaning bots.

The assassin touched the faint traces of blood remaining on the floor and said: “I don’t think we will encounter anything that may cause damage to the internal systems. No projectile or beam weapons, and you accidentally appearing in a wall someplace, could cause severe damage. You would think there would be a security system to prevent this?”

The shadowmaster shrugged, “I know I can tesseract, and if I can do that, then a teleport should function as well.”

“How is Bethany?”

Renyon shrugged, “As well as can be expected considering; but, none of that will matter, if we don’t stop him.”

“And if we end up in a wall?”

Again the enigmatic shrug, “Then the Worldship dies,” said Renyon flatly.

Coalax regained his feet; “We can’t risk it, there has to be another way.”

“I am so open to any suggestions.”

Coalax walked over to the edge of a balcony, below the complex flowed outwards in an endless maze of organic pipes and machinery. He could see no clear path. His sword pulled his fist in one direction but the way split into at least ten different tunnels.

The assassin shut off his force field belt and carefully made sure his blaster was set to stun “One last thing.”

“What?” Renyon’s skull began to glow.

“I hate this job.” And they were gone, a brief falling sensation that was over so quickly, one never had the chance to fully savor it.

Lilem, whispered into Bethany’s ear, “I wonder what heaven will be like for me?”

Bethany managed to reply quickly, “Exactly as you imagine.”

Lilem agreed, a fanatical awe in his voice, “Yes… yes; I suppose it will.” Lilem stepped up the pace eager to receive his reward. The destination wasn’t far; but, suddenly Cross was in a hurry to begin his real life by the side of god.

“You really want to kill everybody on the planet?”

“I am not killing them, I am saving them…you; god will decide what to do with the souls he was denied in the first place.”

Bethany considered asking him if he was ever considered he might be wrong, but thought better of it. He would not listen to reason; his type never did. Cross had the right to his beliefs but not at the expense of everyone else’s freedom and in this case, lives. Even if he were absolutely right, all sentient beings deserve the freedom of choice.

Cross made his way from the tunnels into a larger chamber. Bethany recognized the machinery from the video. They were in the environmental system. At the far side of the room was a raised section with the control panel and tended by all manners of robots, the walls seeming to move all on their own.

“You will remain here, make no movement or sound.” Cross positioned her directly before the platform, and started for the stairs.

Bethany fought against the hypnotic control but soon found herself a prisoner within her own body. Helplessly she watched Cross walk proudly toward the controls and doom.

Light lanced out of the trams window when they appeared; the interior was deserted.

Coalax reactivated his belt with a slap and crouched. Renyon looked at the assassin as if his antics were unnecessary.

“If you drop the force field, I can make us both invisible; then we sneak in.”

“Save your cogency for the nullification.” Coalax withdrew two small vials and drank one down; handing the other to Renyon. The assassin closed his eyes and activated the potion’s enchantment quickly fading from sight.

From the empty air where he stood his voice said: “Mage warrior invisibility, should last for an hour, unless we attack something. We will only get one chance.”

Coalax’s sword seemed to almost drag him towards Bethany. Renyon downed the potion and they started off.

The tram depot connected to the rest of the complex via a doorway opening up onto a wide flat tunnel. The sword pulled them along for a few dozen footsteps and then began to pull toward a doorway. As they watched a vault like door began to slowly swing closed with a tiny beeping.

Lilem Cross had his hands on the controls like a pianist; head back in ecstasy. Renyon wasted no time and began to work up the Caprenium Silence from the farthest point in the chamber. Cross appeared to be waiting for the door to close, giving the shadowmaster the precious seconds he would require to empower the nullification beyond anything the mysterious figure could hope to equal.

Coalax thumbed his rifle to stun, stepped over Bethany’s prone form and took careful aim, waiting patiently for the shadowmaster to cast his psispell and break their invisibility; that would be his cue to shoot Cross.

With a flash, Renyon reappeared; his Caprenium Silence smashing outwards like a nova. The field washed over Lilem and Cross stepped back from the controls with a surprised expression, his eyes fixing on the assassin and the blaster, and not the shadowmaster, before throwing Bethany’s dagger.

The knife flew towards his heart and Coalax had to fight not to slap on his force field. Instead, he dodged the blade and let it strike the wall where it destroyed a component. As he rolled to the floor, the robots were already leaping off of the walls toward Cross.

Lilem attempted to activate his mutation and was stunned when the robots kept moving; his screams were like a lullaby.

Dozens of small appendages seized him and began opening his chest as the robot said: “You have been deemed a threat to the Worldship.”

The end

Epilogue

The air flashed with orange and screamed when the Bonelord appeared. The demon’s skeletal tail weaved carefully around the complex machinery. Before him, embedded in several sections were the remains of his pet, Lilem Cross.

Khishka Illweaver chuckled darkly and cast the restoration spell. In moments Lilem lay before him whole once more. The defenses moved in to assault them and the Bonelord waved them all away as if they were insignificant.

“You had thought I had forgotten you my pet?” growled the Bonelord. “No, we have great entertainments to indulge in.”

Cross shook his head, “But, my sacrifice…”

“Shushh, there, there little mortal, why destroy a world, when you can torture it?”

“It is an abomination!”

“So are those who eat their families.” The darklord added his laughter to the sounds of Cross’s screams.