Awakening

Chapter 10

Watching the footage eagerly, Celeste Ryder was standing with Peebee and Jaal as they talked about their newest discovery. Meridian was not where she was now, but it was a planet! The planet was the sheer heart of the vault network and once online it could affect every planet in the cluster. Seeing the beautiful sight before him, Archon ran his tongue over the razor sharp points of his teeth. Remnant was more magnificent than he ever imagined! What power he could wield!

He then leaned his hand in closer. It was time to discard Celeste. Pausing, his dark eyes moved over to the image again. Celeste was smiling at what she uncovered. "This is a great day for us. We will actually be able to find a home." She seemed relaxed, unguarded. Just the way he was when she entered his life.

Reaching into the particle stream, he felt the warmth of the energy. Sam started to glitch and he could hear cries of pain clearly. He relaxed his fingertips and swirled them gently around the particles, taking his time. Inserting them in slowly letting the anguish drag on. A sadistic smirk went across his lips as he watched on. "Congratulations, Pathfinder. A great day for us all."

"Sam! What is going on?!" Celeste hissed through clenched teeth. The pain was clearly unbearable to her. Archon could hear her groaning and crying on the other end. Biting his lip, he dipped his fingers in further. He ached to hear more. A sensation coursed through his body that brought chills. Her voice! It seemed he could hear voice, her breathing, her heart beating inside his head. A split second he could almost see what she saw without the assistance of the drone or terminal. She was on her knees, clutching her head with her hands as if she could find some unnatural power to stop the torment. Jaal was right at her side. His voice was muffled and he could see his face looking at her full of concern and worry. The angaran reached out and gently shook her.

"Ryder! What is happening?!" Fear and dread filled Jaal's voice. "Darling one! Please answer me! Find strength to fight this!"

"J-Jaal! Help! I-I can't!" Celeste's voice echoed in the Archon's head. "He-he's messing with Sam!"

Peebee was at the door trying to open it. "I can't reach the Tempest! We need to get her out of here or she will die!"

Jaal gave Celeste one more look of concern as he jumped up from where he was and ran over to assist the asari. Celeste's heart was racing as panic overwhelmed her and pain. Archon wondered how long she could tolerate this. The connection to her Sam was becoming weaker with his interference. Celeste staggered to get up, fumbling as she reached up with every strength she had left in her to hit the console. This time there was no interaction. It wasn't coming back online! They were trapped in the room!

Archon narrowed his eyes as he watched. Her failed attempt clearly showed that she was flawed. Just as he suspected! Not a worthy rival. His facial expression hardened. "Pathfinder, I know you can hear me." A beat. "Your implant is what made you special. I have taken that away from you."

"Get out of my head, you asshole!" Celeste screamed back at him.

Scrunching his face, Archon held his hand where it was. Once again she found strength to confront him. Even on the brink of death….she became more composed. A part of him wanted to recoil and not carry out what he had in mind. No Resistance fighter or any other species they came across was like this. The AI made her special he assumed, but was it something else? "To think I was drawn to you," He admitted. He stared at the blinking artificial being in front of him as if it was her. "I was bored in this forsaken cluster. I was not able to activate any of the monoliths or vaults. Exaltation was taking longer than the Empire suspected. I thought the Remnant technology was my saving grace to get out of here faster. I was wrong…until you came along." He shook his head, "You deceived me. My only desire was to unlock their secrets." Gripping his fists, he spat, "Not you. Now with Meridian, I will fulfill the purpose of exaltation."

Silence dragged for several seconds as if Celeste was trying to process his words and hold off the pain at the same time. "You-," She winced. "Hold up…what did you say? You felt something for me?"

Cringing at what he just admitted, Archon felt his face grow hot. She did it again! How did she unravel him to the point where it shook him to his core? He was feared and held up in the highest honor among the Kett that was under him. Yet, she tore him down. There was nothing to do but try to save face and deny it all. "You are mistaken, Pathfinder. You are beneath me. A shadow that will no longer follow. You have served your purpose and now Meridian will be mine."

"Who are you talking to?" Jaal could be heard nearby. Apparently, they couldn't hear the Archon's responses, but could hear her talking.

"It's the Archon," She explained calmly. "He-"

"Enough!" Archon bellowed as he moved his finger again in the stream causing a quick rage of pain. Celeste screamed out as she lost her footing. "This dialogue has no purpose."

"It does!" Celeste winced as sweat beaded on her face. She seemed to be ignoring her body and focusing on him. "Face it. You are not as mighty as you play out to be. You are no longer the master of your so called game. You admitted it! It all makes sense now….what you said on the flagship…why you are hesitant in killing me. Helping with the Remnant is part of it yes…but I'm sure you could have come up with other ways with that brain of yours. You want me, Archon." He could almost see the grin on her face. It was taunting to him.

"So Old man Drack was right?" Peebee asked out. "Gross."

Archon tried to find some retaliation, but for once in his life, the words failed him. His fingers wavered at the connection. The tables were being turned on him and Celeste was finding more strength in his weakness. "I know what you are saying. You want a rival and face it, I'm it. But what the Kett is doing is wrong. Everyone is unique…every species. We will advance on our own. We don't need the combination of Kett genetics to achieve it. You and I both want Meridian. We can do so much good with it and maybe help your people advance within their means. We can do this together."

"You can't be serious, Ryder!" Jaal shouted angrily in protest. He glared at her. "Do not make any deals with him. He is not to be trusted! My people's fate have shown that."

"Sorry, Celeste. I'm with Jaal on this one. Remember the whole creepy building you guys find on Voeld? That could be us." Peebee pointed out as she knelt down to grab Ryder's attention.

"I'm aware of what I'm dealing with," Celeste told her friends confidently. She smiled as best as she could. "What do you say, Archon? I know you are fascinated with the Remnant technology-"

"Hello!" Peebee waived her arms, cutting Ryder off. "To exalt us. Remember?"

Genetic code from a thousand species filled him. He like most Kett were far more advance than the humans, angaran, asari, salarians, and turians they have encountered. Yet, somehow, this red head woman whose heart was strong and gentle at the same time was shattering that image of him. The emotions he had experienced since her arrival were so alien to him and infectious. To think she was a rival? No, she was not worthy. She was only confident because she had that implant. Once that was gone….yes that was the only course of action. "I've had enough! This ends now!" He reached out and violently severed the connection. He could hear Celeste scream loudly for only a brief second until the audio and video return was gone. The room was quiet and empty once more. Looking down at his hand, he clenched it into a fist tightly and then walked out of the room. His steps echoing among the walls. He was finally free. Celeste Ryder was dead.