The Sorcerer and the Stargazer part 36
Across the worlds
It had begun. The final war. The twilight of the gods.
Ragnarok.
Where does one begin to tell of the beginning of the end? Does it start with the Great Dry Docks of Jotunheim, deliberately built dozens of miles from the ocean in expectation of the disaster? The rise of all of the monsters that had been bound attacking all they could consume?
Or does it start with the gods and goddesses in their regalia girding for war? Or the trumpets sounding the Einherjar to battle in Valhalla?
Or perhaps it begins with the ride of the Sons of Muspell…..
-Scene Break-
Southern Lebanon, Midgard.
It began as a searing spark against the desolate wastelands that had once held so much human history. A spark that widened first to a door and then to a gate. A gate that stretched for miles around, allowing the heat and sulfurous fumes from Muspell to leak into the quiet Midgard air.
A large contingent of cavalry rode out from that hellish gate, intent on seizing the Bifrost Bridge and circumventing Asgard's defenses. That they were prophesied to fail did not stop them. The potential reward was worth the risk.
And behind the vanguard came Surt, his sword blazing brighter than the sun.
But they were not alone. As one the four vessels from the Moon fired as one.
Nuclear fire touched the Middle East once more. The missiles were staggered so as not to destroy the others in flight.
-Scene Break-
Stargazer's Bridge, Southern Lebanon, Midgard
Michael cradled Maria's body. She had moaned briefly, but now lay still. Only the slight movement of her chest told him that she yet lived.
He wanted her back so bad!
Michael felt as the missiles were launched, felt as the ship was buffeted by the wind from multiple nuclear impacts. "What is going on?"
Kyle said dryly, "Looks like Maria has found some friends to play with."
One of the other ships suddenly exploded.
"And it looks like they don't play nice."
"We have to do something?"
"Like what Michael? Head to the escape pods? Where exactly do you plan on going? Buddha wept!" Kyle's voice caught, clearly close to tears. "I can't see anywhere to go! Look, just look at these maps." Kyle shifted the maps over to Michael's workstation.
Michael did not recognize the geography. "Kyle, you ass, send me a map of Earth. This one, is what Nidavellir?"
"That is Earth. Hawaii is just gone. Japan, its just a bunch of volcanoes now. Its gone, Michael my world is GONE!"
"Stargazer, do we have telemetry of anyone?"
The voice that answered him was different, it wasn't Maria, nor what it the old Stargazer's voice. It was an odd blend. "We do have contact with several ships through direct satellite connection. The last effective ground station was Cheyenne Mountain. They have gone silent as well as of fifteen minutes ago."
"What, what has happened."
"Based on analysis of satellite imagery, multiple severe seismic events have occurred. Major tsunamis are underway. Large scale volcanic activity has also been noted. It has begun to degrade standard optical sensors.'
The ship began to shake as the enemy fired back at them. Bolts of superheated flame ate at the ships, the Elizabeth notably wilting. Alarms were now ringing on the Stargazer, angry alarms signally combat damage.
But unlike in the past, the ship would not let its humans help the robotic damage control parties. Instead it was channeling them towards the Medical bay or the CIC.
The most protected portions of the ship.
Kyle was jabbering about all the damaged, but Michael's gaze was fixed on the bubble of fire that protected one group of Fire Giants…. That sword, that power. Surt. It had to be Surt.
It was really happening. It was really happening now.
Michael clutched his beloved wife closer, kissing her cheek. To have one more word with her, even in anger…..
-Scene Break-
Ascension Island, ?
Max stood up. What had happened? It had felt like the ground had suddenly leapt up and moved somewhere else.
He looked at the Granolith, now slowing down. The colors returning to normal. The heavy weight of all that summoned power was gone.
Completely gone.
That should be impossible. There should be residues everywhere.
There were not.
There were changes. A light mist was curling along the floor, and the air felt colder.
Liz he, should check on Liz.
Tess was slowly getting up, brushing the dust from her tattered jacket. She held the sapphire in her hand like it was her last hope. And when she saw him there was a gleam of hope in her eyes. "Max! You saved me!"
Max smiled softly, "I could not let you die. Look, we should talk, but right now, right now I need to see that Liz is okay."
Tess looked at him carefully, and her smile faded. "Alex? Isabel?"
Max thought on the clothes he had found collapsed on the ground. He knew his sister had a problem shifting into her falcon form. He'd never been good with birds himself.
There was a trick to it, but he too usually had to strip to get the feathers right. He shook his head. Even if his sister had turned falcon and escaped, it did not explain Alex. Alex was likely one of the least magical people he had ever met. There was no way he would have been able to shift shape.
Alex at least was likely dead. And as much as he wanted to find his sister alive, he doubted her safety as well.
Tess clutched the gem to her chest and sighed. The gem began to glow.
"Tess?"
"No, we need Liz. I will need your help, but I will need Liz, too."
Max nodded slowly. And began to briskly walk towards where he had left Liz and Kvar. Liz was still unconscious.
The same could not be said of Kvar, who was vainly hitting Liz. Vainly because the Power Armor Liz had made had not disappeared.
Liz built to last.
But that did not stop his increasingly frenzied attempts to hurt her. And on his hands there was only one ring. The Black gold ring of Andvari.
Laying on the ground, near where he had seen Kvar stand last, lay the remnants of his other two rings. The diamond gleamed with a bright white light, seeming to fill the fog with its brilliance. The emerald looked to still be tied, with a heavy rope pulsing energy towards the ring.
Shadows lurked near that ring. Dark and angry shadows.
-Scene Break-
Stargazer Medical Center, Southern Lebanon, Midgard.
She awoke surrounded by liquid.
Panic filled her. She could not breathe! She needed to breathe!
Her delicate hands broke through the membrane and she thrust her head out into the cold clean air. She still could not breathe, her lungs full of the nutrient bath that had sustained her, that had made her out of the genetic remains of her creators.
She feebly struggled to get free, coughing up large amounts of highly oxygenated fluid. The first breath felt so very good.
It was good to be alive. To finally truly live.
The door opened and a stunned looking young woman, with a middle-aged man. The man looked at her in the eyes. His eyes seemed filled with sorrow and hope. His mouth crinkled slightly at the sight of her, still covered in goo. "Well, Mira, dry her off."
"Uh, Marcus."
A middle-aged woman peeked around the corner and spotted her. She gushed, grabbed the towel from the still stunned Mira, and rushed to rub the teenaged girl that stood before her.
The girl looked up at the soft brown eyes that warmed her. She smiled.
"So my dear, what shall we call you?"
Her voice was halting. She knew how to speak. But this body, despite all the work that had gone into it had never said a word. In truth it had not existed hours before.
She had traded knowledge for life. A real life.
She was the Stargazer no longer. She was human now. "Call me Alexandra. Alexandra Whitman."
Part of her had wanted a childhood, had wanted, even desired the opportunity to play. But while the consensus agreed that it would be better if she could have that, if she could have it all…. They did not think they should. The form they gave her would be able to assist the rest of the humans more readily.
And they would need the help.
Marcus smiled and said, "Welcome to life, my dear."
-Scene Break-
Southern Lebanon, Midgard.
The battle was not going well for either side. Many a jotun who had been fated to die on Asgard's green fields lay low on the barren rock that had once possessed fabled cedar trees. But only the Alexander and the Stargazer remained of the Moon born ships. Several of the remaining human vessels assisted, and were in turn destroyed, the remnants of the Independence were even at that moment decorating the floor of the valley.
Surt remained. And while he remained, the world was threatened with extinction.
It was time to make hard choices. Both vessels were dying.
The Stargazer had never been a fully military vehicle, unlike the Alexander. And it carried precious cargo. So the consensus decided to sent it away. To follow the beacon that even now still called out across the void.
And the Alexander? It would destroy Surt.
Both of them activated their jump engines at the same time. The Stargazer to escape, and the Alexander to ram. To use all that it had remaining to destroy the evil fiend who could threaten the beings it so valued.
Impact.