Okay, kinda short, and kinda a cliff hanger.....the reason for this is,
that there is only ONE more chapter left....and I will officially write THE
END, closing this story. Hopefully, my computer will stay functioning long
enough for me to upload it.....thank you....
**********
Alex sighed, taking her fingers from the keyboard she was typing at and stretching her arms. She and Nick had been researching their 'guest,' and his mythological battle for the best part of two hours. They had found the incantation an hour ago, but Nick had thought it best to expand the search for all related material.
Rachel, who wasn't really into the whole computerised searching, was skimming through several books that they had brought to the control room from the library. They thought that it was best for them all to be together in case the beast tried it's manipulations on them, or it attacked. There was barely any sound to be heard in the control room, until Rachel gasped in surprise.
"Ah! Do you *have* to do that?"
Nick had already leapt to his feet when Alex looked up, only to find Arkans staring back at her.
She stifled a gasp of her own, as Nick berated their visitor.
"You know, suddenly appearing in rooms like that is a damn good way to get a bullet in you."
Arkans barely spared him a glance. "Did you find it?" he asked Alex impatiently.
"Yes, we did. We've printed it up, but one thing still puzzles me....why can't you read it yourself?"
Arkans gave her an incredulous look. "Weren't you listening before? I told you, I need beings of good to read the incantation......the more the better. And, as such, you three are nominated."
"And you're not good," Rachel reminded darkly.
"He's not?" Nick asked.
"Not really, no," Arkans cut in. "But I *am* on the good side of this battle.....though you two are rapidly pushing me elsewhere."
The two in question merely shared a look, before Nick asked why he had suddenly arrived.
"The beast," he replied. "It's discovered my presence......and it's on it's way."
"What do we do?" Alex asked.
"All you need to do, is stay out of the way, and read the incantation when I ask you to."
Nick shook his head. "But it's in some weird language......what does it translate to?"
"It doesn't.......what I mean is, it's a lost, demonic language......it's only in your database because a Legacy operative was present when the battle took place....I took advantage of that fact.....I gave him a few words to say, practically nonsense when you put them together. I didn't realise he had some sort of photographic memory."
"Wait, if these words are nonsense.....then why the hell are we saying them?"
"Because, Mr Boyle, it isn't the words themselves that are needed.....it's the sentiment behind them. Roughly translated, they just mean love, serenity, tenderness, you know, positive emotions.....the exact opposite of what the beast wants."
"So.....we feed it with feelings of the good stuff.......and you do what, exactly?"
"I weaken it, distract it......when you 'feed it with feelings of the good stuff,' as you put it......those feelings will penetrate it, permeate it......and I will take it far away from here......where it will not escape, for a very long time."
No one had a chance to answer as the lights began to flicker.
"Friend of yours?" Nick drawled.
"What the ......?" Rachel trailed off. As she watched, a strange cloud began to form near them. It was a mixture of black and greys, deep blues and purples.......all swirling together in a maelstrom of colour.
"That, Mr Boyle, is no friend of mine......that is the beast."
"Kinda figured that one out for myself," the ex SEAL muttered.
Arkans marched forward, standing straight in front of the cloud while waving the three Legacy members away. "Be ready," he hissed.
They moved away as told, Nick crouching down to remove his gun from his ankle holster. "Just in case," he explained at Rachel's inquiring look.
Before the Legacy members eyes, Arkans transformed. His body became fainter and fainter, losing shape and cohesion, becoming.......becoming the same as the large cloud hanging in the centre of the control room. The only difference being the fantastic red colours that he showed.
"What the........?"it was Nick's turn to exclaim. As they watched, the two forms merged, almost colliding. The swirling mass swelled in size, swirling faster and faster. A wind kicked up, blowing a number of papers and other objects about.
"Now!" screamed a disembodied voice. "Read now!"
Judging the voice to have come from the inside of the cloud, Alex realised it must have been Arkans. She looked about for the paper. "Where is it?" she shouted, having to raise her voice to be heard over the raging wind. "The paper, with the incantation, where is it?"
"It was in the printer," Nick called back. But the printer was on the other side of the swirling storm of colour.
Taking a deep breath, Nick ran as fast as he could, cutting the two fighting entities a wide berth. He made it to the printer without incident, carefully tearing the needed sheet of paper. He turned, running back the way he had come. But he never quite made it.
Halfway there, a strange sort of....tentacle, was the only way Alex could describe it, reached out of the mass, striking Nick on the back. He went flying forwards with a cry, striking the wall in front of him. He fell to the ground, landing with a thud.
"Nick!" Rachel and Alex shouted together.
*****
**********
Alex sighed, taking her fingers from the keyboard she was typing at and stretching her arms. She and Nick had been researching their 'guest,' and his mythological battle for the best part of two hours. They had found the incantation an hour ago, but Nick had thought it best to expand the search for all related material.
Rachel, who wasn't really into the whole computerised searching, was skimming through several books that they had brought to the control room from the library. They thought that it was best for them all to be together in case the beast tried it's manipulations on them, or it attacked. There was barely any sound to be heard in the control room, until Rachel gasped in surprise.
"Ah! Do you *have* to do that?"
Nick had already leapt to his feet when Alex looked up, only to find Arkans staring back at her.
She stifled a gasp of her own, as Nick berated their visitor.
"You know, suddenly appearing in rooms like that is a damn good way to get a bullet in you."
Arkans barely spared him a glance. "Did you find it?" he asked Alex impatiently.
"Yes, we did. We've printed it up, but one thing still puzzles me....why can't you read it yourself?"
Arkans gave her an incredulous look. "Weren't you listening before? I told you, I need beings of good to read the incantation......the more the better. And, as such, you three are nominated."
"And you're not good," Rachel reminded darkly.
"He's not?" Nick asked.
"Not really, no," Arkans cut in. "But I *am* on the good side of this battle.....though you two are rapidly pushing me elsewhere."
The two in question merely shared a look, before Nick asked why he had suddenly arrived.
"The beast," he replied. "It's discovered my presence......and it's on it's way."
"What do we do?" Alex asked.
"All you need to do, is stay out of the way, and read the incantation when I ask you to."
Nick shook his head. "But it's in some weird language......what does it translate to?"
"It doesn't.......what I mean is, it's a lost, demonic language......it's only in your database because a Legacy operative was present when the battle took place....I took advantage of that fact.....I gave him a few words to say, practically nonsense when you put them together. I didn't realise he had some sort of photographic memory."
"Wait, if these words are nonsense.....then why the hell are we saying them?"
"Because, Mr Boyle, it isn't the words themselves that are needed.....it's the sentiment behind them. Roughly translated, they just mean love, serenity, tenderness, you know, positive emotions.....the exact opposite of what the beast wants."
"So.....we feed it with feelings of the good stuff.......and you do what, exactly?"
"I weaken it, distract it......when you 'feed it with feelings of the good stuff,' as you put it......those feelings will penetrate it, permeate it......and I will take it far away from here......where it will not escape, for a very long time."
No one had a chance to answer as the lights began to flicker.
"Friend of yours?" Nick drawled.
"What the ......?" Rachel trailed off. As she watched, a strange cloud began to form near them. It was a mixture of black and greys, deep blues and purples.......all swirling together in a maelstrom of colour.
"That, Mr Boyle, is no friend of mine......that is the beast."
"Kinda figured that one out for myself," the ex SEAL muttered.
Arkans marched forward, standing straight in front of the cloud while waving the three Legacy members away. "Be ready," he hissed.
They moved away as told, Nick crouching down to remove his gun from his ankle holster. "Just in case," he explained at Rachel's inquiring look.
Before the Legacy members eyes, Arkans transformed. His body became fainter and fainter, losing shape and cohesion, becoming.......becoming the same as the large cloud hanging in the centre of the control room. The only difference being the fantastic red colours that he showed.
"What the........?"it was Nick's turn to exclaim. As they watched, the two forms merged, almost colliding. The swirling mass swelled in size, swirling faster and faster. A wind kicked up, blowing a number of papers and other objects about.
"Now!" screamed a disembodied voice. "Read now!"
Judging the voice to have come from the inside of the cloud, Alex realised it must have been Arkans. She looked about for the paper. "Where is it?" she shouted, having to raise her voice to be heard over the raging wind. "The paper, with the incantation, where is it?"
"It was in the printer," Nick called back. But the printer was on the other side of the swirling storm of colour.
Taking a deep breath, Nick ran as fast as he could, cutting the two fighting entities a wide berth. He made it to the printer without incident, carefully tearing the needed sheet of paper. He turned, running back the way he had come. But he never quite made it.
Halfway there, a strange sort of....tentacle, was the only way Alex could describe it, reached out of the mass, striking Nick on the back. He went flying forwards with a cry, striking the wall in front of him. He fell to the ground, landing with a thud.
"Nick!" Rachel and Alex shouted together.
*****
