The flames caressed the bulkheads and the heat burned through his costume. His gloved hand, pressed hard on the red-hot metallic lever, seemed to have given up relaying pain messages to his brain. The vessel vibrated constantly, getting more violent by the second. His bones felt as if they were ready to be shaken free of his body.
Focus.
There was no screen left. No visual way of discerning his location aside from the beeping of his wrist bracelet. The signal tied himself in with his partner. It was an almost instinctive skill, partially his own, partially the unknown powers of the cerebonic implant - it's abilities sometimes even he couldn't comprehend.
It was like a bat using sonar, however he was doing it, he was doing it. He knew that his team were just ahead of him still, keeping a firm distance. Then the blip disappeared. The craft from which it had come from had been destroyed. It had located and found his target. He powered the thrusters of the dying craft to maximum. They would only last seconds, but seconds was all he had before impact. He looked up at the upper airlock. It was a mass of flames and debris, however it was a viable escape route. There was a chance to survive. Impact any second.
He leapt and somersaulted backwards out of the chair and up towards the hatch. Impact. Energy danced. For a moment, Mark found himself trapped in time. Between the chair and the hatch. Unmoving. Paralysed.
Energy caressed him. He could feel it crawling across his skin, entering through his pores. It felt alive. He felt fear. It floated before him. Purple. The control exploded into flames...
The alien woke up in a cold sweat. His breath irregular and heavy. It smiled. It was a small price to pay for even partial freedom.
***
"I cannot get into contact with either Keyop or Princess!" Zark's voice crackled over Anderson's intercom. "Oh dear me. I suppose my Fossdec Amplifer must be malfunctioning!"
"No," Anderson paused. The concern on his face shrouded by shadows. Was it worth explaining to Zark? It would only get him nervous. "The problem is external. Just keep Jason and Tiny in isolation. I'll deal with Princess and Keyop."
***
"How long do you think the Chief will keep us locked up here?" Tiny surveyed the sealed room. It was comfortable, but lacking essential escape equipment. Anderson knew his team well.
"As long as it takes." Jason replied lying on the sofa. He was watching the fishes swim past the window. "It's up to Princess and Keyop now."
"Don't you have a plan Jason?" Tiny was slowly beginning to feel that Princess was right. Something was up. Anderson wouldn't lock them here if there wasn't a reason? "We may need a plan."
Jason turned and stared at the corner of the room and then back to Tiny. Surveillance. "Ah," Tiny muttered, sticking his hands in his pockets. "We wait."
***
"In here!" Princess slipped in through the window and into the bedroom. It was a basement apartment.
Keyop fell through the tiny open window after her. "Why here?" He asked.
Princess went over to the bed and pulled out a box from underneath it. Inside was a host of computer equipment. She began to set it up carefully.
Keyop surveyed the room. TV. Wardrobe. Bed. That was pretty much it. He wandered over to the bedside table. There was a framed picture resting on it. The photo inside was of the G-Force team sitting on a bench with Anderson hovering over them. Mark had his arm around Princess.
"Mark." Keyop whispered.
Princess looked up and then sharply looked away. "We used to come here when we wanted some privacy. Somewhere the Chief didn't know about. We used to talk a lot. Mark sometimes needed to talk." She paused. "Used to."
She went silent, hanging her head, her green locks covering her face. She looks so tired, thought Keyop. He rested a tiny hand on her shoulder. He knelt down and placed something gently in her hand. She looked down in surprise. It was a bracelet.
"Mark's," Bleeped Keyop. "On dresser."
She felt her eyes well up, and then she giggled. He she recalled how often he'd chastise Tiny for not wearing his bracelet only to leave his sitting by a bed in a rarely used apartment. Even Commanders have their off days, she reflected.
"Must be his spare." She guessed. "Dangerous thing to leave lying around." She tied it to her belt. A memento. She had so little that could be described as that. Composing herself - brushing her hair back, and wiping her eyes - she got back to work.
"I need your help breaking into Centre Neptune's computers." Keyop literally jumped in shock.
"Why?" He Bleeped. Princess had told him nothing. She's simply grabbed him straight from his bed (by the ear) and pulled him into his buggy. Unsurprisingly, he was feeling a little uncomfortable as to what was actually going on.
"I'll tell you why once we find it nosey! We need to find it fast too. The Chief is bound to be looking for us."
"What are we looking for?" the smallest member of G-Force asked suspiciously.
"The truth about what was going on at Orion Major! Something happened there which the Chief isn't telling us about!"
***
It was surprising how easy it was.
Despite his poor mobility, he had tailed them with out being seen. What was it he felt? Disappointment? He thought he had trained them better.
Drifting..
The Alien was resting, this gave him limited time before it found him. Then there would be punishment. It wouldn't stop him though - he would continue to fight. He knew the Alien was growing more powerful by the day.
He needed to warn them, but he knew it would find him as soon as he did - then it would kill them. He couldn't have that. He'd watch. Observe. The key to victory is to know not only the moves of your enemy, but your enemy's enemy.
Dare he move closer?
***
"Where's Jason?" Keyop asked. He stopped tapping at the mobile computer terminal Princess had set up and absently looking at his wrist. Much to his irritation, Princess had confiscated his bracelet - she hadn't explained why.
"Jason and Tiny will still be on Centre Neptune." Both she and Jason knew that confronting Anderson might result in the Chief confining them to the deep-sea base. It was a risk, and it seemed likely that the Chief had done exactly that. This meant it was up to her and Keyop.
"Broken into files." Keyop exclaimed.
"That was quick!" She said saving all the data that was coming onto the screen to disk.
"Been faster if I knew what was going on." Sniffed Keyop.
A few sentences caught her attention as she began the transfer. All the scientists from the expedition had since been murdered. By whom? She couldn't wait around to read the rest. It wouldn't take long to trace them. She placed the disk in her pocket.
"We have to move Keyop, they'll find us if we stay."
"Don't want to be in trouble." Sighed Keyop resting his head on his hands.
She nodded and sat down on the bed next to him. Princess had decided not to tell Keyop about Mark's body being missing. After the shock he went through just a few weeks back, it seemed a good idea to limit information from him. However she wasn't sure how long she could keep him in the dark. Princess turned to Keyop, folding her laptop up. She took a deep breath.
"I need to tell you something."
***
He listened from the small window on the sidewalk.
This was as close as he had ever allowed himself to get since that time at the grave - and the Alien had almost killed Princess for that.
He had to make himself plead with the Alien. Beg and swear he'd never do anything as stupid as that again.
It let her live.
The sacrifice of his dignity was a small price and he swore he would keep on fighting. Now time was running out, once again, risks had to be taken.
He listened to Princess telling Keyop her story. She remembered little about the encounter at the grave except his voice. She told him how she had spotted someone who looked like him in the passing weeks. About Jason and how they dug up the grave. They checked the grave?
For the first time in what seemed like eternity, he felt hope swell up from inside. He shuddered; he remembered clawing his way out of the coffin, out of control. He began to back away. Such feelings would awaken the Alien's senses.
He started to retreat, breaking into a run, only to trip. He cascaded across the road, rolling onto the pavement. He looked up to see a group of red clad figures walking towards him. Riga's top men, Anderson's backup team and the group that Mark's father used to command. The pilots of Riga. They were approaching with their weapons drawn.
"No." He muttered. It knew. It was coming. It will kill you all, he cried inside his head. "Kill you!"
***
"Should have told me!" Keyop blurted, tears rolling down his face.
"I didn't want you to get upset. I didn't want to see you.." Princess stopped mid sentence, her ears peeked with interest. She recognized that voice!
She leapt to the window. Her face lit up. That man! The clothes were unfamiliar and worse for wear, as was his general appearance, but that was-
"Mark!" She cried, tears rolling down her face. The she assessed the situation. Cronus' men from planet Riga. They were advancing on him weapons drawn.
"No!" She looked across at Mark, he turned and caught her eye. He mouthed something at her. Run. Should she? He needed her help - but why would he ask her to run? Then his face changed.
Contorted.
Not into something else, but as if it was a mask worn by someone entirely different. Someone evil. The eyes twisted towards the attacking men. Princess couldn't breathe. Something dreadful was falling into place in her mind.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Don't tell me Mark killed those scientists!" With one motion Mark - or whatever it was - swung round in a flying arc and killed five of the Rigan men with one kick. Five highly trained soldiers.
His speed was terrifying - even to Princess. She backed towards the door, her face pale and clammy. "Let's go."
"Where?" Keyop was still hovering near the window not sure what to make of the scene outside.
"Somewhere safer."
***
"It was a bloodbath!" growled Kane. "Fifteen men! Rigan authorities are furious. Cronus is dealing with them now.
"They shouldn't have engaged the target!" Anderson retorted. "Cronus thought they could handle it - so did you, if I recall."
Anderson never felt comfortable referring to this Rigan leader as Cronus. This wasn't the real Cronus. The name was a title offered the best Rigan pilot to uphold the legend of the original. The first Cronus was Mark's father, whom Anderson had worked with for many years. Cronus' Rigan team maintained the same respect for Anderson as had his old friend. The new Cronus had sworn that it wasn't just the name of Cronus he wished to uphold, but the strength of character the original was so greatly admired for.
Fifteen good men had been openly slaughtered in front of eight witnesses.
"We have another problem." Anderson commented. "7-Zark-7 informs me that my personal files were infiltrated earlier today - around the same time as the attack. "I think Princess knows about Orion Major."
"You trained them too well Anderson." Kane's remark held a mix of frustration and admiration.
"I know." Anderson replied. He should have prepared for this, but the strain of the last few weeks had clearly affected his judgement. He was getting sloppy.
"This creature has to be stopped." Kane looked into the weary eyes of the Security Chief. "You know who it will be after next." Anderson nodded. "I'm the only one left."
Kane shook his head. "You're not thinking straight, Anderson. You shouldn't have fought me relieving you. You're making errors. I can see that, even if the council can't. No, Anderson, you are not the last.
Anderson's eyes widened. "But he was not part of the survey team!"
"I don't think it's showing any particular interest in specifics."
A light flashed on his desk. "Anderson." He said curtly.
"We need to talk Chief." Princess' voice was icy. She knew.
He paused. He had to make a decision. A risk. He glanced over at Kane. Could he send his children to kill one of their own? Even for Galactic security? Did he have a choice? How many more will have to die for his mistakes? There was no easy way out of this one. All roads led to one action. He released the intercom. Kane grabbed his hand as he did so.
"Put G-Force on this mission and it could be disastrous for the Federation - who knows, they may even side with the creature!" Anderson pulled his hand away from Kane's grip.
"I know what you are thinking, Anderson, but you can't send them. You can't send them to kill one of their own!"
"I had no intention of sending them," Anderson stood up stiffly. "I'm going with them." He activated the intercom once more. "Jason, prepare to assemble your crew and launch the Phoenix!" He brushed past the President and stopped at the office door, paused then turned to face his guest. Through his frustration, Kane felt a pang of sympathy for his friend.
These were his adopted children. They were also his soldiers whom he had to send out to fight - and possibly die. Not for himself, but for the whole galaxy. How do you bear that burden?
"You're right. I could not ask my team to kill their brother." Anderson pocketed his glasses, his eyes gazing into something beyond nothingness. He turned and stormed out of the office. "But it's up to me to kill my son."
Focus.
There was no screen left. No visual way of discerning his location aside from the beeping of his wrist bracelet. The signal tied himself in with his partner. It was an almost instinctive skill, partially his own, partially the unknown powers of the cerebonic implant - it's abilities sometimes even he couldn't comprehend.
It was like a bat using sonar, however he was doing it, he was doing it. He knew that his team were just ahead of him still, keeping a firm distance. Then the blip disappeared. The craft from which it had come from had been destroyed. It had located and found his target. He powered the thrusters of the dying craft to maximum. They would only last seconds, but seconds was all he had before impact. He looked up at the upper airlock. It was a mass of flames and debris, however it was a viable escape route. There was a chance to survive. Impact any second.
He leapt and somersaulted backwards out of the chair and up towards the hatch. Impact. Energy danced. For a moment, Mark found himself trapped in time. Between the chair and the hatch. Unmoving. Paralysed.
Energy caressed him. He could feel it crawling across his skin, entering through his pores. It felt alive. He felt fear. It floated before him. Purple. The control exploded into flames...
The alien woke up in a cold sweat. His breath irregular and heavy. It smiled. It was a small price to pay for even partial freedom.
***
"I cannot get into contact with either Keyop or Princess!" Zark's voice crackled over Anderson's intercom. "Oh dear me. I suppose my Fossdec Amplifer must be malfunctioning!"
"No," Anderson paused. The concern on his face shrouded by shadows. Was it worth explaining to Zark? It would only get him nervous. "The problem is external. Just keep Jason and Tiny in isolation. I'll deal with Princess and Keyop."
***
"How long do you think the Chief will keep us locked up here?" Tiny surveyed the sealed room. It was comfortable, but lacking essential escape equipment. Anderson knew his team well.
"As long as it takes." Jason replied lying on the sofa. He was watching the fishes swim past the window. "It's up to Princess and Keyop now."
"Don't you have a plan Jason?" Tiny was slowly beginning to feel that Princess was right. Something was up. Anderson wouldn't lock them here if there wasn't a reason? "We may need a plan."
Jason turned and stared at the corner of the room and then back to Tiny. Surveillance. "Ah," Tiny muttered, sticking his hands in his pockets. "We wait."
***
"In here!" Princess slipped in through the window and into the bedroom. It was a basement apartment.
Keyop fell through the tiny open window after her. "Why here?" He asked.
Princess went over to the bed and pulled out a box from underneath it. Inside was a host of computer equipment. She began to set it up carefully.
Keyop surveyed the room. TV. Wardrobe. Bed. That was pretty much it. He wandered over to the bedside table. There was a framed picture resting on it. The photo inside was of the G-Force team sitting on a bench with Anderson hovering over them. Mark had his arm around Princess.
"Mark." Keyop whispered.
Princess looked up and then sharply looked away. "We used to come here when we wanted some privacy. Somewhere the Chief didn't know about. We used to talk a lot. Mark sometimes needed to talk." She paused. "Used to."
She went silent, hanging her head, her green locks covering her face. She looks so tired, thought Keyop. He rested a tiny hand on her shoulder. He knelt down and placed something gently in her hand. She looked down in surprise. It was a bracelet.
"Mark's," Bleeped Keyop. "On dresser."
She felt her eyes well up, and then she giggled. He she recalled how often he'd chastise Tiny for not wearing his bracelet only to leave his sitting by a bed in a rarely used apartment. Even Commanders have their off days, she reflected.
"Must be his spare." She guessed. "Dangerous thing to leave lying around." She tied it to her belt. A memento. She had so little that could be described as that. Composing herself - brushing her hair back, and wiping her eyes - she got back to work.
"I need your help breaking into Centre Neptune's computers." Keyop literally jumped in shock.
"Why?" He Bleeped. Princess had told him nothing. She's simply grabbed him straight from his bed (by the ear) and pulled him into his buggy. Unsurprisingly, he was feeling a little uncomfortable as to what was actually going on.
"I'll tell you why once we find it nosey! We need to find it fast too. The Chief is bound to be looking for us."
"What are we looking for?" the smallest member of G-Force asked suspiciously.
"The truth about what was going on at Orion Major! Something happened there which the Chief isn't telling us about!"
***
It was surprising how easy it was.
Despite his poor mobility, he had tailed them with out being seen. What was it he felt? Disappointment? He thought he had trained them better.
Drifting..
The Alien was resting, this gave him limited time before it found him. Then there would be punishment. It wouldn't stop him though - he would continue to fight. He knew the Alien was growing more powerful by the day.
He needed to warn them, but he knew it would find him as soon as he did - then it would kill them. He couldn't have that. He'd watch. Observe. The key to victory is to know not only the moves of your enemy, but your enemy's enemy.
Dare he move closer?
***
"Where's Jason?" Keyop asked. He stopped tapping at the mobile computer terminal Princess had set up and absently looking at his wrist. Much to his irritation, Princess had confiscated his bracelet - she hadn't explained why.
"Jason and Tiny will still be on Centre Neptune." Both she and Jason knew that confronting Anderson might result in the Chief confining them to the deep-sea base. It was a risk, and it seemed likely that the Chief had done exactly that. This meant it was up to her and Keyop.
"Broken into files." Keyop exclaimed.
"That was quick!" She said saving all the data that was coming onto the screen to disk.
"Been faster if I knew what was going on." Sniffed Keyop.
A few sentences caught her attention as she began the transfer. All the scientists from the expedition had since been murdered. By whom? She couldn't wait around to read the rest. It wouldn't take long to trace them. She placed the disk in her pocket.
"We have to move Keyop, they'll find us if we stay."
"Don't want to be in trouble." Sighed Keyop resting his head on his hands.
She nodded and sat down on the bed next to him. Princess had decided not to tell Keyop about Mark's body being missing. After the shock he went through just a few weeks back, it seemed a good idea to limit information from him. However she wasn't sure how long she could keep him in the dark. Princess turned to Keyop, folding her laptop up. She took a deep breath.
"I need to tell you something."
***
He listened from the small window on the sidewalk.
This was as close as he had ever allowed himself to get since that time at the grave - and the Alien had almost killed Princess for that.
He had to make himself plead with the Alien. Beg and swear he'd never do anything as stupid as that again.
It let her live.
The sacrifice of his dignity was a small price and he swore he would keep on fighting. Now time was running out, once again, risks had to be taken.
He listened to Princess telling Keyop her story. She remembered little about the encounter at the grave except his voice. She told him how she had spotted someone who looked like him in the passing weeks. About Jason and how they dug up the grave. They checked the grave?
For the first time in what seemed like eternity, he felt hope swell up from inside. He shuddered; he remembered clawing his way out of the coffin, out of control. He began to back away. Such feelings would awaken the Alien's senses.
He started to retreat, breaking into a run, only to trip. He cascaded across the road, rolling onto the pavement. He looked up to see a group of red clad figures walking towards him. Riga's top men, Anderson's backup team and the group that Mark's father used to command. The pilots of Riga. They were approaching with their weapons drawn.
"No." He muttered. It knew. It was coming. It will kill you all, he cried inside his head. "Kill you!"
***
"Should have told me!" Keyop blurted, tears rolling down his face.
"I didn't want you to get upset. I didn't want to see you.." Princess stopped mid sentence, her ears peeked with interest. She recognized that voice!
She leapt to the window. Her face lit up. That man! The clothes were unfamiliar and worse for wear, as was his general appearance, but that was-
"Mark!" She cried, tears rolling down her face. The she assessed the situation. Cronus' men from planet Riga. They were advancing on him weapons drawn.
"No!" She looked across at Mark, he turned and caught her eye. He mouthed something at her. Run. Should she? He needed her help - but why would he ask her to run? Then his face changed.
Contorted.
Not into something else, but as if it was a mask worn by someone entirely different. Someone evil. The eyes twisted towards the attacking men. Princess couldn't breathe. Something dreadful was falling into place in her mind.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Don't tell me Mark killed those scientists!" With one motion Mark - or whatever it was - swung round in a flying arc and killed five of the Rigan men with one kick. Five highly trained soldiers.
His speed was terrifying - even to Princess. She backed towards the door, her face pale and clammy. "Let's go."
"Where?" Keyop was still hovering near the window not sure what to make of the scene outside.
"Somewhere safer."
***
"It was a bloodbath!" growled Kane. "Fifteen men! Rigan authorities are furious. Cronus is dealing with them now.
"They shouldn't have engaged the target!" Anderson retorted. "Cronus thought they could handle it - so did you, if I recall."
Anderson never felt comfortable referring to this Rigan leader as Cronus. This wasn't the real Cronus. The name was a title offered the best Rigan pilot to uphold the legend of the original. The first Cronus was Mark's father, whom Anderson had worked with for many years. Cronus' Rigan team maintained the same respect for Anderson as had his old friend. The new Cronus had sworn that it wasn't just the name of Cronus he wished to uphold, but the strength of character the original was so greatly admired for.
Fifteen good men had been openly slaughtered in front of eight witnesses.
"We have another problem." Anderson commented. "7-Zark-7 informs me that my personal files were infiltrated earlier today - around the same time as the attack. "I think Princess knows about Orion Major."
"You trained them too well Anderson." Kane's remark held a mix of frustration and admiration.
"I know." Anderson replied. He should have prepared for this, but the strain of the last few weeks had clearly affected his judgement. He was getting sloppy.
"This creature has to be stopped." Kane looked into the weary eyes of the Security Chief. "You know who it will be after next." Anderson nodded. "I'm the only one left."
Kane shook his head. "You're not thinking straight, Anderson. You shouldn't have fought me relieving you. You're making errors. I can see that, even if the council can't. No, Anderson, you are not the last.
Anderson's eyes widened. "But he was not part of the survey team!"
"I don't think it's showing any particular interest in specifics."
A light flashed on his desk. "Anderson." He said curtly.
"We need to talk Chief." Princess' voice was icy. She knew.
He paused. He had to make a decision. A risk. He glanced over at Kane. Could he send his children to kill one of their own? Even for Galactic security? Did he have a choice? How many more will have to die for his mistakes? There was no easy way out of this one. All roads led to one action. He released the intercom. Kane grabbed his hand as he did so.
"Put G-Force on this mission and it could be disastrous for the Federation - who knows, they may even side with the creature!" Anderson pulled his hand away from Kane's grip.
"I know what you are thinking, Anderson, but you can't send them. You can't send them to kill one of their own!"
"I had no intention of sending them," Anderson stood up stiffly. "I'm going with them." He activated the intercom once more. "Jason, prepare to assemble your crew and launch the Phoenix!" He brushed past the President and stopped at the office door, paused then turned to face his guest. Through his frustration, Kane felt a pang of sympathy for his friend.
These were his adopted children. They were also his soldiers whom he had to send out to fight - and possibly die. Not for himself, but for the whole galaxy. How do you bear that burden?
"You're right. I could not ask my team to kill their brother." Anderson pocketed his glasses, his eyes gazing into something beyond nothingness. He turned and stormed out of the office. "But it's up to me to kill my son."