HOMEWORLD2: WRATH OF THE GODS
CHAPTER 39: LAST WISHES
"Sajuuk – He Whose Hand Shapes What Is, The Great Maker."
Religious scribes
When he opened his eyes, he had expected to see the grey, metallic interior of the infirmary. Instead, the clear cerulean of the skies above flooded into his sight.
Not a bad way to wake up.
Kiir sat up and stretched himself, releasing a loud yawn as he shook off the last bits of drowsiness. Looking around, all he could see were fields of green grass stretching towards the horizons. The meadows themselves pulsated with life, stroked gently by the passing breezes that made their way across the land lazily.
He was one soul in an emerald sea of infinity.
"How did I get here, I thought Hiigara was gone?" Kiir murmured in wonder, still awestruck by the wondrous scene before him. Indeed, the Great Plains of Hiigara were one of the most beautiful wonders in the Galaxy, with miles upon miles of green splendour that would have made a Kharakian weep.
"Hello? Is there anyone around here?" Kiir yelled into the distance, his hands cupped around his mouth. He heard the sound of his own voice grow softer until it was stolen away by the winds. Sure enough, there was no reply. In fact, he expected it – there was no one to be seen for miles around.
Shrugging his shoulders, Kiir decided to look around for someone. Perhaps there would be a town nearby, or even a city. Then he could get through to Hiigaran Fleet Command or something.
His footsteps were light, as if they were made buoyant by the refreshing breezes. Kiir strolled leisurely across the vast fields. There was no hurry – after all, that he was somehow back on Hiigara meant that the terrible war had ended in an Alliance victory.
On and on he walked, his footsteps seeming to make little difference. Yet Kiir was undaunted by the sheer distances, for the gaps between the stars were far greater.
And then he saw a tiny silhouette standing on the horizon. Hastening his footsteps, Kiir approached the tiny figure, which loomed bigger as he walked on. Very quickly, the silhouette came into clear focus, and Kiir recognised the person instantly.
It was Karan Sjet, but her head was not bald. In fact, it was covered by long jet-black hair that flowed in the wind.
Kiir yelled for her, but was surprised when no sound emerged from his mouth. He yelled more loudly, only to have his voice respond with silence.
Karan turned around, smiling at Kiir. She held out her hand, gesturing for him to come forward. Kiir tried to move, but his feet were now rooted in place. He struggled and pulled against his feet, but the invisible force held him back.
He yelled at Karan again, who was now growing smaller as she moved slowly into the distance. He could not speak, or even move. All Kiir could do was watch helplessly as Karan disappeared into the horizon…
Kiir Sjet awoke with a yelp, the dream fresh in his memory. This time, he found himself on a bunk in a grey metallic room.
Disorientation hit him smack in the head. Visions of the Qwaar Jet getting sucked into the black hole flashed before his eyes, the entire ship breaking apart under the gravitational stress. Kiir groaned as the visions faded and his head began throbbing.
Then the doors slid open and a doctor came in, his timing immaculate. Kiir recognised the Hiigaran immediately as the Chief Medical Officer of the Legacy of Kharak.
"Kiir Sjet, it's good to see you conscious at last," the Chief Med exclaimed, a look of relief washing over his face.
"How long was I out?" Kiir asked, his head still throbbing badly.
"It must have been the toll of operating a ship for so long," the Chief Med suggested, "You were out for a full week."
"A week?"
"Yes, but don't worry, the war's over now."
"The war… we defeated the Neo-Beast?"
"It's all thanks to your efforts," laughed the Chief Med, "You're a hero now you know. By destroying the Qwaar Jet, the surviving Neo-Beast ships were leaderless and disorganised. Mopping them up was a piece of cake."
"Where are we now?" Kiir asked as he tried to get to his feet but wobbled back onto the bunk, "I must see Eefrit and Yuno… and Karan! Karan, is she alright?"
Kiir looked up, only to see the Chief Med's face darken. The doctor remained silent, trying his best to avoid Kiir's gaze.
"Doctor? What's wrong? What happened?" Kiir demanded, trying his best to ignore the pain stabbing away in his head.
"It's… it's nothing," the Chief Med replied softly, "What you need right now is rest. When you're fully recovered, all will be revealed in due course."
With that, the doctor slipped out of the room as quickly as he could, the doors closing shut behind him.
Kiir was annoyed by the doctor's secrecy. Willing the pain away with all his mental strength, he placed his hand upon the intercom beside his bunk. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and concentrated. When the scientist opened his eyes again, he was standing in the Legacy's virtual world.
Seconds later, an exasperated Yuno warped in right beside him.
"Kiir Sjet! What are you doing?" Yuno demanded, "You're supposed to be resting, not logging into the system!"
"Cut the crap Yuno," Kiir calmly replied, "I need to know what's been going on."
"Well, all you need to do now is rest and get well," Yuno chided, "That said, it's time for you to…"
"Yuno, please," Kiir repeated, staring Yuno squarely in the eyes. He saw Yuno hesitate, as if the revelation would spark off a series of consequences.
"Yuno?"
"I guess there's no hiding it then," Yuno admitted with a sigh, "It's a long story…"
Onboard the Pride of Hiigara, Fields of Plaz:
"Eefrit, Horizon is leading the battlecruisers in now," Yuno reported with a tone of relief in her voice, "They will deal with the last of the infected frigates."
"So that means the Neo-Beast are gone for good now," Eefrit replied, leaning back to relax in his chair, "Any updates on Kiir and Karan?"
"Kiir's out cold, probably due to the prolonged operation of the Koshiir Ra. As for Karan, med teams are on their way to the command core. We should figure out what's wrong in…"
The bridge turned red once more as the sensors started warbling angrily. Eefrit jumped out of his chair, while Yuno quickly checked the alert. She gasped in shock.
"Priority alert, space-time anomaly detected, stand by for dimensional shockwaves!"
Eefrit scarcely had time to grab onto a support before the shockwaves hit. The Pride swung about like a boat in a storm, the lights flickering as the shockwaves did more damage to an already badly-injured ship. The viewscreens dimmed as they showed a trans-dimensional rift opening before the fleet. Yuno and Eefrit gasped in horror as the Mythra Sphere flung itself into realspace.
The Sphere was good as new, all traces of its previous battle completely erased from its surface.
"Targets of opportunity acquired, stand by for neutralisation of Enemy Vessels," the computerised voice boomed as the Sphere opened and spewed forth dozens of ships.
"Martyrs of Kharak," Eefrit uttered as he watched the ships move into attack formations, "Eefrit to fleet, engage the Mythra attackers! Koshiir Ra and Sajuuk must be defended at all costs!"
Obeying his orders with immediacy, the Hiigaran fleet flung itself forward. They were soon followed by the Taiidan, the Nalthorans, the T-MAT, and the rest of the ships that had survived the Neo-Beast battle.
All were smouldering from severe wounds. While they had the advantage of numbers, the outcome was uncertain, given the tip-top condition of the Mythra vessels.
Explosions tore across the desolate battlefield as both sides fired their first shots. In the previous encounter, the Mythra had attacked only Progenitor vessels, ignoring all other ships except the T-MAT, whose firepower had made them a credible threat. Now the Mythra was firing upon any ship standing in their way. Apparently, they now regarded every opposing ship as a threat to their mission.
The first wave of Alliance defenders were completely wiped out, their damaged vessels unable to withstand the firepower of the Mythra fleet. The Mythra ships pushed on to meet the second wave, which survived longer because their weapons were still retargeting. Once the Mythra had retargeted, the second wave was vaporised instantly as well.
They stood no chance against a fully-prepared and undamaged attacker.
"They're getting slaughtered out there!" Eefrit cried, "Sajuuk damn the Mythra, damn those opportunitists!"
"Eefrit, sensors are picking up additional hyperspace signatures," Yuno reported, "But I can't get any clear readings, there's too much interference."
"Where are they headed?"
"I can only narrow down the exit area to be somewhere behind the Mythra fleet," Yuno replied, trying her best to coordinate the battle and react to this new development at the same time, "I can't get a lock on their exact signature frequency either."
"Well, I suppose we'll figure out soon enough," Eefrit muttered as he saw a squadron of Mythra frigates go down under combined fire. It was a minor victory that was quickly eclipsed by the coordinated destruction of a dozen Alliance capital ships.
The Mythra fleet came closer and closer, impervious to the assaults that the crippled Alliance fleet could fling at them. T-MAT and Bound vessels alike succumbed in blinding explosions as their badly-damaged hulls collapsed under the onslaught.
Then the Mythra reeled as they were attacked from nowhere. Mass drivers and ion beams fired out from empty space, slamming into the artificially-intelligent vessels and pushing them back. The Mythra fired back, their shots passing harmlessly through empty space.
"Attention Hiigaran fleet," the voice of General Tora cut in, "We of the Tobari have come to assist."
"The Tobari?" Eefrit spat in disgust, "Is this another one of your grand schemes to steal our ships?"
"Do not misunderstand our actions, Hiigarans," Tora responded, "We have been watching your great battle against the Third God, and hold you in great respect for your victory. Rest assured we will not commit hostile actions against your forces."
"You deceived us once, we're not going to fall for those diplomatic words again!" Eefrit retorted, his voice seething with anger.
"If you do not believe my words, then let our actions prove our worth and sincerity," Tora replied as the channel closed.
"Eefrit, the Tobari general is probably speaking the truth," Yuno suggested, "After all, they could have boarded us easily anytime they wanted to, but they're not doing so."
"I only hope you're right Yuno," Eefrit conceded, returning his gaze to the viewscreen. Thanks to the intervention of the Tobari, the Mythra advance had been halted.
Eefrit's eyes widened in fear and shock when he saw the Sphere aim its main cannon, the aperture glowing with the deadly crimson light.
"Crap, everyone, outta the way!" Eefrit yelled just as the crimson blast left the Sphere. The blast blazed through space and detonated in the middle of the frontline defenders, incinerating everything within range in its lethal crimson glow.
The glow dissipated quickly and the Mythra pushed through the hole, having obliterated a good portion of the Alliance and invisible Tobari forces. Carriers rushed forward to place themselves between the Mythra and the Gods, while the last Somtaaw command ship Paaura powered up a Siege shot.
"Eefrit, the med teams have reached the Sajuuk's command core," Yuno exclaimed in a panic, "But Karan's locked them out!"
"What!"
"Karan's locked down the command core. They're trying to burn their way through now, but it's going to take considerable time…"
"The hell is Karan doing?" Eefrit yelled as the Paaura fired off its Siege Cannon. The plasma sphere was dodged easily enough by the nimble Mythra ships, which moved calmly out of the blast radius moments before the sphere ignited.
"Emergency alert, sensors are registering an energy spike coming from the Sajuuk!" Yuno reported in an alarmed voice, "Karan's in no condition to do that right now!"
"Eefrit to Karan, abort whatever you're trying to do, you can't do that in your current state!"
"I… am… fine, Eefrit," Karan returned, her voice weak and slurring, "Don't… worry… about… me…"
"By the Gods! Karan, please stop!" Eefrit begged desperately, but to no avail.
"I… will… end… this…" Karan uttered painfully as she closed the Sajuuk to all communications.
The Sajuuk turned to face the approaching Mythra forces, which were now firing upon the God with all their weapons. Plasma bolts bounced harmlessly off the reanimated energy shields as the Sajuuk moved into position.
A mighty hum resonated through the fleet as the Core section of the Sajuuk glowed brightly, the shapes of the Three Cores blazing like three stars embedded in the ship. Energy levels continued to rise, knocking sensors out of commission as they overloaded from studying the event.
It was then that it happened – each and every Mythra ship was surrounded by a halo of vermillion quantum energy, immobilising them. Eefrit felt the Pride shake as the fabric of space time was bent and warped, the glowing Mythra ships becoming like tiny stars scattered before them.
The Sphere fired off another crimson blast in a desperate attempt to stop the attack, only to have the crimson blast surrounded and contained in another quantum sphere. The Sphere turned to jump away, but was halted when a similar glow enveloped it.
Now the battlefield was as bright as the Balcora region, lit up by the glowing fleet of the Mythra. Sajuuk was brightest of them all, shining like a dazzling star in the darkness. The glow intensified until it was impossible to look at, the brightness far beyond the tolerance of any eye.
Then the light died away suddenly as the Mythra ships erupted in flames, exploding into balls of fire that flickered away quickly in the vacuum of space. The Mythra Sphere itself shattered into dozens of chunks that spiralled outwards from the mighty explosion within, torn apart by the quantum energies focused at its centre…
"… That was how we defeated the Mythra," Yuno concluded, "But it came at a heavy price. We lost a good 95 of our fleet as a result of the Neo-Beast and Mythra battles, and the Sajuuk itself was badly damaged by the quantum event it had initiated. In fact, the Three Cores themselves were nearly burned out."
"I see," Kiir nodded, absorbing all the information, "What happened to Karan?"
"Karan? Well, she…" Yuno stuttered, reluctant to reveal the whole truth to Kiir.
"What happened," Kiir asked again, "I must know, I insist."
"Kiir, the truth that you seek… can you handle it?" Yuno questioned.
"Well, I've got to know what happened to Karan," Kiir explained, "You know that if it were not for her, I couldn't have stopped the quantum singularity attack."
"Well then Kiir," Yuno sighed, tears forming in her eyes, "I think it's best that you ask the Chief Med…"
Onboard the Legacy of Kharak, Ruins of Hiigara:
The massive mothership hung silently in space, orbiting where there used to be a lush green planet that was sought after for eons, a planet which started a war that changed the galaxy forever, a planet at the epicentre of the Vaygr invasion.
The remnants of Hiigara drifted through space, gazed upon sadly by the Legacy and the tattered remains of her fleet. Yet the Hiigarans were not mourning for the loss of their planet.
"You mean there's no way to save her?" Kiir almost screamed, his voice filled with horror at the news he had just received.
"The mental stress was just too great, she pushed herself too far this time," the Chief Med admitted helplessly, "The stress and electrical feedback caused the neural links to melt down in her brain, causing extensive tissue damage. There's nothing I can do at this point…"
Yuno's hologram was weeping uncontrollably, while Admiral Eefrit, Captain Soban and General Qwaar maintained a silent vigil by Karan's bed. They too were on the verge of tears, but they held their emotions in check with all the willpower they could muster.
Throughout the Hiigaran fleet, officers, pilots and engineers were all mourning the critical condition of their matriarch, the intrepid lady who had united their race a century ago in an epic journey home, the courageous Fleet Command who had persevered during the Siege of Hiigara, the loyal Karan Sjet who had given her all to save the Galaxy.
"There's got to be something you can do!" Kiir screamed in defiance, refusing to accept the reality placed before him, "Ask the T-MAT, the Taiidan, the Nalthorans! Someone out there has got to have a way!"
The Chief Med shook his head sadly. They had consulted the other galactic races on Karan's condition as well, but even the advanced T-MAT had expressed regret – not even they could save Fleet Command from her imminent death.
"You can use Yuno's consciousness transfer technology, can't you?" Kiir asked desperately, now clinging to every bit of hope there was, "You can simply upload her into the databanks like Yuno, and then redownload her once she's cured, right?"
"It's no use, sir, the damage done to her brain is too great," the Chief Med explained, "The neural links would interfere with the transfer process, and a successful transfer is only possible if her psyche is whole and well."
"No…" Kiir uttered as he collapsed beside Karan's bed, devastated by the prognosis. There was just no way out of this one. Every means of saving her could not be used.
"Maybe…" Kiir muttered as another idea entered his mind, "Maybe I can upload her consciousness manually… I can get in telepathically and lead her to the databanks…"
No Kiir! Yuno objected, In her current condition now, any form of telepathic interference would be far too dangerous!
"Indeed. The lady's already clinging on as best as she can," the Chief Med added, "Any telepathic attempt could well be lethal."
The doctor's last words didn't reach Kiir, for he was already shattered beyond measure. For the sake of saving their existence, and the entire Galaxy, Karan had just sacrificed her life to Sajuuk. It was just like the ancient Kharakian days as recorded in the historical archives, where sacrifices to Sajuuk were commonplace before the peoples became more civilised.
"She's coming to… Chief, Karan's coming to!" Eefrit exclaimed as he saw Karan's eyes flutter open slowly. Almost immediately, Kiir and the Chief Medical Officer rushed to her side, their eyes filled with concern.
"My lady, please don't exert yourself," the Chief Med insisted, "Please rest."
"Karan! You're going to be okay, I know you will," Kiir spluttered, "It's just a matter of time, you'll get better…"
Karan gazed at Kiir, her eyes telling him to stop comforting her. Kiir quietened down, and the room fell silent. Karan took a few slow breaths, gathering what little strength she had, her pale lips quivering.
"… Kiir…" she whispered weakly, "… Give… me… your… hand…"
With tremendous effort, she raised her right hand and offered it to Kiir. Kiir looked at her and the rest, who were nodding in agreement. Taking a deep breath, he grasped the cold shivering hand.
Kiir was face-to-face with Karan once again in the same green fields he had found himself in earlier. Karan smiled at Kiir, whose face was wracked with sorrow and disbelief.
"Death comes to all one day," Karan spoke softly, "The Three Cores have given me more than I could have asked for."
Kiir remained silent. He didn't know what to say to her. All the emotions running through him, sadness, defiance, even anger, they were making him confused. He didn't know how to react to the situation at all.
"All I ask of you now is to grant my last two wishes," Karan whispered, her voice getting fainter with each passing second, "I understand your abilities would allow you to do that."
"I'll do whatever I can," Kiir replied, gritting his teeth in sadness and anger at his own helplessness, "I'll do whatever is within my power."
Karan nodded, pleased with Kiir's response. She then opened her mouth to speak again.
"Establish a link between my mind and the Sajuuk, that is my first wish," Karan revealed.
"A mental link?" Kiir gawked, "Karan, you're in no condition…"
"Please grant it," Karan asked weakly, "Consider it a last wish of a dying individual."
Kiir looked down, thinking over Karan's words. As it was, communicating telepathically with Karan was dangerous, much less a full-fledged mental ship-brain link in her current condition. He looked up and saw the pleading look in Karan's eyes, which were now slightly wet with tears.
"… I'll do it," Kiir agreed.
"Thank you," Karan beamed as she began fading away, alarming Kiir.
"Karan! You can't go yet, you haven't told me your second wish!" Kiir cried, trying to grasp her and hold her, only to have his fingers pass through her now ethereal form.
"My second wish, you will know when the time comes," Karan said as she vanished completely, leaving Kiir alone in the fields and severing the link.
Kiir opened his eyes to see the Chief Medical Officer attending urgently to Karan. Her eyes were closed once more and medical instruments were beeping loudly. Medics rushed in with surgical kits and syringes as they struggled to deal with the sudden complication in Karan's condition.
"Neural activity becoming erratic!"
"Blood pressure going down!"
"We're losing her!"
"Up the saline drip immediately to maintain pressure!"
Kiir watched the scene play out before his eyes. He felt so disconnected from this reality now, it was almost as though he were watching a make-believe drama performance.
A massive surge of quantum energy alerted his telepathic senses, alarming Kiir. Yuno too was surprised when the Legacy's sensors began detecting quantum anomalies.
The Legacy shuddered, sending Eefrit, Soban and Qwaar running to the nearest viewscreens, which flickered on almost immediately.
They were cowed by the magnificent miracle taking place before them.
Sajuuk had powered up, breaking away from its docking position with the Shipyard Naabal. It was still blackened and in no condition to do anything, especially after its incredible stunt back in the Plaz Nebula. However, the Three Cores were glowing once again with a sparkling brilliance that had never been seen before.
Hyperspatial rifts were opening all around them as the power of the Three linked the Hiigaran System to many other regions of space. As the rifts stabilised themselves, rocks and asteroids began tumbling through, along with streams of gases and dust. The debris all drifted through space at high speed, guided by the hyperspatial fingers of the Sajuuk.
The Hiigaran Ruins were also caught up by this mighty force, the surviving chunks and debris moving and colliding into each other. Flashes of quantum energy lit up the surrounding space as asteroids were forced together and comets were merged. The larger pieces soon collided and merged to form even larger pieces, and new gases from the rifts were now collecting around the asteroid storm in a light mist.
Hiigara was being reformed.
The process quickened as the Three Cores pumped out even more energy, the quantum forces causing the collisions to happen more frequently. By now, there was a good-sized moon where Hiigara was supposed to be, and a large asteroid at where the Angel Moon would orbit the planet. Both celestial objects grew at an astounding rate as debris and asteroids plunged down into the surface.
Barely eight minutes later, the new but barren planet was nearly the size of the old Hiigara. As the growth of both planet and moon slowed drastically, the entire planetary surface was enveloped by a layer of quantum energy. Seconds later, the continents took shape and the oceans filled as the mechanics of hyperspace artificially accelerated the passage of time around the planet.
The growth had stopped by now, and the remaining debris was quickly warped into hyperspace back to where they originally came from. Faint patches of green appeared and spread as plant life evolved at an astounding rate. Millenia passed in seconds and eons passed in minutes as the Three Cores worked their mysterious magic.
Then the quantum glow faded slowly away as the Three Cores powered down. The Core section of the Sajuuk was now completely black and cracked, the Cores themselves burned beyond repair.
And there was Hiigara in all its former glory.
It was a moving sight to behold for the Hiigaran fleet, and there was hardly a dry eye from the viewing of the miracle.
Kiir himself was silent as he watched the Sajuuk power down for the last time.
Now he knew why.
Now he knew why Sajuuk was termed the Great Maker.
He Whose Hand Shapes What Is.
Sajuuk had not been built purely for war, or for transport alone.
It was the power of Creation.
It is easy to destroy, but much harder to build. Sajuuk could thus probably be termed the essence of the Progenitors' knowledge.
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Karan fighting for her life, the doctors and medics struggling to keep her alive.
Now he knew her last wish.
In all her travels in the Galaxy, there were only two places which Karan held dearly in her heart.
One was Hiigara.
Wasting no time, Kiir closed his eyes and focused on the Koshiir Ra, concentrating on the Grand Core within. He was going to need all the jump power he could get for this one.
He didn't know how he was going to get there, though. Faal Corum's team had been working on extrapolating the planet's location, but all their efforts had come to nought when the ship was destroyed.
He would just have to go with the gut instinct he had as a descendent.
He focused hard and the Legacy of Kharak shot into hyperspace.
The blue streams of hyperspace streaked past the ship as they tore away from Hiigara, from the Hiigaran System. Yuno herself was alarmed by the sudden hyperspace jump, and called out to Kiir. But Kiir ignored her completely, focusing purely on the task at hand.
He maintained an unwavering mental link with the Grand Core, willing it to push them forward, willing it to push them faster.
"Clear!" the Chief Medical Officer yelled as he attempted to resuscitate Karan. An electric current ran through her limp body, causing her to jolt upwards and fall back into the bed.
They had just reached 2 billion times the speed of light and were quickly approaching the 3 billion mark, the supposed operational limit of the Grand Core.
But it wouldn't nearly be enough – it would still take them a few minutes, a few minutes that Karan did not have.
Kiir roared as he pushed the Grand Core even further, the Legacy hitting the ceiling of 3 billion and staying at that speed, refusing to go any faster.
Karan's heartbeat sprang back, but it was a weak pulse that accompanied her rapidly deteriorating neural activity. Her brain wasn't going to make it.
This time, Kiir gave everything he had, punching the Grand Core with the nuclear equivalent of a mental command. The streams of hyperspace around them warped and bent, becoming wobbly as the hyperspace itself tore apart.
The Legacy blasted through, and dropped back to realspace with a sickening lurch. Kiir lost the mental link and slumped to the floor, mentally spent.
Karan's eyes fluttered open one last time. When she saw the stark desert planet before her, she smiled a last smile.
She was home.