CHAPTER 1

Planet Sonja, Code LV-117

Location: Ark of Rebirth, Temple of Angels

2 Miles below the surface

Descending down the darkened shaft, the elevator passed dim lights. Inside, every few seconds a soft glow would dance across young Tim's face. Standing next to him was his father, his hand resting gently on his shoulder.

Tim watched as the illumination played through the metal grating, creating thin oblong shadows across the walls. He counted each one that passed. Thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight…

It kept him occupied until they reached his real goal, the Temple. That was what he really wanted to see. His father had promised him the trip almost a year ago on his seventh birthday. Having the chance to see the gods up close was both scary and exciting at the same time. Dad told him it would be safe, and that if anything happened he'd be there to protect him. Lots of people went to the Temple and never had any problems.

His father lifted a hand, running it through Tim's dark hair. "You excited?" He said, grinning down at Tim.

Tim met his father's gaze with his own, smiling. "I can't wait!"

Tim had spent his entire life inside the walls of the Ark; well almost. Had the first two years counted; his memory of them faded, lost with time. Most of what he knew came from his parents, and even then, they hardly spoke of it. Mom had talked to him once about some wave that 'Mother' had sent to save the strong and take care of the weak. They told him that they fled to the Ark for safety, because they were some of the strong. His parents had been rather keen in keeping their faith from him, saying it was for grown-ups.

But when he got old enough to go to school, they spoke a lot about it. Black demons came and killed everyone outside, taking them to hell and putting monster babies in them. That's what the kids said anyway. They teased him a lot about his lack of knowledge on the subject. As if his good grades weren't enough to be teased for.

Oh well, now he was going to have the last laugh, cause he was going to actually see a demon.

Slowing, the elevator stopped and its steel doors parted. White light streaked through, bathing them in a warm glow. Tim raised his hand to shield his eyes and doing so, revealed a tall figure standing amidst the brightness. Adjusting quickly, he could see it was a man wearing a white lab coat that fell to his knees. The name Jenkins was stenciled across the chest.

Tim and his father stepped out into the white hallway that stretched to infinity. Tim's bare feet felt cold against the tiling. They said he couldn't wear his shoes inside the Temple because it dishonored the gods. It wasn't fair, he thought. Why can daddy and this guy wear them and not me?

Jenkins shook his father's hand, exchanging a few words of politeness, then turned and knelt before Tim. "So you're the lucky boy today!" He said with a grin.

The stranger's breath was horrible. It reeked of garlic and some other foul odor. Tim said nothing, enduring an awkward few seconds of silence as he turned his head, trying to get away for the smell.

"Don't worry little Tim, we're going to take good care of you."

Jenkins stood and turned back to his father. They were whispering something to one another softly enough so that Tim couldn't hear. After a few awkward smiles Jenkins looked back down at Tim, who stood there wide-eyed, looking every-which-way. "Good, shall we?" said Jenkins as he turned and began walking away; as if half expecting them to follow. They did.

His father and Jenkins maintained conversation on the way down the corridor with Tim in between. Tim wasn't paying any notice, until a few words here and there caught his attention.

"Will there be any pain?" his father asked, his face looking suddenly pale.

Tim looked up at his father slightly confused, who instantly seemed to notice his gaze. Dad turned his head, looking down at Tim. "We're talking about mommy." He said. "Don't mind us. It's just grown-up talk."

Jenkins looked timid, as though he'd spoken some secret code out loud. He kept speaking, just lowering his tone to a murmur. "Our studies have shown that any pain is very minor, if at all, and that the most…one… may experience is some stomach sickness."

Tim ignored the conversation again, too exited about seeing the gods to care.

As they continued on their way, Tim's gaze caught something shiny and gold hanging from the wall—a cross. But not a normal cross; this one had some sort of oblong U-shape that enveloped it, nearly connecting at its top. He'd seen these symbols throughout the Ark, but never quite understood them. Tim had always figured they were some symbol, saying the Ark was a safe place from the 'demons,' a place of protection.

They went down a few winding corridors until coming to a door. Jenkins fumbled with something in his pockets, then pulled out a clear plastic card. He slid it into a small opening along the frame, waited for a beep, then pulled it back out. The door slid upward, pushing the cool vacuumed sealed air out; beyond the door was darkness. Tim's figure created a shadow across the white floor that was quickly followed by two larger ones.

"Go ahead Tim." Said Jenkins, extending his hand in a polite 'after you' gesture.

Tim took one step forward and the lights began to flicker. Halogen bulbs hanging from the ceiling came on revealing some sort of contraption that looked like an operating table in the center of a massive circular room. It hung from two mechanical arms, suspending it in midair; along the far wall was a large mirror. Tim figured that it was a two-way window into an unseen room used to observe; he didn't know if anyone was watching them at the moment or not. Underneath the bed was a large circle that appeared etched into the flooring. Everything was clean and white. What was it with this place and the color white? Tim wondered.

"Okay Tim," Jenkins said, making his way toward the stand. "I'm going to need you to climb up on this table and lie down for me." He patted the cushioning. "Can you do that?"

Tim looked up at his father, waiting for some sign of approval. "Go ahead Tim."

"Is it a ride?" Tim asked playfully.

His father forced a smile. "Yes Tim. It's a ride."

Tim quickly made his way toward the bed clambering up onto it and lying down. He turned his head toward his father who still stood in the entryway. Dad quickly wiped something away from his face, his gestures half-concealed in the hope Tim wouldn't notice. He was too late.

Tim smiled, bewildered. "Why are you crying, Dad?"

"I'm not. You just have fun, okay?"

"Now lie very still while I tighten these straps." Jenkins began pulling long leather straps over Tim's ankles, then his wrists and torso. He finished with one around Tim's forehead. The one around his waist felt unusually tight, making it hard to breath. He thought about mentioning it to Jenkins, but decided otherwise. This was going to be too much fun, he didn't want to delay it by asking silly questions.

Jenkins stepped close and leaned over Tim. Again, that horrible breath felt as if it were choking him. "Tim, your father and I are going to be on the other side of that glass over there." He extended his forefinger in the direction of the mirror. Tim looked toward it instinctively even though he knew where it was. He suddenly felt stupid. "It'll be a little dark, but don't be scared."

With that, Jenkins and Tim's father left the room. Moments after they stepped out the lights turned off, the door closed, cloaking Tim in a sea of darkness. He could see nothing, his eyes unable to adjust. It felt like hours passing, just lying there in the dark. The sudden rush of fear came quickly and without warning. It was almost too much to tolerate.

He was fighting the urge to panic when a small light turned on directly above him. Tim let out a little sigh of relief, even thoughit didn't provide much illumination; it was better than nothing.

Time for the ride to start.

The mechanical arms whined to life and began tilting the bed, coming to a sudden stop once it was vertical. Tim looked down past his tiny feet and noticed the etched circle making a grinding noise as it started to turn. After a few rotations it dropped away and a rush of warm foul air came up, causing Tim to gag, saliva filling his mouth in preparation to vomit. Putrid stink flooded his sense, reeking of decaying matter and death. He couldn't see beyond the opening, only a black abyss into the unknown. A moment later the mechanical arms worked their magic, lowering Tim and the bed inside.

This wasn't fun anymore.

Passing through the opening the lights dimmed; leaving Tim temporarily in darkness. The hatch above him closed and the arms detached onto a rail system that hung from the ceiling of the strange new room, if it was a room.

The bed jerked to a sudden stop. Tim hung suspended, unable to move; unaware of what was going to happen next.

After a few minutes, Tim's eyes began to adjust to the darkness, the glow provide from the contraption enough to allow him some sight. For a moment he could see a floor beneath him, the light casting strange shadows across a wet black surface. The more his eyes adjusted the more bizarre it started to appear. Thick-dark-hardened mucus-like membranes stretched across it, giving the floor an almost spider-web like appearance.

Woven into the nightmarish floor were large brown leathery objects, shaped like an egg or large stone. They, too, were wet and covered in thick slime. Tim squinted, trying to make sense of everything he was seeing. The lumpy objects seemed to move, pulsating suddenly as if something were inside. Terror began to build inside of Tim. He fought with all he had against the straps, but it did nothing. The one around his slender torso was painful, almost unbearable. Tears streamed down Tim's panic stricken face, he started to cry from fear and pain.

"Daddy!"

One of the leather objects unfolded at its top, like some nightmarish flower coming into bloom, gunk oozing down its surface. Tim froze at the motion and stopped crying. His mouth hung open in shock.

He'd heard a lot about the monsters, but nothing could have prepared him for this. He now understood the cross he'd seen earlier. The U-shape symbolized these eggs; it symbolized his parent's faith, their saviors, trading gods for demons. He didn't truly think that they believed in all this, but here he was. That said enough about them and their faith.

"Daddddddddy!"

What looked like fingers started to protrude from the opening, long flesh-colored fingers that loosely gripped the edges of the leathery folds. Slick caul membrane that draped across it broke, and slid back into the egg.

Panic set in; Tim began to scream— The thing took notice and leapt through the air like a coiled spring, its tail thrashing back and forth. Tim was astonished it could jump so far and high—

—astonishment was short lived as long finger-things wrapped around Tim's face and skull. He closed his mouth tight, just as something began to push on the outside, forcefully trying to make its way in. It was wet, warm and slick. Tim didn't dare scream. The hand-thing pushed and prodded, its fingers digging deep into the back of his skull. The tail coiled around Tim's throat, cutting off his air supply.

No! Tim thought, please don't put that thing inside me!

Tim couldn't breath; he had to open his mouth—And as he did something foul and thick started to work its way down his throat. It triggered Tim's gag reflex and just as he thought he was going to throw up, everything went horribly black.