CHAPTER VIII: THE SECOND VISION
The same was with the ancient warlord, and his frenzied warriors who came to Hell after ages of pillaging and murders in some northern regions of your world.
Kyle knew he had to get some sleep. His head was pulsating with the heavy thoughts of the expedition that awaited and the disturbing actions of Dr. Stalker, who apparently was up to no good. What did he mean by "right on time"? A hint of his intentions or the ramblings of a sick mind – his model of thinking was incomprehensible for any of the UAC psychological advisors. Unstable, yet a genius, whose IQ could not be measured by typical systems, as it was much higher than their upper limits. The marine thought that the doctor could not do much harm even if he worked on something infernally horrible; having in mind that he was far away from Earth. Still he could harm the colonists on Io, which seemed illogical, as he would not have any gain from such an act. With every new discovery Kyle made, the mystery about Dr. Stalker only grew.
He guessed things would become clearer after exploring the ancient crypts that were discovered.
It was still early, yet Harlan felt very tired and dizzy. The whole room started to blur, and Kyle suddenly felt worried about having drunk that new UAC beverage he was offered. Then he heard a familiar voice whispering from the corners of the room: "Do not resist me, mortal. You know who I am. Watch carefully; listen carefully to anything I show you. A new threat, one that I had not foreseen, has arisen and Dr. Stalker is already in league with it, without fully realizing what he is doing. He toys with an ancient force he does not understand, and he has awakened an evil that has remained in oblivion for centuries..."
The room disappeared from Kyle's sight and the Gatekeeper's voice faded away. Several images quickly appeared and disappeared again before him: an enormous palace of unknown design, an orb of power with four runes floating above it, the previous palace – burning and filled with the screams of human suffering... Darkness again, followed by a flash of painful light and a new vision: a vast grassy field on Earth, an enormous encampment in one end, and a burning city at the other. The age was ancient – warriors with metal plate armor, swords, and axes walked in all directions, some of them seeking healers, others carrying loot. The city's streets were covered with fresh blood and dead bodies, as fierce barbaric warriors sought out the last survivors and executed them on the spot. In the city's center was an enormous temple of light and wisdom, which was now desecrated – its doors torn out and lying on the ground, the windows shattered into pieces, the walls stained with the foul symbols of Hell and the Icon of Sin. On a throne inside the temple's largest hall sat the leader of these savage warriors – an enormous warlord in heavy gilded armor, holding a huge battleaxe in his hands. That man watched as one of the priests was brutally slain before him, and laughed. The other priests stood paralyzed with fear, as they knew their fate would be the same.
Other images appeared – more burning cities, more victims, more suffering. He was always there – the blood-splattered laughing warlord, shouting at his warriors to fight in the name of Lord Baphomet and his infernal power. Kyle felt sick watching all this madness, yet it did not end. He then saw an enormous and ornamented tent where the warlord sat. A long line of captives passed through it, as he decided who would live and who would be killed. Another ruined city stood in the distance, its smoldering towers – silent witnesses to the atrocities that happened below them. The city's walls were ripped and torn into pieces by a destructive demonic spell that the invading horde's warlocks used to penetrate the defenses and slaughter the inhabitants.
Kyle could look closer at the tent – it was very big and filled with trophies – treasure, strange artifacts, tomes of unknown wisdom, and human skulls – some of which still covered with fresh blood. There were many weapons on the walls – common human-made swords, axes, and bows, as well as several blades that Kyle recognized as forged by demons in their Hellforge. There was also an imposing throne with two women chained by its sides. Kyle felt sick again – he wished that would end soon.
Once again, he saw the line of captives. One of them caught his attention – he moved silently between the others carrying something on his back – something long and thin. None of the guards seemed to notice him, as if he was invisible. As he approached the throne, the warlord looked up and stared at him. A moment later, he was shouting orders at the guards who also saw the intruder now, as if the spell of invisibility had suddenly dispersed. The unknown assailant was quicker – he threw something that he took out of the bag, blurred in the vision. It hit the warlord square in the chest, and the world was suddenly overtaken by a bright flash of light.
Kyle saw himself upon the plains of Inferno, the Hell Keep rising behind him, the barbaric army and their warlord standing in the distance. A gruesome laughter echoed, and Baphomet's face appeared in the burning skies. His voice uttered an order and a human skull shaped from flawless yellow topaz appeared before him. It started to devour the souls of the fierce barbaric warriors until only their warlord remained. Baphomet's voice thundered once again: "More bloody battles await you, throughout worlds you have never imagined! Sleep now, until the time comes for you to rise again. Then thou shall not challenge mere humans anymore, but rise to battle the Old Gods themselves, as you make your bid for the eternal power of the Elder Worlds." Terrible laughter shook the ground, the image blurred again...
...and Kyle awoke.
He needed a few minutes to calm down and start breathing normally. He was still in shock after what he saw. He could not understand why the Gatekeeper would show him those things, or even help him at all. What could be the terrible danger that made the ancient demon speak to him and warn him about it? How was Stalker involved? He wished he could know the answers right away, yet it was not possible. There were a few hours before the expedition. He would better try to get some sleep.
As he lay in his bed, Kyle remembered the warning he had received from the dying Gatekeeper. The Old Gods, the hidden outpost of Hell, the crypts discovered on Io, the potential survivors in Hell, the Gatekeeper's ghostly voice, Dr. Stalker – the situation had become more complicated than ever, and it was hard to determine who the real enemy was. He was a soldier. He needed to know who the enemy was, and who was on his side.
While Kyle Harlan ruminated over his recent visions, at another place in the base, Dr. Stalker was in his laboratory, looking at the readings on his screen.
"Amazing. Its effect is not only instantaneous, but it also does not have any limitations in any of the operating parameters. It can even go beyond the..."
The scientist looked up with an insane flame in his eyes.
"Could it really penetrate it? Could it go where no one has been for countless eons? And neither the Lord of Hell, nor his vaunted Gatekeepers knew anything about it! It still needs adjustment – it is unstable, very unstable... Why don't I try to..."
A few buttons were pressed, something hummed in the darkness for a few seconds, and Dr. Stalker looked at the readings again.
"May I be damned! It succeeded! It must have succeeded – how else could I explain these readings – the system marks them as "anomalous," while they should actually be labeled as "unique." These patterns – this is what so many have sought over the centuries. The entrance... now within my grasp; staying open before me, inviting me to share its secrets."
The doctor stood up, and looked at something that remained partially hidden in the shadows of the laboratory. A malicious grin appeared on his face.
"First things first. These fools at the base have no idea what is coming for them. Once they are all dead I will proceed with this. No more delays."
The strange headache that had tormented him for years appeared again, dark whispers rose in the back of his mind. He swallowed another pill and turned the lights off.
"It begins tomorrow..."