CHAPTER XIX: RETURN TO MARS
That world was the sanctuary of renegade magi who delved into the dark arts of necromancy and witchcraft.
Kyle was still very confused by what he had just learned. Everything became much clearer – especially the invasion and everything that had happened.
"Ok, you wanted to gain possession of the Essences of Death. But why invade Earth? Why exterminate humanity?"
The Gatekeeper shook his head, just like a human who is tired of explaining something to an ignorant child.
"The portal that the seven Essences can open is quite stable, but not suitable for Baphomet to pass through. For a Gatekeeper like me, it would be very easy, but not for a Deity such as my former master. To that end, he needed your planet and its unique energy patterns. But how he would have used them – this I know not, even though I carry a piece of Him in my soul."
A whole planet was invaded because of the whims of a powerful being... Kyle began to clearly understand why there ever was a Great Rebellion. He had always hated the idea of being a puppet in someone's hands. He turned to the Gatekeeper as he apparently had something more to say.
"We should not waste any more time – the human you call Simon Stalker is already working with one of the Old Gods who broke their covenant and did not hide away to sleep and wait for the Day of the Awakening. Now he wants something, and we must act quickly. Should he obtain what he seeks, humanity, as well as this entire Universe will be in terrible danger."
"So," Kyle replied, "This... ancient God is trying to get his claws on the Runes too?"
"No, human. The current situation suggests that he wants something else... It is not important what exactly, it does not concern you for the time being."
The Gatekeeper made short pause before turning to the Ice Revenant.
"Ice Weasel, do you have something to tell me about what is happening in the human settlement above us?"
"Yes, master, they recently opened a Gate for a very short time. Through it came two creatures. I did not sense any magic about them, but I did sense a complicated technological pattern."
"Just as I predicted... and this confirms it. We are dealing with a Makron – the physical avatar of a scheming, excessively hostile, sworn enemy of humanity, a bitter rival of Lord Baphomet, unrelenting in the pursuit of its goals. One of the most fearsome of the Old Gods, whose true name was lost before the dawn of time. And now we have caught its attention. No doubt, it knows about me, and that angers it even more. It will have to change its plans. What it plans is very dangerous – with catastrophic consequences for both humans and demons."
"What exactly is it," Major Boyd interrupted, intrigued by all that was happening, "Tell us exactly what is going on and we shall decide if we would help."
"Sir," Kyle said, "I have the feeling that we are not in the position to bargain. Besides, I think we should listen to this... Gatekeeper. So far, he has never lied to me."
The Gatekeeper's grin was wider than ever.
"Good, marine. I see that you have become considerably more reasonable since our last meeting. Quite impressive for a human. My respect for you is reinforced... But we are deviating from the problem at hand. Even if we succeed in stopping the mad plans of the Makron, its greatest design will still remain. It has built a civilization – a race of terrible beings, which have been specially bred for war and conquest. It is preparing to send them at humanity in the distant future. I cannot foresee what would be the outcome of that war, but I do feel that a great battle between several races, including humanity will happen one day. That, which was set into motion during the Great Rebellion, will reach its climax soon. It would be either the Deities, or one of the mortal races that will inherit the Universe for all time. This will be decided in one last war such as none of you, marines, can possibly imagine."
The Gatekeeper made another pause. It seemed as if the demon was thinking about something very unpleasant, as if what he had in his mind caused him unbearable pain. Kyle suspected that he could see what would happen, and did not have the strength to say it. The Ice Revenant noticed the demon's confusion and added:
"You see, humans, the defeat of Lord Baphomet and the ravaging of Hell stirred everything throughout the myriad universes. Many of the Old Gods were awakened and see opportunities to seize that, which they have always cherished – the cursed Runes. They have brought nothing but pain and regret to everyone that has ever lived, yet all players in this deadly game of chess are trying to gain possession of them. As my master mentioned before, when he attempted to open a Gate into the Elder worlds using Void Spheres and the human-designed quantum accelerators, something responded from the other side. Do you know what this means?"
The Marine could not know for sure.
"I think it means that someone from the other side is trying to escape into our world."
"This is true, but not the important point that I am trying to make. What is significant is that the creature which responded is clearly not in stasis. Everything under the Shield is locked in an eternal state of stasis. Yet, the being was active. This can only mean that something has changed. The Shield has been disrupted by something, though I doubt it was my master's efforts. I assume that much of the captured living beings in the Elder Worlds have been awakened, and are in disarray, not knowing what to do. The Deity, which was left to watch over the Elder Worlds, the one known to mortals as Shub-Niggurath, is most probably awakened as well, and knowing quite a bit about her nature, I am worried by whatever she might be planning or doing at the moment. Just like Lord Baphomet, She has always been scheming and pursuing her own ends..."
The Gatekeeper shook his head, as if to fend off a painful vision, and sighed, just as a human would. He stared at the two marines for a few seconds then spoke again, with a voice that implied that he was exhausted by whatever just happened in his mind.
"We should waste no more time. The drawing you see over there on the wall is a portal. It was prepared for the Heresiarch, the Warlord, and their minions to go through, starting their mission on Mars. Now, you and Major Boyd will go through it, find the Black Cathedral, which rests on the slope of the great Olympus Mons, infiltrate it, retrieve the three Essences of Death, and return them back to me. Only then shall we aid you against the one known as Stalker. I shall not accept bargaining or any contradictions – you would either do it, or be left to the mercy of that human scientist's undead creations."
Major Boyd did not need to be urged – he was ready to do anything, just to get away from the crypts. Corporal Harlan agreed, yet he remembered to keep his eyes open, aware that there was something hidden that the Gatekeeper would not reveal.
"We accept your offer, as we have no choice. But we have no weapons and equipment – how are we going to do it?" the Marine asked.
"Worry not, human," the Gatekeeper whispered, "I have something for you and your Major. For you, Kyle, I have something that you lost when you defeated Baphomet. I found it among the ruins, and now it is yours again."
The Gatekeeper pulled out of somewhere an object that Corporal Harlan immediately recognized – his old and trusty double-barreled sawed-off shotgun that he used when he fought the demonic invaders on Earth. This old companion had saved his life quite a few times. And now it was back – and it was cleaned up and repaired, someone had done quite a good job.
"As for you, Nicholas Boyd, I have something that I claimed as a trophy from a group of elite marines at the Plutonia Project research facility. Ice Weasel was able to secretly visit the Temple of Darkness and bring it here."
Finishing his words, the Gatekeeper presented the Major something that he had always craved to see – a shining new BFG 9000. The officer's shaking hands gently touched the weapon, his mind still unable to believe that he actually held it in his hands.
"I don't know if I am dreaming," the Major uttered, "But if I am, this must be a rather weird but good dream."
The Gatekeeper approached the strange design on the wall and raised his arms, crooking his claws in a strange gesture. The demon started chanting something that sounded like a very sad song, increasing the volume slowly as bluish sparks appeared over the surface of the drawing. Ice Weasel approached the two humans and pointed at several objects that rested in one darker corner.
"These two are protective suits that would allow you to walk the lifeless surface of Mars without expiring. The backpack contains ammo for the shotgun and the... hmmm... BFG. I brought it from the Plutonia Project compound so the items inside are fresh and ready to use."
The Gatekeeper's chanting changed into screaming as the spell intensified and the wall was burning with blue flames. Then, it ceased suddenly – the wall had disappeared and a swirling portal stood in its place. Through it, blurred like an image under a pool of water, Kyle could see the dust and rocks of the Martian surface. His suit was already on, and the shotgun loaded and prepared to deal harsh punishment. The Major was ready to follow, feeling proud and strong with a real loaded BFG in his hands.
"The Gate is stable. The energy channel is clear and will not be noticed by anyone on Io or on Mars. It is time for you to go," the Gatekeeper said slowly, looking through the Gate into the lifeless landscape.
The two marines walked confidently through the swirling portal. A slight feeling of dizziness, a short sensation of lack of gravity, and they were at a different place. Their feet sank in the rust-colored dust of the surface of Mars, and the flashlights integrated in their suits revealed a landscape Kyle knew well. A landscape he had grown to hate.
Behind them, the portal buckled into itself and went out of existence. Right before it disappeared completely, the marines heard the Gatekeeper's voice once again:
"Know that I shall not open a portal for you to return, until you complete the mission I gave you. Do not make any foolish plans – the air supply of the suits will not be enough for you to reach the human colony on Mars. Take the path to the right – you will soon learn where to find the cathedral."
The voice faded away and the two men found themselves alone upon the barren wasteland. They walked to the right, as instructed, and followed the trail that led higher into what was known to be the highest mountain in the Solar System. However, it seemed that the portal had taken them pretty close to the summit. When Kyle turned back, he could see the UAC Mars Colony, very far in the distance. Indeed, the air they had would not be enough to reach it. Anyway, Kyle preferred to die than to return there – all bad memories retuned with full force. The worst of them was the memory of his apathy and his doubts whether he did the right thing when he assaulted his superior officer. It was an impulsive action, but for a good reason! He always repeated that to himself, yet the doubts remained.
While they walked up the path, Kyle explained many things to Major Boyd. He told the officer about the day he met the Gatekeeper, he told him some things about the shocking tale he heard from the dying demon, he told him what he knew about the Old Gods, the Elder Worlds, and the visions. Both marines were very curious about the entity the Gatekeeper referred to as "Makron." They were also curious about his spawned race, which were supposed to have been built for war. If this were true, and if they really had plans to attack Earth in the future... they tried not to think about that for some time and concentrate on the task at hand. With the available weapons and armor, Kyle believed that they would not have serious problems. Still, they had no idea what resistance they would face.
The path they walked on changed. The marines could clearly distinguish stone blocks, which were arranged just like pavement. Civilization had clearly been at work in this place. As they went on, the mountain trail turned into a real paved road of dark red stones. And finally, beyond, one last turn, Kyle Harlan and Major Boyd faced a sight that made them stop.
An enormous cathedral, built from black stone and forged iron stood before them. Black spires rose towards the starry Martian sky. The walls were ornamented with unknown glyphs and diagrams. It had windows, but they were completely black and nothing could be seen through them. One imposing arch was the entrance – beyond it stood a door carved with images of skeletons that stretched their hands at three objects that looked like books. Kyle looked back and could see a black spot that was the UAC colony. But no one from there could see the wondrous edifice that stood upon Olympus Mons, one of the Solar System's greatest wonders.
As they approached the entrance, Major Boyd noticed that there was an area around the entrance that was surrounded by a very faint glow – like a force field. Kyle touched it carefully but it neither stopped his hand, nor injured it in any way. Gaining some more courage, the marines stepped through the field and instantly felt something different – there was breathable air around them, and this was confirmed by the portable analyzers that were integrated in the suits. They could take their helmets off, and so they did.
Corporal Harlan stepped closer to the door, and it slowly opened, revealing total blackness beyond its frame. They had to cross over into it, no matter what was waiting on the other side.
"Are you ready, Major Boyd, sir? Whatever happens, we can face it as soldiers."
"Lead the way, Corporal. After today, nothing can give me pause, not even the darkest of demonic lairs."
The two men stepped forth and the darkness swallowed them.