Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet (53 page)

Green shrugged his shoulders.  “I don’t know.  I mean, I can
think of a few possibilities that might work…”

“Such as?”

“I could probably try overriding the Deathlord’s central
control, but it would require a complex algorithm to attack and take over the
system, and I’m afraid I don’t have the time to build one from scratch.”

Scallywag stopped.  “Wait,” he said.  “What did ya say?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time—”

“No, no, the other thing.”

“Um… that it would require a complex algorithm to attack and
take over the system—”

“A complex algorithm,” mumbled Scallywag.  As his mind raced
to where he’d heard that before, his eyes rolled.  “Crikey,” he grumbled.

“What?  What is it?” asked Green.

“I think I know how ta get us control of the ship,” said
Scallywag.

“Well then, make haste dear fellow!” replied Green.  “Time
is short!”

“I can’t believe I’m about ta do this,” muttered Scallywag,
gritting his teeth and activating his comm unit. 

Back inside the Earthship, Heckubus was busy at an open
terminal panel in the wall of the bridge, systematically poking through the
technology that was fascinating, even for him.  Just as he began contemplating
how to use the new application of trans-plasmatic genesis he’d garnered from
the ship to take over the sub-species of Hablaxus IV and rule them as their
lord and master, a voice piped up from the intercom.

“Robot,” said Scallywag.  “Do ya read me?”

“Since you are neither a data pad, nor a sequence of
alpha-numeric symbols, I can only assume you’re asking me if I can hear you. 
In which case, the answer should be obvious.”

“That algorithm o’ yours, the one you used on the
Zeroastrian fleet,” said Scallywag.  “Assuming it actually works - could it be
used to take over the Deathlord mothership’s systems?”

“Pah!  Of course it works!” snapped Heckubus as he took his
attention away from the Earthship’s systems for a moment to consider
Scallywag’s request.  “With a few modifications, I don’t see why it shouldn’t
be able to take complete and utter control of the mothership. The Deathlord
programming language isn’t that complicated once you break it down.  Assuming
one has a grasp of inter-species transcodes.  Which I do.”

“So can ya do it?” asked Scallywag.

“Well, modifying the algorithm is not a problem.  However,
we’d need a way to upload it to the mothership’s central computer in order for
it to work—”

Suddenly, the Earthship’s systems beeped in reply.  Heckubus
quickly interfaced with them and began to chuckle.  “Ah ha!  It would seem the
Earth vessel still has an active link with the mothership’s central computer. 
That should do nicely.”

“Good,” said Scallywag.  “Upload it, lock out every system
but ours, and seal off all access around the ship.  When the Deathlords find
out what we’re up to, they’ll come at us hard.  We don’t want any Dark Soldiers
breaking down our door before we get a chance to escape.”

“I will do so immediately,” replied the robot.  “As soon as
you admit I am the greatest evil genius in eight star systems.”

Scallywag could feel an involuntary spasm in his brow. 
“What?” he grumbled.

“Admit that I, Heckubus Moriarty, am the greatest evil
genius in eight star systems, and I will unleash my diabolical algorithm to
help you accomplish your mission.”

“Ya gotta be kidding.”

“You scoffed at my algorithm before, yet you need it now,”
replied Heckubus.  “This is what we advanced sentients like to call
irony
. 
Now, should you wish to use it, you must first admit that I am, indeed,
everything I told you I was.”

Scallywag gritted his teeth.

“I’m waiting…” sang Heckubus.

Scallywag tried to force the words out of his mouth, all the
while wondering exactly how vital his mission actually was.  Eventually, he was
able to mumble…

“Yer an evil genius.”

“I’m sorry?  I didn’t quite hear you…”

“Yer an evil genius,” repeated Scallywag.

“The greatest in eight star systems?”

“Yes.”

“Say iiiiiit…”

“Yer the greatest evil genius in eight star systems,”
sneered Scallywag. 

“Mwuahaha!” laughed Heckubus.  “Now admit you’re a dimwitted
primeval jackenape!”

“Robot,” growled Scallywag into his comm.  “Upload the
bloody algorithm right now, or I swear to the Great White Umber, I will rip out
yer gizzards and have ya converted into a toaster.”

Heckubus immediately set one of his subprocessors on a
master plan to unleash a dastardly plot for revenge, should Scallywag somehow
manage to survive this mission and try to make good on his threat.  After all,
no one messes with Heckubus Moriarty, intergalactic evil genius.  No doubt,
should things work out in the pirate’s favor, he’d probably try and take sole
credit for the use of the algorithm.  Heckubus would have to set one of his
subprocessors to begin planning sweet, sweet revenge for that, as well.  But
for now, he’d give the Visini what he wanted.

“Very well,” sighed the robot as he established the data
link to the Deathlord mothership and began sending his reprogrammed computer
virus.  “Uploading now.”

“Thank you,” sneered Scallywag.

“You are a dimwitted primeval jackenape, though,” replied
the robot before signing off the comm. Scallywag clenched his fists as he felt
another involuntary brow spasm come upon him.

After a long descent, the steps finally ended.  By this
point, they were enshrouded by darkness, and Anna could not see a thing.  If it
were not for the skin-crawling presence of the Deathlord beside her, she’d have
felt like she were floating in an empty void.  Then, she felt his cold, taloned
hand wrap itself around her shoulder, and when he spoke, his voice echoed all
around her as if there were a hundred of him.

“Bring in the light,” he commanded.

Before she had a chance to react, she felt that part of her
mind attuned to Ancient technology seek out a connection to her surroundings. 
She tried to will it to stop, but she felt like she had no control, as though a
part of her body, such as an arm or a leg, suddenly had a mind of its own and
was operating without her guidance.

She felt herself make connection to a strong presence
somewhere in the darkness – a familiar presence that was common with all forms
of Ancient technology.  Once plugged in, she felt herself give the command for
illumination.

Slowly, light began to break through the darkness far above
them.  It started as a single dot high above and grew, spreading out to reveal
a majestic domed ceiling.  As the light from the dome above spread, it grew
stronger and brighter.  The darkness around Anna and the Deathlord fled to
reveal a huge room, the size of a stadium, in the shape of a perfect circle. 
In its center was a large empty area, surrounded by ascending
amphitheater-style stone benches, which circled the room all the way up to the
dome.

There were no fancy decorations or architectural indulgences. 
Everything was made from what looked like simple sandstone.  Everything except what
stood before them in the center of the arena.

Against the far wall, facing them, was a triangular
outcropping that extended forward from the dome.  The stone benches ended far
enough away from the triangular wall so that it seemed no matter where a person
sat, he would always have a view of it.

On the face of the triangle was a large circular stone emblem
– one that must have been two stories high and two stories wide.  It was one
solid, smooth slab of rock, its brilliant white color a sharp contrast to the
dull yellow of the structures surrounding it.  At its center was an ornate
carving of an eye.

Anna could feel her heart quicken as she looked at the
symbol, as though the eye were alive, aware, and gazing right at her.

“You know what this is,” said the Deathlord.  It was not a
question.

“A Great Seal of the Ancients,” replied Anna.

Zarrod began to walk down the stairs toward the central area
before the seal.  Anna followed.

“A long time ago, your ancestors filled this room and
channeled their collective heresies into one of their infernal creations,
sealing it off with this abomination after constructing the prison we find
ourselves on.”  Zarrod approached the seal and gazed up at it; then he turned
away as if the carving on its face disturbed him.  “Once the seal is broken,
the quantum energy that powers this planet will escape, and the defenses that the
Heretics created will wither and die.”

Zarrod stood before Anna, looking down at her with his
blazing red eyes.  “Break the seal,” he commanded.

No
, thought Anna desperately.  She struggled with all
her might as her body responded immediately to the Deathlord’s command.  She
walked to the middle of the open area before the seal and called forth a kiosk,
which rose from the floor.  A white orb of energy sprang to life above the
small pillar, and Anna reached out and placed her hands upon it.

Immediately, she was tuned into the room around her, her
consciousness whisked away into the Ancient construct within the orb.  She
found herself floating in a dark void before a circle of light, a single eye at
its center.  She looked into it, and it met her gaze, unmoving.  In the eye,
she caught a glimpse of something – something fantastic, and wonderful, and
peaceful.  Her heart thumped the way it did when she witnessed a thing of such
amazing beauty that it affirmed everything it meant to be alive.

She reached out to it, wanting to grab it – to possess it. 
The eye came closer, as though responding to her desire.  Anna could feel the
eagerness growing inside her as the eye approached. 
Yes
, she thought. 
Yes,
I must have it… I must!

The eye stopped before her, big, and bright, and beautiful. 
She reached out and touched it, the thing she wanted danced in its iris, far
behind it.

“Give it to me,” she heard herself say.

She laid her hands on it, and veins of gold began to ripple
from the spot she touched, spider webbing throughout the eye.

“GIVE IT TO ME!” she screamed, her heart pounding.  She’d
never felt emotions like those she was experiencing that very moment.  Pure and
utter desire coursed through her, along with a burning jealousy, and the need
to completely possess the thing that lay behind that eye.

No
, called out a tiny voice in the back of her mind.

Anna’s breath caught in her throat.  What was that?  Who had
spoken?  She turned her attention back to the glimpse of beauty within the
eye.  She pushed on it harder, the veins growing brighter, slowly turning into
cracks in its visage, spreading and growing as she pushed harder and harder.

No
, came the voice again.  This time, it was clearer,
and she could not ignore it.

It was her own voice.

“But I want it,” she said.  “I must have it!”

You can’t.

She pushed harder. The golden cracks in the eye began to
splinter deeper around her hands.

“It’s so beautiful…”

You must not release it.

“Why?  Why shouldn’t I?”

Because of him.

Anna turned away from the eye and looked behind her, and for
the first time noticed the grotesque visage of a Deathlord there.  His skin was
black and wrinkled, his muscles tightly wound and sinewy.  His face was that of
a twisted skull, no nose, no lips, just red eyes gazing at the eye before her
greedily.  Its hands were dug deep into her back, and she could feel them
trying to control her, to move her body and her thoughts to suit its own
purpose.

Anna felt a shiver of revulsion run up her spine.  Was this
what was controlling her?  What was it?  How did it get there?

It wants you to destroy the seal
, her voice said. 
If
you do, all will be lost.

Anna looked up at the eye as it splintered and cracked,
ready to shatter into pieces any moment.  Deep inside her, she knew she was
right.  Unleashing what was behind that seal, no matter how amazing, would give
the Deathlords what they needed to destroy everything she held dear.

Suddenly, images flashed into her mind.  Images of her
father, and how he held court upon his throne, making decisions that affected
an entire galaxy.  Images of the digital paintings of the great Emperors of old
that lined the hallways of the palace that she had played in when she was young
– these men, who reigned with strength and wisdom, who fought to protect those
who had placed trust in their leadership.

Anna gazed into the eye before her, looking beyond that
thing of beauty - into a deeper universe, one filled with things she could not
understand or comprehend.  But there, within the chaos of the visions present
within the eye, she saw her family...

Not just her parents and her brothers, but the very line of
men and women who had forged her birthright: rulers of strength and wisdom,
warriors of ruthlessness and cunning, devotees of purity and moral fortitude. 
Tens of thousands of generations – they all stood before her, arrayed in a
bloodline filled with a pulsing power - a power that belonged to her, a power that
had eluded her for so long, and one of which she was not sure she was worthy. A
power that burned so brightly and brilliantly, the thought of possessing it
sent shivers of fear coursing through her body.

You are the Blood of the Ancients
, she could hear
herself whisper in her mind. 
You are the light that shines in the
darkness.  You are the beacon within the storm.  You are the protector of all
life.  This is your duty.  This is your destiny.  It is time for you to claim
it!

She felt the Deathlord’s claws moving inside her.  They
tried to make her press harder, to break the seal, to ignore the last remnants
of her own consciousness.