Genesis - the Battle Within (Pillars of Creation Book 1) (31 page)

Slath,
he lamented,
why did I have to go and leave her behind?
Before he could decide what to do and as if sensing his already simmering indecision, the Jackal abruptly continued edging Genesis where he’d always wanted him, from the first time they’d met years earlier, aboard this very same ship; shackled and directly under his boot. The admiral stepped up to Genesis, spoke to one of the closest men, and brushed Genesis aside contemptuously.

“Major, take Genesis to cryo-stasis immediately, I want a full detail on point, and lockdown protocol is to be administered the entire time …” his eyes gleamed when he saw nobody move, “
I said immediately.”

The major quickly emerged, bumbling around Genesis to answer apologetically and talking nervously as he stammered out a response, “Um … are you sure — no of course sir, I mean a-a-affirmative sir.”

But before anyone could move, Genesis grabbed the admirals trailing arm, gripping it tightly and forcing him to listen by squeezing hard to get his attention. Genesis leant into his ear.

“Antipatros don’t do this, you know you are way out of line on this, there is no way the Elders would have asked you to put me in stasis. You will hang for such a crime. You know full well according to your allegiance and my own religious code I cannot allow you to put me into stasis. I have to wherever possible, keep myself unbound mentally and physically at all times, I can’t allow you to damn well freeze me, you understand Antipatros, it’s not allowed within my beliefs. You’re forcing me to stand against you, I cannot stand for such heresy, it’s against my religion.”

Genesis let the admiral pull back and break free, before he used that against him also. The desperate Immortal spoke up so the others could hear.

“Admiral please don’t be stupid, it doesn’t need to be like this, we can work together, or else the Skinks down on the planet will escape and we will never know what they were truly up too, and that I know, won’t bode well with any of our superiors. Think of the rewards admiral, think of your career ….”

Antipatros laughed as he responded sarcastically, he’d committed himself this far and the son-of-a-bitch clearly wasn’t backing down now.

“Oh okay, you’re absolutely right Genesis, I will put the SED at risk eh, you’d like that now wouldn’t you, you reckless Immortal. But understand I don’t give a shit about your religion, not if it endangers the dominion! And when did you start becoming sooo concerned with breaking the codes of your faith hey?”

At this instant Genesis realised reasoning was over, the admiral’s tone became lofty and his words insulting.

“You stupid, ignorant Immortal, you don’t think I have all my corners covered, I’m ten steps ahead of you and every other official of your kind. My infantry will be staying to investigate the Skink temple, while I pick up the credit for capturing you, the SED’s renegade, along with the newest portal in human history.

“Oh, I’m
sorry
Genesis, you’re not going to get the credit for this one, my name will echo through the ages, not yours. Shortly the frigate
Pegasus
will be here and they will deal with any stragglers we leave behind, which means the only end for me to tie up now, is you. Trust me,
my
career is quite safe, it’s yours that should be in concern.”

Genesis turned his back in defeat, he knew reason was beyond Antipatros when glory was fixed in his mind. But his concern changed as he understood what the admiral had divulged of his flawed plan, which threatened more than just his own safety and caused outright anger to finally take hold of his crumbling self-control. He spun around.

“Slath Antipatros, you’re as blind as you are stupid, you should know better than any we can’t send our infantry alone down there, Sacred only knows what could be waiting for them—”

Antipatros cut Genesis short yet again as he pointed a finger directly into his face, only centimetres from the Immortal’s nose.

“I’m sorry Genesis but you’ve wasted enough of my time, your threat to me, my ship, and to the SED must be curbed; now comply with my orders this instant or be damned – kneel and put your hands in front of you
Roach
, even your wretched Master Zeal, would tell you to do the same.”

Genesis embraced the feeling as frustration grew, this latest insult tipping him over the edge. How the admiral, like so many others of late, knew of his past was a mystery, as much as it was a mistake for the petty little man to use such a reference on Genesis. A bright flash of lightning cracked over the Immortal’s hands, sending the entire crew of the bridge stumbling backwards in shock. His words bit out in an unfamiliar tone, jagged, harsh and full of rage.

“You stupid hark-slather, you have no authority over the Immortals, you are not even worthy to mention our names, I
will not
be put on trial by the likes of you and I will certainly not be put on ice on the glory-seeking whim of such an arrogant and ignorant little shit such as you!”

The admiral’s eyes narrowed as he smiled nastily. The conversation was exactly where he wanted it to be. He’d won his battle of words, and his victory beamed through his every feature. He nodded to the closest Skrithian next to the bridge.

A moment later, Genesis blinked, completely dazed, something was wrong. He was standing in a different spot to where he was a second ago, and there were signs of struggle all around him. Objects had changed from where they’d previously been, lights from consoles flashed in dilapidation.

As he turned in confusion Genesis saw marines and Skrithians alike collapsed on the ground, and Antipatros screaming at him as he clutched an injured arm.

Workstations were smashed and staff fled from the Immortal in terror. Genesis saw blood splattered over the floor and over his fists and body.

What the—
a baton smacked into the side of his head astoundingly hard.

As he spun to the ground, in the moment before he blacked out, a flash of memory jolted into his mind, the impact jogging his brain as he recovered the lost time. The memory, Genesis recognised, was a gift from his Rieft ally, which was still being lashed back into submission for its efforts within him.

In his mind, Genesis saw himself standing in front of Antipatros as he finished nodding his last command and grinning happily at the Immortal’s demise. Genesis watched himself standing before the admiral, also smiling. The alien compound washed over his restraints and a pervasive energy came over the Immortal entirely; Genesis relived the moment as though he was there again, while actually sailing towards the floor.

Words are not a battlefield I’m accustomed too
– he remembered his thoughts from moments ag
o–
from the conversation’s beginning I’ve been at a disadvantage and have made little progress,
he’d told himself
. Combat on the other hand, is my best rebuke, the best answer for a man such as Antipatros, and it is now my turn to dominate.

Genesis remembered the alien feeling doing the thinking for him. But strangely it hadn’t just been the alien’s thoughts, it was his own as well … he’d allowed it to happen. The memory continued as Genesis cringed at the actions he’d enacted.

After the admiral’s command, the Skrithian’s hand had never made it to his wrist as Genesis had sent the dazed trooper flying off the bridge and crashing painfully down the rampart with a powerful sideward kick. The crumpled form fell over the side, crunching even harder against the deck as he’d slid against the entrance and came to rest.

It had taken a few seconds for the surrounding guards to realise what had happened. After the initial shock their heads had all snapped back up to Genesis, eyes wide. The next closest Skrithian reacted faster from his shock than the rest, launching its two upper arms in wide arcs towards him. It tried wildly to connect its batons with his face. Genesis saw his next actions, remembering the force he’d used as he’d lost over to strange intoxicating powers.

Blurring his shape with shadow, he’d ducked at the last second and then sprang straight back up, milliseconds after the batons sailed over him. He’d jumped high bringing both feet in front of him as he slammed them into the Skrithian’s chest, flipping himself backwards from the impact and landing catlike onto his feet while the guard flew backwards from the colossal impact.

From the last attack he’d steadied into a low crouch, sinking as far as he could into shadows. The Skrithian he’d last struck was still sailing backwards, even though Genesis had been ready to move on. He’d shifted to his next opponent, as the same earlier hybrid rebounded painfully off the admiral and into a solid workstation. The bridge lights had all flickered at that point, the collision sending sparks and glass flying from the various components and screens.

The commotion had distracted the other marine’s eyes with lights constantly flickering, and Genesis watched as he’d utilised the moment to vanish and materialise in different places across the bridge. Only finally when the lights steadied had his heaving form re-appeared, the sound of three thuds echoing around the bridge as three of the human marines fell to the floor, their weapons twisted and broken next to them.

His re-emergence had levelled the playing field for his attackers, and forced a confrontation as the remaining Skrithians had all wheeled at once.

Totally unperturbed, Genesis had inclined his head slightly, almost cocky, and saw the impact of the earlier Skrithian that had knocked Antipatros over – the injured Jackal lying on the ground whining as he clutched his arm. It was possibly fractured,
or hopefully broken
, Genesis had thought darkly. He’d smiled slightly at that, revelling in the thought that Antipatros might think twice before insulting an Immortal again so freely – he watched on as his body had begun reacting to the danger of the incoming onslaught.

Seeing his dark form appear from the shadows, the final three Skrithians had gone into offence mode, leaping forward and pouncing on him in a united front of blows and assaults. Again he became a blur as his eyes flashed white with power and he’d ducked under the first two batons. They’d crackled loudly overhead only centimetres away from him. He’d done this quickly enough though, that he was already spinning under the first Skrithian’s arms as the Immortal poured his pent up ionic energy into his right arm, punching the first assailant square in the kneecap.

Genesis saw the Skrithian fall screaming to the ground with a sickening snap, clutching at his rearranged appendage. Genesis had used his momentum to leap out of his crouch and catch the final two Skrithians in mid-air, completely unprepared. He managed only to take down one of the two, the latter darting backwards and twisting away desperately and just managing to tear free of his grip.

His grasp totally enveloped the slower Skrithian. He’d brought him painfully down to ground with an accompanying sound of cracking ribs and wheezing air. The hybrid’s eyes had closed as it had tapped out instantly.

In his current form, Genesis couldn’t believe his mind had been so in control in such a fight, when clearly his actions were not. He began to see how the compound had used his own reasoning to help …
steer him,
and how it obviously hadn’t felt pervasive enough for him to outwardly reject its chosen path for him.

At that point Genesis lost sight of the vision as his body in its current form smacked into the ground, head reverberating off the metal, his memory only coming back as he started to fade into darkness. He watched distantly now, as though the scene was far away.

He watched as he’d turned back on the final Skrithian, finished turning and dealt with the hybrid marine effortlessly. With an easy sidestep, Genesis had passed safely from its reach and with an almost easy upward knee to the chest he’d brought the attacker painfully up short.
Is this the best you’ve got Antipatros
, he remembered thinking fleetingly.

At that moment, and obviously jinxing himself with his overconfidence, the Skrithian had managed to break away, the hybrid turning back and facing the Immortal, visibly shaken by the powerful hits it’d received but its training kicking in to stay fighting.

Genesis shuddered as he remembered his next few moments, feeling like he was sipping Rieft through every breath as he’d realised at this point his taint from the Tel’nagara had been total –affecting him physically and not just mentally – he was becoming more powerful than he ever was, or should be.

He remembered glancing down at himself, noticing he’d not only felt faster, he was actually becoming faster and stronger, as though down to his very bones he’d gained a strengthened density, which added extra weight to each of his strikes.

He watched once more as he ducked the next blow, darting through a shadow off to the side of the bridge, and losing his attacker’s eyes, he’d returned a moment later with staggering sprightliness; the gawking Skrithian looking up sensing its error as the empowered Genesis towered over him and his eyes glowed white hot with power.

With overwhelming strength he’d grabbed the Skrithian’s wrists, which were still in mid-air, and easily squeezed the batons free as if the hybrid was lacking any strength at all. Genesis had jerked the poor marine forward, lifting him off the ground before abruptly releasing him.

Overbalanced this way, the hybrid had promptly fallen clumsily towards the Immortal’s next incoming strike. The combined forces hit the Skrithian dead centre in the chest and lifted the marine back off his feet again, and a long second later headfirst and devastatingly hard against the nearest console.

Genesis saw, in the defining moment, as he’d turned his head away callously and a spatter of sanguine fluid splashed across his cheek, the Skrithian folding beaten and bruised onto the decking, that he’d cared not at all. The guard was sputtering his saliva and mingled blood over the admiral’s boots and deck.

Genesis had finally looked up, his eyes cooling gradually. The whole assault had taken no more than a few seconds, and the few remaining human marines on the other side of the bridge were only just catching up with what had happened to their supporting squad.

Rifles hefted, pointing directly towards the danger standing before them, now free of obstacles with the Skrithians gone, not one of the remaining marines dared to fire. The sound of battle died as the bridge fell utterly silent and all stared towards the shadow standing amongst the groaning forms around him. In this moment Genesis felt the intensity of his talent retreating as he scanned his surroundings. He heard the creature of his Rieft crying in pain as the other force was running around within him, dictated by its use …

The actions could not be his own, he reasoned, not quite a hundred per cent sure, they were dictated for him …
weren’t they?
Genesis remembered his confusion at this point.
Damn it, what was the alien’s poison doing to me!
Genesis prayed that this was what had motivated him to such violence against his own kind.

Genesis understood now the threat he posed … something was terribly amiss inside him; the poison of the alien was enslaving him and his Rieft both. Abad’don
must
have been doing something to his persona and judgments with its tampering …

Genesis could tell from the few recovering Skrithians’ expressions, that they had known well of the Immortal’s training and they were lucky to still be breathing … and yet he’d attacked them anyway with little or no regard for who and what they stood for.

All these memories and visions vanished as the young Wielder’s eyes clouded over. With a gasp Genesis felt a ripple power through him, pain grabbing him from his very bowels.

Both in memory and his current form he felt stricken by this strange occurrence, as he remembered and felt it in two states of time. In his last second before losing consciousness, a voice leapt up, burrowing into his every thought, cutting deeply through him and making him forget all but the voice and the pain … Genesis felt the Tel’nagara’s poison return in full, and now it was somehow in his mind writhing further and further into his brain, the voice echoing along with it.

~
If you won’t come to me, if you won’t give up your Rieft then I shall come to you. Succumb my child and take my hand, I will show you the way …
they all must be sacrificed, they all must be cleansed
~

The marines, the bridge, and the world around him seemed to all become distant again, as everything disappeared. All faded away to black … a blackness that even he feared to tread. Nothing remained but Abad’don’s eyes, burning into his mind and soul, all consuming, all powerful. The poison’s malice poured into him freely, ready to take over his dormant state and consuming his Rieft and soul entirely – all except one thing, his Rieft creature, which clung onto a small portion of Genesis and refused to let go.