Genesis - the Battle Within (Pillars of Creation Book 1) (9 page)

While he waited he tried to ease his tension as the squad, now just metres below him, continued to try and make sense of their scanners. He concentrated back on his most Sacred and important asset of all. His final gift was a Wielder’s most guarded and yet most powerful. They were all equipped with their own ceremonial and sanctimonious weapons, which were of the highest priority to their class and religion.

They weren’t just well-constructed weaponry, they were on a level far, far beyond that. Through unprecedented trial and tribulation and ancient customs, they were given form from raw nano-material into a Wielder’s primary combat strategy and religious symbol. A personified design individualised for each Immortal’s path and protection, finally dipped in the Mouziz stone to give each chosen Wielder the power of judicator and righteousness of the Creator’s path. Not too much unlike the uniqueness of their armour.

Genesis abruptly felt his own weapon’s molecular structure drawing closer together, feeling an itch from his thoughts about her – his weapon, Katana, was his power’s curator and personification, and even now he felt her getting ready in case the Skink’s bellow discovered him. She was forged in his Wielder trial ceremonies in the Temple of the Sacred, and she was his final test before becoming a Weapon’s Wielder Immortal. From nano-steel particles he manipulated her into existence, based on the one weapon he was bested with in his own trial. And although causing great controversy, the weapon was his Master’s old sword, as somehow Genesis had fought his entire trial with just the one blade, and survived.

After almost losing his right to re-forge the blade when the Elders realised whose sword it was, Genesis had proven that he could wield the blade with proficiency and, mainly due to tradition, was allowed to take it as his own, dipping it within the Mouziz Stone. Some had said the residual powers of his Master lay within the sword and
that
was the only reason he had been able to manipulate the blade and re-forge her so aptly. Yet despite the protests, eventually all quietened at the commands of the Elders, and after re-forging Katana in the final process of his trial, she was finally bonded to his own soul and Rieft talent.

Later, like all others, she went through developments to become laser sealed and enabled to channel his psychic saturation, from his core power, emanating through his Rieft. In memory of his Master, Genesis had kept the name simply as the sword’s own design, Katana, which, although simple, seemed a fitting name for her agile and appeasing form. She was already known to their world before, and now due to his Master’s gift would remain known for even longer.

Those unlucky enough to see her amazing talents and lived to tell the tale were few, but still her name and legend was widely feared far across Terithian space. Genesis had to go through even more intense years of training with his Sacred weapon, and as was commanded he now had Katana on him at all times. This Sacred appendage, as with all Immortal Wielders, represented more than just a blade; it was an apotheosis, representing all the power and strength of each follower of the path – a glimmer of hope to the oppressed, beacon and reminder of the honourable and reminder to give ear to the one true religion.

Genesis failed to block out his replacement mentor’s quoted voice, drummed into him from the Sacred Texts. The voice of Osiris shot through his head before he could stop it.

Although your weapons are of significant power my child – within your Sacred procurement each Immortal’s individualised power is flowing and should it be destroyed or lost, so shall all that is of that Immortal
.

These words triggered the memory of his own ceremony from just over seventy years ago, which had been the last time he’d seen his
true
mentor, and the reason Osiris had taken him on.

Genesis remembered developing and forming Katana after the battle with his fellow Immortals. Breaking her down and then re-forging her through his own psychic abilities, manipulating her from a particle-based compound through the precise control of his nanos and finally into his Sacred weapon. And then from this early re-construction, Katana was eventually moulded back through the Mouziz Stone and into his own DNA, Rieft and body.

He could still feel her, just as when his Master had placed her in his hands, like a living breathing thing residing within him. He could feel the evil she had vanquished and the long history of her past – and even more than that, a living extension of his own body and lively reminder of who else had once gripped her agile form; his Sovereign, Zeal, who’d disappeared that very same day. Genesis never got to thank him for his gift, or curse him either, for leaving and abandoning him—

The troops, scanning the vent, lifted the scanner higher as Me’lina worked hard to give conflicting signals to the device. Unable to help, Genesis went back to his thoughts as he regulated his breathing to a level undetectable.

For his bond to be complete with his Master’s blade, not only did he have to learn how to
construct
Katana as his Sacred weapon, but he also needed to be able to
deconstruct
her, back to within his armies of nano-swarms, within his own body.

Once an Immortal learned the skills of manipulation and deconstruction, their weapon was always with them, on them and within them, the most paramount trial of becoming a Wielder, even above their armour infusion.

When the attributed Immortal was able to dissect their Sacred weapon into particles and spread it back within the compound that made them up, only then were they given the title of Weapon’s Wielder. Yet even more importantly for each Wielder it meant an Immortal’s Sacred weapon could be transported in or out of their own flesh and Apocalypse armour, and quite literally allow them at all times to carry these exalted items. Forever they were one, just like their armour and religious mind. After mastering this, each Wielder Immortal could summon these embodiments of strength from within their own living flesh and recall it back at any given time, almost as though they were materialising their weapons from flesh and bone, all done in the blink of an eye; thus the fitting tools for reigning judgment to the apostasy or protection from the heretics in times of endangerment.

Genesis frowned thoughtfully as he felt Me’lina blocking even more scans. Unfortunately, this manipulation ability, as it was so aptly called, was again not his strongest quality. He could only disperse his blade into the right arm of his Apocalypse armour, leaving his whole right arm the same silver colour as the billions of particles made up by his blade, unless of course, he was in full stealth mode where Me’lina took the liberty of redirecting a small amount of his nanos to cover the area. This usually, however, brought too much complaint from her
apparently
overworked systems.

Although he was perceived as weak in this area, Genesis took comfort in his adoption of a trait from his former Master that gave him a strange side effect. Not only could he manipulate his Sacred weapon but it seemed he had also worked out a way to manipulate two of his other weapons. His pistols could both be manipulated through his nanos, and Genesis had developed enough affiliation with the foreign compounds to summon them, as he would his blade. But the pistols, unlike his primary weapon, still needed to reside within their holsters, not in his living flesh and armour. They were not of a Sacred nature and were forbidden to enter his body.

Genesis shifted both pistols into his hands and pressed their muzzles against the steel vent, he sensed the scan was taking too long. Just in case they were readying to raise the alarm he thumbed back the hammers, aimed for the Skink’s heads, and readied to fire.

Only when an Immortal had this construction
and
de-construction ability of their Sacred weapon, could he be eligible for a place amongst the Way of the Sacred – the path a Wielder took to becoming a Divine. The commandments were quite strict on this achievement, and Genesis could remember the exact quoted chapters from the Sacred Texts explaining the final test of weapon manipulation training, and one of his kinds most relevant paradigms. The words of Osiris again flooded forth in his exact and polished tones before he could stop them:

A weapon’s Wielder class of Immortal needs be able to construct and deconstruct their weapon from its particle-based compound within which its power resides and is sent forth within the Sacred Nanos of their flesh and armour; dually done so within a time span of no more than a few seconds.

Now Genesis had begun he couldn’t help but finish the verse, mouthing the words silently and bringing clarity to his soul and mind that the Sacred Texts seemed to always exude, and mocking his second Sovereign unintentionally. He also eased the hammers back just a fraction more as the Skink on the right tapped the scanner and looked up, seemingly directly towards him:

Furthermore and just as importantly, and as decreed by the Elders, an Immortal must be able to reciprocate this process at any given time to become combat ready and entitled as Wielder. From its original form the weapon must be manipulated into no less than two weapon types from their Sacred alpha weapon. From one blade an Immortal should have control enough to metamorphosis its form into many. This manipulation and ancient design choice may seem an ill-fitting procurement in times ahead, yet it is for the Wielders’ own ensured protection. A manifestation of their pure soul with stoutness and vigour armed at hand, beyond even the advancement of technology, Mouziz brought the stone to our ancients so we had rules to guide us … you now are those rules … and you now have the right to rule …

Genesis grinned at how well he remembered the old Historian’s words … Osiris obviously gaining some sort of purchase on his later lessons in life and training. Genesis remembered that thankfully, he had passed the final half of this commandment many, many years ago and his ability now also allowed him to manipulate both Katana’s base compound from her primary form – of Katana – into her secondary form, the twin, sharp-edged, half metre scimitar blades, laser and psychically sealed from his own Rieft talent, which through manipulation gave him his required weapon types for passing these tests. He let his breath out and swapped his guns back for blades, the items looking like they exploded into gas as the Sacred weapon formed in both hands, and the Skinks moved on below him, satisfied there was nothing above them.

Even though the galaxy was so far advanced with its own weapons of destruction, his religion could maintain control with a simple blade, and made this fact abundantly clear in as many opportunities as it could. With this thought in mind the Immortal slunk forward, getting close enough to listen intently to the voices on the bridge – finally free to do so.

A moment later the first voice reached him, “Sir there seems to be only two teams, one entered through engineering, disabling our engines – we lost contact with our men and visuals there, straight after they were detected. The other team breached the hull through the showering quarters, behind the rear hangar, and have deployed ion-turrets and a defensive perimeter. We’ve lost almost two whole squads there sir, and all vitals on our men are showing up as negative.”

A second, authoritative, voice lifted up above all others.

“Well then, it seems we are truly at a loss, for if the SED only sent two teams it means we now have an Immortal on board, and if we have an Immortal on board I can guarantee this is a priority mission for the accursed SED, which also means they must be somehow aware of our operation here.”

Genesis moved to the very edge of the grate, intrigued by his target’s intuition. Whoever had last spoken, assuming it was the ship’s captain, was well aware of SED tactics and obviously a well-versed and higher ranking Skink.

The younger voice abrasively interrupted the captain in response, “Shit! Oh my God no, it can’t be! I’m not ready to die sir! Shit … no! We’re screwed man, not an Immortal, holy—”

The more authoritative voice broke back loudly and cut him short, “Stow it Private, I don’t have time for your shit or malfunctions, seal all doors, I’m not going to let them just waltz up in here. Lieutenant, hold the forward corridor, pull the rest of our forces back to the bridge, set up all turrets there. I want every gun we’ve got protecting these doors …
now
.”

Genesis heard bustling movement beneath him as many footsteps moved back and forth. He heard the hiss of the bridge’s door closing and a large clunk as the blast shields sealed. The captain’s voice continued, “Private, has the artefact been received, have they located the
Aze’tome
vessel that Abad’don insists so frequently about? Are the ground forces in position?”

A brief pause was followed by the sound of radio chatter, with a reply a few seconds later. “Sir … erm … yes sir, ETA two minutes, they are all in position. The
Aze’tome
is on its way up and the men have just reached the chambers of the Ple’stone. They are bringing the Temple online now sir, its energies will open the objective shortly … Mapia is still complaining that the
Aze’tome
vessel wasn’t part of the plan though sir, he only knew about the Ple’stone and that should remain as the objective; he is threatening to pull his forces out.”

“Well remind Lieutenant Mapia he is as committed to this path as we are, he has no other choice other than to comply,” the captain lashed out sharply.

There was more chatter and then the radio officer spoke again, “He says he wants to see you straight away when he leaves the planet but will do as you command for now sir.”