Inherited War 3: Retaliation (19 page)

Cole’s parents were so over wrought they couldn’t say a thing. His mom wailed and reached for Cole as he was taken bodily from her by the fake Sky. She screamed and turned to clutch at her husband as the fake Sky gave the baby a wicked smile and whisked him away.  Cole, the real Cole, spoke suddenly from Sky’s side.

“You did this?” he asked as he turned his head slightly to look at the real Sky. “No, not you directly.” She breathed out a sigh of relief. She couldn’t say it, but if she could have, she would have encouraged him to not believe what he was seeing. “But is was your tampering with me that got them in trouble. You were directly related to the reasons I was taken from them.” Sky’s heart sank. She had gotten her hopes up too soon. “They were perfect. They loved me and wanted me. Now come the dark times, the foster homes.”

Sky was screaming in her own mind, unable to affect any real change. The world swirled away around her, and a sick imitation of a laugh followed her down. As she faded to black, she realized the hooded figure hadn’t even manifested himself that time. He was right. She was too weak and inexperienced to fight him.

“This will be good, Hal. Set us down here,” Split said through the com channel of their suit. After choosing the moon as their destination, Split had retreated to their cabin and equipped themselves in a heavy-duty combat suit. They didn’t know why, but they felt drawn to this place now that they were here. They didn’t need to see the scans of the surface to tell them where to set down. They knew, almost like they had been here before.

“I have to tell you, Split, this is odd. Even by our standards,” Hal commented as he landed the ship smack in the middle of the largest crater of the moon. Silvery puffs of dust slowly billowed up as the landing gear disturbed the fine powder. The moon had only about one quarter of the gravity that the ship was currently making, and the dust traveled high into the sky before being caught and brought back down. “It’s like we have been here before or something.”

“We just had the same thought, but…we do not remember coming here.” Split checked their readouts on the suit before opening the outer door. Seals checked out and air was flowing. The heater was keeping them a comfortable temperature, and their HUD was all green. They opened the door with a flick of their hand. It only took a moment for the air in the outer lock to be sucked into the vastness of space.

Split stepped off the ramp and onto the surface of the moon. Their foot sank in about two inches before finding solid ground. Moons had two primary purposes it seemed to them. Make tidal patterns, which helped promote life, and act as a very big shield for incoming meteorites. The meteors slammed into the surface on most moons so hard that they tended to pulverize the rocky surface. Over billions of years, the moons are covered in a fine powdery residue left from the impacts. Split didn’t care about any of this at the moment though, they were more focused on finding what they was looking for.

Split carefully walked/bounced across the surface of the crater. A few hundred feet from the ship, they saw a small mound of rocks jutting up from the surface. That was odd because anything that had been here when the meteorite hit would have been destroyed. Hearing nothing but the sound of their own breathing. Split moved to the outcrop. Slowly they circled the rocky mound and on the far side, they stepped on something definitely not made out of rock.

They knelt and vigorously brushed aside the dust covering the metal hatch. Moving the inch or so of surface dust took only a moment, and Split was left with a three by three foot metal square. It was unadorned and completely smooth on the surface. Seeing no controls, Split placed both hands flat on the hatch and pushed. Nothing. They rocked back on their haunches and studied the hatch more closely. Split ordered the suit to retract and expose the palm of his hand. They felt the intense cold instantly, and the pressure of space pulling on their skin.

“Hurry brother,”
they said to themselves and he slammed his palm down on the hatch. In one smooth motion, the hatch split down the middle and each half slid to the side. Split recovered their hand and waited for the nanites to do their work. Feeling one hundred percent, they contacted Hal one last time.

“We have found what we were looking for. We are about to enter and will probably lose communications. Do not leave us,” Split ordered the AI.

“No problem. Heck where would I go anyway?” Hal responded. Split grunted a reply and dropped through the opening into the inky blackness beyond. They landed after a fall of about twenty feet, but with the low gravity, the distance hardly mattered. They couldn’t fall far enough on this moon to hurt themselves even if they wanted to.

As soon as their feet touched the floor, lights began to warm up. It was slow at first but the slight glow turned into a dull light and finally grew to illuminate the whole room. Split glanced around and took it in. The room was spherical and had a walkway around its middle. There was a ladder on the curved wall behind him, and he knew this was designed as an exit. The room was featureless except for a wide disc that floated in the middle of the room. As Split moved closer to see it, the walkway underneath expanded and grew out towards the disc. It finally stopped a few feet from the disc. So did Split. They somehow knew that to attempt to cross the intervening distance would not be a wise idea.

Split looked around again, as their suit began picking up atmospheric readings. The room was filling with breathable air. Just the right mix for their kind. They waited until the readings stabilized before removing their helmet. The air was sweet and fresh, it reminded them of home.

“It’s been a long time since you have been home, hasn’t it?” a voice rang out in the room. Split didn’t react. They weren’t scared or surprised.

“Yes, we are not welcome at home these days. We make the bonded pairs nervous and the unbonded also do not react well to us. How have you been, Jarrod?” Split asked as a light began to form above the disc. It resolved into a human form, one Cole would have recognized from his dreams.

“You ask the same question every time, and I will answer it the same as well. I am not really here. This is a program I made based on the outcomes I predicted.” The holograph stroked his chin in thought for a moment. “It has been over a thousand years since you have come to visit.”

“We find it would be easier to remember to visit if we could remember our visits here. We know nothing of this place until the hatch shuts and we breathe the air,” Split said with a smirk.

“Yes, yes I know. Enough small talk and onto business. How is my heir? Did he survive the physical test?”

“Yes, I was with him and he survived the torture of the Esii. Survived and thrived. He destroyed their world and the creature that gave them life. The Esii are a doomed race.”

“Hardly, there are other worlds and other creatures that can feed the Esii. But that is good to hear. I always like it when my predictions come to pass. Was his home destroyed, as well?”

“Yes, all but a few humans survived,” Split responded.

“Unfortunate, but there was a ninety-five percent chance of that happening. Now he should be onto the mental testing. Has he shown any signs of it yet?” Jarrod asked.

“Yes, we noticed some mental slippage on his part and suggested this trip to get out of his way. We were unsure what form his mental struggle would take, but when he started to show signs of xenophobia we talked him into this mission,” Split said.

“And the war, its final location?” Jarrod asked with anticipation.

“You were right in your initial pick. It forms around the homeworld of the Nixa,” Split answered.

The hologram smacked his hands together and let out a crow of happiness. “I knew it! I believe you owe me a favor from that bet.”

“How, might we ask, do you do it? Make predictions from twenty thousand years ago, and record answers to questions that I haven’t asked yet? And as for the bet, we believe we have served you well and done many favors for you already,” Split said and crossed their arms.

“True, I will give you that. Fine, I release you from any obligations from our little side wager. As to how I make my predictions and know what will happen down to the questions you will ask, it’s simple, but at the same time, it is hugely complicated. This universe is a well-ordered creation. It was made that way. It was made by me and the other to be that way. I laid down the rules. Physics, math—all of it was of my hand. If you know the math of the universe, then you know the outcome of everything, almost. That is where the other comes in. Where I endeavored order; he countered with chaos. Black holes, wormholes, and other things outside the realms of pure physics are his doing. But he always did delight in vexing me.” Jarrod looked right at Split. Split opened his mouth, but Jarrod interrupted. “Don’t ask it, I know what you are about to say. I don’t know the ultimate outcome of this fight because it has such far-reaching consequences for this and other universes that the math is nearly impossible. I can reasonably predict the majority of minor events that have led us here, but in the end,” he shrugged, “it comes down to his champion or mine. That’s how it has to be.”

“The other has interfered. We sensed him during Cole’s imprisonment. Why have you not aided us more directly?” Split asked.

“Every time he takes a direct hand in matters, I get to as well. I am better at saving my help for when it truly matters. He is more concerned with winning all the battles and will sacrifice to do so. I look at the whole picture and will sacrifice now for gains later. It seems cruel to you, but you are not from where I am from. Besides, I hold this universe as sacred and would see it left alone for all eternity. He wants it for his own designs.”

“We have grown fond of Cole and some of his humans. What must we do to help him win?” Split asked.

“That’s the question I have been waiting to hear.” Jarrod smiled with delight. “I will give you the information you are looking for, and it will be up to you to use it wisely.”

“Why not just tell us everything?” Split asked with annoyance.

“Because now is not one of those times I wish to directly interfere. Only indirect interference is called for here. Besides, I have another small side wager on how this will turn out, so you will be on your own from here. Now, tell me about Cole. From when you first met him until you left him on this mission.”

“Who are you, really?” Split finally asked, tired of not knowing.

“No one important, truly. I just want as good as outcome as can be won for this universe. I don’t hold life and death in my hands. I am no god. As I said, I see and predict based on the nature of the universe. This war, as you call it, is a game between me and another. The rules are there to keep either of us from catastrophically damaging the universe and to make sure the game is played fair. I help where I can, but prefer to let others do the right thing on their own. My counterpart, on the other hand, relishes control of his assets as much as he needs the chaos he feeds into the universe. He is a study in contrasts, where I am a constant. One way or another, on the surface of the Nixa world this comes to an end. Cole will face his champion and only one will win, and even if Cole does triumph, we may still lose. The final decision will be made by the victorious champion, not by me or my counterpart. That is one of the many predictions I cannot make. There isn’t enough time to do the math required to make a solid prediction. Just think of me as you always have, a friend who wants to help.”

Split considered for a moment and nodded their head in acceptance. “We first met Cole when a distant descendant of mine came looking for help on a job.” Split spent the next hour telling Jarrod things he already apparently knew, but was thanked for confirming them. When they were done, Jarrod had one more piece of advice for the Worlder.

“No matter what, Cole must be on the surface of Nixa at the appointed time. Whether or not he wins or loses, his test of the mind he must be there, and you must be there as well. If I could, my old friend, I would place my hand on your shoulder and promise this will all be over soon. Alas, I cannot touch you, but I will make this promise. In a few days this will end. Forever.” The two traded stares for a moment before Jarrod finally gave over the information Split had been looking for.

“Will we forget again when we leave?” Split asked.

“No, that I grant you, but you will be unable to talk to anyone about it in all but the most general of terms. You need to remember what you learned here to make a few decisions, and if you remember everything the odds of the right decisions go up substantially.”

“We enjoyed seeing you again, and will see you at the end.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it for the world, the universe.” Split turned, walked to the ladder, and began to climb. Reaching the top, they reactivated their helmet. The hatch opened and quickly sucked all the air out. Split shuffled as fast as possible to the ship and boarded. They ran to the cockpit and linked into the ship.

“Hal send a message to the fleet. We need all troop transports loaded with AI’s and routed to these coordinates.” Split rattled off a series of numbers to the navigation system. “ASAP.”