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Authors: Jon Messenger

Purge of Prometheus (57 page)

BOOK: Purge of Prometheus
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CHAPTER 40:

 

 

With the majority of systems powered down, the control room was bathed in darkness.
 
Keryn, Wyck, Iana, and Tora sat huddled together on the floor, staving off the cold that permeated the walls.
 
With life support systems running only nominally, the internal heating system had been shut down.

“Did you have to blow up the missile so close?” Wyck asked, his ears still ringing from the explosion.

“I had to make it believable,” Keryn replied.
 
“If the Terrans didn’t think we were severely damaged, they would have just blown us up on the spot instead of chasing the other two.”

Above their heads, a faint glow was cast from the tactical display.
 
The five red triangles were slowly disappearing behind the sun, still in pursuit of the two Alliance Cruisers.
 
Until they were out of radar range, Keryn didn’t dare begin recharging the engines.
 
Should they be detected, they’d be defenseless until the systems all came back online.

Though they sat mostly in silence, faint radio transmissions continued on the Fleet-wide net.
 
As Keryn leaned her head against the large control console, she heard a familiar voice sending a distress signal.

“Any Alliance vessel,” Adam called faintly over the radio, “this is Squadron Commander Decker.
 
My fighter has been badly damaged and I require immediate docking for repairs.”

Keryn scrambled to her feet and began altering the tactical signal to search for the signal from Adam’s fighter.
 
In the distance, far from the dark sun and the
Ballistae
, a small blue dot appeared on the map.
 
Its movements were random, confirming that his ship was damaged and incapable of defensive maneuvers.
 
While watching the map, a second transmission called over the radio, filling Keryn with dread.

“Commander Decker, this is Captain Xiao of the
Revolution
.
 
We have eliminated your immediate threat.
 
Sit back and we will be there to pick you up shortly.”

Keryn spun, locking eyes with Iana.
 
Her own fear was reflected in the Warrant’s eyes.
 
Still, Iana shook her head disapprovingly.

“I have to let him know,” Keryn begged.
 
“I can’t let him land on the
Revolution
.”

“There’s nothing we can do for him now,” Iana stated, emotion thick in her voice.
 
“I’m sorry, Keryn, but if we warn Adam, we risk the lives of everyone on this ship.”

“And we risk failing in our mission,” Wyck added sternly.
 
“We’ve worked too hard to jeopardize this mission.”

“Yen is dangerous,” she pleaded.
 
Her throat felt swollen and she found it hard to swallow.
 
“You’ve all fought beside Adam.
 
We can’t just leave him with that monster!”

Iana walked to her side and placed her arm around Keryn.
 
“If what you told me about him is true,” Iana said, “Adam seems more than capable of taking care of himself.
 
You have to trust that he’ll be fine.
 
Right now, we have other priorities.”

“They’ve reached the back side of the sun,” Tora said, pointing toward the tactical display.
 
The five red triangles had disappeared from the map.
 
“They can’t detect us anymore.”

Wyck moved past the two seated women and began reactivating the major systems onboard the ship.
 
The lights above them flickered back to life and a low rumble shook the ground slightly as the massive engines began their ignition process.
 
Once seemingly out of commission, the
Ballistae
rose from its own ashes, eager to complete its mission.

 

Adam’s fighter slammed into the ground of the hangar bay, breaking free the already damage right wing and sending sparks spraying from behind it as it gouged the thick floor.
 
As it finally slid to a halt, Adam threw open the cabin and climbed out, coughing from the thick smoke that poured from around the ruined ship.
 
Wiping the sweat and soot from his face, he watched fire consumed his fighter.

Turning toward the exit to the hangar bay, Adam coughed once more and rubbed his chest.
 
Between the smoke and the crash landing, his ribs and lungs now ached every time he tried to breath.
 
As he walked slowly toward the doorway, it slid open and a medical team emerged.
 
They rushed to his side as a second team came in, spraying fire retardant chemicals over the wreckage in the middle of the bay.

“I’m fine,” Adam said as he waved away the medical personnel who tried to check his vital signs.
 
“I need to see Captain Xiao.”

“Doesn’t that work out well,” Yen called from the doorway.
 
Leaning against the doorframe, Yen reminded Adam of the young soldier whose life he saved years ago.
 
As Adam got closer, however, he saw that the young psychic soldier was long gone.
 
In his place, an older man stood.
 
Yen’s eyes had sunken from stress and overuse of his powers.
 
His already yellowed skin looked waxy and thick creases had appeared around his eyes and on his forehead.
 
Even his fine dark hair had grown matted from sweat and unkempt.

“You look good, Yen,” Adam lied, embracing his old friend.

“You’re a piss-poor liar,” Yen replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
 
“I didn’t even need to be psychic to know that.
 
But it’s a good lie, so I’ll let it slide.”

Breaking away from his friend, Adam gestured toward his still smoldering fighter.
 
“I’m going to need a new ship.
 
There’s still a lot of fighting to be done.”

“Later, later,” Yen insisted, dropping the fake smile.
 
“First, join me on the bridge.
 
We can catch up while we walk.”

“No offense, Yen,” Adam said, “but we can catch up after the war is won.”
 
Something seemed wrong with Yen, but Adam couldn’t place his finger on it.
 
Still, Adam couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, a feeling only reinforced by the shivers running up his spine.

“It wasn’t a request, Adam,” Yen replied darkly.
 
“I was irritated before, so I didn’t want to hear the details of your miraculous plan.
 
Now I’m being told that the
Ballistae
was destroyed.
 
I think it’s about time you shared the rest of your plan with me.”

Adam begrudgingly stepped into the hallway and followed Yen’s lead.
 
Cautiously, he placed a comforting hand on the pistol at his hip.
 
“This is a pretty poor way to treat an old friend,” Adam chided.
 
“After all, I did save you life once.”

“Ancient history,” Yen replied.
 
“I just saved yours, so you can stop using that excuse to try to get me to be more cooperative.
 
Let’s quit the small talk and get down to business.
 
Tell me about your plan.”

Yen walked a few more feet before he realized that Adam was no longer following.
 
He turned and stared into the eyes of the angry Pilgrim.
 
“Is there a problem, Adam?” Yen asked dangerously.

“You’re not the man I met years ago,” Adam said cautiously.
 
He automatically grew defensive as he stared at the husk of his old friend.
 
“There’s a darkness in you now that didn’t exist there before.”

“Spare me your childish rhetoric,” Yen sneered.
 
“You’re not the same either.
 
Our experiences shape who we are.
 
While you were joy-riding around the outskirts of known space, the rest of us were putting our lives on the line to bring down Earth.
 
It changes a man!”

“I can see that,” Adam replied.
 
“It makes you dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Yen mocked.
 
“You have no idea about dangerous.”

“But I’m willing to bet Iana does, doesn’t she?” Adam said.

Yen froze in mid sentence.
 
Reaching out with his power, Yen scanned Adam’s mind.
 
Images of Iana arriving onboard the
Ballistae
, scared and crying, jumped to the forefront of Adam’s thoughts.
 
Suddenly, Yen was even more interested in finding out what was happening aboard the
Ballistae
.

“I think it’s time for you to tell me your battle plan,” Yen hissed.
 
“Tell me about your plans, about Iana, about Alcent, and about Keryn.”

At the mention of her name, the images in Adam’s mind shifted from Iana to a snow-filled landscape.
 
Darkness stretched over the buildings in Adam’s memory, casting thick shadows over the streets.
 
Huddled within one of the buildings, sleeping forms sprawled across the thinly matted floors.
 
In the corner of the room, two figures laid together.
 
Adam’s memory focused, showing the two figured writhing together in pleasure.
 
The woman tossed her silvery hair back, revealing tanned skin and a myriad of tattoos tracing the outside of her face.

Yen stared at Adam, stunned.
 
“It was you,” he managed to mutter.
 
“You took her heart from me.
 
You, of all…”

He didn’t finish the sentence as Adam caught Yen with a solid punch on his jaw.
 
Yen staggered backward as his power surged within.
 
Psychic wind tossed Yen’s hair wildly as tendrils erupted from his back and hurtled toward the Pilgrim.
 
Before they could strike, a single gunshot rang out through the wide hallway.
 
The tendrils immediately retracted as Yen clutched his side, where dark blood now poured from a wound.
 
Looking up in disbelief, he finally noticed the pistol clenched tightly in Adam’s hand.

“Not this time, Yen,” Adam warned over the howling wind as he waved the gun dangerously.
 
“I don’t care how strong you’ve become; you’re not going to stop me from leaving.”

“You greatly underestimate me,” Yen said, regaining his composure.
 
“Few people get to make that mistake twice.”

Waving his hand, Yen launched a wave of hurricane strength psychic wind toward Adam.
 
The energy struck the Pilgrim, lifting him from his feet and slamming him into the far wall.
 
Adam squeezed the trigger again, but his shot went wide, slamming into the wall behind Yen’s head.
 
Blue energy poured from Yen’s eyes.
 
Rolling down his arms, the blue energy sheathed his hands in a strong glow.
 
Jerking his hands upward, the gun flew from Adam’s hand and skidded across the floor.
 
Adam climbed to his feet as Yen reached him.

Swinging again, Adam’s fist slammed into a protective field encasing Yen’s head.
 
He felt bones break in his knuckles from the impact and Adam had to clench his jaw to keep from screaming out in pain.
 
Moving in a blur, Yen punched Adam three times in rapid succession.
 
Each blow fell like a hammer, driving Adam’s head backward into the wall behind him.
 
After the last hit, Adam slumped forward, a red smear being left behind him on the white wall.
 
Yen caught him before he could crumple to the floor and kept Adam upright.
 
His side burned from the gunshot wound, feeding his rage.

“Of all the people to steal her from me,” Yen said, holding Adam with one hand while driving his fist into the side of his head with the other, “I would have never guessed that it would be you to betray me!”
 
A punch landed against Adam’s head.
 
“She would have been mine!”
 
He punched him again.
 
“Now she wants nothing to do with me.”
 
And again.
 
“And it’s all.”
 
And again.
 
“Your.”
 
And again.
 
“Fault!”

Adam fell limply against the wall, slipping in and out of consciousness.
 
Gripping him in crushing energy, Yen held him upright.
 
Yen’s brushed a loose hair from his face while he listened to Adam’s labored gasps for air.
 
He stared into the face of his betrayer, now barely recognizable as the once handsome Pilgrim.
 
Bones had shattered all along the right side of Adam’s face, leaving the skin disfigured and spongy.

“You stole her heart,” Yen said calmly.
 
“It’s only fair that I take a suitable replacement.”

His fist glowing brightly, Yen slammed his fist into Adam’s chest.
 
The ribs shattered under the punch and the skin and muscles ruptured as Yen drove his fist straight into the soft organs beneath.
 
Adam gurgled as Yen punctured his lungs.
 
Opening his hand, Yen closed his fingers over Adam’s weakly beating heart and jerked backwards, pulling the life-giving organ from Adam’s chest.
 
His eyes rolling into his head, Adam collapsed in a heap on the ground.

BOOK: Purge of Prometheus
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