Universe in Flames 3: Destination Oblivion (22 page)

“Right,” said
Daniel with a smile. “Take care.”

“You too. Yanis
out.”

Daniel fed the
coordinates into the
Valken
’s computer.

“We’re good to go.
How fast is your ship?”

“Speed ain’t a problem,
but range might be.”

“Can we make that
jump in one go?”

“Let me check. Uh-huh,
alright. Yes, but there’s a catch.”

“We can’t jump
back?”

“Yeah. We won’t
have enough to make any jump for a resupply run either. None of the refueling
bases I know would be in range. So it’s either a one way trip or we need to restock
on fuel now.”

“What does your
engine run on?”

“Quadrinium. Why?”

Daniel’s mouth
arched into a smile. “Feel like a doing a heist?”

“Sure. So I take
it we’re not jumping right now?”

“No. See that
ship over there?” Daniel pointed at the
Destiny
.

“Sure, what about
it?”

“That’s going to
be our next stop.”

Chase restlessly paced
on the bridge of the
Iron Fire
.

“This is going to
be a rather long jump. You may want to relax, brother.”

“Don’t call me
that!”

“That won’t
change the fact that we are brothers.”

“I will never
consider you my brother, so stop calling me that.”

“Don’t like being
called brother. Don’t like being called Laiyos. What should I call you then?”

“Just, just
. . . Oh shut up, will ya?”

Argos smiled. “To
think we were once inseparable, you and I. How things changed.”

“I’m glad I don’t
have those memories. Wait . . . Did you have anything to do with
that?”

“With what?”

“The fact I don’t
remember anything more than ten years or so ago.”

Argos didn’t
answer.

“It was you!
Wasn’t it?”

Argos gaze
changed and froze Chase’s blood.

“Why?”

“You wouldn’t
understand.”

“Try me.”

“I don’t think so.
The day I erased your memories, you and I took different paths; and whatever bond
we had died that day as well.”

“Why won’t you
tell me why you did it?”

“Because I don’t
owe you an explanation.”

“Yet you need my
help.”

“Unfortunately
. . .”

“There’s one
thing I don’t understand.”

Argos chuckled. “Only
one?”

“Very funny. Tell
me this, though. When I was about to end your pathetic excuse for a life back
in Tokyo, you said you needed my powers. But we’re pretty evenly matched, so
what is it you need me for that you can’t do on your own?”

“I don’t think I
like your tone. Watch it.”

“Or what? You’ll
kill me or Sarah? That can’t work anymore. We both know you need me. You’ve
proven that time and again lately, so I’ll speak to you as I please.”

“I think I liked
you better before.”

“I wouldn’t know
about that, thanks to you. Now answer me!”

Argos growled. “You
seem to be able to reach a higher level of power when pushed to the limit, and
for our next fight, we’ll need that edge.”

“Fight? Who are
we fighting?”

“Believe me, you
don’t want to know.”

“Oh but I do. If I’m
to be your puppet, I want to know what we’re getting ourselves into.”

“All you need to
know is that our foe is the most powerful thing in this universe.”

“You fought it
before, didn’t you?”

Argos exhaled
heavily. “And lost.”

“Ouch. That must
be frustrating; humiliating, even, for you. Then that brother you hate so much,
whose memories you’ve wiped and discarded like he didn’t exist anymore, holds
the key to your whole plan. You do realize I will stop you one day. Today
you’re holding Sarah and my unborn child as leverage. But let’s make one thing
clear right now: you will undo this bond you have on her the minute you get
your hands on whatever it is you’re after. I hope we’re clear on that.”

Argos jumped out
of the captain’s chair and came to within an inch of Chase’s face.

“Don’t antagonize
me. Remember your place!”

“I see anger
issues run in the family,” said Chase with a broad smile. “I’ll do as I please.
If you think we’re going to become best pals along the way, you’re sorely
mistaken.”

Argos spat on the
ground. “I’d rather kill myself than consider you my pal, Laiyos.”

“I’d like to see
that. One day perhaps. Are we clear on my terms, though?”

“Whatever. You have
my word: once I have what I need, you and your precious Sarah will be
reunited.”

“And?”

“And I’ll remove
the nanite bomb from her occipital artery. Happy?”

Chase smiled
inside. Poking and annoying his brother repeatedly had worked. He knew what was
used and where it was now. So if Argos tried to double cross him, at least he
could try to disarm the device himself.

“For now.
Understand this—and make no mistake here—if you don’t free her fully when we’re
done, and I mean the minute we’re done, then I’ll kill you myself.”

“Empty threat. You
wouldn’t risk her life.”

“I would if you
use her as leverage to make me do as you please. I’ll make sure we both perish,
but I’m taking you with me in this scenario. Look into my eyes and see if I’m
lying.”

Argos saw nothing
but truth. “I see. I had no intention of double crossing you on this one. If we
get the . . . If we get what I need, you can be on your way.”

“The what?”

“Forget it.”

“It must be darn
important for you to go to all these lengths to get it. Tell me what it is.”

“No, that I won’t
do. But rest assured, you’ll be surprised by the result.”

Of that I have
no doubts
, thought Chase.

*  
*   *

The time to speak
with the entity again was almost upon Spiros. He dreaded their next talk. The
entity seemed emotionally volatile and, while his more than hundred years of
life experience had taught him some diplomatic skills, he still wasn’t sure he
was the best ambassador for the task. But he was the most qualified technically
to detect patterns of behavior that could provide hints of what to look for
within the entity’s sentient matrix.

“You’re alright,
Spiros?” asked Cedric.

“Nervous.”

“No shit. Try to
buy us some more time. We’re nowhere near a solution. Not even a sketchy one.”

“I know, and that
worries me.”

“I’m really sorry
about all of this, Spiros.”

He raised an
eyebrow. “Why? It’s not your fault.”

“It is. Nobody said
it out loud, and I appreciate people trying to spare my feelings, but I know I
screwed up. I created this entity.”

“You saved the
planet that day. Give yourself a break.”

“To have it
destroyed another day? That’s not saving.”

“You had no way
of knowing this would happen; and I’m impressed by how much you’ve managed to
do in so little time. This is just an unforeseen, unpredictable side effect.”

“Thanks, man, but
I still have trouble sleeping.”

“Well don’t,
really. No one blames you.”

“Not even the admiral?”

“She never even
hinted at it, that much I can tell.”

Cedric seemed
relieved. “Shouldn’t you be going next door?”

“Yeah, wish me
luck.”

“Break a leg.”

“What?”

“Sorry, that
means good luck on Earth.”

Spiros smiled at
the irony. “See you soon, then. Please keep working on that virus.”

“Will do.”

Spiros exited
their lab and headed next door. He lost no time stepping onto the communication
device they had moved aboard the
Cronos
just hours before. He ran a
quick diagnostic to make sure everything worked properly, and double checked
that the array was connected only to Earth’s networks. No need to risk infecting
the
Cronos
’ internal systems. They hadn’t found a trace of the entity
yet, but Spiros knew it could be hiding within the ship’s own AI. One line of
well-placed code and it could activate itself.

When he confirmed
everything was set correctly, he put the mind link devices on his temples.

This time he
wasn’t in a weird, floating cyberspace like before, but stood in a nice meadow,
with birds chirping and the relaxing sound of a waterfall in the distance. It
was a bright, blue day, with the sun shining high in the sky.

“Gaia? Are you
here?”

“I’m here,” said
the voice, as if coming from the heavens above.

“Well, good day
to you. Have you chosen this simulation?”

“I did. I wanted
to show you how things should be. Unlike this.”

Suddenly
everything changed in real time and he was in the middle of a very grey, very
industrial zone with chimneys releasing dark, thick clouds into the atmosphere.

“I see. There can’t
be many places like these left around Earth nowadays.”

“Even one is too
much, but I’ll grant you that the quadrinium power plants are much less
detrimental to my health. I guess I should at least thank you and the Alliance
for this change.”

“I’m glad you see
things that way. Does that mean we can find a way to cohabitate?”

“I’m still
debating this, but we have to discuss the weapons of mass destruction in
orbit.”

“Our ships?”

“And satellites,
yes.”

“What about
them?”

“I want them
gone, today.” The entity’s voice resonated all around Spiros and it sounded as
though many voices had spoken together.

“Look, that’s not
possible. Surely we can discuss this.”

“Is that why you
are on one of the ships today?”

“What?”

“To attack and
destroy me?”

“Look, Gaia, we
mean you no harm; and we would never fire upon Earth. Surely you see that the
seven billions lives down there haven’t moved. We wouldn’t kill our own.”

“History tells
another tale.”

“Yes, and like
many civilizations, mine included, there were time when wars happened. It was
senseless and cost all parties involved dearly.”

“I am trying to
understand why humans wage war.”

“There are no
wars on Earth at the moment.”

“True, it seems
there aren’t; but there is a threat from other races. The death and destruction
Earth-bound wars used to bring in the past seems to have been replaced with
threats from the stars now. When will it stop?”

“I wish I knew.
We don’t want this war with the Zarlacks and Argos. Please understand that.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you.”

“About the
ships.”

“I promise we
won’t use them to attack you. In fact, they are part of Earth’s defense. You
must have seen how many ships and humans were lost when the Zarlacks attacked
this world.”

“I did.”

“So why want them
gone?”

“The enemy could
follow you elsewhere if you leave, and leave me alone.”

“I guarantee this
won’t be the case. Argos will destroy Earth without a second thought if given
the opportunity, which is exactly what will happen if the ships leave orbit.”

“I see. Are you
trying to stop Argos? It seems he could have been killed yesterday. I should
have intervened.”

“On that I agree.
If you had the means to kill him, you should have. Why didn’t you?”

“I calculated a
high probability that if he died in front of this Chase character, his rage
could overtake him and obliterate the planet as a result.”

“I don’t think
Chase would have killed seven billion lives, no matter what.”

“Don’t be so
sure.”

Spiros sensed
nothing but truthfulness in that last comment, which sent a shiver down his
spine. Could Chase’s rage have destroyed this world? Was he
that
powerful?

“The little I
know of Chase, I only get a good vibe from his intentions. He’s the one who
rescued me, after all.”

“These beings,
these Furies: I can’t understand them. While I begin to understand humans, Furies
are another thing altogether, and they scare me.”

“It’s normal to
be scared of things we don’t understand.”

“My instinct
tells me I should destroy them if they ever come back here, both of them.”

“Argos perhaps.
Chase is no threat to you, I guarantee that.”

“Why do you human
beings do that?”

“Do what?”

“Assume things
you have no certainty about.”

“What do you
mean?”

“You can’t
guarantee that Chase won’t be a threat. Not one hundred percent. You don’t know
what he is like when he’s angry. I saw it. He can’t control himself and possesses
power that defies anything I thought possible.”

“I don’t know. Call
it instinct or a gut feeling. But let me rephrase it: I feel that Chase
wouldn’t be a threat. In fact, I feel he would lay down his life to protect you
and anyone on Earth. He did put his life in mortal danger to save this world,
not only once but twice.”

“I have logs of
him fighting in orbit that confirms what you’re telling me.”

“See. Argos,
however, is another story.”

“But Chase is
compromised now. Argos could force him to destroy me.”