A mile up above the Earth’s surface was sufficient enough to do what the Starchild had in mind.
The second she reappeared with her human cargo, she flung Cara earthwards with all of her might, watching her plummet out of control with all the grace of a brick.
Throwing her hand up, she called forth the power that was hers and ignited the air around her once more. But this time, she held off for as long as she could, building the charge to an earth shattering crescendo of unimaginable power.
Just like before, in the junkyard, where the crater touches the sky...the horrible truth, terrible beauty; destructive forces radiating from the tips of my fingers. She thought, before flinging her arms down, hands splayed out, releasing everything she had built up into this one awesome moment.
Huge arcs of lightning danced outwards for just a second, before the largest ball of energy ever construed within the boundaries of the human imagination billowed out like a sheet, gradually enveloping the young woman’s hands, then her arms, stopping only halfway up to her elbows.
But the power that was there, everything that she had called into being, blasted outwards in the form of the largest energy beam ever dreamed up of by mortal conception; pushing all the down to the surface like a charging bull at indescribable velocities.
Isis pulled back, hair whipping around like a living entity, even as she continued to pump awesome amounts of energy into her newest creation–but not to obliterate–but to subdue instead.
Brute force is needed. The surface dweller decided at last, even though she wouldn’t hear the end of this for awhile from anybody. It is the only thing that Nemesis understands and relishes. Very well, she shall have what her black heart desires.
Ten seconds later, the young woman saw her adversary’s body hit the sandy surface of Earth, bouncing a couple of times, before going still.
One major headache when she wakes up. Isis thought with no regret. But more so when she sees what I’ve delivered to her first-class.
Seven seconds after Cara Hastings had struck the ground, the beam nailed her dead to rights–blooming up and outwards like a solar eruption, vaporizing everything within a 30-square-mile radius and sending out heavy shockwaves in every conceivable direction.
The crowning display of might and power reached as high into the upper levels of the troposphere, nearly–but not quite–touching the surface dweller, radiating impressive waves of energy and matter, while a cannonade of internal explosions rumbled, causing the surrounding desert and air to reverberate wildly.
The young woman couldn’t help but feel proud of herself. Combating her worst fears had always brought out the best in her.
Now all she had to do was wait and see what happened next.
Cara Hastings came too only after fourteen seconds after she was struck head-on in the fiercest assault that she could recall.
The young woman flopped over and groaned loudly, seeing the walls of the crater that had become her temporary resting place.
She slammed her fist down into the ground with growing frustration.
It isn’t fair! She screamed silently in her mind. It just isn’t fair! I am a lot stronger than she is! How can she do this?
She’s tricking you. Nemesis said inside her mind. She is a lot weaker than you are. You are strength, you are anger, you are fury. Use it.
The young woman did as she was instructed, turning everything that she had felt over the years into white-hot anger and got up, her jaw twitching in spasms, as she built up her raw emotions to a breaking point and pushed herself over the edge.
Then she teleported.
* * *
Pulver’s comm link beeped for his undivided attention.
He shoved away the discussion he was enthralled in for the time being and answered the call.
“Go.” He said.
“This is an E-News alert. A 19,500-megaton explosion of unknown origin was detected only moments ago. The Senate has issued a Stage Three Alert, authorizing martial law status. All surface dwellers inside Stratos City are to be detained until further notice. Praetorial Guard elements are hereby authorized to use whatever force is necessary in destroying the threat on the planet’s surface. This comm link transmission ends now.”
“Holy shit–!” Leona blurted out, astonishment aglow in her eyes and face. “What the hell caused something on that magnitude? Four fusion reactors?”
“More like twenty of them combined.” Barc corrected quietly. “But who would cause such a thing?” He wondered.
“It has to be Isis.” Tanya guessed with fluid resolve in her voice. “She’s the only one who can perform such an act.”
“Let’s not forget that Cara also possess the same abilities.” Bayen interjected.
“Looks like they’ll both have to be destroyed.” Pulver decided without missing a beat of the ongoing conversation.
Lara was stunned. “You can’t mean that!” She protested in a loud voice, overriding everyone else’s excited chatter.
Michael didn’t see any other way out of this one. Besides, he was now under new orders. Orders that couldn’t be circumvented under any given circumstance.
“Didn’t you just hear?” He replied, suddenly calm and collected. “The Senate has issued a Stage Three alert. Which means– ” before glancing at Tayna. “Put Leona and Lara’s group in protective custody.”
“What?” Leona cried out, shocked. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Someone seized her from behind and she struggled a bit. “There’s no damned way I’m letting you take me in!”
Someone else came in to assist, restraining her even more.
“Ow!” She yelled. “Take it easy, will you? I’m freaking pregnant!”
The pressures surrounding her lessened to some degree, but it didn’t mean that she was off the hook by a long shot.
The rest of her group–as well as her sister’s–struggled somewhat, or protested, but like her, none of them could escape what was coming.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this.” Bayen voiced strongly.
“Neither can I.” Tayna agreed, looking her lover straight in the eye.
Michael shrugged.
“Praetorial Senate edict. We can’t go against what they wish.”
“Did you ever think about that?” Barc asked, despite being restrained. He had ceased his struggled moments ago, now resigned to an unknown fate.
“No one ever goes against what the Senate wants these days, Barc. It is usually a death sentence for those who try to make the foolhardy attempt.”
“Maybe you should.” Lara suggested. “The Praetorial Senate has been nothing but a cancer for those who try to lead normal lives. Someone should change it.”
“Well that won’t be me.” Michael said. “I just follow orders. I don’t try to change the world, I live by its set rules.”
“More so than others...” Leona muttered to herself, suddenly wishing that she was free, instead of being hauled away like some condemned prisoner being led to his final fate.
* * *
Isis didn’t have to wait very long for Cara to make an appearance. A thick bolt of concentrated energy blazed past her, just missing her right side by inches.
“Whoa!” She gasped, before spinning about and confronting her childhood friend once more. But there was no chance for dialogue this time. This time, Cara had a new trick to put on the playing field.
Raising her hand up, she snapped her fingers and her Star Fire gem began to glow–shooting out tiny metallic objects in a thick stream.
Isis stood there, not even sure if she wanted to stick around to find out exactly what it was that was pouring out of her belt. But a moment later, the stream coalesced all around the other woman–like a cloud of shiny particles–and waited.
What the–? The surface dweller thought, perplexed by this unexpected move.
“Attack.” She commanded from inside the cloud and the shiny particles color-shifted to blue, then hurled themselves against the Starchild, firing tightly woven beams of red light.
Isis McGowan had already shifted into a combat ready stance, then began dodging the beams of energy that was directed at her; appearing and disappearing at random, all in an effort to evade the incoming projectiles.
Cara chuckled at her graceful attempts to keep the cloud of her own personal attack drones at bay. They were not computerized, nor were they programmed...well, not in the conventional sense of the word. These lethal beauties of destruction existed purely on the willpower of its master.
That being Nemesis’s or at the moment...Cara Hastings. Her will was indeed stronger, but so was the surface dweller’s.
A clash of two titans on the battlefield. One made of sand and stone.
“Run, fledgling of the stars. Run as fast as you can. Because if I catch you...” She trailed off, seeing a couple of the drones catch her right across the midriff. More soon followed, staggering the young woman. “You will die.” She promised, before twisting her hand in such a way, indicative of turning something up.
The drones’ fire intensified five-fold.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Saturday, January 05, 2008
STARCHILD DUEL--CHAPTER 64
Tarnek was literally beside himself when he heard that name being uttered.
“K-Keron?” he stammered. “Keron Sogi’kiagta of Tyree Prime?”
Talia nodded. “Yes. The one and the same.”
“She was the Starchild of Tyree for a long time–far longer than most of our past candidates.”
“According to Jalena, so was Keron–up until the point where her son Jared and her mate was killed by a Devourer.”
“She lost Daren only to the same Devourer you speak of. But at the time, she was still carrying him.”
“Jared was only a few years old when it happened.” Talia corrected.
“Mmm…” Calis spoke up. “It seems to be more than one simple divergence going on here. Clearly, there have been changes in this universe, which never occurred here.”
Tarnek agreed, which left him with one last question.
“What happened to Rinia?”
Talia shrugged noncommittally. “As far as I know, she’s still wed to Calis’s consciousness.”
This brought some momentary confusion to all involved.
“But earlier, you said…?” Calis began, which the young girl made a dismissive hand gesture.
“I know what I said, but I also left that part out intentionally–thinking that this would only make things worse; not better.”
“Prudent.” Jonas muttered in agreement. “Can’t say I would blame you either.”
Calis looked at him. “Why?”
Jonas stretched out a bit on his seat. “Because if I were in her position, this is what I would do too.”
Tarnek couldn’t find fault in that assumption either. He had known from experience what both sides of the coin were capable of.
“So if Rinia is wed to Calis’s counterpart, what’s her role in this, if I may ask?”
“Watcher.” The girl answered, then studied the ghostly apparition in front of her for a few moments–taking up center stage between the three of them–then nodded to herself. “I take it your body was somehow destroyed like Rinia’s?”
“Destroyed?”
“Hers was,” Talia went on, then frowned. “You mean to tell me that yours wasn’t?”
“No. I managed to lock mine away just before the Realm was sealed off by the God of Insanity. In the Chamber of Silence.”
“After our first meeting.” Calis recalled. “This was after Tarnek was tortured for that one week and was let go.”
“I returned to the Realm–once I realized that there was no way of stopping Him. The Ancient Ones knew this too, and they were the ones who suggested I vacate my physical body and return to Calis in spirit form and link with him.”
Calis appraised his long-time companion for a second, a look of wonder on his face. “You never told me this…” he said aloud.
“Too excruciating a subject to go into. One of many, I might add.” The ex-Watcher admitted with a pained look on his ancient face.
“Rinia said the same thing to Calis, but she was told centuries earlier.”
“So when did you and your sister find out about Calis’s background?” Calis asked, curious.
“Just last week–prior to Nemesis’s recent visit. The one which landed me here.”
“So what are you here for again?”
“I’m here to enlist in Isis’s help against Nemesis in my universe, and breath some common sense back into my wayward sister. Maybe even help repair some of the damage done to my world.”
Calis thought that one over in an instant, and already, he had the answer that Talia wasn’t going to like.
Not one bit.
“I’m sorry, but there is no way she could ever help you.”
Talia looked at the old man–startled.
“W-what? Why the hell not?”
“It’s not a matter of non-interference, but rather a case of really bad timing and insufficient training.”
“Why? She won’t be gone that long.”
Calis just shook his head, adamant in his stance. “I’m sorry. But that’s not what I mean. With Nemesis on the loose again and the fact that she doesn’t have the training necessary to cross over into another parallel universe–with no chance of being able to duplicate the return trip precisely–I can’t expose Isis to that kind of high-stakes risk. Our world will never be able to withstand the brunt of Nemesis’s wrath–especially now that she has a new receptacle upon which to act out from.”
Talia sighed. But it wasn’t the kind that normally signaled defeat. “I know. My sister had the same problems. But her training was accelerated in some regards in what most people would call a miniaturized hyperbolic time chamber. One which was constructed by both Rinia and Calis six months after Isis became the Starchild.”
“A hyper-what?” Calis queried, confused on some level, but on another–?
Enraptured.
“A hyperbolic time chamber.” Tarnek jumped in. “An area of time and space that operates on different principles than those on the outside world. The Chamber of Silence operates on a similar level.”
“I’ve heard of some time experiments that Senate scientists were doing a couple hundred years ago, but nothing on the magnitude of what you two have suggested. How did my counterpart manage it?”
Talia made a wry face. “Very carefully. Given what she had with materials and some top-secret technology, she managed to construct a sizable enough chamber for my sister and I to train at times. Rinia handled the rest of the mechanics involving the space-time continuum.”
“So what was the result?” Calis asked, interested in the idea. Given how much time they didn’t have, would it possible for him to do the same for Isis? Maybe that would give them an edge up on the God of Insanity whenever he came calling.
He just wished he had thought about this sooner.
“An hour inside this thing resulted in three days passing. A full twenty-four hours equaled 72 days. One week had a 33 year equivalent.” Talia told him, then smiled. “But we didn’t spend more than six hours in it at a time.”
“What about the outside world?”
“Time passes, as it should.” The girl casually cast off. “But even then, we didn’t get a whole lot of training. Nemesis kept showing up at the most inopportune times and spoiling the fun.”
Calis absorbed what had been revealed and then said, “No wonder you and your sister needs Isis’s help.”
“So can she?” Talia asked, hopeful.
“I don’t know,” the old man admitted. “There’s still so much that she has to do here first.”
* * *
Isis looked at Cara, seeing the pain and frustration in her face.
Then she saw recognition in her eyes. One that bellied a hopeful innocence.
“He..lp...me...Isis.” She whispered, slowly dropping to the precipice of the plaza, before she sank to her knees, seemingly collapsing to her knees in complete exhaustion. Even the enormous discharges she was giving off had dissipated quite a bit.
Isis wasn’t entirely sure on how to proceed.
She held back just to be on the safe side.
Cara sat there in a daze, unmoving. Her breathing had become shallow by this time, making the Starchild more concerned than wary.
A trick of shadows. Do not let yourself be deceived. The Source of Chaos warned.
Isis didn’t know what to do. Outwardly, she was in a pretty much tense situation, but inwardly, the young woman was torn between her duty as the Starchild and as a close friend. She needed to end this now, before it got way out of hand, but she also wanted to keep trying in bringing Cara out of Nemesis’s iron-clad influence.
There is no way out. She thought helplessly for a moment. I want to...I want to...but I can’t! I can’t do it!
“Isis...?” Cara’s Changed Voice intoned, breaking into her thoughts. “I need...help.”
It sounded so torturous to her own ears, the grating of her voice, clenched through her teeth, unable to freely voice a concern or an opinion, let alone freedom of choice.
But Isis knew better. She realized that this could all be a trick, one of Nemesis’s ploys to get her to drop her guard.
But I can’t be constantly afraid. She reasoned silently. I am what I am. There is no doubting that. But I also have the strength and the power to counter whatever Nemesis will plan. I have to do this.
No! Keron flatly stated. You cannot allow yourself to be fooled a second time. Once was enough with Rayna!
There will always be more times that Nemesis will use to deceive and manipulate. I must be there in order to stop her. Isis defended. This is just one of them. If I have a chance to save her, the time is now.
But you declared her your sworn enemy awhile back, remember?
Even enemies must strike a truce sometimes. The young woman thought back to Keron. I must try, Keron. You cannot deny me that kind of chance.
But it is a foolish one, Isis. You must know that was well as I. You are staking your life on a hope that has only one ultimate outcome...death.
Psychic now are we? The surface dweller cracked wryly. Is death the only possible outcome, Keron? Unless we’ve all started to foretell the future, there is always another chance, another hope. And I plan on taking both in my hands and molding it as I see fit. Oh, don’t worry, Nemesis will get her due. I intend to make her pay for the pain she has caused me by using Cara against me. I can promise you that.
But–
All the power in the known universe won’t save her from me, Keron. Her ass is mine. But for now, I must try.
Looking at Cara, she said, “I will help you, Cara. Help you with the pain you are feeling, the confusion that molds your soul. After that, Nemesis will answer for her actions.”
The expression on her friend’s face changed only for a brief second, before she struck–lashing out at the young woman with such speed, that the air around her broke the sound barrier.
Isis was faster, intercepting the young woman’s punch with a hard block, twisting her arm around and executing a perfect over the shoulder throw that slammed the other woman into the pavement with such force, that it buckled a great deal under the sudden punishment.
Even though she was down, Cara was still not out of the game. Even though her left arm was pinned and immobilized, she still could act. Taking advantage of the situation, she used her left foot to knock the Starchild’s legs out from underneath her, causing the other woman to lose her grip and her balance, and the surface dweller went down and over the side of the plaza.
Cara rebounded quickly, getting up in a flash, massaging her sore arm.
“Bitch.” She spat venomously.
Isis on the other hand had halted her freefall and half-expected Cara to be up by now. She decided that since her old friend liked to play tricks, she would play one of her own.
The Starchild dropped to the next level, hard and fast, then stopped.
Okay, Cara. Hope you know that this will hurt you more than me. She thought.
Then she rocketed upwards, climbing higher and faster, all the while, keeping the underside of the plaza in sight, making sure that she hit her target just right. One miscalculation or even the slightest misstep and there wouldn’t be a second chance.
Cara waited for her old enemy to appear, mentally preparing herself for what will lay ahead of her in the long run.
Without warning, the air around her turned thick and the plaza beneath her feet crumbled and shattered into what seemed to be a million pieces–tossing her high in the air.
Isis knew that she had got her off guard and pressed home the advantage by reaching up through the cloud of debris from the exploding plaza and grabbed Cara by the middle and teleported them both in a bang of cold white light.
* * *
Bayen and the rest of the Praetorial cadre continued to push through the crowds of people in the residential district on Level 7105. There were nobody there to oppose them or ask them questions, but the trip down there was tense. A slave to duty, Michael wanted to return to Level 4673 and finish the job that he had started. But Tayna refused, overriding her lover’s orders and superseding with her own.
“But you are only a corporal!” He seethed. “You do not have the authority to make up your own orders!”
“You may outrank me, sir, but that doesn’t give you the right to place all of our lives in jeopardy.” The woman responded calmly. “The weapons that were developed with the Starchild in mind, have failed. Now we have to regroup and find another avenue in which we can deal with Cara Hastings more efficiently.”
“To hell with failure!” Michael roared. “I am ordering all of you to head back to Level 4673 right this second!”
Bayen, Barc, Lara, Leona, and Gravis stopped right where they were, their collective parties stopping along with the rest of the Praetorial Guard, while Lightstrom dealt with an infuriated First Lieutenant.
“Committing suicide isn’t what I had as a life goal.” Barc piped up. “I’m not risking everyone just to satisfy your pre-requisites.”
Pulver stared at him in rage.
“I could have you all arrested! The whole lot of you!” He threatened.
“No, you won’t, sir.” Tayna said. “They have volunteered on their own free will. I know that not fighting for the sake of Stratos City is egging you, but you must understand that we are out of our league here, Michael. Isis knows what she is doing. She wanted us out of the way probably because of the danger it represented to us–opposed to as a group–not to her. If we stayed around, we would all be most likely dead.”
“We don’t know that. We only fired a few of the specialized weapons that had been developed, not all.”
“What are you saying?”
“The Cyclone-class pulse cannons were upgraded to fire the energy-globes that had incarcerated Cara Hastings. If we could get her there, she would be permanently immobilized.”
Bayen started for a second, before he disagreed. Something just mentally grabbed his attention.
“I don’t think that will be possible.” He announced, cutting through Michael’s plan with unexpected ease.
“Why not?” The man asked.
“Isis and Cara are no longer here in Stratos City.” He revealed.
“How do you know this?” Tayna wanted to know.
“I have a special link to Isis...more like a bond, actually. Sometimes, I can sense what she is thinking, or what she is communicating to me. I can tell you right now, she isn’t here.”
“So where is she?”
The sky dancer shrugged.
“I’d say she’s returned to the surface with Cara.”
“Willingly?” Michael blurted in disbelief, his worst fears suddenly realized.
In his mind’s eye, Bayen caught a fleeting glimpse of the previous battle that both Cara and Isis were engaged in. The picture wasn’t exactly a pretty one.
“I don’t think so.” He said with a slight shake of the head.
“K-Keron?” he stammered. “Keron Sogi’kiagta of Tyree Prime?”
Talia nodded. “Yes. The one and the same.”
“She was the Starchild of Tyree for a long time–far longer than most of our past candidates.”
“According to Jalena, so was Keron–up until the point where her son Jared and her mate was killed by a Devourer.”
“She lost Daren only to the same Devourer you speak of. But at the time, she was still carrying him.”
“Jared was only a few years old when it happened.” Talia corrected.
“Mmm…” Calis spoke up. “It seems to be more than one simple divergence going on here. Clearly, there have been changes in this universe, which never occurred here.”
Tarnek agreed, which left him with one last question.
“What happened to Rinia?”
Talia shrugged noncommittally. “As far as I know, she’s still wed to Calis’s consciousness.”
This brought some momentary confusion to all involved.
“But earlier, you said…?” Calis began, which the young girl made a dismissive hand gesture.
“I know what I said, but I also left that part out intentionally–thinking that this would only make things worse; not better.”
“Prudent.” Jonas muttered in agreement. “Can’t say I would blame you either.”
Calis looked at him. “Why?”
Jonas stretched out a bit on his seat. “Because if I were in her position, this is what I would do too.”
Tarnek couldn’t find fault in that assumption either. He had known from experience what both sides of the coin were capable of.
“So if Rinia is wed to Calis’s counterpart, what’s her role in this, if I may ask?”
“Watcher.” The girl answered, then studied the ghostly apparition in front of her for a few moments–taking up center stage between the three of them–then nodded to herself. “I take it your body was somehow destroyed like Rinia’s?”
“Destroyed?”
“Hers was,” Talia went on, then frowned. “You mean to tell me that yours wasn’t?”
“No. I managed to lock mine away just before the Realm was sealed off by the God of Insanity. In the Chamber of Silence.”
“After our first meeting.” Calis recalled. “This was after Tarnek was tortured for that one week and was let go.”
“I returned to the Realm–once I realized that there was no way of stopping Him. The Ancient Ones knew this too, and they were the ones who suggested I vacate my physical body and return to Calis in spirit form and link with him.”
Calis appraised his long-time companion for a second, a look of wonder on his face. “You never told me this…” he said aloud.
“Too excruciating a subject to go into. One of many, I might add.” The ex-Watcher admitted with a pained look on his ancient face.
“Rinia said the same thing to Calis, but she was told centuries earlier.”
“So when did you and your sister find out about Calis’s background?” Calis asked, curious.
“Just last week–prior to Nemesis’s recent visit. The one which landed me here.”
“So what are you here for again?”
“I’m here to enlist in Isis’s help against Nemesis in my universe, and breath some common sense back into my wayward sister. Maybe even help repair some of the damage done to my world.”
Calis thought that one over in an instant, and already, he had the answer that Talia wasn’t going to like.
Not one bit.
“I’m sorry, but there is no way she could ever help you.”
Talia looked at the old man–startled.
“W-what? Why the hell not?”
“It’s not a matter of non-interference, but rather a case of really bad timing and insufficient training.”
“Why? She won’t be gone that long.”
Calis just shook his head, adamant in his stance. “I’m sorry. But that’s not what I mean. With Nemesis on the loose again and the fact that she doesn’t have the training necessary to cross over into another parallel universe–with no chance of being able to duplicate the return trip precisely–I can’t expose Isis to that kind of high-stakes risk. Our world will never be able to withstand the brunt of Nemesis’s wrath–especially now that she has a new receptacle upon which to act out from.”
Talia sighed. But it wasn’t the kind that normally signaled defeat. “I know. My sister had the same problems. But her training was accelerated in some regards in what most people would call a miniaturized hyperbolic time chamber. One which was constructed by both Rinia and Calis six months after Isis became the Starchild.”
“A hyper-what?” Calis queried, confused on some level, but on another–?
Enraptured.
“A hyperbolic time chamber.” Tarnek jumped in. “An area of time and space that operates on different principles than those on the outside world. The Chamber of Silence operates on a similar level.”
“I’ve heard of some time experiments that Senate scientists were doing a couple hundred years ago, but nothing on the magnitude of what you two have suggested. How did my counterpart manage it?”
Talia made a wry face. “Very carefully. Given what she had with materials and some top-secret technology, she managed to construct a sizable enough chamber for my sister and I to train at times. Rinia handled the rest of the mechanics involving the space-time continuum.”
“So what was the result?” Calis asked, interested in the idea. Given how much time they didn’t have, would it possible for him to do the same for Isis? Maybe that would give them an edge up on the God of Insanity whenever he came calling.
He just wished he had thought about this sooner.
“An hour inside this thing resulted in three days passing. A full twenty-four hours equaled 72 days. One week had a 33 year equivalent.” Talia told him, then smiled. “But we didn’t spend more than six hours in it at a time.”
“What about the outside world?”
“Time passes, as it should.” The girl casually cast off. “But even then, we didn’t get a whole lot of training. Nemesis kept showing up at the most inopportune times and spoiling the fun.”
Calis absorbed what had been revealed and then said, “No wonder you and your sister needs Isis’s help.”
“So can she?” Talia asked, hopeful.
“I don’t know,” the old man admitted. “There’s still so much that she has to do here first.”
* * *
Isis looked at Cara, seeing the pain and frustration in her face.
Then she saw recognition in her eyes. One that bellied a hopeful innocence.
“He..lp...me...Isis.” She whispered, slowly dropping to the precipice of the plaza, before she sank to her knees, seemingly collapsing to her knees in complete exhaustion. Even the enormous discharges she was giving off had dissipated quite a bit.
Isis wasn’t entirely sure on how to proceed.
She held back just to be on the safe side.
Cara sat there in a daze, unmoving. Her breathing had become shallow by this time, making the Starchild more concerned than wary.
A trick of shadows. Do not let yourself be deceived. The Source of Chaos warned.
Isis didn’t know what to do. Outwardly, she was in a pretty much tense situation, but inwardly, the young woman was torn between her duty as the Starchild and as a close friend. She needed to end this now, before it got way out of hand, but she also wanted to keep trying in bringing Cara out of Nemesis’s iron-clad influence.
There is no way out. She thought helplessly for a moment. I want to...I want to...but I can’t! I can’t do it!
“Isis...?” Cara’s Changed Voice intoned, breaking into her thoughts. “I need...help.”
It sounded so torturous to her own ears, the grating of her voice, clenched through her teeth, unable to freely voice a concern or an opinion, let alone freedom of choice.
But Isis knew better. She realized that this could all be a trick, one of Nemesis’s ploys to get her to drop her guard.
But I can’t be constantly afraid. She reasoned silently. I am what I am. There is no doubting that. But I also have the strength and the power to counter whatever Nemesis will plan. I have to do this.
No! Keron flatly stated. You cannot allow yourself to be fooled a second time. Once was enough with Rayna!
There will always be more times that Nemesis will use to deceive and manipulate. I must be there in order to stop her. Isis defended. This is just one of them. If I have a chance to save her, the time is now.
But you declared her your sworn enemy awhile back, remember?
Even enemies must strike a truce sometimes. The young woman thought back to Keron. I must try, Keron. You cannot deny me that kind of chance.
But it is a foolish one, Isis. You must know that was well as I. You are staking your life on a hope that has only one ultimate outcome...death.
Psychic now are we? The surface dweller cracked wryly. Is death the only possible outcome, Keron? Unless we’ve all started to foretell the future, there is always another chance, another hope. And I plan on taking both in my hands and molding it as I see fit. Oh, don’t worry, Nemesis will get her due. I intend to make her pay for the pain she has caused me by using Cara against me. I can promise you that.
But–
All the power in the known universe won’t save her from me, Keron. Her ass is mine. But for now, I must try.
Looking at Cara, she said, “I will help you, Cara. Help you with the pain you are feeling, the confusion that molds your soul. After that, Nemesis will answer for her actions.”
The expression on her friend’s face changed only for a brief second, before she struck–lashing out at the young woman with such speed, that the air around her broke the sound barrier.
Isis was faster, intercepting the young woman’s punch with a hard block, twisting her arm around and executing a perfect over the shoulder throw that slammed the other woman into the pavement with such force, that it buckled a great deal under the sudden punishment.
Even though she was down, Cara was still not out of the game. Even though her left arm was pinned and immobilized, she still could act. Taking advantage of the situation, she used her left foot to knock the Starchild’s legs out from underneath her, causing the other woman to lose her grip and her balance, and the surface dweller went down and over the side of the plaza.
Cara rebounded quickly, getting up in a flash, massaging her sore arm.
“Bitch.” She spat venomously.
Isis on the other hand had halted her freefall and half-expected Cara to be up by now. She decided that since her old friend liked to play tricks, she would play one of her own.
The Starchild dropped to the next level, hard and fast, then stopped.
Okay, Cara. Hope you know that this will hurt you more than me. She thought.
Then she rocketed upwards, climbing higher and faster, all the while, keeping the underside of the plaza in sight, making sure that she hit her target just right. One miscalculation or even the slightest misstep and there wouldn’t be a second chance.
Cara waited for her old enemy to appear, mentally preparing herself for what will lay ahead of her in the long run.
Without warning, the air around her turned thick and the plaza beneath her feet crumbled and shattered into what seemed to be a million pieces–tossing her high in the air.
Isis knew that she had got her off guard and pressed home the advantage by reaching up through the cloud of debris from the exploding plaza and grabbed Cara by the middle and teleported them both in a bang of cold white light.
* * *
Bayen and the rest of the Praetorial cadre continued to push through the crowds of people in the residential district on Level 7105. There were nobody there to oppose them or ask them questions, but the trip down there was tense. A slave to duty, Michael wanted to return to Level 4673 and finish the job that he had started. But Tayna refused, overriding her lover’s orders and superseding with her own.
“But you are only a corporal!” He seethed. “You do not have the authority to make up your own orders!”
“You may outrank me, sir, but that doesn’t give you the right to place all of our lives in jeopardy.” The woman responded calmly. “The weapons that were developed with the Starchild in mind, have failed. Now we have to regroup and find another avenue in which we can deal with Cara Hastings more efficiently.”
“To hell with failure!” Michael roared. “I am ordering all of you to head back to Level 4673 right this second!”
Bayen, Barc, Lara, Leona, and Gravis stopped right where they were, their collective parties stopping along with the rest of the Praetorial Guard, while Lightstrom dealt with an infuriated First Lieutenant.
“Committing suicide isn’t what I had as a life goal.” Barc piped up. “I’m not risking everyone just to satisfy your pre-requisites.”
Pulver stared at him in rage.
“I could have you all arrested! The whole lot of you!” He threatened.
“No, you won’t, sir.” Tayna said. “They have volunteered on their own free will. I know that not fighting for the sake of Stratos City is egging you, but you must understand that we are out of our league here, Michael. Isis knows what she is doing. She wanted us out of the way probably because of the danger it represented to us–opposed to as a group–not to her. If we stayed around, we would all be most likely dead.”
“We don’t know that. We only fired a few of the specialized weapons that had been developed, not all.”
“What are you saying?”
“The Cyclone-class pulse cannons were upgraded to fire the energy-globes that had incarcerated Cara Hastings. If we could get her there, she would be permanently immobilized.”
Bayen started for a second, before he disagreed. Something just mentally grabbed his attention.
“I don’t think that will be possible.” He announced, cutting through Michael’s plan with unexpected ease.
“Why not?” The man asked.
“Isis and Cara are no longer here in Stratos City.” He revealed.
“How do you know this?” Tayna wanted to know.
“I have a special link to Isis...more like a bond, actually. Sometimes, I can sense what she is thinking, or what she is communicating to me. I can tell you right now, she isn’t here.”
“So where is she?”
The sky dancer shrugged.
“I’d say she’s returned to the surface with Cara.”
“Willingly?” Michael blurted in disbelief, his worst fears suddenly realized.
In his mind’s eye, Bayen caught a fleeting glimpse of the previous battle that both Cara and Isis were engaged in. The picture wasn’t exactly a pretty one.
“I don’t think so.” He said with a slight shake of the head.
STARCHILD DUEL--CHAPTER 63
Calis returned with Tarnek in tow behind him–watching closely–the reaction to which the spirit deity’s presence had on the pair.
“Shiiit!” Jonas exclaimed, scared out of his wits the second Tarnek’s semi-ghostly form passed right through his outstretched right leg. “What the fuck–?!”
Talia had a similar reaction, but hers was more muted and apprehensive.
“Tarnek?” She whispered in shock. “Is that you?”
While Calis nodded towards his friend, he said, “Yes. It is him.”
While Jonas fumbled for his personal sidearm like a scared rabbit, Talia got off her seat and approached the wavering spirit–scrutinizing him closely.
“Jalena told me that you had died…” she continued to speculate from personal knowledge, “Trying to save Rahalay Ra’crr from the Devourers at the Ober’svar star system. But you couldn’t…” her eyes went misty with tears, and she sank back.
Tarnek stood stock still for a second, trying to come to grips with the death of someone he hadn’t seen for almost 400 million years. Not since I lost Ishira Meili 80 million years before that.
Two people, two lovers that he had almost given up being a Watcher for–simply because he had followed his heart’s desires instead of the usual protocols of the Realm.
“T-the destruction of Ober’svar IV…” the startled ex-Watcher began, then halted himself–as both Calis and Jonas saw how much of a personal struggle this had become for Tarnek. “Led to the loss of Jalena Sovran–the Starchild of Pasik III, Rahalay Ra’crr; the lost son of Osiris–the Old One whom had begun it all as a Watcher and then as the Starchild–and two other Watchers–Valara, and Beraj.” He stopped for a second to catch his breath, then added, “Two of my most trusted colleagues.”
“But you died at Ober‘svar IV!” Talia exploded in fear. “Not at–”
“My mirror universe counterpart perhaps. But my fate was much different than his.” Tarnek calmly told her. “I became wed to Calis many years ago after the near destruction of this world–having escaped the God of Insanity’s wrath.”
Jonas’s face fell upon hearing this. “But that happened 10,000 years ago!” Glancing at his old friend, he asked, “You mean to tell me that you’ve been alive for that long?!?”
Calis nodded. “Afraid so. But it wasn’t by choice, mind you.”
Talia stared at Calis and then nodded.
“So was it with my Calis. Except she was wedded with Jalena Sovran–an ex-Watcher from Pasik III.” She told him; dropping the bomb on Calis directly.
This revelation rooted the old man to the spot.
“Excuse me?” He began rather delicately. “You care to run that one by me again? Did you just say ‘she’?”
“Callista McGraff,” the girl said with a nod. “Yes. Born in what used to be called Seattle from so long ago.”
Calis’s face went blank, eyes clouding over for just a moment. “Seattle…yes…” he murmured, then shook his head. “I can’t believe that there is another version of me, but of the opposite sex.”
“That never occurred to you?” Talia postulated.
“No. According to the natural laws of the universe, everything remains at a constant. There is no divergence anywhere.”
“So you are unaware of the possibility of there being alternate universes, then?”
Calis shook his head. “No. Tarnek and I had lengthy discussions of such events–based primarily on his knowledge and experience. We hadn’t had the need for such discussions for a few thousand years now.” Looking at Tarnek, he added, “but we never believed that such an episode would happen in our lifetime.”
“My sister told me that Isis was much aware of it, five years ago.” Talia told the old man. “When they first began communicating to each other.”
“I-Isis?” Calis sputtered in astonishment. “She was aware…?”
“Yes.” Talia told him, then frowned a bit. “You mean to tell me that she had never told you any of this?”
“No. Not one word.”
Talia didn’t find that surprising at all. “It’s just like my sister–I mean…her, to be like this.”
Calis’s withered features went brittle all of a sudden; the old man’s latent annoyance showing once again. “That’s just like her all right. She never could tell me the truth about what goes on in the first place. She acts like I’m the one who is going to be hurt by revealing this knowledge–not the other way around.”
“And you’re surprised?” Jonas interjected. “My wife acted that way too at times, and so did Cara.”
“So where is the interdimensional breach?” Tarnek broke in suddenly; ending all points of discussion simultaneously.
“The what…?” Calis began, but Talia already had an answer for the ex-Watcher’s question.
“It’s not here. At least, not now.”
“Not…now?”
“I tried to go back–right after the incident at Transit Terminal #409. But apparently, this older woman in a sky-blue costume caught me unawares, and proceeded to pound me into the earth relentlessly.”
“Nemesis.” Calis and Jonas chorused together as one.
“But not before I managed to surprise her a few times.” Talia said with a touch of pride in her voice. “However, the breach was gone. I’m not entirely sure that it was Nemesis’s doing.”
“What about the other Nemesis?” Calis questioned lightly. “Could it have been hers?”
“No.”
“Your sister then?”
Talia shrugged. “Possibly. But I won’t know now. I don’t have a way back to my universe.”
Calis was about to reassure her on that, when Tarnek jumped in with a question of his own.
“Is your Nemesis the same one that our Isis faces?”
Talia shook her head. “No. Someone who used to be an ex-Watcher from so long ago. Her name was Keron, I think.” She said. Despite more startled expressions of outright disbelief and dismay–especially from Tarnek himself–the girl finished with, “and right now, she’s the one whom has been giving us trouble these last few years. I just don’t know how much longer Isis can stand up against her. Not when she‘s in this much pain and suffering.”
* * *
Cara screamed.
Then she acted.
“FOOLISH MORTALS!!” She bellowed. “YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH, DO YOU?!”
Everyone was stunned by what happened after she had broken free, thirty seconds after she had been incarcerated by the energy fields that held her prisoner.
Even Isis McGowan was astonished by the strength her childhood friend had exhibited, before she herself became a target once more, thrust into the limelight that bedeviled the old game surrounding simple things like life and death.
The Source of Chaos and Keron were equally amazed by this sudden turn of events, neither of them expecting this kind of outcome. But then again, they weren’t fortune tellers, but fugitives from a forgotten past.
Go! They both shouted inside her mind. Go before it is too late!
Isis refused to turn tail and run.
What do you expect me to do? She shot back, while shielding herself from the effects of Cara’s uncorked fury. Run and let everybody else be at the mercy of a power hungry mad woman? The same one who used to be my friend?!? The plaza was quaking from the massive energy discharges Cara’s glowing form was giving off, while the Starchild’s was also producing the same–but for a particularly different reason entirely.
The surface dweller was preparing for another confrontation.
Sometimes sacrifices of innocents must be made in order to ensure the safety of the rest as a whole, Isis. This sound reasoning has been carried out for untold eons, allowing many civilizations to flourish. Keron explained patiently.
Well it’s not mine. She responded tightly.
You must if you want to win. The Source reiterated stubbornly.
Winning isn’t what I want to do, guys. This isn’t some ancient video game where all the rules have been parlayed out to you with points and lives being the driving element. This is real life. If she has the power to cause harm, I have the power to stop that from happening. And even though I may be young and somewhat inexperienced in the eyes of others, I will do whatever it takes. Even if it means sacrificing my own life in order to do it.
Above the scream of Pulver’s commanding voice, above the din of weapons’ fire, Isis could see that Barc and the others were trying to add their own supportive fire to the mix, but she could see that it was having no effect on Cara Hastings. Her body was simply giving off too much energy to be effectively penetrated.
Isis grabbed a hold of Bayen and pulled him out of harm’s way.
“Get out of here!” She screamed at him. “You can’t do anything!”
“But–!” He protested vigorously.
The surface dweller stared into his eyes, communicating so many things, before she leaned over and kissed him thoroughly. Then she let go, watching him stumble backwards from the soul-wrenching experience.
“Go!” She yelled once more, not taking any more protests as a solid answer. “Tell Pulver to get his ass out of here! Tell them all to get the hell out of here!”
The sky dancer lingered for a moment longer, before nodding.
“I wish I could help...” He said loudly. “I really wish...” But he knew that he couldn’t. Not yet anyway. He had made a promise to her. And he would keep that promise.
Isis nodded, sensing his painful decision. One that would save a life and not expend it. The timing simply wasn’t right. Not yet anyway. The time would come though when he would be needed when she was no longer able to do so.
“I know. Go. Please.” She urged hastily. Then she turned her back on everyone and focused on her greatest challenge.
Bayen backed off and went over to where Michael was standing, a look of uncertainty and confusion on his face.
“We have to go!” He yelled over the frightening display that was still building in front of their eyes. “Isis needs to take care of this by herself. We’re just standing in her way!”
“The weapons...” The man muttered in stunned disbelief. “They didn’t work...”
“They did for thirty seconds! That’s all that counts!” Bayen lent in support, while urging others to do a dignified retreat. “But we gotta go!”
Pulver shook himself free of the spell that he had placed himself upon and grabbed the nearest modified rifle that he could lay his hands on.
“No! It has to work! It has to work!” He yelled uncontrollably, taking aim at the insane woman hovering front of them. “Failure is not an option here!”
Tayna and a couple of Praetorial Guardsmen jumped him from behind, spoiling his perfect shot and wrestling the weapon away from him, then started to drag him away.
“Sir! Bayen is right! We have to go! There is no telling what she’ll do if we stay!” She yelled into his ear, while the rest of the Praetorial contingent started to disembark as quickly as possible.
But Michael wasn’t willing to concede his position. It was his duty to make sure that the peace and prosperity of Stratos City was insured and upheld at every turn, no matter what the cost might be.
“No!” He screamed. “She’s got to be stopped!”
“Let Isis do it, you stupid moron!” Tayna insulted deliberately. “That’s her job! You’ve done enough, Michael!” Three more Praetorial Guardsmen joined her and the other two, securing an ever struggling Michael Pulver, before making their way down the stairs to the hopeful safety of the levels below the ruins of Level 4673.
“Shiiit!” Jonas exclaimed, scared out of his wits the second Tarnek’s semi-ghostly form passed right through his outstretched right leg. “What the fuck–?!”
Talia had a similar reaction, but hers was more muted and apprehensive.
“Tarnek?” She whispered in shock. “Is that you?”
While Calis nodded towards his friend, he said, “Yes. It is him.”
While Jonas fumbled for his personal sidearm like a scared rabbit, Talia got off her seat and approached the wavering spirit–scrutinizing him closely.
“Jalena told me that you had died…” she continued to speculate from personal knowledge, “Trying to save Rahalay Ra’crr from the Devourers at the Ober’svar star system. But you couldn’t…” her eyes went misty with tears, and she sank back.
Tarnek stood stock still for a second, trying to come to grips with the death of someone he hadn’t seen for almost 400 million years. Not since I lost Ishira Meili 80 million years before that.
Two people, two lovers that he had almost given up being a Watcher for–simply because he had followed his heart’s desires instead of the usual protocols of the Realm.
“T-the destruction of Ober’svar IV…” the startled ex-Watcher began, then halted himself–as both Calis and Jonas saw how much of a personal struggle this had become for Tarnek. “Led to the loss of Jalena Sovran–the Starchild of Pasik III, Rahalay Ra’crr; the lost son of Osiris–the Old One whom had begun it all as a Watcher and then as the Starchild–and two other Watchers–Valara, and Beraj.” He stopped for a second to catch his breath, then added, “Two of my most trusted colleagues.”
“But you died at Ober‘svar IV!” Talia exploded in fear. “Not at–”
“My mirror universe counterpart perhaps. But my fate was much different than his.” Tarnek calmly told her. “I became wed to Calis many years ago after the near destruction of this world–having escaped the God of Insanity’s wrath.”
Jonas’s face fell upon hearing this. “But that happened 10,000 years ago!” Glancing at his old friend, he asked, “You mean to tell me that you’ve been alive for that long?!?”
Calis nodded. “Afraid so. But it wasn’t by choice, mind you.”
Talia stared at Calis and then nodded.
“So was it with my Calis. Except she was wedded with Jalena Sovran–an ex-Watcher from Pasik III.” She told him; dropping the bomb on Calis directly.
This revelation rooted the old man to the spot.
“Excuse me?” He began rather delicately. “You care to run that one by me again? Did you just say ‘she’?”
“Callista McGraff,” the girl said with a nod. “Yes. Born in what used to be called Seattle from so long ago.”
Calis’s face went blank, eyes clouding over for just a moment. “Seattle…yes…” he murmured, then shook his head. “I can’t believe that there is another version of me, but of the opposite sex.”
“That never occurred to you?” Talia postulated.
“No. According to the natural laws of the universe, everything remains at a constant. There is no divergence anywhere.”
“So you are unaware of the possibility of there being alternate universes, then?”
Calis shook his head. “No. Tarnek and I had lengthy discussions of such events–based primarily on his knowledge and experience. We hadn’t had the need for such discussions for a few thousand years now.” Looking at Tarnek, he added, “but we never believed that such an episode would happen in our lifetime.”
“My sister told me that Isis was much aware of it, five years ago.” Talia told the old man. “When they first began communicating to each other.”
“I-Isis?” Calis sputtered in astonishment. “She was aware…?”
“Yes.” Talia told him, then frowned a bit. “You mean to tell me that she had never told you any of this?”
“No. Not one word.”
Talia didn’t find that surprising at all. “It’s just like my sister–I mean…her, to be like this.”
Calis’s withered features went brittle all of a sudden; the old man’s latent annoyance showing once again. “That’s just like her all right. She never could tell me the truth about what goes on in the first place. She acts like I’m the one who is going to be hurt by revealing this knowledge–not the other way around.”
“And you’re surprised?” Jonas interjected. “My wife acted that way too at times, and so did Cara.”
“So where is the interdimensional breach?” Tarnek broke in suddenly; ending all points of discussion simultaneously.
“The what…?” Calis began, but Talia already had an answer for the ex-Watcher’s question.
“It’s not here. At least, not now.”
“Not…now?”
“I tried to go back–right after the incident at Transit Terminal #409. But apparently, this older woman in a sky-blue costume caught me unawares, and proceeded to pound me into the earth relentlessly.”
“Nemesis.” Calis and Jonas chorused together as one.
“But not before I managed to surprise her a few times.” Talia said with a touch of pride in her voice. “However, the breach was gone. I’m not entirely sure that it was Nemesis’s doing.”
“What about the other Nemesis?” Calis questioned lightly. “Could it have been hers?”
“No.”
“Your sister then?”
Talia shrugged. “Possibly. But I won’t know now. I don’t have a way back to my universe.”
Calis was about to reassure her on that, when Tarnek jumped in with a question of his own.
“Is your Nemesis the same one that our Isis faces?”
Talia shook her head. “No. Someone who used to be an ex-Watcher from so long ago. Her name was Keron, I think.” She said. Despite more startled expressions of outright disbelief and dismay–especially from Tarnek himself–the girl finished with, “and right now, she’s the one whom has been giving us trouble these last few years. I just don’t know how much longer Isis can stand up against her. Not when she‘s in this much pain and suffering.”
* * *
Cara screamed.
Then she acted.
“FOOLISH MORTALS!!” She bellowed. “YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH, DO YOU?!”
Everyone was stunned by what happened after she had broken free, thirty seconds after she had been incarcerated by the energy fields that held her prisoner.
Even Isis McGowan was astonished by the strength her childhood friend had exhibited, before she herself became a target once more, thrust into the limelight that bedeviled the old game surrounding simple things like life and death.
The Source of Chaos and Keron were equally amazed by this sudden turn of events, neither of them expecting this kind of outcome. But then again, they weren’t fortune tellers, but fugitives from a forgotten past.
Go! They both shouted inside her mind. Go before it is too late!
Isis refused to turn tail and run.
What do you expect me to do? She shot back, while shielding herself from the effects of Cara’s uncorked fury. Run and let everybody else be at the mercy of a power hungry mad woman? The same one who used to be my friend?!? The plaza was quaking from the massive energy discharges Cara’s glowing form was giving off, while the Starchild’s was also producing the same–but for a particularly different reason entirely.
The surface dweller was preparing for another confrontation.
Sometimes sacrifices of innocents must be made in order to ensure the safety of the rest as a whole, Isis. This sound reasoning has been carried out for untold eons, allowing many civilizations to flourish. Keron explained patiently.
Well it’s not mine. She responded tightly.
You must if you want to win. The Source reiterated stubbornly.
Winning isn’t what I want to do, guys. This isn’t some ancient video game where all the rules have been parlayed out to you with points and lives being the driving element. This is real life. If she has the power to cause harm, I have the power to stop that from happening. And even though I may be young and somewhat inexperienced in the eyes of others, I will do whatever it takes. Even if it means sacrificing my own life in order to do it.
Above the scream of Pulver’s commanding voice, above the din of weapons’ fire, Isis could see that Barc and the others were trying to add their own supportive fire to the mix, but she could see that it was having no effect on Cara Hastings. Her body was simply giving off too much energy to be effectively penetrated.
Isis grabbed a hold of Bayen and pulled him out of harm’s way.
“Get out of here!” She screamed at him. “You can’t do anything!”
“But–!” He protested vigorously.
The surface dweller stared into his eyes, communicating so many things, before she leaned over and kissed him thoroughly. Then she let go, watching him stumble backwards from the soul-wrenching experience.
“Go!” She yelled once more, not taking any more protests as a solid answer. “Tell Pulver to get his ass out of here! Tell them all to get the hell out of here!”
The sky dancer lingered for a moment longer, before nodding.
“I wish I could help...” He said loudly. “I really wish...” But he knew that he couldn’t. Not yet anyway. He had made a promise to her. And he would keep that promise.
Isis nodded, sensing his painful decision. One that would save a life and not expend it. The timing simply wasn’t right. Not yet anyway. The time would come though when he would be needed when she was no longer able to do so.
“I know. Go. Please.” She urged hastily. Then she turned her back on everyone and focused on her greatest challenge.
Bayen backed off and went over to where Michael was standing, a look of uncertainty and confusion on his face.
“We have to go!” He yelled over the frightening display that was still building in front of their eyes. “Isis needs to take care of this by herself. We’re just standing in her way!”
“The weapons...” The man muttered in stunned disbelief. “They didn’t work...”
“They did for thirty seconds! That’s all that counts!” Bayen lent in support, while urging others to do a dignified retreat. “But we gotta go!”
Pulver shook himself free of the spell that he had placed himself upon and grabbed the nearest modified rifle that he could lay his hands on.
“No! It has to work! It has to work!” He yelled uncontrollably, taking aim at the insane woman hovering front of them. “Failure is not an option here!”
Tayna and a couple of Praetorial Guardsmen jumped him from behind, spoiling his perfect shot and wrestling the weapon away from him, then started to drag him away.
“Sir! Bayen is right! We have to go! There is no telling what she’ll do if we stay!” She yelled into his ear, while the rest of the Praetorial contingent started to disembark as quickly as possible.
But Michael wasn’t willing to concede his position. It was his duty to make sure that the peace and prosperity of Stratos City was insured and upheld at every turn, no matter what the cost might be.
“No!” He screamed. “She’s got to be stopped!”
“Let Isis do it, you stupid moron!” Tayna insulted deliberately. “That’s her job! You’ve done enough, Michael!” Three more Praetorial Guardsmen joined her and the other two, securing an ever struggling Michael Pulver, before making their way down the stairs to the hopeful safety of the levels below the ruins of Level 4673.
STARCHILD DUEL--CHAPTER 62
Isis caught Cara unawares for the first time in awhile, after she had successfully ducked behind a support beam that was holding up a section of another catwalk on Level 4673. But this time, she wouldn’t give Cara the option to go just yet. Not until she introduced her to a little bit of pain and suffering–the same kind that she had been doling out for the past week or so.
I hate to do this, she apologized to the support beam–before grabbing a hold of it and ripping it clean from its support base. Pieces of machine-polished stone rained down all around her, along with the dust that came with it.
Then she shifted her center of gravity just for an instant, waiting for her formidable enemy to come within range, after she had thoroughly pissed her off by again denying her the opportunity to kill more innocents.
The cat and the mouse. Keron pondered with some irony in her disembodied voice. Only you would treat this confrontation in such a manner as to really annoy the hell out of Nemesis.
Worked once before. The Starchild commented, before Cara came in sight of her, allowing the surface dweller to judge the precise distance needed, before she teleported for one second from behind the catwalk and into Cara’s own personal space–swinging the support beam like an old-fashioned baseball bat and connecting solidly right across the other woman’s solar plexus. The force of impact lifted her up and away, her flailing form sailing in a straight line, before arcing out and away, getting smaller and smaller as time went on, before disappearing all together.
The young woman couldn’t help but gloat over her small victory, but that changed a second later when the very air around her shook and rumbled, before something in the distance exploded like a supernova and a tiny figure rose out from the conflagration, trailing both fire and energy–charging her position with deadly intent.
“Maybe not.” Isis murmured, seeing the extreme rage firmly embossed in Cara’s face. Only ten seconds separated the two. Ten seconds at which Isis McGowan had to decide on what to do next.
If I were real, I’d start panicking. The Source of Chaos chimed in with a delicate air.
Isis wasn’t about to give in to that emotion just yet. She still had some control over the situation. But Keron was right. She was treating this like a cat and mouse game, just like before. Her tactics as of late were just delaying ones. But in her mind, they were the only thing that was preventing Cara from creating so much havoc and chaos.
Side with the strong, protect the weak, eradicate evil in its tracks. She mouthed the mantra silently, before Cara got within range of her, reaching out to tackle her and pummel her into the ground.
At the last second, the Starchild neatly sidestepped her opponent, grabbed her by the legs and swung her around and around in a tightly controlled circle until more than enough sufficient momentum had been built up, allowing the surface dweller to release her unwilling cargo into the next millennium.
But Isis wasn’t finished with her just yet. She moved faster than it was ever possible, reappearing right in front of her adversary like a solidifying mirage, then brought both her fists down across the back, sending her straight down. Then she thrust her left hand down and ignited the air around her, using its strength and purity as a catalyst and dropped a force beam right on top of her enemy.
The salvo passed through sixteen different levels on its way down before connecting to its initial target, erupting with so much power that it shook everything around it for a half-mile.
Disruption waves rumbled through most of the affected levels, setting many sky dancers’ teeth on edge.
The young woman surveyed the scene with reserved apprehension.
“Didn’t want to do that, but you left me with no other choice in the matter, Cara.” Isis murmured regrettably, even though whatever damage she might’ve initially caused could be easily repaired by maintenance crews.
She waited for a second, then two and finally three.
“Guess she’s not coming back up.” She finally decided.
Bayen surveyed the area around them, after getting the fastest transport known to science to whisk everyone to up to Level 4673.
“Neither of them don’t seem to be here.” He said, mere minutes after the fight had concluded itself.
Isis appeared on the plaza overlooking one section of Level 4673, only to be confronted by an irate First Lieutenant Michael Pulver.
“I take it you have an explanation for the destruction you caused?” He demanded in a brittle tone of voice.
Isis rolled her eyes while shaking her head, then threw her hands up in a sign of utter defeat. “Yes, that’s it: blame everything on the guardian and protector of the known universe.” She commented with acid sarcasm. “Sheesh…”
“You seem to be the only one left standing–” Michael persisted, before the plaza around them started to rattle and shake violently, before a large beam of light punched upwards, allowing a small figure to rise up; debris falling away in chunks–finally slowing down and leveling off right in front of everyone gathered.
“Guess not.” The sky dancer commented to Pulver before falling into a defensive stance of his own, while others followed suite; many aiming a multitude of pulse rifles at a much resurrected Cara Hastings.
Michael felt a wave of fear rise up inside him, but he refused to show it to the young woman.
Instead, he placed on his most brave attitude and challenged outright, “You are under arrest, Cara Hastings! You will submit to the Praetorial Guard right now and allow yourself to be taken into custody!”
Cara’s pissed expression never wavered. But her attitude, however, did. It became distant and cold.
“Ah, if it isn’t Rayna’s little lap dog, and his little handler friends…” She gave Bayen a brief glance, before settling her attention solely on the Starchild. “And you thought you had gotten rid of me in our little skirmish. I’m sorry to say that I am very disappointed in you, Isis McGowan. Your powers doesn’t do you very much justice. I suspect that you have gotten soft since our last encounter.”
The young woman started for a second, before reigning herself in.
“Nemesis.” She said without a trace of emotion, her eyes narrowed, body tense once more. “I didn’t realize that you enjoyed manipulating people who are just as weak as you are these days.”
That insult caused the other woman to lose her cool in an instant.
“Weak?!” She shouted at her adversary. “What do you know about weakness? Are you saying that I’m not good enough to beat you?”
The surface dweller nodded.
“So far.” She taunted openly. “You haven’t pushed back hard enough to be taken seriously, not by me, and certainly not by the Praetorial Guard.” Glancing over at Michael, she said, “Even though, they still want to arrest you.”
Cara screamed in a loud, deafening voice, “FOOL!!”– her body exploding with energy discharges and lightning arcs; as Cara called forth huge amounts of power at her disposal. “I will show you who is weak! And it certainly isn’t...me!!!” Then she launched herself at her sworn enemy once more.
Michael gave the order to fire and the plaza was lit up by huge amounts of plasma bolts and photon pulses, even some weird yellow balls of contained energy; some of them homing directly at Cara Hastings–stopping her cold.
The young woman screamed in pain as well as surprise. It wasn’t something she had been expecting. She had assumed that nothing could stop her on her quest for supreme domination.
But she was wrong. And she was paying the price for her seemingly innocent mistake.
Michael Pulver was pleased by the initial results.
“See? I told you we were ready.”
But all the Starchild could do was shudder at the sight she was witnessing with her own two eyes.
Someone else’s pain and suffering.
I hate to do this, she apologized to the support beam–before grabbing a hold of it and ripping it clean from its support base. Pieces of machine-polished stone rained down all around her, along with the dust that came with it.
Then she shifted her center of gravity just for an instant, waiting for her formidable enemy to come within range, after she had thoroughly pissed her off by again denying her the opportunity to kill more innocents.
The cat and the mouse. Keron pondered with some irony in her disembodied voice. Only you would treat this confrontation in such a manner as to really annoy the hell out of Nemesis.
Worked once before. The Starchild commented, before Cara came in sight of her, allowing the surface dweller to judge the precise distance needed, before she teleported for one second from behind the catwalk and into Cara’s own personal space–swinging the support beam like an old-fashioned baseball bat and connecting solidly right across the other woman’s solar plexus. The force of impact lifted her up and away, her flailing form sailing in a straight line, before arcing out and away, getting smaller and smaller as time went on, before disappearing all together.
The young woman couldn’t help but gloat over her small victory, but that changed a second later when the very air around her shook and rumbled, before something in the distance exploded like a supernova and a tiny figure rose out from the conflagration, trailing both fire and energy–charging her position with deadly intent.
“Maybe not.” Isis murmured, seeing the extreme rage firmly embossed in Cara’s face. Only ten seconds separated the two. Ten seconds at which Isis McGowan had to decide on what to do next.
If I were real, I’d start panicking. The Source of Chaos chimed in with a delicate air.
Isis wasn’t about to give in to that emotion just yet. She still had some control over the situation. But Keron was right. She was treating this like a cat and mouse game, just like before. Her tactics as of late were just delaying ones. But in her mind, they were the only thing that was preventing Cara from creating so much havoc and chaos.
Side with the strong, protect the weak, eradicate evil in its tracks. She mouthed the mantra silently, before Cara got within range of her, reaching out to tackle her and pummel her into the ground.
At the last second, the Starchild neatly sidestepped her opponent, grabbed her by the legs and swung her around and around in a tightly controlled circle until more than enough sufficient momentum had been built up, allowing the surface dweller to release her unwilling cargo into the next millennium.
But Isis wasn’t finished with her just yet. She moved faster than it was ever possible, reappearing right in front of her adversary like a solidifying mirage, then brought both her fists down across the back, sending her straight down. Then she thrust her left hand down and ignited the air around her, using its strength and purity as a catalyst and dropped a force beam right on top of her enemy.
The salvo passed through sixteen different levels on its way down before connecting to its initial target, erupting with so much power that it shook everything around it for a half-mile.
Disruption waves rumbled through most of the affected levels, setting many sky dancers’ teeth on edge.
The young woman surveyed the scene with reserved apprehension.
“Didn’t want to do that, but you left me with no other choice in the matter, Cara.” Isis murmured regrettably, even though whatever damage she might’ve initially caused could be easily repaired by maintenance crews.
She waited for a second, then two and finally three.
“Guess she’s not coming back up.” She finally decided.
Bayen surveyed the area around them, after getting the fastest transport known to science to whisk everyone to up to Level 4673.
“Neither of them don’t seem to be here.” He said, mere minutes after the fight had concluded itself.
Isis appeared on the plaza overlooking one section of Level 4673, only to be confronted by an irate First Lieutenant Michael Pulver.
“I take it you have an explanation for the destruction you caused?” He demanded in a brittle tone of voice.
Isis rolled her eyes while shaking her head, then threw her hands up in a sign of utter defeat. “Yes, that’s it: blame everything on the guardian and protector of the known universe.” She commented with acid sarcasm. “Sheesh…”
“You seem to be the only one left standing–” Michael persisted, before the plaza around them started to rattle and shake violently, before a large beam of light punched upwards, allowing a small figure to rise up; debris falling away in chunks–finally slowing down and leveling off right in front of everyone gathered.
“Guess not.” The sky dancer commented to Pulver before falling into a defensive stance of his own, while others followed suite; many aiming a multitude of pulse rifles at a much resurrected Cara Hastings.
Michael felt a wave of fear rise up inside him, but he refused to show it to the young woman.
Instead, he placed on his most brave attitude and challenged outright, “You are under arrest, Cara Hastings! You will submit to the Praetorial Guard right now and allow yourself to be taken into custody!”
Cara’s pissed expression never wavered. But her attitude, however, did. It became distant and cold.
“Ah, if it isn’t Rayna’s little lap dog, and his little handler friends…” She gave Bayen a brief glance, before settling her attention solely on the Starchild. “And you thought you had gotten rid of me in our little skirmish. I’m sorry to say that I am very disappointed in you, Isis McGowan. Your powers doesn’t do you very much justice. I suspect that you have gotten soft since our last encounter.”
The young woman started for a second, before reigning herself in.
“Nemesis.” She said without a trace of emotion, her eyes narrowed, body tense once more. “I didn’t realize that you enjoyed manipulating people who are just as weak as you are these days.”
That insult caused the other woman to lose her cool in an instant.
“Weak?!” She shouted at her adversary. “What do you know about weakness? Are you saying that I’m not good enough to beat you?”
The surface dweller nodded.
“So far.” She taunted openly. “You haven’t pushed back hard enough to be taken seriously, not by me, and certainly not by the Praetorial Guard.” Glancing over at Michael, she said, “Even though, they still want to arrest you.”
Cara screamed in a loud, deafening voice, “FOOL!!”– her body exploding with energy discharges and lightning arcs; as Cara called forth huge amounts of power at her disposal. “I will show you who is weak! And it certainly isn’t...me!!!” Then she launched herself at her sworn enemy once more.
Michael gave the order to fire and the plaza was lit up by huge amounts of plasma bolts and photon pulses, even some weird yellow balls of contained energy; some of them homing directly at Cara Hastings–stopping her cold.
The young woman screamed in pain as well as surprise. It wasn’t something she had been expecting. She had assumed that nothing could stop her on her quest for supreme domination.
But she was wrong. And she was paying the price for her seemingly innocent mistake.
Michael Pulver was pleased by the initial results.
“See? I told you we were ready.”
But all the Starchild could do was shudder at the sight she was witnessing with her own two eyes.
Someone else’s pain and suffering.
STARCHILD DUEL--CHAPTER 61
Calis took a break from what he was doing and left the bay area for a moment to get something from his alcove.
Tarnek appeared soon after that.
“It seems as though we have an unexpected snag,” the spirit deity said.
“You could say that.” Calis acknowledged in complete agreement, grabbing the small pile of clean rags from the side of countertop next to it and left the alcove.
Tarnek followed him back. “I find it a bit perplexing from this young girl’s statement that the other Isis’s abilities haven’t increased in time.”
“They’ve stagnated, is that what you’re saying?” Calis surmised, finding a reason to stall in the adjoining section connecting the other work bay. The same place where Talia had recently stayed. She hadn’t moved anything of value from the bench, but she was intensely interested in the box-like power conduit which lain open and exposed–by ways she had partially calibrated the main power circuitry and one of the lead elements.
The old man found this to be a bit strange. The way she had done so, reminded him of how Isis fixed her hover bike last year by bypassing the machine’s damaged boosters and tied everything into the main engines.
Could this girl have the traits that her sister lacks? Calis thought to himself, wondering just how much had changed. Their discussion up till recently had revealed a universe so much unlike their own, that it left him dizzy.
As if reading into his thoughts, Tarnek was forced to agree.
“There is many divergences with this one.” He spoke up suddenly, startling the old man a bit.
Calis turned and faced him. “How much do you know of alternate realities?”
“Enough to know that this case is wholly unique. The Ancient Ones had forbade any of us from interfering with all realities–no matter what form they took. Some of us who did reported so many variances that it left them with no choice but to lock them out of the Nexus Point 327 million years ago.”
“There was no chance to study them?”
“We did, but what we discovered made no sense. Some realities operated on a different time principle than our own, while others were so…primitive, that we saw no reason to even study, let alone send an envoy for a visit.”
“So how does this compare to what you know?”
“Based on your thought processes and accumulated memories, it would appear that we have a bit of a corundum. This girl’s universe is painted so differently, that it’s my belief that the Ancient Ones may no longer exist in that reality, nor would the Realm of Dreams.” Tarnek theorized.
“How is that possible?” Calis breathed, unable to think of that notion.
“Because it is.” Tarnek told him. “The realities we discovered lacked such things that are common with ours. A few did not, while one in particular had one similar branch of omnipotent beings that was wholly unlike our own, but more…judgmental than ours.”
“So you believe that Talia’s universe lacks a Realm of Dreams or the Ancient Ones?”
“It’s possible, but I can’t be sure until I meet with her.”
“Meet?”
“There’s some things I would like to address.”
Calis shrugged. “Okay. I’m not sure how Talia will take this–seeing that she’s never met you–but I can already get the general sense of what she would say.”
* * *
Cara slammed Isis into the hard surface of the plaza’s overhang, causing huge cracks to ribbon in many places, while big chunks of it took flight in every direction possible.
Then she picked up physically, spun her around and let her go, the young woman’s own momentum carrying her into the embrace of a tall building that was half-obscured by a well-traveled catwalk. The people on it were stunned by the display of force that had taken them by complete surprise, but where more shocked when the young woman planted a blast square in the center of the building, causing the once proud structure to collapse inwards on itself.
“Hah!” Cara crowed, then snubbed her face at her former foe. “Thought you could get the better of me, eh?” Then a shadow fell across her path and the young woman looked up. “I thought I’d taught you an earlier lesson in humility, but–” and stopped right there; seeing that she had the wrong person.
Isis hovered there, slightly out of breath, but no worse for wear and tear.
“Oh I wouldn’t go that far.” The surface dweller chided her enemy. “And I wouldn’t let this one small scuffle go to your head either. You are far from ever beating me into the ground.”
The young woman snarled, feeling highly insulted by her opponent’s lack of chivalry. But then she smiled.
“Trust me. You haven’t even seen what I am capable of. But I know someone else who already has. And the last time we met, I sent her piling into the planet–dead.”
The Starchild stared at her former childhood friend for a second, then shrugged. “If she is anything like me, then you’re going to be sorely disappointed in that regard.“
Cara had enough of this dancing around the proverbial bush. She wanted to complete her objective and possibly get the chance to kill some more people in the process.
All that stood in her way...?
“That‘s where you’re wrong. Dead wrong.” She announced heavily, reaching out with her lightning-fast reflexes in an attempt to grab the surface dweller physically, but she evaded the move quite easily, staying one step ahead of her...just in case.
“No.” Isis declared, dodging another attempt by the insane woman. “You won’t touch me.”
Cara stopped for a second, then laughed.
“You know, you are absolutely right. Why do I need to touch you, when killing others can be so much better?”
The Starchild was at a loss. She didn’t have a full understanding on what she was trying to get across to her. But when she moved faster in the blink of an eye, the surface dweller realized that Cara had something in mind.
Something terrible.
Without hesitation, Isis McGowan followed, determined to put a stop to this spree of death and destruction.
Bayen and the others followed the path down one of the abandoned service tunnels, most of them having to creep and crawl through most of the garbage that had been left behind over the years.
Then Tayna’s comm link beeped for attention.
“Pulver to all units. Proceed to Level 3297. Fight in progress. All units converge to that location. Over and out.”
“Crap!” Bayen grated in frustration. “We’re going the wrong way! Ten levels up and three over–!” He ordered unconditionally, before scrambling up the closest access ladder in a great hurry, the others following the best they could.
Isis managed to catch up to Cara Hastings, only to discover that it was just a mirage left behind in her wake. Only her enhanced senses saved her from a surprise assault which nearly took her head completely off.
Cara’s fist went right through her own image, before she dodged the incoming energy salvo that the Starchild had launched against her, before it sailed straight down and exploded with its own small amount of furious energy–taking out three catwalks, a portion of the plaza below it, and three parked hover cars.
Luck seemed to be on the surface dweller’s side, simply because the presence of so many reservists in the area prompted many sky dancers to stay indoors and away from public gathering places until further notice...a common thing in a semi-militaristic society.
But now that seemed to drive home a moot point, as some of those reservists that had been called into action, fired upon the dueling pair in a straight and futile effort in order to stop their destructive rampage.
Pulse fire of different shapes and colors, were launched against them from many different spots, some concealed, while others were in plain sight; easy prey for one individual who now thrived on death and destruction, solely driven by another’s sake of revenge.
Most of the killing bolts interfered with the battle, stopping the pair in their tracks.
“Ants!” Cara growled with clearly burdening annoyance, partly because her concentration was broken by so many interruptions. She thrust her hand down, igniting the air around her with angry purpose and clearly felt determination. “Die you insignificant worms!”
Isis didn’t stand there and allow more people die. She acted.
In an instant, she reached over and grabbed the other woman’s hand, jerking it up forcefully, preventing her from firing off a shot.
“I don’t think so.” She said, eyes glowing with sharp intensity.
Cara struggled within the woman’s strong grip, before successfully pulling her hand away.
“You think you can stop me?” She challenged, backing away, preparing to take off. “Like they say: you’re just all talk and no action.”
“Force is not the way to resolve things, Cara. But I will use it if I have to. I’m giving you one last chance to stop this path of chaos and destruction. Let me help you.”
Cara refused to budge. “Not until I get what I want, fledgling child of the stars. Not until I get what I want.” Then she vanished.
Isis had no choice but to follow and try once again to stop her.
Tayna and the rest of her cadre of Praetorial Guard, along with Bayen and his group, found themselves in an empty street overlooking Level 3297. But it was only empty for a second though, before everyone found themselves surrounded by more than two full companies of more Praetorial Guard.
Both sides tensed, before a voice rang out, “At ease!”
Everyone relaxed somewhat, before Michael Pulver stepped out from behind three officers and walked over to where Tayna was.
The woman saluted smartly, which the man returned.
“Report.” He ordered softly.
“We’ve just arrived sir, twenty minutes after your broadcast was heard.”
“Were did you come from?”
“Level 3322.”
Michael was a bit amazed and impressed by how fast they got here. But he did have one question though.
“How did you get here so quickly?”
Tayna glanced at the others and at the sky dancer in particular. Bayen was still showing signs of being winded, but the effects were gradually disappearing.
“We ran for most of the way, sir.” She admitted, a ghost of a smile playing across her face.
“Good thinking–” He was about to compliment, when Tayna’s comm link beeped again.
“This is Leona. We’ve scoured the upper levels and discovered both Cara and Isis fighting it out. We are at Level 4673–” The open channel collapsed unexpectedly in a hail of static, followed by a short-lived squeal and then a beep, which told everyone there that the line of communication had been permanently severed.
“Damn.” Lara was heard saying. “We’ll never get there in time.”
Pulver disagreed. “We will. But it makes me wonder why they are constantly rising in levels, instead at just random.”
“I don’t know, Michael.” Bayen answered. “I really don’t know.”
Tarnek appeared soon after that.
“It seems as though we have an unexpected snag,” the spirit deity said.
“You could say that.” Calis acknowledged in complete agreement, grabbing the small pile of clean rags from the side of countertop next to it and left the alcove.
Tarnek followed him back. “I find it a bit perplexing from this young girl’s statement that the other Isis’s abilities haven’t increased in time.”
“They’ve stagnated, is that what you’re saying?” Calis surmised, finding a reason to stall in the adjoining section connecting the other work bay. The same place where Talia had recently stayed. She hadn’t moved anything of value from the bench, but she was intensely interested in the box-like power conduit which lain open and exposed–by ways she had partially calibrated the main power circuitry and one of the lead elements.
The old man found this to be a bit strange. The way she had done so, reminded him of how Isis fixed her hover bike last year by bypassing the machine’s damaged boosters and tied everything into the main engines.
Could this girl have the traits that her sister lacks? Calis thought to himself, wondering just how much had changed. Their discussion up till recently had revealed a universe so much unlike their own, that it left him dizzy.
As if reading into his thoughts, Tarnek was forced to agree.
“There is many divergences with this one.” He spoke up suddenly, startling the old man a bit.
Calis turned and faced him. “How much do you know of alternate realities?”
“Enough to know that this case is wholly unique. The Ancient Ones had forbade any of us from interfering with all realities–no matter what form they took. Some of us who did reported so many variances that it left them with no choice but to lock them out of the Nexus Point 327 million years ago.”
“There was no chance to study them?”
“We did, but what we discovered made no sense. Some realities operated on a different time principle than our own, while others were so…primitive, that we saw no reason to even study, let alone send an envoy for a visit.”
“So how does this compare to what you know?”
“Based on your thought processes and accumulated memories, it would appear that we have a bit of a corundum. This girl’s universe is painted so differently, that it’s my belief that the Ancient Ones may no longer exist in that reality, nor would the Realm of Dreams.” Tarnek theorized.
“How is that possible?” Calis breathed, unable to think of that notion.
“Because it is.” Tarnek told him. “The realities we discovered lacked such things that are common with ours. A few did not, while one in particular had one similar branch of omnipotent beings that was wholly unlike our own, but more…judgmental than ours.”
“So you believe that Talia’s universe lacks a Realm of Dreams or the Ancient Ones?”
“It’s possible, but I can’t be sure until I meet with her.”
“Meet?”
“There’s some things I would like to address.”
Calis shrugged. “Okay. I’m not sure how Talia will take this–seeing that she’s never met you–but I can already get the general sense of what she would say.”
* * *
Cara slammed Isis into the hard surface of the plaza’s overhang, causing huge cracks to ribbon in many places, while big chunks of it took flight in every direction possible.
Then she picked up physically, spun her around and let her go, the young woman’s own momentum carrying her into the embrace of a tall building that was half-obscured by a well-traveled catwalk. The people on it were stunned by the display of force that had taken them by complete surprise, but where more shocked when the young woman planted a blast square in the center of the building, causing the once proud structure to collapse inwards on itself.
“Hah!” Cara crowed, then snubbed her face at her former foe. “Thought you could get the better of me, eh?” Then a shadow fell across her path and the young woman looked up. “I thought I’d taught you an earlier lesson in humility, but–” and stopped right there; seeing that she had the wrong person.
Isis hovered there, slightly out of breath, but no worse for wear and tear.
“Oh I wouldn’t go that far.” The surface dweller chided her enemy. “And I wouldn’t let this one small scuffle go to your head either. You are far from ever beating me into the ground.”
The young woman snarled, feeling highly insulted by her opponent’s lack of chivalry. But then she smiled.
“Trust me. You haven’t even seen what I am capable of. But I know someone else who already has. And the last time we met, I sent her piling into the planet–dead.”
The Starchild stared at her former childhood friend for a second, then shrugged. “If she is anything like me, then you’re going to be sorely disappointed in that regard.“
Cara had enough of this dancing around the proverbial bush. She wanted to complete her objective and possibly get the chance to kill some more people in the process.
All that stood in her way...?
“That‘s where you’re wrong. Dead wrong.” She announced heavily, reaching out with her lightning-fast reflexes in an attempt to grab the surface dweller physically, but she evaded the move quite easily, staying one step ahead of her...just in case.
“No.” Isis declared, dodging another attempt by the insane woman. “You won’t touch me.”
Cara stopped for a second, then laughed.
“You know, you are absolutely right. Why do I need to touch you, when killing others can be so much better?”
The Starchild was at a loss. She didn’t have a full understanding on what she was trying to get across to her. But when she moved faster in the blink of an eye, the surface dweller realized that Cara had something in mind.
Something terrible.
Without hesitation, Isis McGowan followed, determined to put a stop to this spree of death and destruction.
Bayen and the others followed the path down one of the abandoned service tunnels, most of them having to creep and crawl through most of the garbage that had been left behind over the years.
Then Tayna’s comm link beeped for attention.
“Pulver to all units. Proceed to Level 3297. Fight in progress. All units converge to that location. Over and out.”
“Crap!” Bayen grated in frustration. “We’re going the wrong way! Ten levels up and three over–!” He ordered unconditionally, before scrambling up the closest access ladder in a great hurry, the others following the best they could.
Isis managed to catch up to Cara Hastings, only to discover that it was just a mirage left behind in her wake. Only her enhanced senses saved her from a surprise assault which nearly took her head completely off.
Cara’s fist went right through her own image, before she dodged the incoming energy salvo that the Starchild had launched against her, before it sailed straight down and exploded with its own small amount of furious energy–taking out three catwalks, a portion of the plaza below it, and three parked hover cars.
Luck seemed to be on the surface dweller’s side, simply because the presence of so many reservists in the area prompted many sky dancers to stay indoors and away from public gathering places until further notice...a common thing in a semi-militaristic society.
But now that seemed to drive home a moot point, as some of those reservists that had been called into action, fired upon the dueling pair in a straight and futile effort in order to stop their destructive rampage.
Pulse fire of different shapes and colors, were launched against them from many different spots, some concealed, while others were in plain sight; easy prey for one individual who now thrived on death and destruction, solely driven by another’s sake of revenge.
Most of the killing bolts interfered with the battle, stopping the pair in their tracks.
“Ants!” Cara growled with clearly burdening annoyance, partly because her concentration was broken by so many interruptions. She thrust her hand down, igniting the air around her with angry purpose and clearly felt determination. “Die you insignificant worms!”
Isis didn’t stand there and allow more people die. She acted.
In an instant, she reached over and grabbed the other woman’s hand, jerking it up forcefully, preventing her from firing off a shot.
“I don’t think so.” She said, eyes glowing with sharp intensity.
Cara struggled within the woman’s strong grip, before successfully pulling her hand away.
“You think you can stop me?” She challenged, backing away, preparing to take off. “Like they say: you’re just all talk and no action.”
“Force is not the way to resolve things, Cara. But I will use it if I have to. I’m giving you one last chance to stop this path of chaos and destruction. Let me help you.”
Cara refused to budge. “Not until I get what I want, fledgling child of the stars. Not until I get what I want.” Then she vanished.
Isis had no choice but to follow and try once again to stop her.
Tayna and the rest of her cadre of Praetorial Guard, along with Bayen and his group, found themselves in an empty street overlooking Level 3297. But it was only empty for a second though, before everyone found themselves surrounded by more than two full companies of more Praetorial Guard.
Both sides tensed, before a voice rang out, “At ease!”
Everyone relaxed somewhat, before Michael Pulver stepped out from behind three officers and walked over to where Tayna was.
The woman saluted smartly, which the man returned.
“Report.” He ordered softly.
“We’ve just arrived sir, twenty minutes after your broadcast was heard.”
“Were did you come from?”
“Level 3322.”
Michael was a bit amazed and impressed by how fast they got here. But he did have one question though.
“How did you get here so quickly?”
Tayna glanced at the others and at the sky dancer in particular. Bayen was still showing signs of being winded, but the effects were gradually disappearing.
“We ran for most of the way, sir.” She admitted, a ghost of a smile playing across her face.
“Good thinking–” He was about to compliment, when Tayna’s comm link beeped again.
“This is Leona. We’ve scoured the upper levels and discovered both Cara and Isis fighting it out. We are at Level 4673–” The open channel collapsed unexpectedly in a hail of static, followed by a short-lived squeal and then a beep, which told everyone there that the line of communication had been permanently severed.
“Damn.” Lara was heard saying. “We’ll never get there in time.”
Pulver disagreed. “We will. But it makes me wonder why they are constantly rising in levels, instead at just random.”
“I don’t know, Michael.” Bayen answered. “I really don’t know.”
STARCHILD DUEL--CHAPTER 60
“So what’s your friend’s story?” Calis asked, after he had run a preliminary power coupling check, and then took a seat on the stool next to Jonas.
“Huh? You mean Talia McGowan–?” he began, before stopping himself in mid-sentence, seeing the curious expression on his friend’s face.
“Talia who?” Calis ventured incredulously. “Could you run that last part by me again?”
Jonas rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly.
“Long story, my friend.”
“But you just said Talia McGowan.”
“That’s right.”Calis stared at him long and hard. After a minute of the two staring at each other, he finally said, “you’re not making this one up are you?”
“No. I’m not. I wish I was.” He said.
“Isis does not have a sister.” The old man reiterated firmly. “This much I know for fact.”
Jonas sighed. “Don’t you think that I don’t somehow know this?”
“But you’re not lying either. I can already sense that.”
A grateful nod from his friend. “Yes.”
Calis sighed himself. “I need a drink.” He announced and went up and did just that–crossing the cluttered expanse behind the tank and towards a small storage locker.
Jonas could hear him rummaging around for something–even in a place this big and this empty of activity.
“Is everything all right?” A soft voice asked from behind Jonas, making the man jump.
“Christ!” the man exclaimed; startled beyond reasoning, even as his hand instinctively went to his heart–protecting it. “Do you ever knock first before coming in?”
The girl looked back at the expansive entryway and shrugged. “No door.” she stated simply, then took the stool that Calis had previously occupied. “Besides, I got bored waiting for you to introduce me, so I decided to see what the hold up was.” Looking back at their handiwork, she complimented him on it, just as Calis stepped back into view.
“Thanks,” he said loudly, but dripping with well-placed sarcasm. “I’m glad to see that someone appreciates my work.”
Talia’s head snapped around, her eyes widening at the first real sight she got of the old man–even as she sat perched forward.
“Uh…” she began awkwardly. “Nice to meet you.” then stuck out a hand in return.
Calis took it, surprised by how surreal this all was to him, while balancing the pair of cold bottles in the other.
“Beer?” Jonas ventured hopefully.
The old man nodded. “Some local stuff that one of Garret’s distilleries makes from time to time. He sent me up a case several months ago,” then handed him one.
“There’s some cola in the fridge next to the ice locker next to it.” Calis offered. “Seeing that you’re too young to drink.”
“Hasn’t stopped my sister.” Talia threw out, eyes averted and downcast.
This stunned Calis.
“Isis…drinks?” He queried in disbelief.
The teen nodded. “Yes,” then sighed. “When she’s not busy trying to save the world from Nemesis.”
“But…why…for heaven’s sake?”
“Ever since Isis discovered three years ago that her power levels weren’t going to increase at all, she–” Talia stopped for a moment to collect herself, then began again. “She started turning to alcohol as a way of dealing with her misery.”
Calis was absolutely crushed by this shocking revelation. “How can that be? Her power levels should be on par with just about any other Starchild of eons past.”
Talia looked at him curiously, hope flaring brightly in her eyes. “How would you know? You mean to tell me that there might be a way?”
Calis scratched his head for a moment. “Let’s just say…that I have some unique insight into the going ons with the Starchild of Ancient Lore from some reliable sources.”
Talia took that in stride, the excitement beginning to bubble up in her face. “Is there any chance that you could share them with me? Because I need all the help I can get, before I find Isis.”
Calis almost choked on his beer when he took a swig from it. Coughing and tearing badly, it took him a couple of minutes to properly recover, before he asked sharply, “Isis?!?”
“Yes. I need to find her. Where is she?” Talia inquired.
“Why?”
Talia stared at the floor. “With my sister incapacitated, I’m the only hope left for my battered world. But even I lack the necessary training to fight off Nemesis and reverse the damage she’s caused. So it was my sister’s idea–in our last engagement with Nemesis–that I come here to this universe; in hopes that I could ask Isis to come back with me and deal with her.” She took a deep breath and then added, “and talk some sense to her. Stop her from destroying herself from within.”
* * *
The lift stopped well short of her destination, but the young woman didn’t care the least bit. She would find her way there.
A few people passed her by without giving her general appearance a cursory glance of interest or fear.
Cara wasn’t looking for any. She was intent on her objective. Glancing up at one of the LED-lit signposts, she saw that she was Level 3319.
Not even close to the main prison. She thought, which meant that she had a long ways to go.
Walking over to a directory terminal, she keyed in the main prison as her destination and its source location.
Level 5443. The computer displayed for her.
Cara stepped back, contemplating her most fastest route to the place.
She knew that teleporting there would take a great deal of her energy, so she decided that she would take the nearest sky tube lift.
But before she got there, a squad of Praetorial Guardsmen confronted her.
One of the men tapped his built-in comm link.
“This is Squad 46, currently located on Level 3319.”
“Go ahead.” A voice returned promptly.
“We have confronted the murder suspect in question. What do you want us to do?”
“Detain her, squad leader. We’ll be right with you shortly.”
The man looked at the young woman and nodded, thinking that it wouldn’t be so much of a real challenge.
“Roger.” He acknowledged, then cut the link.
Staring at her, he said, “By order of the Praetorial Guard, you are hereby under arrest for the murder of Lance Corporal James Radisson. If you don’t cooperate with us, we will have no choice but to use force.”
Cara laughed. “Pathetic.” She said. “You actually believe that you will be able to stop me? The destroyer of worlds? The usurper of countless civilizations?”
The squad officer didn’t budge. For that matter, neither did his men.
“We will use force.” He said unwaveringly.
Cara raised a hand to them, coaxing the power that was hers by choice.
“Die.” She commanded in no uncertain terms.
Tayna’s comm link beeped insistently.
“Lightstrom.” She answered automatically.
“This is Michael, Tayna. Squad 46 reported encountering someone who might be the murder suspect, but we haven’t heard from them in the last minute or so. I’m ordering you to leave the Arena and go to Level 3319 on the double.”
“Okay. But what about Isis?”
“Leave her be. She’s obviously not the murder suspect.”
“We’ll be there shortly.” Tayna promised.
“The sooner the better.” Michael said in no uncertain terms. “I’ll be joining you with a special squad.” Then the link died suddenly, leaving everyone to face one another with an air of uncertainty.
Bayen and Isis were the only ones who didn’t.
“I’ll go and see if I can stop her.” The young woman said, preparing to take off.
“Who? Stop who?” Tayna said.
Bayen gazed at her.
“Cara Hastings.”
“Rayna’s daughter?” Tayna said, stunned by the sky dancer’s admission.
“That’s right.” Isis said, before lifting off and bolting for open skies.
Left behind, Bayen said, “I’m gonna go search the lower levels, see what I can find.”
“We’ll join you.” Tayna said. “More heads are better than one.”
“Okay.”
Leona and Lara volunteered as well, giving more rise to their cause.
“Our guys can search the upper levels for any sign of Cara.” Leona said, with Lara in full agreement.
“You had better stay put,” the sky dancer said with a shake of his head. “You’re almost due, remember?”
Leona’s face screwed up with heavy indignation. “My baby’s future is as important as any of you! I have every right to risk the life of my child if I see fit! I’m not an invalid you know!”
Bayen backed off, openly amazed by her outburst.
“Okay. But we still need a plan of attack.” He said.
Leona tore a rifle from the grip of the nearest Praetorial Guard and primed it expertly.
“Don’t need one. We go together as a group or none at all.” She stated resolutely.
Tayna’s eyebrows arched by themselves, but she didn’t have a problem with what the woman was proposing.
“Okay then,” she finally decided. “We go as a group.” Pointing to some of her men, she said, “Split-fork pattern, four-by-four, covering east and west. The rest of you, rear-guard formation, then do a sweep pattern, five-by-five. No stragglers.”
“We’ll take the tunnels and the ventilation pathways, then make our way down to the lower levels.” Lara said, with Barc nodding in agreement.
“I’ll take mine to the upper levels.” Leona countered evenly, before giving her twin sister a hug. “You be careful.” She advised.
“You too.” The other woman said in return, before they all split up and went their different ways.
* * *
Isis rocketed upwards, giving everything she had and then some, not bothering to make sure that she wasn’t going to plow into something along the way. But she was as daring as she was graceful, avoiding most of the obstacles that were in her path, such as the sky tube transport conduits and the slew of buildings and high-rises that rose up block her way. One of the few things that she noticed was that there was a great deal more guards than she had been used to seeing on a daily basis.
Even this new bit of information was unsettling to her, making her wonder–again–if this was her fault–for not stopping Nemesis when she should’ve.
Destroying her body wouldn’t have accomplished anything, Keron reminded her quietly. The evil that she had done would’ve persisted.
The Starchild almost hesitated, but she kept going, plunging through cloud bank after cloud bank, breaking through the sunny spots like an ascending angel, twisting and turning through various structures that tried to stand up against her, possibly reminding her that no human being had the distinctive right to the skies like she had.
But the young woman continued on unopposed, still pursuing a seemingly impossible enemy.
How? She asked the spirit deity.
Simple physics, Isis. Do you believe that Rayna would’ve stopped hunting you down before she finally destroyed you? I think not. Infinite power yields only one possibility, one recourse, and that is death and destruction left in the wake of those who only seek to hurt and harm others. There is no real ‘pecking order’, as you humans once called it. It is only a matter of getting what that individual wants, no matter the cost. Everyone–including your family–would’ve paid the ultimate price, Isis. They would’ve died. And you, you would either be joining them, or be forced to retaliate at the highest scale possible–
And become like Rinia, right? Isis thought, seeing again the avenue which was still open to her.
The quick and easy way out. The one that led to ultimate power and ultimate damnation as a being possessing strength and power on a magnitude only fit for a god.
No. I will never become like her, no matter what obstacle is presented before me. I will prevail, Keron. I must. For the sake of the others and my planet, I cannot afford that luxury. Isis informed her, before breaking into the clear again and finding what she was searching for, if only after a bit of time had passed.
Cara jumped into the nearest lift and punched in her destination number, only to discover that it was refusing her request. When she queried the computer, it told her–in no uncertain terms–that until the all clear was given, sky tube transports were officially halted until further notice.
This infuriated the young woman and she showed her anger by blowing the sky tube to pieces, watching as smaller pieces of the destroyed lift rain down on unsuspecting sky dancers and tourists below.
Most of them ran for cover, or called for help.
“Cowards!” She screamed. “You do not deserve to live!” She pointed a finger at some of them, man, woman, child–it made little difference to her–and prepared to fire a lethal burst of energy at them.
But before she could even kill them, something fast entered the fray, blocking her shot and saving those who would’ve died.
It was the Starchild.
“No!” Cara screamed. “I will not be denied many of life’s simpler pleasures!”
Then she proceeded to launch an all out assault on her one-time childhood friend.
“Huh? You mean Talia McGowan–?” he began, before stopping himself in mid-sentence, seeing the curious expression on his friend’s face.
“Talia who?” Calis ventured incredulously. “Could you run that last part by me again?”
Jonas rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly.
“Long story, my friend.”
“But you just said Talia McGowan.”
“That’s right.”Calis stared at him long and hard. After a minute of the two staring at each other, he finally said, “you’re not making this one up are you?”
“No. I’m not. I wish I was.” He said.
“Isis does not have a sister.” The old man reiterated firmly. “This much I know for fact.”
Jonas sighed. “Don’t you think that I don’t somehow know this?”
“But you’re not lying either. I can already sense that.”
A grateful nod from his friend. “Yes.”
Calis sighed himself. “I need a drink.” He announced and went up and did just that–crossing the cluttered expanse behind the tank and towards a small storage locker.
Jonas could hear him rummaging around for something–even in a place this big and this empty of activity.
“Is everything all right?” A soft voice asked from behind Jonas, making the man jump.
“Christ!” the man exclaimed; startled beyond reasoning, even as his hand instinctively went to his heart–protecting it. “Do you ever knock first before coming in?”
The girl looked back at the expansive entryway and shrugged. “No door.” she stated simply, then took the stool that Calis had previously occupied. “Besides, I got bored waiting for you to introduce me, so I decided to see what the hold up was.” Looking back at their handiwork, she complimented him on it, just as Calis stepped back into view.
“Thanks,” he said loudly, but dripping with well-placed sarcasm. “I’m glad to see that someone appreciates my work.”
Talia’s head snapped around, her eyes widening at the first real sight she got of the old man–even as she sat perched forward.
“Uh…” she began awkwardly. “Nice to meet you.” then stuck out a hand in return.
Calis took it, surprised by how surreal this all was to him, while balancing the pair of cold bottles in the other.
“Beer?” Jonas ventured hopefully.
The old man nodded. “Some local stuff that one of Garret’s distilleries makes from time to time. He sent me up a case several months ago,” then handed him one.
“There’s some cola in the fridge next to the ice locker next to it.” Calis offered. “Seeing that you’re too young to drink.”
“Hasn’t stopped my sister.” Talia threw out, eyes averted and downcast.
This stunned Calis.
“Isis…drinks?” He queried in disbelief.
The teen nodded. “Yes,” then sighed. “When she’s not busy trying to save the world from Nemesis.”
“But…why…for heaven’s sake?”
“Ever since Isis discovered three years ago that her power levels weren’t going to increase at all, she–” Talia stopped for a moment to collect herself, then began again. “She started turning to alcohol as a way of dealing with her misery.”
Calis was absolutely crushed by this shocking revelation. “How can that be? Her power levels should be on par with just about any other Starchild of eons past.”
Talia looked at him curiously, hope flaring brightly in her eyes. “How would you know? You mean to tell me that there might be a way?”
Calis scratched his head for a moment. “Let’s just say…that I have some unique insight into the going ons with the Starchild of Ancient Lore from some reliable sources.”
Talia took that in stride, the excitement beginning to bubble up in her face. “Is there any chance that you could share them with me? Because I need all the help I can get, before I find Isis.”
Calis almost choked on his beer when he took a swig from it. Coughing and tearing badly, it took him a couple of minutes to properly recover, before he asked sharply, “Isis?!?”
“Yes. I need to find her. Where is she?” Talia inquired.
“Why?”
Talia stared at the floor. “With my sister incapacitated, I’m the only hope left for my battered world. But even I lack the necessary training to fight off Nemesis and reverse the damage she’s caused. So it was my sister’s idea–in our last engagement with Nemesis–that I come here to this universe; in hopes that I could ask Isis to come back with me and deal with her.” She took a deep breath and then added, “and talk some sense to her. Stop her from destroying herself from within.”
* * *
The lift stopped well short of her destination, but the young woman didn’t care the least bit. She would find her way there.
A few people passed her by without giving her general appearance a cursory glance of interest or fear.
Cara wasn’t looking for any. She was intent on her objective. Glancing up at one of the LED-lit signposts, she saw that she was Level 3319.
Not even close to the main prison. She thought, which meant that she had a long ways to go.
Walking over to a directory terminal, she keyed in the main prison as her destination and its source location.
Level 5443. The computer displayed for her.
Cara stepped back, contemplating her most fastest route to the place.
She knew that teleporting there would take a great deal of her energy, so she decided that she would take the nearest sky tube lift.
But before she got there, a squad of Praetorial Guardsmen confronted her.
One of the men tapped his built-in comm link.
“This is Squad 46, currently located on Level 3319.”
“Go ahead.” A voice returned promptly.
“We have confronted the murder suspect in question. What do you want us to do?”
“Detain her, squad leader. We’ll be right with you shortly.”
The man looked at the young woman and nodded, thinking that it wouldn’t be so much of a real challenge.
“Roger.” He acknowledged, then cut the link.
Staring at her, he said, “By order of the Praetorial Guard, you are hereby under arrest for the murder of Lance Corporal James Radisson. If you don’t cooperate with us, we will have no choice but to use force.”
Cara laughed. “Pathetic.” She said. “You actually believe that you will be able to stop me? The destroyer of worlds? The usurper of countless civilizations?”
The squad officer didn’t budge. For that matter, neither did his men.
“We will use force.” He said unwaveringly.
Cara raised a hand to them, coaxing the power that was hers by choice.
“Die.” She commanded in no uncertain terms.
Tayna’s comm link beeped insistently.
“Lightstrom.” She answered automatically.
“This is Michael, Tayna. Squad 46 reported encountering someone who might be the murder suspect, but we haven’t heard from them in the last minute or so. I’m ordering you to leave the Arena and go to Level 3319 on the double.”
“Okay. But what about Isis?”
“Leave her be. She’s obviously not the murder suspect.”
“We’ll be there shortly.” Tayna promised.
“The sooner the better.” Michael said in no uncertain terms. “I’ll be joining you with a special squad.” Then the link died suddenly, leaving everyone to face one another with an air of uncertainty.
Bayen and Isis were the only ones who didn’t.
“I’ll go and see if I can stop her.” The young woman said, preparing to take off.
“Who? Stop who?” Tayna said.
Bayen gazed at her.
“Cara Hastings.”
“Rayna’s daughter?” Tayna said, stunned by the sky dancer’s admission.
“That’s right.” Isis said, before lifting off and bolting for open skies.
Left behind, Bayen said, “I’m gonna go search the lower levels, see what I can find.”
“We’ll join you.” Tayna said. “More heads are better than one.”
“Okay.”
Leona and Lara volunteered as well, giving more rise to their cause.
“Our guys can search the upper levels for any sign of Cara.” Leona said, with Lara in full agreement.
“You had better stay put,” the sky dancer said with a shake of his head. “You’re almost due, remember?”
Leona’s face screwed up with heavy indignation. “My baby’s future is as important as any of you! I have every right to risk the life of my child if I see fit! I’m not an invalid you know!”
Bayen backed off, openly amazed by her outburst.
“Okay. But we still need a plan of attack.” He said.
Leona tore a rifle from the grip of the nearest Praetorial Guard and primed it expertly.
“Don’t need one. We go together as a group or none at all.” She stated resolutely.
Tayna’s eyebrows arched by themselves, but she didn’t have a problem with what the woman was proposing.
“Okay then,” she finally decided. “We go as a group.” Pointing to some of her men, she said, “Split-fork pattern, four-by-four, covering east and west. The rest of you, rear-guard formation, then do a sweep pattern, five-by-five. No stragglers.”
“We’ll take the tunnels and the ventilation pathways, then make our way down to the lower levels.” Lara said, with Barc nodding in agreement.
“I’ll take mine to the upper levels.” Leona countered evenly, before giving her twin sister a hug. “You be careful.” She advised.
“You too.” The other woman said in return, before they all split up and went their different ways.
* * *
Isis rocketed upwards, giving everything she had and then some, not bothering to make sure that she wasn’t going to plow into something along the way. But she was as daring as she was graceful, avoiding most of the obstacles that were in her path, such as the sky tube transport conduits and the slew of buildings and high-rises that rose up block her way. One of the few things that she noticed was that there was a great deal more guards than she had been used to seeing on a daily basis.
Even this new bit of information was unsettling to her, making her wonder–again–if this was her fault–for not stopping Nemesis when she should’ve.
Destroying her body wouldn’t have accomplished anything, Keron reminded her quietly. The evil that she had done would’ve persisted.
The Starchild almost hesitated, but she kept going, plunging through cloud bank after cloud bank, breaking through the sunny spots like an ascending angel, twisting and turning through various structures that tried to stand up against her, possibly reminding her that no human being had the distinctive right to the skies like she had.
But the young woman continued on unopposed, still pursuing a seemingly impossible enemy.
How? She asked the spirit deity.
Simple physics, Isis. Do you believe that Rayna would’ve stopped hunting you down before she finally destroyed you? I think not. Infinite power yields only one possibility, one recourse, and that is death and destruction left in the wake of those who only seek to hurt and harm others. There is no real ‘pecking order’, as you humans once called it. It is only a matter of getting what that individual wants, no matter the cost. Everyone–including your family–would’ve paid the ultimate price, Isis. They would’ve died. And you, you would either be joining them, or be forced to retaliate at the highest scale possible–
And become like Rinia, right? Isis thought, seeing again the avenue which was still open to her.
The quick and easy way out. The one that led to ultimate power and ultimate damnation as a being possessing strength and power on a magnitude only fit for a god.
No. I will never become like her, no matter what obstacle is presented before me. I will prevail, Keron. I must. For the sake of the others and my planet, I cannot afford that luxury. Isis informed her, before breaking into the clear again and finding what she was searching for, if only after a bit of time had passed.
Cara jumped into the nearest lift and punched in her destination number, only to discover that it was refusing her request. When she queried the computer, it told her–in no uncertain terms–that until the all clear was given, sky tube transports were officially halted until further notice.
This infuriated the young woman and she showed her anger by blowing the sky tube to pieces, watching as smaller pieces of the destroyed lift rain down on unsuspecting sky dancers and tourists below.
Most of them ran for cover, or called for help.
“Cowards!” She screamed. “You do not deserve to live!” She pointed a finger at some of them, man, woman, child–it made little difference to her–and prepared to fire a lethal burst of energy at them.
But before she could even kill them, something fast entered the fray, blocking her shot and saving those who would’ve died.
It was the Starchild.
“No!” Cara screamed. “I will not be denied many of life’s simpler pleasures!”
Then she proceeded to launch an all out assault on her one-time childhood friend.
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