1:2:10 Undulia (Part 3)
By Lore
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The sound of the shattering echoed across the tundra, stirring the snow. Lore and Char sped towards the staging area but out of the corner of their eyes, approaching from their flanks, a living snowstorm. Awoken by the chaos, hordes of bhioch charged at the source. Like dolphins through water, they swam through the snow surfacing only for air. Their kind had long since lost their eyes to evolution but in kind developed senses beyond human belief. They could feel the electromagnetic fields emitted by both Lore, Char and Undulia’s vehicles, smell the ozone they were releasing and hear the disrupted air currents as they whipped around Lore and Char. But there was something else; something bigger. Undulia’s trip through the airlock had set a series of events in motion that Lore hadn’t considered or accounted for. Illia’s atmosphere, as frigid as it was, was perfectly breathable for most humanoid species and as such, the airlock’s job was mostly to protect the oxygen farm from rapid changes in temperature; by destroying the airlock, Undulia had unwittingly activated it, creating a massive amount of heat as it attempted to bring the entire planet to a suitable temperature for the farm. While the bhioch had initially been interested in the vehicles, they couldn’t ignore the massive heat signature which they knew usually indicated a feast. The snowstorm of teeth and flesh changed course and began a furious dash toward the broken dome. Undulia paid them no heed and held true on her course for Lore. Lore had only one concern, making it to the clones alive. They glanced down at their fuel gauge and the distance left to travel. They were going to make it, they had to. A hail of charged plasma and bullets rained around them but nothing connected. Undulia had neglected to calibrate the automatic guidance systems and refused to train her soldiers making highly trained warriors seem inept. Lore and Char came to a sudden stop before vanishing for a moment and reappearing without their bikes. Destiny and the clones wriggled out from the proverbial woodwork giving Lore a feeling like they had forgotten something.
“We going to sort out the cameras then?” Destiny looked at the scene before them.
Lore gasped. “That’s it!” They shook their head. “Right then, be right back.” Lore and Destiny vanished and when the white flash subsided, only Lore had returned.
“This should be their central camera facility. Just follow us with the cameras and broadcast city wide once the speech finishes. Make sure you focus on Undulia though. She’s going to make a mess and I think the people need to see that.”
“Are you sure this is even going to work? I mean best case, we turn the city against her but what are the chances they ally with the Sat’Mach?”
“I’ve got a feeling, it’s all going to work out.” Lore smiled.
“Well, just in case this goes tits up, tell Curve I really did like the outfit.” Lore looked to her confused.
“Alright then?” Lore raised their eyebrows as they returned to the present.
“Cameras are rolling.” Lore smiled. Char nodded towards Celreagaire. Undulia had stopped.
“Ready?” Char grabbed her pistol.
“Ready. But you won’t be needing that.” Lore rested their hand on Char’s pistol hand and returned it to its holster.
Lore began walking slowly towards Undulia’s carrier. Char held with the clones for a moment before joining them. Undulia poked her head from the top port of the carrier and just watched. Her troopers held back beside her. “Liar!” She screamed. “I knew that xeno cow was trouble but I didn’t realise she would turn you against your own.” She looked ready to dismount the carrier and strangle the both of them. The fifteen foot drop wouldn’t even slow her.
“Look behind you, we’ve barely started and look at what you’ve done.” Lore looked at the fractured dome and the snowstorm of bhioch that were nearing Undulia’s exit. “In five minutes, those creatures are going to realise there isn’t any food in that field but they are going to pick up on the increased electromagnetic activity caused by Sanctuary Point. I don’t know how fast they can move in water or whether the temperature will affect them but they will make their way into the city and they will kill. Turn back and defend your people.” Lore pleaded.
“No.” She barked. “By the laws of the United Earth Protectorate and the powers vested in me by The Celreagaire branch of The Military Guild, I hereby claim the right to execute your sentence. Right now, it’s you and me. We’re going to end this and then I’m going to sort that out.” She ducked back into the carrier. “Any last words?”
“I wish it didn’t have to end this way.” Lore took a step back. They could feel the warmth of Char’s body next to them. They were so close to touching.
All of Undulia’s guns fired at once. A hail of bullets and plasma rained down on them. Lore knew what was going to happen next. They knew as soon as they saw their necklace glow. Time stopped but Char didn’t. She looked to Lore and then to her hands. Wreathed in a golden light, they seemed to glow brighter the closer they were to Lore’s. As she came closer to them and they to her, their hands began to glow also. A blinding white light similar to that seen when Breaching was pouring from their veins. Instinctively, they took Char’s hand. Light. It danced around them, floating and writhing like ferrets of pure energy. The gold and the white played with one another before forming a figure before the two of them. Lore reached out and touched it. Like a tape measure being let go, the energy being was snapped into them but so was Char. They felt themselves get slightly taller or at least their perspective shifted slightly, the moment the integration was completed, they could see everything. Although Char was no longer beside them, Lore could still feel her; her presence and her thoughts rushed around Lore’s head. Still frozen in the same moment, Lore could see the entirety of Illia. They could see the residents of Celreagaire rapt by their screens, watching as Undulia gunned them down, the citizens of Sanctuary Point huddled in their bunkers but there was something else. Deep under the city, wrapped in a blanket of blue light, Pip lay on the floor drawing. All of the chaos above and there they were, colouring. Lore took a closer look at the drawing and saw something they didn’t understand. Something they weren’t perhaps supposed to understand just yet. Their vision was snapped back to the tundra. Time was still. Lore looked to where Char had been and saw the figure they had touched. It was different now. While they had touched a being of white and gold light, this one was only made of the latter. Lore touched it’s shoulder and suddenly, it had form. From an average humanoid shape, features like hair and height began to develop until it resembled Char.
“What in the gods damn is going on?” She spoke with a voice only Lore could hear.
“I have no idea.” Lore looked down at themselves. Visually, they hadn’t really changed. Their uniform still looked like their uniform and their armour was still attached but the blues were much more vibrant. The necklace continued to glow. “Should I?”
“Give it a go.” Char shrugged.
Lore touched their hand to the necklace. As their fingers made contact, it began whispering to them in some unknown language. They tried to listen but it seemed that the more they tried the more voices joined in. More and more voices joined the conversation and Lore couldn’t understand any of them. Except one.
“Awaken Paragon.” The whispering ceased and time resumed.
The patient munitions finally got to hit their target. Unfortunately their time waited was time wasted as they didn’t even manage to mark Lore’s jacket. They did however create a huge spectacle; an explosion of purples and golds that could be seen from all around engulfed Lore and Char’s position but when it subsided, only one person was stood where the two had been.
They didn’t say anything, they just looked at Undulia.
“They wouldn’t do this for us.” Tau’Poss grumbled.
“I know.” Rhu’Anui donned their helmet and lowered the custom built sun visor over their eyes. “That is why we must do it. They need us as much as we need them.”
“But we don’t need them.”
“I suppose that human weapon you take hunting with you remains on your back for decoration then? The beasts of the western wilds will claim us all if our stubbornness fails to.” Rhu’Anui raised their shield. Tau’Poss grumbled behind them.
Their journey to the hunting exit had only grown long but the anticipation made it feel longer still. The Sat’Mach walked in silence, preparing themselves for whatever may come next. The debate of whether to come to humanity’s aid had been one that the Sat’Mach had been engaged in since their arrival on Illia but the decision to join them now was made by just one councillor. The others followed, most because they thought them right but some only came out of a sense of honour. They marched to the exit, leaving the tunnel in time to watch as Undulia’s carrier shattered through the dome in pursuit of Lore and Char. They sped up to bridge the gap. Destiny panned the camera away from Undulia and focussed on the advancing Sat’Mach. Rhu’Anui led the march, deploying their troops as they approached the beginning of the breach. They directed a detachment of their troops to the other side while they remained in the middle. Rhu’Anui raised their shield and activated the side panels. A wall of steel and leather formed, patching the gap in a matter of seconds. The bhioch were fast approaching.
“Hold the line.” Rhu’Anui braced themselves.
Teeth. When attacking, the bhioch’s entire face became a fleshy wall of teeth, oscillating from side to side to increase the severity of their bite. For the moment, the line was holding. The Sat’Mach stood their ground as wave upon wave of bhioch crashed against their shields until eventually, one or two got lucky. Vaulting the line, the beasts turned and began their attack on the living wall. Rhu’Anui couldn’t defend themselves without surrendering the integrity of the line. Tau’Poss slammed their shield into the snow, removed their rifle from their back and fired. Three shots netted them three kills before they returned to reinforce the line.
“Thanks.” Rhu’Anui barked over to Tau’Poss.
Tau’Poss nodded in acknowledgement as the bhioch continued to batter their shields with the occasional few managing to slip over the line only to be gunned down promptly afterwards. That soon changed. Through the flurry and the fangs, far off towards the valley, a flash of gold. A flash and bang like an atomic bomb blinded them temporarily and seemingly halted everything. The initial source had been burned into their retinas but their sight slowly recovered. The bhioch scattered, submerging themselves in the snow and returning to wherever they came from leaving the Sat’Mach to watch whatever was happening in awe. A being of golden light hovered before the tank in silence.
The Paragon loomed over the battlefield. Even though she was still fully enclosed in her carrier, The Paragon was looking her directly in the eyes. Undulia ordered her bikers to fire again. Five of the ten obliged to no effect. They just floated there. The Paragon raised their right arm and levelled it on Undulia’s carrier. The air around their splayed fingers cracked with golden energy. Their hand vibrated slightly before it began moving. From its starting position on top, their thumb rotated anti-clockwise until their little finger filled the void it had left. As they did this, the carrier and its armour began to glow. The metal plating crumbled into rocky ore with the polymer plates melting to oils around them; through the newly un-forged hole, the terrified shadow of Undulia whimpered. Her troops long gone, she just accepted her fate but it never came. The Paragon gently floated down to the ground. The two that became one, became two once again; a flash of gold and they were back. Lore ripped their glasses off and vigorously rubbed their eyes. Char picked herself up from the floor only to fall back down. Lore was close to joining her but they managed to keep their balance. Undulia remained stunned and silent in her now open top troop carrier. After convincing themselves that they weren’t going to be sick, Lore took a deep breath. They turned and gestured for the clones to stand down.
“What the actual hel was that?” They whisper shouted at Char.
“I have no clue.” Char returned.
“Well… Did anyone bring restraints?” Lore shouted back at the clones.
“I think it’s illegal to cuff someone then kill them… I’m joking…” Curve threw her handcuffs to Lore. They nodded to her.
Lore mounted the carrier. Oil ran across the floor as they came to the quivering Commander. Without saying anything, Lore gently placed the handcuffs around Undulia’s wrists.
“Call Rhu’Anui over. I’m giving her to the Sat’Mach.” Undulia remained unphased, frozen to the world.
“You sure that’s the best idea?” Char called up.
“Trust me.” Lore smiled.
Char vanished and when she returned, she had Rhu’Anui in tow. They looked up at the hole in the carrier and were stricken with the same awe as Undulia.
“She’s all yours. Just don’t kill her.”
“It’ll be hard to keep some of the young ones from breaking that but I’m sure I can find a way.” Rhu’Anui nodded with reverence.
“Her life may be the difference between war and peace. As long as she’s alive, she’s a bargaining chip on the table of compromise.” Lore shrugged. “Hopefully, she’ll be a good start.”
“Thank you outsiders.” Rhu’Anui was still fixated by the size of the carrier and the hole in its front.
“Well, if it’s alright with you, we’ll be taking our leave now.” Lore scanned the carrier for a way to dismount it. They decided to go for the safer option and Breached to Char’s side. She took Lore’s hand.
“Someone owes me a drink.” She smiled.
“I wish you well then.” Rhu’Anui bowed.
“May we meet again in better circumstances.” Lore waved as they called the clones to them. “Could I borrow one of your communicators?” They set the frequency to that used by The Military Guild. “This is Lore, I’m assuming you’re wondering what’s happened. Commander Misha Undulia has been lawfully arrested by a citizen of Celreagaire. She has been placed in the custody of Rhu’Anui of The Conglomeration. Rhu’Anui is willing to entertain mutually beneficial talks between The Conglomeration they represent and Celreagaire. I recommend you take them up on their offer.” Lore handed back the communicator.
“You’re not a citizen of Celreagaire.” Char frowned.
“No, but Curve is. Her cuffs, her arrest. She was born here so citizen.” Lore rationalised it well enough for Magpie but Curve winced.
“Bit of a stretch but they’ve got a hostage now so…” She shrugged.
“I’ll pick up Destiny then we can get gone.” Lore tapped at their wrist, scanning their Breacher history. They vanished and returned with her.
“I’m telling you, whatever that was, you two need to do it more often. The carrier blocked most of my view but wow…” She chuckled. “Absolutely fantastic!”
“If we knew how we did it…” Char stopped herself. “I don’t know, would you want to do that again?”
Lore shrugged. “If it was ok with you?” They sounded like they were guessing for a right answer. Char smiled.
“Come on, let’s go get that drink.” Char gestured at Celreagaire.
Lore fiddled with their Breacher. They made sure that all seven of them were making contact with one another. “Might be a little rough, we’re approaching the limit.” They braced. “Ready?” Three of the party nodded. Lore took that and went for it.
They reappeared right where the doors to the city had once been. The Military Guild were waiting for them. It was a coincidence; the soldiers were heading out to examine the damage when Lore appeared. They took one look at Lore and Char and immediately checked their weapon’s safety switches before discarding their guns. Wordlessly, the group parted creating a walkway, and just allowed Lore and their party to pass without conflict. Any time Lore tried to look at an officer, the officer would shrivel into themselves, as if reacting to a hypothetical attack. Every other officer they met on their way back to the hangar reacted in a similar way. Their journey to The Destiny was entirely hassle free and strangely uneventful considering they had placed good odds on them having to fight their way out of Celreagaire but they were up the docking ramp and preparing to break orbit in no time.
“That was easy. Best get to work then.” Destiny winked at Curve before disappearing into the console. The whole ship rocked slightly as Destiny got herself into the air. “Sorry, I’ve never been out of the systems for so long. Just need to find my footing…” She laughed. “Hadn’t realised that it had only been like two days… Mental.” Although she was shaky at first, she was able to make her way to the exit point without causing any damage to Celreagaire’s skyline. “One minute to orbit. Where to next?”
Lore sat back in their chair, the bridge significantly more full than it was two days ago. “Rexel.”
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Lively stuff, a bit on the
Lively stuff, a bit on the long side xxRay
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