Rise of Aen Read online

  Iana sat quietly on the atrium deck amongst the foliage, her usual spot to be on any journey rather than the cold throne room. Being the Empress of the great Empire had its perks, and her flagship was as luxurious as it was deadly. But for all its luxury, she would rather bask in the simple and earthy atrium; it kept her grounded. For over ten thousand years she had reigned over the Empire, and in that time she had not seen a creature similar to herself, until recently.

  In the Council meeting, Aen had appeared and changed all that in a heartbeat. She felt his power, even though he was only represented by a hologram, and yet he had spoken with such reverence and poise. He was a rare creature and like her, he was fighting to save the planet of his birth. But now, she read the info burst from the Amarra’s AI and a small smile appeared on her face.

  The battle for Terra Sol had taken a few turns and now sat at a new low for the humans. She wasn’t smiling about that or the fact they were preparing an all-out attack on the Husk. What she smiled about was that Aen had given them hope and a leader to fight back with. He had shown them their inner voice, their commonality, which might lead them past all this strife. He had picked them up when they were down and had led the way into battle when the human’s leaders fled in fear. But most of all she smiled because no matter what data was shown here, she knew he was not dead!

  EIGHTEEN

  Moscow, Russia - Two Days, Three Hours since Arrival

  “It isn’t over yet, so why are you still lying there?”

  Aen knew he wasn’t physically awake, but the woman’s soft voice made him open his eyes. It was dark and eerily quiet. Smoke rolled around in a haze while ash fell from the darkened sky like snow. Yet none of it seemed to be really there, none of it seemed real. Aen just lay there for a moment and tried to make sense of it.

  A dull pounding resonated in his skull, but he wasn’t sure he even had a head left for it to really hurt. In fact, he wasn’t really sure if he had survived the blast at all. The blast—he remembered what had happened and sat upright with a shot! His memories began to roll back from nothingness and the events of the day came clear once more. In his triumph, he had felt the wrath of the enemy, and now he was here because of his arrogance. But where was here?

  Straining against sore muscles, Aen looked around to gauge his surroundings. It was deathly dark, with only his immediate area visible through the haze. He felt like he was at the bottom of some deep, dark hole with a tiny match to light his way, bright enough to only light a few feet around him. Was he in hell? Was he dead? There was nothing to answer his questions, nothing around that he could see to settle his nerves.

  “It is not the afterlife, dear Aen.” The voice whispered again from beyond the haze. “Death has no hold on you—at least not in the way you think it does.”

  “So why am I here?” Aen said aloud. His voice sounded like it was from a million miles away. He could feel a presence out there. It was strong and powerful, but just beyond his ability to see.

  “You are here, because you don’t know who you are.”

  “I know who I am!” he shot back angrily. “I did what you were telling me and let go of my fears to embrace the power I have within, but that wasn’t enough!”

  “Wasn’t it?”

  “You tell me; you seem to have all the damn answers!”

  “I have no answers for you my child; I can only show you the path that you must take.”

  Aen sighed. He was tired and beaten down. Two days of fighting and a huge expenditure of energy had left him running on empty. His sense of adventure was long gone, never mind his patience.

  “You talk in circles and I tire of your games. All I want is to know how I can save my people. Can you help me with that or are you just going to keep jerking me around?”

  The haze began to retreat a bit, and left Aen with more room to observe his surroundings. It was still dark, but he didn’t feel as claustrophobic as before. Slowly, he lifted his battered and bruised body so he was standing. Joints protested the action, but he ignored the pain and stood tall. Then he noticed the presence behind him.

  When he turned, she was there—the beautiful Lyarran Empress. Although this was not the first time seeing her, he was still awestruck. He silently wondered how breathtaking this creature may be in person.

  “I too am trying to help you save humanity, but in doing this I must also help you see the truth.” She said in a soothing tone. “And in your plea of desperation is the perfect example of what I mean. They are no longer your people, for you are no longer human; nor are you Lyarran. Thinking you are human is your biggest mistake in your evolution.”

  “You told me to let go of what I was—but when I did, I ended up here.”

  “But you haven’t let go yet, not totally. You still yearn to be the father and the lover to your family. Never again can you be that, never again can you help guide them in life. Letting go for that instant, you showed the universe a glimpse of your true potential, yet it was your arrogance in thinking you were bigger than life itself that led you here.”

  “So how do I let go? When will I find what I truly am? This planet needs to be saved and it doesn’t have time for me to be searching my soul for answers!”

  “Time has no meaning here; you and I have stepped outside that realm for the moment. You are a being that time has no hold upon and so you have eternity to find yourself. It was brave of you to think you could stand alone against a force like the Husk, but in reality you aren’t able to be that being yet. Be patient, help is almost there.”

  Aen felt her palm on his cheek, her silky soft touch soothing the pain that coursed through him. In her eyes he saw peace and calmness; along with true sincerity for him and his plight. Iana was trying to help him to the best of her abilities; nurturing his growth as a new life form as he stumbled and fell with soft words of encouragement. This woman truly cared about him.

  “You are saying I can’t win this fight? I can’t save the planet?” Aen asked with a hint of desperation.

  “Terra Sol will not fall, but to save it you must be willing to let go of your place in paradise.”

  “How long till she gets here?”

  “The Dark Light is not far away; less than a day if I am right. The key to victory is there with her arrival, for once the ‘Light gets there all hell will break loose. It is the one variable the Husk have not accounted for,” she cooed softly while still cupping his cheek. Her eyes were glowing warmly, filling his soul with a renewed life.

  “I have sent you an angel to save Terra Sol, but it is her that will need saving the most. You cannot let her fall; the road that loss takes you is tragic and saddening and is one where I lose you both. You must protect her Aen—if you save Lyxia, you will save Terra Sol!”

  Aen was shocked; it was unfathomable that this wonderful creature was about to risk everything to fight for Earth only to need to be protected herself. Inside he began to question how and why this could happen.

  “How do I save her, please tell me that much?” he pleaded.

  Iana’s hand fell away from him and she turned to begin walking back into the mist which still hung around them. Her body moved sensually and gracefully, every movement was like pure sexual poetry with her. As she reached the mist, she stopped and peeked back at him.

  “You have known this part of the play for much longer than you realize, but you have forgotten it with your hopes of being the perfect hero. Use Ameia’s last standing legacy against the Harvester.”

  A light clicked on in Aen’s mind as if someone had flipped a simple switch. It was shocking that he hadn’t seen it earlier. “The Amarra? But her weapons are...minimal?”

  “With you at her heart, she is the weapon. Save my precious child; her love is precious and is a treasure you will come to savor in time.” She faded into the mist like a ghost walking through a wall and simply vanished, but he could still feel her t
here with him.

  “How?” he asked; looking all about for her to show her face once more.

  The answer came from both nowhere and everywhere and was the last thing he heard before the vision began to collapse and fade. In a sense, he knew it was what she was going to say.

  “You can start by getting up; it isn’t over yet so why are you still lying there.”

  High Earth Orbit, Husk Harvester -

  Two Days Six Hours since Arrival

  As the Husk Harvester let loose its attack cruisers and finally sat in orbit with all its invasion fleet departed, it hung in the sky like a black cloud of death; a constant reminder to the humans below of who their new masters would soon be. Its main cannon stayed trained on the surface, waiting for the Infinite to appear again. The hive mind knew it was not dead. A creature like that was no so easily dispatched, all the calculations and scenarios the processors ran all came up with the same result that it still lived, but none were sure where it was.

  The hive mind was several thousand of the Husk—sentries, infantry, and pilots all equal numbers of all—which were wired together in concert to create the mother of all super-computers. Housed deep within the heart of the mighty Harvester vessel, this colony of minds was the brain of the entire ship and its crew. Every Husk was linked to them and they controlled all. Every image seen by every Husk was processed and mulled over in an instant; all battle operations and troop movements were made for the better good. The hive mind was the driving force behind every footstep taken by the aliens on the planet below, and they were quite pleased that they were carrying about the plan so well.

  The Infinite had been accounted for in the plan; his birth cry had been detected as they closed in on this lonely star system and recognized it for what he was after careful evaluation. Although his actions were unpredictable, he was easily manipulated into the trap they had set for him in the northern continent; for now they had rendered him a moot point and this made them amused.

  But it was this arrogance and focus on the Infinite and their own troop movements that caused the hive mind to miss the underground detonations directly below them. Momentum is a funny thing and is wildly unpredictable; very much like the human race was when they were pushed into a corner. It was a mistake that would change everything and one that swung the momentum away from the grasp of the hive mind’s grip. It was the humans’ turn to inflict punishment on them for once.

  Eastern Wyoming Flatlands -

  Two Days, Six Hours since Arrival

  One hundred nuclear bombs were detonated simultaneously at the bottom of mile deep chutes dug into the sand and rock of the sands of Arizona. Water which half-filled these chutes boiled furiously as the multi megaton weapons unleashed their heat and energy on it. Covered by massive, one foot thick steel plates, the pressure built up to the breaking point before it launched the plates upwards at breakneck speeds towards the unsuspecting Husk mother ship.

  There was simply too many of the projectiles for the enemy point-of-defense systems to destroy the incoming “bullets,” no time to raise any type of shields, alarms or even move the ship out of danger. From the time of detonation to impact, only ten seconds passed as the steel plates struck the Harvester head on and caused massive amounts of damage as they sliced through the nose and drove deep inwards. The weapon that had struck down the mighty Aen was damaged and taken offline, but not quite destroyed. The same could not be said for the rest of the ship. Almost all one hundred plates found their target—a few were shot down and a few screamed past the ship, but after the first few impacts the damaged ship began to list. The rest hit the profile and shredded the hull open, a gaping wound that bled atmosphere in huge gulps.

  One plate in particular drove deep within the alien construct and ripped right into a portion of the Husk hive mind, killing a small portion of the thousand-fold group brain. It was a shock that carried down to all the invaders below, making them stop in their tracks as the collective brain screamed in agony. As it wailed in pain, the hive mind began to reset itself, rebooting the collective to adapt to the losses and cut them from the group to resume functioning. Like any computer being reset, this was an opportunity for the opposition to get a leg up. Momentum is a funny thing; in an instant, the Husk no longer had control over its legions below and desperation began to fade into hope. Humanity now saw a light in the darkness!

  Lyarran Flagship Lyarra’s Fire, Alpha Centari -

  Two Days Six Hours since Arrival

  Iana awoke from her trance and looked around the chamber to regain her bearings. Time was hard to gauge when connected to someone as time marched on outside. Coming to was extremely taxing on both body and mind and was not something she was used to doing a lot of; at least until recently.

  This creature was unique, and well worth the effort. Most of those in the Council would want him dragged back and thrown before them to be brainwashed into usage as a weapon. His potential was unfathomable and the consequences of doing this were dire. She, on the other hand, wanted to hide him and prepare him for the horrors that would await him. He was indeed a special creature and was one that she needed to protect until he was mentally strong enough to cope on his own.

  What she had told him was true, she had been groomed since a child for this because the prophets had known about her since birth and sheltered her from any evil influences and was prepared over time. Aen, on the other hand, had been thrust into his role at the onset of his new life and had fumbled his way through the crisis so far. But what he lacked in preparation, he more than made up for in poise as he had taken her by surprise during the Council meeting, and that was no easy task.

  So as she and her escorts rushed towards the rim star, Iana had consulted the prophets on how to handle and guide this lost soul. Their response was that of patience, something she wasn’t sure the current situation could allow. In a time of war, who had time for patience?

  As ideas and thoughts of how to best guide him rolled about her mind, she noticed a subtle change in her surroundings. For an instant—and only an instant—the light behind her flickered. Her understanding of the room she sat in was utterly thorough; she knew every inch, nook and cranny of it as she used it for quiet contemplation and a retreat from all the craziness of the Empire when she travelled. It was lit from many different angles and was nearly impossible to cast a shadow of any kind; shadows represented darkness and doubt and this was a haven from such things. But something had moved, something was here with her—even though she’d been alone when she entered!

  “Much improved effort,” she sang softly with a hint of sarcasm, “but I still know you are there Bryx.”

  A sigh of frustration signalled that her intuition had been right followed. Her “attacker” was her long-time guardian, protector, and closest thing she had ever had to a friend.

  “Once again, your senses are exemplary, my liege.” He said in his low, booming voice. Any other room on the ship and the massive hulk of the J’Karin would have cast an eclipse like shadow over her. But even with his enormous size, he was stealthier than any of the Guild’s ghostly assassins, and ten times more dangerous!

  “You, my friend are kind of hard to miss.”

  “Ouch! My feelings might be hurt!” he chuckled.

  “Oh?” she asked playfully. “You have those? And here all this time I thought your thick skin prevented such softness.” Her relationship with him was the main grounding point for her; it kept her sanity in the chaotic life she held. If she seemed to be getting too full of herself and out of hand, Bryx would bring her back down from her perch; in a subtle way of course!

  “What brings you into my chambers?” she asked.

  “I was worried,” he replied. “It has been over a day since you isolated yourself to communicate with that...creature. I came to check on you to make sure it didn’t harm you in any way.” His disdain was plainly apparent.

  Rising slowly and gr
acefully, Iana turned to her companion and simply smiled, ignoring his jabs at Aen—he didn’t trust anything he didn’t know. “I am more than capable of taking care of myself, or shall I give you a reminder of that fact?”

  The mammoth being hung his head in respect, silently apologizing for his overstep. His instincts were keen though, as every encounter with Aen drained her more than the last. His very essence seemed to scratch and claw at hers every time she reached out to him!

  “What do we know about this whelp? I mean, other than his intrusion into the Council meetings he is a veritable unknown. Are you sure this is the one the prophets speak of?” His grumpiness had turned into true concern. He too knew of the rarely spoken words of the prophets on this matter, but he seemed unconvinced they could be true.

  “With my whole heart I am certain it is him.” She replied with the largest of smiles as she tried to reassure her nervous friend. “And with him I see a new future opening to us all. Terra Sol will bring growth creatively and culturally to our lives, something we all should celebrate and cherish.”

  Bryx looked back at her with concern, clearly unhappy with her words. “You didn’t answer me. If it is him, how do we know he won’t be the death of us all, or do you choose not to remember the rest of the writings?”

  Iana reached up and ran her hand on the monster’s cheek. A look of sadness came over her, as it was a concern she had been holding back on. It was true that the prophecy told of a future with him standing in place of her, his hand being that which darkens her light. “Life holds many possibilities for us Bryx, and if that is my future, then so be it. But I see a different path for this one, his soul has so much depth to it I nearly drown each time I peer into it. For now, his path is tied to that of Terra Sol and beyond that lay only questions. Destiny rarely asks for our permission to come around; it only asks that we understand it when it is our time to step aside. There is greatness in him, Bryx, I only hope we live to see him realize it.”