Freedom Saga 3: The Dawn of Liberty (10 page)

The
sickbay on the Freedom was quiet while Mira worked in the lab. Suv Gar knocked on
the door before slithering inside.

“You
haven’t been sleeping as much as you should,” Suv said.

“I
know,” Mira said. “But I have a thousand things to figure out and I can’t
explain most of them.”

“You’re
talking about our glowing captain, aren’t you?” Suv asked.

“So
that’s leaked already, huh?” Mira asked.

“It’s
no longer a leak since you confirmed it,” Suv said.

Mira
sighed. “This is insane.”

Suv
looked over the data. “This is insane. Now I know why you’re not sleeping.”

“This
isn’t the only issue I have to deal with,” Mira said. “Lieutenant Tctie is due
for a physical in a few minutes and has telepathic powers.”

“Yet
another rumor confirmed,” Suv said. “You really need to fill me in on things
like this more often.”

“I’m
sorry I haven’t,” Mira said. “I’ve been here, fighting, or in Brian’s quarters
for the last week. I need to take a break and practice a song or two.” She
looked at Suv. “I’m sorry I leave everything to you.”

“You’ve
done your part,” Suv said. “Have I complained?”

“No
you haven’t,” Mira said. “But I feel like I’m dumping more work on you than
needed.”

“I’ll
tell you when I feel overworked,” Suv said as she went to the door. “So stop
beating yourself up over it.”

“I’ll
try,” Mira said.

After
the door closed Suv went back to working with the others while Mira continued looking
over the scans. After a few minutes Tctie stepped inside. Mira switched the
scanners from Brian’s data to Tctie’s.

“This
may take a few minutes,” she said as she scanned Tctie closely.

“Your
mind is closed to me,” Tctie said. “And no commander, you don’t have to tell me
why. I only say so because it’s comforting hearing nothing for a few minutes.”

“Someday
I’ll tell you,” Mira said. “But I don’t want the world at large knowing. I’m
not in the mood to answer questions about it.” She moved the scanner to focus
on his head. “I can tell you have an increased amount of brain activity.”

“Why
is this happening?” Tctie asked.

“A
short time ago none of this would’ve happened,” Mira started. “Then along came
a Terran who could berserk. Ever since then the people around him have learned
to do the same. As a result, he’s changing into something we can’t explain.”
She looked Tctie in the eye. “My guess is the same is happening to you.”

“Myden
said it might be because insects are simpler life forms than mammals, birds, or
reptiles,” Tctie said.

Mira
laughed. “Simpler? I wouldn’t exactly say that. The insects your people evolved
from were simple, but Ick-Tckt have brains, nervous systems, circulatory
systems, and internal lungs. You look radically different from us but have all
the same functions.”

“We
lack a sense of taste,” Tctie said.

“True,
but your ability to smell makes up for it,” Mira said. After finishing the scan
she put the data on the screen. “Other than some increased brain activity I’m
not seeing anything out of the ordinary. You’re as fit as you ever were.”

Tctie
wiggled his mandibles excitedly. “I’m glad. Ever since this started I’ve felt
really strange.”

“You
said you’ve talk to Myden,” Mira said. “Has he been helping you?”

“Every
day we meet for at least an hour for training,” Tctie answered.

“That’s
good,” Mira said. “My prescription is to keep doing it. If anything strange
occurs contact me immediately.”

“I
will,” Tctie said. “I’ll be leaving then. We have a lot of preparations for the
upcoming battle.”

“I’ll
be doing the same,” Mira said.

Tctie
left quickly. After he was gone Mira looked over the scan she just did.
I
don’t know what to think anymore.
She thought to herself.

* * *

Celi,
Valis, Kivi, and Seles were in Brian’s quarters. Celi checked the next round of
scans while the other three stood next to him.

“He’s
been sitting in the same position for a week,” Seles said. “That can’t be
healthy.”

“His
muscles are going to atrophy,” Kivi said.

“Hopefully
his mind will be sharp,” Valis said. “Celi, are any of the things we’re
worrying about going to matter?”

“From
what I’m seeing trying to move him will do more harm than good,” Celi answered.

Mira
ran in and joined Celi.

“Mira,
have you found anything?” Seles asked.

“His
genetics are changing in a minor way,” Mira answered. “That’s all I can find.”

“It’s
the same with me,” Celi said.

“I
don’t like not knowing,” Valis said.

“Then
let me try something,” Myden said as he stepped into the room. He walked over
to Brian and put his hands on the exoskeleton’s helmet and closed his eyes.
After a moment of straining he pulled back and looked at the others. “Well,
that didn’t work.”

“What
did you do?” Kivi asked.

“I
tried a deep scan,” Myden said. “I can’t even penetrate his surface thoughts.”

“The
brain scans show he isn’t having any,” Celi said.

“It
looks less and less like a dream state and more like a N.D.E. type,” Mira
added. “The good news is his vital signs are getting better.”

“Are
all of us going to have to go through something like this?” Seles asked.

“That’s
what I was wondering,” Kivi said.

Myden
nodded. “It may take a few seconds or several decades to change, but it should
happen to you.”

“Brian
told us that he altered the plan,” Valis said. “Can you tell us anymore?”

“The
Warrior, Five Maidens, the Teacher, the Goddess, and the Three Wisemen were all
planned out by the first, the Teacher,” Myden said. “Brian serves as the
Warrior, the five of you his Maidens. From one of you emerges the Goddess.”

“But
he didn’t die, so what changed?” Seles asked.

“More
than our end of the plan,” Myden said. “Brian wants the five of you awakened
for the coming war with my people. That’s what I know.”

The
color coming from the exoskeleton shifted from white light to dark blue. The
brain activity inside Brian moved off the charts.

“What’s
happening?” Seles asked.

“I
don’t know,” Celi said.

“I’m
the same as Celi,” Mira said.

All
of them looked to Myden.

“What
he sees will be different from anything we ever will,” Myden said. “That’s the
only way I can explain it.” He looked at Brian again. “I’m going to try one
more time.”

* * *

Brian
found himself standing on a platform made of the same stuff as everything else
he’d seen in this strange realm. After the black doors closed silence filled
the air. He started looking around and found there was no way out.

“Is
anyone here?”

After
nothing answered him he sat down and rested against the wall. After some time
passed he stood up and began looking for a way out again. Suddenly, the air
around him shifted into a thick mist as the ground turned to dirt and mud. He
found himself standing on the beach of a vast land with nothing on it.

“Now
where is this place?” he asked.

Dim
sunlit shined through the mist. He found the air was extremely difficult to
breath and started coughing. He quickly locked the helmet of his exoskeleton on
and turned the air filter on. As he scanned the ocean and land around him his
sensors weren’t picking up any life signs. He knelt down and looked carefully
into the water as something came up to show life. As time passed the numbers
grew and the water in the area seemed to be changing color. He turned when he
noticed someone standing next to him in a black exoskeleton.

“So
this is where you were,” Myden said.

“Is
that you old man?” Brian asked.

“Of
course,” Myden said. “I threw you into this mess, so I need to help you out.”

“Thanks,”
Brian said. “Where the hell is this?”

“Check
your atmospheric scans,” Myden instructed.

“What
am I looking for?” Brian asked.

“Most
worlds that develop life start out as something quite different,” Myden said. “According
to the gravity and atmospheric content I’d say it’s primitive Earth.”

Brian
laughed. “I’m confused.”

“What
we’re witnessing is the birth and proliferation of life on your homeworld,”
Myden said. “When I went through this my grandfather told me the same thing.”

“Why?”
Brian asked.

“I
suppose it’s the memories of life,” Myden said. “Each of us was born of a
different fire, but all of us have reached sentience.”

The
mists gave way to different weather. Before the two men the primitive Earth
changed faster and faster as life grew from nothing and covered the lands and
filled the oceans. In the sky the sun rose and sank while the moon moved
further and further away.

“I’ll
be leaving now,” Myden said as he started fading away. “You must take care of
the rest.”

“I’ll
try,” Brian said.

He
gazed as the history of the Earth whirled around him. Years lasted seconds as
the land and sea shifted. Brian continued watching as the ages passed before
him.

Queen
Kchlt stood at the top of her pyramid shaped palace and looked over the jungles
of her world. The homeworld of the Ick-Tckt was more massive than the Earth by
one third and had a single rocky moon orbiting it. Surrounding the planet from
east to west was a solar power generation ring held up by seven towers spread
evenly across the planet’s equator. The planet had a single continent
dominating the center of the world, surrounded on all sides by the ocean. The
landscape was dominated by the mountains and jungles covering the continent.
Billions of the ant people lived each day in the fields or in the numerous
cities. Ships of every kind came and left, as well as transporting goods and
services across the land. At the center of each of the cities was a palace like
the queen’s where the female leaders kept law and order. A number of decorated
black and gold transports landed on a platform just outside of the queen’s palace.
The female nobles and their warriors left the crafts and headed inside. Kchlt
and her fellow females stood twice the height of a human, while their warriors
stood around three
vetres
in height. The numerous drones all stood
slightly shorter than the average human. All of the Ick-Tckt resembled ants but
stood on their back four legs with the front two acting as arms because of
their hands. The star their homeworld circled was slightly dimmer than the
Earth’s, giving the world a darker appearance. Kchlt clicked her mandibles to
sing an old praise to the setting sun. Behind her a tall warrior wearing an
amulet made of gold came. He watched the sun set as she sang. When she was
finished she turned to her Chka Knight.

“They
have gathered my queen,” the warrior said.

“They
have acted rashly,” Kchlt said. “Khcha, we must be careful.”

“I
know my queen,” he said. “The Auguar Stars have been used against Heaven’s
Light. From the data collected in the last battle their forces have found a way
to detect them.”

“I
know,” Kchlt said. “And because they acted foolishly the Terran and his allies
have the upper hand. Who was the one to order the attacks?”

“We’re
still investigating,” Khcha answered. “If all goes as planned we’ll know in a
week or so.”

“Good,”
the queen said. “We have to find the one at fault for this. The High Council
will slam us with sanctions if we’re found culpable.”

“But
you did not send the order,” her warrior said.

“It
won’t matter to them,” Kchlt said. “They love blaming the one in charge and not
the one at fault.”

“You
sound like you’ve changed your mind about Heaven’s Light,” Khcha said.

“I
have,” the queen said. “I opposed them in the beginning because I saw them as
threat to our power.” She gazed at the moon as it rose in the nighttime sky.
“But the Terran
Maigar
has shown the opposite of what we feared. He and
his allies will change things, not destroy them. If the nobles keep this up we
may need to call for their aid.”

“It
has been the policy of our people to solve internal disputes on our own,” the
warrior said. “But the way the others speak of things I see war once again.”

“It
was a mere five years before his appearance when we found peace,” Kchlt said.

“We
should go,” Khcha said.

“Of
course,” she said.

* * *

After
a long time the montage around Brian subsided as modern day Earth swirled to a
pause. As he gazed around the images disappeared and left him alone in the dark
place. Across the room another door appeared and opened, revealing a stairway
leading up. Before he reached the door Myden appeared next to him.

“What
did you see?” Myden asked.

“I
saw…I saw everything,” Brian answered. “Did you see the same thing?”

“I
saw the birth and life of my homeworld,” Myden said. “You know better than
anyone what it was.”

“When
others asked I told them it was the heartbeat of the universe,” Brian said.
“Words can’t give it justice.”

“I
understand,” Myden said. “Brian, always keep what you see in this place in your
heart. It will prevent you from ever taking things for granted again.”

“I
will,” Brian said. He stood at the door and looked up the stairs. “How much
further do is there?”

“For
each being the journey is different,” Myden answered. “For me it ended shortly
after this.”

“So
it may be awhile,” Brian said. “Tell everyone I’m alright.”

“I
will,” Myden said.

* * *

Myden
opened his eyes and saw the Maidens staring at him.

“Well?”
Seles asked.

“He’s
currently on the road,” Myden said.

“What
do you mean by that?” Mira asked.

Myden
shrugged. “His journey will take a little longer.” Myden looked at Brian. “I
think we should leave him alone.”

When
he went to leave Valis stopped him.

“Can’t
you tell us anymore?” she asked.

“In
a word, no,” Myden said. “I was only able to interject myself for a few brief
moments. I’m sorry, but I can’t say anything else.” Before he stepped outside
he turned to them. “Pray to Kali. That’s all you can do for him right now.”

After
the door closed the five women were silent for a few moments.

“He’s
right you know,” Kivi said. “All we’re doing is wasting time.”

“We
need to keep going,” Celi said.

“I’ve
been putting off my battle plan,” Valis said.

“You
can finish it up then,” Seles said. “Mira and I will watch over him.”

Each
of them left and returned to their work. Seles lingered back for a moment and
went over to Brian. She put her hands on the helmet and closed her eyes.

“Come
back to me you fool,” she said.

She
smiled and headed for the door.

“
I
heard that,”
Brian’s voice said as it echoed in her mind.

“I
know you did,” she said before leaving.

* * *

After
hours of debate the female nobles left their queen without a resolution. The grand
hall was empty except for the queen and her Chka Knight. The sound of their
ships taking off filled the area as Kchlt made her way back to the top of the
pyramid. Khcha joined her a few minutes later after briefing her other two
warriors.

“We’ve
seen better days,” the queen said.

He
nodded. “I sensed discontent amongst them.”

“Will
we find peace?” she asked.

“As
long as sentient beings live war will be amongst them,” Khcha said. “Even
lingering in the distance it beckons to them like moths to the flame.”

“This
time I fear we’re outnumbered,” Kchlt said. “The other nobles seem determined
to destroy the Terran.”

“They
fear the peace he offers,” Khcha said.

“And
there’s no profit in peace,” the queen said.

“As
you say my queen,” her warrior said.

* * *

Dreka
was running maintenance on the Gemini when Kivi walked in. She went over and
touched the leg of the mobile suit.

“I
wonder why he wanted me to pilot this one,” Kivi said.

“Brian
said something about you being the melee specialist,” Dreka said. “That cannon
you use gives the enemy the opposite impression.”

“I
think it’s about time I used it,” Kivi said.

“I’d
like to see it work at least once for testing,” Dreka said. “But Valis keeps
delaying it.”

“She
won’t be able to for much longer,” Kivi said. “I know I’m not as good at
planning as her, but I can see how the battle coming up will go. While the
Viken fight it out the Ick-Tckt will attack us full force.”

“Haven’t
they been doing that already?” Dreka asked.

“No,”
Kivi said. “They’ve been testing us. And now they know we can detect them.
They’ll come at us like the Bronze navy, but this time we won’t have anywhere
to run.”

“Do
you want me to prep my Talon?” Dreka asked.

“Do
you think Kaela can handle the bridge on her own?” Kivi asked.

“Yes,”
he answered. “She’s more suited to it than I am.”

“Then
prep it,” Kivi said. “I’ll talk with Kaela before the next battle.” She went to
leave. “Take care Dreka.”

“To
you as well captain,” Dreka said. After she left he looked up at the mobile
suit. “You heard that you two?”

Of
course we did.
Gemini Alpha answered on the monitor next to Dreka.

We’re
ready anytime.
Gemini Beta said on the same monitor.

“Good,”
Dreka said. “I’d like to see the twin blade system in action for once. I don’t
want my masterpiece rusting away without being used.”