Hero Born: Project Solaris (21 page)

"Maybe you should give me mouth to mouth," I croaked weakly, smiling at Jillian.

Jillian gave me the most brilliant smile I'd ever seen. "We thought we'd lost you. Like...like Summers."

I struggled into a sitting position and took a good look around. Usir stood by, watching, hands folded behind his back. There seemed to be fewer wrinkles on his face, and he stood straighter. He'd looked perhaps sixty-five when we'd arrive. Now he could have passed for fifty.

My gaze followed Jillian's, landing on Summers' limp body. Her mouth was open and her eyes stared sightlessly ahead. She was breathing, but there was no life in that gaze. I didn't need to probe her to know that her mind was gone.

"She saved me, you know. Saved us all," I said, clearing my throat as I rose to my feet. "We fought something. I guess you might call it the grey men's leader. It was old. Older than old. When I glimpsed its mind I saw millions of years. It was killing me, and she distracted it long enough for me to get loose and save you guys."

"So that was you?" Kali asked, gesturing towards one of the sloped walls. "You opened those to space and killed them all."

She sounded impressed, and I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, that was me. I couldn't think of another way to get rid of them. The energy field was starting to fail. I know it was a tad extreme, but it was the only thing I could think of."

"Let's hope you didn't squander invaluable tech with that stunt," Usir said, mouth turned down in a frown. He turned slowly, surveying the control crystal and the surrounding area.
 

"He saved our asses, you ungrateful prick," Jillian snapped, taking a threatening step toward Usir. "And don't think we don't remember what you did to Summers. You're a cold bastard, Usir. I don't trust you as far as I can throw you."

"Given the nature of your powers, I'd wager that would be pretty far," Usir said, raising an eyebrow. "I realize you have no reason to trust me, but fortunately I also know that David is a pragmatic man. He'll work with me, because he has little choice."

"How do you figure?" I asked, adopting a bit of Jillian's anger.
 

"Think about what you know," he explained, giving me a calculating smile. It was just the sort of smile I'd always imagined him having, not the plastic one I'd seen up until now. This one fit his predatory nature. "This is far from the only grey man ship, and, while we survived the encounter, we've also become their primary enemy. The grey men will come after you, David. Are you so comfortable in your command of their technology that you believe you can evade them?"

It pissed me off, but he had a point. Not only were the grey men still a threat, but, thanks to Dick, they might have the means to summon more of their kind. We were in a world of shit.

I met Jillian's gaze and she shrugged. I turned back to Usir. "What's your point? It's not like you can help us. You know almost nothing about their tech."

"An accurate statement, but I still have something you need, David. Resources. I control the CEO of Mohn Corp, and, through him, billions of dollars and some of the best personnel in the world. The question is, will you capitalize on those resources?" Usir asked, smile never slipping. "You have a ship, but almost nothing else. I can provide money. Intelligence. Other supers to help you fight the grey men."

"What's to stop us from finding other supers on our own?" I asked, but I was bluffing and I think he knew it.

"How? You've destroyed the beacon. You have no way of tracking them. Your powers are considerable, but even with access to the internet you'll have a tough time locating more of your kind," Usir said. The predatory smile faded. "David, I know you dislike me. You distrust me. Both are understandable. But believe me when I tell you that everything I have done has been for the good of mankind. The grey men
will
invade, and when they do it will take a united humanity to stop them."

"What are you proposing?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Work with me, David. Allow me to give you the resources you'll need to wage your war. I'll help locate supers, and you recruit them. Build a force to resist the grey men," he offered, ever the master orator. It certainly sounded good, but I knew his clever bait likely had a hidden hook. "Keep the ship, and whatever tech is left inside it. Keep your secrets about what happened with this master grey man you fought. You don't even need to tell me what happened when you met Ka."

"How do you know about Ka?" Jillian asked. It was an astute question. Everything I'd found suggested that Melinda Waters had never returned after using Object 3. If that was the case, there should have been no way he could have known of Ka's existence.

"As I said, I am older than you can imagine." Usir gave a heavy sigh. "I have been called many names, but the one you'd recognize is Osiris. You want to know what my connection to that name is? I was responsible for much of Egyptian culture. I guided them in creating the pyramids. Long before that, I helped Nar Mer weld two kingdoms into one. Meeting Ka came before even that. Millennia before that."

Usir faced Jillian. "Your hostility is understandable. How could you possibly trust me? A man who seems to age backwards, who claims to be thousands of years old? I understand that it sounds preposterous. Yet it is the truth."

He turned back to me. It was several more moments before he spoke again. "I know a great deal about our world and the events that are about to unfold. More than Ka, more than the grey men. Enough to tell you that if you do not join Project Solaris, if you do not
lead
Project Solaris, then all of us are doomed."

"Me?" I asked, giving a harsh chuckle. "I'm a twenty-one-year-old intern, Usir. What makes you think I'm qualified to lead anything?"

"You successfully led a raid on Mohn Corp. You penetrated our security and gained access to the Nexus. Your companions are fiercely loyal to you, and when we battled the grey men you demonstrated a head for tactics," Usir replied. He eyed me soberly. "You are a natural leader, David. You have the ability the greys most fear."

"What do you think?" I said, turning to Jillian.

"I think we keep our guard up, but he's right. We need the resources he can offer," she said, but she didn't look happy about it.

"Kali?" I asked, turning to the teen.

"You want to know what I think?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yes. You're part of this. We're not going to treat you like a child, especially not after you saved us all with that detonation," I said, giving her a warm smile. "We're a team and you're an important part of that team."

"Then I say we join this Solaris. If nothing else, let's take the guy's money. I want a new car," she said, giving the first smile I'd seen since arriving in the mothership.

"I like the way the kid thinks," came a raspy voice from behind me. I whirled, already raising my boomerang to fire. I lowered the weapon when I saw who'd spoken.

Marcus leaned heavily against the control crystal. Raw pink skin dotted his body, and his dreads were nothing more than singed stubble. Streamers of smoke still rose from the remains of his clothing. But he was alive.
 

He grinned as he spoke. "Gotta be honest, man. After Usir here gave the command to have me nuked, I'm not in a hurry to stick around with Mohn. I'll tell you what, though, if you're taking control of Solaris I want in. You, I'd be willing to follow."

I turned back to Usir, confident in my decision. Marcus, Jillian, and Kali moved to stand beside me. It was time to fight back.

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