Ex Nihilo - Abyssal Prophecy

Chapter 18

On entering the captain quarters, Magnus admired the skulls encased in glass on the walls, the collection of weapons, and the artwork. He approached the tapestries. They appeared to glorify the previous captains’ accomplishments. He looked around but couldn’t find one for Gabriel.

            A part of the wall slid open with Gabriel’s handprint. He produced two chilled glasses and a bottle of whiskey from a shelf and motioned for his guest to sit in the chair in front of his desk. Placing the glasses on the desk, he opened the bottle and poured the amber liquid for his guest first.

            “This is whiskey from before the Great War, and my family has kept it safe at great cost. It is a great honour on my ship to be offered a glass and to drink with the captain. I imagine it is far less of an honour to you, Magnus, than my crew.”

            “I respect the gesture, Captain Gabriel.”

 Magnus watched Gabriel pour his glass, pick it up, and smell the liquid first. He mirrored the behaviour to ensure he did not accidentally insult his host. Gabriel moved his glass towards Magnus’s and tapped them. He took a drink from the glass, and absorbing the energy from the drink caused him to smile.

“I see that pleases you.” Gabriel took his seat.

“It’s been a long time since I tasted anything like it.  But, I don’t imagine you brought me to these private quarters to get me drunk. Although if you did, I wouldn’t say that I’d mind.”

Gabriel placed his glass down but never broke eye contact with Magnus. There was no trust, he knew that, but right now, he needed this alien’s help. There were already too many enemies on the Alcatraz to have any more. It was clear Magnus wanted something, and perhaps there he could find some room to build trust. Not in friendship but in mutual need.

“The problem is how do we trust one another?” he asked. “From my point of view, I have nothing to offer you to make you trust me. We do have mutual needs, however, in the Research Outpost. I need supplies and resources to placate my people, but what exactly is it that you need from there?” He stared into Magnus’s black eyes.

Magnus picked up the glass and took another sip while thinking. The energy tasted like something preserved with care. Setting the glass back down, he knew a flavour of the truth would have to suffice.

“The outpost has a gene-lock much like your doors to this quarter, your alcohol reserve, and, one would suspect, your weapons. The problem is this gene-lock requires one person specifically, and it has a backup failsafe system that will detect any artificial way to bypass it. I have the genetic code necessary and could try to clone this DNA, but I am almost positive the failsafe will detect something I can’t replicate. So, if you’re willing to help me, I promise you I can get you past the defenses. All I want is what is behind the vault doors in the datacore. You can have everything else, including the installation, if you want it.” Magnus smiled.

Gabriel pondered the proposition. Magnus was offering up almost everything, and that was what bothered him. He sensed Magnus was no fool. Whatever was behind the vault door must be incredibly valuable, but there was something else. This information didn’t sit well with him, so he took another drink to calm his nerves.

“I’d be a poor captain to agree to something when I don’t know what it is that I am giving away,” Gabriel stated. “However, I may be persuaded into agreeing to share the spoils if I can make a different decision once I know exactly what is in that vault. That’s the best I can offer.”

It was a bold counter-proposal, Magnus thought. Gabriel was no fool. Still, he'd taken the bait. He glanced out the window to the black maw of space for a minute. Turning back, Magnus leaned in.

“There are only two things I want from that vault. A key and a map, and of the two, the key is more important. There is a cluster of nanomachines so thick and dense that nothing has ever survived passing through them. Some say that in time, these machines will fail, and the great secret will be revealed. I have waited a very long time, and they haven’t failed. Now, what’s beyond this death shroud is anyone's guess, but it’s valuable. Some legends say it is a portal to paradise, others think it is a prison for a great evil, and still others  believe that it’s home to a secret project hidden by the Ancients. That’s what I want, really.”

Gabriel couldn’t hide his smug smile. It was obvious that Magnus needed his help to get this great prize. Gabriel decided he would play along. In the end, he’d kill this alien and take whatever the prize was for himself and his people. All he had to do was bide his time.

“Would you be willing to share this prize with me and my people?” Gabriel asked.

“Absolutely,” Magnus replied without hesitation. “I’m in this for the thrill of doing something no one else has succeeded at. Besides, I believe we’re stronger together in this endeavour.”

Grabbing the bottle, Gabriel poured another glass for himself and Magnus.

“Let us toast to fortune,” Gabriel offered.

“Also to fate, the great arbiter of all that happens,” Magnus countered.

Gabriel chimed his glass off Magnus’s, and they drank together. Setting the glass down, Gabriel offered his hand l. Magnus shook it.

The door whisked open, revealing Helena and Angelica. The two women stared at the strange alien.

“Who is your guest, Father?” Angelica managed to say before her mother.

“Oh, this is my new friend Captain Magnus Void of the Death’s Reaper. He and his crew have come to our rescue. The commotion from earlier was that some foul aliens tried to invade us.” Gabriel stood and walked over to put his arms around his wife and daughter.

“Magnus, my friend, this is my wife Helena and my daughter Angelica.”

Magnus stood up to approach the two ladies and bowed, holding the position for a moment.

“It is a pleasure to meet you.”  He took Angelica’s hand and kissed it, feeling the soft, delicate skin on his lips.

She felt a tingle from the sensation and pulled back.

Magnus took Helena’s hand and did the same. Years of experience of hiding emotions allowed Helena to hide any reaction to the tingling sensation.

“He’s like a knight from those old Earth stories,” Angelica stated.

“My beautiful wife and daughter, please leave me and Captain Void for a moment. I’ll be in soon to discuss the events of the day, and I promise you it’s worth the wait.”

Gabriel watched his wife and daughter leave, and, when the door slid shut, he turned back to his guest. Magnus was admiring the detail in the tapestries. Walking over, Gabriel pointed to one.

“That was my father’s. This tapestry shows his victory over the raiders who tried to enslave this ship. They would have succeeded if not for the bravery of my father. He managed to hide out from them and then used guerrilla tactics to free the crew and mount a war. This is his defeat of the enemy leader at the final battle on the Upper Wards. It was only a diversion. I was sent ahead to take control of the bridge just in case.”

“I notice none of these depict you, Gabriel, but they are beautiful beyond words,” Magnus said.

“A tapestry like this is only created after a captain’s death. I still wonder what mine will be like. Perhaps this treasure we now seek shall be in my tapestry.” Gabriel smiled.

“Perhaps. But, as a friend, I must warn you. Your wife is full of malice, and your daughter is full of hatred. I worry they are preparing something against you.” Magnus could see the warning upset Gabriel by the furrowing his brow. “My people can sense energies, Gabriel. Your wife and daughter’s energy are dark.”

“My wife and daughter are loyal to me,” Gabriel protested.

“Consider it a warning from a friend. I could be wrong. Let me go before I upset you further and taint this otherwise pleasant and productive meeting.” Magnus took a step back and bowed in respect.

“That sounds wise. I shall summon you if we need to discuss anything more.” Gabriel watched Magnus leave the room before heading back to pour another drink. Glaring out the window, he wondered if his new ally spoke the truth or was attempting to create discord. He turned and headed to speak to his wife, daughter, and harem. Entering all the eyes of the room fell upon him dilated in anticipation of the events of the day.

 “Captain Magnus Void is our new friend, and he helped save this ship from an attack,” he explained to his women. He described the creatures and how the various troops of the wards fought with courage and, of course, how he saved the bridge. Gabriel noted how Helena didn’t interrupt, and he thought about Magnus’s warning.

“You must be tired, my dear husband.” Helena massaged her husband’s back and muscles.

“I am.” Gabriel stood up. “I think I shall retire by myself tonight. I haven’t the energy for anything else, and I have much to think upon.” The door whisked shut behind him, and a moment later, music resonated from the captain’s bedroom.

“Do you think he is onto us?” Angelica whispered in her mother’s ear.

“We’d be dead already,” Helena replied.

Gabriel’s behaviour was odd, and the appearance of an alien was unexpected. She always believed that, like her father, her husband hated all aliens. Until tonight, she believed that prejudice had come from the Soloman family when they slaughtered the alien prisoners.

She headed to her private room and retrieved the communicator from underneath her bed. With a few minor adjustments, she had changed its frequency. It was risky, but it had to be done. Opening the drawer, she pulled out her compact of makeup, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside was a small device she activated. At least the data scrambler would make it impossible for anyone to decode the transmission except for anyone who held the key.

“This is Helena. I have an update on the situation,” she reported. “My father has requested I activate Operative Lilith, but I am not sure it’s the time. With this alien Magnus Void on board, my husband’s suspicions are heightened. I need advice on how to proceed. Please respond, Lady Clotho, and tell me what fate dictates.”

“You are correct in your hesitations. Fate has decreed it is not time yet. You must stay vigilant in your reports to me. I promise you that your fate is not to die a traitor or at your husband's hands,” Clotho promised. The transmission cut out.

She sighed in relief, but then a different dread set in. Lady Clotho had not promised the safety of her daughter. She was the reason she was doing all this. Fate would not take Angelica from her, she swore to herself. Angelica was the only thing in the universe worth sacrificing her own life for.