Ex Nihilo - Abyssal Prophecy

Chapter 14

The walls and floor of the corridor outside the bridge were covered in the dead from both sides. The blackened hides of the creatures lay strewn over the corpses of the fallen Officer Clan. Kain worried on seeing Nemesis and Matthew talking to his father with Lord Whelsey looking on. He trudged through the mess of flesh, sinew, and blood that stained the floors sticking to his boots.     “Captain, the enemy ship was destroyed by another ship. Our communications are down, making it impossible to establish contact with this new vessel. Chief Joshua is trying to get the system back up, and, using old Morse Code, we’ve established limited contact. The ship has identified itself as the Death’s Reaper by its Captain, Magnus Void, and they’re offering us aid,” Kain reported.

            “You all did well,” Gabriel told the crowd of people. “Nemesis, my daughter, could you and the Lower Ward’s lords start trying to fix the communication systems? I am sure your brother, Lord Hephaestus, and the Forgers Clan could use all of the help they can get. Take some of the mining loaders. They might come in handy.”

Gabriel looked over at Lord Whelsey. “I need you to get hold of Lord Galen and his medics to start treating our wounded, and collect some of these creatures for study.” He began to walk away and then stopped and turned to his youngest son. “Follow me, Matthew, and watch how negotiations with these aliens should be conducted.”

            “Of course, my captain. Whatever you order,” Lord Whelsey stated. He turned to give orders in whispers to Commanders Verdas and Lance. The three whispered amongst themselves for a moment before the two commanders departed. Lord Whelsey decided it was best he hang back and to do some spying. He attempted to look busy while ordering medics and his troops to begin assessing the casualties.

            Rushing over, Kain wrapped his arms around the waist of his brother, who was towering over him in power armour. He looked up at him with a smile, and pride beamed in his eyes. With a nod, he sent a silent acknowledgement to Nemesis, and she returned the gesture before departing. Together, the two brothers walked behind their father.

Lord Whelsey watched the group with wary eyes.

            “So, how many of these creatures do you think you killed?” Kain asked.

            “Oh, I didn’t keep count, but it was a lot. I didn’t think we were going to survive, to be honest,” Matthew responded. “They just seemed to keep coming, but Nemesis, Lord Cornelius, and Lord Hector managed to rally the Lower Wards. They’re brave warriors down there, and they lost a lot of people.”

            “But, they held their own and so did you.  Just look at you! You’re practically bathing in the blood of your enemies.”

            Black and crimson blood mixed in stains on his armour. He tried to stop his cheeks from turning bright from a mix of shame and embarrassment. He loved his family with everything he had but he’d always prided himself on being different from them. Now, he wasn’t so sure he was different.

            “I didn’t really think about it. The Lower Wards needed me, and I just did what I could.”

            “You’re a warrior, brother, like me, and when people are in danger, you race to their aid. Just like you did during the hull rupture. You have a brilliant mind, a strong heart, and it seems a warrior’s instinct in you. I can sense great things in your destiny.”

            The word “destiny” echoed in Matthew’s mind. Flashes of the ritual rippled in his head, a blur he still couldn’t make out. Entering the bridge, he saw a medic tending to the unconscious soldier missing his leg, and it appeared the medic had managed to staunch the bleeding.

            Lord Whelsey entered the bridge and moved to assist the medic to appear natural. He glanced around and saw no one watching. Captain Gabriel was helping Chief Joshua to get communications up, Kain was assisting his sister at the helm controls, and Matthew and the medic were busy trying to save this guard’s life. With a quick movement, he moved towards the captain's quarters. The door was still open. Sparks flew from a malfunctioning power conduit above the door. He whispered a quick thanks to his God and slipped into the quarters.

            “With engines shut down, could we route the power from them to the communications antenna through the engine conduits?” Gabriel asked.

            “Well, we could, but the systems use a much different power output,” Joshua informed his father.

            “These aliens took out a ship that would have destroyed us, and could probably destroy us right now if they wanted. Reroute communications,” Gabriel ordered. He knew the repairs would take a long time, and he was worried that the longer it took, the more agitated these aliens could become. He didn’t trust them, but he believed he could use them. The information displayed from sensor readings showed the ship possessed technology far superior to the Alcatraz.

            “Father, the chain of command is very specific about not accepting help from aliens. Our ancestors killed all of the alien prisoners after getting free. Are you sure about this?” Kain asked.

            “Do you have any other options?” Gabriel asked.

            Moving through the captain's quarters filled Lord Whelsey with apprehension. He knew if he was caught, he’d be seen as a traitor, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. Few people were ever invited into the captain’s private quarters. He headed towards the captain’s inner sanctum. Leaning his ear against the metal door, he tried to hear what was going on inside but could only make out muffled noises. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he glanced back at the door to the bridge. He hesitated for a moment, then tapped on the door.

            “Who’s there?” asked a muffled voice.

            “Helena, thank God you’re safe.”

            “Father, your voice is like that of the angels,” Helena answered. “Hold on a moment. Angelica can open the door.”

            The door slid open. Lord Whelsey looked upon his daughter, and then at Angelica. All three stood motionless for a moment.

            “My beautiful daughter, and granddaughter,” he exclaimed, wrapping them in a loving embrace. “You’re safe for now.” He looked at the frightened women in the harem. Seeing the unchristian nature of the harem filled him with loathing, causing his lips to curl in anger. “What has this monster done to all of you?”

            “We endure by God’s graces, Father,” Helena responded. “We haven’t much time. The communication device Commander Verdas left during his last visit broke. There are no means available to us to fix it here, but we’ve continued to prepare for the appointed day.”

            Reaching into his robe, he pulled out his communication device and handed it to his daughter. He knew how dangerous this was, but didn't want to frighten his daughter, granddaughter, and the other women. The device would have his identification codes on it, and if discovered, there would be no explaining that away. He shook the fear off to focus on what needed to be done right now. Glancing back, he felt his heart thumping with fear.

            “What would you have me do, daughter?”

            “For now, Father, you need to continue our divide and conquer strategy. We need to weaken Gabriel’s hold on the crew before we can make our move. Continue dividing the Lower and Upper Wards to stoke the fires of resentment. If a rebellion breaks out, you need to be in a position to take control of the ship to save our lives.” Helena leaned in and kissed her father on the cheek before motioning for him to go. She knew how dangerous it was for him to even be here.

            “Is Operative Lilith ready for deployment?” he asked.

            “Yes, Father. I have everything prepared.”

            Lord Whelsey held his daughter and granddaughter close. He said a silent prayer to God to protect them in his absence. Kissing both on their foreheads, he released them to head back to the bridge. Glancing over his shoulder, he dared not think how long it would be until he saw them again. He slipped back onto the bridge. It appeared no one had seen him, but he couldn’t be sure.

            “Off ship communications are up, Captain, but I can’t tell you how long they’ll hold,” Joshua said.

            On the viewscreen, the picture of the sleek small Death’s Reaper flashed off, a black screen lingered for a second, and then a new picture began to appear. The image focused on a tall thin man sitting in a captain’s chair and staring through the viewscreen at the bridge of the Alcatraz. His skin was dark blue, and long tendrils of ashen hair were pulled back into a top knot and down across his shoulders in intricate braids. The sides of his head appeared to be shaven, and he stared with pure black eyes at the crew, focusing on Captain Gabriel.

            “I am Captain Magnus Void of the Death’s Reaper. My sensors show your ship has suffered severe damage. My crew and I would be more than happy to help.” Magnus stared at Captain Gabriel, seemingly intrigued. “My fellow captain, is it the custom of your people to greet strangers in the nude?”

            Looking down, Gabriel realized he was still naked and covered in gore and filth from the battle. He couldn’t contain his laughter, and it echoed across the bridge. On the viewscreen, Captain Void appeared perplexed, one ashen eyebrow raised.

            “Consider my naked flesh and act of transparency.” Gabriel smiled trying to not laugh at his own joke.

            “You are a fine specimen of a human, sir, but perhaps you care to introduce yourself as I have.” Magnus blinked in almost slow motion from disbelief.

            “Here I am forgetting my manners. I am Captain Gabriel Soloman of the ship Alcatraz. It’s been a long day, so I hope you can forgive any abnormalities in the protocol. My ship is not used to communicating with...” He searched for the right word. “...foreigners.”

            “That explains your outdated technology. And, no offense, but the general state of disrepair of your ship. You’re lucky we were nearby hunting these Mongoloids,” Magnus stated. “My sensors show you don’t possess any energy-to-matter converters. Our last raid, we’d managed to secure more than our needs necessitate. We intended to sell them on the markets of Phobos, but seeing your ship in such need has sparked my charitable nature. Perhaps you’ll allow us to dock on your ship?”

            “How exactly is it that you’re speaking the English tongue, Captain Void?” Gabriel wasn’t sure about allowing them to dock yet. The offer of the matter converters was hard to pass up. It had been centuries since the last matter converter had broken down. He knew a few of those could keep the Alcatraz running for centuries--and maybe countless generations. The rules of many generations before prohibited communication or trade with aliens, but these were dangerous times.

            “Oh, I am fluent in many languages, but we have a translator program installed. I also have a human crewmate on my ship who has taught me your language. She is anxious to meet her own kind. So few humans are left out here in the Great Maw.” Magnus sighed.

            “The Great Maw?” Gabriel asked.

            “The abyss that is the former universe, Captain. Most species now call space the ‘Great Maw.’ Fitting, as it is always trying to devour us. May I begin docking procedures?”

            “Hold your position, Captain Void. I’ll send docking instructions as soon as I ascertain the extent of damage my ship has suffered. I don’t want to tell you to dock only to find out our docking systems are damaged. Should only take a few minutes to figure it all out.” Captain Gabriel lied with a straight face.

            “Of course, Captain Soloman. Magnus Void out.” He cut the transmission.