Ex Nihilo - Abyssal Prophecy

Chapter 13

On the viewscreen, Kain and his siblings watched the small, sleek ship darting along the hull of the massive ship but evading its point defense turrets fire. Rapid flashes of light sparked in the void, making it hard to discern what was happening, but the explosions along the hull of the massive ship filled the screen. The small sleek blur of the smaller ship moved high above, racing away from weapons fire.Slowly, the massive ship tried to turn its broadsides to attack the Alcatraz.

            “Time until the ship can fire its broadside?” Kain asked.

            “We only have a few minutes before it can open fire at the earliest, but we’ve got about ten minutes if the ship waits to use a majority of its kinetic cannons,” Joshua reported.

            Caught in a mess of half-burnt wires, Celeris ripped and tugged at the bundle, trying to restore flight control. With deft hands, she peeled plastic wire coating off and entwined wires,causing some sparks to fly. Perspiration dripped from her brow, and her fingertips hurt from small burns caused by electrical current. She didn’t have time to shut everything down to fix the system. Connecting a new wire, the system controls sparked back to life but showed that helm control was still not responding. With a sigh, she continued to work at the mess of wires while looking back at her older brother.

            “I have no clue how long this is going to take. I am working as fast as I can,” Celeris reported.

            Gunfire sounded in steady bursts beyond the bridge door. With communications systems still offline, Kain had no choice. All he could do was pray for the men and women defending the corridor. The two guards were still busying fusing the doors shut. The screams of dying soldiers penetrated the thick metal bridge door. Smoke from burned metal collected on the ceiling of the bridge in a dense cloud.

            System errors blared on Joshua’s screen, showing that despite his best efforts, he couldn't reroute the weapons systems. One of the small projectiles had hit one of the outer power routing substations, and the screen showed him the damage. He knew the damage would need to be repaired before power could be restored to the weapons systems, but the reports showed the reactor was stable and working nominally. There was a strange bit of coding on the screen from the reactor. It puzzled Joshua. He realized it was a code and began to decipher the message.

            “Kain, I have a message from our chief engineer Hephaestus in Reactor Control. He can’t get weapons online from there, either, but he can divert energy through backup systems. It might get communications up and running. What should I tell him?” Joshua asked.

            “Tell him before he gets communications online that he needs to activate the mining loaders and deploy them to the bridge for defense,” Kain ordered. He knew the massive mining loaders weren’t designed for combat, but their mining lasers and thick armour would reduce causalities. The only question was whether they would reach the bridge on time. Tactical showed the damage in one of the alternate lifts, the fire raging in the main lift, and the remaining lift still active near the back of the ship. Hearing the gunfire growing closer, he knew time was not on their side.

            Kain saw the small ship continuing its assault on the enemy ship. Explosions rippled out from multiple points on the enemy ship. The smaller vessel raced away from the ship, its engine light vanished, and seemed to stall. With a blast of bright white light, the smaller ship’s engines flared back to life. With a steep dive, the vessel opened fire with bright rapid flashes, sending energy projectiles lancing out. The smaller ship was now targeting the larger ship's exposed reactor.

            Gunfire echoed from the other side of the bridge door.. Smoke was beginning to come through the vents and into the bridge. Loud thuds caused the entire deck to shake. Something massive was getting closer with each step. The primal roar of a massive creature rippled through the vents and into the bridge, and the bridge door shook from an impact.

On the screen, everyone could see the massive ship was almost in position to open fire with its broadside kinetic cannons. Several bright blue flashes erupted from the massive ship's reactor. Joshua knew  the enemy ship’s reactor was destabilizing. Another encoded message appeared on the screen from Hephaestus. With some quick thinking, Joshua decrypted the message.

Another impact on the bridge door caused the metal to vibrate and resonate.

“Mining loaders are inbound, Kain, and I got even better news. Nemesis, Lord Hector, and Lord Cornelius’s forces converging on the bridge to assist,” Joshua reported.

Wires sparked and Celeris yelped in pain, but then turned with a smile on her face. On the ship's control, it read, “Flight control restored. Awaiting input.”

Everything blurred in Kain’s mind. He couldn’t be sure his sister and the Lower Wards lords were coming to help. They had every reason to use this to attempt to take control of the bridge, and whoever controlled the bridge controlled the ship. Roars from the creatures beyond the door sent chills down his spine, and time seemed to slow. With their weapons pointed at the door, the two guards watched the metal as it began to bend under the repeated impacts.

“We’re back online, Kain.” Celeris jumped back into her seat, taking control. “Joshua, can you divert power to the engines? Bring them to a 150 percent power?”

“Are you mad? There is no way these old engines won’t blow up from that.”

“Do you have any better ideas, brother? When that enemy ship’s reactor explodes, it could take the Alcatraz with it, and if we don’t get out of range, it may get off another volley.” Reaching to her neck, she wrapped her hands around her cross in silent prayer to God.

A loud crunch echoed across the bridge from another impact. The massive metal door to the bridge was beginning to buckle, and no one knew how much longer it would last.

“This is either going to be brilliant, or we’re all going to die.” Joshua activated the energy transfer system and began to transfer power at a slow rate. He didn’t want to make the engine explode. On the screen, warnings flashed, telling him engines were exceeding recommended values, and he tapped a few buttons to make them go away. The engine power climbed steadily towards 150 percent overpower.

Burns covered Celeris’s hands but didn’t prevent her from taking control of the ship's flight path. She pulled the massive Alcatraz away from the enemy moving out of the firing range. On the viewscreen, explosions from the enemy ship rippled across the hull. Sensors showed Joshua that the reactor was beginning to go critical, and power surges were ripping through the enemy ship. Another volley of kinetic shots exploded from the broadside. Trajectory sensors showed most of the shots would miss, but a few still stood a chance. On the engineering screen, he could see the engines growing unstable.

In his cabin, Captain Gabriel woke up and looked around his dark quarters. He heard the sounds of the bridge door being attacked. He wasn’t sure what was going on. Standing up, he walked into the harem to see his wife keeping everyone calm. Standing there in the nude, his half-erect d**k hung out for all to see. Panic was written on the faces of all of the women except Helena, who seemed to be maintaining her composure.

“What is going on?” Gabriel demanded

“How should I know” Helena countered. “Perhaps you should go find out.”

Another thud shook the walls. “I’d hurry if I was you,” she said.

On the bridge, Kain motioned for his men to take cover and drew his gun More gunfire echoed in the distance, and all he could hope was that it was Nemesis and the Lower Wards lords. It no longer mattered to him what their intentions were. He’d deal with that problem once he dealt with whatever was outside the bridge. Another primal scream radiated through the vents, the door resonated from the impact, and the metal cracked with a groan.

The whole metal door rattled against the frame, and the hole expanded. Massive hands reached through, grabbing both sides of the opening, tearing it further. Without hesitation, Kain opened fire, and the two guards joined in. Gunfire echoed in the small bridge. Blackened blood poured from wounds on the massive creature's hands, but it didn’t seem to slow it any. A loud, long groan accompanied the door giving way. Metal folded upon itself until there was a massive opening. Beyond the door, everyone saw a portion of the massive abomination.

“What the f**k is that?” one of the guards cried out.

“Death,” Kain answered with a burst of gunfire.

Black-armoured humans began to pour in. The onslaught of creatures forced Kain to switch from burst to fully automatic fire. Switching to fully automatic, the two guards joined Kain in trying to prevent the rushing creatures’ access to the bridge. Blackened blood ran across the floor of the bridge in a deluge from the humanoid creatures trying to gain entry.

A massive arm reached through the hole in the door, grabbing one of the guards. Screaming, the guard unloaded his weapon into its hand with little effect. The creature pulled the guard back through the door before Kain could stop it. On the viewscreen, the enemy ship’s reactor was glowing bright, and sensors showed it was about to explode. Darting away, the small ship was now racing towards the Alcatraz.

There wasn’t anything more Joshua could do, so he drew his rifle and opened fire, moving to support his brother. Standing side by side, the two brothers’ weapons roared gunfire into the hole. The creatures’ screams almost drowned out the sound of gunfire, and the massive abomination’s hands crashed back into the bridge but couldn’t grab anyone. Falling back, the last guard joined the brothers’ side, trying to stay out of reach.

Celeris noticed the other ship attacking the incoming projectiles.

“Almost got us to safety!” she screamed over the commotion.

The abomination ripped through the door with a scream. The massive creature was forced into a hunch on the small bridge. Its massive limbs shot out, trying to grab the three people firing at it. It tried to stand up fully and howled in frustration, unable to do so. It then began trying to back out into the hall where the high ceiling allowed for full movement. Stuck in the doorway, the creature lashed out in frustration, and its arms sent the three warriors flying in all directions across the bridge.

The door whisked open, allowing Gabriel to hear what was happening on the bridge. Screams and the sounds of commotion echoing beyond the door to the bridge, and they filled him with a sense of urgency. Instead of putting on his armour, he just grabbed his energy blade and rifle. The great long blade was etched with the names of all of the previous captains, and seeing that filled him with the glory of his ancestors. With a flick, he activated the energy blade and strode towards the bridge. Scanners detected his approach and the door to the bridge whisked open.

Still disoriented, Kain’s vision blurred, but he reached out to pull Joshua to safety before the abomination’s massive hand crashed down on him. Together, the two brothers opened fire again at the creature.

The chaos of battle prevented them from spotting the captain.

Standing in the doorway, Captain Gabriel gripped his energy blade tight. He saw the massive creature grab and crush the leg of the remaining guard.

With a scream, Gabriel charged forward, cleaving the arm with one blow, but he didn’t stop. He slashed at the creature's arms. On seeing the enraged captain charging it, the creature struggled to break free of the doorway. It lashed out, trying to stop the incoming attack, but it was already too late. Driving the energy blade into the abomination’s chest, Gabriel stared into the creature's red eyes. He screamed with rage, his muscles trembled with fury, and he ripped the blade upwards, towards the creature’s head. Blackened blood sprayed all over him, coating him in the viscous foul-smelling refuse.

“We’re free!” Celeris turned to see what was happening. On the viewscreen, the massive ship began exploding. A bright blue flash erupted from the reactor as it went critical, sending shockwaves in all directions. Ignoring the situation, Celeris rushed to the engineering console and inputted commands. The power levels to the engines began dropping fast. She looked at the sensors and saw the incoming shockwave. “Brace for impact!”

With a loud crash, the abomination fell backwards, screaming in agony. The opening gave Gabriel what he needed to push forward. Slashing, he marched unafraid into the ranks of the enemy forces. He struck down the humanoid creatures with glee in his eyes. Some of the creatures tried to hold their ground by opening fire, but the captain’s reflexes were too fast. He ducked out of the way, slashing, hacking, and slaughtering everything in his path. Unable to halt the attack, the creatures tried to flee, but Nemesis, Lord Hector, and the wounded Lord Cornelius and their forces were blocking the only avenue of retreat.

The Alcatraz shuddered, shook, and groaned when the shockwave hit. It didn’t slow Gabriel’s charge, and his warrior instinct moved him across the shifting battlefield. Nemesis, the Lower Ward lords, and their forces were tossed about.

On the bridge, Joshua fought the motion by reaching for the engineering console. Taking control of the system, he motioned for his sister to get back to piloting. On the ground, the guard had lost consciousness from blood loss, and Kain was trying to treat the man despite the ship trying to throw him around.

“Captain, we’re receiving an incoming communication from the small vessel.” Celeris took her seat.

“Put it on the screen, if you can.”

“I can’t. Our external and internal coms are still down.”

“What’s the ship doing?” Kain asked.

“The smaller ship is on a direct course with the Alcatraz.” Looking over the systems report, Joshua realized there was nothing he could do to fix that. Then he remembered the old human Morse Code and began using the active sensors to send a coded message. It was a long shot, but if the people on that ship were smart, they’d detect the code. He knew he had to be careful not to reveal their weakness in the message. “Com systems disrupted. Please stand by,” he tapped out.

The two forces met in the corridor outside the bridge. It was now stained in blackened and crimson pools of blood. Nemesis and Matthew approached their father, who was still holding his blade and trying to catch his breath. The sound of the approaching mining loaders rumbled in the distance. Behind the Lower Wards came the thudding march of Lord Whelsey, Commander Verdas, and Commander Lance. The Upper Ward’s troops were right behind them with guns drawn.

“Father, are you okay?” Nemesis kept her distance because she didn’t trust him.

“Ah, my rebellious children have you come to take advantage of the situation?” Gabriel struggled to catch his breath, but he aimed his sword without a twitch at his children. Together, the two children lowered their weapons to show their intentions. “Well, I guess there are a few drops of loyalty in my blood, after all. What are you doing in that power armour, boy?”

“Fighting to protect the Lower Wards and the bridge, Father,” Matthew retorted. “Did you even consider putting on some clothes before wading into battle?”

With a few steps, Gabriel placed his energy blade at his youngest son’s throat. Tension lingered in the air between the Lower Ward lords, their troops, and Nemesis, who gripped her weapons tight. She was resolved to killing her father if he hurt her baby brother at all.

Dropping the energy blade, Gabriel reached up and pulled Matthew lower so they were eye to eye. Father and son stared at each other in silence.

“He did well, Father. You should be proud of him. He killed many of these...” She looked around. “...whatever these foul things are.” She kicked a corpse.

“A true warrior can fight without weapons or armour, and you are all far from what I would call true warriors.” Gabriel looked at the Lower Ward’s troops, but then turned to smile at his youngest son.

“Perhaps I was wrong about you, boy. Seems you’ve got some fighting spirit in you, after all. After all of these years of resisting my training sessions, it turns out you can hold your own.” He laughed. Reaching up, he rubbed his son's messy hair.

“Captain, Lord Drumpf has sent these troops, and my holy warriors have come to offer any help we can.” Lord Whelsey huffed on arriving at the group.

“My loyal Lord Whelsey, thank you, but, as you can see, I took care of these creatures myself,” Gabriel boasted to his crew.

            There was no indication from the smaller vessel that they understood the message Joshua had sent. Sensors indicated the ship was getting closer, but it had powered down its weapons systems. Joshua breathed a sigh of relief on seeing that information. Than his sensors lit up, showing rapid scans of the Alcatraz being activated and then deactivated. It was obvious to him the message was Morse Code when he heard the system beeps. He translated it and turned to look at his brother.

            “The message says: ‘I am Captain Magnus Void of the Death Reaper, and I am offering you any assistance you need.’”

The two brothers’ looked at each other, and Celeris turned to look at them. None of the siblings knew how to react. Each of them knew only the captain had the authority to accept. Without further word, Kain went to inform his father