Therans In Space: Chapter 4

As they road to the top of the waters the psykik oppression was lessened. From an overwhelming weight to a constant sensation of pressure on their necks. She was able to breathe without feeling as if she were going to be crushed. Grunting she went over to Jenny and put a hand on her shoulder shaking her.

“Come on Jenny, I need my first mate with this one.”

Jenny coughed pressing a hand to her forehead. The other was tight around Alice’s waist and she helped her to sit up, leaning against her. “I’m here captain. Though this whole thing makes me wish I was unconscious.” She mumbled through her headache. “You saw it too right?”

Alice started to move and her hands flexing. “We all saw it Jenny.“ she said and even her hands seemed tired. “And I agree. We get out of here as soon as possible.” Jenny looked at her, nodded slowly and kissed her hands gently.

The platform breached the waters and a storm raged above them. Rain pelted the dome in a barrage as lightning streaked across the sky. Just shy of the facility floating on the water Ya’Cahin could see something like a tornado forming on the surface way in the distance. When she looked there were at least a dozen more just within eye sight.

“Alright that looks awful.” Trey said through his grumbling voice. Rubbing his head and then his eyes he groaned. “And I feel like shit.”

The five of them huddled together as the dome fell down and the rain pelted them like like nails digging into their skin. The wind blew at their faces and a strong gust actually made them slide backwards. With the ground slick the trio of women were almost all blown off.

Ya’Cahin’s eyes glowed blue and she pressed a hand against the ground. It stuck them in place as the wind howled in her face and she had half a mind to scream back. Alice was holding onto Jenny’s arm for dear life and Jenny narrowed her eyes. She feet her planted into the ground and all of their feet suddenly squared on the platform. She took a heavy step forward and over the roar she heard the heavy clunk of her step as her magnetism kept her steady.

“Thanks,” Alice signed looking at her.

“I want off this planet. Now!” Ya’Cahin said and glanced at Tahu. “Is the ship still running?”

Their eyes turned hazy as they tried to connect with the ship from where they were. Wincing lightly, they glanced his good eye at her and nodded. “In one piece. But getting off the ground is going to be a problem.”

Ya’Cahin stopped and looked around them at the weather. “Is it more than this?”

He pointed toward the waters and in the distance, she could see in the flashes of lightning a shape. It was pointed and rising out of the sea. Pillars flexed and writhed around the point and as she stared she could feel her headache growing worse, more the weight returning to her mind and almost making her lose concentration.

Tearing her eyes away she looked at Tahu. “Alright we’re moving now.” She took a heavy step forward and then another as the five of them trudged forward. There steps dragged and a the rain only got worse. Lightning flashed and struck near them, hitting the facility itself. Sparks of electricity disappeared over head.

One of the tornados tore across the ocean and it kicked up enough spray that it added to the rain already coming down on. Tahu sent their signals to the ship and it hummed to life. “Hold on Trey,” they whispered to their friend struggling to keep it together.

Tahu jumped forward and their feet glowed as they jetted forward. The propulsion died down as they landed just in front of the ship. Lightning flashed striking the ocean and sending vaporized mist into the air. Covering their face slightly they glanced at Trey who gave a weak wave.

The ship’s cargo door dropped down and they walked their friend in one by one. sheltered finally from the rain and the winds. Trey held up a hand as they took a deep breath and narrowed their eyes, taking the belt and buckling themselves in. “I’m alright Tahu. Make sure the others get in here and get us off this rock.”

“No problem. Just don’t get possessed by whatever the hell that is.”

They ran down the ramp and went toward the bridge. It opened and they slid themself in, hooking into the ship. Things came to life as they started turning on switches and flipping through menus as dozens of alarms started blaring. They flipped on the communicator and heard the harsh static from trying to reach out to Ula and the ship. Messing with the buttons and measurements, they scowled slightly but it wasn’t getting that much better. “Alright. Going to have to do it manually.”

The ship shook hard for a moment and they looked at a monitor. They watched as everyone made it inside as well, soaking wet. Jenny buckled Alice in before getting herself settled beside her. They could hear a door open behind them and felt Ya’Cahin show up. They looked back at her and said, “Alright, so no contact with Ula. This storm is insane.”

“Trust me I see it,” Ya’Cahin said strapping in and flipping through the switches and checking their readings. “Can we take off?”

“It’ll need a moment. There’s heavy winds so we need to take off with the wind or we’re getting taken by the wind.”

“Okay so when does the next breeze come by?” she asked looking outside and more flashes of lightning hit even closer than before the vaporized spray obscuring the windshield. When it faded she saw the eyes, within the darkness glowing purple and staring in their direction. Except instead of rising from the waters it was almost within the clouds now.

“Hold on!” He jerked forward on the stick and the jets came to life. It hovered off the ground and was swept into the air sharply by a gust. Leaning hard into the seat Tahu watched the readings which were just outside of the red. With narrowed eyes they stared up above them and a bolt of lightning flashed just underneath the ship.

They punched it and the ship jolted out of the grasp of the wind, gliding straight into the clouds. Ya’Cahin grumbled as she rubbed her head. “You could have warned me a little better.”

Whatever Tahu had started to say she didn’t hear. She looked back from where they were flying and her eyes went wide. A hand was reaching out toward them through the clouds. It was dark grey with webbed fingers and scaled skin. “Tahu get us out faster! Right now!”

The Zorg looked over their shoulder for a moment and their eyes went wider. “Is that what you’ve been seeing?”

“Yes! Now get us out of here!” As she stared at the hand she felt the vice around her mind begin to close. She felt its presence digging into her mind and she could hear the chant, a chorus of voices and her teeth crushed together as she tried to fight it. Pressing a hand to her temple she felt the ship jolt beneath her and then shake violently.

She opened her eyes but she wasn’t staring at the ship seat she was in. She was staring into the maw of the thing. Its hands were on either side of her and this time the voice was speaking in a language she could understand.

“Your mind is open to me psykik. Far from Xanic. Full of doubts. Full of worries. Hidden behind that bravado. You wonder where he is. If he’s still alive? Chasing after a crystal fairy tale.”

A ghost of his form appeared before her. Ripped apart by beast, consumed by flames, falling to the ground. She watched him die over and over again her heart breaking each time. Anger, guilt and fear welled up inside her until she screamed.

“Don’t you talk about him!”

“Oh some fire inside. But it’s a candle to the sun. On your own you will fail. With your pitiful crew you will fail. Each of them falling for the sake of your quest. A quest doomed to death and disappointment”

She saw them one by one, appearing before being consumed by blue flames. She heard their cries of pain, watched them reach out for her help before disappearing.

“But serve something greater. Serve me and let them be free of your guilt.” Strings from the distance appeared and then wrapped around like a cocoon. It glowed from deep within with warmth that grew to engulf it and melt away the webs.

An image appeared in front of her and it was like looking into a mirror. Her own face with bright purple eyes. She had skin riddled with scales, tentacles thrashing behind her head like hair. The mirror held her hand out to her and she stared at it.

Without realizing it her own hand was hovering toward it. She could feel the power radiating off it but it wasn’t hers. It was something dark, with strings attached, and it scared her. She jerked her hand back her eyes glowing blue as she stared at the thing.

“I don’t need your power to find him.”

She glared waiting for some sort of backlash but instead it faded from her vision. She was staring at the console of the ship and the emptiness of space before them. She took a slow breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned and looked back at the planet and she saw the storm from above. Deep within it she could just barely see the glow of eyes in the clouds.

Breathing heavily, she shook her head and felt her shoulders shaking. She’d never in her life felt fear like this before. It wasn’t a feeling she wanted to feel again. Closing her palm she pressed her hand to her forehead and tried to focus on breathing.

 But as they flew away the draw from the thing lessened more and more until it was a distant thought. They found their ship, floating outside of the planet’s atmosphere. They docked normally and once the air was restored they took Trey, Alice and Jenny to their medical bay. Though Seth and Rizier were on the ship they had both also been affected, just not as severely.

Ula and Tahu exchanged information between the two of them as they treated their crew as best as they could. “What happened down there?” Ula asked as they worked. “We were on the planet when suddenly Rizier wasn’t able to keep their shape and Seth complained of a massive headache. There was also massive psykik energy spike coming from the planet as well.”

“Honestly, we don’t know,” Jenny said her arm around Alice’s waist and leaning her head on her shoulder. “It came out of nowhere. It was like someone was in my head. Trying to delve into it. Take me over. Without the amps, I think it would have taken us over.”

“Wish I had taken one,” Trey said with an unsettled scowl. “What was it like for you?” he asked looking at Seth.

The usually quiet psykik glanced at him then looked at the ground shaking his head. “It was nothing like I’ve ever felt before. Like trying to stop a car from running me down but I could only watch it come. Even with Duncan I never felt so powerless.”

“Same here,” Alice signed slowly leaning against Jenny and squeezing her hand.

Jenny kissed her cheek lightly then turned to look at Ya’Cahin. Her captain hadn’t spoken much since they’d returned to the ship. Reaching out she touched Ya’Cahin’s knee. The Xanic jumped slightly and looked at everyone before focusing on her first mate.

“You okay?” Jenny asked and Ya’Cahin held out her hand, palm up. Reaching her hand out slowly Jenny touched then held her hand. Their eyes glowed together and Jenny instinctively gripped Alice’s hand tightly.

Everything bled away and the pair of them sat on what looked like nothing. They were sitting still but at the same time floating in a dizzying emptiness that went on in every direction. They stared at one another and Ya’Cahin looked toward some of the blackness. Manifesting from it was the storm of that planet.

Her memories flooded around the pair of them, the creature and the things it showed her. The things it whispered in her ear, trying to twist her mind. Worse because it was augmented by her own emotions but less because the full brunt of the thing’s presence wasn’t there before them.

Jenny heard its voice echoing in her head. The sensation of it dissecting her down to her core. Watching her friends die in various ways. Her Alice. Herself. Shutting her eyes, she still heard it in painful clarity. She tried to pull away from it all but Ya’Cahin didn’t let go of her hand as the maelstrom of torture intensified.

“Make it stop. Ya’Cahin make it stop!”

Things vanished just as quickly as they appeared. Gasping she jerked backwards her brow furrowed and a faint line of sweat on her forehead. Ya’Cahin’s hand hovered in the air where it was before. She blinked a few times, the glow replaced by a haunted stare. Everyone was startled, sitting upright and staring at the two psykiks.

Ya’Cahin was still staring at the ground while Alice held Jenny’s hand, turning her to look at her. Jenny couldn’t meet her eyes though, she was still staring at her captain. Ya’Cahin stared at the ground and opened her hand, the pieces of her shattered amp falling to the ground. “What was that?” Jenny whispered.

“You know that psykiks are born naturally or accelerated by the stones. But there are stories, legends really. About beings greater than ourselves. Like Gods. They lay buried within their planets, subtly influencing the races on their planets. Giving them the power to evolve and become what they could be. They’re called celestials.

“But the celestials are rarely benevolent. Some want the devotion of these people. Enough devotion, prayer, worship, and they can begin to influence them more than before, Take control of a choice few. Start a ritual that would revive them. Take them out of the realm of pure psykik energy and manifest them physically.”

“You’re saying that that’s what happened?” Trey asked. “That a celestial was woken up on Aralagi?”

She looked up finally and the haunted gaze that she focused on Trey was startling. “I don’t know. All I know is in my entire life, I’ve never felt something that powerful. Ever. It reached into my past and showed it to me as easy as holding up a mirror. Broke me down with my personal fears and made it seem like it was my only solution. If that wasn’t a celestial I don’t know what is.”

They were silent, letting this hang over them like a thick cloud of uncertainty and fear. After several minutes Ya’Cahin stood up, her boot crushing a shard of the amp. Walking to the door she paused holding onto the frame. “Ula get us out of this system. Anywhere. Just not here.”

She walked down the hall of the ship as if through a haze. She couldn’t shake the eyes, going so far as to see them out of the corner of her eye. She flinched at shadows and swore under her breath hating every second of this. She walked to her room and would have gone inside but stopped.

Instead she walked down to their armory. The door opened with a hiss and she walked toward where they kept their amps and pushed the box away. Pressing her hand on a palm reader it swept over her five fingers and then she stared into it as it read her eye. She took a slow breath and her energy manifested as that was scanned as well.

The qualifications satisfied she took a step back as a hatch opened in the table. A soft light poured out and she reached for it but stopped. The power that it radiated was like electricity and it chased away the fleeting touches of the thing on that planet. The last dregs of its hold on her mind vanishing like a bad dream.

But its words still haunted her. She hadn’t tried to search for him in some time. She’d gotten complacent since finding the shards. He could be back home wondering where she was. He could be dead and she could have saved him. But she’d been waiting for far too long.

“No more waiting.”

She reached down and grabbed the shard. It seared her skin with its touch but she felt the power. It raced all along her arm like veins, going up her shoulder until it reached her face and it swam into her eyes. The power exploded in the room with a boom sending everything scattering away from her.

She saw the entire cosmos before her, stars racing by like streaks of pale white light. Gritting her teeth together, she gripped the crystal harder and tried to steer where it took her but she was along for the ride, not in the driver’s seat.

“I have… to… find… him…” she said her voice snatched into the abyss as she traveled galaxies at the speed of light. Watching planets whizz by her, asteroids and stars, she saw some explode from collisions and watched others form but none of it told her where he was. She felt the power flowing through her but at the same time she felt like she was losing touch with her body.

“Ya’Cahin!”

She heard the voice but couldn’t place who it belonged to. It echoed in her mind but she ignored it and dug her fingers into the crystal. She could do this. She could control it. She could do this. She felt pain in her arm then in her eyes when suddenly the universe stopped racing past her.. The pain numbed and she gasped, floating in a weightless sensation.

“Ya’Cahin. This thing brought us together for a reason. Don’t shut me out.”

She knew that voice. Knew it well. “Jenny. I started doing this because of my friend. To try and find him. To chase him. To bring him home. And I forgot about him. I abandoned him. I can’t betray him like this.”

“Then we’ll find him together Ya’Cahin. We’re a crew. Your crew. I’m your first mate. Point us in the right direction and we’ll go.”

She could feel Jenny’s hand on her own and she looked to her side and she was there floating in the cosmos with her. She took a steady breath and felt a tear roll down her cheek. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to show you what happened and I pulled you in too deep.”

“Stop. It was an accident. We’re all rattled after what happened,” she said and stared into the universe that the crystal showed them. “But this is our next move.”

She squeezed the crystal and they both felt the jolt of power rushing through them like a shot of adrenaline. “Let’s find your friend, captain.”