A Space Story 61

            Samal Hectorese was in his quarters praying on his musallah when the madness took hold of him.  He found he could not speak.  He felt unclean and unworthy.  He began praying to God and asking why.  Why what?  He did not know.  Someone forced open the door to his quarters and said, “It is time to wake up Samal Hectorese.”

            Upon hearing this, the madness was driven from Samal’s mind and he was himself again.  He followed Junitha Findragon and asked, “What is happening?  Something was affecting the way I think.  We have to find a way to put an end to this.”

            “I have been trying,” said Junitha, “but I can only work so fast.  We need a way to end this fast before someone gets killed.”

            They heard sobbing.  They were outside Dr. Vandis Bane’s office.  They found Ryoko Jeagan inside cradling the body of her dead lover.

            “I just wanted her to know that I still loved her,” said Ryoko, “it did not matter.  It did not change what I had to do but I just wanted her to know anyway.  Who would do this?”

            “We were too late,” said Zai, last of the Raath as he entered the office.

            “Nothing we can do about that,” said Junitha, “All we can do now is work to stop the attack.  I’ve been putting people to sleep as they crossed my path but that is only a temporary solution.  We need a way to drive them out.”

            “What are you talking about?” asked Samal, “you say we are under attack but I do not see any horde anywhere.  Is it some kind of chemical attack?”

            “They are attacking your minds,” said Zai, “the Spectral Horde are using mental telepathy from a long distance away to affect our minds.  Their control is limited though and easily broken.  We need a way to reach everyone.  To tell them to fight back within their own mind and take back control.”

            “I have another way,” said Junitha, “Is there a way for me to speak to everyone on the ship at once?”

            “Are you sure you can do it?” asked Zai.

            “I’ve used it before,” she replied.

            “Then there is a way,” said Zai, “from the command and control center you can access every communication terminal in the ship all at the same time.  You will be heard everywhere.”

            “Then I need to get to command and control.”

            “What about Ryoko?” said Samal, “whatever your plan is we may need her to help us execute it.”

            “I’m not sure she’s in a state to help anyone?” said Junitha.

            “They should not have been able to do this,” said Zai, “they may be influencing us but they should not be able to push someone to murder.  Unless they are concentrating their power on a single mind.”

            A device deployed from Zai’s right arm.  It was round and looked like a large magnifying glass.  He held it over Ryoko’s head.  Through the glass they could see an image of Ryoko’s skull and then of her brain.

            “I can see the effects of the telepathic influence on her brainwaves,” said Zai, “I have scanned a number of people on my way here.  Not everyone is being affected.”

            “They don’t need to affect everyone,” said Junitha, “If they can get into enough of us and generate enough hysteria and paranoia… We’ll tear each other apart.”

            Zai used the device to scan Vandis Bane’s body.  He gently asked Ryoko to let him see her so he could determine who had done this.  Ryoko let him.

            “I have a match,” said Zai, “there is enough DNA under her fingernails from her attacker.”

            “Who did this?” demanded Ryoko.

            “It is a match for Raddy Volcane.”

            “Oh shit,” said Junitha.

            “I’ll kill him,” screamed Ryoko, “I’ll kill you all.”

            Before Ryoko could make good on her threat Junitha was in front of her.  Her eyes turned bloodshot red and she carresed Ryoko’s cheek.  Ryoko fell down in a deep sleep.

            “She won’t be any good to us like this,” she said, “best to let her sleep it off.”

            “How did you do that?” asked Samal, “how did you move across the room that fast?  That is impossible.”

            “I don’t have time to explain,” said Junitha, “we have bigger problems.  If the horde is controlling Raddy we need to stop him.  He is a Superior, a super soldier.  Do you know how many people he could kill before we could even scratch him?  Why did he start with Dr. Bane?  I heard he didn’t like her.  Oh god, what if that’s all they can make him do?  Go after people he doesn’t like.  Zai, Raddy does not like Janessa.  What if he goes after her next?”

            “I will find Raddy Volcane,” said Zai, “Raath are natural hunters.  I know his scent.  I can track him even with my battle suit offline.”

            “Why is your battle suit offline?”

            “Under the Spectral Horde’s influence, Vanz Kerrigan and Roweth Sinclair attempted to attack me.  They disabled my battle suit temporarily.  This does not happen often.   It will take time for all of the systems to reboot.  ”

            “Okay,” said Junitha, “You find Raddy and make sure he doesn’t hurt Janessa or anyone else.  I’ll get to command and control.  Damn this is not going to be easy.  I have a whole ship of people losing their shit between me and there.  I just hope to god that too many of them don’t kill each other before I get there.”

            “I may have solution for that,” said Samal, “I can provide a distraction.  You said everyone is in the grip of paranoia and anger.  I will give them something to direct it at.  While they are attacking me they will not be attacking you or each other.”

            “Are you sure about that Samal?” said Junitha, “You may be a Superior but there are over a thousand people on this ship.  Even you can’t take that many people on at once.”

            “Then I will just have to trust you to get there before they can kill me,” said Samal.

            “Looks like we have a plan then,” said Junitha, “let’s go.”

A Space Story 60

            When Anyantha Whitecross found Vanz Kerrigan she was relieved he was safe.  Then he demanded she follow him and started raving about how they were going to show the alien who was in charge.  At that point Anyantha got scared.

            Evan Evaide heard Anyantha’s voice coming from his com watch, “Evan, are you there?”

            “Anya are you all right?  Is anything strange happening where you are?  Everyone is acting weird down here?”

            “I think there is something wrong with Mr. Kerrigan.  I think he tried to take control of the ship from Zai again.  Evan, Mr. Kerrigan is acting like he’s lost his mind.  I’m not even sure where we are going.”

            Before Evan and Anyantha could talk more the signal for the com watch went dead.  Evan was sure it was a bad sign.  He put on his data frames and grabbed a data pad and went to work.  Weeks ago when Kerrigan was planning his first attempt to take control of the Daedlus from Zai, he had come to Evan.  He had asked Evan to find a way to track Zai’s movement throughout the ship.  The ship was an enclosed system.  Whenever someone moved in it they displaced air.  Evan had used that to account for Zai’s body mass and follow him.  Evan used that same method now.  But he put in different parameters and used it to find Anyantha.

            “What do you think you are doing?” said Kerrigan as he tore the com watch from Anyantha’s wrist, “Who were you talking to?  What have you and your boyfriend been up to?  I thought you were loyal.”

            “Mr. Kerrigan this is not you,” said Anyantha, “please just listen to me.”

            “Kerrigan,” shouted Roweth.  He strode forward and said, “We were wrong Kerrigan.  Look at what is happening.  This is exactly what the Spectral Horde wanted.  Zai was the only one that could have stopped this and we disabled him.  We played right into their hands.  You have to wake up Kerrigan.  When Zai hit me it knocked me back to my senses.”

            “You are nothing but a traitor,” said Kerrigan as he jumped on Roweth.

            Roweth was still uneasy from being punched by Zai.  He was not ready to be attacked by a man just as large as him but ten times as angry.  Kerrigan got hold of Roweth’s gun.

            “Mr. Kerrigan, stop it,” screamed Anyantha.

            “Are you a traitor too now?” accused Kerrigan.

            He hit Anyantha with the butt of the gun.  She fell down.  She felt her head bleeding from the blow.  Then she felt more pain as Kerrigan started kicking her.  Anyantha could not get up.  She was in too much pain to think.  So she started kicking back.  She got in a lucky blow.  Kerrigan lost is footing and fell.  Anyantha pulled herself up in a sitting postion.  Her forehead was bleeding and her side was bruised.  She saw Kerrigan get back up.  The mad look in his eye was gone.  Mr. Kerrigan was back.  He looked at the gun in his hands.  Roweth got back up too.  He started telling Kerrigan that they had been wrong that they needed Zai.  Kerrigan shot him before he could finish.  Roweth fell against a wall and slid back to the ground leaving a bloody smear behind.  Then Kerrigan was gone the other way.

A Space Story 59

            Raddy Volcane walked the halls of the Daedlus.  He could not decide who he wanted to make pay next.  A woman ran up to him.  He recognized her.  She was on one of the other fighter squads.  He had hit on her once and she had rejected him.  She was saying the rest of her squad had lost their god damn minds.  Of course now that there was trouble she wanted his help.  She said, oh shit its not happening to you too is it?

            Raddy Volcane heard voices.  Some of the voices were deep and dark.  Some of the voices were high and squeaky.  The more they talked the more Raddy liked the sound of the ideas they gave him.

            Raddy Volcane grabbed the woman.  She screamed.  She tried to fight him.  Most people forgot that behind the attitude Raddy was still a Superior.  He took from her what she had not given him.

A Space Story 58

            Dr. Vandis Bane did not know what was going on.  She only knew that the lights in her office kept going on and off and she saw people run by.  Some of them were laughing.  Some of them had been screaming.  She did not feel right just sitting in her office but she was hardly qualified to deal with this kind of mass hysteria.  If that is what it was.  Someone rang the call button.  Vandis Bane was hesitant to answer.  The bell tone sounded again.  Vandis Bane opened the door.  No one was out there.  Raddy Volcane came around the corner fast.  He was smiling.  He did not say anything.  He did not give Vandis Bane time to speak before he put his hands around her throat.  She tried to fight back but all she managed to do was scratch his cheek.  Then she stopped struggling.  Raddy Volcane did not stop smiling.

            Janessa Kepshawn did not know why she was feeling these things.  Everything felt wrong and unpleasant and she wanted everyone to stay away.  Then she saw Duron Ardiniero and all she felt was desire.  She could tell Duron felt it too.  They lunged at each other.  They began tearing each others clothes off and touching and kissing and she had to have him right then and there and he had to have her too and they would never ever stop.

A Space Story 57

            Zai did not get far before his path was blocked by Roweth Sinclair and Vanz Kerrigan along with several members of security.

            “What do you want now Kerrigan?” said Zai getting increasingly agitated.

            “We are going to show you alien,” said Roweth with a strange gleam in his eye.

            “We are going to judge you now,” said Kerrigan triumphantly.

            Zai was not in the mood for this, he did not feel like fighting especially if it was against an inferior opponent.  But he had to deal with the situation so the liquid metal deployed from Zai’s battle suit and formed a sword in each hand.

            “Get out of my way,” said Zai.

            Roweth hit a button on the data pad he was holding.  Zai’s sword reverted to their liquid form and splashed on the floor.  The liquid smart metal that formed his helm also lost its solidness and flowed away.  Zai’s mask fell to the ground.

            Zai did not understand how this was possible.  He flipped open the device on his right arm.  It was offline.  He tried to use voice commands.  He said ‘full stealth’ and he did not disappear.  He tried moving his hands and arms in various gestures to get his liquid smart metal weapons to redeploy.  Nothing happened.

            “How have you done this?” said Zai.

            “We’re human,” said Roweth, “We are not fucking aliens.”

            Roweth ran at Zai.  He was going to show that alien what a real human soldier could do.  Zai delivered on swift punch to Roweth’s gut and forced him to the ground.  The security guards charged at Zai together.  Zai weaved around their attacks easily.  He knocked them all out and took apart their guns at the same time.

            “Get up you bastards,” screamed Kerrigan.

            Zai was angry.  We wanted Kerrigan to stop talking.  He wanted him to die.  It was in that moment, when that violent murderous thought entered Zai’s mind that he broke free.  This was not who he was.  He may have been trained to kill but in all his life he had never truly desired the death of another.

            “They are in our minds,” said Zai, “I should have realized it sooner.  It all makes sense.  We are under attack.”

            Zai noticed Kerrigan trying to put one of the guns back together.  They looked at each other.  Zai with all of his calm and discipline picked up his mask and walked away from Kerrigan saying, “I will do my best to help you.”

            Kerrigan screamed in anger, “I don’t need your help.  I’ll show you.”

            Junitha Findragon did not get far before alerts started going off.  Lights began blinking on and off.  She heard screams and shouts.  Someone came walking toward her.  Junitha asked what was going on.  The person just screamed, “Fuck you fuck you all,” then ran off.

            She got to the nearest communication panel and called the Command and Control center.  The answers she got from there were not helpful.

            “I can’t remember how to do things.  I know I am supposed to press some buttons.  I think I pressed the wrong ones.  I think everyone is pressing the wrong buttons.  When you do it wrong it makes sounds and flashing lights.  Can you see them?  They are hiding in the corner.  They think I can’t see them but I can.”

            Junitha tried to call other places on the ship.  She tried to get in touch with anyone else.  The medical center seemed to be the only place on the ship with anyone sane in it.  Junitha warned Dr. Faction to stay there and that as soon as this was over he was going to be busy so get ready.

            Junitha Findragon saw other people run up and down the corridors of the ship in the distance.  She could still hear people screaming in rage and pain.  The whites of her eyes turned bloodshot red.  Her blood began to pump so hard the veins in her neck and forehead stuck out.  Junitha Pandragon went to seek out the people she would need to help the crew survive this attack.

A Space Story 56

            “Janessa where do you think you are going?” asked Junitha.

            “I am going to talk to Zai,” said Janessa, “you heard what Suchin said before she went into that coma.  Zai knows something.”

            “That is not what she said.  What is wrong with everyone lately?  Ever since the Spectral Horde attacked something has been wrong on this ship.”

            Janessa found Zai in the remains of one the weapon lockers.  Most of it had already been salvaged for any useful parts that could be used to modify their existing weapons in preparation for a future attack.

            “Tell us what you know Zai?” Janessa demanded.

            “I know very little at this point,” said Zai, “But I do have a number of theories.”

            “What are they?”

            “I am not prepared to share them yet.”

            “Who do you think you are?” said Janessa getting so hot with anger her body itched, “Who the hell are you anyway Zai?  What makes you think you can do this?  Who are you to judge us?  What gives you that right?”

            “I do as That Which I Serve commands,” said Zai.

            “What the fuck does that even mean?  What do you even serve?”

            “A Higher Purpose,” said Zai.

            Janessa moved forward to hit Zai but Junitha stopped her.

            “Listen to me Nessa,” said Junitha, “This is not you.  Something is wrong.  You need to step away and calm down.”

            Hearing Junitha call her Nessa, just like Tania used to, it made Janessa realize she was right.  There was something wrong.   She did not feel like herself.  And people had been acting different.

            “I want you to go to your quarters and lie down.”

            Janessa went to do as Junitha said.

            “She had a point,” said Junitha, “She may have been losing it but she had a point.  What right does your master have to judge us?”

            “You know by what right,” said Zai, “That Which I Serve has decided that humanity must be judged and I am his tool.”

            “Oh are you still using that bullshit excuse.  That you are just following orders.  Do you always just blindly follow his orders?  Do you ever think for yourself and question what he is asking you to do?”

            Zai moved forward quickly and went right up to Junitha.  He towered over her and in anger said, “That Which I Serve has earned my unconditional loyalty.  I have never seen him act with anything but righteousness.  I have no reason to question his will.  He saved me from damnation.  He gave me the chance to serve A Higher Purpose.”

            “Son of a bitch it’s happening to you too,” said Junitha.

            “What?” Zai did not understand.

            “Ever since the Spectral Horde attacked, it’s like something is spreading.  And it looks like I’m the only one not affected so far.  But that could change.  I can’t assume that I’m immune to it.  I need you to stop thinking about your mission for a minute and help me figure out what is wrong with all of us.  Because if it is affecting you too it won’t matter what your decision is.”

            Zai agreed.

            By then it was too late.  The madness had already started.

A Space Story 55

            In the medical center Duron asked Dr. Faction if he had any idea what had happened to Suchin.

            “I can’t explain it,” said Dr. Faction, “the parts of her brain that control speech and thought, it looks like they just shut down.  She is still alive but she is completely unresponsive to stimulus.  She is in a sort of coma but there is no physical trauma to the brain.”

            Roweth Sinclair sat by Suchin’s bedside holding her hand.  A thought entered his mind.  It was not the sort of thought he had often.  He knew who was really responsible.  It had to be that alien.

            “I will make this right,” said Roweth, “I will make that alien pay.  I will make them all pay.”

            Roweth rushed out of the medical center.  He went to the intelligence lab.  He found Suchin’s research on Zai’s arm device and the signals it used and everything else they had gathered about him.  Roweth had looked at these with Suchin before.  Roweth did not think of things in terms of programming.  He was not a programmer or an intelligence officer.  Roweth was a military man and he knew weapons.  He knew how to turn things into weapons and use them to do damage.  At the back of his mind there had been a theory about what it was possible to do with those signals Zai used.  Roweth gathered what he could and went to the one person he was sure would listen.

            Vanz Kerrigan demanded to know what the hell Roweth Sinclair wanted.

            “I want what you want,” said Roweth, “I want to bring down that damn alien.  And I want you to help me with it.”

A Space Story 54

            Suchin Markjon put her program into effect.  She did not wait for permission.  She did not tell anyone what she was doing.  There was no time.  She was not sure why there was no time but she was sure she had to do this fast before it happened.

            Suchin began moving along the halls of the Daedlus looking for someone.  She saw all of her crewmates as she went.  She could see who they were and what they wanted.  Suchin felt like there were no secrets.  She could see everything everyone kept hidden and she loved them all anyway.  She found Roweth Sinclair.  She ran up to him and hugged him.

            “It is so good to see you Roweth,” she said.

            Roweth was not sure what to do.  He was not big on hugs.  He was not sure why Suchin was hugging him.  He prayed to God that she would let go before she noticed something.

            Suchin stopped hugging Roweth and said, “I have not seen you for a while Roweth.”

            “I’m sorry we have not been able to have lunch together lately,” he said, “Things have been hectic lately.”

            “I know things now Roweth.  I knew them before but now they are clearer and I know them even better.”

            “Are you feeling well Suchin?”

            “A moment ago you were afraid I would notice you getting an erection.”

            “I was not,” Roweth lied.

            “It is okay Roweth,” said Suchin, “I know that sometimes you wonder what I look like naked.  I also know that sometimes you fantasize about having sex with me.  But you try not to think about these things because you think you don’t have a chance with me because you are really a natural born human and not a gene mod enhancile.  You should stop lying about that Roweth.  It does not bother me that you are a natural.  It bothers me that you lie about it.  I know that you want to be my friend because you think that is the best you will get because you think I would never even consider any kind of relationship with you let alone having sex with you.  But the truth is I am not opposed to those things.  But we don’t have time to talk about that now.  I need you to start calling people.  I need you to tell them to meet me somewhere so I can tell them things.”

            Roweth sat there with his mouth open, then he started calling the ships senior staff and telling them there was something wrong with Suchin and she wanted them all to meet her in the common hall.  The prime squad came but Raddy Volcane was absent.  Duron, Therazan and Dr. Faction were also there.  Roweth had not bothered to call for Kerrigan or to find Zai.

            “Good, good, good,” said Suchin, “Thank you all for coming.  And I want to congratulate you.  I want to congratulate Janessa and Commander Ardiniero for trying to be friends again.  And I want to congratulate Therazan and Zemwell for not having sex in closets anymore.  Whoa Junitha how are you doing that.  Its like you are there but you are not there and there is more than one of you.”

            “Is she high?” asked Junitha.

            “I don’t know,” said Roweth, “she just came up to me and started acting like this.  I thought if I did as she asked it might calm her down and we could get her to the medical center.”

            “We do not have time for that,” said Suchin, “I found the Spectral Horde home planet.”

            “You what?” said Duron, “Where is it?  How is that possible?”

            “Well not exactly found it but I know where it is,” said Suchin, “But the ship does not know so I made an algorithm to find it.  We are a lot closer than we thought.  And that is the key.  I looked at the Spectral Horde signals again and they made sense I know what they really are.  It all makes sense now.  All the things we thought were wrong, they are wrong but not for the reasons we thought.  There it is again.  I think Zai may have figured it out and if he has not he will soon.”

            “What about Zai?” asked Duron, “does he know something?”

            “No this is not about Zai,” said Suchin, “but it is about him and he does not know it.  But it is also about the Spectral Horde.  You see what they are doing.  They can…”

            Suchin stopped talking.  It took them a moment to realize that she had also stopped moving.  She was frozen in place.

            “What’s happening? What’s wrong with her?” said Roweth.

            Suchin began to move her hands.  She placed them on her head and grabbed her own hair.  Blood dripped from her nose.  Suchin threw her head back and screamed.  She fell back and thrashed on the ground and it took three people to hold her down.  She stopped screaming and went limp and Suchin Markjon was gone.

A Space Story 53

            Everything was becoming clear to Raddy Volcane now.  Everything made sense.  Everything happened for a reason.  For a brief moment Raddy wondered if he was going insane.  But this was not insanity.  This was clarity.  It would be time soon.

A Space Story 52

            “So what does this mean?” asked Zemwell.

            “It means you win okay, we can be a real couple if you want,” said Therazan, “we just had real sex in a real bed and I’m willing to let you introduce yourself to people as my boyfriend from now on what more do you want?  Damn it; stop grinning at me like that.”

            “What made you change your mind?”

            “You almost got sent drifting out into space.  As soon as I heard you were being taken to the medical center… I just stopped what I was doing and ran.  I could not believe what I was doing.  But all I could think was I wanted to see you again.  And nothing else seemed to matter.”

            Zemwell was not grinning anymore.  He pulled Therazan close to him.

            “Sorry if I scared you,” he said.

            “You better be,” she replied.

            There was a call from the security force.  Therazan answered it.  It was not good news.

            “In the medical center?  When?  Oh god I was there less than an hour ago.”

            “What happened?” asked Zemwell.

            News of Felina Golumbine’s attempted suicide spread fast.  It only made everyone increasingly ill at ease.  A security guard was placed in the medical center at all times from then on.  Felina Golumbine was sedated.  Dr. Winchester Faction was almost always watching over her.

            “You should get some rest Dr. Faction,” said the security guard, “I’ll make sure she is okay.”

            “There were sixteen successful clone soldiers from our batch,” said Winchester, “we were each named after a different gun.  We all looked alike but all of my brothers were different.  I had eye for sharp shooting and sniping and I was the best medic.  My brother Kalashnikov was the only one of us that could cook worth a damn.  He was cooking one night.  I was playing cards with Magnum and Colt.  The rest of our brothers were sleeping or on watch.  Magnum was the thinker of the group.  He was always thinking.  He was always asking questions.  He asked why we were here.  Why had we been born?  Colt said we were born to tear shit up and have a good time.  Colt was always looking for a fight.  He was always ready to shoot first and screw the questions.  Magnum did not say much else that night.  He asked me what I thought.  I said we were soldiers, we follow orders.  The next morning we found Magnum hanging from a tree.  At first Colt accused the ones that had been on watch of not doing their duty, of letting an enemy get into our camp and kill our brother.  But I knew right away.  I knew no outside enemy had done this.  I had to explain it to them.  Our brother had done this to himself.  It did not make sense to us.  We already had so many enemies.  We did not understand why Magnum had wrapped vines around his own neck and throw his self out of a tree.  With accelerated growth we were teenagers by then.  But chronologically we were only six years old.”

            This was not the first time Winchester had told someone a story of his early childhood.  He recognized the look on the security guard’s face.  The man sympathized but he did not know what to do or say because he knew he could not truly understand.

            “You are right,” said Winchester, “I’ll be no good to my patients if I can not function.  She will probably stay under for a long time yet.  Just keep an eye on her for me.”