Chariot 3: Conception
Chapter 33 – Crossing

Undefeated, the scouter did not crash against the wall, did not stop nor even hesitated. Instead, it increased its speed towards the sealed hatch, and surprisingly went through it with same likeness as the other Grey had crossed the glassy wall minutes before.

Flumen looked back and saw the enemy craft coming out of the black wall. “Astonishing.” At that moment, it became rather clear that despite how advanced the Nibirians were, there was much more of the ancient Grey tech that they had imagined, and he hoped that it would not be today that they would discover it.

“I am afraid they are still behind us…and they seem to be preparing their weapons.” Flumen alerted the team as he watched the hatches under the wings of the enemy craft open allowing its canons to move forward until they reached the firing position.

Preoccupied and incapable of doing anything else but to question his friend, Flumen lined his body closer to V-Nus and spoke. “Can we move any faster?”

“Captain, we have been engaged.” Sissy interrupted, adding the only detail they were probably missing.

Bothered with Flumen`s excessive concern “for just another enemy craft”, V-Nus took a deep breath, turned back to Flumen and prepared to raise his voice and use one of his irreverent quotes to calm him down.

But as he turned, V-Nus looked between Cai Yiu and Flumen`s shoulders and froze. His expression changed and he lowered his tone as he counted “one, two, three, four, five, six, se-ven” crafts had now joined the pursuit.

V-Nus carefully analyzed the battle formation that the enemy squadron had adopted. “A V shaped formation on its way to exterminate V-Nus…” he pondered how ironic it would sound if he survived to ever tell that story to anyone.

“By which one of them Sissy?” The Martian wondered which of the crafts was ready to incinerate them.

Not yet realizing the gravity of the situation, the Martian`s question did not make much sense to Flumen. “Them?” He hesitated before turning back and seeing what was coming after them.

For Flumen`s misfortune, everything made sense the moment after, and his confused feature quickly changed into a rather frenzied expression.

“By all of them.” Sissy answered V-Nus` question, as cold and objective as she could.

Shoffer finally watched the edge of the mothership getting close at the same pace Flumen and V-Nus watched their lives reaching their edges.

Onboard the first enemy scouter, leading the squadron, was the one who would never give up, the one who summoned a whole new squadron and its mothership in the pursuit of his personal vendetta, the Grey leader whose eye had healed but the ego would remain wounded forever. “Charge!” The leader ordered.

Cai Yiu watched the canons of the crafts inflaming, as if energy was being accumulated on their extremities, reflected on V-Nus` eyes in front of him, “so bright”. The contrast with the gloominess of the lenses would have been beautiful, if under different circumstances.

“Discharge!” Implacable, the Grey leader finally ordered the attack.

The light beams were discharged. At a short distance, the speed of light would reach them almost instantly. The impact was imminent.

There was not much more Shoffer could do.

But he did.

Shon Shoffer did what he could.

At the precise moment the enemy crafts discharged their weapons, Chariot 3 finally reached its current and most aimed goal, the edge of the mothership, the point where the magnificent, but still threatening ship, found the void.

For a fraction of a second, those who were looking forward saw the immensity of the endless void in front of them. The Nibirian ship rapidly turned on a new direction, following the mothership`s outline.

Flumen and V-Nus contemplated the light beam passing just above their heads, “so close”. They could almost feel the heat that was being dodged behind them.

The Greys had missed it.

The black hole stood up at a short distance from Chariot 3. Captain Shoffer locked the course towards its vortex. He finally relaxed back on his seat, his heart bit slowed down, and he sighed, letting Sissy and the force of attraction do their part.

“Sissy, ensure that our speed when reaching the vortex of DA-51 is properly recorded and inform the crew when the machine`s theory is confirmed.” Shoffer could not avoid to doubt Aryayek, although deep inside, he hoped the prediction device was right.

They all sensed the force of attraction dragging the ship into its vortex.

As Chariot 3 approached it, the black hole gradually expanded as if it welcomed them into the unknown.

The great mothership remained behind as the crafts continued to fly on their pursuit until the superior orders made their way to the bottom of the chain.

The pursuing crafts suddenly ceased, one by one, remaining static, afloat after all.

Reluctant, the leader of the squadron continued his pursuit, until his craft finally stopped slightly ahead, outpowered by the supreme orders that now controlled his craft and destiny.

Outnumbered and separated from his squadron, between the omnipotent mothership and the enigmatic black hole, the leader was consumed by his blinding rage.

Left there with his scarred eye and his fragmented ego, the Grey leader evoked an incomprehensible grunting that not even his terrorized crew could understand, as he watched Chariot 3 fly towards the black hole and finally disappear within its vortex.