Red Nova
Chapter Sixteen

Purging the Merge

Nesha fell into a puddle of mud. She gasped when splashing into it and then realized she was somewhere completely different. At that precise moment, Nesha noticed she was wearing her coral military armor and had a holster holding an MP-94 pistol. She got to her feet and stood before a devastated colony engulfed in flames and littered with corpses, distant screams and gunfire resounding around her.

Seconds later, the ground trembled and an enormous vesper arose from the soil. It roared vehemently at Nesha. Then a fusion beam from an FG-100 cut through the creature, causing it to splatter into pieces. Jolus Bako had obliterated the vesper. Five other people accompanied him, including Keith. Nesha ran over to him in excitement but noticed that he wasn’t his usual self. He kneeled on the ground, crying.

“Keith?” said Nesha. She gazed at the ruined buildings that were burning and crumbling apart. Then she kneeled down next to Keith, patting him on his back. “What happened?”

“They’re all dead,” he said, sobbing. “Mom. Dad. Everyone.”

“My God,” she said, horrorstruck.

Keith kept sobbing, his eyes bloodshot. He was in utter despair. With the exception of Jolus, everybody he knew had been killed. Everything that was once precious to him had been decimated. His mind cracked. His emotions drifted away with his hopelessness. Whatever had once composed him poured out of his dismal existence until there was nothing left in him. He was now as empty as the nil universe.

“It’s all over,” said Keith, coughing and sniveling.

The others felt no different. Jolus was the only one in the group who appeared somewhat composed.

“You can’t just give up,” said Nesha. “These creatures killed your family. They can’t be allowed to go around killing others. You have to stop them.”

“Stop them?” moped Keith. “Haven’t you seen how many of them are out there?”

Nesha shook her head.

“There’s nothing that can stop them!” he exclaimed. The sudden boom of his voice made the others flinch. “Can’t you see? It’s over!”

“No!” snapped Nesha. “It’s not over until we avenge your family!” She grabbed his FG-100 and shoved it into his chest. “You’re a soldier of the UEC! I want to see you act like one!” This time it was Keith who flinched. “We’re all getting out of here—alive—and we’ll kill the vespers while we’re at it!”

The ground suddenly ruptured, swallowing one of the buildings behind them as a vesper emerged. It swiftly lunged toward the remaining colonists. They shrieked and hopelessly ran for their lives. Jolus blasted it with his gun, but shooting the side of the approaching vesper didn’t do much damage. Nesha attempted to fire at it using her MP-94 pistol, which did even less damage. Then another beam from an FG-100 surged out and killed the vesper. Nesha turned around and noticed Keith standing firm with an enraged look, sternly holding his FG-100.

“Come on!” shouted Sean, one of the colonists. “We have to get out of here!”

“Over there,” said Jolus, pointing eastward. “I think we should go to that control tower and stay on high ground.”

“Good idea,” said Keith. “Lead the way.”

Nesha followed them eastward, away from the shattered and blood-filled colony. She thought to herself, Is this really Vindor? Am I still in the Merge? Yes, conceded Nesha, this is Keith’s dream. She continued to follow Jolus who led the group through a barren valley where one of the IGF communication towers stood. They eventually arrived; however, the door was sealed.

“Can you open it?” asked Jolus.

“I’ll try,” said Keith.

Connecting his UND to the facility’s entrance console, he attempted to hack its security mainframe. As he accessed the security panel, three brown-scaled vespers slithered through the valley toward the colonists.

“They’re coming!” said Jolus.

He immediately blasted one of them with his FG-100 while Nesha took out her MP-94 pistol, trying to shoot another around its torso.

“Aim for their stomachs!” shouted Nesha.

Jolus nodded and swiped his fusion beam across the third vesper’s stomach, splitting it in half.

“How did you know that?” he asked.

“Keith told me,” she said.

“I did?” said Keith, baffled. “Yeah, that’s right. I almost forgot.”

After a minute of hacking, Keith finally opened the door. The group entered, but there was hardly any light inside. Most of the wires hung and fizzed along the ceiling.

“It’s too dark,” said Jennifer, one of the colonists.

“Switch your helmets to night vision,” said Keith.

They activated night vision. It seemed safe despite how wrecked the building’s interior looked. They walked farther inside. When they reached the corner, another vesper unexpectedly slithered out and hewed a colonist in pieces. Keith and Jolus immediately fired their FG-100s, killing it.

“This way,” said Jolus, signaling them to follow him while running toward a hallway on their left.

They kept following him, but Nesha slowed down while she thought, This is different from my dream. Or is this a dream? Maybe it’s a hallucination? Either way, I think that Mother Fe’lora pulled me into Keith’s mind. I wonder if this Merge of Yak-Shur is both a reality and a dream, manipulating our memories and thoughts.

“Nesha, come on,” called out Keith, running up the stairs.

She rushed to the top while the others waited by a sealed door.

“It’s too thick to blast through,” said Jolus. “And my FG-100’s energy cartridge is dwindling. Can you hack into this one too?”

“I’m pretty sure I can,” said Keith.

Jolus noticed a vesper slithering up the staircase. He tried blasting it, but its head shielded its body while squirming toward them. It then lunged its fangs into Sean. Nesha tried shooting it; however, her magnum-pulse clip emptied. The venomous beast then slithered over to her. Before attacking her, it was blasted apart by Jolus’ weapon. Nesha sighed with relief.

“Thanks,” she said.

He nodded at her. Shortly after, Keith opened the door. The group entered the room and looked around. Jolus spotted the tower’s communication array and ran over to it, attempting to activate it. In the meantime, Keith resealed the door.

“Jen, see if you can use that other panel,” said Jolus. “I’ll use this one.”

Jennifer complied and sat on the opposite side of the tower while Jolus tried using the supercomputer’s communication channel.

“Well, it seems like this station still has some power,” said Jolus. “Though, our distress signal’s going to be weaker than the other control towers.”

“Wait,” said Nesha. “Don’t send it. That signal will broadcast some kind of frequency that will attract every vesper on the planet to our location. We’ll be surrounded in a matter of minutes if you send it.”

Keith glared at her suspiciously. “We figured that out last night, but that was before we met you. How did you know?”

“Can’t you remember anything?” said Nesha, baffled by Keith’s behavior. “You told me all about the vespers when we were stuck on Sepas IX—their weaknesses, their fears, and what attracts them, such as the distress signal’s frequency.”

“What is Sepas IX?” asked Jolus.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Keith irritably, shaking his head as though dazed.

“You really don’t remember?” she replied, stunned. “Then how do you know me?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Nesha,” replied Keith. “We met this morning when Jolus and I left the second tower.”

“Oh really?” she said, placing a hand on her hip. “Is that why I’m using a UEC armor suit and have this pistol? The colonists don’t have these. Trust me, don’t use that signal because no one’s going to help.”

“Of course they’ll help!” snapped Jennifer.

“No, they won’t,” said Nesha. “You think this is an independent IGF colony, but it’s actually funded by the UEC. They’ve been secretly experimenting on those vespers for over a year already.”

“I think she’s losing it, man,” said Jolus, looking at Keith.

“Listen to me!” exclaimed Nesha.

Keith contemplated on what to do and responded, “Maybe you’re right. But we still need to try. Jolus, send it out. Someone will receive our broadcast.”

Without hesitation, Jolus activated the tower’s signal. Nesha sulked, leaning against the wall. Keith looked out of the window every now and then, observing the landscape just to make sure no vespers approached. While they patiently waited in the control tower, several tremors occurred.

“Feel that?” said Nesha. “It’s them. They’re traveling through their underground network. They’ll come out in a swarm and surround this entire facility. Then we’ll—”

“Shut up,” interjected Ben, another colonist. “Just shut the fuck up!” He pulled out an MP-87 pistol and aimed it at Nesha, trembling. “If you keep talking about that shit, I swear I’ll fucking kill you!” Ben’s bloodcurdling face was fixed on Nesha, his jittery index finger placed along the trigger of his gun.

“Ben, chill out,” said Keith.

“Look, I’m sorry,” said Nesha. “I’m just trying to help. I didn’t mean to rile you up so much.”

Jennifer turned around, frightened. “Something’s on our sensors!”

“I’ll do it!” shouted Ben. “I swear! Just keep your fucking mouth—”

The wall leading to the stairs crumbled and smashed against Ben’s skull. That instant, a vesper slithered through. Jennifer shrieked while Keith and Jolus tried to shoot it. Their energy cartridges, however, had depleted. The vesper, meanwhile, ripped Ben to shreds. Keith finished reloading first and aimed his gun at the beast’s stomach, blasting it in half.

“Turn the signal off,” demanded Nesha. “They’ll keep coming until we’re all dead.”

“We’re not turning it off,” said Keith. “Either you join us or leave us.”

“Fine,” said Nesha curtly. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I already know this signal attracts those creatures,” said Keith. “But what you’re wrong about is no one coming to help us. This is one of the largest colonies. Believe me, the UEC will come and rescue us.”

“Okay, it’s broadcasting,” said Jolus, closing his terminal.

Jennifer sighed with relief. “Now what?” she asked.

“Now we grab what we can and get the hell out of here,” said Keith assertively. “Those beasts are going to probably be here in less than an hour and there’s no way we can defend this tower. Jolus, do you know where there’s another tower?”

“Not sure,” he answered. “Ever since we got to this sector, I noticed most of the region seems to be experiencing a blackout. Maybe we should go south instead.”

“Okay, let’s go,” said Keith.

The quartet hurried down the tower’s staircase while the remaining lights flickered. Upon reaching the first floor, they exited the structure, traveling south. It was already beginning to get dark outside. Most of the street lights weren’t working. In fact, with the exception of the control towers, none of the facilities had power.

They sprinted through the smoldering wasteland as distant gunfire resounded throughout the southern valley. Keith and Jolus remained alert. Jennifer was too panicky to help. Nesha, on the other hand, checked their flank. After a minute of traveling, they reached the next tower. Yet all the power was cut off. Jennifer gasped, gazing at the others with a look of despair.

“I don’t fucking believe this,” said Keith.

“What’re we going do to?” asked Jennifer, on the verge of crying.

“This might have been the last chance we had,” said Jolus. “If all the power has gone out, then that means we just wasted our time in the previous towers.”

Nesha observed the valley and said, “It’s probably better this way.”

“Better this way?” snapped Jennifer, stretching her hand to slap Nesha.

“Whoa, whoa,” said Keith, holding her back. “Take it easy, Jen.”

“I think we have no other choice but to get the power back on,” said Jolus.

“Actually, that’s a great idea,” said Nesha. “We should split into two groups and stay in contact using our vidlink.”

Keith looked suspicious again. “Suddenly you want this plan to work?”

“It’s not just that,” said Nesha. “Think about all the food rations that are no longer being refrigerated. If we don’t get the power up, then we’re really in trouble. But as I said: two groups. Since Jen and Jolus are good with the communication terminal, they should stay here and try to get in while you and I go to the IGF power plant. You can hack into the system. I’ll watch your back.”

“Well, it does sound like a decent plan,” said Keith.

“I don’t like any plans coming from her,” said Jennifer, frowning.

Jolus laughed. “It’s better than a cat fight,” he said.

“Cat fight?” said Jennifer gruffly.

Keith grabbed her again. “Jen, I told you to take it easy. You’re an IGF colonist, not a soldier. Honestly, I think Nesha has a rational plan. But if anything goes wrong, we’re cutting loose and regrouping at this tower.”

“Vice versa if Jen and I have trouble?” asked Jolus.

“Yeah,” answered Keith. “Contact us if something goes wrong. Then I’ll give you the coordinates to where we’ll be.”

“Okay, good luck,” said Jolus.

They shook hands and went their separate ways. Nesha, meanwhile, followed Keith to the eastern side of the valley where they spotted several IGF power plant facilities.

“Down there,” said Keith, pointing at one of the generating structures. “I’ll use my knife to cut our way through the fence.”

Nesha nodded and followed him.

Upon arriving, Keith came to a halt. He spotted a few erdigens sucking on the electrical currents, feeding on the generators. Seeing those creatures, Keith felt nauseated.

“What the hell are those things?” he asked.

Nesha thought to herself, These things were never sighted on Vindor. They’re definitely coming from our memories.

“Keith, do you remember Vortex?”

“Huh?” he uttered. “What’re you talking about?”

“Come on, how could you forget that too? It’s a virtual reality game. All men love video games.” Placing her arms on his shoulders, she shook him. “You must remember.”

“Why is it so important?” he inquired, closing his eyes for a moment. He placed a hand on his forehead as his head started to pound. “Wha-what is this headache?” he added, kneeling down by the rocks.

“The memory is there,” she said. “It’s deep within your subconscious. Maybe we’re in your subconscious now. If that’s the case, then that means we must replace a way to resurface into your consciousness. You’ll have to trust me, Keith. The first thing you need to do is remember how you got here.”

“This has to stop,” he said. “You’re giving me a headache.”

“I’m not the one giving you this pain,” she said. “It is Yak-Shur. Listen to me. None of this is real. It only happened in the past. Yak-Shur is feeding on your consciousness. I’m afraid your memories have been mixed together. After all, we’re in the Merge. Can you remember?”

“Nesha,” he began, groaning, “we’ll let Jen and Lieutenant Bako down if we don’t get the power back up and running.”

“Jolus was a private when you were both stationed here,” she said. “The two of you were privates at the time. You told me this after rescuing me on Sepas IX. I can prove it to you. And if I’m right, then the Merge is some dreamy version of Vortex.”

They felt a violent tectonic shift around them, causing some of the pebbles atop the mountainous valley to fall. Not a second later, Keith curled up by the rocks, on the verge of vomiting.

“Vortex, you said?” he muttered. “I can do anything I want?”

“Yes,” replied Nesha. “You can literally do anything. It’s a virtual reality game, just like this subconscious world of yours we’re in. You have the power to bend the rules and put an end to this nightmare.”

“I think Ben and Jen were right about you. You’re insane. We’re in the middle of an alien infestation and you’re saying things that don’t even make sense.”

“I can prove it to you,” she said.

Another violent tremor suddenly occurred. The ground split, causing a large power plant to crumble. Pieces of it were about to crush Keith when Nesha waved her hands and halted them, making each part hover in midair. She then swayed her hands toward the fence, hurling the fallen framework over the fence.

“That’s impossible,” said Keith. “Ho-how did you do that?”

“It’s like the commercial, ‘Ever wanted to be a wizard in an ancient kingdom?’ Watch and learn!” She charged toward a power plant and conjured a sphere of flame from her hands. She then hurled it at one of the erdigens, disintegrating the beast. “I am a sorceress,” she said boldly. “I control every magical power in the universe.” Dozens of vespers emerged from the already ruptured ground, approaching Nesha while hissing. She raised her hands and launched bolts of lightning, electrocuting all of them until there was nothing but an ashy mound of burnt scales and a hazy cloud of smoke. Afterwards, she ported out a new R91 without even using her UND and boarded it.

“Look out!” exclaimed Keith.

Nesha turned and saw something scuttle toward her from the corner of her eye. She rifted skyward and performed a fade, dodging the mouth of a twisted and deformed dog-like beast. It was same creature that had tried to kill her on Sepas IX.

“Not this time,” she said, descending into a snap dive and shoving her R91’s propulsions into the creature’s face. Then, while curving into a crescent swipe, she ported out an FG-600 and blasted it with a fusion beam so powerful that its rib cage melted. “Nothing can stop me! I am Nesha Bisel! I am human and fe’lorian!”

“How?” said Keith, hardly believing what he just witnessed. He walked over to Nesha, his eyes widened. “Wha-what’s happening?”

“Keith, wake up!” She landed and ported her rift board away, placing her hands on his chest. “You still have a mission to complete. Liagon killed my father, but you’re still carrying out his orders. That’s why I’m with you.”

“But what about Jolus and Jen?” he asked.

“Jennifer died on Vindor,” she said. “The only survivors were you and Jolus, and I’m sorry to tell you this but Liagon’s AI killed him. Please, remember!”

Reaching out, Nesha finally kissed him. He stared into her eyes as they kissed. His heart pounded while the war-torn land trembled with tectonic shifts and ravaging screams. Upon that one tender kiss, he started to remember everything. He remembered that those precious to him had died long ago on Vindor and that Jolus—his best friend—had been killed because of Liagon. Keith didn’t want to remember; he was horrified by that memory. Yet a sense of peace filled his heart when Nesha kissed him. He placed his arms around her and softly kissed her back.

“I’m glad you remembered our deal,” he said smoothly. “After all, we fought side by side and survived the horror of Sepas IX.”

“You remember!”

“Of course,” he said. “The kiss of a goddess does a lot.”

“I bet,” she said, smiling. She then observed the landscape. “Now, if we could just replace a way out of this crazy nightmare.”

“Nesha, there’s just one more thing I need to do for myself before we leave,” he said, establishing a vidlink with Jolus. “Hey, man. Can the two of you come to the power plants? It’s important.”

“Sure,” said Jolus. “It’s better that way. There’s no power here.”

“All right, I’ll see you in a few,” said Keith. He closed the vidlink session and looked at Nesha. “Everything seems so real.”

“I understand,” she said.

They waited by the power plants, continuing to hear distant gunfire and deafening explosions. After ten minutes, Jolus finally came.

“Where’s Jen?” asked Keith.

“I told her to wait while I help you,” replied Jolus. “It looks clear around here. Were you able to figure out the problem?”

“Actually, I just needed to say that I’m sorry,” said Keith, a sorrowful look in his eyes.

“Sorry for what?” asked Jolus.

“For letting you die.”

Jolus had a baffled look. “What’re you talking about? I’m standing right here. I’m alive. And we’re both going to get through this. Jen too.”

“Jen died a few days before they picked us up, remember?” said Keith. “No, you are just a part of my imagination. You’re not the real Jolus. But I still wanted to say I’m sorry, and that I promise to get even with Vreffith. You’re free now. This nightmare is over.”

“Is that so?” said Jolus. “Well done, Nesha.”

He brightened into a shimmering ghost-like figure and then morphed into Fe’lora. Unlike the fe’lorians Nesha and Keith had seen before, she had an azure-colored complexion with dark blue fur.

“I cannot wake the dreamers,” she said, gazing at them tranquilly. “I can, however, guide you to do so.”

“Mother Fe’lora?” assumed Nesha.

“Yes, I am she.”

Keith was still trying to accept the fact that this had always been a dream. It felt so real to him. He experienced the loss of his family and friends again. The nightmare he’d tried so hard to erase from his mind had sneaked up on him by means of the Merge, yet he felt strong enough to accept the atrocious memory. Keith wondered to himself, Is this because of Nesha? Did she give me this strength? Or is it because I’m standing in front of a legendary fe’lorian?

“How were you able to withstand the Merge of Yak-Shur?” he asked.

“I used the shared memories I had of Liagon to counter-manipulate it,” she said. “Yak-Shur is a parasitical planet—an organic entity bearing sentient properties. Yet it has never had consciousness. But by feeding on one’s mind, it could gain consciousness.”

Raising an eyebrow, Keith responded, “So right now Yak-Shur isn’t aware of us?”

“No,” replied Fe’lora, “but we’re still under its influence in the Merge. However, since Nesha shares my memories, Yak-Shur could not sense her as new prey. This allowed me to replace her in the chasm of dreams. That is how I was able to help her. And because I helped, the two of you are one step closer to purging the Merge.”

“You just pretended to be Jolus this whole time,” said Keith. “Couldn’t you have helped us get out from the start instead of pretending to be someone else?”

“My body is lost,” said Fe’lora. “I can never leave this place. Do you understand? My body and mind experienced the Merge decades ago. It is too late for me to ever be free, but you can be freed. Nesha is the only one who has a chance at stopping Liagon from destroying your people and my kin because that is his intention: to eradicate both races, as well as the brutal vel’pheasians. Then he will erase his own existence.”

“All right,” said Keith, beginning to accept her words. “But what does this have to do with you not being able to help us?”

Fe’lora smiled and said, “Because if Nesha could not learn to believe in herself or help her friends, then what chance would she have against Liagon?”

“But I do believe in myself,” said Nesha.

“Now you do,” said Fe’lora. “But what did it take in order for you to focus? The memory of your father’s death.”

Nesha stiffened, glaring at her.

“I can sense your resentment,” said Fe’lora. “Please don’t hold animosity toward Rena Mar’kett for lying to you about your father still being alive. She lied with good intentions since you have lost so much.”

“How do you know everything about me?” asked Nesha.

“Because we’re one and the same,” said Fe’lora. “We share a collective consciousness of memories and thoughts. But do not worry about such things now. You will understand after you truly awaken and control your power as Liagon and I can. Just know that I’ll always be by your side, inside and outside of the Merge.” Her body started to fade and glow while she added, “As long as you’re on Yak-Shur, I shall always protect you and your companions.”

As soon as she vanished, Keith said aloud, “Interesting.”

“Yeah,” said Nesha, dazzled. “Well, we’d better replace our way out of here. The others need our help, and I’m sure their Merge is just as bad as this.” Nesha attempted to walk away, yet she wasn’t able to move her legs. “What’s happening? I’m sinking!”

“Shit, this is quicksand,” said Keith. “How the hell did this happen? I hate this freaking place. Hey, Fe’lora! We need some help here!” The more he tried to free himself, the quicker he sank into the quicksand. Fe’lora didn’t assist them. Keith grumbled and spouted, “So much for her divine protection.”

“Stop complaining, you dummy,” said Nesha playfully. “This is just a part of the Merge, remember? I’m positive this is Mother Fe’lora’s way of transferring us over to one of the others’ dreams.”

“Tch, some way to help,” he said, no longer struggling. Keith felt that this was absolutely absurd, but he decided to trust Nesha. He thought, Perhaps this really is Mother Fe’lora’s way of helping us. The quicksand was just below his mouth when he mumbled, “Couldn’t she have just snapped her fingers and telepor—”

The quicksand consumed them. Then they were spewed out from the organic layers of what seemed to be a cavern’s ceiling. Both of them fell into a small waterhole and noticed their dark surroundings. It was definitely a cavern, filled with stalagmites and glittering crystals of an orange-yellow tinge. The duo could hear soft echoes of dewdrops and the wind whistling around them in the moist cave.

“See?” she said, winking.

“Where would I be without you?” he replied, swooshing his way out of the waterhole, toward the dry ground. “It looks like we’re no longer on Vindor. Do you think we’re awake?”

“No, we’re probably in Zar’s mind,” she said.

Keith ported out an MP-98 and said, “You’re probably right, which means Yak-Shur still influences us, even if it’s unconsciously doing it. We’d best be prepared. Who knows what’ll be thrown at us this time.”

“Yeah,” she said, porting out an FG-600.

The ceiling and jagged walls had the same purple slime that vel’pheasian ships, temples, and weapons were made of. The duo managed to get out of the waterhole and activated their spaulders’ built-in flashlights. They then walked toward the northern corner while passing by an arch of granite leading to two musty tunnels insulated with more orange crystals. Upon reaching the fungi-covered tunnels, Nesha and Keith hesitated. They tried to decide on which of the two passageways was safest to enter.

“Let’s go through there,” said Keith, pointing to the left passage.

Nesha agreed. Together they entered the slushy tunnel on their left. With the exception of their footsteps, there was utter silence. It was so dark and elongated that their spines shivered, expecting a hideous creature to crawl out and eat them. Yet nothing came out. Instead a red dot appeared on Nesha’s chest. Keith saw it and immediately pushed her aside.

“Get down!” he yelled out, raising his gun. Before attacking, he realized that a dot was glimmering over his heart. “All right, we surrender.”

“Has the Merge tormented you so much that you’ve lost your warriorhood?” asked Zar’kara, growling in the shadows of the tunnel.

“Zar?” said Nesha, putting her gun away. “You remember us?”

Zar’kara stepped into the light and responded, “The last thing I remember is that I’m not human. I am a vel’pheasian. And nothing—nothing!—is going to stop me from clawing Meftha into a thousand pieces. Not even Yak-Shur.”

“Now this is the Zar I was hoping to replace,” said Keith, grinning.

“Only one problem,” said Zar’kara, snorting. “I have yet to replace a way out of here. But even if we do, there’s something I want to finish hunting.”

“Hunting?” said Keith, raising an eyebrow. “In the Merge?”

“If I cannot do this in the Merge, then I cannot challenge Meftha nor become what my brethren want me to be,” said Zar’kara. “So, are you humans with me?”

“Of course we are,” said Nesha excitedly.

“Not so loud,” said Zar’kara. “It’ll hear you.”

“I’m curious,” began Keith, “what exactly is this ‘it’ that’ll hear us?” He suddenly heard the roar of a monster. “Never mind,” he said, cringing.

“You’ve been hunting a syvinthasaurus?” asked Nesha, astonished.

“Yes,” said Zar’kara, hissing. “I’ve been stuck in this damn cave for two days trying to stay alive and replace a way to take it down. By the way, how did you know that was the roar of a syvinthasaurus?”

“It was in Vortex’s rifting tournament,” she said. “It’s a virtual reality program they used for the competition. Before winning the galaxy cup I had to maneuver away from it while taking down Rrahza. That reminds me: if the vel’pheasians hate us so much, why would Rrahza and the others join the IGF tournament?”

“Probably to learn more about their enemy,” said Zar’kara, returning to the cavernous chamber he came from. “They’re all cowards. They fight without honor. There’s no challenge fighting humans.”

“Glad you feel that way,” said Keith.

“But this,” said Zar’kara, scouting the dark cave, “this is a worthy challenge.”

“Then what’re we waiting for?” said Nesha. She snapped her fingers, conjuring an aura-like blaze of frost over her hands. “Let’s go replace us a syvinthasaurus and take it down.”

“Careful,” said Keith, gesturing at Zar’kara. “This chick is one badass sorceress.”

“Impressive,” said Zar’kara. “Follow me.”

Keith activated his MP-98 rifle’s thermal charge and observed the cavern while he and the others cautiously stepped into the massive chamber of granite and glittering shards embedded within the cavern’s walls. Glowing mushrooms and yellow plant life grew around a creek that flowed across the cracked ground. Water fell in gentle cascades from the upper ridges, above the stalagmites that reached the jagged ceiling. The trio passed the creek and continued to cautiously walk forward, checking their sides.

“Watch it,” said Keith, holding Nesha back.

“Whoa,” she said, almost falling into a pitch-black pit. “How do we get across? Wait, I can rift over.”

“All right,” said Keith. “Just be careful.”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”

A violent whoosh of wind suddenly pressed against her, blowing her off the board and into the creek. The faint shadow of a gargantuan syvinthasaurus flew past her. Its speed was so fast that it caused the cavern to tremble.

“It’s probably flying between those ledges,” said Zar’kara, pointing up. “It’s watching us from above.”

“Watching us?” replied Keith, helping Nesha get back on her feet. “That’s it?”

“The syvinthasaurus is no foe to take lightly,” said Zar’kara. “It’s a sentient beast. In fact, I replace its kind to be more intelligent than most humans. Speed, efficiency, and precision are what we’ll need to defeat it.”

“So, it’s watching us from up there, huh?” said Nesha. “I say we take control of the watching. It’s now or never.”

Keith gazed up with a smug expression. He released a thermal charge, causing a part of the ceiling to collapse. The syvinthasaurus gave out a menacing roar, flying away. Zar’kara launched two plasma torpedoes from his PT-80, missing the ferocious beast by a few feet. The torpedoes detonated on a nearby wall that crumbled.

“So much for precision,” said Keith, running away from the debris.

The gargantuan syvinthasaurus flew down, toward the three of them. Keith and Zar’kara plunged deep into the creek for cover, but Nesha stood her ground, glaring at the syvinthasaurus. Zar’kara rose to the surface and attempted to aim for a clear shot. As he did so, the beast released a surge of flame from its mouth, burning the plant life around them. Nesha raised her arms and conjured an ice barrier, protecting her from the inferno. She then launched the ice barrier into the syvinthasaurus, blasting its snout.

“Nice try,” said Nesha, “but you’re not scorching me today.”

Zar’kara released another plasma torpedo and finally hit the syvinthasaurus. It screeched in agony. That instant, Keith swam out of the creek and used his FG-500’s secondary weapon, zapping the beast with an electrical charge. The creature fell, shattering the ground in half. Not a moment later, the syvinthasaurus glowed and faded away.

Zar’kara gave out a victory roar.

“Your moves were pretty sweet, babe,” said Keith.

“Thanks,” she said. “I thought so myself.”

“Yes,” said Zar’kara. “That was some magic. If only you could do that when we are out of the Merge.”

“I know, right?” she said. “Speaking of the Merge, I wonder how we get out.”

An endless gush of water abruptly poured out from the destroyed ceiling, where Keith had launched a thermal charge. The cascade didn’t stop, filling the pit up with water.

“Whoa, I don’t want to drown my way over to Margaret or Bryan,” said Nesha.

Zar’kara cackled at her comment while Keith remained silent and slack-jawed, gazing at the surging water.

“Look!” shouted Nesha, spotting the hole that Keith had made above. “If the water keeps escalating, we can swim out of there.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” said Keith.

Snorting in agreement, Zar’kara dived into the water. Though worried, Nesha and Keith joined the fearless vel’pheasian. They were eventually able to swim around the entire chamber. And though they drew closer to the aperture above, it was still dark. The murky water soon grew cold. Nesha glanced at the others with a shiver, wondering if anything lurked below.

“What if there’s some kind of sea creature under us?” she asked, trying to take a look beneath her blurry legs. “I can’t see anything.”

“Zar,” called out Keith, dribbling. “Care to take a quick swim?”

Zar’kara growled with an expression of revulsion. Nevertheless, he listened and swam deep into the dark water. His viper-like eyes shifted into a blue tint while exploring the ocean. Yet no matter how far he swam, nothing emerged. After a minute of searching, he rose back to the surface and rejoined his comrades.

“Nothing,” he said. “At least for now.”

Nesha shivered again. “It’s still creepy,” she said.

“Tell me about it,” said Keith. “Something must be down there. I mean, don’t you think that some kind of creature has to be down there if a syvinthasaurus was flying around in here before?”

Despite their panic, nothing came out of the depths to eat them. The water kept rising. Yet as the water increased, it started to become slimy.

“This is gross,” said Nesha, trying not to swallow the gooey water.

They were eventually able to swim up to the fractured ceiling. The trio found themselves swimming in a slimy pool of vel’pheasian blood inside an antechamber that seemed to be part of a manmade morgue. Zar’kara swam out, enraged by the sight. He didn’t even bother helping the others out of the sinkhole.

“What’s the meaning of this?” barked Zar’kara. He tried searching for a way out of the antechamber, but there wasn’t a doorway.

“This whole Merge thing is getting a little too strange for me,” said Nesha.

“Definitely,” said Keith. He got out of the pool and gave her a hand. “Is this McKenzie’s hallucination?”

“I don’t know,” replied Nesha. “It could also be Margaret’s mind.”

“I doubt it,” said Keith. “Despite the vel’pheasian bodies, we’re inside a morgue. And the only person who’s more afraid of death than me is McKenzie. It has to be his mind.”

“This way,” said Zar’kara.

He plunged one of his claws into a parasitical wall of fungi-like veins. The wall sucked him inward as if it wanted to eat him. Nesha and Keith looked nauseated, but they remembered Galvorden’s walls and followed Zar’kara. They were sucked in and spewed out into a corridor made of Yak-Shur’s gunk and puss. The walls belched as if alive and hungry. Zar’kara growled while he thumped forward.

“Are you sure we’re in Bryan’s mind?” asked Nesha, more nauseated.

“I’m pretty sure we are,” answered Keith. “Think about it. The last thing he probably remembers is being thrown into Yak-Shur’s belly. And he fears death above all. He’s in here somewhere. I know it.”

The farther they went, the less of a morgue the structure looked. It eventually resembled the inner belly of a creature that had swallowed a building. Only pieces of the walls were visible to the trio. Everything else was covered with slime. The light in the hall started to dim. That’s when they heard faint sounds of people screaming as though they were being tortured. Zar’kara readied his claws while Keith ported out an FG-500. Similar to Zar’kara, Nesha lifted her hands; she was ready to conjure a spell.

Suddenly, the left wall burst and Gahza’s upper body spewed out, grabbing Zar’kara by the neck. He roared while choking Zar’kara, trying to pull him inside. Nesha gasped and took a step back, but Keith stood his ground and aimed his gun at Gahza’s skeletal frame.

“Brother!” bellowed Gahza. “Why did you abandon me? You left me to die on that forsaken moon! I’ll never forgive you!”

Zar’kara bit Gahza’s hand and broke free. He swerved to the ground, rasping and gasping for either xenojin or oxygen. At that precise moment, Keith fired a beam at Gahza who screamed until he melted.

“Are you all right?” asked Nesha, patting Zar’kara.

“My dead brother just attacked me,” he replied. “Do I look all right to you?” He snorted and pressed onward. “I’m going to replace McKenzie and smack some courage into him!”

They entered a large, pitch-black chamber. The only light there came from below, caused by the glowing crystals of Yak-Shur’s acidic belly. Nesha felt the urge to vomit when she saw the acidic pool, which was filled to capacity with skeletal corpses that drifted around. Ahead of them lay a long bridge. It seemed to be the only path for them to follow. Zar’kara led the way. Nesha held on to Keith’s arm while they walked forward.

“Keith!” cried out Jolus, burning below. “Help me! Don’t let me die in here! I may have forgiven you for getting me killed in Fen Treydis, but I won’t forgive you if you leave me to die again!”

“It’s not him,” said Nesha, trying to hold Keith back from looking down.

He ignored Nesha and glanced down, seeing Jolus reach out for him in the acidic pool of corpses. Taking a deep breath, Keith aimed his FG-500 at Jolus and shot him. Jolus screamed as though he were a monster.

“I’ll never forgive you!” shouted Jolus, melting.

“I understand now,” said Keith depressingly. “This isn’t just a realm of fear or death. It’s a manifestation of McKenzie’s guilt. I remember how he blamed himself for Sergeant Lomax’s death. She was a part of our regiment before we found you. It’s possible that he hasn’t forgiven himself. And the Yak-Shur is using his guilt against him.”

“Are you suggesting that it’s affecting us too?” said Zar’kara.

“Of course it is,” said Keith. “Look at what happened to you just a moment ago. Gahza tried to make you feel guilty. And here, Jolus did the same.”

“If you’re right,” began Zar’kara, “then McKenzie is probably being tortured somewhere by his own guilt.”

“That’s awful,” said Nesha. “We have to save him.”

Keith nodded while moving forward. “Let’s hurry,” he said.

They made their way past the bridge and walked through another dim hall. It continued to make breathing noises while puss sporadically burst out of the walls. The floor produced slimy sounds as they stepped on it. Several doors stood on both sides, all leading to rooms filled with unfinished autopsies. Keith was forced to pull Nesha away from one of the doors when she glanced at its windowpane, seeing Talia and Hannah dead on dissection tables, awaiting post-mortem examinations.

“No,” muttered Nesha emotionally.

“Don’t be fooled,” said Keith. “You’re better than this. You know that that’s not really them. Yak-Shur is trying to blame you for their deaths.”

“Nesha,” said Rena, groaning. Her body hung on the ceiling in a cocoon. “Don’t leave me to die.”

Keith aimed his FG-500 at Rena and shot her. She screamed and twitched inside of the cocoon while the beam surged into her body. Then she broke free of the pod. Dropping to the oozy floor, she pounced at Keith while giving out an ear-piercing screech. Zar’kara grabbed her and roared louder than her, clawing her body in half.

“My God,” said Nesha, gasping at Rena’s split body.

“Thanks, Zar,” said Keith.

“It had to be done,” replied Zar’kara.

Finally, after glancing through the windows of each room, they found a door that led to a chamber with freezing temperature. Only one light was on inside the room. They could also hear McKenzie moping and crying. Upon entering, they noticed him standing by a dissection table, staring at Sergeant Debra Lomax’s dead body.

“I’ll handle this,” said Keith.

He approached McKenzie while the others stayed in the back of the ice-cold chamber. Lomax lay frozen. Her skin was extremely pale. McKenzie kept crying over her corpse. Keith saw her and sighed, placing a hand on McKenzie’s shoulder.

“It’s my fault,” said McKenzie, sniveling loudly. “They’re all dead because of me. All of them.”

“No, it’s not your fault,” said Keith.

“Yes, it is!” cried out McKenzie, backing away. “If I wasn’t so pathetic I could’ve helped Debra. It’s possible she’d still be alive. Jolus too. But no, I had to hide and avoid combat. I don’t deserve to be a UEC soldier. I don’t even deserve to be alive!”

“Shut up,” replied Keith sternly. His voice made McKenzie flinch. “That’s a bunch of bullshit. And I hate bullshit. You’ve shown me a great deal of courage when Zoris attacked us. You were in the shuttle bay before I could even get there. If anyone wants to be a soldier, they should look at you and see how you’ve grown and learned to become an elite soldier that I rely on.” He placed his hand back on McKenzie’s shoulder and continued, “This is no different. All of us need your help to get out of the Merge.”

“Really?” said McKenzie, doubtful. “You’re not just saying this to make me feel better about myself?”

“Look, we all have fear and guilt,” said Keith. “In fact, it’s normal to feel guilty. That’s what makes us human. I myself felt guilty when Jolus died. I knew it wasn’t my fault, and yet I was depressed. There are times when we just wonder about the past and wish we could change it. Sometimes we can’t do that. There are times we have to accept reality and face the facts. One day, no matter what, we’ll die. When or how, we may never know. Even I think death is scary. Actually, it frightens me. But we can’t let death stop us from living. In the face of danger, we need to move forward and keep fighting. It’s how we keep our humanity. It’s how we become better soldiers. And that’s how we avenge those we lost.”

“Avenge those we lost?” said McKenzie, glancing at Lomax’s corpse.

“Yes,” said Keith. “Believe me, I am in the same pit as you. I’ve felt this fear and guilt. I still feel it at times. It won’t go away. But we can deal with it. Accepting what happened without beating ourselves for mistakes that may have been out of our control is one of the most important things to exercise as a soldier. Don’t let Yak-Shur plunge you into a pit of despair, McKenzie. This battle isn’t over yet. We can still get out and avenge Lomax. We can avenge Jolus, Rena, and everyone we lost in Gamut.”

“Yak-Shur,” muttered McKenzie. “We’re inside it?”

Keith nodded at him.

“All this time, I was so caught up with my guilt that I forgot where we were—that we were thrown into the Merge.”

“Right,” said Keith, “I was in the same predicament. Nesha saved me. We then found Zar, but you know him. Vel’pheasians don’t need much help.”

McKenzie gave out a soft laugh, glancing at Zar’kara. “It feels as if I’ve been trapped in here for years,” he said haggardly.

“I think we can all say the same,” said Zar’kara, approaching McKenzie. “Meftha has taken Teri from me. Who knows what’s happened to her. But I think it’s time we get out and rescue her. Now, are you ready for some payback?”

McKenzie gave a faint nod.

“Sweet,” said Keith.

“Welcome back,” said Nesha, hugging him.

“Thanks,” said McKenzie. “Thanks for having faith in me.”

“No problem,” said Keith. “Let’s just get the hell out of here and make Vreffith regret crossing us.” He turned to the door, yet it was gone. “Not again,” he said with a sigh.

They reached the slimy wall and waited for it to suck them out of the chamber. When it sucked them out, they found themselves in a grotto that had a faint smell of incense. The others left right away, but Nesha stayed for a moment.

She noticed a porcelain statue of Guanshiyin holding a nectar vase with one hand and a lotus with her other hand. The statue stood nestled in the jagged wall. Nesha smiled at the statue the moment she saw it. Guanshiyin, based on what Nesha knew, was a female bodhisattva and Buddha-to-be who had spent her life helping others become liberated. Nesha knew right away that this was Tathagata’s domain. She eventually left the grotto, joined the others, and found herself in a green forest.

“This is beautiful,” said Nesha.

“It could be a trap,” said Zar’kara, sniffing the air.

“Look!” said Nesha, pointing east. “Lotus flowers. I knew it. This has to be Margaret’s mind. Maybe we can still save her.”

“I’m not sure,” said Keith, “but we—”

Daylight instantly changed into night.

“Keep your guard up,” said Zar’kara. “No matter how passive Tathagata is, this is still the Yak-Shur’s territory.”

The four of them made sure their weapons were fully charged, scoping out the wilderness carefully. They heard birds chirping and toads croaking. The quartet then heard alligators in the distance. It was as if everything in a marsh and jungle on Earth had been mixed together into one region. It rained on and off. The sky kept changing between day and night. It was unnatural. In due time, the sky remained radiant.

“This is crazy,” said McKenzie.

“Yeah, you ain’t kidding,” said Keith.

Zar’kara was the only one who did not complain, growling and walking forward as his viper-like eyes glistened. Not a minute later, they reached a hidden grove where a large Bodhi tree stood. And, to their surprise, Tathagata sat in lotus position, meditating by the base of its trunk.

“Margaret!” said Nesha, relieved.

The quartet approached and sat next to her, but she didn’t seem to recognize them or even care that they were there. Tathagata looked serene, yet she wasn’t breathing. It was as if she were the embodiment of life and death.

“Doc,” called out Keith. “Are you all right?” He raised his hand and poked her; however, she didn’t respond. “Earth to doc.”

“Doctor Surandes?” said McKenzie. “It’s me, Bryan. You saved my life a few weeks ago when my leg was poisoned by that gunshot wound, remember? Do you remember me?”

“She doesn’t remember us,” said Zar’kara, scowling.

“But why?” asked McKenzie.

“Because she’s been trapped in the Merge longer than us,” said Zar’kara. “If one lingers here too long, their mind becomes severed from their body.”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” said Nesha, disheartened. “I remember Mother Fe’lora warning me that it was too late for someone to be rescued. At first I had no idea what she meant by it, but now that I’ve experienced the Merge, it makes sense. Though, did she mean Shiva or Margaret?”

Keith shook his head. “It can’t be Shiva,” he said. “She’s an AI, which means she can’t merge with Yak-Shur. So if someone’s lost, then it must be the doc.”

“You are correct,” said Mother Fe’lora, appearing in a shining light behind them. When the light faded, her ethereal form approached the others. She then sat in lotus position, opposite Tathagata. She continued, “I can try to restore her mind, but I shall need all the help I can receive from each of you. Bear in mind that she has become like me. She is lost in paradigms of a mind bent and manipulated too far, so astray that her mind’s subconscious has become consciousness. Yet, even within this subconscious delusion—the Merge—she is lost, twisted and shackled in the parasitical clutches of Yak-Shur.”

“Uh, okay, I know you’re supposed to be this all-inspiring fe’lorian only known to us by legend or some deep encrypted secret in the UEC, but I barely understood a word you just said,” replied Keith. “So, what is it we have to do?”

Fe’lora smiled and said, “I need all of you to think about the happiest moment in your life. Though, maybe some of you don’t thrive on happiness.” She looked at Zar’kara while she spoke, winking at him. “Perhaps happiness can also be your desires…what you crave. Find within yourself the deepest part of your essence. Touch that desire inside your mind and bring it out from your subconscious to your consciousness.”

“It can be anything?” asked McKenzie.

“Yes, Bryan,” she said. “It can be anything, including that rubber ducky you keep in your UND for good luck.”

“Hey, that was supposed to be a secret,” said McKenzie.

“There are no secrets in the Merge,” said Fe’lora, gleaming.

Nesha couldn’t help but smile, thinking about her happiness. She first thought of Keith, particularly the feeling of their kiss. What she wanted was to kiss him in real life. Then she pondered about her father and everything that had happened. Suddenly, she wanted vengeance. She wanted to free her friends from the Merge and gather a fleet so immense that nobody in the galaxy could stop her, even Liagon. She thought to herself, Dad, I won’t let you down.

“Breathe deeply,” said Mother Fe’lora. “Relax your body and mind. Focus on your mental mantra.”

Keith was thinking about being in a room filled with naked women. He thought, Damn, it’s been more than a month and still…no, I don’t need them anymore. I have Nesha now. She is the woman of my dreams. She’s beautiful, innocent, and just as level-headed as Jolus. She’s a true soldier who I can rely on. He finally let go of Jolus Bako and accepted his friend’s death. This time he focused on his true love. He thought, Nesha, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. It starts with us getting out of the Merge together. I promise I’ll always protect you.

“Think about this one thing you desire,” said Fe’lora. “Contemplate on what is needed for that desire to be attained.”

McKenzie kept thinking about his fear, guilt, and all the things he regretted in his past. It was like a prison within his conscience. He thought to himself, I failed so many times. I failed to assist Debra. I failed to assist Jolus. I also feel responsible for the commander’s death. But why? I don’t know. Yet, one thing I do know is that I’ve grown through this mission. If there’s anything I’ve learned it’s that I became aware of my fear. And now I’ll do my best to control it. It’s thanks to my comrades that I’ve become the man I am today, and I’m not stopping here. I’ll make up for my mistakes. From this day forward, I’ll be sure to be their shield, just as they’ve been a shield for me.

“Stay with your aspiration,” said Fe’lora. “Stay in the now. This moment and aspiration you hold on to is so important that it shall empower you to face the future. Hold on to it like a precious treasure.”

Zar’kara was thinking of his past when he was praetor. He even wondered about his son, who he’d been willing to kill just moments before being doomed to the Merge. He thought, You have failed me as a son, Rrahza. But perhaps it’s because I have failed you as a father. Maybe we needed more time? No, that’s not true. We didn’t need more time. I want to kill him. I want to kill them all, especially Meftha. Only Teri is important to me. She is my true friend and kin. Her respect has been unending, with the exception of her calling me Zarry. He snorted and continued to ponder, Yet I can’t help but see her as the sister-warrior I’ve never had. I’m never telling her that. He wanted to free Teri more than anything, but doing so wouldn’t be easy alone.

“All of you have considered one exceptional dream, a desire so powerful that you yearn for it and wish for nothing more than that,” said Fe’lora. “Now, I want you to open your eyes and let go. Detach yourself from the future and come back to the present.”

One by one, they opened their eyes. That instant, they realized that it had been Tathagata all along who’d been speaking to them, not Fe’lora.

“Margaret?” said Nesha. “But how?”

“I have sacrificed myself so that all of you may have a chance to be free,” said Tathagata calmly. “You have each touched your deepest aspiration. Doing so has made you realize that it cannot be attained alone but by interdependence. You must believe in each other, work together, and free Liagon from his torment before there is more suffering.”

“What happened to Mother Fe’lora?” asked Keith.

“That, my friend, was the Yak-Shur,” replied Tathagata. “It never knew the difference between itself and another. Fe’lora was betrayed long ago after her victory, a victory Zar’kara once respected. But Meftha, resentful of the outcome, dishonored her. She was captured against Zar’kara’s will, hurled into the Merge and deprived of her consciousness.”

“How did you free yourself without any help?” asked McKenzie.

“What you thought was Fe’lora confronted me as an empty soul, without even realizing that it was the Yak-Shur itself,” answered Tathagata. “Once I was certain of this, I had the upper hand and confounded the Yak-Shur before it could ravage my mind.” She stopped speaking for a brief moment, looking at Zar’kara. “Zar, you know what needs to be done. Please tell Teri that I’m very sorry for not being able to see things to the end. But know that I will help outside of the Merge in more ways than one.”

“How?” asked Nesha.

Tathagata smiled at her. “You will know,” she said. “Just remember: enlightenment is like the reflection of a rainbow in the water; the prism doesn’t become wet, and the water is neither separated nor disturbed by such prismatic reflections.”

Everything surrounding Nesha and her companions started to fade and disappear. Shortly after, Tathagata glimmered in an aura so bright that it nearly blinded the others. Nesha was the only one able to stare at Tathagata’s brilliance. One by one, her comrades vanished. Then she brightened and faded away—as did Tathagata—into a star-like sparkle of light.