Red Nova
Chapter Five

Shiva the Diva

On planet Aydis, Admiral Bisel remained in lotus position by the cavern’s hazy entrance. His eyes were closed while he breathed deeply. The digital movement of Bisel’s files diminished, and the REM retrospection of datum came to an end. Bisel was beginning to put all the pieces together after examining the files he had on Liagon; but how the guinea pig had managed to survive Vacuity was beyond his understanding. He eventually opened his eyes, awakening to the sight of an immense rainstorm.

With the exception of Keith, the survivors of the Tenth Fleet were able to rest inside the cave. Keith was too stressed out to get any sleep. And though he sat next to Jolus with bloodshot eyes and wore a lifeless expression, he attempted to keep an eye on Bisel.

Commander Rena Mar’kett observed Bisel too; though she wasn’t suspicious like Keith. Aside from the fact that Bisel had become a murderous renegade who’d practically killed every person in his fleet, Keith felt there was something unusual about his behavior; however, he put his feelings aside for a moment when he noticed that the rain was calming down. Aydis was still a deadly planet, conceded Keith, but at least he could now walk outside without disintegrating or being poisoned by the acidic rain.

“You know,” said Keith, finally showing some life, “right now, I should be home with some hot chick.”

“Well, you’re not,” said Jolus.

“Yeah, no shit,” said Keith. He yawned and then asked, “So, Admiral, who the hell’s responsible for all this bullshit?”

“Zoris Kong,” answered Bisel.

“Zoris Kong?” said Keith. “Who’s he, some kind of Chinese badass?”

“That is an unequivocal interpretation,” said Bisel, standing up. “He is the leader of the Black Moon syndicate and is also the one responsible for attacking us.”

Mar’kett noticed Bisel leaving the cave’s entrance. “Hey!” she shouted, getting to her feet. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“My readings indicate that there is a science facility here,” said Bisel.

“Have you lost your mind? It’s a cave, Niralus,” she said. “It’s a dead end!”

Bisel ignored her and stepped outside. The crew inside the cave stared at him as if he were insane. It was extremely humid and hazy outside. Rain kept coming down; though, it wasn’t as bad as when they’d first found the cave.

“I am going to continue my investigation,” said Bisel. “Feel free to join me, but I must warn you, the weather conditions are exceedingly poisonous. Your life would be in imminent danger if your force field should fail. I highly recommend taking refuge in this cave until I return.”

Mar’kett looked sullen. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

Upon approaching Bisel, she stopped, turned around, and glanced at her soldiers. Sergeant Debra Lomax stood directly behind her, but Private Bryan McKenzie lay inside the cave next to Keith and Jolus.

“Is there a reason why you’re still sitting, Private?” asked Mar’kett.

McKenzie hesitated for a moment, looking at the acidic rain. “I think it’s much safer in here, ju-just as the admiral said.”

Lomax snorted. “What’s the matter, Private, lose your balls?”

“Fine,” said McKenzie in a moping tone, walking to them. When passing by Lomax, he added under his breath, “Snot face.”

“What was that?” snapped Lomax.

“That’ll be enough,” said Mar’kett, irked. “Sergeant Lomax is your commanding officer, Private. Just because we’re out here in the Gamut doesn’t mean our ranks are obsolete.”

“I’m sorry, Commander,” said McKenzie.

Mar’kett and her two soldiers joined Admiral Bisel and left while Keith and Jolus remained inside the cavern.

“So,” began Jolus, “the UEC has a secret research facility here, huh?”

“Sure,” replied Keith. “I bet there’s a whole colony of gorgeous women here just waiting to greet us.”

Jolus raised an eyebrow. “What’s up with you?” he asked. “You were never like this on Vindor.”

“This is nothing like Vindor!” snapped Keith.

“How could you say that? Vindor was horrendous,” said Jolus. “We were the only ones alive against those creatures, and we had no contact with the UEC for days. Think about how many people died. Yet we survived. And if we survived it once, then we can survive it again. Think about it. It’s the same nightmare.”

“The same nightmare?” said Keith, ready to collapse. “The fact that we’re in the Gamut galaxy is enough to say that we’re screwed! We’re out in the middle of nowhere with no human or alien civilization! We might as well have been blown to hell when Zoris attacked.”

Filled with rage, Keith threw his MP-98 rifle at the cave’s jagged wall. It was supposed to smash against the jagged wall, yet it disappeared.

Keith pointed ahead and muttered, “It’s gone.” He got to his feet and warily approached the wall.

“Don’t go near it!” exclaimed Jolus, causing Keith to flinch and take a step back. “Let’s contact the admiral first.”

“Geez,” said Keith. “All right, contact him.”

“Don’t you want the honors?” asked Jolus.

“No thanks,” replied Keith.

“Why not?”

“Why not?” repeated Keith with an enraged expression. “Let’s see, one moment Bisel punches me, then the next moment he’s buddies with us and doesn’t care about ‘formalities’—still wondering?”

Jolus laughed. “Okay,” he said, shrugging. He opened his vidlink and contacted the admiral.

“Greetings,” said Bisel, saluting Jolus from the vidlink screen. “How may I be of service, Lieutenant Bako?”

Keith could hardly believe that the admiral saluted Jolus. This was a confirmation to his suspicion. Bisel would never salute his crew, conceded Keith. Upon hearing how Bisel spoke to Jolus, he rolled his eyes and turned away.

“Admiral, I think Keith just found what you’ve been looking for,” said Jolus.

“This is excellent information,” said Bisel without any expression of excitement. “We are on our way.”

“Okay, we’ll be waiting here,” said Jolus.

Keith looked at Jolus when the vidlink session ended. “See?” he said, waving his hand. “The guy’s acting like a complete dickwad now. Well, he’s always been a dickwad, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah,” said Jolus. “Even I admit he’s been acting a bit odd lately. But why complain about it? I think what we really need to worry about is how we’re going to replace that science facility. Or, more importantly,” he went on, looking at the greenish rain, “how we’re getting out of here…alive.”

“Copy that,” said Keith, sighing.

They patiently waited in the cave, glaring at the jagged landscape. The acidic rain poured harder. Only a few minutes had passed when Bisel returned, Mar’kett and her soldiers following behind him. Keith briefly told them about what had happened. Bisel immediately used his UND to scan the cave’s wall.

“Okay, so let me get this straight,” said Mar’kett, sulking, “you’re telling me you threw your rifle, which by the way cost the military thousands of credits to manufacture, into the wall, and then it just disappeared?”

Keith glanced at Jolus for a brief moment and then gazed back at Mar’kett who looked extremely pale in her military suit. She appeared to be cold, thought Keith, but the temperature on Aydis wasn’t bitter. Mar’kett also appeared haggard, yet she glared at him, patiently waiting for an answer.

“I’m sorry I threw my rifle,” said Keith. “I was pissed off about our situation. And yes, the damn gun disappeared before my eyes. It went right through that wall,” he added, pointing at the jagged wall where Bisel was scanning.

Not a minute later, the admiral approached Keith and shook his hand.

“Excellent work, Commander Wernn,” said Bisel. “Just when I thought I was perfect, you prove to have methods that even I could never compute.”

Keith had a large grin on his face. He liked the sound of Commander Wernn. It was long overdue, he conceded. His new rank made him feel more at ease, thinking of all the women he could sleep with since they would be so impressed that he was a commander. Now it was just a matter of surviving and somehow getting back home. Though, he admitted to himself, it seemed impossible.

“Wait a minute,” said Mar’kett. “Now you’re promoting him?”

“Captain,” began Bisel, looking directly at Jolus, “I have a mission to complete. Please make sure no one follows me, particularly Lieutenant Mar’kett, until I return.”

“What?” said Mar’kett with an outlandish expression on her face.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant,” said Jolus, grabbing Mar’kett and holding her back while he continued, “but orders are orders.”

Mar’kett groaned with frustration. “You’ll never get away with this, Niralus!” she yelled out at the top of her lungs, managing to swerve away with what little strength she had. Keith, however, assisted Jolus and held her tight. Out of all the planets she could be stuck on, thought Mar’kett, she had to be stuck on a cold one. Mar’kett glanced at McKenzie and added, “Don’t just sit there, you idiot, help me!”

“I’m s-sorry,” said McKenzie, stuttering, “but didn’t you tell me earlier that I need to respect rank first?”

Sergeant Lomax couldn’t help but laugh at what he said because she knew that was just an excuse. Yet she didn’t budge to help either. Mar’kett glowered at the private as if she wanted to strangle him but could barely move. Instead she groaned again and looked much weaker and pale.

“You’re all crazy!” said Mar’kett, enraged. “All of you!”

McKenzie minded his own business while Jolus and Keith forced her back. Even Lomax, as obedient as she’d been to Mar’kett, didn’t want to get in the way of Bisel’s order.

“Let go of me!” exclaimed Mar’kett.

Just then, Bisel walked through the wall and vanished. Jolus, shocked, released Mar’kett. The others had heard Keith’s story, but seeing Bisel vanish into thin air before their eyes made them speechless. Mar’kett swiftly slipped out of Keith’s grasp while coughing violently due to another surge of cold air. She then backed away with a crude glare, porting an FG-400 into her hands.

“What’re you doing?” asked Keith uneasily.

“I’m going after Niralus, and all of you are going to follow my orders from now on, or else I’ll have you reported to the UEC for treason!” commanded Mar’kett.

Keith, eyes wide open, gazed at the gun. He was vexed, anxious, tired, and weak. Yet there was nothing he could do to retaliate against Mar’kett.

He slowly turned his head, looking at Jolus, and whispered, “Threatening subordinates must be a tenth-fleet thing.”

They took deep breaths and walked through the wall. And, like Bisel, they vanished. The quintet materialized underground in an ivory-tinted dome, next to Bisel who had both his hands raised. An army of UEC soldiers were pointing their MP-98 rifles at Bisel’s group from all four levels of the research facility.

“Remove your helmets and identify yourselves!” shouted one of the many scientists on the first floor of the facility.

“So much for gorgeous women greeting us,” whispered Jolus.

“No kidding,” said Keith.

Mar’kett and her soldiers took off their helmets right away. Keith and Jolus hesitated at first but eventually took theirs off too. Bisel, on the other hand, kept his helmet on and remained silent.

“Do you understand Cosmontric?” asked the scientist impatiently. “Remove your helmet and identify yourself!”

Bisel examined the scientist and then answered, “I was under the impression that the Tenth Fleet answers to no one. That includes you, Doctor Larbel.”

“Your voice,” said Doctor Larbel, startled. “Is that you, Niralus?”

“You are correct, Doctor Larbel,” said Bisel. He finally removed his helmet and added, “I am Admiral Niralus Bisel.”

Doctor Larbel approached Bisel and gave him a firm handshake. “It’s me, Thomas. No need to be so formal, buddy. It’s good to see you.”

Bisel nodded but didn’t show any expression of excitement to see Doctor Larbel.

“So,” began Larbel, “you received my email after all. I was worried it didn’t go through. Did you bring him?”

“Doctor Larbel!” called out one of the soldiers from the second level.

“Yes?” said Larbel. “What is it?”

“You’d better take a look at this,” said the soldier.

The regiment still aimed their weapons at the survivors of the Tenth Fleet while Larbel complied, using an elevator portal on the first floor. It ported him to the second floor near the balcony, where a supercomputer stood.

“What is it, soldier?” asked Larbel.

“Look at this,” said the soldier, staring at the screen of the supercomputer. “The G-DNA scan is reading all of their life signs, except—”

“Except Niralus?” said Larbel. He glanced at Bisel, hesitant, and then looked back at the screen. He logged on to the GT and typed in a series of codes. The result showed Bisel’s last G-DNA scan:

Lieutenant Jolus Bako: Prison Bay, Goliath

G-DNA scanned at 0700 hours: Admiral Niralus Bisel

Finality: Deceased

“Huh?” uttered Larbel, glancing at Bisel again. Yet this time he looked at him as though he saw a ghost. Larbel returned to the screen and whispered, “Deceased? Then who the hell is that?”

“Doctor,” began the soldier, “I’m not getting any life readings when I scan him.”

“And the others?” asked Larbel.

“They’re clear,” said the soldier. “It’s just him.”

“Something’s not right,” said Larbel, rubbing his chin. “It’s as if he’s a—” Larbel, slack-jawed, leaned out from the balcony and yelled out, “Seize them immediately and detain them in detention block D!”

A light abruptly beamed over the survivors of the Tenth Fleet, electrocuting them. Just then, cuffs ported on their wrists while they fell to the floor and twitched. They were clutching themselves in horrible pain. The only one who didn’t scream or show any signs of pain was Bisel who lay unconscious.

“This is bullshit,” said Keith, groaning.

Jolus was in too much pain to respond. Without hesitation, the sextet was taken to the facility’s penitentiary. It resembled Goliath’s prison bay but didn’t have windows. Instead, its surroundings were rocks. The soldiers of the science facility gradually brought their prisoners across the central bridge to detention block D. When the hatch opened, they slugged their guns against Keith’s and Jolus’ backs.

Upon being forced into block D, each of them was separated into different cells, which were nestled into the walls. Eventually, only Bisel and Keith remained in the corridor. Admiral Bisel was still unconscious, unlike Keith who kept trying to resist the soldiers.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, fidgeting.

One of the soldiers sneered and slugged his MP-98 rifle onto Keith’s back again, forcing him into his cell. Keith groaned, falling to his knees. Another soldier dialed a code on the panel beside the prison, making a plasma shield envelope its entrance. Bisel was then carried to the sixth cell.

“No, not him,” said Doctor Larbel. “Or shall I say, it. I want it terminated.” The soldiers halted, staring at Doctor Larbel as if they did not hear him. “Well, what’re you waiting for?” he added. “Get that abomination out of my sight!”

That was the final clue for Keith. The soldiers carried Bisel out of block D, but Keith knew that couldn’t be him. Larbel glanced at each of the prisoners suspiciously and then also left. The survivors of the Tenth Fleet were relieved to be alive; though, they were frustrated being in prison since they worked for the UEC. McKenzie, crying in his cell, seemed to be the only one displeased to be alive.

Keith thought, Great, we have another loser in our ranks. Private McKenzie looked like a complainer to Keith the moment he’d laid eyes on him. To Keith, there was nothing worse than a soldier who ceaselessly whined. This situation was truly no different than what had happened on Vindor, he thought. McKenzie was the perfect testament to that. Keith lay on the cold floor in utter silence. For the first time since the battle in space, he felt hopeless. As a matter of fact, he was so discouraged that he closed his eyes, no longer feeling any motivation to stay alive, and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Zoris Kong and his henchmen were scouting the hazy landscape of planet Aydis outside of their shuttle. Zoris had eight men with him, who were all spread apart while moving forward.

“Boss,” said Marl, one of the henchmen, “there’re too many trees.”

Zoris turned around, pointing his MP-95 pistol at Marl. “Do you want me to shoot you?” His threat caused Marl to fluster and continue scouting. “That’s more like it,” he said, scowling. Just then, his UND vibrated. He clicked it, activating his vidlink.

“I’m losing my patience,” said Vreffith, appearing on the screen.

“Perfect timing, Vreffith,” said Zoris calmly. “Your theory is probably right: our scanners haven’t picked up any life signs yet, but the shuttle’s radar has detected an artificial cave not too far from where we landed. I think it may lead us to a hidden UEC colony. I’m going to send you the coordinates.”

“Interesting,” said Vreffith. “I’m taking the other shuttle. Don’t go any farther until I arrive.”

“You got it.”

Zoris heard an explosion from behind when his vidlink session ended. He turned around, seeing the remains of a henchman flop to the ground due to a tree exploding and releasing lethal gas.

“Are all of you that stupid?” said Zoris. “Stay the fuck away from those things!”

The other henchmen fretfully nodded, gazing at their dead comrade one last time before moving onward. They eventually caught up to Zoris.

“Vreffith wants me to stay here until he arrives, so I want you to split up into two groups and continue scanning around in case there’s actually a UEC colony or facility here,” said Zoris sternly. “Creyton, you’ll lead the first group with Vincent, Josephine, and Marl. The rest of you, follow me.”

“What if we replace survivors, boss?” asked Creyton.

“Kill them,” said Zoris.

They complied, leaving the swampy region.

In the meantime, the survivors of the Tenth Fleet remained imprisoned in their cells. It had only been two hours since Keith had fallen asleep. He eventually awoke to a loud noise. At first it seemed distorted what with his drowsiness, but then the commotion arranged from loud hums to words.

“I don’t deserve to be in here,” said McKenzie, moping.

Keith sat up and looked at the cell across from him, noticing Jolus staring at him with a look of despair. Clearly, even Jolus had lost his patience with McKenzie.

“Please, somebody, get me out of here!” cried out McKenzie. “I’m innocent!”

“Can you shut the fuck up?” shouted Lomax. “We’re all innocent!” McKenzie was still crying despite Lomax’s rage, but he finally stopped lamenting. Lomax sighed and muttered to herself, “Jesus...”

“How long have I been out?” asked Keith, yawning.

“Not long,” said Jolus.

“Listen,” said Mar’kett, “we need to replace a way out of here.”

“Yeah, replace a way out of here,” said McKenzie, moping again. “Sure. That’s real easy. Let’s just burst ourselves through the prisons’ shields. We’ll disintegrate into a thousand pieces, but maybe our ashes will replace a way out of here!”

“Private, you need to calm down,” said Mar’kett.

“Calm down?” replied McKenzie, crying louder. “Yes, I’m very calm. I am very, very, very calm.” He continued to weep.

Mar’kett, the only prisoner who remained hopeful, rolled her eyes. She stood up while the others lingered against the wall, slouched. She then looked through the cell’s force field, trying to see what her inmates were doing. Lomax lay on the left side but could barely be seen since she stayed in the back of her dark cell. Keith sat in a cell opposite Mar’kett on the right side. She noticed that he was fidgeting with his UND.

“What’re you doing, Sergeant?” she asked.

Keith, slouched on a side wall in his cell, smirked. He glanced at Mar’kett and said, “That is Commander Wernn to you, Lieutenant.”

“Oh, give me a break,” said Mar’kett, waving her hand. “You can’t possibly think the UEC is going to recognize your rank after what Bisel did. He’s been a renegade ever since he abducted Vreffith. The UEC isn’t going to buy any of our stories, certainly not your prestigious promotion.”

“Damn it,” said Keith. “I can’t bypass the GT. Jolus, see if you can get into it.”

“Already tried,” said Jolus glumly. “I think they suspended our accounts. Otherwise, we could log on to the universal network, port any gun or grenade we want, and blast ourselves out of here.”

“Those bastards are quick,” said Keith, scratching his beard.

“Hey!” called out Mar’kett. “Are you listening to me, Sergeant?”

“All right, I’m going to try something else,” said Keith. “Try to activate your UND again, but this time don’t do anything.”

Jolus laughed. “That’s about all I can do,” he said.

“Whatever, just do it,” said Keith.

Mar’kett sighed and gave up on trying to get Keith’s attention. She slouched over like the others and closed her eyes. In the meantime, Jolus listened to Keith. He turned on his UND and waited several seconds until the interface appeared.

“Okay, it’s on,” said Jolus. “What’re you trying to do?”

Keith’s smirk was his only response as he dialed into the interface of his UND. After a few seconds, he aimed the device at Jolus.

“Everything’s looking good,” said Keith. “When I count to three I want you to move all the way to the back and stay there.”

“What?” said Jolus. “Why?”

“Just trust me, man,” said Keith.

Jolus shrugged. “Okay.”

Keith paused for a moment and then began, “One…two…three!”

Jolus stood up and ran to the back of his cell, hiding in the corner. Yet, when he moved, there was another Jolus sitting in the front.

“What the hell?” said Jolus, gazing at the hologram. “How’d you do that?”

“Do what?” asked Mar’kett, opening her eyes. She couldn’t see Jolus from where she sat, so she looked at Keith. “Do what?” she repeated.

“It worked!” shouted Keith excitedly. “I activated my port to function as a network and connected my UND to yours. Having both, I then hacked into the GT with a code recognizing both devices as a single user. It’s a trick I used to do in the academy when I cheated.” Mar’kett rolled her eyes again while he went on, “I’d log on using a network with me and my friend’s UND combined. Then I’d connect the port to our professor’s mainframe to see all the correct answers.”

Sergeant Lomax laughed.

“That doesn’t explain the hologram,” said Jolus. “Or is it a hologram?”

“It is,” said Keith. “I recorded a digital video of you with my UND and downloaded it to your exact coordinates. It’ll replay as long as I want.”

“But didn’t the camera see me get up?” asked Jolus.

“Dude, you’re forgetting that I’m inside the GT,” said Keith. “I hacked into their security cameras, uploaded a copy of what I recorded, and played it for a few seconds while you moved. Since it seems to be working, I’m going to transfer my identity to you. Just make sure you zoom in so you can see me clearly.”

“Okay,” said Jolus, getting to the Galactic Terminal’s login screen. “All right, I’m ready.”

“Cool,” said Keith. “The username is Master.”

“Very original,” said Jolus, raising an eyebrow.

“Come on,” said Keith, laughing. “Admit it, it’s catchy.”

“Password?”

“Iamtheman2698,” answered Keith.

This time Jolus laughed. “You’re something else,” he said, aiming his UND at Keith and making the screen zoom in. Upon recording an eight-second video of Keith, he saved it and then logged off. “Okay, it’s all yours.”

“Nice!” said Keith jubilantly. He logged back on to the GT and hacked into the security cameras again, at which point he uploaded the video of himself exactly where he’d been sitting. Then, as a security camera played the recording of him, he ported his own hologram, removed his cuffs, shut down the prison shield, stepped onto the dim corridor, and reactivated the prison shield behind him.

“How did you do that?” asked Mar’kett.

“Be a good girl while I’m gone,” said Keith, winking at her.

“Wait,” whispered Jolus. “Get us out of here.”

Keith looked at Jolus from the side, hiding from the camera, and said, “Once I get Bisel I’ll come back for all of you. I promise.”

“Are you crazy?” said Mar’kett. “You’re not a one-man army, Sergeant. There are elite soldiers everywhere! You’ll be caught within seconds! They’ll kill you!”

“Hey,” said Jolus. “I thought you hated him. Why save him instead of trying to replace a way out of here?”

“Because that’s not really Bisel,” said Keith, grinning.

Turning away, he crouched and went through the corridor as if it were a trench. He ported his military armor—promptly materializing over his body—with a visor that gave him night vision. Not waiting another second, Keith switched the helmet’s screen to translucence mode, showing him the prison past the sealed hatch. He didn’t detect any life readings in the vicinity, so he opened the hatch and entered the central prison chamber. Upon reaching an intersection on a bridge, he turned left and headed toward another hatch.

“I hope she’s in there,” he said to himself, porting a weapon.

In the meantime, Zoris waited for Vreffith to arrive. He was leaning against an old rock formation, which stood beside a lagoon enveloped by the poisonous mist of Aydis’ atmosphere. Zoris’ henchmen were continuing to scout the region along the shore, scanning for UEC signals. After a few minutes, Creyton’s group returned to Zoris.

“Back already?” said Zoris irritably.

“I’m sorry, boss,” said Creyton wearily, “but we’re completely surrounded by those trees.”

“Where’s Vincent?” asked Zoris.

“He…didn’t make it,” said Marl grimly.

“There’d better be a good reason why,” said Zoris.

“He didn’t listen to me,” said Creyton. “I told him to obey my command, but he kept insisting that we try to go beyond the forest. Then the trees started exploding. He didn’t even have a chance.”

Seeing how angry Zoris looked, Josephine intervened before getting shot, “But we did replace two escape pods. One was empty by the other side of the lake.”

“And the other?” inquired Zoris.

“There was a dead body inside,” continued Josephine.

“Did you do a G-DNA scan?”

“Yeah,” replied Creyton. “It was the captain of Goliath.”

“Nothing else out there, boss,” said Marl.

“Very well.”

Zoris’ second regiment suddenly screamed. Turning to see what was wrong, Zoris and his first team saw a gargantuan sea creature in the lake. It resembled a whale, except it had irises that were blood red. It was the same creature that had attempted to attack Bisel’s escape pod when he landed on the planet. Ten of its tentacles slithered inland, four of them strangling the syndicate.

“Don’t just stand there,” said Zoris, firing his gun. “Shoot the fucker!”

Creyton and his team finally snapped out of their shock. They ported FG-500 guns from their black market GT and attempted to shoot its tentacles. Yet their accuracy was no better than rookies. Zoris was the only one who managed to blast one of its tentacles, but by that time all his henchmen from the second team had been taken under the deep green water, eaten alive. The sea creature started to propel forward in a crazed movement toward Zoris and launched out eight of its tentacles.

Zoris felt the sting of death approaching him, at which point an enormous beam emitted from the heavens, ripping the creature in half. It screeched monstrously as it sank into the acidic water.

“It’s a miracle,” said Marl.

Vreffith’s black shuttle landed beside Zoris Kong’s vehicle and formed a small crater on the rocky terrain as its substructure’s repulsions burned against it. When the door of the shuttle lowered, the planet’s toxic gas engulfed its entrance. Vreffith stepped out of the vehicle with two fe’lorian soldiers, approaching Zoris.

“Thanks, Vreffith,” said Zoris. “We—”

“You’re getting sloppy,” interjected Vreffith. “Where’s the cave?”

“It’s just ahead,” said Zoris. “Follow me.”

Grunting under his breath, Vreffith complied.

In the meantime, Admiral Bisel was imprisoned inside a stasis pod that hovered and pulsed with electricity in the center of an octagonal chamber that consisted of three levels. A group of soldiers stood guard while four scientists used a supercomputer, which wasn’t only connected to the chamber but the entire facility.

“Unbelievable,” said Doctor Larbel. He walked over to the hovering stasis pod, where Bisel remained, and added, “The only reason why I’m here is to gain the information stored in that head of yours. Afterwards, I’ll be the first to incinerate you.”

Bisel began, “Please excuse my interruption, Doctor, but—”

“Silence!” exclaimed Larbel. “I don’t want to hear another word from you!” Pointing at his fellow scientists, he went on, “They’ll be getting all the necessary answers via our computer.” He strode to the back of the chamber and went up the stairs, joining his colleagues on the second level. “Find anything yet?” he asked.

Doctor Mingston shook her head.

“The data is surprisingly well hidden,” said Doctor Nighosha. “Every time we try to analyze it we get sealed off.”

“While I agree that this thing is illegal, as well as a complete and utter abomination to UEC ethics, I still think that it would be wise to speak with it,” said Doctor Gobatis, another scientist.

“Daniel,” said Larbel, “have you lost your mind?”

“I think he has a point, Thomas,” said Doctor Nighosha. “It’s clear that we’re not going to open any of these encryptions.”

“We’re basically dealing with a hacking weapon unknown to us,” added Doctor Gobatis warily. “That’s the only reason I suggested such a thing.”

Larbel slammed his foot against the workstation. “Damn it all! Niralus was supposed to bring Vreffith here. Instead, he’s dead and we’ve got nothing but this atrocity impersonating him. I don’t even know if this thing is from the syndicate, trying to steal our research. If we can’t get anything from our computer, then I want it to be terminated immediately.”

Just then, the first floor’s hatch opened. To their surprise, Keith walked in. He looked at Bisel with a smirk and then turned, glaring at the scientists.

“This interrogation is over,” said Keith.

He lifted his FG-400 and fired its fusion beam at Bisel’s stasis cell until the machine overloaded. Doing so caused a shockwave that triggered a huge explosion in front of Doctor Mingston, instantly killing her. Bisel, finally freed, dropped to the floor. He quickly rolled aside and took cover as a regiment of UEC soldiers on the third floor fired at Keith. Then the facility’s alarm went off.

“Shiva, get out of here,” said Keith, hiding behind a wall. “I’ll handle this!”

“Negative,” said Shiva, moving away from him.

“Wait!” yelled out Keith, switching to an MP-98 rifle. “Where’re you going?”

Shiva ran across the room with incredible speed and reached one of the soldiers who came down to the first floor. She choked him from behind and then plunged her elbow into another soldier who also descended the stairs. The soldiers Shiva attacked were lying on the ground, unconscious. Shiva promptly grabbed their guns and blasted the third floor, causing a raging inferno.

Most of the UEC soldiers on the other side kept firing at Keith who managed to sidestep from corner to corner, shooting one of the numerous soldiers with his MP-98 rifle; the soldier screamed, his armor and skin burning to ashes due to the incendiary bullets. Keith continued to fire until he reached the other side of the room. He ducked and took cover beside Shiva.

She walked to the center of the demolished prison, turned around, and fired both guns again at the other side of the third floor that wasn’t burning yet. The soldiers who managed to live ran for their lives while the remainder of the third floor exploded in flames. Shiva dropped her weapons and then zoomed to the second floor, where Doctor Larbel and his colleagues stood. They were trapped because parts of the third floor had collapsed, blocking their exit. Shiva lifted the debris and threw it aside as though it were as light as paper.

Doctor Larbel pulled out an MP-94 pistol and aimed it at Shiva. “Get back or I’ll shoot you!” he shouted.

Shiva zoomed over to Doctor Larbel before he could even blink and grabbed the pistol, bending it in half. “I am demanding all data to be transferred into my Universal Network Device, particularly on Project Nova,” she said. “I also want all files on Admiral Niralus Bisel.”

“What?” said Doctor Nighosha in a bleating tone.

Keith ran up the stairs. “Shiva, what the hell are you doing? In case you haven’t heard, the alarm’s been triggered. We need to get the fuck out of here.”

Shiva looked at Keith and said, “The mission comes first, Commander Wernn.” She brought her attention back to the scientists and added, “I will not bargain on your behalf for information. The data or your lives.”

Doctor Gobatis slowly stepped back. Another piece of the ceiling suddenly came down and crushed him. He cried out in an ear-piercing shriek, his voice quickly fading what with the raging sound of flame engulfing him.

“All right,” said Doctor Nighosha. “I’ll do it.”

“Over my dead body!” said Doctor Larbel.

“Commander Wernn, terminate this human,” commanded Shiva.

“With pleasure,” said Keith.

He switched the power button on his MP-98 rifle and fired a thermal charge at Doctor Larbel. His screech was even shorter than Doctor Gobatis’ because his face melted off in an instant.

“Down to business,” said Shiva.

Doctor Nighosha, sweating, turned to the supercomputer. Dialing into its console, she reactivated Bisel’s UND, which was attached to Shiva’s wrist. Doctor Nighosha then searched the GT to pull up any confidential files on Bisel that Shiva needed.

“You’d better hurry,” said Keith, grimacing. “Reinforcements will be crawling on top of us in a matter of seconds if we don’t get out of here.”

“I’m trying,” said Doctor Nighosha. The room continued to burn. Smoke was spreading throughout the chamber. “Yes!” she said cheerfully, “I found them. Let me just upload them to your UND.” After the download processed, the doctor sent every file to Shiva’s UND. “There, it’s all finished.”

Shiva checked to confirm if the files Doctor Nighosha had transmitted were in fact the ones she needed. Upon seeing the downloaded files, she nodded at Doctor Nighosha and then stepped over Larbel’s body.

“You were right, Doctor Larbel,” said Shiva. “Over your dead body.”

Disturbed by Shiva’s amoral attempt at humor, Doctor Nighosha gulped and asked, “Can you let me go now?”

“My original modus operandi has been removed. Therefore, I have the ability to lie,” said Shiva, snapping the doctor’s neck. “On the double, Commander. We have a crew to rescue, and a mission to complete.”

Keith nodded, going down the flight of stairs. He approached the hatch leading to the prison bay and waved his hand by its console, opening it. When the hatch unsealed, Keith and Shiva sprinted out into the massive chamber. Just then, a regiment of soldiers on the far left of the central bridge noticed them.

“There they are!” shouted one of the soldiers.

Some of the soldiers started running across the central bridge while others opened fire where they were positioned. Keith swooped down, taking cover by the platform’s side-plating. Shiva, on the other hand, didn’t budge.

“Releasing gravity,” said Shiva, clicking her UND.

With the exception of Keith and Shiva, who had their own magnetic system to counter the absence of gravity, the UEC soldiers drifted up and flailed in midair. Shiva jumped onto the left wall of the rock chamber and ran sideways toward detention block D.

Keith, meanwhile, released his magnetic field, leaped upward in a headlong motion, and performed a somersault while throwing a void grenade at the floating regiment. They tried to aim and shoot at him, but they were out of balance. Keith fired at them, which pushed him away from the grenade that exploded and formed a dimensional flux, sucking the soldiers into a void hole. When it sealed, the bridge was dented by the grenade’s gravity blast.

Another brigade of soldiers were drifting in the air. Yet just as they balanced themselves, Shiva locked her weapon on them—sprinting sideways across the chamber—and shot them in seconds with a hundred percent precision; the magnum pulse bullets from her MP-94 pistol pierced their helmets, killing them.

Shiva eventually reached the hatch leading to block D and unlocked it. Afterwards, she reactivated the gravity while Keith stuck to the ceiling using his magnetic boots. Not one second later, a door opened below, and in came another brigade of soldiers.

“Surprise,” said Keith, smirking.

He ported his FG-400 and fired its fusion beam at the ceiling of granite: a huge explosion occurred, followed by a collapse of boulders that crushed the soldiers. The rocks even destroyed the bridge’s entrance. Keith walked down onto the central bridge and rejoined Shiva while she opened the hatch of block D.

“They’ve come to execute us!” cried out McKenzie. “We’re all gonna die!”

The others were as apprehensive as McKenzie, wondering if soldiers were going to come and execute them. Their fear, however, lessened when Keith and Shiva entered.

“Boy am I glad to see you,” said Jolus.

“What in God’s name is happening?” asked Mar’kett.

“I beg your pardon?” said Shiva. “In whose name?”

“Shiva, don’t you know that’s an old human saying?” said Keith, deactivating the prison shields.

Shiva stared at Keith blankly.

“Never mind,” he said, simpering. “Can you give them armor and weapons from your UND?”

“Affirmative,” said Shiva.

“Hold on a second,” said Mar’kett. “Shiva?”

“Hey,” said Lomax, “I was on Goliath before. Isn’t Shiva its AI?”

“Right,” said Keith.

“But what about Niralus?” asked Mar’kett. “Where’s Niralus?”

“Now is not the time for questions,” said Shiva firmly. “However, I shall attempt to answer your inquiries regarding Admiral Niralus Bisel after we use the Casimir and reach a safe zone.”

“They have a Casimir station?” inquired Jolus.

“Indeed,” said Shiva.

“Thank goodness, we’re saved!” said McKenzie elatedly.

“Lead the way, Shiva,” said Keith.

Shiva nodded and opened the hatch to the prison bay. Once again, a regiment of soldiers entered the chamber. They were, however, only by the entrance because the bridge on their end had been destroyed by the boulders.

“Shoot them!” commanded one of the officers.

Shiva immediately ported a sphere of chromatic energy, hurled it into the air, and shot it with her MP-94 pistol. The tiny mechanism formed a prismatic shield and moved toward the regiment. They fired at Shiva and her team, but the sphere-shaped shield enveloped their bullets. When the mobile shield approached them, Shiva charged forward with incredible speed and ran through it, vanishing. The soldiers were dazed at what Shiva did. The energy shield glowed as it went through their bodies.

“What the heck was that?” asked one of the soldiers, looking at the fractured bridge.

The UEC soldiers ignored him and aimed their guns at Shiva’s squadron while the energy shield came to a halt behind them. Without another second passing, Shiva reappeared from the prismatic shield and blasted the entire regiment with a single clean swipe of her FG-400’s fusion beam. All of them lay dead in an instant.

Shortly after, Shiva activated a magnetic field around her body and reentered the prison bay. She walked on the wall and sealed the chamber’s hatchway before any more soldiers could come. Then, flipping sideways, she performed a cartwheel and landed perfectly on the remaining part of the central bridge.

“That was amazing!” said McKenzie.

“You think you’re fancy with all those illegal fireworks,” said Mar’kett, “but how are we going to get out of here if you sealed the only exit?”

“Lieutenant Mar’kett,” began Shiva, “it is rather ignorant to presume that there is only one exit in this facility. I have calculated a quicker path.” She pointed at the wall to her left. “Step aside while I engage its seal.” Shiva ported an HG-88 hell grenade and threw it at the wall. Upon exploding, it created a massive hole.

Keith patted Shiva. “Not much of an architect, huh?”

“I have my ways, Commander,” said Shiva.

Highly impressed, the crew followed her into the hole.

In the meantime, Zoris stood inside the UEC’s artificial cavern with his henchmen. He was using his scanner but shut it off when Vreffith approached him.

“This entire cave appears to be made of brimidian metal,” said Zoris.

“No doubt due to an alliance with the calisians,” said Vreffith, scowling. “There must be something more to this cave.”

“Boss,” called out Creyton incredulously. “This wall’s different. There’s no metal from Brimidia here.”

“Then what is it?” asked Zoris.

“I don’t know,” said Creyton, shrugging.

Josephine waved her scanner across the wall. “I’m detecting an energy flux; it’s coming from behind the wall,” she said.

“Let me see this,” said Vreffith. He tried to touch the cavern’s wall, yet his hand went through it. “Clever,” he added, his frown changing into a twisted grin as he brought his hand back.

“Arm yourselves,” said Zoris. “And activate your shields.”

They went through the elusive elevator portal and teleported into the same ivory dome that the Tenth Fleet survivors had teleported to. However, no soldiers greeted the syndicate when they materialized in the lobby. Despite the chamber being silent and empty of UEC personnel, the syndicate readied their guns.

“Search the facility and kill anyone you see,” commanded Vreffith. “But if you replace Bisel, bring him to me.”

Just then, a UEC soldier from the second floor of the research facility appeared and shouted, “Identity yourselves imm—”

Zoris released a thermal charge from his MP-100 rifle, melting the UEC guard. The Black Moon squadron cackled at the soldier’s demise. Then they spread out to replace Admiral Bisel.

Meanwhile, the survivors of the Tenth Fleet were running through a white tunnel as an alarm continued to resound. Keith and Jolus guarded the rear, firing at other UEC soldiers while the rest of the team followed Shiva. More and more soldiers flooded their way into the narrow tunnel, attempting to blast the escapees.

“My shield’s failing,” said Jolus.

“Then you’re no use to me here,” said Keith, shooting down a soldier. “Go with the others, Captain. I’ll rendezvous with you after I kill these bastards.”

“The day I take orders from you is the day you’re married,” said Jolus, hurling a grenade at the approaching regiment. Most of the men retreated before the grenade blew up. “We do this together just like all our other assignments. Got it, Commander?”

“Have it your way,” said Keith, sneering.

The duo finally withdrew into another tunnel. Jolus sealed the hatch while Keith hacked into a console beside it, keeping it locked. Upon turning around, they noticed that the tunnel was even longer than the previous one. It also had an intersection ahead. Shiva kept going straight, at which point Keith and Jolus shook their heads and ran ahead to catch up.

“I can’t believe that’s Shiva,” said Jolus. “How did you know?”

“I’ve had my suspicions for a while, but I didn’t realize it until we came here and were taken as prisoners,” said Keith. “You know as well as I do that it’s galactic treason to have an AI walking around like this.”

Jolus nodded, running with Keith. They stopped at an intersection and tried to close the hatches on each side, at which point the hatch behind them started to get blasted.

“You realize this means that the admiral’s really dead, right?” said Jolus.

“Yeah,” muttered Keith.

“But what I don’t get is: why would Admiral Bisel, a by-the-book soldier, go against galactic protocols?” said Jolus, sealing the side hatches in the intersection.

“Because, as Shiva says, the mission comes first.”

The hatch far behind them finally got blasted open; however, Keith simultaneously sealed the intersection, which blocked the incoming regiment. The duo heard soldiers cursing what with another hatch being sealed.

“Whew,” uttered Jolus. “Almost finished?”

“I’m putting this on lockdown and will be good to go,” said Keith. He dialed a security code into his UND one last time, locking the southern hatch. “All right, let’s get the hell out of this tunnel.”

“In any case,” began Jolus, passing through the last tunnel with Keith, “I suppose Shiva will keep her word and fill us in when we’re out of here.”

“If, Captain,” said Keith. “If we get out.”

They finally caught up to the others and entered the largest chamber in the entire facility. It was even bigger than the prison bay. It contained three long aisles, each with four columns of electrical conduits in the form of cylinders. And in the center of the chamber stood a massive Casimir transporter—a wormhole device that looked identical to the space station orbiting Brimidia, except it was a miniature version. The columns of conduits were connected to the Casimir’s core, pulsating with electrical currents.

“I can hardly believe it,” said McKenzie, never happier to be standing before a wormhole device. “Our own Casimir.”

“Don’t piss in your pants,” said Lomax. “We’re still in Gamut.”

Jolus stared at the tunnel with his gun out while Keith finished sealing the hatch. They then joined their team, anxiously observing the Casimir.

“Finally,” said Jolus, “some solid hope of surviving.”

“How long have they been hiding this technology?” asked Mar’kett.

“This is a prototype,” replied Shiva, initiating the mainframe’s interface. “There are no guarantees using this device, but after I enter the correct coordinates, a Casimir effect should activate and trigger a wormhole, which—in theory—will transport us back to our galaxy.”

“Home sweet home,” said Keith.

“It’s not over yet, Sergeant,” said Mar’kett, loading another incendiary clip into her MP-98 rifle. “They’ll probably be breaking in here any moment, and we’ll need to defend Merlin over here so the Casimir can work.”

“It’s a woman, Lieutenant,” said Keith.

“Sergeant, it’s a walking AI, which is illegal for anyone to have,” said Mar’kett. “And in case you forgot, I’m still the one who’s in charge. You will obey my commands, Sergeant.”

Keith clenched his teeth, glowering at Mar’kett who glowered back at him.

“Now listen up,” she continued. “You and Lieutenant Bako will take position upstairs. Sergeant Lomax, you stay down here with Private McKenzie. You can use these columns for cover but not the conduits. If any of them get damaged we’re probably done for.”

The soldiers saluted her and took position. Shortly after, Mar’kett went up the stairs with Shiva and entered a control room on the third floor. Just then, the hatch to their chamber started to get blasted.

“They’re here!” exclaimed McKenzie, panicky.

“Maintain your positions,” commanded Rena Mar’kett.

“Locked and loaded,” said Keith, grimacing.

The hatch eventually blew open, and in came three regiments of soldiers. They fired—without mercy—at the survivors of the Tenth Fleet. McKenzie trembled, hiding behind one of the left columns. Lomax peeked out every now and then from a column, shooting at the soldiers with her MP-98 rifle. Keith and Jolus had more than enough cover from above and were able to shoot several soldiers. Yet they kept coming in like a swarm.

“Shit,” said Keith, reloading his gun. “How many of them are there?”

Jolus shrugged. He leaned over the second floor’s rail to shoot. Keith peered out when he finished reloading and assisted Jolus. In the meantime, Mar’kett remained in the control room with Shiva. Mar’kett was maintaining shield power for the Casimir while Shiva attempted to activate it.

“How much longer?” asked Mar’kett.

“Patience is a virtue, Commander,” said Shiva.

“Oh?” said Mar’kett. “I thought I was demoted.”

Shiva glared at Mar’kett for a moment, smirked, and then continued working on the supercomputer. “I can handle this sector, Commander,” said Shiva. “You would be helpful aiding the others. But before you leave, please note that I have successfully managed to give each of you new encrypted accounts to the GT. I advise you to remain logged in at all times; the password to your UND will automatically reset every millisecond.”

“Thanks,” said Mar’kett, uploading a stronger force field from Shiva’s GT.

Mar’kett exited the control room and jumped down to the second floor, firing her FG-400 at the remaining regiment. The fusion beam disintegrated one of the soldiers, but the other eleven men took cover.

“Nice of you to finally join us,” said Keith.

“Pay attention,” said Mar’kett, shooting down another soldier.

Private McKenzie finally peered out to shoot. After shooting in the regiment’s direction, however, one of them shot his leg. He fell to the ground and gave out a loud shriek as his thigh sizzled, blood splurging out.

“Bryan!” shouted Lomax, gasping.

She wiped sweat off her face and quickly sidestepped away from the column she’d been using to take cover, firing at the regiment of soldiers. All ten of them spotted Lomax and gunned her down in an instant, but not before she killed two soldiers. Keith saw an opportunity to strike back, so he threw down an HG-88 grenade, vaporizing four soldiers. The grenade’s explosion, however, blew up one of the Casimir’s conduits, causing a power fluctuation in the chamber. Jolus stood up while the lights flickered and launched a thermal charge, killing another soldier.

“Only three left,” said Mar’kett.

The Casimir suddenly activated, and a turret lowered from the ceiling, firing laser beams at the remaining soldiers. Their force fields and armor didn’t stand a chance against the turret’s firepower.

“Is it clear?” asked Mar’kett.

“For now,” said Shiva.

She rejoined her team who went down to the first floor, where the Casimir was located. Mar’kett ran over to Private McKenzie and ported her medical kit to mend his leg wound. Jolus checked on Sergeant Lomax while Keith stayed with Shiva.

“Nice work, Shiva,” said Keith.

“Thank you,” she said, “but the mission is far from complete. I recommend sending each of you separately to avoid distortions. I shall repeat: this is a prototype.”

Jolus stood up, his face grim. “Sergeant Lomax didn’t make it,” he said miserably.

“Damn it,” said McKenzie, groaning. He kept holding his thigh while Mar’kett tried to mend it. Gasping in pain, he wondered aloud, “Why did she do something so stupid?”

“If our names are cleared,” began Mar’kett, “I’ll see to it that she receives a medal for her bravery.” She waved her wrist in circles, a green aura radiating out of her UND until McKenzie’s wound sealed. “How do you feel?” she asked. “Can you walk?”

Private McKenzie continued to groan but eventually got to his feet. “I think I’ll be all right,” he said. “Thanks a lot, Commander.” He limped over to Sergeant Lomax’s corpse and stared at her, feeling ashamed. “I’m sorry for being so careless, Debra.”

“She can no longer hear you,” said Shiva.

“He’s consoling her soul, Shiva,” said Mar’kett. “Do you mind?”

“Soul?” responded Shiva, looking at Mar’kett with a puzzled expression. “I am terribly sorry, Commander, but I do not understand. What is that?”

“Forget it,” said Mar’kett, sighing. “Just get us out of here.”

“Affirmative,” said Shiva.

The facility’s intercom suddenly turned on. At first there was heavy static; then it cleared up and became silent. It seemed as if someone was breathing into the intercom, yet no one spoke. The crew gathered near the Casimir except for Shiva who walked toward the stairs leading to the control room. She, however, halted before going upstairs. Just then, they heard a vicious cackle via the intercom. Mar’kett shuddered at the mere sound of it, and she wasn’t one to be easily frightened.

“Admiral Niralus Bisel,” said Vreffith through the intercom. “I have noticed that you’ve taken all the fun away from me by killing these people. Why couldn’t you let me kill them?” The more Vreffith spoke, the colder his voice became. “You’ll have to make it up to me when I replace you.” The channel was instantly terminated with a blasting sound.

“Who was that?” inquired McKenzie, alarmed.

“Sounded like Vreffith,” answered Jolus.

Keith sighed. “If the Black Moon syndicate is here, then we’re fucked if we don’t leave now.” He looked at Shiva and asked, “What’s the plan?”

“I shall teleport you one by one,” said Shiva. “Commander Mar’kett will be first. Private McKenzie will be second.” She then glanced at Keith and Jolus while adding, “The two of you will stay here and help me deal with Liagon.”

Mar’kett’s chest constricted. “Did you just mention Liagon?”

“Correct,” replied Shiva. “Liagon is Vreffith Larser.”

“That’s impossible,” said Mar’kett. “How can that be?”

“Commander Mar’kett,” began Shiva, “I cannot afford to waste more time by explaining what has been withheld from you.”

An explosion abruptly occurred nearby, causing the chamber to shake.

“He will be here soon,” continued Shiva. “Rendezvous at the cantina: Twilight.”

She went into the control room and triggered the Casimir. Not a second later, Mar’kett’s body teleported before their eyes. It looked as though her body had been sucked into a black hole.

“Good luck,” said McKenzie.

Keith and Jolus nodded at him as he was teleported.

“This is the end of the line, gentlemen,” said Shiva.

Just then, she entered a code into the computer terminal and teleported Jolus out of the science facility. Keith, furious, ran into the control room.

“What the hell did you just do?” he asked. “That’s my brother!”

“According to my records he comes from another family,” said Shiva.

Keith grunted and slammed his gun against one of the metal crates. “That’s not what I mean,” he said with frustration. “He’s been at my side since the beginning of my service.”

“Fear not, Commander Wernn,” she said. “You will also be transported. I needed you to remain here last in order to complete the download process of Sequence One: the UEC files concerning Project Nova and Admiral Niralus Bisel’s dossier.”

“What?” said Keith. “But why?”

Another explosion occurred, this time from the tunnel. They also heard gunfire in the distance. The screams of other UEC soldiers alarmed Keith. He reloaded his weapon, realizing that the Black Moon syndicate was approaching.

“Before Admiral Niralus Bisel perished, he entrusted the mission to me,” replied Shiva. “The confidential files that he provided have educated me a great deal. And there are a few new files I received from Doctor Nighosha, which shall be of great assistance after they are decoded; however, I cannot guarantee my survival.”

“What kind of talk is that?” said Keith. “You’re an AI. You could easily kill any person with your strength, including Vreffi—Liagon, or whatever he’s called.”

“Negative,” said Shiva. “Liagon is more than human. No human, or any other species for the matter, can stand a chance against him. And now I understand why he did not die on Delva’s moon when Vacuity should have terminated him.”

“What the heck are you talking about?” inquired Keith.

“My apologies,” said Shiva. “I am still computing and attempting to replace a weakness. The files are currently encrypted but shall automatically be decrypted in your Universal Network Device if I am terminated. I entrust the mission to you. And, as the human saying goes: Good luck.”

“Wait a min—”

Not a second later, Keith was teleported by means of the Casimir effect. There were no more soldiers screaming for their lives; that meant only one thing: it was between Shiva and the Black Moon syndicate.

Zoris Kong was leading his henchmen of the syndicate through the tunnels and hatches that they repeatedly found shut. Creyton and Josephine were trying to open one of them with their UND while Marl checked their flank in case more soldiers attacked. Upon reaching the sealed hatch, Vreffith appeared and approached with his fe’lorian guards.

“Must you be so civilized?” said Vreffith.

He launched a thermal charge at the sealed hatch, completely melting the door. Vreffith led the syndicate beyond the hatch, passing the same exact intersection that Shiva and her team had used in order to reach the wormhole chamber.

“Strange,” said Creyton hesitantly, “my UND is detecting large quantities of thermal radiation from the northern sector. It’s as if—”

“There’s a Casimir station?” interjected Josephine.

“Are you trying to embarrass yourselves in front of Vreffith?” said Zoris. “How foolish can you be?” He activated his FG-500 and aimed it at Josephine, but Vreffith intervened just before the beam could blast her frightened face. He held Zoris’ gun, aiming it at the tunnel’s ceiling. “Eh?” uttered Zoris, confused.

“On the contrary, Zoris, I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Vreffith. “These rats are always trying to conjure up something new, as they did with me.”

“Very well,” said Zoris. “Shall we go on ahead and report what we replace?”

“No,” said Vreffith. “I already know that he’s just beyond this tunnel. Bisel’s escape was Machiavellian, but a failure. Return to Heidegger and await my orders.”

“Are you sure?”

Vreffith glared at Zoris as if he were about to kill him. “Yes, I’m sure,” he said. “Now get out of my sight. And that includes the two of you.”

The fe’lorians nodded while Zoris signaled his group to follow him. Upon them leaving, Vreffith walked through the northern passage. The chamber ahead gradually came into view. It was as Josephine had imagined: a small Casimir stood in the chamber. Vreffith stepped inside while the facility’s red alarm continued flashing.

“That is far enough, Liagon,” said Shiva.

She held an SP-34 sniper rifle on the third floor, leaning against the handrail. Shiva didn’t budge; she was already aiming at Vreffith’s chest, her index finger on the trigger.

“I’m sorry for coming late,” said Vreffith, sneering. “You know I’ve never been fond of celebrations. But I couldn’t pass up the chance for our reunion after our precious time together on Goliath.”

“Save your breath, Liagon,” said Shiva. “You are going to need it.”

“Wrong,” said Vreffith, running forward.

Shiva pressed the trigger, putting a bullet into Vreffith’s heart. He jolted back and knelt down, groaning. She then fired a second bullet, which went straight into his forehead. Vreffith’s face turned green and looked as though it was filled with venom, forming facial veins. However, the blemishes soon vanished. He stood back up, laughing at Shiva.

“Admiral Niralus Bisel,” said Vreffith, “how did you do it? How did you survive when I clearly sent you to Mother?”

“Sent me to who?” asked Shiva.

He grimaced and shouted, “This is the end, Bisel!”

Vreffith’s entire body started to deform as his spacesuit tore apart. There was a gleaming light accompanied with a blast that brought the temperature up by fifty degrees. He formed into the predator he was meant to be for the vel’pheasians—Liagon—and rushed toward Shiva. She quickly rolled aside and evaded Liagon’s lunging claws.

“That was a folly maneuver,” said Shiva.

She grabbed Liagon by his fleece, lifted him with one hand, and flung him across the chamber. Liagon smashed so hard against the wall that it dented. Though dazed by the sudden attack, he promptly got to his feet and growled at Shiva.

“What is this?” he said, hissing. “You’re not Bisel!”

“Quite astute of you to notice,” she said.

Shiva ported out an FG-400 and discharged its fusion beam at Liagon’s chest with one hand while throwing a void grenade at him with her other. The fusion beam smudged against Liagon’s chest while the grenade landed below his feet. A smile formed on his face, absorbing the beam.

“You should’ve been a physical therapist,” he said.

“Actually,” she began, “that would have been my preference if I was a citizen of United Earth Command.”

Not a second later, the void grenade beneath Liagon exploded and swallowed him into the void hole that it created.

Shiva dialed into the Casimir’s console and activated an automatic sequence for herself. Upon entering the code, she went down the stairs and witnessed the grenade’s void hole surge into heavier distortions than usual. Somehow it returned Liagon, unharmed.

“Do you have anything else that could soothe me?” he asked. “It’s working.”

Liagon rushed over to Shiva again and attempted to rip her torso apart; however, he kept missing her. He growled and hissed louder each time he lunged his claws at her. Shiva’s finesse was unnatural, thought Liagon. He knew this wasn’t Bisel, even though it looked like him, but he couldn’t help but think of Bisel, becoming more enraged.

“You can’t evade me forever!” he said viciously.

Shiva shoved her fist into Liagon’s stomach, sending him back several feet. She then sped toward Liagon with incredible speed and pounded his face with her fists. Liagon felt as though a crowbar was being whacked across his face continuously. He attempted to retaliate, but Shiva clutched his furry torso and body-slammed him into the now cracked ground.

“Pathetic,” he said, grunting.

Liagon managed to stand up and then grabbed Shiva, throwing her over his head. She smashed through one of the electrical conduits, landed on the stairs, and rolled down to the first floor. Shiva tried to get back on her feet while Liagon pounced, trying to decapitate her. She blocked his claw just in time and gripped his hairy forearm, tossing him through several crates near the staircase.

He rose, still unaffected by her attacks. Shiva’s eyes abruptly shifted to a hazel color, pulsing while showing her palms to Liagon. Surges of lasers emitted from her hands toward Liagon. Yet he held out his hands and absorbed all the firepower directed at him.

“What the hell are you?” asked Liagon.

“Fascinating,” she said, “I would have asked you the same question a few hours ago if I did not obtain files about you. But to answer your question: I am an abomination to this universe, just as you are, Liagon.”

“No, that’s impossible,” he said. “You couldn’t be. You’re nothing like me. You’re something else.”

“That is correct,” she said. “Nevertheless, I am still an abomination.”

Liagon pounced toward her again. This time he was quicker than before and finally sank his claw into her chest. Doing so gave him a pleasurable shock, as did all energy-based weapons. Shiva backed away, holding her chest that fizzled with torn wires.

“So, you’re an android?”

“You are incorrect,” she said. “I am an Artificial Intelligence: 0009837-Shiva.”

Liagon laughed. “My goodness, an AI that managed to transfer itself into an android’s body, which happens to be identical in appearance to Bisel,” he said. “You must’ve used his G-DNA to replicate his molecular structure.”

Shiva nodded at him.

“Ingenious,” he said. “Well, this shall be interesting. I’ve been waiting for a formidable adversary. Come, let us finish this charade!”

Shiva ported a tsurugi sword via her UND and positioned herself in a stance that made her look as if she were a dynasty-trained samurai. Liagon paused and gawked at the Japanese sword, surprised. He took a step back but remained focused while the facility trembled due to distant explosions.

“Such detonations are abnormal. Have you ignited the polder of Vacuity, as you did on Delva’s moon?” inquired Shiva.

Liagon’s only response was a contorted grin.

Shiva had to wait one more minute before the Casimir would teleport her. She needed to somehow survive for that amount of time. She hoped—as humans often did—that the black hole would not consume the planet until she was teleported. This time Shiva lunged forward, trying to strike Liagon who dodged the blade. He then flipped onto one of the crates that Shiva had just sliced in half.

The blade was stuck in the crate, but Shiva pulled on it and managed to yank it out; yet not before Liagon pounced at her, scratching her back open with his right claw. Shiva moved away after she released the sword and struck upward. Liagon, however, ducked and grazed her face with his left claw. She swayed the primordial sword again, this time piercing his ribs. For the first time, Liagon growled in terrible pain.

“My second choice, career-wise, would have been bushido,” she said.

Liagon gripped his slashed ribcage as his yellow-colored blood dripped onto the floor. He hissed at Shiva while the lights in the chamber suddenly flickered. The Casimir’s power started fluctuating too.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Liagon, backing away. “In less than a minute this entire facility, as well as you, shall be sucked into a black hole. And if you’ve learned anything in those UEC files when I was imprisoned in Delva’s moon, then you know that I’ll only become stronger by the phenomenon.”

“You are partially correct,” she said. “I regret to inform you, however, that you are only correct in the ladder of your logic.” One second later, Shiva disappeared before Liagon’s eyes as an energy wave pulsed out of the Casimir.

“No!” he shouted, roaring.

Moments later, the chamber and facility blacked out. It started to decompress and break apart while the black hole initiated from the damaged polder. Within mere seconds, it engulfed Liagon, as well as the entire planet, into Vacuity.