[art source]

Chapter 6

'Are you going to leave me, Eim?'  

 

Atlas' calm and intimidating voice made the doctor feel a shiver run down his spine. Did he find out about his research? And yet he prepared his usual relaxed smile, he mustn't show Atlas that he was afraid of him.

 

'Of course not, sir, you are aware of my loyalty.'

 

'Good.'

 

Atlas turned to the huge window, overlooking the radiant iris of the destroyer. It lit the command office with amber, but not Eim's face, who was standing in Atlas' shade.

 

'I see you have had some inspiration recently. Did you modify the project?'

 

He found out after all.

 

'Sir, I wanted to talk to you about it.' Eim hurried to say, as he was watching Atlas go towards a dangerously looking spear, which occupied an honorary position at the front of the office. 'We might consider other options in case Evolution project…'

 

He trailed off the moment Father threw a piercing gaze at him.

 

'In case..?'

 

But Eim responded only by nervously adjusting his glasses and hid his gaze in the shade. So Atlas continued with a seemingly gentle smile:

 

'You do not believe a destroyer can evolve, am I right?'

 

'Well, it's not actually what I meant, sir,' said Eim in the sweetest tone, trying to fish himself out. 'Your plan is a match of prominent mind of yours, it's just we haven't got any results for quiet a long time…'

 

'And I suppose you have some suggestions.'

 

'It might be… a good idea to escape this planet system until it isn't too late.'

 

'I see.' Atlas answered after a while. 'And where will you go, Eim?'

 

A sweet picture flashed in Eim's mind - light rain falling over the endless ocean, the dream that somehow always soothed his mind. Atlas watched him thoughtfully.

 

'I will tell you what it will be like. If you get to another planet with no destroyer above you, you will find no satisfaction. And you will keep going, keep searching, but you will never, never find the one that suits you. Everything will be different to your memories as nothing could compare to the Promised Land.'

Atlas

'Sir, I am a scientist, but no idealist. If we talk about survival, there's no point of dreaming anymore. We need to come to terms with the fact that Icarus-1 can't be returned.'

 

'Maybe it cannot. Mind you, Eim, what we are looking for is not a place, it is an environment. Icarus-1 was perfect for humans not because it had sun, windy fields or oceans, but because of the harmony between them. Separately they are no more than scorching heat, violent storms and suffocating depths, only together they are something we may call home.'

 

Atlas turned to the window and it flashed with a hologram of many separate recordings which joined into an incomplete map of once beautiful planet.

 

'That's why we collect memories, Eim. Every single dream, every memory and every bond matters.' He tapped a recording of the rainy ocean, which stood apart from the rest of the map. 'They determine the environment needed for survival you hurry to seek.'

 

Eim looked away, trying not to notice the map.

 

'But… according to my calculations humans with special genetic mutation have more chances to survive different environments, so…'

 

'…so you think you are special, Eim? A chosen one? Evolvers are unsusceptible to destructive effects of Icarus planets and even destroyer's radiation, it is true. But special power you have is Icarus' mercy. Is there any guaranty it will work this way if you leave the system? Will it be enough to oppose an alien planet?'

 

Eim went quiet. This was the point he had to consider. And yet in front of him was an example of an enormously powerful star who had fallen and didn't lose its persistence to fight back.

 

'In the eyes of a god like you of course my power may seem as nothing, but… If maybe you teach me.'

 

There was a sly glint in Eim's eyes. He was the closest to Atlas and he was waiting for a long time for Atlas to share at least a bit of sacred knowledge with him, but Atlas never told how he lost his divinity.

 

'I learnt the true power of a star only when I fell.' Atlas said in an unhurried manner and slowly ran his hand along the spear. 'The power I did not have when I was with Synod, when I had wings that radiated light far away into the Amber nebula, when I possessed eternal youth, no…  I ascended to the Radiant with hatred in my heart, after a destroyer devoured my native planet - even though I became a god, I couldn't save my home and the ones I loved. I became overwhelmed by war with destroyers and pierced them with my light, sealed them far away, but I never created anything new, and I never will. I was one of those stars who never gave birth to a planet system.'

 

'I am… Sorry to hear that, sir,' the doctor said cautiously as he didn't know how to react.

 

'It was Icarus to breathe life into me. Now, facing the destroyer, I feel again that I have something left to lose.'

 

Eim couldn't see Atlas' eyes, but he could hear sadness in his voice, as the man was watching the destroyer.

 

'And what is your system, Eim?'

 

The scientist was lost off guard.

 

'Well, sir, humans obviously can't form planet systems…'

 

'You know what I mean.' Atlas didn't turn away from the spear, and composure in his voice sounded somehow intimidating. 'I need you here, Eim, you are not going anywhere. One day you will know where your place lies, and I will give you this time. Maybe all you need is to fall just like me.'

 

Is this a threat? Seems his fall will be inevitable. Eim wasn't pleased by the idea that he had deadlines, since he knew he wouldn't meet expectations anyway. The doctor saw the only solution in escape, but Atlas mustn't suspect anything. Eim made a deep, loyal nod.

 

'You never told how you were expelled from Synod.'

 

Atlas snorted and gave his secret away surprisingly easily.

 

'I used my spear against the elders. I guess Synod has reasons not to like me now.'

 

Doctor was stunned at the revelation, and questions swarmed in his head. He couldn't imagine that there can be disagreement between stars too, and what can even be the reason for that. However, he was unwilling to break Atlas' moment of trust with countless questions.

 

'Fight the elders of Synod… I am truly impressed by your might, sir.'

 

'As I said, I knew neither power nor the nature of world's connections. I just deceived them.' Atlas took a step away from the weapon, as if he was disgusted by its sight. 'Only Ferratos, my radiant spear and accomplice, remained a witness.'

 

Eim froze at once, as he realised that maybe he had just learnt something he shouldn't have known. But fortunately Atlas lost interest to deadly Ferratos as the command office received a distress signal.

 

'Seems we are going to have some harvest from Icarus-2P,' said Atlas with content. 'Eim, be ready to meet new evolvers.'

 

Eim bowed and hurried to leave the office, but Atlas held him up with another burdensome task.

 

'And make a stop on the cold planet too. It would not hurt to check on that little creature.'   

 

***

 

'Destroyer? What the bolt is that supposed to mean?'

 

Onica and Lee followed Dr Eim to the bridge. It was elongated and pointed in its end, and there was no control panel, no screens, just a round platform similar to a table and a transparent canopy with the captivating view of the destroyer. Onica strained and averted her gaze, while Lee gave in to the charm of the giant eye and stopped to watch dazzling gold of the Amber nebula gently floating into horizon of events, dissolving into blackness of the bottomless pupil. It seemed the destroyer was observing him too.

 

'Beautiful, isn't he?'

 

There was a sweet pleasure in Eim's voice, as he was watching the fascination on young man's face.

 

'All my life I've been studying the mystery behind destroyers. A terminus, final gate where life finds its destination… Isn't it amazing to realize that we happened to be so close?'

 

'Personally, I don't want to cross the final gate just yet,' Onica grumbled.

 

'Who says we will? One single touch can be enough to learn the truth.'

 

There was awe bordering obsession in Eim's eyes, and Onica didn't like it.

 

'You are insane! It is dangerous only just to look at it!'

 

'Is that so? Maybe explosions are dangerous too?'

 

Onica's words stopped in her throat, and Eim laughed amusingly.

 

'And here you are, with no injuries at all, despite all the mess you made down in the investigation centre. You are not just a human anymore.'

 

'That is why you are taking us to the destroyer,' suddenly told Lee, frowning thoughtfully. 'We are resistant to harmful effect of radiation.'

 

'Exactly, my dear.'

 

He took off his glasses and bit the tip of the frame arm, smiling mysteriously at the young man.

 

'Just imagine… Isn't it tempting to look inside the fabric of reality, witness the root of creation, fathom the meaning of human nature?'

 

Lee's eyes were shining while looking at the enigmatic destroyer. Attentive doctor had long noticed his ambitions of a pilot, and Lee's dream to traverse the cosmos and discover miracles of the universe wasn't a secret to anyone. And now Eim offered something that stroke a core.

 

'Have you come any closer to uncovering the mystery?' wondered Lee.

 

Eim narrowed his eyes playfully.

 

'I won't dare say I am close, but I do have some humble ideas.'

 

The canopy above them showed a projection of a black hole.

 

'Let's presume it's our dearest destroyer. It absorbs light, matter and information around at astonishing power. Have you ever wondered where they all go?'

 

Lee and Onica felt as if they were again in one of doctor's classes. It relaxed Lee even more and he tried to tackle another problem enthusiastically, while Onica was getting bored and impatient.

 

'Well… If we have particular data on mass and constant speed, we could use a formula to determine the momentum and then if we substitute the values…'

 

'Oh come on, tell already where they go!'

 

Eim chuckled, he was amused to watch his pupils. With a short gesture he flipped the image of the destroyer, and it revealed a shining star.

 

'Well, my dears, as you can see destroyers and stars are connected - what a destroyer takes, that is reborn outside a star in a different timeline, transforming into a pure energy of a nebula in the process.  I call it "the tunnel of reincarnation".'

 

'A screwpin,' Onica concluded with no respect to the term. 'You wanna reincarnate or something?'

 

'Very insightful of you, young lady, but let me finish my point. From this particular destroyer, we received some unusual signals that are commonly known to belong to stars. My theory is that energy coming into our destroyer doesn't transform, which allows us to glimpse occasionally what is on the other side.'

 

'So… Inside this destroyer there is some kind of a passage?' Lee presumed thoughtfully.

 

'Ingenious, my dear. We are witnessing a remarkably rare case indeed.'

 

'I don't know what the flux is going on, but I refuse to get into this scrap.'

 

Onica was getting angry, and even Lee frowned with caution.

 

'Of course it's dangerous, darlings! I would never risk lives of my dearest students for unproved theories. But we can travel to the safe distance and see how far we can go in our research…'

 

'You meant your research,' Onica snapped coldly.

 

Lee, however, gave more consideration to Eim's suggestion and said after a short pause:

 

'Is there a safe place you told about on the other side?'

 

Eim watched him intently for a moment with an unreadable smile.

 

'It is possible.'

 

Lee readily turned to the destroyer, but Onica wasn't pleased with such a vague answer. She realised that the doctor was far from being sane, but worse than that was the fact that Lee was caught in his web of lies. So she needed something that will make Eim accept her terms.

 

The girl went downstairs and looked around. The spaceship was really tiny with only two levels and several chambers on the inner side. The central chamber under the bridge appeared to be a medbay, a useful place to examine. Unfortunately, it ended up being locked.  

 

Meanwhile Eim went to the round platform and as soon as he lay down, an intricate web of glowing strings of light enveloped him, and a dim interface flared on the canopy. The spaceship started moving through the space.

 

'I've never seen such a form of navigation,' as a majoring pilot Lee showed a genuine interest.

 

Eim smiled proudly.

 

'This is my invention. For such a dangerous journey to the destroyer you will need a sturdy ship.'

 

Lee cautiously reached his hand towards threads of dim blue light around Eim's body. It seemed they went straight through his skin, glowing from inside. Doctor watched him calmly, his voice turned into gentle whisper.

 

'Do you like him? His name is Anchor.'

 

The youngster put his hand away so that he couldn't mess anything up and smiled shyly.

 

'I still can't get how Anchor managed to move faster than light of the security system…'

 

'You still can't get it… Let me show you then.'

 

Lee felt how the space around them slows down as if the air turned into water. The time split up between them and the rest of the cosmos. It seemed that the time went still, and Lee was frozen, looking Eim in the eyes.

 

'So it wasn't a ship… It was you all along!'

 

Suddenly the floor shuddered with a loud explosion, and Eim slightly winced with pain.

 

'Onica!'

 

Lee was about to dash away, but Eim stopped him with a gentle gesture.

 

'No need to worry, my friend. Young lady, could you please stop damaging my ship.'

 

'Or what?'

 

Lee went cold. Onica was standing at the entrance, aiming the doctor with a sedative gun.

 

'Onica, what are you doing?'

 

'Consider me hijacking this piece of scrap,' she said confidently. 'We are not going to that darn destroyer, either you vacant the navigation, or I shoot. Lee, are you with me?'

 

Lee felt his heart skip the beat. He knew his sister may be impulsive at times, but he didn't want to choose sides either. However, Eim seemed to be relaxed as usual and took the lead of the situation.

 

'Onica, my dear, I am glad you joined just on time, I was going to tell more about the way how my Anchor works. As you see, the navigation system of the ship is really simple yet unique, as all processes inside the ship are conducted by a pilot. A pilot is spaceship's mind, while the spaceship becomes pilot's body. Mesmerizing, isn't it? Well, there is one problem though, not every pilot can endure such strain, so unfortunately my invention isn't that popular. Oh, and by the way, my dear friend, there is one more thing. Without prior transition if pilot's nervous system is affected in any way, the ship stops functioning as well, which can result in, hmm… us freezing in space just in half an hour, for example.'

 

'You think I'm buying it?' Onica swayed the gun in a convincing way. 'Vacant the cockpit or I shoot, last warning.'

 

'Onica, please, give me the gun and we will talk everything through…'

 

'Lee, stay away.'

 

'My dear, you know what I am capable of, and believe me, you want me as a friend. So stop this cheap show, you don't have guts to shoot anyway, argh!..'

 

The lights of the ship started blinking violently, as Eim got a needle in his neck.

 

'Onica, why?!'

 

Lee panicked, holding Eim's weakening body, which was no longer connected to Anchor with glowing threads. Onica was panicking too, as she watched the ship lose power quickly - everything told by Eim was true.

 

'Why didn't you stop me?! You have powers, you could stop me!'

 

There was a nasty grin on his face, which Onica didn't like at all.

 

'The young lady… Had to be taught a lesson.'

 

Eim grabbed Lee's arm weakly.

 

'My boy, please… The ship can't be without a pilot…'

 

'It's okay, we will find the antidote. Onica, go to the medbay, hurry!..'

 

'No time for that, my friend, lay here instead of me and let Anchor in…'

 

'I… I don't understand…'

 

Eim made an attempt to descend from the platform, but his legs didn't obey, and he fell onto the floor. Lee kneeled beside him, thinking what to do, he didn't want to leave Eim like this.

 

'That's alright, my boy,' the doctor smiled gently. 'Just do what I said, take a pilot's spot.'

 

Lee had never navigated the actual ship and he was afraid that Anchor wouldn't accept him. But as soon as he placed himself on the table, the glowing threads of light sank greedily into his body.

 

And at that moment…

 

At that moment he felt something unexplainable, as if he melted into the universe - he could see stars all around him and he felt cosmic wind brushing his skin. He could swim in the cosmos as if it was the boundless sea and he could touch every star if he wanted.

 

'Lee? Are you alright?'

 

Onica returned with an antidote and was concerned about an ecstatic expression on her brother's face.

 

'It is… wonderful…'

 

Eim brushed his hand over Lee's body with an amazed smile.

 

'Truly wonderful. You reached the highest resonance with Anchor, I have never seen that a pilot and a ship could synchronise so well!'

 

'Ouch, something is a bit… It hurts…'

 

Both Onica and Eim bent over him with concern on their faces.

 

'Where, Lee, where does it hurt?' Onica asked impatiently, ready to pull him out of this terrifying device at any moment.

 

'The lower level, central area, medbay.'

 

Onica sighed.

 

'So you turned into an actual ship. Okay, I'm sorry, I'll go fix the door.'

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