Chapter 8: They Came Bearing Gifts

“Are you sure this will work?” Remus asked Seven. He pulled up his shoulders.

“Well I am fairly certain it will work...I think. They do not like to waste.” Seven said.

“Then let us get underway.” Remus said, anxious to get this done. They all dropped their weapons and left their cover, with arms upraised, approaching the main gate.

They were all bound, standing in front of D’nak. He stood there with his trademark smirk of superiority, looking down at them, as if sizing up his next meal.

“ I know you people are stupid, but you lot are dumber than most. What did you think you will achieve walking in here unarmed? Are you here to surrender to to Athenai justice?” D’Nak asked.

“You are no more Athenai than I am a Martian.” Bracus replied, visibly straining against his bonds. D’Nak’s smile grew even wider.

“Ah so our little secret is out then.” He said, rubbing his hands.

“We found your little processing plant. How long have you been murdering our people?” Jason asked him.

“Oh the same day we landed. Your species really should look after the poor and the homeless a bit better.” He said, removing a vial from one of his pockets. He lifted it up to the light.

“Humans supply the most potent ambrosia we have ever experienced. I can’t wait until the first farm opens up.” He said, popping the cap and slowly draining it, much to their disgust.

“To business then. Diane is scheduled to be executed today, along with the Tor. You will join her.” D’Nak said nonchalantly.

“Why are you here alien? You just came here to farm us?” Seven asked, using the word ‘alien’ as harshly as he could.

“It is one of the reasons yes, but I think you are trying to whittle information out of me. I do not need to answer to dead men. Take them away.” He ordered his guards.

As the soldiers led them away D’Nak quipped after them: “The next time we are all alone, I will be enjoying all of you.”

---

They were marched into the bowels of the fortress, the lovely décor giving way to darker, ominous surroundings. Sometimes they could hear screams, yet far away, but chills to the bone nonetheless. Undoubtedly humans were being experimented on down here or even worse, tortured. They passed Pericles’ cell. At first, his face was one of worry. Death shot him a wink and then it turned to one of confusion. When the guards put them in a cell he will find out what was afoot. He waited until he could not hear their footsteps and still waited a couple of minutes to be sure.

“Pericles! Can you hear me?” Bracus bellowed from down the hallway.

“Perfectly Bracus.” The voice sounded behind him, Bracus spun on his heel, finding Pericles behind him.

“Astral projection. That’s useful. I assume that’s the way you kept an eye on Diane?” Bracus asked.

“In a manner of speaking. I take it you are enlightened now?” Pericles asked with that cocky smile of his.

“In part yes. There are still a few blanks to fill, but suffice to say is that the Athenai is our enemy.” Bracus concluded. Pericles just smiled and shook his head.

“They are not Athenai. I don’t suppose the phrase ‘I told you so’ holds the same meaning on your world as on mine?” Pericles asked, smiling. Bracus chuckled.

“Who are they?” He asked as the smile faded from his face.

“One of our more…unfortunate mistakes. We only needed one strain of humanity, but some of our scientists believed the more diverse the gene pool, the more study material we had. You would know them as the Hadnese.” Pericles ended.

“You can fill us in later on the details. We are here to rescue Diane.” Bracus whispered.

“Then I am with you.” Pericles said without hesitation. Bracus raised an eyebrow. He was quick to agree but did not argue. They can use all the help they can get.

“I assume you have a plan?” Pericles asked.

“Yes, but you just ensured we can succeed.”

---

“What’s wrong with this one?” One of the Hadnese soldiers asked as they lifted Jason up to march them to the public square. Jason appeared comatose and could not walk on his own.

“Fear has probably taken him.” The other one commented as the two soldiers propped him up and marched behind the others.

It did not take them long to feel lost in these winding tunnels. They stopped in front of another room and a soldier went in. The moment Diane stepped out the door, Pericles struggled against his bonds, but a Hadnese trooper stunned him with some sort of shock baton and he instantly went down onto his knees, groaning.

“Pericles! Save your strength!” Bracus hissed next to him. Pericles just nodded, but his eyes betrayed something to Bracus that he secretly hoped for ever since Pericles so readily agreed to help them. It was not just concern he saw in his eyes. Bracus now knew that Pericles would do anything to ensure Diane’s survival. He would use that.

“Get up!” One of them barked as he shoved Pericles with his rifle. He slowly got up, but quickly turned on his tormentor, wrestling him to the ground. Two other guards quickly approached the wrestling duo and quickly got Pericles off their comrade under threat of being stunned again. He smiled and made a gesture of surrender.

As they were marched further down the hallway Bracus shot a glance to Pericles. He smiled and winked back, then stared down at his hands. Bracus grinned inwardly. He got the master key for all their shackles. So far so good. He hoped that when Seven got loose he would deliver on his promise.

They were paraded in front of a large crowd, wearing nothing but their shackles, each person standing in front of what they now knew as processing tubes. The humans mixed in with the crowd, oblivious to what their purpose was, were also baying for their blood. The mood was murderous and even the Hadnese standing in the crowd joined in the taunting and jeering.

The crowd was pressing now towards the dais and Hadnese soldiers were struggling to hold them back. Then silence came over the crowd as D’Nak stepped out from the shadows, holding up his hands. He cleared his throat before speaking.

“Today is a day of sadness. A day that rarely comes to our kind, where we have to dispense justice as the law demands. As many know, our laws are few…few, yet absolute. Our kind has obeyed every law mankind has laid down and now as the President of earth expect us to obey, in the spirit of co-operation, so shall he.” D’Nak said pointing at the Earth delegation’s booth.

“Please do not mistake justice for cruelty, as all life in this verse is precious. So it is with great sadness that I sentence these criminals to be vapoured for the crime of creating copies of a sentient being.” The crowd booed and jeered at them as they were bundled into their chambers. Jason had to be put in a chair as he was still comatose. Diane’s jaw dropped as she saw David also emerging from the same shadows.

“Behold our executioner!” D’Nak proclaimed.

“Are you serious?” Death called out to Bracus. This was as much of a surprise to him as the others. Never pegged David to turn his back on his friends. Pericles lifted his shoulders and the look on his face one of askance towards Bracus, but he slightly shook his head in the negative. Not yet. Fine, then we shall do without him, Bracus fumed inwardly. David slowly walked past every tube, grinning at every prisoner. He clearly was not himself. He stopped at Diane’s tube. After leering at her he opened his mouth, but it was not his voice.

“Such a waste.” Was all he said. He made his way towards a control panel where the switch for their tubes was situated.

“By your leave sir.” Was all D’Nak said. David bowed his head and moved to push the button.

“Jason! Now!” Bracus yelled.

His eyes opened, his eyes awash with violet energies and as he roared, all their tubes shattered. The crowd panicked and they ran in all manner of directions. Those who fell were trampled underfoot. Jason moved towards D’Nak, extended his arm and froze the surprised D’Nak in place before proceeding to create what he calls a time bubble.

He knew that D’Nak was powerful and he could break free from his bonds in an instant, so by creating this time bubble he bought them a minute or two more. The crowd appeared to be running in slow motion, as did everyone but them. D’Nak still had the surprised look on his face. But not David as he started towards them. He was moving slower than everyone to be sure, but he was still a lot faster than the rest.

“Come on! We need to get to the coms tower!” Seven yelled as they retreated back through the doorway.

“How long do we have?” Bracus yelled.

“Not long! They are strong!” Jason yelled back.

They charged down the corridor, Seven leading the way. The soldiers they encountered, were all frozen in their time bubbles, and they were promptly disarmed and dispatched. Jason seemed to be struggling now, breathing hard as he tried to maintain the field. He felt D’Nak scratching at the walls hard now as he struggled to break free.

They arrived at the communications booth and found no one inside. Seven’s hands danced across the keypads, giving access to the Dark Star. The connection was instant and the video that they took at the shoe factory was uploaded to their network. With a final push of a button, Seven transmitted the video to every household and mobile device across the globe.

“He is free!” Jason screamed.

“Where is your escape hatch?” Seven asked Bracus.

“Above the mess hall, two floors up.” Bracus replied, referring to their illegal transfer pad that takes them to their little breakfast spot every morning.

“Then let’s go! I hear them coming!” Hanson barked at them. Pericles it seemed was shadowing Diane the whole time, acting as a shield.

“Give me a weapon.” Pericles asked.

Bracus looked at him and decided that one more rifle wouldn’t be the worst idea. As long as she breathed he would do anything to protect her. He tossed a rifle at him.

“Don’t make me regret this.” Bracus told him sternly. He whipped around looking at Seven.

“Your shuttle better be there waiting or we are all dead.” He growled at Seven.

“Here they come!” Jason yelled as he started firing at the Hadnese soldiers running down the corridor. They turned to the staircase, performing a firing retreat. About half a dozen fell in that exchange as they all scurried up the stairs. They got to the roof and the sight they beheld made Seven smile.

“It appears humanity is now in full rebellion.” He said as Aegis Prime was burning, humans obviously fighting against their supposed partner.

“This way!” Death yelled at them, leading them to the transfer pad.

Bounding around the corner they all stopped dead in their tracks. David stood there waiting for them.

“Very clever that, slowing down time. You knew that we both would be able to break free almost instantly from that puny field. I never would have thought to use the Flow like that.” Ilo congratulated Jason.

“David! Why?” Diane whipped the question at him, But Ilo just chuckled menacingly, as Remus held her back.

“That is not David. And I am pretty sure he has not been for a good while.” Pericles intoned.

“What do you mean Pericles?” Remus asked.

“What you are seeing is but a shell. I will explain all once we are away from here. But rest assured when I say that is not David anymore.” He finished.

“Yes you do not have much time. You still have to make good on your escape.” Ilo said sarcastically.

His words, barely silent, gave voice to the appearance of their pursuers as more Hadnese soldiers came around the corner. Ilo waved them off. He was enjoying this little cat-and-mouse game.

“Trapped, cornered at the tip of your salvation, what can you do when beset against my will? Ilo taunted them as he slowly crept forward.

His eyes were a blazing blue light source and his fingertips looked and sounded like lightning striking. Jason and Pericles looked at each other. They stood as one, combing their might against Ilo as both tried to put up a barrier between them, the soldiers and Ilo.

“Cute.” Was all Ilo said when with a wave of his hand, shattered both their fields like glass. He walked up to the group and stood before Diane. There was nothing they could do to stop Ilo. He stood in front of her and raised his hand, preparing to strike her, or possibly all of them, down.

Ilo stopped short, withholding the final blow. The corner of his left eye twitched, and the storm in it subsided, saw her own reflection in his clear iris. He started to sweat profusely as if straining against unseen forces. He smiled and looked at Remus.

“Make him remember. He is the key.” David said in his own voice, smiling. For the first time since this invader took over his body he now had control. Of Ilo and the power he wielded. He whipped around and fielded his own barrier, protecting himself and his friends.

“Run!” He yelled at them. They needed no second invitation as they jumped onto the pad. But the strain on David was too much and before they could dematerialize, they all saw David’s barrier falter and the Hadnese gunned him down in cold blood.