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Act of Conspiracy, Epilogue
Posted By: russ687<russ687@hotmail.com>
Date: 23 May 2005, 5:59 AM
Read/Post Comments
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Epilogue
Epipotheo Kratos
January 12, 2525
It was nothing short of awe striking. The small planetoid floating in the endless blackness of space seemed to gleam, emitting an odd attractiveness that was comparable to nothing. Its blue surface, comprising one large, global ocean, seemed to reflect the sunlight shining down on it from the center of the System. The entire blue orb was oddly cloudless, but that seemed irrelevant and beside the point.
The near week-long journey had been full of anticipation. No one was sure what the information gathered back in Atropos would yield, but reputable sources had indicated that it was something of extreme importance. Now, merely looking at the beautiful small world merited the entire trip. The millions of dollars spent, the time devoted, and the years in expectancy were all erased from the forethoughts. While the true purpose of this world was still unknown, just being in its vicinity seemed remunerative in itself.
Jakov was speechless as the ship glided towards the world, and the hired bridge crew was in an equal state, staring at the large viewing screens with wonder. He had never imagined all of this turning out to be beautiful planet, and had always expected some sort of secret base from the UN. But now he was awestruck at the reality before him, and his eyes failed to blink as they stayed locked onto the magnificent object on the displays.
The events leading up to this moment were insignificant now. All the turmoil he had faced on Pacifcatorius, all his motivation and pent up anger against the State were suddenly lifted from his distressed mind, and all his efforts just to be here were worthwhile. He had gone to great extents in defiance of that government, causing himself and others a great deal of pain, and even breaking away and tracking down the man responsible for this entire expedition was nothing short of strenuous. But now, standing on the bridge of this overpriced ship and staring down at a priceless planet, the affliction, the pain, and the regrets were all cleared.
He could not explain why a peace settled over him, nor could he even describe the exquisiteness of the sight; all he knew was that something of a higher power was here in this System, emanating from the blue world. The rumors he had conceived in his own mind were proving false, but the truth overtook them with ease; this entity in a nameless System was more precious beyond his dreams, and its simple existence was beyond anything he could ever hope to accomplish.
Richard Langston stood in the center of the bridge, staring at the screen in humble silence. The man who had devoted millions to this was now reaping the rewards of his efforts, and the solemn look on his face seemingly announced to everyone that this was worth all his efforts. While entrepreneur had seen many things, and anything of his wishes he could posses, this very moment seemed to overcome every monetary richness and every connection possible for any one human. The simple and pure greatness of arriving in this System to find what he had been looking for seemed to negate any possible offset and any possible expense. This truly was an investment in a future beyond their wildest dreams.
"It's of Oxygen and Nitrogen atmosphere." One technician announced, breaking the awe induced silence. "Completely compatible for us."
Langston looked over at his hired crew, and sparkle in his dark eyes. "Take us in."
They have arrived.
Contrary to our wishes, how shall we proceed?
It's not a warmongering vessel, it posses no threat.
Then let them proceed and land on the Sacred World?
This race has proven to be a nuisance, despite the outlook by the High Ones. We shall not hinder nor communicate with them until after they have entered the Temple. From there we shall contact this group and inquire of its purpose on such a consecrated terrene.
The High Ones have expressed their explicit discontent for the existence of this race. I believe the time is drawing near when we do not have to hide in the shadows anymore.
As if to make relations with this filth?
No, my worthiness, I speak more of war.
And I agree with you. The time has come for us to pass these beings over and continue the Great Journey. For too long we have been withheld from completing our destiny, and for the sake of The Concordat will shall move on. Despite their secretive and isolated attempts to remain unhindered by our excursion, I feel—as do our superiors—that they can be of no more assistance, and that their removal is of the utmost importance to fulfilling the Path.
Though, not to sound contradictory, war may prove to be a more troublesome option.
A possibility, but you have also seen the weakness and division among this filth. The recent events on Land of Pacification have proven, without a doubt, that this existence is incapable of unified approaches as applied through our covenant. The High Ones wanted us there to observe how this filth lived, and the events leading to total annihilation show just how incompetent they are. There is no ambiguity left; we have seen their true method of life and coexistence, and it is all unacceptable to our standards.
Agreed. Then the meeting in the Sacred Temple is merely superficial?
In a way. Since these beings' dare step onto our most holy world, they shall be the representatives of their entire existence, and shall be given the decision of the High Ones. We can anticipate the initial reservations ending, and the move for a more tenacious approach against this filth. They shall enter the Sacred Temple unhindered.
Then their fate shall be made known.
Preliminary scans from inner-orbit had revealed several small islands dotting the dominantly ocean planet, all of which were uninhabited and contained no relevant structures—save for one. The largest of the islands, a mere kilometer in diameter, did have something on it, something far more peculiar than anyone would have thought. With such high expectations birthed into the mind upon arriving in the System, this sole and single location seemed to fall well short of the imaginations.
It was something, however, and the only thing on this world that attracted their eye. The planet had an estimated total land area of around fifteen square kilometers, and the highest elevation anywhere was a mere ten meters. It was quite odd not to see any large land mass anywhere on the blue planet, but the peculiarity only enhanced the mysterious yet fascinating thoughts generated from witnessing this world.
Why had the Department of International Security withheld information to this System, and why was it supposed to be secretive? Jakov remembered that meeting he had eavesdropped on in Standyle, between the man he stood beside today and that DIS agent who finished the deal. From that point on all he could have done was speculate as to what this Epipotheo Kratos was; now his mind ran over the possible reasons why such a beautiful world was so important.
The ship descended through the crystal clear skies and the small island came into view. The sun reflected sharply off the seemingly perfectly calm waters, and aside from the small green dot, nothing but clean, blue ocean was in sight. Something certainly waited on that island, though exactly what remained elusive in all their minds as the craft began decelerating for landing.
It had perfectly clean white sand beaches, with lazy, small waves lapping up onto shore. Coral reefs were visible in the waters surrounding the isle, and large dark complexions moved languidly around the shallow depths of the ocean. Fish. The occasional large creature could bee seen navigating around the untouched reefs, and some creatures even swam along the surface, their fins protruding and leaving a peaceful and serene wake behind. The sight alone was worth a million words, and nothing like it had ever been experienced by the determined men aboard the ship. Here was a world far away from bloodshed, pollution, and the adverse effects of mankind on an ecosystem. This was true seclusion.
This island was a flat, circular mass with exotic trees filling in the center around the large beaches. Unknown birds flew around excitedly, and the sight looked far too inviting—nearly too striking to be true. And in the center was the structure that had attracted them in the first place, and every eye centered on it as the craft slowly drifted towards it in the clear air. It was nothing short of spectacular; the very center of the island had no trees, no vegetation—nothing—and in that area rose a very modern looking structure. No windows, no doors, no conventional shape; nothing seemed Human about it. There were no weather marks left on it, no cracks or scratches, and it seemed to reflect the sunlight as if polished. The structure was a spherical base, rising at least ten meters above the ground, to a flat top, which had four tall triangular segments rising another ten meters into the sky above it. It looked vaguely like a ball with spikes protruding on the top, and the alien features made it truly mystifying.
The craft settled into a hover over the sand shore and shuddered as the landing gear deployed. It descending the remaining meters and settled steadily onto the ground, and with a slight rumble the engines began powering down. The crew looked over at Langston, who nodded back excitedly. Jakov felt a rush come over him as well; they had found the mystery and were standing less than a kilometer away from it. His heart began to pound faster as his eyes gazed from the viewing screen to the structure visible from above the trees. This was worth it all, this was worth every sacrifice.
He followed them to the rear of the craft, and waited as a crew member opened the main door, then lowered some stairs. Several men—pre-cautiously armed—descended first down the two meter tall ladder, then motioned for the rest to follow. The smell of the ocean hit his senses, and the sound of the wind easily blowing up onto the sands and into the tree line flooded his hearing. After Langston and several more moved down the ladder, he took a deep breath of the rich air and then followed. His feet met soft yet firm sand, and his eyes were doused with bright, clear sunlight. After being aboard that small craft in space for several days, this was the perfect moment upon disembarking.
The lapping waves drew his attention to the ocean, and he looked out to the horizon in silence, absorbing the scene around him. He had lived near the beach before, but it never even remotely compared to this; it was perhaps the most picturesque sight he had even seen. The sounds of foreign birds attracted his attention to the tree line, and he gazed at the tall, green vegetation in wonderment. Tropical growth was very unfamiliar to him, but he felt as if he had known it his whole life. The sounds of the waves, birds, and wind mixing with the sight of their surroundings was overwhelming, and he pleaded for this moment to last forever. The tranquility was incomparable to anything he could do or have, and the silence among the others proved the same for all.
The heat was a drastic change from the cool ship, and he felt himself starting to sweat under the long sleeves and pants. But the discomfort was easily displaced by the aroma, sounds, and sights flooding his senses. While his mind still nagged at him to find out what that alien structure was, his body willed itself to stand here, under the sun on the white sands for as long as possible.
"The reason for our expedition lies just beyond the tree line," Richard Langston announced in a calm yet energized voice. "Let's find out what it is."
The trip through the dense vegetation was longer than expected, but upon entering the clearing and seeing the structure, all weariness was lifted from their minds. Jakov failed to blink as the edifice gleamed in the relentless sunlight, and the odd shape was perplexing and momentous simultaneously, gripping their forethoughts as they stood thirty meters away.
The sphere with the vertical protruding triangular sections seemed to beckon at them, the confounding and questionable attributes drowning out the prudence as the mystification rushed by. Langston stared at it for several minutes before motioning for his hired crew members to proceed, the armed men all too willingly traversing across the flat ground towards the structure, their eyes gleaming with discovery.
Jakov followed them, moving somewhat prematurely by disregarding any sense left in him. This was truly a magnificent find, and of worth beyond comprehension. He didn't even know what it did, or what purpose it served, but something inside pronounced its importance, and the feeling saturated his thick contemplation.
The entire group of ten stopped a mere meter short of the magnificent construction and stared up in near disbelief. The material seemed to glow, not with sunlight, but as if it was a revealing window to another realm. The gray metal shifted supernaturally from a sparkling green tint to a rich blue, then to a deep red, fully attracting their attention. Time seemed to stand still—or pass quickly, his mind couldn't fixate upon a conclusive stance—and he found himself lost in a deep, indefinite stare that flooded his thoughts.
There was a distant and reverberating rumble, shaking the ground beneath their feet. It broke the concentration and gazes on the structure, and everyone looked around in question. Jakov looked down at the ground as a second rocked through, a bit stronger than the last. He paused in thought, the grasping moment when one devised a natural outlook on any given situation; the difference between hostile or friendly, dangerous or safe.
Joy or fear.
His heart picked up its pace as a third growl resounded from the earth, the structure emulating a resonating pitch that was barely discernable. Something was happening, something beyond his immediate recognition and understanding. His natural reactions were still dawdling, and nothing immediate jumped into his judgment as the situation turned from a peaceful, beautiful sight to a questionable and potentially harmful consequence.
He looked skyward as a faint blue substance began to form around the four triangular sections reaching towards the heavens. He stared at it in awe and wonder as it began spinning, imitating a vortex that began to gyrate faster with each passing second. There was no sound and no force from the sight, and it oddly increased in intensity without any perceivable indication. Beads of sweat started forming on his face and his veins percolated strongly as his heartbeat raced, his eyes fixated on the revolving substance now turning a dark blue. At the very center—at the symmetrical crux of the structure—a bright sphere of light began to form, forcing his eyes away as it illuminated their surroundings with a brighter force than the natural sun in the mid-afternoon sky.
Suddenly, his demeanor changed. Was this all a mistake? He cringed and closed his eyes tightly as the world around him flashed into a blinding white light. He felt the ground begin to shake, and the sudden fume of wind rip around his body. The numbing screams of such a force suddenly presented itself, and he felt himself loosing strength against the abrupt onslaught of unnatural power. His mind began embracing fear and he felt strong regret filtering through his afflicted thoughts; maybe this was kept from Humanity for a reason. Maybe something greater than they could have ever known slept silently on this beautiful world.
He found himself yelling against the storm pounding against his body, but nothing of his own conception could be heard amidst the thunder. The force and power of this anonymity began increasing exponentially, forcibly coming against his body; the sudden change from peaceful calm to raging tempest catching him entirely off-guard. With his eyes closed, his fists clenched, and his indiscernible screams, he passed into the threshold of pain. His body spiked as every nerve fed agony to his mind, and he felt as if his skin was on fire and his internal organs being crushed as the unforeseeable power of unimaginable capability began ripping him apart. All his excitement and peace disappeared as the absolute hell of pain consumed him.
This was all a mistake.
He let out one last scream of pain before his mind ceased from existence, and his heart stopped beating. All his aching faded as he felt life slip away from his grasp. Too much was happening for him to comprehend the process, and the end to life that he hoped would never come passed over him, leaving no time for reminiscing or recollection over his war-torn life. It was the impulsive end.
It was death.
Awake.
Life coursed into his veins, and the once unresponsive heart began beating. Reflexes reacted and the mouth opened suddenly and gasped for air. Jakov's eyes shot open as his lungs filled with oxygen, and his body turned from the lifeless, inanimate object it was to an existing entity. He didn't know what had just happened, but aside from his memories of the final moments of his death, nothing had happened.
He began to regulate his breathing and leaned up slowly, not feeling an ache or pain. He shook his head in curiosity as the thoughts overwhelmed him; the violent and unbearable pain prior to his death left not even a trace. For that he was thankful, beyond any expression, since having to relive that moment was not one of his aspirations.
The past suddenly became irrelevant as he looked at his surroundings. He wasn't lying next to that structure, nor was he even outside. He was in the middle of a large plateau-like arena, extending in a circle around him for what seemed like kilometers. High above him a dark ceiling glowed, mimicking the effects that structure had made prior to his death. He staggered to his feet and tried to get his bearings, but he had no clue where he was, or what had even happened. Was this the afterlife?
Nine other figures stirred nearby; Langston and his expedition team. They awoke in the same fit he had, and slowly regained their composure to look around. Wherever they were, it wasn't on that island, and the circumstances surrounding their arrival here made this place seem far from the natural. Maybe they had all died, and this was the first gate to the spirit world, the first step to eternal life.
Jakov had never even thought about this, about what came after death. Never did it occur to him what he believed in, or what he should believe in for the sake of his soul after the darkness eradicated his life. His life had always been consumed with some ideal, some fight driven by his values, not a journey to find out what lay beyond the visible world. Now, standing in this empty plateau stretching for as far as he could see, he wished he had taken the time. Something gnawed at him, and he felt more than just the shortcomings of his life, but also his failure to perceive the seemingly imperceptible. Did Hell await for him now? Was his ignorance in life now his downfall in this unknown realm?
His gaze fell upon several figures walking towards them. The lighting was low enough to keep them from being revealed, but they looked oddly different. The rest of the group fixated on them as well, and wordlessly watched as the figures approached, the group seemingly multiplying as they closed the distance. He could feel his mind racing, fear tainting the edges of consciousness as these dark beings loomed closer. It all seemed so surreal and bona fide at the same time, but his reactions were far from imaginary; this wasn't a dream, something he could just awake from.
This was real.
He found himself taking steps backwards as the group, now numbering at least a hundred, continued forward upon them, their silence menacing to the mind. His jaw clenched and his eyes widened as the figures became evident, their consistent walk and inducing posture intimidating.
Demons.
Maybe this was hell. Maybe he had skipped past any other level to the afterlife and had gone straight to the Lake of Fire that consumed men for eternity. He felt the perspiration on his back as these demons loomed closer to him, closing the distance despite his backtracking away. He had lost sight of the others, and didn't care anymore. He was on the edge of an eternal death and torture.
He began looking up at the tall figures; their size and height easily double his. Strong and powerful arms hung down by their sides, and hate seemed to transmit from the small, black eyes. Hundreds began surrounding him, closing in and clinching the final moments before he would fall into the endless void of agony.
You mere infinitesimal, dare you traverse the Sacred Temple?
They all seemed to speak, their deep, devilish voices resounding from all around, seemingly echoing through this large realm. He shook in utter fear, staring at the countless bodies of these demons that had surrounded him. Was there anything to even say to these spirits? One large figure took a stop forward, his glistening armor shining in this dark void.
For too long we have tolerated you.
Jakov wanted to scream, to cry, and run away from this, but he couldn't. He couldn't even will his mouth to speak words. Nightmares paled next to this, and nothing of his own conception could never foresee or prepare him for this terrifying encounter between the Satan-spawns the dominated the darkness.
Now, by the Will of the High Ones, you shall be eradicated from existence. You are nothing but a weak entity, with no concurrence or intrepid will to complete the Pathway handed to us by The Precursors. You exist only as a disease, a mortal that consumes and taints the universe, and now we shall remove you and obliterate the filth from across the galaxy.
The fear let in a mixture of confusion. He didn't know what these demons were speaking of, nor what allegations were being throw against him, but they all insinuated death; an end to life. He couldn't comprehend their intentions, nor could he understand what they meant, but he felt the deep foreboding that accompanied a lost future.
By our hands you shall meet death.
By your division, you shall suffer defeat.
By our victory, The Pathway shall be fulfilled.
Jakov awoke with a start, his heart pumping heard and his mind racing. He looked around quickly, the fear still lingering in his thoughts, and a deep breath inhaled as he stared at the tropical vegetation, the clearing he was lying in, and the mysterious structure. The blue sky was calmly overhead, and the strong sun radiated down upon him. The sounds of exotic birds met his ears, and the peaceful wind passed over him from the nearby ocean.
He stumbled to his feet, and notice the other nine doing the same. What had just happened? It wasn't all a dream; none of that was. It was far too real. He stared at the object, now nothing but a generic gray metal, all of its former perplexities gone. He looked up to where the vortex had formed, and saw nothing. His thoughts raced with questions, but he didn't even know where to start.
Langston looked over, his face still etched with fear and confusion. The others came to their feet as well, their minds afflicted with the past events. None of this could have been fake, none of that could have been figments of their imaginations.
Jakov took a deep breath, trying to slow his heart down. He tried to shrug off the premonition contaminating his mind, but it wouldn't go. Something had just happened, something that implicating not just him, but everyone; every life scattered across the colonies.
Demons waited to strike.
It was only a matter of time.
April 20, 2525
"Send transmission to FLEETCOM."
"Sending priority message, aye, sir."
Captain Samuel Rowley took a deep breath and stared at the lone object in the System. It obviously wasn't human, and looked more like a menacing alien vessel than anything else. It wasn't particularly large, but it glowed with animosity.
It had to be responsible for the smoldering planets that once comprised the colonies in the System. He didn't know what to feel towards this ship; hate wanted to push through, but curiosity and question held it back. He wasn't even sure how to react to this incident, since millions believed that this could never come true. Aliens? Part of him wouldn't accept it. This can't be happening.
"Captain, incoming message."
He looked over at the Communications Officer. "From FLEETCOM?"
The younger officer shook his head. "From that."
He looked once more at the Primary Viewing Screen as the odd ship began accelerating towards them, glowing a devilish red. He stared at it for a moment, absorbing the sight. He couldn't draw conclusions or opinions, only that it seemed hostile.
What was he thinking? This thing had to be responsible for the desecration of these planets, of the millions of dead. This was now his enemy, it had to be. He tried to make his judgment absolute, but doubt crept into his mind a second later, tainting his original outlook. He couldn't make the call.
"Put it through."
The Bridge Crew fell silent as the deep voice boomed through the speakers, confusion and apprehension setting in. The Captain listened to it intently as he watched the screen, the ship now glowing a deep red. He felt the trepidation wash over him, but a response couldn't form in his mind. Nothing was to be sensed except for a foreshadowing that distressed his thoughts.
"Your Destruction is the Will of The Gods."
Rowley tensed.
"And we are their Instrument."
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