Pax Galactica - A Space Opera

Chapter 43 - Absolute Power

Decker and Ophelia looked around frantically when they heard the loud rumbling coming from deep beneath their feet. The artificial gravity, or whatever it was, was stable enough that they didn't feel anything. They just heard the sound. It took them a moment to work out what was happening. They were being blasted into space!

So much for that thin possibility of escape.

The interior of the Heptagon was still a madman's dream of impossible geometry, although none of it seemed the same as before. There was nothing familiar about the place upon a second viewing, nothing for the mind to hold on to. Decker couldn't even reliably tell the walls of the ceiling, or indeed identify walls or ceiling.

Helios was splayed out on what passed for the ground. Halfway up the ground, Decker grasped at the words to describe it. She was breathing but her eyes were glassy and distant. She looked like a strung out drug addict.

"Don't worry about my body," came Helios' voice, seemingly from everywhere. "I can't spare enough bandwidth to attend to it at the moment. My mind hasn't expanded enough to fill its new container I'm afraid and I have such bigger fish to fry. It's only a matter of time before I acclimate, though."

"Sure," said Decker, just to fill the silence.

"I've seen worse," Ophelia lied.

The Heptagon broke through the local gravity well and Helios started to get a sense of the surrounding space.

"I see there is a fleet of Old One Battlecruisers hiding in hyperspace just adjacent to Home," she said. "My arrival must be just the kind of thing they're waiting for. It will be less distracting if I take care of them first. After that, I promise, the three of us can talk. You will have my undivided attention."

A large window into space seemed to open in the empty air in front of Decker and Ophelia.

"Feel free to watch the action while I work."

The screen appeared to be showing a perspective outside of the Heptagon, because it came flying into view from below. Out in space it was nearly invisible against the backdrop of stars, looking as it did like it was built out of the night sky.

Suddenly the Heptagon came to a dead stop. It didn't orbit, it merely hung in place in utter stillness.

Now, thought Decker. Do it now.

Just as Helios predicted a fleet of six Old One Battlecruisers moved down from the higher dimensions to confront the Heptagon. They maneuvered quickly into place to ensphere the alien construct. In keeping with standard Old One war doctrine they would have more ships in hyperspace, completing the hypersphere and truly surrounding the Heptagon.

They opened fire immediately with everything they had. Starship-grade Kinetic Lances, Antimatter torpedoes, suicide drones with 5d warheads, heat rays, memetic cannons. A storm of weapons fire engulfed the Heptagon from every direction and dimension.

There. She's distracted. Her body is right there. It's the perfect opportunity. The AM missiles are online just signal the Suit.

From the eye of the storm of violence the Old Ones were raining down a pulse of exotic energy shot out sideways. It bisected one of the ships in hyperspace, annihilating every part of it that it the pulse touched. Then it impossibly changed course, dropped back down into the lower dimensions, and slicing through a second ship.

The screen was able to follow all of this with frightening accuracy.

Now. Do it now!

The Old One ships began to break formation and flee. They were too late.

...

Decker still couldn't bring himself to loose the missile.

At first he cursed himself for his cowardice, but he realized that wasn't it. He wasn't afraid to die for this. He had made his peace with that already. It was something else.

He wasn't ready to give himself permission to do it yet. Not to end things like this, with everyone dead. With Ophelia dead. Not until every other option had been exhausted. It must really be the last resort.

There had to be another way. Just because he hadn't thought of it yet didn't mean there wasn't one. He couldn't blow them all up until he didn't believe that anymore.

The Heptagon utterly ravaged the entire Old One fleet with its many unheard of weapons, blowing them all to pieces and turning the far orbit of Home/Click-*-Click-*-Click-Click into a graveyard of ships. As quickly as it began one of the most deadly space battles of the last century was over.

The screen snapped out of existence.

"There," said the voice of Helios. "Much better. Why don't the two of you retract your Suits."

Decker and Ophelia exchanged worried looks through their helmets.

"Don't worry I am in complete control of the atmosphere in here. You'll have no trouble breathing," Helios assured them.

Neither ranger made any move.

"Don't give me a reason to distrust you already."

<Stay ready to come back fast,> thought Decker, <but retract for now.>

<Shouldn't I just hit her with the AM while I still can?>

<No.>

<Alright...> replied the Suit.

The Suit slid away back into hyperspace, leaving Decker in his regular clothes and his cloak. Ophelia's Suit retracted soon after.

"Isn't that so much more comfortable?" asked Helios. "And friendly. I always like to see someone's face when I speak to them. Now if I'm not mistaken-"

"Hold on," interrupted Ophelia. "Just in case you end up deciding to kill us..."

She grabbed Decker by the collar, and pulled him in for a kiss.

Decker was shocked, then elated, then he realized Ophelia's implant was trying to handshake with his.

Of course! If their heads were in physical contact then their implants could communicate without the possibility of it being intercepted.

Well he was still elated.

<What do you think you're doing?> she asked, the anger coming through the mental communication loud and clear. <Why aren't we all dead yet? That was the perfect opportunity. Now we don't have our Suits!>

<I'm not going to kill us all until I'm sure it's the only way,> replied Decker.

<Do you have a better plan?>

<No...>

<Then it's the only way! Don't go sentimental on me! The second another opportunity presents itself you better take it, no hesitation!>

Ophelia pulled her lips away.

"QX, I'm good," she said, brightly.