18:33, January 7th, 2135
“Fucking dwarves and their fucking protocols.” Anna grumbled over the radio. “There’s a galaxy-spanning war going on, and they make us wait 6 hours before letting us fly a shuttle to the surface?”
Kayden chuckled in reply. “You remember Muradin – transhumans from Vulcan like to do things by the book, no improvising. They probably had to speak directly to the Lokken admiralty to get permission to let us land.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Also, you might not want to let them hear you calling them dwarves. I don’t think they’d like that – especially from a little goblin like you.”
“I have zero fucks to give about that.” The vulgar goblin girl responded. “In fact, I have negative fucks. I’ve mortgaged all my fucks. I borrowed fucks from the future and spent them already. I’m in fuck debt.”
“We get it, you need to get fucked.” Selina interjected dryly, also over the radio.
“You’re goddamn right I do.” Anna replied. “It’s been days and mister hero over there wouldn’t let anyone except for Ali come down to the surface with him. I was hoping for a little quickie.”
“You know the planet’s higher gravity would make you far too tired.” Kayden reminded her. “I’ve got the enhanced strength so I should be fine.”
“And as an android, I can simply update my programming.” Ali added from the copilot’s seat of the shuttle they shared. “And it makes sense that they are reluctant to let us land – the majority of the Lokken’s mineral supply comes from this planet, and they have invested considerable resources into developing and protecting it including transhuman genetic treatments for inhabitants, development of new mining and habitation techniques, the development of an orbital ring-”
“I know, I know.” Anna grumbled, cutting her off.
“Anna, how about this: I promise you some loving when we get back. We’ll have a whole night and we can do whatever you want.” Kayden offered.
“I want you and Ali. Naked.” She demanded. “All night. Doing something kinky.”
Kayden raised an eyebrow at Ali who smiled and nodded in response. “Deal.”
“Good!” She said quickly, her tone suddenly much happier. “Now let’s get this mission over with!”
Kayden grinned at the idea of Ali and Anna together in bed before guiding the shuttle smoothly in. It had been a hectic last few days – refueling, repairing, and rearming at Port Vega before immediately setting course for Vulcan. His crewmates spent the travelling time figuring out how to capture the remaining Vrul executors without sparking a war. While they didn’t have a solution yet, he was confident that the diverse group of humans, goblins, Kel, and Vrul would devise a brilliant plan before long, giving him and Ali time to work on a special side project.
Eager to test out all of the avatar’s gifts, they’d spent hours fabricating and connecting drones to Kayden’s neural link. For ease of transport they’d attached the small machines to his armour, forming a bulky layer of metallic protection around his shoulders and chest. As much as he felt like it made him look like a knight out of a medieval story, the extra weight was negligible to him and they’d placed themselves so that they wouldn’t restrict his movement. Moreover, they’d each folded inwards to adopt a relatively nondescript look, so that a casual observer would mistake them for being part of the armour.
What was stranger to him was the fact that unlike his nanobots, his drones possessed actual thoughts. As a networked being they couldn’t communicate using actual words, but were more than capable of flashing visions or ideas directly into his brain. Ali estimated that the drone’s collective intelligence was on par with that of a dog or cat – capable of carrying out instructions, but incapable of higher-order thinking like herself. The first few times it happened Kayden felt disoriented and confused, but was slowly becoming accustomed to the sensation of another consciousness pushing up against his.
“We are passing the planetary defense cannons.” Ali announced over the radio, breaking Kayden out of his thoughts.
“They’re even more imposing in person than they were on screen.” Kayden said, leaning forward in his seat to catch a glimpse out of the window. “That railgun over there looks like it could punch a hole through the armour of a main battleship like it was paper.”
“According to the specifications in the Lokken database, it does accelerate rounds to a sizable portion of the speed of light.” Ali replied before smiling at Kayden’s quizzical look. “I accessed their databases when they linked their fleet with Ashley’s. Their information security protocols leave much to be desired.”
Kayden chuckled in response. “I can see that. Anything else you want to tell me before we land?”
“Each cluster of guns is made up of a main railgun surrounded by several energy cannons. They are designed to fire in sequence, so that the energy weapons drain the shields only milliseconds before the railgun round breaches the hull, leaving the crew with very little time to react. In testing it was quite an effective strategy, though far too energy intensive to use on a ship-mounted weapon.”
“Where do they get the energy for them then?”
“Geothermal power. This section of the planet is safe, but most of the rest of the planet is covered in oceans of lava. Power is captured near the warmest sections of the surface before being transmitted back to the cluster of subterranean bases here.”
Kayden nodded. “Makes sense.”
Ali went quiet for a moment before a section of the screen in front of Kayden began to blink blue. “We are approaching the designated approach vector. Please proceed to the highlighted route.”
He nodded in reply before guiding their shuttle towards the indicated path. As his eyes searched the surface of the planet, he began looking for any sources of life. When they neared the ground he began to worry that they might have been given the wrong coordinates and considered asking Ali to start scanning. The moment he opened his mouth to make the request though, the ground ahead of them split open and began to roll backwards to reveal an underground hangar.
“I see the Lokken have a flair for the dramatic.” Kayden shook his head as he keyed the radio one more time. “We’re proceeding into the base. We shouldn’t be long.”
“Famous last words.” Dawn replied sarcastically. “Just stay safe.”
Bringing the shuttle to a halt above the now-gaping circular opening, Kayden skillfully used the antigravity generators to gently float them downwards. They quickly moved below the surface, after which the hangar door above them started to slide closed. He looked below and saw another, secondary door beneath them and hesitated, hovering their ship only 1 meter above it as they awaited further instructions.
For a moment they were plunged into complete darkness as the door above them closed. It didn’t last long though – soon, the door beneath them slid open, bathing them in a warm, bright light. A trio of similarly-sized shuttles shot up from under them, with the lead one turning on its radio.
“Follow me. Do not deviate from the path or we will assume hostile intent.” His voice boomed over their radio.
Without waiting for a response, the shuttle began to descend into the enormous cylindrical chamber beneath them. As Kayden followed he couldn’t help but marvel at the underground city which revealed itself around them.
It was built like a skyscraper, only in reverse. The cylindrical borehole extended deep into the earth, and along its walls were all the various amenities required for a city. As they descended they passed hundreds of glass-panelled floors which were dotted with openings for shuttles. Each section of levels seemed to have a theme – lush green levels where crops were growing in hydroponic tanks, sterile white levels for medical bays, multicolored levels for housing, and metallic grey levels where raw minerals were refined and readied for transport. Between each section there was what looked like dividing level of civil services – transportation, law enforcement, and various other facilities – filled with shuttles that looked similar to the one they were following.
When they finally passed through the last level – a flashy commercial district – they reached an expansive hangar that spread out in all directions, including beneath the levels above. Kayden followed their escort past several enormous mineral barges to the very corner of the hangar where he was instructed to land. The moment he did they were surrounded by several black armoured vehicles with what looked like missile launchers mounted to their backs.
“What a friendly welcome.” Kayden said sarcastically as he cut the power to the engines and removed his control cable. “I wonder if all visitors get this treatment, or if we’re just the lucky ones.”
“Given your history of consistently being party to low-probability events, I would say that we are ‘the lucky ones.” Ali shot back with a grin.
Rolling his eyes, Kayden pulled on his helmet and stood. He felt the increased tug of the world’s gravity and took a moment to steady himself, but found that his body adapted to the new normal incredibly quickly. In moments he began moving about the shuttle, performing a series of post-flight checks while Ali finished putting on her own armour.
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As they stepped out onto the tarmac they were greeted by a man who bore a striking resemblance to Muradin. He was only a meter tall, with a bushy brown beard and long hair tied back in a knot. He wore an all-black Lokken military uniform, and kept one hand resting on a holstered pistol on his hip. Behind him were a dozen additional dwarves, each of whom were wearing black combat armour and holding rifles at the ready.
“That’s far enough now.” The lead dwarf said, holding up one hand. “I take it you’re Kayden Reynolds?”
“That’s me, yes.” Kayden said as he retracted his helmet before gesturing to his android girlfriend. “This is Ali.”
“I see.” The dwarf responded. “I’m Major Swann of the Lokken Army. The protection of this city is my responsibility, and it’s something I take very seriously.”
“We’re not here to cause any trouble.” Kayden said. “We’re just here to collect the artifact and go.”
“So I’ve heard. I’ve also heard that trouble follows you like shit on Velcro, so you’ll excuse me for being cautious.”
Kayden chuckled and shook his head. “You’re well informed.”
“Yes, well… after the admiralty ordered me to let you in, I did my own research on you. An old friend and mutual acquaintance vouched for you, saying that even though things tended to explode around you far too often, you’re the only person in the galaxy who can help us with the artifact we found. That’s the only reason you’re standing here right now.”
“Ah.” Kayden said. “Does this acquaintance have a name?”
“Beth Weir.” The dwarf responded before furrowing his brow at the look on Kayden’s face. “Were you expecting someone else?”
“No, I just… there’s someone from Vulcan on the colony I live at now, and I thought…” He stammered.
“What, you thought just because they come from Vulcan that I’d know them?” Swann pressed, clearly annoyed. “You think we’re some sort of backwater colony where everyone knows each other?”
“I didn’t mean anything by it.” Kayden said, waving his hands back and forth while shaking his head. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”
“Apology accepted, I suppose.” Swann said begrudgingly. “Now come on. Our transport is over here.”
With that, Swann turned around and began walking towards one of the vehicles. Kayden and Ali followed him as the rest of the guards fell into step around them. Glancing upwards, Kayden couldn’t help but notice that the two escort shuttles which didn’t land were still hovering overhead, their nose-mounted cannons trained on the two of them.
“Watch your heads, ya lumbering giants.” Swann said as he climbed into the vehicle. “We didn’t make these things for outsiders.”
Bending over, Kayden squeezed through the tiny door on the side of the vehicle after Swann before sliding into a seat. With his bulkier-than-usual armour it was a tight and somewhat uncomfortable fit – something that seemed to amuse their dwarven escort to no end. Ali lithely moved in after him, her long legs folding with all the flexibility of a ballet dancer. As soon as they were seated Swann pounded the side of the vehicle with his fist twice, causing the guards outside to close the door and the vehicle to take off down the tarmac.
“Out of curiosity.” Swann began. “Who was the person from Vulcan you knew?”
“Muradin Morozov.” Kayden replied before seeing the surprised look on Swann’s face. “You do know him!”
“Well…yes…I do.” The major admitted through gritted teeth. “But that doesn’t mean anything! We’re not some backwater station, you know!”
“I understand, don’t worry.” Kayden said with a chuckle and a wink.
“Where are you taking us?” Ali asked, deftly changing the subject.
“We’re going to the secure elevators.” The major explained. “The artifact is housed in a lab far beneath the main city, near our main geothermal power line. You can retrieve the artifact from there and bring it up to your shuttle.”
As if to confirm his words, the vehicle came to a stop. Outside there was a loud clanking noise followed by the distinctive feeling of descending in an elevator alongside a mechanical whirring. Kayden’s mind quickly cast back to their escape from the vault on Kel Prime and a tinge of worry crossed his mind.
[“This situation is quite different.”] Ali reminded him.
How so?
[“For one – I am with you this time. Not that Dawn and Elara aren’t capable, but I am uniquely suited to assist you in this situation.”]
Kayden sent feelings of gratitude across their link before adjusting his cramping legs. They continued to descend for a full minute more before the vehicle roared to life again as they sped down a subterranean tunnel. When it finally stopped and Kayden got out he almost groaned with relief while stretching.
“Come on. This is us.” Swann said, gesturing to a set of sliding steel doors next to him.
“Not that I’m complaining, but why are these doors sized large enough for us?” Kayden said as he walked towards them.
As they slid open to reveal an expansive lab, Swann gestured around him. “As you can see, some of our equipment is fairly large.”
“That’s an understatement.” Kayden replied, suitably impressed.
The expansive room they entered had bright white track lighting above which glimmered off the black tiles that covered the walls, ceiling, and floor. All around them were dwarves working at small workstations, each of them shifting through screens of complex-looking calculations and schematics. Further into the room there were more dwarves gathered around enormous fabricators that were easily 3 meters high and 10 meters long. At the very back wall Kayden could see dwarves holding various energy and projectile weapons, each of them taking turns shooting at a panel of some mysterious substance.
“Enough gawking, come on.” Swann said, nodding to his left.
As they walked they drew several curious stares from the scientists hard at work, but nobody dared to stop them until they reached a cordoned-off area along one wall. Several dwarven guards visibly stiffened when they caught sight of the major, saluting him as they neared. He returned the salute then looked back at Kayden and Ali while pointing beyond the cordon.
“There’s your shiny new toy.” He said sarcastically.
The item he was referring to was impossible to miss. Sitting on top of a pedestal in the middle of the cordoned off area was an onyx-black pyramidal device. Unlike the one on Trappist Prime it was neither hovering, spinning, nor glowing, but other than that it looked to be an exact match. Kayden gritted his teeth as he remembered how ferociously the Voidborn fought to obtain the other one, shaking his head as he did.
“Has it done anything since you dug it up?” Kayden asked. “Hovered, emitted light, hummed, anything?”
“As far as I know, nothing.” The major replied. “We dug this up years ago – long before I was the commanding officer here. The records indicate it’s been inert the entire time, but we couldn’t make heads or tails of it – and believe me, we tried.”
Stepping through the cordon with Kayden and Ali, Swann continued. “We assumed it was some sort of precursor tech, and thought it might give us an advantage over the other nations if we could only figure out how the damn thing worked.”
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t.” Kayden said as they neared it. “Because if you did, then you would have had Voidborn on your doorstep.”
Swann stopped dead in his tracks in response. “In that case, kindly take this thing and get the fuck off my planet.”
Chuckling, Kayden reached out and grabbed the pyramid. Even through the gloves of his armour the material felt cool and smooth, as if it were made of some sort of stone which had been worn down by a river for thousands of years. The illusion of anything natural was shattered though when he ran one finger along the precisely machined edges, noticing that they were defined enough to be sharp like a knife.
As if responding to his touch, the pyramid began to pulse an eerie green color. Inscrutable patterns flashed across every surface, and a low hum filled the room around them. Not knowing what to do he quickly dropped the pyramid only for it to come to a halt a few centimeters above the ground.
“Ali? This seems bad.” Kayden said hesitantly.
In response she darted towards the machine, turning it over in her hand. She quickly located a port on the bottom of it before extending a control cable from her hand and plugging it in. Her eyes closed in concentration as she slumped to the floor, still connected. The dwarven guards around them seemed to notice that something was wrong and aimed their weapons at the duo, causing Kayden to hold up his hands.
“Wait!” He shouted. “This thing has enough energy to power a starship! If you hit it, it could explode!”
“Do as he says!” Swann added frantically.
[“Kayden.”] Ali said in his mind. [“I can disable this device, but it will take several minutes.”]
Do what you have to do.
[“In the meantime, prepare yourself. You are about to be attacked.”]
What?
The air shimmered before a large group of Voidborn ground troops materialized around them.