The hallways shook and were torn apart by the blue light, the Core was cracking and it would take not only the station with it and everyone aboard, but most likely the whole asteroid and any ship nearby. The tear in reality, constructed of shades of purple, blue, black and white, swirled itself around the station, everything it touched was pulled into it, hard cold metal torn apart, crew lifted and transferred into a world which had nothing but pain planned for them, death awaited them, and it would not wait, it would have its due.
Melora and company were running down the hallways, gravity gave out long ago, but still they ran, as if all the laws of physics were breaking and distorting around them, they could see outside thru the cracks, as the white light turned into a red one, and a bellowing sound moved throughout the void of space, somehow being heard even if around them was only vacuum. Melora was having a hard time breathing, it felt like the air was trying to choke her, strangle her, make her lose her step and fall into the crack. “Keep moving!” She shouted or whispered, she couldn’t tell, no matter how much power she gave her voice or how quiet she tried to be she would be heard all the same. She could hear everyone as if they were right in her ear. She could hear them, if somehow she didn’t also hear all the screams of the crew of the station. Their pleas and begging come from everywhere around them, slowly being silenced one by one as they are pulled into the distortion of reality.
“Melora, how much further?” Kar asked, panting as he forced his body to keep up the pace with the others. The other kidnapping victims were having a hard time too, slowed down by all the exhaustion they gathered up during their stay here.
“Just a bit more honey, just a bit more.” Melora reassured him, she could see the hangar bay now, rising towards the crack slowly, the station arms bending inwards from the pure pressure of the rift.
“I can’t keep up, slow down, please.” Gelln said trying to catch his breath, he was lagging behind.
“Come on Gelln.” Rixva shouted as she picked up the smaller male alien and hoisted him over her shoulders. “There is still paperwork to do back on the Veneration.”
“Move it people!” Henera shouted, keeping herself behind so she could help or push the other forward if needed. “You can relax once we get to the ship, if you don’t get there I will personaly torture you in whatever hell is behind that rift!” She shouted at them, seemingly making everyone move faster than before.
Melora watched the other side of the station as they ran, they were moving in an orbit around the rift, the hallways forming a sort of cage around the swirling mass of colours. The hangar was close, just a little bit more, then this nightmare would be over. “Just a bit more, then Nilni will get us out of here.”
***
Fera was running down the hallways, the bomb was still strapped to her back, even if she didn’t really need it anymore as the station itself was nothing more than a moving pile of rubble. Which served her well, if a hallway was too small for her to move in she just needed to rip it apart. But for some reason it kept on getting smaller and smaller, which annoyed her beyond reason. “Enough!” She shouted out over the screams and punched a hole in the wall, creating an opening for herself.
Once she managed to crawl out of the hallway into the vacuum of space she took a moment to look around. The colours were beautiful, the chaos around her was beautiful, everything moved in a symphony of destruction and she started to sing along. She bent, she ripped and she forced apart anything in her path as she moved in on her target. “Elinsys I am coming, stay alive girl.” She looked over at the tracker in the Elinsys’ suit, it showed she was breathing, if barely. “Hold on.”
***
Elinsys was sitting down on the floor, her back leaning against a wall, or what was left of it. She raised her hands from her torso before her eyes, they were blue, covered in her blood. The blast did her in, she could barely move. She could only produce deep breaths as her blood was pulled towards the rift, every drop of blood which left her body slowly and then with haste moved towards the portal to the void. She applied pressure to stop her blood from escaping, she only bought some time, a trickle compared to what she required to escape out of here. Elinsys tried to stand up, but she couldn’t feel anything, just a sense of cold.
I died once before, I suppose it was only a short revival. A damn shame, I wanted to see home at least once more, even if it is a ruin, was it a ruin anymore? I don’t know, it has been a while, a few months? Time is slipping out of my hands, moving quickly as it escapes my mind. At least the colours are beautiful, even if they fill me with a sense of dread and anxiety, there is a weird sense of peace and calm in them. I know what lies behind them, I know that it isn’t that horrifying and that everything will be alright. “All shall be well.” That is what Melora told me long ago, back when I hoped she wouldn’t get us all killed or that she wouldn’t be too tough on me. How wrong I was, in the end I would be the one to kill them all, are they safe? I do not know, I wanted to call out to them, beg them to leave me, to run away, but I couldn't scream.
Heat, I felt a warm touch on one of my hands, wonderful and sweet. I opened my eyes, hoping for Melora, Fera or Nilni, but I only saw Leferia. Leferia, the name itself sounded foul, the name of a trickster would be goddess and a charlatan from the void. Why did I ever trust her? How could I have been sto stupid? She opened her maw at me, her teeth shining under the colours. She was speaking, but I couldn’t hear, I didn’t want to hear her, she didn’t deserve to steal my last few moments away from me, let me die in peace and silence. I shall complain about you to death when I am gone.
She grabs my helmet and pulls it off, execution by the vacuum, is that how far you have fallen? I await my last breath and the sweet embrace of death, but once more I am refused. I breathe somehow, even when there is no more air to breathe in. Is this the smell of the void? A foul stench turning my nose into something I wished I didn’t have anymore.
“Elinsys.” The she-devil calls me sweetly, her voice filled with fabricated concern or was she really so concerned about me? I doubt even she knew anymore, so how could I?
“Elinsys.” She gripped my shoulders and shook me, forcing me to pay attention to the deceiver who ruined my life.
“What?” I could hear myself say, do I sound like that? Sounds nothing like in my head.
“Elinsys, you have to go, stand up.” She wishes to order me? I am not her pupper, not that I can stand.
“Elinsys, please get up.” She says, sadness in her voice. “Please.” I do not stand, I do not move, I do not breathe anymore.
“Elinsys, blink.” She begs me, but I don’t, I can’t feel anything anymore. She looks around, her eyes meet mine, not in my body, but of me, standing next to what once was Elinsys, my corpse.
***
The hangar doors were ripped apart by the power of the rift, taking the walls with it. Nilni was freaking out, they had to go or they would be consumed by the hole just like the rest of the station. The pilot was dead, her Marines were strapped in and waiting to leave, she could see them shaking, they were trying to hide it, but if they didn’t get out of here soon, they might mutiny.
“Ma’am, please. We have to go.” One of them said, breaking the ice. Others simply nodded along, few murmuring words of gratitude towards the Marine who spoke up.
Nilni turned to them. “And leave all of them behind? More than a pod of crewmates and a civilian?” Nilni had to buy time, if this required her to fight with the Marines she would, the more they spoke, the more time Melora had to get here.
“With all due respect Nilni, Melora would tell us to leave her behind if it meant saving even one other crewmember.” Others spoke up and agreed.
“Would she leave any of you behind? Or even a civilian? Would she happily go out there and drag each and every one of you back if she must?” Nilni shouted, bringing a veil of silence to the transport.
The Marine who spoke up looked down at the floor. “No ma’am.” Others followed in her stead, except for Lijung. “Ma’am, we must leave, they are not answering the comms.” She stood up.
“The comms don’t work, that rift is doing this-” Nilni pointed to the image of the outside which was shown on the pilot screens.
Others looked at it, Lijung spoke up again. “Ma’am, the hangar bay is going to be swallowed by that portal to hell soon, and we are going with it. Step aside.”
“Lijung, you are not thinking right. Who here even knows how to pilot the transport?” Nilni asked, but nobody answered.
“I will if I have to, I don’t need to land, just get us out of this deathtrap!” Lijung shouted and pushed Nilni aside.
Nilni turned to Trynell. “You will let a one handed woman fly this ship?” If anybody could talk some sense into Lijung it would be Trynell.
Tynell stood up and walked closer to the pilot’s chair. “Lijung, please, get out of that chair.”
“No.” Lijung answered by turning on the transport.
“Lijung.” Trynell called out to her, standing next to the chair.
“I am not dying here.” Lijung answered.
“You will crash, let me steer the ship.” He grasped her hands with his. Lijung stood up and walked back to her seat.
Trynell turned to Nilni. “I am sorry Nilni, but we have to leave.” He sat into the chair and grabbed the controls. “Please sit down.”
“No, I am not letting you leave them behind.” Nilni stood her ground.
“I am sorry, girls grab her.” Trynell ordered and prepared for the lift off. The Marines grabbed onto Nilni and pulled her away from the controls.
“This is mutiny! Treason! You bastards!” Nilni shouted and kicked. “You will kill them all! You-” She started to cry when the transport detached from the landing pad and turned towards the Veneration, moving out of the hangar and towards the ship. “You… bastards...”
“Transport, this is Veneration, what is your status?” A voice of an officer from the Veneration called out over the comms.
Trynell was quiet for a while, then answered. “Melora and the rest haven’t reached us, we had to evacuate.”
***
Bea’ti watched the carnage from the bridge of her ship, it was terrifying. She caused this, she hoped Melora and Kar were alright. The hailing was nonstop, she wanted to her Melora’s voice, even if she would be mad, she just wanted to hear her and to know she and Kar are alright and safe. A single transport escaped from the station.
The Veneration answered back. “Is this urgent?”
“Have you made contact with Melora?” Bea’ti shouted before anyone else could do anything.
Silence, each second that passed she felt more and more dread.
“They didn’t make it off the station, the transport has to leave. I am sor-” Bea’ti cut the signal and buckled herself in.
“Bring us closer, helmswoman.” She ordered, barking out her orders.
“Ma’am?” Was the only response.
“You heard me, bring us in closer?” Bea’ti slammed her fist against her chair.
“Ma’am, that is insane.” The response infuriated her.
“Do it!” Bea’ti begged.
“I refuse. We refuse.” The crew answered.
Bea’ti stood up. “I will have you all tried for treason, but that can wait.” She left the bridge, she would fly the shuttle herself if she had to.
***
Elinsys stood in a rather familiar hallway, she was once here before. Last time she died. The paintings were different this time, but one of them grabbed her attention. A portrait of her, looking rather regal and fancy if she had to describe it, but her skin was more colourless than usual, almost like a corpse.
“It is rather, deathlike, no?” The cloaked figure next to her asked, holding a mirror in which she saw herself. “One of my best works.” The voice was frail and old, soft and tender.
She took a closer look, glancing between the mirror and the portrait. “I… yes, it is rather well made, but why did you make it?” She didn’t understand why she was here.
“Hm?” The figure answered. “We met once before, but I had no time, a blood feud was going on, now? Now I have the time and a reward was necessary.”
“Reward for what?” Elinsys asked.
The figure looked at her. “So many things, you brought back my daughter and my son, even if he is sick and shall be punished, you helped many who required it, you stopped the Dust, you fought many battles. You are the perfect candidate!” It produced a merry laugh.
“Candidate for what?” Elinsys asked, her head spinning.
“The Voidborn of course, to join me... us here and serve the Void itself.” It clasped together its hands and moved down the hall. Elinsys followed.
“Why would I want to join you?” Elinsys asked.
“To help people, to guide the dead on their way to the afterlife, a noble goal.” The figure opened a door to its office. “And if not for that, to live again! To hunt, to fight and to die again!” It closed the door behind Elinsys, and proceeded to sit down.
“That sounds more like Fera to me, ask her.” Elinsys looked around, it was all so familiar.
The figure was quiet. “I can’t, you are dead, she is alive. Her time is not yet up, but I will consider her, if you accept, you could see her again.”
Elinsys pondered the question.”I can’t accept your offer, I have to go back, help them get to safety, find this traitor among the royals and...”
“Ahh, responsibility.” The figure interrupted. “You make me sad, very sad, you would have made a great daughter and a slot just opened up.” A screen came to life, showing Leferia and her brother fighting, Leferia was defending Elinsys’ corpse, her brother pushing her down. “One of them will die, their soul destroyed, ripped into pieces. A shame, but unavoidable I am afraid.”
“Can’t you stop it?” Elinsys asked.
“Perhaps, but the consequences would be… too terrible. I hope Leferia wins, but her chances are going down every second that passes.” The figure answered. “If only someone could go there and help her.”
“Me. You want me to join you and save her.” Elinsys answered, always, always someone wanted to use her for something.
“No, you are dead. Now it is true they exist in a sort of anomaly of life and death, but you can go back only for a bit, once the rift closes, you will return here, except I can’t save you then. As one of the two will come back here, and the other will die.”
“Is that your plan? For Leferia to lose and die, meanwhile I take up the brother’s spot so he dies once the rift closes?” Elinsys asked.
“You are too bright for that reality, but yes that is a plan.” The figure answered.
“Couldn’t anyone take the spot?”
The figure stopped. “In theory? Yes, but that will not happen. If they accept they will receive power, it corrupts and we will get another like him.” It points to the brother.
Elinsys slams her hands onto the table. “Let me go back, I will tell Leferia to come with me into the rift, then you seal it up and the brother is dead.”
The figure is quiet for a long time, then it relents. “You would need a very high amount of energy to close it, Leferia or her brother could do it. I will let you go back, but the place has to be filled.”
“When will I-” Elinsys asked, but she was already back, two behemonts fighting before her.
***
Melora and the others reached the hangar bay, now empty. “Where is the transport?” Henera asked, looking around for their salvation.
“It was here, right here.” Melora was confused and distressed, the transport couldn’t be missing, Nilni wouldn’t leave them behind. She would never do that.
“What now?” Kar asked, his tail still and lowered. Melora looked at him, she had to save him, but how?
“Kar.” She said, hugging him tightly. “I am so sorry.” She felt a tear leave her eye, she failed, she failed everybody.
Kar hugged her back. “Don’t do that, at least I get to die with you in my arms.” He held Melora as she cried into his shoulder. A sense of happiness filled him, even if he knew this was the end.
Rixva hugged Gelln, almost as strongly as Melora hugged Kar. Only Henera was alone, standing there, looking for a way out, she couldn’t give up. “Could we maybe launch ourselves? Or cause an explosion to do so? We need to figure out a way out of here, there has to be one.”
Then she saw it, a small shuttle moving towards them. “There!” She shouted pointing to it, as it moved just outside of the hangar bay.
“We are saved!” Gelln shouted.
“That must be Nilni, quick everyone!” Melora moved to the shuttle, holding Kar in her hands.
When the shuttle doors opened, they would have to jump and hope they weren’t pulled back by the gravity of the station or the rift. “Henera go across first, use your boots to stick to the shuttle and prepare to catch us.” Melora ordered her second in command.
Henera nodded and took a running start, disabling her boots and pushing herself off the floor, she drifted towards the shuttle and managed to catch onto it, turning the boots back on. “I did it!” She turned around and extended her hands. “Come over!”
Melora held up Kar. “Hold on darling, try to move towards Henera.” Melora made a kissing sound and threw Kar at the shuttle, he was caught by Henera and stabilized.
Rixva did the same for Gelln, who also landed safely. Now moving after Kar, who already got to the shuttle door.
“Now you Rixva!” Melora shouted and waited for the woman to use her as a springboard. Rixva quickly did as ordered and pushed herself off Melora and towards the shuttle, being caught by Henera.
“Good work, captain!” Melora shouted and took a running start jumping towards Henera. She missed her angle and slowly drifted past the ship.
“Oh no you don’t!” Henera shouted and ran after her, Rixva moved with her. “Rixva grab me by the legs and push me towards Melora.” She commanded and turned off her boots, moving towards Melora.
Rixva did as instructed and managed to grab Henera’s ankles. The magnetic boots stopped them all from floating away. Henera reached out her hand towards Melora, who grabbed her with her own. They formed a very unstable structure, but slowly Melora and Henera were pulled back towards the shuttle, then once their boots were planned back against the hull of the ship, the entered.
The door closed behind them. “Nilni, am I damn glad to see you...” Melora took off her helmet, but she was surprised when her saviour turned out to be Bea’ti.
Bea’ti smiled. “Hi, I am sorry if I am not who you expected.”
Melora moved towards Bea’ti and hugged her. “Thank you, thank you.”
Bea’ti was stunned, but once the shock wore off she hugged her long lost friend back. “Friends?”
Melora looked at her. “Not yet, but we are on speaking terms.”
***
Leferia was on her last legs, she was beaten and exhausted, her brother was more used to his body than she was to her. “Stop!” She pleaded, but all she received was a kick to the belly.
“You ruined everything! My plans, my station, my cult! Just like you always do!” Her brother shouted out.
“Please, listen to me.” Leferia begged.
Another kick. “Why should I? You never listened to me.”
Leferia tried to stand, but she found it painful. “Please, let Elinsys go.”
Her brother looked at the Shill’vati woman. “Why should I?”
“My life for hers.” Leferia offered.
“I already have both!” Her brother said bringing down his claws upon his sister.
A loud crack could be heard as a metal fist hit the brother straight in the jaw. Fera arrived in her EXO, the heavy bomb still on her back. “You will have to kill me first.”
“Oh shut up!” The brother spat back and attacked. Him and Fera began a dance rather than a combat. A god against a pissed of Rakiri.
“Leferia.” Elinsys called out, slowly crawling over to Leferia, who was bloody. “Can you hear me?”
“Elinsys? I thought you were dead.” Leferia asked, happy.
“I was, meet your father, again. Listen you have to go back, you have to take me with you.”
“Why?” Leferia looked at Elinsys, confusion filled her. “He wants that.”
“Your father, he offered me a place-”
“You joined the Voidborn?” Leferia asked, life suddenly filled her again.
The brother clawed at Fera and turned around. “What? He let her join? Why would he do that? Why? Why? Unless he wants to replace one of us! It won’t be me. It won’t be me!” The brother slams his claws into Leferia for the last time. “Goodnight, sister.”
Leferia gasps and looks up at Elinsys. “My brother is a fool, I can’t wait to see you in the grand hall.” Her head drops down, lifeless.
Elinsys stands up. “What? What trick is this?” The brother asks.
“I am replacing you.” Elinsys said, looking at the abomination before her. “You are no longer welcome in the Void.”
“What are you talking about Elinsys?” Fera asked, but before she could react, the brother has already started flying away, towards the rift. “Where is he going?”
Elinsys looked up. “He is going to go back to the Void!”
Fera laughed. “Good, back to the hell he belongs!”
“No! Then he becomes more powerful!” Elinsys responded.
“What twisted logic is that?” Fera started chasing him.
Elinsys watched the duo as they raced towards the rift. The brother had an advantage, he could fly, meanwhile Fera had to use the wreck of the station to move about.
***
Fera could feel it, this was it, her time to burn brighter than ever, to show everyone her ferocity, to end this nightmare once and for all.
When she was close enough she leaped into the air, moving towards the portal. The brother focused only on the portal, allowing Fera to intercept him mid-space and tackle him away from the rift. “What do you think you are doing?” He asked, clawing at her back, clawing at the bomb.
“I am going to kill you.” Fera calmly answered, locking her metal arms around the creature and opening the small blakc box she was given. She opened it to reveal a small button. Glowing gently.
“And how do you plan to do that?” The brother asked, filled with arrogance of his own invincibility.
“With the bomb strapped to my back of course.” Fera let out a merry chuckle and let the realization sink into the monster’s mind.
“You will kill us both.” He responded in disbelief.
“So I shall, and I will celebrate in the afterlife.” Fera answered and pressed the button.
The brother, in his anf Fera’s final moments, realized the terrible truth, the bomb would take Fera out first, he might even survive, but he will be replaced, he will die, in his last moment he realized his mistakes, he maybe even regretted them, but it was too late now for him.