Chapter Twenty-Two
“Deceit is most insidious when it hides behind the eyes of a Champion.” – Beacon, Former Champion.
The Milky Way Galaxy - Unknown Space
Coach Williams
Coach Williams rubbed his left hand over his wrist after Viggo decided to uncuff him. The two and the still-unconscious Shakur found themselves in a precarious situation. Alarms blared throughout the cargo vessel, and the three men were confined in a large hangar cluttered with metal crates near the back of the ship. They only had two potential exits: the steel door in front of them and the docking bay at the back, which led to open space—an option that could result in catastrophe if opened mid-flight.
"SYSTEM ALERT - WE HAVE BEEN BREACHED AND BOARDED; PLEASE EXIT VIA THE NEAREST ESCAPE POD."
"Why would anyone want to board a harmless cargo vessel?" Viggo said, looking puzzled.
Williams chose not to answer. Instead, he froze, his gaze becoming distant as he closed his eyes. Viggo watched in confusion and mounting anxiety, unwilling to believe that the man was surrendering to despair. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, Williams' eyes snapped open, brimming with determination. He swiftly took command of the situation, his demeanor shifting from silent resignation to resolute leadership.
"We have limited options here, but we need to move. Do you or your sleepy friend have anything to help in this situation?"
Viggo looked down at Shakur, feeling hopeless without his resourceful friend, who had been knocked out by the abrupt halt of the ship. "Afraid not, but he might if he wakes up."
"He isn't very much help right now. Does usefulness just stop once you get into management?" Williams quipped, then added, "Disregard. No time. Let's move."
Williams grabbed the small green man lying on the floor and tossed him over his shoulder without looking at Viggo. He took off towards the area with the largest containers stacked in piles in a far corner.
BOOM! An echo sounded as the door they had just been near was kicked in, and multiple presences walked into the large area. Williams immediately grabbed Viggo, covering his mouth with his hand as energy surrounded the three. Williams let his hand slip from Viggo's mouth and put a finger on his lips. Despite the situation, Viggo felt a sense of calm flow through his body.
"I told you! It's nothing but a cargo container. These things contain nothing but worthless junk the conglomerates try to sell to newly integrated planets," a gruff voice said.
"Hush! I told you already. There was a ping from this ship, near this area," a second voice spoke.
"A ping? We are on a moving spaceship. Why would that be a big deal?"
"A ping to Earth, you idiot. The boss said they found coordinates in the encrypted message."
"And?"
"Earth and the other planets are untouchable right now! That means someone is trying to influence those on Earth. You know what, never mind, just be quiet and search!"
The two men who had breached the ship split up and began sifting through containers, throwing or collapsing metal crates haphazardly. The movement allowed Williams to get a good look at one of the intruders. Dressed in all-black shifting armor, an emblem on his shoulder showed a silver "X," indicating a military insignia. This told Williams all he needed to know: Astral Dominion.
Williams sent a silent communication to Viggo through Nex, sharing his findings. "They won't be able to sense our energy, but one of them is a ranking officer of the Dominion Military. The X on his armor tells of a warrior surviving the games. Stay silent."
Time seemed to stop as the intruders sorted through the crates, effortlessly tossing the multi-ton weighing containers with their metal affinity.
"There is nothing here. This is a waste of time," one of them grumbled.
"Keep looking!"
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"Didn't you say the boss already sent some surprise to those locations anyway?"
"Yes. But that doesn't mean we don't have to follow orders." With his energy, the man grabbed the largest metal container against the far wall and sent it flying upward. It struck the ceiling forcefully, landing with a burst against three other crates.
"There," the officer spoke, finally looking around. "That's enough. I sense nothing but metal and junk in this cargo hold. It must have been a ruse to get us looking in the wrong place. Let's get back."
The second man let out a grunt, confirming his original assumption. They both tapped their keypads, and a void hole opened up, allowing them to step through before it promptly closed in on itself.
"What did I miss?" It was Shakur who spoke first, still lying on the floor.
"Shakur, how did you share the family locations with Tech?"
"I sent an encrypted ping to the radio broadcast center. It may take him some time, but Tech should be able to figure it out," Shakur answered confidently, noticing the shaken looks on Williams and Viggo's faces. "Wait, what's wrong?"
***
Earth
Somewhere between Reno and Dayton, Nevada
Luck and Mr. Reynold
"Who would have thought we'd have the opportunity for a guys' road trip in the middle of all this?" Mr. Reynold broke the silence after several miles as he and Luck made their way to Tuck's hometown of Dayton, hoping to find Tuck's mom and Luck's former wife.
"I don’t think this counts as a road trip," Luck responded tersely. He knew Mr. Reynold was trying to make conversation, but this trip had been gnawing at him for the past month, not to mention the years leading up to the integration when he was behind bars. Still, Luck was better than that. Despite Mr. Reynold's flippant demeanor and casual nature in the face of a system apocalypse, he had done nothing but help.
"Sorry, Steve. I have quite a bit on my mind. I need to know she is safe. She and Tuck are my world. A world I need to rebuild, but that doesn’t take anything away from it."
"I get it," Mr. Reynold said quietly, understanding Luck's position. "I'm trying to stay out of my mind."
Luck sighed. He had forgotten what he heard about Will's mom and little brother. He was also fighting to go towards them, but they lived a bit further away, towards the southern part of the state. Out of reach, at least until they bided for more time.
"I promised, and I will hold onto that promise. We will also make it to Will's family," Luck said, then chose to change the tone of the conversation. "You know what, this is a road trip. Let's listen to some music. I told Tech to set up some radio on a few alternate stations before we left." Mr. Reynold searched, and soon they were listening to 80s hits together, allowing for a comfortable silence.
The team had found numerous cars parked inside a few untouched parking garages. Luck settled on an F-150 as it reminded him of his first truck, and it had some power and off-road capabilities if the path demanded it. Tech had no trouble hotwiring and setting up alternate keys for the car.
The trip should have only taken 60 minutes, but due to crashes, shut-down interstates, and roadblocks, they were now two hours in and only halfway there. A distortion came over the radio station. Luck and Mr. Reynold exchanged a glance before Luck turned up the volume.
> My fellow Americans and those of our allies listening across the globe. This is the President of the United States speaking.
>
> Our world has been integrated, many lives have been lost, and I understand that there is fear in everyone's hearts. It should be noted that I was almost a number within a large pool of casualties across our civilizations.
>
> Let me first apologize to you all. This chaos uprooted our lives and resulted in a lack of direction and support, which should typically be my role. That was taken away from me until now. Now, I am saying that there is hope. Hope for our people and hope for our world.
>
> You may have now become familiar with a set of local heroes known as Earth's champions. These heroes are thriving under this new beginning and setting a new expectation of what it takes to lead and defend our great nations and this new world. Let this be a statement of hope and concern.
>
> The peak of these humans saved me... these Champions. Three of them are known as the Astral Dominion. They put their lives on the line to protect this planet, but you should not trust all who walk our Earth as Champions. I am told that another set of Champions exists who, if successful, would seek to crucify and condemn our great nations. One of these so-called teams is now known as the Mighty Eagles. These 'Eagles' are not who they claim to be. They prey upon the trust of our great people. Trust which should not be misplaced.
>
> I do not concern myself with these people, as I have complete faith in our true Champions. I speak only to guide what you should believe, as your safety has always been our top priority.
>
> Starting with the capital, we will be rebuilding—rebuilding our great nation and rebuilding our people. Champions need those they can trust, grow, and learn with, and one day stand beside them as equals in power—power that allows for partnership with our sovereign leadership and power to protect ourselves from the great beyond.
>
> Should you need support, should you seek power, make your way to the capital. We will fight.
The broadcast became static as Luck and Mr. Reynold stared in stunned silence at the road ahead. They could not comprehend what had just transpired over the radio, the weight of the unexpected communication settling heavily upon them. Before either could find their voice, Tech broke the silence, speaking directly to Luck over their Nexabots.
"Luck, we have some news."
Luck spoke out loud so that Mr. Reynold could hear. "Mr. Reynold and I both heard the broadcast over the radio. How is Penny handling it?"
There was a pause on the other end before Tech spoke again. "No. I intercepted a frequency over our communication channels. A frequency depicting locations."
"Locations?" Luck questioned.
"Luck, one of them is pointing to a community building in Dayton, Nevada."
Luck froze in understanding. "Our families."