To see the previous story click here {Voyage home ch1}
Deragon’s world quaked. Not that he was concerned about the mindscape he inhabited; the mind of Savant was uniquely powerful. He was neither telepath nor telekinetic, but he possessed a will strong enough to crack the world. Fortunately for the rest of the universe, the young Earthian didn’t realize his full potential.
There were moments he tapped into the
wellspring of his ability. One such moment led to Deragon’s capture. In truth,
if the child hadn’t taken his mind from his physical body and trapped it in his
own psyche, Deragon would be dead now. Killed by his own people. For that,
Deragon was somewhat grateful. However, to be beaten by a team of teenagers and
trapped in the mind of their near-powerless leader…no words could describe his
dishonor.
But he learned a lesson about the
individual, Savant. If one wanted to draw out his true power, one only needed
to threaten what was important to him—the people he cared about.
The strength of will threatening to
shake the replica of the African plains apart, suggested someone or something
had threatened Savant’s loved ones. Deragon jumped down from his rock, he
closed the gap to the edge of his artificial world and the vast space of
Nathaniel Devereaux’s mind. “Nathaniel!”
The Earthian opened his mind to the
Templusian. Now he saw what his host saw. No words were spoken, just a
short-termed memory. An alarm, instrument check and confirmation—his parents
were in danger. A chill traveled down Deragon’s spine. He flexed his muscles—the
sinews of his saber tooth body taut. Why did he care? Sure if the boy died, he
would die too, but the lives of his parents were meaningless.
“Nate, we are in earth space,”
Angela said.
“I am going to do a halo drop,”
Nathaniel said. “We don’t want to disturb the atmosphere by dropping this ship
too quickly.”
“What do you mean, I?” Jon turned to him. “We are doing
this as a team. Your family is our family.”
“I am acting as the first wave of
the attack,” Nathaniel said. “I can get down there faster. Zorn will lead a
team for back up.” He turned to Zorn. “Can you maintain a telepathic
connection?”
“I will try, Nathaniel, but you
haven’t even called Deragon and your mind is already creating psychic static.”
“I am trying to remain calm—“
“And we understand,” Isis said,
“but for the same reason. You should not go alone. I will go with you. Angela
has to fly the ship, and I can survive the fall, if anything goes wrong.”
“I don’t have to fly the ship,”
Angela said.
Isis jerked her head toward Angela.
An understanding passed between them. “Yes, but if we have to hit hard,” Isis
said, “I am the one to do it.”
Deragon smiled. The Aquarian loved
the Earthian. She loved Nathaniel enough to put herself in harm’s way for him.
Nathaniel loved Isis just as much. Both of them too dumb to tell one another
how they felt.
“It is a good idea,” Nathaniel said. “We are going in weaponless—can’t
risk going in and giving away Union-sanctioned technology. Zorn, after
assessing the situation, do what you think is best.”
“Understood,” Zorn said.
Nathaniel exited the bridge,
followed closely by Isis. They marched to the docking bay and placed on their
space suits. “Nate, we are in position,” Angela said.
Nathaniel used Earthian sign
language to signal level three. Deragon’s artificial world de-materialized and
was remade into the real world. He stood between the two of them. Nathaniel
turned to him. “Do you understand the situation?”
“Of course I do,” Deragon said.
Nathaniel nodded and hopped on
Deragon’s back. Isis climbed on behind him. “Open bay doors,” Nathaniel said.
The doors opened and the tiger and
his passengers jumped into the silence of space. A field of energy formed
around them, protecting them from the heat as they pierced Earth’s atmosphere. Nathaniel
placed his hand at the nape of Deragon’s neck—maintaining contact with him. Truth
be told, they were bonded in ways beyond physical touch. Deragon couldn’t cast
him off, even if he wanted. Isis on the other hand, gripped both Savant and
Deragon with a powerful grip. A grip that would have normally crushed their
young leader, had it not been for Deragon’s field strengthening his body.
As much satisfaction as he drew
from the boy relying on his power, he drew even more from the fear of Isis. Whatever you are thinking Deragon, don’t try
it. I am not in the mood, Nathaniel said in Deragon’s head.
I
am only recognizing that you are using my power and the girl fears me. It makes
this prison you placed me in a little bearable.
I
don’t have time for this, but you would do well to remember that you imprisoned
yourself when you attacked my friends.
Deragon thought better of
responding. He focused on the jewel of a planet rushing at them. He followed
Nathaniel’s directions and increased speed, approaching the land with an ever
evolving curve. The left splintered trees and a crater where they landed. Deragon
bounded out of the crater, his passengers unharmed. They were fifteen miles
from their destination, flying above the trees to a rustic area.
“I can see your parents,” Isis
said. “They do not appear distressed. They are eating outside. Is that normal?”
“Since moving near grandma, they
have picnics more. Do you sense anything?”
Deragon shook his head. “Nothing
but your parents. This is a false alarm.”
Nathaniel tapped his ruby red
lensed glasses. “All stop.”
Deragon hovered.
Nathaniel studied the house, no
doubt using his ability to catalog and predict patterns. “The sequence of the
flower petals…it should be Fibonacci. God doesn’t play dice.” He dropped his
hand. “No time to waste. Isis, send a level eight alert to Jon. We will execute
hostage plan A-1.”
“This is foolishness,” Deragon
said.
“Don’t get neutered,” Nathaniel
said with a coldness that caught Deragon off guard. Fear crawled down his spine.
“I am blitzing,” Deragon said as he
steeled himself and broke the sound barrier. He appeared right in front of
Nathaniel’s parents, who were enjoying an Earthian meal.
James Devereaux dropped his rib.
“Nate?”
Deragon created a new energy field
that encompassed all of them in a barrier strong enough to withstand a nuclear
attack. Deragon turned to the flowers planted in front of the house and stared.
“I see.”
Nathaniel climbed down. “Mom, is my
replica of Mace Windu’s light saber still in my room?”
Martha Devereaux frowned. “Yes. Are
we under attack?”
“We believe so, Mother Savant,”
Isis said.
“Cadet,” Deragon said, “before you is
a Grade A hologram. Your pattern ability works on living things. Let me—“
“You will protect my parents. Isis
and I can handle this.” He stepped forward. “Make a hole.”
Deragon opened a door in front of
Isis. Nathaniel glared at him. Isis placed a hand on Nathaniel’s shoulder. “He
is right. I am more durable and I heal faster.”
Nathaniel nodded. He followed Isis
out of the field. Deragon closed it behind them. Nathaniel held his wrist
monitor to his mouth. “Password,” Nathaniel said. “Mace Windu Lives.” A slender
metallic cylinder flew out of Nathaniel’s room’s window. He held his hand up
and caught it. It was like the hilts of a medieval Templusion sword, but no
blade.
“You don’t have to hide anymore,”
Isis said. “I can smell the polymer, oil and metal.”
The four bushes dropped their
hologram and four bronze robots stood up. One alone could kill Nathaniel’s
entire squad. What could he and an Aquarian do against the four of them?
Deragon would need to save them for self-preservation, but he was bound by
Savant’s orders.
Nathaniel pressed a button on the
cylinder. Guards extended from the side of the hilt of the sword and a slender
antenna extended from the hilt itself, for a little over a meter. It ignited
with purple energy into a fully functional light sword. Nathaniel cursed the
robots in Gnornian. “You picked the wrong family to mess with.”
The End of Chapter One of Unknown
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