Corban watched helplessly as the second frigate collided with the traitor. The collision destroyed the one but left the first floating crippled through space. The carrier took the opportunity to fire at a predictable target and soon was pouring everything it had into the helpless frigate. Corban watched as a glowing orb sped through the space separating them and slammed into the carrier. The distorted ripples of light then the flash left little that could be recognized as a fighting ship.
Alec transferred a hail from the last frigate to the view screen. “He was........ I tried but...... Save him........ Failed..... losing control...... asylum..... All is lost.” The deep growling voice on the other end of the transmission was broken off by snarls and screams moments before the frigate's drive generators began to glow like a star for a few seconds before exploding.
“Is... Is Kiyan gone?” Savos asked as he stared at the devastation surrounding them.
Alec was silent for a minute while he scanned the surrounding space. I can't find any life signs.
There was silence in the bridge as the information sunk in. Corban glanced around at those present trying to gauge the reaction. He stopped when he reached Jeremy and saw the glowing blue eyes. “The pain is gone, cold glorious cold. Space is empty but for the cold.” Corban watched as fingers of frost crept over Jeremy's features. “When the star dies and the ocean is in a drop, but one is not, the star was not.” Jeremy began to shake and sank to his knees. “It’s so cold, glorious cold.” Corban touched Jeremy's shoulder and tried to wake him from the trance but snatched his hand back as the flames engulfed his frozen fingers. Jeremy's white breath twisted and twirled around his face. “Glorious cold, the star was not.” Corban's hand was healed when he bent as much heat into it as he could bear in order to open a telepathic connection with Jeremy. He felt the ice advancing up his arm as he caught glimpses of light and darkness. He began to feel the bite of the cold melting into a comfortable almost euphoric feeling when he saw the Avenger looming in the dark. Stumbling back he collapsed onto the floor as a raging inferno enveloped his side.
“He is out there, look for ice off the starboard side.” Corban was finally able to speak when the flames subsided. He was aware of Alec launching drones to collect Kiyan but he was watching Jeremy. The blue flames that danced across Jeremy radiating from the shoulder that Corban had been touching were like nothing he had ever seen. He could feel the coldness against his face from the flames. Cold fire, ice fire. “I need to go to the med bay, send Kiyan and Jeremy directly there.” Corban collected himself and teleported to the med bay. A couple of Alec's androids were already there prepping a couple of the beds. What seemed like hours might have been a couple minutes before the icy form of Kiyan materialized on the bed. Corban hardly felt the wave of cold that struck him before the containment field rose. He had trouble believing the console when it indicated that Kiyan's core temperatures were near absolute zero. Little to no atomic movement could be detected at Kiyan's core. The cybernetic implants were visible under Kiyan's icy skin. Not knowing what to do Corban waited. One of the androids attempting to enter the containment field stopped moving then began to fall. Corban jumped when the android shattered into a thousand pieces when it crashed into the floor.
“It’s too cold to do anything near him.” Alec spoke from the other android. “There isn't anything we can do.”
Jeremy lay on a nearby bed recovering. The strange effect had disappeared when Kiyan had come aboard the Avenger. He sat up after a few minutes of watching. “He isn't dead. I can feel him. He is sleeping, I felt the cold like he does. He doesn't want to wake up.” Jeremy climbed of the bed to the tune of Corban's demands to rest. When he approached the containment field Corban barred his path.
“It’s too cold in there, it will freeze you.” Corban remembered the sensation of ice crawling up his arm.
“I know how to wake him up. You felt the cold too. Like he does, it can't hurt us.” Corban was about to argue with Jeremy when he remembered the feeling of euphoria that he had felt. Still not convinced he held out his had to stop Jeremy. He stopped when he saw the energy emanating from Jeremy like frosty air sinking to the ground. Corban stepped aside and let Jeremy pass. Upon entering the containment field Jeremy water formed and began to glow with a deep blue light. Holding what appeared to be his hands over Kiyan the blue light grew in intensity until he looked like a star. When the light died down enough for Corban to look again he saw Jeremy back in his human form collapsing to the floor. Not pausing to think Corban darted into the containment field and grabbed Jeremy. He realized that he hardly felt the cold as he lunged back out of the field. Looking back at Kiyan he saw a dim blue glow emanating from Kiyan's body growing steadily in intensity before subsiding. The spikes and blades began to retract until Kiyan transformed back into a human. Alec dropped the containment field as the temperatures returned to normal. Kiyan began to stir. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes he opened his hand to expose a small metal cylinder. Holding it up to the light he looked at the greenish liquid through the clear metal.
“It's a drakken clone sequence.” Alec identified it as he stared at the cylinder that Kiyan held. “How did you get that?”
The star that was not. “He could have killed me but he didn't.” Kiyan seemed lost in thought as he spoke.
“Is that the clone sequence for the drakken that helped us?” Jeremy asked.
“Drovak, his name is Drovak. His memories linger in spite of his death. Kiyan seemed to return to the present. “Alec can we activate this sequence and grow a clone from it?”
“Yes but I don't know what good that would do. All drakken clones are blank when they are cloned so to say. We don't even have the equipment to imprint language skills on a new clone but we can try if you want.” Alec finally seemed to be relaxing after the past ordeal.
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Corban had returned to his rooms to relax after the day. Sipping a cup of tea and relaxing in a comfortably warm room had just about put him to sleep. Reviewing the day and thinking about what had happened kept him mostly awake but when he took another sip of tea he realized that it had grown cold. Snapping his finger under the cup he nearly jumped when instead of a golden flame, a pale blue flame flashed from his fingers. Corban watched at frost leaves grew on the cup where the flames kissed the glass. It felt like fire bending but instead of pouring energy into the flame he felt himself drawing energy from the flames. Letting the flames die out he snapped his fingers again and watched as the golden flames danced around the cup and melted the frost. Thoughts of the potential for ice fire tumbled through his head as he drifted off to sleep after finishing his tea.
Chapter Thirteen: Second Chances
Light in the darkness. Why wake me again? The interrogation and resulting execution still burned fresh in Drovak's memory. The dark lords had found a seed of doubt and betrayal in his gene line. He could never again be trusted, his gene line was to be erased from the archives. They had not learned Drovak's true secret but the chances of his plan succeeding were so small that death seemed an acceptable second choice. Drovak waited for the imprint like every other memory had begun with. The imprint didn't come so he began to expect the worst. Perhaps his cloning had been a mistake. Of even worse he was being cloned to feed the dark one.
“It doesn't have any imprint, I'm surprised it is even conscious.” A distant voice broke into Drovak's mind.
“No, there is something else there, I can sense it but not clearly.” Another feminine voice sounded. Drovak realized that these voices didn't have the characteristic snarl or growl of a drakken. Opening his eyes he flickered his eyelids for a moment before realizing that he was submerged in a fluid. Attempts at breathing resulted in strangling chokes. Putting all his weight into a last ditch effort he punched the side of the cylinder as he thrashed. Seeing a crack appear he slammed his body into the wall with all the returning strength he had. The side gave way and Drovak flowed with the fluid across the room. He lay choking and gasping for
breath where he stopped. Rolling over he felt the icy cold blade at his throat. Gazing up into the crystal blue eyes of the boyish figure holding the blade and the familiar face of the woman Drovak choked out a few words.
“Don't kill me again, I want to fight them.” The effort was too much for his weakened state and the darkness reclaimed him.
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After securing the limp body of Drovak on one of the med beds with a force field around it Theo turned to Kendra. “I don't know how he even knew how to talk let alone recognize anything.”
“Genetic memories. I once encountered a race that passed memories through their gene codes. These memories would be lost in a couple generations but in theory if the gene code remained the same like in a clone the memories could last indefinitely. It is even possible that whole consciousness could be passed along intact.” Kendra gave the only explanation that came to mind.
“He said he wanted to fight them. I wonder who “them” is? He could have killed me when he had the chance but he protected me.” Kiyan decided that his questions could be answered soon enough when he saw Drovak begin to stir.
Finding himself restrained Drovak looked around as much as his restraints allowed him. When he saw Kiyan he paused for a minute. Continuing he recognized Kendra as the ascended woman that had killed him a lifetime ago. The third person referred to as Theo seemed vaguely familiar also.
“Even if he is the conscience of a drakken how do we know that he isn't some sort of spy?” Drovak watched as Kendra eyed him cautiously.
“He could have valuable information about the drakken if he is a true defector.” Kiyan appeared to be somewhat on Drovak's side.
Savos took the opportunity to enter the room at that moment. Upon seeing Drovak on the bed he stopped in his tracks. “I never knew that they looked so much like us.”
“We believe that they were thorans in their universe but that they evolved on a different path.” Drovak noticed that the one called Theo referred to him as one of them. Kiyan might be the closest thing he had to an ally.
“We helped clone him because you asked us too Kiyan. What do you want to do with him?” Kendra waited for Kiyan to respond.
Kiyan walked up to the containment field and opened his mind. Connecting with Drovak's was difficult but without resistance. Kiyan found himself in a world of pain and slavery. He felt the familiar strangling sense of hopelessness. There was more, lifetimes more. Some short, some longer. Each ending violently. There was a flicker of recognition as Kiyan gasped for air once again in his own reality. Drovak lay quietly with his eyes closed. There was an apologetic sense emanating from his mind.
Drovak opened his eyes again as he felt the force fields holding him dissipate. Standing up beside the bed he touched the containment field and hardly flinched as the energy discharged into his hand. Withdrawing his hand he turned to Theo. “I know you, timebender, dark bane, shadow slayer, warden of light, dark dragon. The dark one fears you. I felt his fear as he consumed my life energy.” Drovak fastened his eyes on Kendra. “You are the white dragon, second amongst the ascended. The white lady, world destroyer, one of the first human ascended. You killed me once, I will never forget the look of sorrow on your face as I died. You and your husband are feared among the drakken.” Gazing at Kiyan for a moment he continued. “Boy, you fought a fleet single handedly and might have won if you had tapped your full power.”
“I'm not a boy and I lost control when two fighters fired on me. Kiyan felt a flicker of annoyance cross his face.” From the compliment or the designation boy or the failure he didn't know.
“No more a boy than I. You felt the lifetimes I have lived as I felt yours. I felt your mind once before. The day the stars burned. If you had burned the fleet I would never have met you. I pledge my life to your service, star killer, allow me the honor of pledging any remaining lifetimes you see fit to grant me to fighting the dark one and his minions.” Drovak clamped his hand over his chest and sank to his knees.
“How do I know we can trust you? I felt your pain and suffering serving the dark one but how do I know you won't return to his service.” Kiyan shook his head at the alien memory's still burning in his mind.
“Does not the ascended free races that are enslaved? Am I unworthy of freedom? For more than seventy lifetimes I have fought the dark lords but only now might I have a chance to actually strike a blow against their carefully laid plans. The dark one wants to feed on the energy of this universe.” Looking back up into Kiyan's eyes he continued. “They found a way to kill an ascended and undo all his work. I know what they did.”
“What are you talking about? The dark one might be able to overcome some of the newly ascended but he is trapped in another universe.” Theo looked like he was having difficulty believing what he was hearing. The flashes of light around his eyes gave an indication of the storm brewing in his mind.
“Merlin, he was a human child once but became an ascended that traveled time protecting the future.” Drovak regained his feet. “Let me help while there is still time.”
“Who is Merlin?” Kiyan remembered a story from his time on earth about the evil wizard Merlin that had ruled Europe after King Uther died as a young man. Even then Kiyan had felt like the story was wrong somehow.
“Merlin was a human child in the future that ascended and returned to the past. He foiled many plots over the centuries.” Drovak paced inside the containment field. Your timeline may not have crossed his yet.
“How far in the future, what earth year.” Kendra interrogated impatiently.
“The earth year 2023.” Drovak paused his pacing for a moment.
“In 2015 all life was lost on earth due to nuclear poisoning. How can he be from the year 2023?” Kiyan was puzzled for a moment.
“Before or more correctly, after he died he preserved the past. With his death the timeline was rewritten and the future he was born in was lost.” Theo explained a little temporal mechanics.
“But as you know, ascended beings exist in part as temporal energy. The changed timeline shattered the future. Merlin's fragment survived, at least for a short time. A moment or a few days depending on the amount of temporal energy. He lives and dies in that time. However with the reset history the fragment is stranded. You could never get there.” Drovak stopped pacing as looked at Kiyan. “The only way is to follow his footsteps and undo the damage done to the past.”
“No, there is another way. He was part of the past so his absence left a hole that can only be filled by him. Drovak you underestimate our powers. The fragment or island universe is big enough for us to travel too. A ship would never make it but a couple individuals would have a good chance.” Theo paused for a few seconds while he looked at Kiyan. “I can send you and one other person Kiyan, choose wisely”.
“Why me, shouldn't one of you go? I'm the youngest one here.” Kiyan felt a knot growing in his stomach.
“What you say is true. However the agents of the dark one will be stranded on this island also. If we change the timeline they might seek to damage it again. You are the only one that can be sure of success.” Kendra took Kiyan's shoulders in hand and looked into his eyes. “We can only walk a path once. Our choices can be undone but it involves changing the flow of time. You can live the same day twice. Merlin must live in order for the past to be repaired.”
“Who should I take?” Kiyan asked after fighting the idea and realizing Kendra was right.
“Any one you choose. It is your future and your dreams.” Theo spoke solemnly.
“Ray. He has been in every dream or vision I have had.” Kiyan finally chose.
“Good, meet me on my ship and we will send you off.” Theo abruptly disappeared with a flash.
Kiyan made some arrangements for Drovak after Kendra left then prepared himself for what was to come. Ray joined him physically a few minutes before the teleport but had been telepathically connected most of the time.
“You know I will stand by you.” The reassurance emanated
from Ray like a soothing breeze. Kiyan activated the transport sequence and rematerialized on the Odyssey. Atlas the ship's AI greeted him and directed him to where Theo was busy making scans of the timelines.
“He was telling the truth. It does look like an ascended moved through the past making changes or preventing them I should say. There is a gap where he was but isn't. The residual distortions came from the future but are dissipating. That timeline is dying, without it we will have to rebuild the past and an undertaking like that might tear earth apart.”
“How do I get there?” Kiyan's curiosity was getting to him in spite of the weight of the world on his shoulder.
“You are going to slide through an eddy in the river of time so to say. I will direct you and Ray but you will be the one passing through the vortex. Time is connected to space where there is space. Where space is there is time but where there is time there isn't always space. It is the sum of the energy generated as space displaces itself. Time is what bridges the gap between the past and future. The link has not been severed yet but it is weak. If it is severed the future will cease and a new future will take its place. Small changes might cause eddies but something like an ascended dying is like a dam in a river. It pools up then flows in another course.” Theo stopped when he saw that Kiyan had a worried look on his face.