Nothing had ever been detected in the area that would be of any use to anyone so it had never been visited. Until eight years ago.
A wealthy family from the planet Ion in the Gamma System had begun mining the rocks. Nobody knew what for. The Ioneons had brought their own labour, never needing to hire from the local planets, so no information was ever found out about what was going on in that area. Until Ifor's employer, being the business woman she was, discovered the secret.
"That's when she sought me out. She claimed it was a job only I could do and if the Ioneons knew of my existence they would try to force me to work for them. It seems there is some relic from, get this, another Dimension, which is buried deep in one of those rocks."
"You seem very sceptical! I take it you completely dismiss the idea of Dimensions beyond our own!"
Ifor sat up straight.
"Until now I thought we all did. What's changed your opinion?"
"Let's just say I've experienced things that make me more open to the idea."
"Awww, come on Thorn! We live in the real world. We don't take any notice of every Occultist we meet. What is...is! What we touch, what we feel through our minds. That experience is all there is."
Thorn paused before replying.
"Maybe." He steered the direction of the conversation. "What is it that only you can do on this rock?"
"It seems the relic is held in some kind of field. Nothing can penetrate it. Nothing, that is except a psycher. The Ioneons have had limited success with some TechPsychers that they've managed to employ, but it's still there. And by all accounts they're off tracking down more TechPsychers to continue the work. There should be limited resistance when we get there."
Thorn frowned.
"What do you mean by limited resistance?"
"The last report we had said there were just a handful of guards. Nothing for us to worry about."
Thorn sank back in his chair. Ifor was facing him from the main chair and saw his unease.
"Come on. There's nothing to worry about. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. We should be there in four hours."
Chapter 26
The fighter, which Ifor had also named The Savage Mind, glided into the Cold Region and proceeded to the largest rock in orbit. A probe had been sent on ahead of them checking for mines within the region, carefully mapping a safe route. To Ifor's surprise no traps were found. The path through was as smooth as a ride on a giant sloth.
The Savage Mind held back from landing until the probe had searched the mined area of the rock for the remaining guards. The report back was unexpected.
"Nothing!" Ifor said with raised eyebrows. "Not a single guard. No life signs whatsoever."
"Would they have abandoned the place?" asked Thorn.
Ifor shook his head.
"From what I understand the relic is invaluable."
"Are you sure the relic is still there?"
Ifor moved the probe deeper into the mine shaft with his mind. Fifteen minutes later it was in a large cavern where at the centre stood an alter that was carved out of the very rock itself. On the alter stood a triangular shaped object. It gently glowed in an unseen light.
"It doesn't look much, but I'd say that is what we're looking for."
"I don't like it, Ifor! Something's wrong! I'm going to have a look around."
Thorn closed his eyes and let his mind go. Out of the space craft and across the void between fighter and rock. He covered as much as he could, conscious of his weakened mind. Nothing! In the cavern and shafts leading to it. A half mile radius around the mining site. All as cold and empty as the space around them.
Blood was beginning to appear from Thorn’s eyes now. He took a moment to compose himself.
"I can't find anything."
"Then we go in," said Ifor.
The Savage Mind’s auto pilot took the craft to a landing point three hundred yards from the shaft entrance. Its landing lights illuminated the temporary buildings set out in a semi circle to the right of the entrance. As the ramp came down, eight of Ifor's team followed Zorba out, laser guns at the ready. Each took a point around the ship scanning the surrounding area. Ifor and Thorn followed on behind.
The temperature was below zero and everyone dressed in thermal clothing with a thermal balaclava type hood wrapped around their heads. Thorn had his long jacket on top of this. There was no ice on the rock face. No water droplets had ever existed in the Cold Region.
"Zorba, take four and check out the buildings. The rest of you come with me." Frozen breath billowed out as he spoke. It was then he noticed how silent it was. A silence he had never experienced before. It unnerved him almost to the point of turning round and flying away. He shook his head and carried on.
The six of them reached the shaft entrance in a semi circle twenty paces apart.
It wasn't a large shaft. In fact it looked just like a regular passageway with a very high ceiling. Lamps were evenly spaced along the shaft on either side giving off enough light for Ifor to see where he walked negating the need for the torch he carried.
He took the lead with Thorn close behind him. They worked their way slowly down the shaft. Five minutes in and they came to an unlit area. The lights ahead showed where the shaft continued. Ifor flicked the torch back on to reveal a domed room big enough to fit the Savage Mind in. The wall surfaces were smooth just like the main shaft walls. But here there were insignias and what looked like religious markings covering every inch of their surface.
As the piercing beam scanned the room it caught something glistening to the left on the far side. Ifor slowly made his way over keeping the light on it. A sickening stench immediately met him and he cupped his free hand to his mouth and nose. As he moved forward the floor became sticky. He shone the light down. A bright red substance covered the floor in pools. Shining the torch back up he could now see what was hidden in the dark. He counted four mangled skeletons with strips of rotting flesh and muscle still hanging from their bones.
"What the hell’s happened here!" he spluttered.
Thorn joined him, also with his mouth and nose covered. He manoeuvred his torch around the rest of the room and found piles of bones littering the floor. Bending down he picked one up to examine it.
"Do you think this is some sort of sacrificial room?" asked Ifor.
"I don't know, but these bones have teeth marks on them." He showed Ifor the indentations.
"Big teeth as well by the looks of it. But we didn't pick up any life signs! And some of these look pretty fresh." Ifor activated his communicator. "Zorba. We may have company. Keep on your toes. Our sensors seem to be useless here so you're going to have to rely on your eyes."
"Will do," came the reply.
The group carried on through the shaft until they eventually reached the main cavern. It was huge, but there wasn't a part of it that was in darkness. There was no need for lamps in here because light bounced off of every surface. It was hard to determine where the source was. The walls and floor were just rock, the same rock they had seen in the shafts. There was no glow from the relic itself. The light was just...there.
Ifor’s team walked the perimeter of the cavern while he and Thorn approached the relic. His communicator sparked into life piercing through the silence.
"We've found nothing out here. What do you want us to do?"
"Leave two guarding the entrance to the shaft and the rest of you come and join us," Ifor replied.
"OK." The silence returned.
The two men were ten steps from the relic when they felt a force push against them. Only lightly at first until they were six steps away and then they felt they were up against a brick wall. The pressure on their bodies forced them back.
"Step back a minute," said Ifor. He raised his gun and fired. The green bolt of light disappeared, swallowed by the force field. "Wow! Neat," he smiled. “These Ioneon’s have got some cool technology."
Thorn shook his head.
"Not sure it’s their technology. I
can't see a power source. Maybe it’s natural. It must be the reason you were chosen for the job. See if you can reach in with your mind."
Ifor lowered his weapon and concentrated on the relic. He could feel the power as his mind closed in, squeezing it, but it wasn't stopping him. It was hard going and Ifor began to sweat. First salty water, then blood began to drip from his eyes. Thorn saw the trouble Ifor was in and immediately joined his mind. He too felt the power of the field. Squeezing and ripping at his mind. They reached and surrounded the relic lifting it from its resting place. The return was just as hard. Beads of blood were appearing on Thorn's forehead now.
Back up the shaft a bright light suddenly illuminated their bodies. Screams followed immediately and then a blood curdling roar, the like no one in the cavern had heard before. It lasted a good thirty seconds before the sound of crunching bones replaced it.
Chapter 27
Ifor and Thorn staggered back as the relic was finally released from its protective field and it dropped gently to the floor. More screams and Zorba came running from the shaft like a crazed animal.
"What is it?" Ifor asked in a weak and tired voice.
"The Krillar! The Krillar!"
Thorn turned to Ifor, confused.
"It's the Jornaern version of the devil," Ifor answered the unasked question.
Thorn didn't have time for any more questions as the Krillar came lolloping into the cavern, one of Ifor's teams limbs still hanging from the giants jaw. It stood a full fifteen feet high. Now Thorn knew why the shafts ceilings were so high. Another terrifying roar and the limb fell to the ground. The poor victim's blood dribbled down the monsters chin.
Scales covered the body that looked as hard as rock. The head, a little oversized for the body, was dominated by a massive mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Its deformed skull resembled an outcrop of rocks with two blood red eyes set on storks that protruded outwards a couple of inches. The long arms ended in talon like hands each with four digits that were mirrored on the end of its powerful legs. It looked around the cavern and its eyes came to rest on the relic.
Ifor shot a quick glance at Thorn.
"Any ideas?"
Before he could answer the Jornaerns opened fire sending a shower of laser bolts at the creature. Each one just bounced off of the scales and fizzed into the walls. This went on for a minute until they gave up.
"The weapons are having no effect!" shouted one of the shooters.
"Oh yes it is!" Ifor said. "It's making it angry."
Another shrill roar rang through the cavern bouncing off the walls as the monster strode forward towards the source of the laser bolts. It wasn't fast by any means, but its reach fooled the first two Jornaerns and they screamed as the blows from its talons ripped through their clothing and flesh leaving their innards exposed and free from containment. As the two dropped to the floor the gore and blood pooled around them.
The few moments since the monster appeared, Ifor and Thorn had made a small recovery from their ordeal with the relic and were frantically trying to come up with a plan.
"We should try and out run it," said Ifor. "It'll never catch us." He picked up the relic with a bit of an effort. "Wow, that's heavy." The smooth sides were like nothing he had felt before and even holding it by the base he had trouble trying to stop it from slipping from his hands. The Krillar saw this and lumbered towards the two men.
Zorba and the remaining two Jornaerns ran for the shaft. Halfway into it a brilliant light blinded them for a second. Then another roar, this time from within the shaft. Another Krillar was heading straight for them. The Jornaerns now became hysterical. They started blasting away at the monster in the shaft while backing away. A rain of laser bolts came back at them, bouncing off of the Krillars scales. Zorba died instantly. Two other injured bodies fell to the ground. The monster descended on them and caught their heads in its claws. Squeezing until their skulls crushed and their brains oozed out and flopped to the floor.
Thorn and Ifor retreated further into the cavern. The second Krillar entered the cavern while feasting on one of the Jornaerns and with the crushed skulls still in it’s grip.
"You're gonna have to give the relic back," Thorn said to Ifor. "They must be here to protect it."
"What!" A look of dismay crossed Ifor's face. "There must be another way!" Ifor racked his brains for another solution, but found nothing as the creatures came closer. Finally he sent the relic over with his mind. He laid it gently at the feet of the first Krillar.
Both of them raised their heads to the roof of the cavern and let out an almighty roar that shook the very ground they were standing on. Then continued their pursuit.
"So much for that idea. What now?" Ifor said backing further away.
"I'm going to try something." Thorn stood still and closed his eyes.
"What are you doing?"
Thorn reached out with his mind, searching. Deep inside the first Krillar’s mind he searched. Deeper and deeper. How primitive everything was. Full of rage. The swirling vortex that was the Krillar’s mind unnerved him. Its violent and primitive feel was so...familiar. Thorn ploughed on through the turmoil until...There! That's what he was looking for.
By now the two monsters were almost an arm’s length away. The first Krillar swung back ready to strike. Talons outstretched, ready to rip apart whatever it came into contact with.
"Thorn!" Ifor shouted, urging him to move. The taloned arm swept round just over the head of Thorn and ripped an eye from the stalk of the second Krillar. It turned to face its new foe and let loose with a barrage of blows that tore scales from the body and ripped long gashes in the exposed flesh. The fighting was fierce and primal. The second Krillar was stunned at first, but fought back just as viciously even with one eye missing. At first they fought in the way of the exit and Thorn and Ifor were still trapped. But soon they were stumbling around the cavern, baring their teeth and roaring a cry that shook the walls.
Both men took their chance with Ifor grabbing the relic on the way. They ran as fast as their legs would take them. Very soon they were running out of breath, realising how much the retrieval of the relic had taken out of them physically. They were now stumbling to the entrance of the shaft and they could just about see the Savage Mind. Ifor sent ahead the commands to get the ship set for take-off. There was no sign of the two Jornaerns left to guard the entrance. Ifor reached out with his mind, but found no one else around.
Thorn concentrated on the sounds coming from the cavern. He could hear only a single roar now. And it was heading their way.
"It's coming after us!" he shouted.
The adrenalin rushed round their bodies giving them an extra kick. They were soon clambering up the ramp and into the ship. As it took off the back jolted a little.
"What was that?" asked Ifor. He scanned the exterior of the ship.
"The damn thing won't give up," he said. "Strap yourself in. It's going to be a rough ride."
Both men secured themselves into their chairs. The three crew members that had remained on the ship were already seated. With Ifor now in full control of the Savage Mind he immediately flipped it upside down. The creatures talons had dug deep into the outer skin and it hung there with its legs flailing until a fast approaching outcrop of rock smashed it from its holding point crushing its bones and internal organs. The Savage Mind flipped back upright and escaped the Cold Region as fast as it could, heading for Jornaer.
Chapter 28
"What was that thing and where did it come from? We found no signs of life down there. It's as if it just magically appeared from nowhere." Ifor was wiping his face and forehead of the blood that had stained there while a Medibot was checking him over. Thorn sat with the relic on his knees and stared at the smooth surfaces, entranced. He wasn't aware of Ifor's words. It was like his mind was being massaged by the aura from the relic, shutting out everything around him.
The jolt was sudden as Ifor took the relic and dumped it on another chair.
"Are you listening to me?" he said.
Thorn shook his head to clear it from the drowsy feeling he now experienced.
"I...I missed it. What did you say again?"
"What do you mean you missed it? What's the matter? You seem...distracted."
"I don't know. There's something about that thing. Don't you feel anything from it?"
"All I can feel now is a headache when I look at it. The sooner we get rid of it the better."
"I wonder what it's for. I've seen some scary things in my time, but nothing like those two... creatures. What were they? Whatever they were the relic must be very precious to someone. What have you got yourself mixed up in, Ifor?"
Ifor had settled back down for the Medibot to continue its work.
"It’s just a job. Once we’ve delivered it we’ll be gone and won’t have to worry about it."
Thorn sensed Ifor was getting annoyed. There was a short silence before Thorn continued.
"Where do you think they appeared from?" Thorn stared into Ifor's eyes. Ifor shifted uncomfortably as he thought about the creatures and shrugged his shoulders.
"My guess would be that they're creatures from the Jornaerns past. Something that hasn't been seen in thousands of years and have embedded themselves in the local myths and beliefs. Perhaps they have a way of hiding themselves that our detectors can't pick up."
"Perhaps! But what about the light before they appeared? What do you think that was?"
"I don't know. Maybe it was their white teeth when they smiled that lit up the shaft. I don't particularly care. Let's just get rid of the damn thing and go find the other guys."
The rest of the journey was a chance to recover fully from the ordeal on the lump of rock that imprisoned the relic. The relic itself was stowed away securely, but every time Thorn walked by it, a drawing power pulled on his mind. The first time it happened he almost gave in to the unseen force. He almost opened up the container and took out the relic to touch its smooth sides again. But he resisted and pulled himself away from the storage area. On three more occasions he had to pass it and each time the draw became less.