CHAPTER 8
Kalin
Kalin and Marante stood in the heart of Earth. Many times the missions from the Federation had sent Kalin into the core of a planet and each time he got the same feeling.
Humans shouldn’t be here.
The black, jagged stone of the cavern contained deep slits every twenty feet traveling up its sides and across the ceiling. The tell tale signs of a REM alignment. At the top of the hundred-foot high cavern, a thin cloud of dust and moisture drifted silently in its confined space, diffusing the artificial light created by the sprayed-on Vitra Crystals. Numerous boot imprints embedded the earthen floor and in front of the walls, foot-high mounds of dirt littered the ground. Could Vorkis’ REM be malfunctioning? He could only hope. Four large tunnels led out of the cave.
“Why do the bad guys always pick these kinds of places?” he asked. “It feels like a crypt.”
“Because they know you are afraid of the dark,” said Marante, keeping his focus on the scanner.
The small black, rectangular device was tiny in his hands, yet he worked the holos with ease.
“Ha, ha,” sneered Kalin. “Bonehead.”
In the center of the open cave, a massive white platform lay anchored to the floor. Tall columns marked the four corners, each having three sets of the lights—red, yellow, and green. Marante placed his foot on the edge of the platform; the width of his leg almost matched his arm.
“This is the main teleporter pad,” he said. “The Quilia particles date back two months. The majority of the tunnels in this complex are approximately eighty feet in height. Large enough for Xeon Diffusers.”
Kalin fixed his glare on several slate-blue boxes resting on the floor near the far wall. Stamped horizontally across their centers were white letters: SNA.
Stolen technology from Salera, thought Kalin.
His stomach turned sour. Unknowingly, he squeezed the handle of his gun, bending the black metal. He immediately let go. His Barra was his protection, an extremely lightweight rifle able to laser a target from over three thousand feet. Kalin slid the strapped Barra off his shoulder and raised the rifle, aiming at the containers. He could never allow Vorkis to retain any Saleran technology.
Marante grabbed his arm. “If you fire your weapon it will reveal our presence. You do want the element of surprise?”
Catching Vorkis off-guard was the only way. He had to be patient so he nodded and lowered his weapon.
“How far to the Xeon Diffusers?”
“Ten clicks,” said Marante, “and I’m afraid he’s altered their systems. If we tamper with the Xeons, it will initiate a destruct sequence in their reactors.” He glanced at Kalin. “Enough energy will be released to incinerate the core.”
“Let me get this straight,” said Kalin. “If we mess with the Xeons, they’ll destroy Earth. Yet if we don’t, the dredging will destroy Earth.” He shrugged. “It’s a no-win situation.”
Marante pointed up. “Tell that to the millions of men, women, and children who will be eradicated. Give me time, my friend. I will find a way.”
“Time is what I don’t have,” said Kalin. “Vorkis first, then Earth. He has to be stopped.”
“And what if the implosion becomes critical?” Marante stepped closer. Kalin felt his telepathy digging into his mind. “Will the crowned Prince of Salera allow the slaughter of so many?”
A rush of fury soared through Kalin. “How could you think I’d let Vorkis kill again? How long have we been working together?” He shook his head in disappointment. “I’ve never failed a mission to save lives and I’m insulted you’re doubting me now.”
Marante’s eyes pressed into dark slits. “I want to hear you say you will do everything possible to save them and not forfeit their lives to satisfy your vengeance.”
Marante’s nose had grown to two inches in diameter and shined red as an apple. He was livid.
“I will do whatever is necessary to save them,” Kalin said, frustrated. “Satisfied?”
The stringent hold of Marante’s telepathy was powerful, but Kalin worried more about his empathic abilities. When his family and people had died, Marante helped to control the varying emotions determined to bring him down, and he’d succeeded. But over time, Kalin learned how to manipulate Marante’s powers, occasionally permitting small spurts of anguish and torment to break through, just enough to pacify him. Never would he allow his friend to sense the explosive emotions intensifying each day Vorkis lived. He would soon lose his mind if nothing was done. Seeing him die was the only way out of the misery.
He’s dead, no matter who’s involved, thought Kalin, hiding his words from Marante.
A breeze of putrid air howled its way in from a tunnel.
“What is that nasty smell?” he asked, scrunching his nose and looking around the cave.
Marante’s cathectic probing ceased and he took up studying the scanner. “This core is home to a variety of large creatures. Some are carnivorous. We must be cautious.”
“Shh,” said Kalin, raising his hand. “Listen.”
From the tunnel behind them, a high-pitched, whining sound was getting louder.
“Incoming!” he shouted and pushed Marante hard, slamming him into the far wall.
A yellow ship zoomed out of a tunnel, spinning in the air. Kalin dove behind the blue boxes watching a whirlwind of dust rise up from the ground like a tornado. The vessel stopped turning in mid-air then slowly leveled off on the platform. Kalin stood and saw Marante walking towards the rear of the craft.
“What is it?” asked Kalin.
“It is an Earth-human submersible,” Marante said, reading the small holo. “Two Earth-humans are inside and alive, a male and female.”
“I wasn’t aware Earth-humans had the technology to travel through their planet.” He noticed the bold black letters scrolled across the vessel’s side: US ARMY – X38.
“They do not,” said Marante. “I have detected REM particles on its metallic surface. Apparently, Vorkis escorted this vessel through his planetary REM tunnel. He deliberately brought them down here.”
“Why would he want Earth-humans? They’re a primitive species with nothing of value.”
“I agree,” said Marante, standing beside him, “but Vorkis will be sending a troop of Zorcons. I suggest we take the Earth-humans with us and leave this area.”
“Right,” said Kalin. He handed his Barra to Marante. “Now, where’s the door?”