Crow: The Destroyer

Chapter 1

“He speaks a Terran language called English!” Asherah said conspiratorially as she looked around, making sure no one else was listening. The lush, tropical meadow was empty, however. Aside from any imaginary friends she may have dreamed up.

She scratched at her fur as she looked back at Steven mischievously. “I’m really not supposed to know it but I was there when the Teacher came to give Daddy some Terran languages.” She shrugged innocently. “So I took them too.” She furrowed her eyebrows as she remembered that day. “He had to learn many languages.”

“The Teacher gave them to you?” Steven cocked his head.

Asherah leaned back against the tree in the center of the meadow and played with the low hanging branches. “I got them through our bond when he got the languages.” She grinned, rocking back and forth against the trunk. “He doesn’t think I pay attention, but I really do. Our bond is pretty tight, I think. Maybe because Mom isn’t here.”

She looked at Steven, briefly flashing a deep sadness. But that passed and she grinned and continued rocking back and forth as if to a song only she could hear. “It was funny listening to him practice. I practice them here and I think I’m better than Daddy.” She giggled. “After all, I have all my friends here, so I can practice all the time.” She held her hands out to encompass the meadow. Insects that reminded Steven of butterflies ascended into the air off the flowers and flew around them before fluttering away.

Steven looked around then nodded. “Imaginary friends?”

Asherah waved a flower at him, then munched it playfully while giggling. “They’re real enough. My friends on Syagria are no help at all. So, I practice a lot with my friends here, I guess. Even if they are imaginary.” She frowned briefly, then grinned. “That’s what he speaks. Um, they call that language English.”

Steven smiled, attentive to any detail Asherah may divulge. She looked up at the ringed sister planet in the daytime sky of Endard and sighed, smiling dreamily. “He’s kinda cute.”

“The imaginary Terran boy?”

“He’s…I guess.” Asherah pouted as she played with leaves on a flowering plant in front of her. A new flower bud opened up as she touched it. “He seems real, though. It’s fun practicing English with him. He says I sound funny. But he sounds funny. And I… I can tell him anything,” she gushed. “Like we belong together.”

“Do you think that maybe… this could all be a dream?”

Asherah laughed, making Steven wince. He loved that laugh. “Silly. I’d know a dreamscape when I’m in one.” She leaned forward, squinting at him. “Maybe you’re asleep?”

Steven grinned and shrugged. “Maybe I am.”

As Steven looked at her, he remembered her fondly. His girl in the meadow. He was the boy she was chatting about. He sighed, thinking of those days. He sorely wished he could return to them as thoroughly as she had. Only, now she was deeply asleep and he was inextricably drawn into her dreams. He found it fascinating that she chose their early days in the meadow to hide out in.

During his own travails, when he dreamed he would often find himself at the meadow too. It seemed safe there. Immune to the torments that awaited them elsewhere. The meadow was where they had first met, each believing the other to be imaginary, and each quickly forgetting that perception as the fantasy became real to them.

She didn’t recognize him, however. Not fully, even though they were life-mates and she was bearing his child. She was currently stuck in a dream of her childhood, reliving the time they had just met over and over again. Each time he joined her dream was like the first time they met. She still felt comfortable enough to talk to him as if she’d known him for years, something that was surely a result of their own intimate bond. Now she sat there babbling at another imaginary friend. In English. Steven grinned, just glad to be part of the crowd she had dreamed up.

He was still struggling to grasp the deeper implications of their bond, something other Elves seemed to take for granted. He was raised on Terra as a human, a Terran, unaware of his true heritage. All that changed when he chanced upon her, this Elvish girl in a meadow, through the wispy remnants of an eleven-year-old gate that stretched across many galaxies to Endard.

He had opened the gate back up. He didn’t know it. Neither did she. As he looked at her, he still couldn’t put his finger on why the gate had attached itself to him. But he was glad it did. They were immediately drawn to each other the instant they met. “Do you remember any other bonds?”

Asherah frowned again, wrenching Steven’s heart. “Just Daddy. I cannot…” She sighed, looking crestfallen. Steven instantly regretted asking her that. “It hurts. It hurts both of us really bad. They haven’t figured out why I’m broken. So it’s just me and Daddy.”

Steven raised his brows. He didn’t know that and he was effectively married to her. Normally Elves had dozens of familial bonds, often forming a vast mental web. It would explain why she was able to keep him a secret for so long. But he had hoped she’d remember their own bond.

“Moringa makes fun of me for having imaginary friends. She can be mean sometimes.” Asherah pouted, moving on from what was apparently a painful topic. “But she always brings me fish and fruit when she visits.”

“I thought she was your best friend,” Steven said, surprised. He was still a little shy when it came to rooting around her memories and must have missed that fact too.

Asherah shrugged. “Well… I don’t have many other friends here. Daddy’s working a lot. Moringa visits me and it is fun to play with her.” She played with the grass for a moment then looked at Steven, effervescent. “Okay, she’s my best friend. I mean, we do everything together. But sometimes she can be mean. She leaves when I play with my imaginary friends.” She sighed. “I never make fun of her.”

Steven raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. Asherah fidgeted. “Fine. She has this big red star on her forehead. I call her Starface sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” Steven said, grinning. When he met the exotic Selkie, they had long outgrown that kind of thing, but it was still neat to see their friendship from their perspective years before he met Moringa. Would they have to deal with that with their own daughter when she is born?

Steven gulped, remembering Vanessa. He was getting distracted. He had to stay on mission. The dreamscape seemed to pull him in every time he fell asleep, as if he was supposed to see something, learn something from Asherah.

Asherah looked at him, frowning, then she rolled her eyes. “Maybe more than sometimes. But I’m just kidding.” She sighed, pouting. “I wouldn’t want to drive my only friend here away. Even if she is a Selkie.”

“Even if? What’s wrong with Selkies.” Steven blinked, not accustomed to that side of Asherah.

“Well, nothing really. It’s just that… they’re not good climbers. They can, but not like Elves. And I’m not as good at swimming as her. Sometimes it’s just hard to figure out what we want to do,” Asherah said as she peeled the bark of the tree with her fingers. She looked wistfully at the nearby mountain pass that led to the coast. Steven followed her gaze and watched Teles’trike dragons flying into their nesting holes in the cliff walls.

“She’s supposed to visit me today. I hope she brings more fish.”

Steven nodded. He always figured they were an odd couple. Asherah was an Elf who lived much of her life up in the canopy of trees. Moringa was a Selkie, a colorful people who spent much of their lives in the water. “It’s a long walk.”

“We like to dance around in the flowers though.” She picked another flower and waved it at Steven then promptly ate it. Ne’re temore flowers were actually sweet and were one of Asherah’s favorite snacks. At least until he had introduced her to figs and honey.

“Does anyone else visit you?” Steven asked timidly. He meant Aliya, the Sadari who had captured her and was apparently keeping her deeply sedated. But he didn’t want to come out and say it for fear of scaring Asherah out of the dream or worse, attracting Aliya’s attention. He looked around nervously, expecting the seductive Sadari to appear at any moment. But she didn’t.

“A lady does sometimes,” Asherah said.

Steven perked up, attentive to every word. Any clue she dropped could help them find a way to rescue her. No one in the Cooperative knew where Axis was. Even the Archives had been purged of information about the Sadari home system. The only person to actually visit was missing and now Asherah was there all alone. Steven chewed his cheek. She wasn’t exactly alone. His parents also remained in Aliya’s custody too. He shook his head and returned his attention to the younger version of his life-mate.

Asherah shuddered. “She’s… a little creepy.”

Steven raised an eyebrow. That didn’t sound like Aliya at all. If anything, Aliya was extraordinarily seductive. A temptress who was very easy to like if you weren’t careful. He looked around again, worried she might show up in the dreamscape and ruin things. “Who is she?”

“Shae Wong,” Asherah said quietly, glancing around.

Steven looked at her sharply and tried not to gape. He knew a Shae Wong. She was a godlike Malakim from Terra. Not much is known about the Malakim, except that everyone told him not to anger them. It had been said that even Aliya was a Malakim.

Asherah cocked her head, looking at him. “You know her?”

Steven licked his lips. “I might. What did she say?”

“She talked about a boy I would meet. How we would become best friends and more. She said he wouldn’t be what he seemed to be, but would be better than everyone thinks,” Asherah said. She leaned forward. “Do you think she was talking about him?”

Steven was too dumbfounded to respond. Asherah giggled. “I think she was just telling me stories to amuse me.” She looked at him quizzically. “What’s your name?”

“Steven.”

Asherah screamed, making Steven flinch and look around, half standing up. She giggled madly, covering her mouth. “That’s his name too!”

Steven relaxed, sitting back down as he looked at her. “Well… it’s a popular name. Dad’s from Legracia.”

“Hmm. It’s definitely not Elvish. And I don’t even know any Stevens from Legracia either.” Asherah looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Has anyone else visited you here?” Steven asked. “Pretty woman, kind of glowing, long white hair, pointed ears?” Steven pointed at his own tufted ears.

Asherah looked at him for a moment, then started laughing. “You’re funny. You remind me of him. Except, you’re an Elf.”

Steven frowned. Perhaps Aliya had not invaded her dreams yet. “Yeah. I guess I am.”

He looked at his furry arms. They still didn’t seem to be quite… his. He had lived his entire life thinking he was human, Terran. To find out that he was an Elf was a major adjustment for him, and he was still trying to grasp it. How was an Elf supposed to be, to feel? Or how was a human supposed to feel? Did he feel and think like a human? At least being bonded with Asherah had helped him come to terms a little.

“He cheats.” Asherah giggled. She pulled out a piece of paper from her hip-pouch and unrolled it. Steven looked at the drawing she had made of him. It was almost like a picture, so finely was it drawn and colored. She looked at him. “When he climbs.”

“If I didn’t cheat, I’d never beat you,” Steven said under his breath, remembering that day. He shook his head, amazed at the little details she was remembering.

“That’s what he said!” Asherah exclaimed. “He’s funny. I like him.”

“I’m glad you do.” Steven smiled sadly.

It was apparent that she did. Ever since their first meeting, he had spent nearly every day with her for five years, until their first kiss and their bonding. He remembered that day vividly, even though his adoptive parents had tried to make him forget. But they feared for his life. If he was discovered with Asherah, the aliens that were waiting for him to mature may have accelerated their plans and terminated him.

“Do you know Mom?”

Steven blinked and looked at her, surprised. She was playing with a leaf, looking at him. Steven wasn’t sure how to answer that. At the time she was dreaming about, he didn’t know her. But now he knew her very well. He licked his lips as he tried to think of a suitable answer. He didn’t want to destroy her dream and make her vulnerable to Aliya.

“Yes?”

“I was too young to remember much about her when she left.” She frowned, chewing her cheek. “I know her through Daddy’s memories. But I can’t feel her. She’s not here.” She pointed to her chest and her head. For a moment, Asherah looked dejected, and Steven wanted to reach out and hug her. But the moment passed quickly. “She’s on an important mission, you know.” Asherah beamed with pride. “She’s going to save the Cooperative. That’s what Daddy thinks.”

“Your mother is very brave, Asherah,” Steven said softly.

“Daddy misses her badly,” Asherah said, nodding. “I think it would be nice if she came home.”

“I know she is doing her best.” Steven sighed. They had depended on him being something he wasn’t in order to escape Terra and return to Endard. Only, it didn’t quite work out that way and their mission suddenly stretched for years as they waited for him to mature enough to exploit. Even that didn’t work out as planned, however. Not that he minded. Either plan would have resulted in his death, and eventually, they did return to Endard with perks they had not planned on. Namely… him, alive.

“His parents are missing too,” Asherah whispered. “But he’s going to find them. I know he is. He’s so smart.”

“I’m sure he will.” Steven grinned. By Cooperative standards, he wasn’t very far above average. But on Terra, he would have been considered a genius. Not that he felt like one. During his childhood, he had singularly invested his intellect in his search for his parents. And he had found them. But Aliya still had them. And now she had Asherah too.

He wished he could have entered his parents’ dreams as he had been doing with Asherah. They were able to help him when he was in Aliya’s custody. But it was Asherah’s dreams that drew him in, thanks perhaps to the depth of their bond. He sighed, thinking about how few options he had. It seemed hopeless.

“You look sad,” Asherah said. She got up and walked over to where Steven was sitting and sat down next to him, looking up at him with her beautiful, large eyes. Steven smiled at her. She was impossibly cute. He wiped his eyes and knew immediately why his daughter… their daughter, would be a Daddy’s girl.

They both had met their daughter already as an adult in the Maelstrom. Time was weird in that singularity, however. In actual time, their daughter was just weeks away from being born. Steven’s heart raced as the critical nature of his search washed over him again. He had to find her. To rescue her. And there she was, sitting next to him, completely oblivious of the dire straits she was in.

“I’m looking for someone very dear to me too,” Steven said. “I miss her very much.”

“The pretty, glowing girl with the pointy ears?” Asherah asked, pointing to her own tufted ears. Steven looked at her, surprised, then remembered that he had already described Aliya to her.

“That girl seems nice, but she is most definitely not. She has… abducted people who are close to me and she won’t let them go.” Steven said carefully. He was still nervous about attracting Aliya’s attention and glanced around fearfully.

Asherah looked at him for a long moment and sighed. “Everyone has people missing from their lives it seems.” She leaned against him and handed him a flower. “I know you’ll find them. You have to.”

Steven looked at her. “I really want to. More than anything. But it may be more than I can do.”

“No. It’s not.” Asherah looked up at him with her large doe eyes. “Don’t give up. Ever.”

Steven was stunned as he looked at her. She seemed in that moment so much like the woman he was bonded to, even in the body of that little girl. Was she aware of her predicament? Was she aware of who he truly was? Was she aware of what they were to each other? He so wanted to see his life-mate again, to tell her that she wasn’t forgotten, that a great many people were trying to find her.

She was critically important to all of them. If their daughter Vanessa were to perish, all of the Cooperative would cease to exist in an instant. A hundred thousand years of history utterly erased. Steven pursed his lips. Time really was weird in the Maelstrom and he hated that the lives of so many rested on the three of them. Asherah giggled and tickled his nose with the leaf she was playing with and Steven tried not to sneeze.

“You’re funny. I like you.” Asherah said, smiling. She yawned and lay down next to him with her head in his lap. “I know you’ll find her,” Asherah said softly as she faded. He played with her hair, hoping he would be able to live up to her confidence.​

~ ~ ~

Suddenly Steven sat up straight, crying out. Aileen and Penipe fell back, exclaiming when they hit the floor as he looked around, wide-eyed. He was abruptly back in the common room on Syagria. Steven closed his eyes, trying to bring an upwelling of emotions under control. Asherah had fallen asleep in their dreamscape, effectively booting him out.

He shivered and the whole tree house seemed to shiver as well. A low rumble emanated from the ground far below and other trees started shivering too. The horror of the situation reasserted itself on him and he screamed again, clawing at the woven floor.

Asherah’s mother scrambled back over to him and grabbed his face. “You’re back. You’re here. The dreamscape is over.”

“It’s all my fault!” Steven cried as the whole tree continued to shudder.

Penipe shook her head furiously as she embraced him. “It was Aliya. She abducted Asherah. Not you.”

Steven closed his eyes tight as the shuddering increased. He was having a hard time catching his breath.

“Steven!” Penipe shook him. “Please. We go through this every time you return.”

Steven grit his teeth, remembering the dreamscape. “She was right there. I touched her. But I can’t help her. Every time is the same. She looks at me like I’ll fix everything.”

“Come back to us, Steven,” Penipe said softly.

Steven opened his eyes and looked at Penipe. “I was supposed to keep her safe.” He tried to look away but Penipe held him fast. “How can you even look at me? I lost your daughter.”

“You are our only chance at getting her back,” Penipe said quietly, running her fingers through his hair. “Please.”

Steven took a shuddering breath and noticed Lohet reaching for him. “No!”

The Keratian flew back as if hit by something, and slammed into the wall of the tree house, held there by unseen hands as Steven glared at him.

“I will not be handled!” Steven broke free from Penipe’s grasp and got to his knees. “That’s what you want, right? To handle your pet deviant?”

“Steven.” Penipe grabbed his arm. “He’s your friend. Come back to yourself.”

Steven scowled at Penipe. “Myself? When has myself done anyone any good?” He looked back at Lohet who slid off the wall. Something glinting in the morning light distracted him, and Steven looked at his hand. Large spots on his hand were shiny chrome. Even the fur. He closed his eyes, quelling a fresh surge of panic. “It’s happening again! Because she’s gone!” He looked around wildly, holding up his hand. “It’s happening again! The monster’s coming back!”

Lorei appeared out of thin air and knelt down next to Steven. Steven looked away, avoiding his aunt’s gaze. Her presence only increased his sense of shame, even if she was able to drain off his surge of panic. They were Elves, like Asherah. And he lost her. “Why don’t you hate me? I’m a monster again.” Steven asked glumly. “I lost Asherah, and now the monster is killing me again.” He rubbed his nose then held his shiny hand up at her. But the spots of chrome were finally starting to abate.

“You’re blocking us. Steven, we’re bonded to you. Let us help.” Lorei said, pushing his hand down.

Penipe nodded. “It was the mute that affected you last time. Let us back in. Please, Steven. We need you.”

Steven looked at them, incredulous. “I have broken… everything. You, all of you, you are so much more important than me. I’m just some stupid kid. Not even a proper Elf.” He sat down hard, slumping as he looked at the fur on his hand with disdain. He rubbed at the chromed spots, lost in his shame. “How can you bear to be bonded to me? How can you even care? I’ve lost her. I lost Asherah. Now we all are… are…” Steven shook his head as he wiped his eyes.

“We are still here, Steven. That means she still lives.” Lohet said calmly.

Steven looked sullenly at his vampirish friend. The Keratian who had taken him under his wing and risked his own reputation to teach and mentor him. Steven took in another breath as guilt wracked him. “We could cease to exist in an instant, Lohet. All Aliya has to do is kill her. Kill our child.”

“Steven…” Lohet started.

Steven laughed sadly. “You guys were so afraid of me. Afraid I was going to go around breaking your planets.” He looked at Lorei. “You convinced them I wouldn’t, and look now. Because of me, your entire existence, thousands of civilizations just… poof. In an instant. And there’s nothing I can do.” He wiped his eyes, looking down at the woven floor. “You should have let them kill me.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Shae said Asherah would have been preserved. With me gone…” Steven wiped his eyes again, too frustrated to fight the tears anymore. “I broke… everything. I wish I could go back in time and just… not be. She would be safe. All of you would be safe.”

“Please let us back in,” Penipe pleaded quietly. “Elves aren’t supposed to be alone.”

Steven glowered at her. “She is.”

Crow: The Destroyer

Chapter 2

Jorgis hefted his heavy backpack as he walked casually across the stony plain under the pyramids. A massive Cooperative destroyer hovering overhead kept the crowds of tourists subdued and the popular destination was nearly devoid of visitors. Every once and awhile a brilliant flash would erupt from under the destroyer and Jorgis would see a cloud of smoke waft up from within Cairo. Moments later he would hear a loud crack, then rolling thunder.

Sighing, he continued his lonely trek, approaching the tomb of Queen Khentkawes. Without hesitation, he ducked inside and walked down the sloped passageway. As he entered the burial chamber, he pulled something that looked like brass knuckles from his pocket.

The walls in the chamber were comprised of solid granite. He approached one of the walls as he put the brass knuckle device on, then placed his hand on the wall. A whine abruptly filled the air, causing dust to fall from the ceiling, then in an instant, Jorgis found himself in another chamber in complete blackness.

He closed his eyes as he sensed the room around him. Nodding, he felt satisfied that the room had not been breached. Taking a deep breath, he began walking, stepping out of the room into a long passage. Even in the blackness, the way was apparent to him. The sounds of his footsteps reverberating from the walls seemed to light the way for him.

After another long trek, Jorgis entered into another chamber. This one was vast. As he walked in, parts of the room glowed dim red, exposing an alien interior. Jorgis smiled and ran his hand along the walls. The walls quivered under his touch, with some sending out exploratory tentacles that briefly touched him, then retracted.

Within the expansive chamber was his destination. A collection of large transports that had been sequestered there for three thousand years. Jorgis adjusted his backpack and approached the nearest transport. When he touched the hull, part of it seemed to melt away, revealing an entrance. He entered the transport and looked at the occupants.

All the passengers were ensconced in pods. He looked through the viewport of one of the pods to inspect it. Within, a humanoid creature rested, its bony plates and scales glistening in the illumination. In spite of the thousands of years it had rested in the pod, it appeared to have not aged in the slightest.

Jorgis smiled and walked to a wall and pulled a small cylinder out of the backpack. It was no larger than a small battery and served the same purpose, but on an infinitely grander scale. Part of the wall seemed to open like a mouth, and he placed the cylinder in it, then stepped back.

The ship around him shuddered, and the lighting within became much brighter. The seams on the pods hissed with steam as the seals broke. Jorgis placed his hand on one of the lids, feeling the energy that was returning to the pods. The lid abruptly retracted, uncovering the creature within.

Jorgis stepped back, then sensed a presence. He looked over his shoulder then immediately dropped to the ground, prostrate. A powerful-looking man knelt down beside him and placed a hand on the back of his neck. Without warning, Jorgis found himself hanging in the air, then set back onto his feet.

“My lord…” Jorgis looked down at the floor. “The Cooperative has not left yet.”

The man cocked his head as he played with Jorgis’s hair. “They are of no consequence.”

Jorgis nodded. He looked around and watched the creatures stirring. “They all made it.”

“Naturally.” The man pulled Jorgis’s backpack off. “Your mission here is complete. Your brethren will finish the wakening.”

“The Blessed One has not returned.”

“He will. You must return to Seattle.”

“Lord.” Jorgis nodded. Without a word he turned and left the transport. Several of the creatures exited with him, each carrying several of the batteries. They split up and went to the rest of the transports. One followed Jorgis.

They silently entered the passage and retraced Jorgis’s footsteps back to the dark chamber. Jorgis put his hand on the wall again, and the two of them found themselves in the burial chamber.

Jorgis turned and faced the creature, examining its armor. He adjusted part of it, then sighed as he ran his hand down the creature’s arm. “I miss my old body.”

“You got to meet the Blessed One,” the creature replied. He put a clawed hand on Jorgis’s arm and squeezed its tender, human flesh. “This is a worthy sacrifice.”

Jorgis smiled sadly. “Yes. Yes it is.” He put his hand on a device attached to the creature’s armor. The creature seemed to shimmer, then it vanished from view. Jorgis grinned, then stepped casually out of the tomb, not paying attention to the extra set of footsteps that followed him.

~ ~ ~

Aradia appeared out of thin air within the sealed bunker far below the White House. She stood patiently as the Secret Service’s weapons abruptly vanished. The agents converged on her, attempting to tackle, punch, and kick her. With every contact, one by one they slumped, stunned. She bent over and carefully laid the last one onto the carpeted floor, then looked up at the last person standing.

President Seibert stood behind the desk, frozen. Aradia smiled, keeping her canines hidden, as she absentmindedly picked at her black robe. She held her arms out and the robe wafted away into a vapor that seemed to pull back into her glistening, white skin. Stepping over the guards, she casually sauntered over to a chair in front of the President’s desk and sat down.

Seibert fidgeted, then sat down too. “You’re going to tell me that resistance is futile?”

“It would be counterproductive,” Aradia responded matter-of-factly.

“You promised that you would not invade.”

“We have not,” Aradia said shortly.

“Your…giant spaceships are hovering over every major city around the globe!” Seibert waved a hand angrily at a computer display. “Shooting at the cities even. I’ve been stuck down here for a week!”

“The only targets for those ships are golems. No Terran casualties have occurred.”

Seibert sat back. “Our nuclear missiles…”

“Launched by the Sadari. Some by a puppet of the Sadari.” Aradia leaned forward. “We intercepted and destroyed all the missiles that threatened large population areas, in case you did not notice.”

“I did.” Seibert frowned, crossing his arms. “This is the most peculiar invasion…ever.”

“When our task is complete, we will depart. We are not interested in you beyond eliminating a threat to both you and us.” Aradia sat back.

“You disabled our military.” Seibert wagged a finger at her. “None of it works. We’re utterly vulnerable.”

“That was for your safety. We have done likewise to all the militaries on this planet.”

Seibert gaped.

“Your ability to kill each other and demolish each other’s cities will be returned to you once our mission is complete,” Aradia smirked.

“We sustained damage from the meteors…”

“That is regrettable. We intercepted as many as possible.” Aradia sighed. “Near-Earth orbit will be problematic as the ring develops.”

“Ring?” Seibert leaned forward.

“From the dust and debris of the asteroids.” Aradia shook her head. “You’re not aware of this?”

“It’s been a bit hectic these past few days.” Seibert frowned. “Our communications…”

“Your infrastructure will need to be restored. The battle destroyed most of your satellites.”

“How convenient,” Seibert said dryly.

Aradia sat back. “Not by design. As I said, we have no occupation interests with regards to this planet.”

“You keep saying that but somehow I feel quite…occupied.” Seibert rubbed his brow. “We have craters.”

“The Sadari had several subterranean chambers that had to be destroyed. We tried to ensure that innocents did not perish.”

“Innocents. Half a dozen large cities were…” Seibert nodded. “Innocents did perish.”

Aradia looked at him grimly. “There were no other choices, and no time. The alternative could have been utter devastation of your planet.” She leaned forward. “I trust your dignitaries brought back images and samples from Rholling?”

Seibert fidgeted again. Rholling was a dead world thanks to the golems Aradia was claiming to be mopping up here.

Aradia took that as confirmation. “We lost a world populated by several million…my mother included. Your world has several billion occupants. Please keep that in mind.”

Seibert looked at his guards as they started sitting up, looking dazed. “You didn’t hurt them.”

“Why would I do that?” Aradia looked shocked.

The President shook his head, then waved his hands, trying to not get distracted. “Listen. Okay. We understand you have a beef with these Sadari guys. But…do you really have to…invade us?”

“We…”

“It’s over, right? You beat the bad guys. But you still disabled our military, you’re hovering over big cities and shooting…golems, you say. Our airlines are all grounded. From what I know, worldwide. Our ships and subs are just floating out there. From our perspective, that’s an invasion.”

“There is a cleanup operation underway to remove stragglers.” Aradia looked at Seibert coolly.

“And what, we’re supposed to just…sit at home and wait for you to finish?”

“We are coordinating with your air traffic controllers to get your aerial mass transit working around our mission. Travel may resume within a couple of days even.”

“But…”

“How long was air travel grounded after a major terrorist attack a few years ago?” Aradia raised her eyebrows.

“You know about that?” Seibert blinked.

“To facilitate a smooth mission with minimal disruptions we have taken pains to learn as much about your cultures, history, and infrastructure as possible.” Aradia played with the armrest. “It has not been a pleasant endeavor.”

“Yeah, well you pulled our dirty laundry out. Not us.” Seibert scowled.

“We require nothing from you but non-interference.” Aradia leaned forward again. “And I mean, nothing.”

“So our sovereignty means nothing…”

“Your ignorance of the situation and inability to comprehend the magnitude of the threat that you face makes your sovereignty a moot issue.” Aradia stood up. “However, be comforted in knowing that we have no extended interests in your planet.”

“Comforted.” Seibert rolled his eyes.

“We will leave a liaison officer here to keep a line of communications open so there are no…misunderstandings. And for your peace of mind, we will keep you apprised of our operations and progress.” Aradia looked over her shoulder.

Seibert followed her gaze and visibly flinched when he saw a very pale man standing silently in a dark corner of the room, returning his look without expression.

“Well that’s just dandy. And a little creepy. You could have left one of your furry cat fellas, or a human.”

“Mer’lan is more resistant to…bad decisions.” Aradia grinned at him, revealing her canines this time. “Just in case.” She glanced back at Mer’lan. “He’s also a Gatekeeper.”

Seibert looked at her for a long moment, then stood up. “I want people with you.”

“You are hardly in a position to make demands, President.” Aradia leveled a chilly glare at him.

Seibert crossed his arms, indignant.

Aradia pursed her lips. “You are the one who insisted we leave because we refused to enter into trade agreements. And you see the result of that bad decision all around you.”

“Don’t put this on my shoulders. It’s not my war.”

“You were a pawn in this war. And we are trying to extract you from that entrapment.”

“I want people on your ships.”

Aradia looked at the guards who now stood at a more cautious distance from her. “There is an international coalition that came together to represent Terra to us and tour our worlds. Your dignitaries. We shall pull observers from their ranks.”

Seibert opened his mouth but Aradia gave him a stern look. “This is not a national issue, President Seibert. It is a global one. Therefore we will concede to observers from a global pool of representatives.”

“And if things go sideways?”

Aradia grinned. “Steven Crow would recommend that you put a paper sack on your head and lay down.”

Seibert gaped. “Seriously? You guys are quoting…seriously?”

Aradia shrugged. “I still do not get the reference.” She got serious. “I would recommend a press release to calm your people. Our ships have temporary communications up for you.” She looked at Mer’lan and nodded.

“Who’s going to calm me?” Seibert mumbled as Aradia vanished.

~ ~ ~

“What?” Steven grumbled as he kept his attention on his plate.

The other Elves at the table looked at each other, confused.

“We need your…assistance.”

Everyone but Steven turned to look at a brilliantly white woman who casually strolled into the common room. The last wisps of her black cloak were vaporizing and pulling into her skin as she plucked at her spartan under-garments.

Steven sighed as he poked his food. “Why me? I’m nobody.”

“You have command of a sizable army of golems.”

Steven shrugged. “They’re not doing anything. Just keeping their cover and being people.”

“What they’re doing or not doing is not what we need help with, Steven.”

“It’s not my fault. Aliya put them on me.” Steven rubbed his eyes. “A distraction. That’s all they were.”

Silence.

Steven sat up straight and turned around. “Aradia, how can I possibly be of any help? I was going to destroy them but you told me not to. I was going to stick them all on the Moon, but you said leave them where they are. So…apparently I don’t have your wisdom and I really don’t care anymore.”

Aradia glanced at Penipe as she walked in carrying a bucket of fruit. “Did I arrive at a bad time?”

“His dreamscapes are getting to him.”

“My inability to do anything about them is getting to me,” Steven grumbled, turning back around and staring at his plate. He really wasn’t hungry. “Why are you so concerned about my golems? Tomorrow this all could just go poof.”

“Life does not stop, even with the expectation of doom,” Aradia said calmly.

Steven gave her a sideways look.

“Were we to give in to this threat of imminent demise, and it not happen, how much worse off would we be?” Aradia sat down next to Steven. “We cannot just give up.”

“I don’t have anything. Nothing at all.” Steven said sullenly.

Aradia grabbed his chin and turned his head to face her. “You look awful.”

“He’s not sleeping. He dreamscapes every night and wakes up…badly.” Penipe said quietly.

“You’re not getting rest either.” Aradia scowled at Penipe. “Steven, this has got to stop.”

“I can’t help it,” Steven said glumly. “It’s always the same. I can’t talk to her like I need to because she’s hiding.” He rubbed his face. “I can’t taste space through her. I have no idea where she is. What sort of…how she’s being kept.”

“Making yourself ill is not going to help her,” Aradia said. She looked at Penipe. “Or you.”

Steven sighed, pushing Aradia’s hand away. “They are hoping she tells me something useful.”

“As are you.”

“What, you’re the Elf now?” Steven snapped. Aradia sat back and gave him a stern look. Steven slumped. “She’s retreated to her youth for a reason. Perhaps it’s the only way she can resist Aliya.”

“Her sleep pattern matches yours. Perhaps to get rest you need to change…”

“Doesn’t matter. No matter when I sleep, she is there.” Steven said, waving a hand. “It’s like she’s waiting for me. I get drawn in every time.” He rubbed his nose. “And I can’t do a thing to help her.”

“Then she is trying to tell you something.”

“Or just reaching out to me.” Steven took in a shuddering breath. “What if she simply does not know?” He wiped his eyes. “Heck, she may not even know she’s pulling me in like this.”

“Then she must know you are never giving up,” Aradia said. She leaned forward. “We certainly are not giving up.”

“What are you even doing? Playing on Terra as if that even matters?” Steven poked at his food.

“It does matter.” Aradia put a piece of fruit on Steven’s plate. “That’s why I came to discuss your golems with you.”

“They don’t know anything.” Steven shrugged. “Trust me, I’ve looked through their memories.” He sighed. “It’s like…”

“Aliya cleansed them before giving them to you.” Aradia finished his sentence. Steven looked at her. Aradia shook her head. “She may have intended them to be a distraction to you. But I don’t think she can comprehend just how adaptable you are.”

“Sure. That’s helping a lot,” Steven mumbled.

“It is. I want you to assign your golems to our task force.” Aradia smiled. “Golems hunting golems.”

“And that helps, how?”

“Once again, doing nothing in the face of doom is worse, especially if that doom never comes,” Aradia said. “But more importantly, the golems that are not on your network may not have been so thoroughly cleansed.”

Steven sat up a little straighter. “They might have information. About Axis.”

Aradia smiled. “There’s the old Steven.”

“If I could force my way onto their network, perhaps I can get them to divulge where Asherah is. Where my parents are.” Steven looked at Penipe. “I can see them.  The other golems. I can see them through my golems.”

“I know,” Penipe said quietly. “I see them too. It’s just…they’re golems.”

Steven nodded. “Mine are as much me as this.” He poked his arms. “You can depend on that.” He looked at Aradia. “When do we start?”

Aradia looked at his plate. “When you empty that.”

Crow: The Destroyer

Chapter 3

“They’re not attacking,” Jacob said, looking up nervously at the alien behemoth hovering not far from their new base. “Just floating there.”

Laurence followed his gaze. “At the moment, we’re not a threat.” He sighed as he looked around at the scattering of damaged drones. “I’m doubtful our current squadron could pose more than an annoyance. And they have much bigger back where they came from. Much bigger.”

“Our factories are back up and running.” Jacob scowled. “With upgrades.”

“Would those upgrades include a squadron of ships that are, what…ten miles or bigger each?” Laurence pointed at the massive alien ship that hovered silently overhead. “They have complete aerial domination all over the globe. Nothing gets through.”

Jacob pursed his lips, looking at Laurence. “Then we’ll just have to build something that does. This is what we’ve been bred for.”

“We will. We just need to be pragmatic. Currently, they have the upper hand. But we are still here. If we had what Steven has…”

“But we don’t, do we? We cannot seem to keep him even when we catch him.” Jacob retorted angrily. “Our obsession with him has been futility.”

“He does represent a global threat that these guys don’t hold a candle to.” Laurence waved his hand at the ship. “The glass dunes of the Sahara have his signature radiation all over it. And the glacier that disappeared from the Antarctic, likewise.” He looked up. “These guys can shoot a few things. He can destroy it all.”

“But he hasn’t.” Jacob shook his head. “It’s not in his nature.”

“I’ve seen a darker side to him, Jacob. Everyone has a breaking point. We’ve taken him very close to it. You’ve taken him very close to it.”

Jacob looked at him.

“Torturing him and his alien friend?” Laurence raised an eyebrow. “We recorded the seismic tremors. And another change in the lunar orbit. Nasa detected changes in the orbits of the moons of Jupiter even.”

“But…Katy ordered that.” Jacob looked at his tablet, thinking. “And we did collect a tremendous amount of data.” A window opened on his tablet, displaying the geographical impact of their experiment. “I felt those tremors. Was going to hit up our research department when everything went nuts.” Jacob said, looking downcast.

Laurence sighed. “Something deeper is going on, Jacob. I can’t put my finger on it.” He glanced at his own tablet. “Hmm. They’re not doing just nothing. They are effectively disarming the Earth.” He showed the tablet to Jacob. “What few were left, anyway.”

“We had control of many of those.”

“It tells me they are afraid of our nuclear capabilities,” Laurence said thoughtfully. “That may be an edge to examine.”

“It tells me that our base reactors are under threat.” Jacob rubbed his brows. “Their self-destruct mechanism is nuclear.”

“None of the surviving bases have been hit,” Laurence said. “They’re going after deployable weapons.”

“For now,” Jacob said. “We need to dismantle the self destruct devices or we may end up with no power.”

Laurence winced as a bright flash seemed to fill the void between the ship and ground. A small mushroom cloud rose up in the distance. “What are they shooting?”

“Nothing of ours.” Jacob looked at his tablet. “Well look at that. They’re opening up commercial communications channels.”

Laurence looked at the tablet. “If it’s going through their systems, we may have a hard time piggy-backing in.”

“Never hurts to try,” Jacob smirked as he poked at something on his tablet. “My guys are on it now. Hopefully, we’ll have our network back up.”

The lights and tablets abruptly turned off. Jacob turned his over and hit the power button. “Or not.”

Laurence sighed. “Jacob…I’ve seen their technology. You’ll need new tablets and we’ll need to set up new routers.”

Jacob looked at him, stunned. “Our VPN is undetectable.”

“For Earthlings,” Laurence grumbled as he returned his attention to the ship hovering overhead. “Our worst fears are being realized, and we’re powerless.”

“That fast?” Jacob hit the power button on the wall for the lights. “What about the reactor?”

Laurence shrugged. “It’s impervious to power outages, but it’s also quite useless if they’ve gotten into that hardware too.”

Jacob scowled as he looked at his tablet. He flinched when it turned back on and lights in the hall behind them flickered back to life. He was about to comment when a technician ran up to him.

“Good. You’re back up.” He took Jacob’s tablet and tapped on a program then made some adjustments. Laurence handed him his tablet as well. “They cracked our security like our doors were wide open.”

Laurence smirked. “I could have told you…” He stopped and stared past the technician. A man was walking towards them, looking grim. His countenance was brilliantly white and his black robe seemed almost alive. Laurence’s heart sank. A Keratian.

Jacob turned to look then flinched. Another white man appeared in front of him and grabbed his neck.

“He smells of golem,” The Keratian said.

Laurence squinted at Jacob, then turned to face the other Keratian. “Our self destruct is already armed. You will not win.”

“Our intent is not to fight you.” He grabbed Laurence’s arm like a vice then waved a brass wand in front of him. “You’ve had recent contact with a golem.”

Laurence looked at him, perplexed.

“What are they saying?” Jacob said, grimacing under the grip of the other.

“I thought you studied my textbook?” Laurence looked sideways at Jacob.

“I can pick out words but that’s it.” Jacob patted the hand that gripped his neck. The Keratian released him and he slumped as he caught his breath. “That was not necessary.”

“You both have had contact with a golem. You will divulge what you know immediately.”

“You’re awfully cheerful for a Keratian,” Laurence smirked. He looked up then took a step back.

The Keratian turned to see what Laurence had looked at, then winced as a particle beam sliced across his chest. He glanced down the hall at what appeared to be a young teenage girl who had just appeared out of thin air, then returned his attention to Laurence, rubbing his scorched chest. “You’ve upgraded.”

“Always improving.” Laurence grinned. He looked up again, then frowned.

“That is not going to happen again.” The Keratian gave him a fierce grin. He took a step and grabbed Laurence’s shoulder before he could react. Laurence grit his teeth as the grip clamped down like an iron vice. The Keratian slammed him against the wall hard enough to daze him, then leaned close to him. “If you make yourselves a nuisance, we will end you all.”

“Threats like that will get you anywhere with me, sweetheart,” Laurence grunted, trying to laugh.

“We are here to hunt and destroy golems. One has been in this base.” He looked down the hall. A number of men were being herded down the hall. Most were injured and limping. “All of your personnel will be audited and we will locate this golem. You can resist if you want, but the end result will be the same.”

“She’s not here.”

The Keratian looked at the child who was waving at holograms hanging in the air around her. She shrugged. “She’s been here. But is not here now.”

The Keratian sighed and looked at Laurence. “The one you call Katy. Where is she located?”

Laurence grinned, then frowned as an armored Elf appeared in front of him. The Keratian smiled. “The question was not intended to elicit an answer, but to bring the memory to the surface.”

The Elf grabbed Laurence’s arm as he tried to evade her, and he grit his teeth, trying to think of anything but what they wanted.

“Your memories do not work that way.” The Elf cocked her head. “Obfuscation of thought is futile.” She touched the Keratian briefly, then vanished.

The Keratian smiled at Laurence, then released him. “I appreciate your cooperation.”

“That’s it?” Laurence asked, rubbing his arm.

“Yes. Our only interest is destroying golems. What you Terrans do to each other is irrelevant to us.” The Keratian looked down his nose at Laurence. “Please do not get underfoot. It would be unfortunate if you were to get trampled.”

In an instant, the intruders were gone, leaving Laurence, Jacob, and their soldiers looking at each other in stunned silence.

“What went wrong?” Jacob looked at the ceiling at a small bump. “It fired once then stopped. None of the others fired.”

“They stopped it.” Laurence sighed, rubbing his temples. “Why do they want Katy?”

Jacob looked at him blankly.

“Surely you heard her name.”

“Wasn’t sure if that was part of their…”

“Please go back over my textbook,” Laurence grumbled. “Everyone should know their core language by now.”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been preoccupied.” Jacob scowled.

“And what good has that done? They just casually waltzed in here, turned off our defenses, and stole information from me like they were shopping for fruit.”

Jacob looked at him thoughtfully. “I think we may need to resort to unconventional warfare. Set up a meeting.”

~ ~ ~

“Is it alien?” Rick tapped on the glass. He glanced at the physician.

“No. We don’t know. Bloodwork is clean. The only thing that showed up was that virus that’s going around.” Anne glanced at the tablet.

“Summertime colds are brutal. But not that bad.” Rick grimaced. “It’s like real life zombification.”

Anne shook her head. “This isn’t fiction. Something is affecting them on a molecular level. It’s like their genetics are being rewritten.”

“Yeah. Zombification.”

Anne sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her palm. “They’re not dead. Just…” She looked at the subject in quarantine. He was constantly straining against the straps of the table as nurses gathered more tissue samples. “He licked one of us.”

Rick looked at her, alarmed. “And?”

“Evo’s appear to be immune. None of us have so much as caught that cold even.” Anne nodded.

“Was it trying to infect you?”

Anne shook her head. “I don’t think so. Maybe.” She sighed. “It’s like they suddenly acquire an autistic spectrum that makes them want to touch you and be close to you.” She looked at the subject. “He was a professor. Now he’s lucky to have a five-year-old mentality.”

“And we have him caged.” Rick nodded. “Brain scans?”

“No apparent damage or inflammation, but a ridiculous amount of activity, especially in the frontal lobe.”

“Activity?” Rick returned his attention to the patient. He uttered no vocalizations, no noise. Just persistent straining against the restraints.

“Actually, everything is off the charts. Here’s a photo of him when we first picked him up.” Anne showed Rick the tablet.

“That’s him? He was…” Rick shook his head. “He’s so thin now.”

“His body has used up most of his fat stores. We have him on constant glucose. Otherwise, he’d die pretty quickly.”

“What would happen if he were loose?”

Anne made a face. “He would be starving. We found him at a fast-food restaurant eating from other people’s plates.”

Rick frowned. “How many?”

“Two dozen. Today,” Anne said. “The CDC is getting nervous. They think it may be related to that cold.”

Rick shook his head. “Has Melissa seen anything?”

Anne pursed her lips, looking down, hesitant to answer.

”She’s been boosted by the aliens. Surely she’s seen something.”

“It’s pretty apocalyptic. I mean, Earth becoming lava apocalyptic. We can’t tell if it’s because of this, or the aliens,” Anne said, glum.

“I may need another session with her.” Rick sighed. “She responds well to my calming.”

“She says it reminds her of the Crow kid,” Anne said, nodding.

Rick frowned. “Not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

“He saved Nate. Can’t be all bad.”

“Yeah. Jury is still out on that kid.” Rick shook his head. “What sort of treatment is the CDC using?”

“For this?” Anne waved her hand at the man, exasperated.

“No. That cold.”

“They have an anti-viral treatment they’ve been trying to get deployed. I think tonight they’re starting a big push.” Anne sighed as she gazed sadly at the man. “Supposed to be a global push. Medical records indicate it was used on him, but I think he was too far gone.”

Rick looked at her blankly.

Anne rolled her eyes. “N521. It’s new. Uses live viruses to counter the pathogen.”

“Oh.” Rick nodded. “Was not involved in that project.”

“I was. If the cold is a trigger of some sort, this treatment could save millions of lives. But we have to get it in early.” She looked at Rick. “That cold’s insanely infectious.”

“Why doesn’t it affect us?”

Anne pursed her lips. “Our protein receptors are wrong for it. Our immune system just mops them up and that’s that.”

Rick grinned. “Well that’s some good news.”

“What, that a hundred thousand of us may survive while the rest of the world dies?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Rick held his hands out.

“You guys call them monkeys.” Anne scowled as she looked back at the patient.

“Well, we can’t call them Muggles. That’s already taken.” Rick smirked.

Anne shook her head. “You know as well as I do that Evo is a misnomer. Our condition is a regression. Not an evolution. No new genetics are involved.”

“Yeah…not going to argue semantics with you. I just need to know if this thing is going to be a threat to us.”

“Yes. Your monkeys will die or suffer some animalistic breakdown leaving us with a catastrophe to deal with. So it is a threat to us,” Anne said sourly.

“Then I guess we need to find a way to heal my monkeys.” He looked at the patient. Alarms started going off. “What’s happening?”

Anne put her hand on the window. “He’s coding.”

“Already?”

“The disease progresses rapidly,” Anne said. She stood to the side as more nurses rushed into the room.

“Why are they even trying?”

“That’s what we’re trained to do. If there’s any possibility of pulling one out of this…”

Rick turned around as one of the nurses touched the patient’s chest with her hands and shocked him. “I hate this part.”

“Yeah. So do I.” Anne sighed. “They’ll be moving him to a quarantined storage.”

“You’re not burning the body?” Rick looked at her, surprised.

Anne shook her head. “They don’t decay. Or even mummify. So we keep them for research.”

Rick looked at her sideways. “They die, but they don’t rot?” He glanced over his shoulder to see the nurses packing the body into a hermetically sealed bag. “How long have you kept them?”

“The oldest is several days old.” Anne turned back around to look at the window. “The CDC assigned this to us thanks to Nate because of the possibility that it’s a national threat.”

“Like someone did this to us?” Rick waved at the body as it was wheeled past them. “The whole globe has cases like this.”

“It cuts through the red tape, so I’m not complaining. As long as we can find a solution for this before it’s too late.” Anne looked at the empty room thoughtfully. “I need to get back to the lab.”

“If this came from the aliens, we need to contact them.” Rick walked with her as she started down the hall.

“They’ve occupied us and are shooting at our cities. I don’t think there’s a lot of room for discussion.”

“Nate says they’re still hunting golems.” Rick looked down. “Their medicine is nothing short of miraculous.”

“There’s no such thing as miracles, Rick. Just technology and techniques. They just happen to be better at it for now.”

“You know what I meant.” Rick scowled. “I’m no fan of them either. But we may need them.”

“We’ll figure this out, Rick. Us. Not them.”

Rick fidgeted, looking down the hall. “I know you’re sore at them…”

“Don’t go there,” Anne warned.

“I don’t think they targeted your mother on purpose, Anne.”

“Over five thousand people died in New York, Rick. Not just my mother.” Anne glared at him. “Their fault. Not ours.”

Rick sighed, looking down. “I think you need to separate the issues. Or millions more may die.”

“We’ll figure this out. On our own.” Anne scowled and walked on ahead of Rick. He shook his head and slowed down, letting her walk off to the lab by herself. He recognized futility when he saw it.

~ ~ ~

The living weave of branches that made up the ceiling of the common-room seemed to undulate as if animated. The precise patterns of branches woven to a specific design almost had an illusory effect. Or perhaps it was sleep deprivation. Steven couldn’t tell which as he lay staring at the ceiling. Penipe had long since dozed off from her ever-vigilant watch.

Steven rolled on his side, then blinked. Someone was near him. Someone other than the Elves that were softly snoring around him. He tried to remain still as he looked around with his eyes. Even in the darkness of the night, it was still bright in there to him. But, all he saw were Elves.

Slight movement.

Steven blinked again and squinted. Then he saw him. It was not like the person appeared out of nowhere. More like he came to his attention. As if coming into focus. Steven sighed. A Big Feet. A member of the lost population of Rholling called the Nistar. They had a natural cloaking ability that stymied even detection of them through technology. They can be in pictures or on video and people would still not see them. Except for a scant few. Like Steven.

“Steven Crow must help us.”

Steven sat up quietly and looked around for others. There was usually more than one.

“I am alone.” The Nistar looked decidedly uncomfortable.

“A little far from home?”

“Terra is not our home.”

Steven shrugged. He couldn’t help but be reminded of the faked photographs of Big Foot when he saw the Nistar. Except, there were many of them on Terra. The whole species was surreptitiously relocated there before Rholling was killed. So he named them Big Feet.

“Take us away. Please. We must talk but I must remain…hidden.”

Steven furrowed his eyebrows. “You all can come home now. You know that, right? There’s a guy here who is working to bring life back to Rholling even. He’s talking to the Planet Builders to start planetary rehabilitation.”

“It’s still happening. Please…somewhere else.” The Nistar looked around nervously.

“You’re safe here.”

“There is nowhere that is safe, Steven Crow. Especially not here.”

Steven took in a breath and the setting melted away, revealing a tropical beach. His favorite lagoon on the Elder’s planet. He looked up at the little cluster of trees he had planted there for Asherah and the quaint treehouse grown from their branches. It hurt too much to go there just yet.

“Your planet.” The Nistar looked around, then noticed the tall trees Steven had grown. “You planned on moving here.”

“Things were getting a bit…hairy. When the Cooperative hated us.” Steven looked down. “They still hate us.”

“Hairy?” The Nistar looked at his own fur.

“Dangerous. Uncomfortable. Unwelcoming.”

The Nistar nodded, understanding. “It is happening again. But on Terra. It’s never happened there before.”

Steven looked at him blankly.

“They’re feeding deviants. On Terra.”

“But…”

“We can tell. We can sense when it happens. We…”

“Deviants? We blew up all the chambers. And the Sadari are gone. Just a few golems left.”

The Nistar shook his head. “We are never wrong, Steven Crow. That is why they tried to kill us off. Why we are still hiding.”

Steven sat down on the sand, stunned. “There are deviants on Terra.”

The Nistar nodded and sat down next to him. “It’s not over, Steven.”

“We destroyed the chambers. And the infants were never fed.” Steven played with the sand using his feet.

“That is true. How did you know?” The Nistar cocked his head.

Steven shrugged. “I saw them through my aunt when she was setting the explosives. Their pods were sealed. From what it looks, they were gestated in the pods, then disposed of to be replaced.”

“The blockade. That is how the Sadari flooded the fracture. Kept the Gatekeepers out.”

“Yeah. It was just little ol’ me until we destroyed the caves. Now all the Gatekeepers can visit.” Steven scratched his fur as he looked at the Nistar. He glanced away and it looked like the creature vanished from his peripheral vision. He had to consciously look at him to actually see him.

“It would appear you have missed some. Or perhaps one.”

“Wait. What are they feeding them?” Steven looked at the Nistar, alarmed. “Deviants feed on Gatekeepers.”

Crow: The Destroyer

Chapter 4

“This isn’t what we discussed.” Shawn waved his hands at the massive alien destroyer that hung in the air in the distance. “We were supposed to take over this part of the job.”

Aradia followed his gaze. “Contingencies required us to have a more exhaustive presence, Shawn. Steven did not inherit all the golems like we initially thought. We must be certain all golems are accounted for, and there were many more than we estimated.”

“That’s what we’ve trained for.” Shawn scowled.

“No. You trained to fight us. Keratians.” Aradia regarded Shawn coolly. “We have been hunting and killing golems for thousands of years. I beg that you rest on our experience and tolerate our presence for just a little while more.”

“Sure. Be sarcastic. Like you need my patience.” Shawn turned and walked back into the compound. “We’re part of this. You brought us in.”

“Technically…”

“Yeah. The Crow kid brought us in. Well, you completed the job and here we are. All armed up and no one to shoot at. We need to be given the opportunity to finish our job here.”

“You are involved in your continued work to rehabilitate the rest of your organization. Their cooperation could prove beneficial.”

Shawn looked at her for a moment. “Just how long do you think this will take?”

Aradia frowned. “It took the better part of a century to clear the Cooperative core worlds.” She glanced at Shawn. “After Rholling, of course.”

“We’re not going there. Rholling will not happen here.” Shawn said resolutely. “But a hundred years?”

Aradia nodded. “We do have the benefit of Steven’s network of golems here. They have proven helpful in tracking down those not on his network. For as long as he can maintain control of them, anyway.”

“You think he’ll lose control? There are thousands of them.” Shawn fidgeted, looking back at a figure that stood silent and still in a corner of the room. One of Steven’s golems, now parked. He looked like a young adult, but stood unreactive and unblinking.

Aradia followed his gaze. “That is an area with which we simply do not have experience. Steven has so far not suffered any undue stress from his network. But we must be prepared for contingencies.”

“You’re going to kill them when you are done, aren’t you?” Shawn walked over to the golem and squinted at it. “Steven could be listening, you know.”

“He most certainly is. And he is aware of the endgame for this mission.” Aradia nodded.

He poked the golem. Warm. Soft even. But he knew better. They could not be destroyed by Terran weapons, and when they desired, they were as hard as steel, and as fast as a Keratian soldier. “I still can’t comprehend how he does it. How he controls these…things.”

“Do you control every aspect of taking a drink of water?” the golem asked, making Shawn jump back.

“Steven?”

The golem smiled and looked at Aradia. “We have a problem. A big problem.”

Aradia cocked her head as she regarded the golem. “Worse than…?”

“Much worse. Deviant worse.”

Aradia gaped. “Gate me to you.”

“Not necessary.”

Shawn and Aradia spun around.

Steven was sitting on Shawn’s desk, looking somber. “This involves him too.”

“You’re not supposed to be here, Steven. Nate…”

“Admiral Nate can stuff it.” Steven scowled. He looked at the golem and sighed.

The golem walked over to the window and looked out at the massive Cooperative warship hovering in the distance. “I often wondered what it was like for them. To have their unified awareness.”

Aradia looked at the golem curiously.

Steven looked down. “One of them visited me. Usually, there’s about a dozen all talking the same sentence. I almost missed that.”

“Who?” Aradia turned to face Steven.

“The Nistar,” the golem answered.

“Stop that,” Shawn said. “It’s freaky.”

“Exactly.” Steven grinned sadly. “They did that to me all the time.”

“A sentence would often be split up among three or four of them. To talk to one is to talk to all of them.” The golem turned to face them. It returned to the corner and quite abruptly became inanimate.

Shawn rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. “That’s just wrong.”

“We have yet to find any here,” Aradia said carefully.

“You think I’m lying?” Steven scowled. He leaned forward. “You’ve seen the Archives. My memories are there. All of them.”

“Perhaps that is what Aliya wanted you to know.”

Steven nodded, looking at the golem thoughtfully. “Oh, I don’t doubt that.” He walked over and looked at it nose to nose. “This whole thing was a setup from the beginning.” He took in a breath and looked down, then turned to face them. “The Malakim were involved. They are why Asherah and I met in the first place.”

“Steven…”

“How could you know?” Steven threw his hands out. “Something dark is happening, Aradia. Very dark. I don’t think it’s about any sort of land-grab. Aliya doesn’t want the Coopera…” He glanced at the golem. “I don’t think Aliya has any interest in the Cooperative.” He looked sadly at Aradia. “Orin might have been right all along.”

“Then what is she planning?” Aradia said.

Steven shrugged. “That is… a good question.” He crossed his arms.

“Um, the topic?” Shawn said.

Steven looked at him blankly.

“You said something about deviant?”

Steven nodded. “Oh, I’m still on topic.” He looked at Aradia. “Do you know why Aliya was so interested in the Nistar?”

Aradia didn’t answer. Steven was certain she had exhaustively perused his deposit into the Archive, however. The total quantity of his memories was now backed up for anyone to experience. “They know, they can sense when a deviant is feeding.”

“They perished on Rholling…” Aradia started.

“Why is it so important to you that they be extinct?” Steven snapped. He walked over to face her. “Their survival does not make your mother’s death any less tragic.”

Aradia fidgeted.

“Lo’rel saved them,” Steven said quietly. “I don’t know the specifics or the reasons. But from what I’ve heard, the Younger was involved. Perhaps even the Malakim. That’s why I…”

“Your obsession with legends is unsettling you, Steven.” Aradia interrupted him. “You need rest.”

“You doubt the Younger?” Steven cocked his head. “Maran has met her. She has shown herself to a number of us.”

Aradia pursed her lips.

“Whatever is happening, it’s bigger than anything we have thought of,” Steven continued. He leaned close to Aradia who nervously held her ground. “They are feeding a deviant, Aradia. Here. On Terra. A deviant. Maybe more than one even.”

“That’s impossible, Steven,” Aradia said quietly.

Steven reached out and grabbed her by the face and lifted her off her feet. “My memories. See it for yourself.”

Aradia didn’t try to resist him, and just hung there as she saw for herself the Nistar, and the memory shared with him. Steven nodded. “It’s awful, what they have to endure. They feel the feeding very… deeply.”

“Steven.”

Shawn spun around at the new voice. An Elf woman stood beside the golem.

“Put her down.”

Steven glanced at the Elf. “I don’t have time for skepticism, Lorei. Asherah is…”

“We’ll find her. Together.”

Steven sighed and set Aradia back on her feet.

Aradia rubbed her jaw. “The impossible I was referring to was the feeding, Steven.”

Steven squinted at her, confused.

“Golems feed on Gatekeepers. Terra has none.”

Steven looked out the window. “We have latents here.”

“Latents must survive Awakening in order to be… consumed. Terrans do not have the ability to survive a proper Awakening, much less one from a deviant.” Aradia said.

Steven took in a breath. “The Nistar…I trust them, Aradia. There’s a deviant here, and it’s being fed.”

“Um…” Shawn interjected. “That means what?”

Steven looked at Shawn sadly. “That means the stray golems and a Terran Rholling are the least of your worries.”

~ ~ ~

The guards escorted him into a mine chamber off the main corridor. He rubbed his pants as he nodded to them. They curtly turned on their heels and left the room, closing the heavy door behind them.

“Branson?”

Branson turned around and watched as an agent stepped out of the shadows of the room and stopped beside a metal chair.

“Yes, sir.”

“My name is Jorgis. I’ll be conducting your culling today.”

“Nice to meet you.” Branson grinned. “That’s where I sit?”

“Yes.” Jorgis glanced up at him. “Put your arms in the… yeah. There.”

Branson sighed and looked at the ceiling as Jorgis placed sensors on his forehead. “How long will this take?”

“Not long.”

“I’m between seizures. But one may come soon.” Branson looked at Jorgis. “It’s brutal.”

“I’m aware of your condition. Hopefully, you will not have to endure another seizure.”

Branson nodded. “Good. Is it by injection?”

Jorgis tapped on a needle he had inserted into Branson’s arm. Blood started filling a tube. “We collect samples during the process to help us identify what went wrong.”

“Of course.” Branson nodded again. “I was half expecting a bullet.”

“We have only resorted to that sort of culling in the field.” Jorgis injected Branson’s other arm with a syringe and emptied its contents.

“Will it hurt?”

“There is no such thing as a painless death,” Jorgis said casually. “The trick is duration of consciousness and awareness of the pain.”

Branson pursed his lips. “I knew that.”

“Small talk, then?”

“Yeah. Something like that.” Branson looked at the ceiling. “I think a seizure is imminent.”

“That may be the drugs,” Jorgis said as he pulled the syringe out of his arm. He looked at a tablet and nodded. “The culling process has begun. I need to go to the observation room.”

“We die alone?” Branson looked at Jorgis, surprised.

“You’ll never be alone, Branson. Never again.” Jorgis smiled and patted his arm.

Branson relaxed. “Thanks. Hope you get this flaw figured out. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through this.”

Jorgis looked at him for a moment, then left the room.

“Um,” Branson blinked and shuddered. “I think a seizure is coming on. Is there a way you can just…knock me out?”

No response.

Branson grimaced as a wave of pain washed over him. He closed his eyes, but even that could not quell the blinding brightness that filled his vision. It was all in his head, he had been told. But it didn’t matter to him. He tried to calm his breathing and relax, but his muscles kept cramping.

Then he felt the most terrifying part of the experience. The paralysis. His body stiffened and his breath was reduced to little gasps. The pain seemed to ramp up, but he was losing his ability to even squirm in anguish.

Darkness filled his vision again and he opened his eyes. What he saw didn’t change, however. Stars and planets seemed to fly past him, as he rode the bazaar river of his hallucination. He felt like he could see the entire universe around him, and experienced it trying to press in on him.

Amidst the visions his seizure was feeding him, Branson heard a grunting and huffing sound. He quelled his gasps, thinking it was him, but the sound didn’t change. Blinking hard, he attempted to return his attention to the room.

The river of the universe seemed to split and he could just make out his surroundings. A lone, young figure was staring at him. Branson grunted as he tried to come out of his seizure. He felt like he was drowning, like the surface of the river was just an arm’s length away, but he was stuck.

He thrashed as he tried to break the seizure’s hold on him. But his arms and legs only barely responded. He blinked and looked at the room again. The child was suddenly only inches away. Branson flinched, surprised, but was unable to do anything about it.

The child grabbed his face and suddenly the torrent turned into turbulent rapids. He saw the universe again, but unfettered from the river that seemed to wash around him. He saw every detail, every speck of dust, every rock and planet, every star.

Then he saw people. Some he recognized. He thought they had been culled too. But there they were, in his raging universe. He saw their memories and experiences and reached out, trying to connect with them.

Someone was screaming and Branson tried to look around, seeking to figure out who it was.

Then silence. And utter blackness.

~ ~ ~

Jorgis dabbed a moist cloth on the child’s face. “How do you get so messy so fast?”

The child did not respond to or even acknowledge him. Jorgis smiled and stood up. He adjusted a metallic mesh that encapsulated the child’s head, then grabbed his hand. “We’re going back to the pod now. But you are getting so big, so fast. I’m very proud of you.”

The child numbly followed behind as Jorgis led him out of the culling chamber through a hidden door. He glanced back at the smoking remains of Branson and nodded. “He was a good candidate. I hope the others prove as good. Don’t you?”

No response. But Jorgis didn’t expect any. He carefully lifted the child and placed him in a gel-filled pod. Metallic tentacles whipped around him and embedded themselves into receptacles placed in the child’s chest. The child went limp and Jorgis carefully lowered his head down and caressed his hair that poked out through the mesh. “Now you rest and grow. You’ll need your strength soon.”

He looked over his shoulder. “They’re looking for you. Twenty of our bases have been raided.”

Katy sauntered over to him and put her hand on the child. “Yes. They are persistent.”

“Are you going back into circulation?”

“The risk is high. But so is the reward.” Katy smiled at Jorgis.

Jorgis nodded. “This one is almost ready.”

“You have performed admirably, Jorgis. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

Jorgis looked at his hands. So soft and pink. “Thank you. The risk was high.” He glanced at Katy, smiling. “But so is the reward.”

Katy grinned. “The rest of my children?”

“Being deployed as we speak.”

 ~ ~ ~

“He visited Earth again, sir.”

Nate looked up from his tablet and sat back in his chair. “Where?”

“Shawn’s,” the lieutenant looked at his notes, “AG93 base?”

“Are you asking me?” Nate folded his hands on the desk.

“Sir, their naming convention makes no sense. The Dallas base.”

“I told them under no circumstances was he allowed back here.” Nate rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Who saw him?”

“Jessica. She was the viewer on duty.” The lieutenant flipped a page in his notebook.

“Why don’t you use the tablet you were issued?”

“I keep breaking them, sir.”

“Figures. Procure one with a case, then.” Nate shook his head. “I think it’s time we set up a meeting with Mr. Crow personally.”

“Are you sure that is wise?”

Nate looked at his tablet. “He is not an antagonistic threat. Just an existential one.”

The lieutenant nodded. “I’ll place a request through Ambassador Ashley.”

“Remotely.”

“Sir?”

“We’re still limiting travel to Endard until this occupation is sorted out.” Nate looked up from his tablet. He could tell the lieutenant was disappointed. “Remotely.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I need you to compile a list of viewers. We may have to assign a liaison to him.” Nate leaned back in his hair.

“There are a few telepaths I’ve been training, sir. I’ll choose one of them.”

Nate sighed. “Someone not too intimidating. A wallflower.”

The Lieutenant grinned. “All my trainees have been heavily schooled on espionage, sir. He’ll think our candidate is his new best friend.”

“He’s an Elf. He’ll know the instant he touches her.” Nate frowned. “Transparency would be best. But he does need to feel like your candidate is his friend.”

“Sir.”

“I don’t like putting another of ours at risk again. Melissa, Roland, and Lynda were nearly killed under his watch.”

“Sir. Speaking of them…they returned amped up. We’re told it’s the alien acclimatization treatment.”

“I’ve already got samples of that sent to research.” Nate nodded.

“Have we developed something ready for general deployment yet?”

“You want to get amped up?” Nate smirked. He shook his head. “We need original material. Not what we can glean from blood samples. That…will take some convincing.”

“Make it a job requirement.”

Nate gave the lieutenant a look. The officer held his hands out. “Our liaison can hardly do her job without it. Especially if you clear her to travel abroad.” He looked down and nodded. “I have the perfect candidate. She’s super-sensitive already.”

“They’ll administer it to her directly. We need our own deployables.” Nate looked thoughtful. “It would crack the ice.” He grinned. “Maybe Steven will be useful after all.”

“Would love to see you burn stuff from a distance. Like Steven did.” The lieutenant smirked.

Nate shook his head. “We need to tread carefully. More power isn’t necessarily a good thing.” He looked sideways at the lieutenant. “After all, we’re already having to buy more tablets for you. What if you break bigger stuff?”