Ancient Relics (Shadow of the Ancients Book 1) (15 page)

Kirill Seryeshka makes his way home down the long
wide streets of Regalis City. His house, the House of Regalis, resides but a
short walk from the Imperial Palace.

A light rain falls as he walks, with sounds of
thunder and flashes of lighting off in the distance.

The Kirill is off to meet a rook in his game of
life-sized chess.

This dark power is a Dabba, or Bounty Hunter, for
the Empire.

Gir’dur Ziz is a Khepra, an insect-like humanoid
race. The Khepra have a mostly humanoid body, but their hands have only three
fingers, and their heads are large with bulbous prisms for eyes.

The Khepra are incapable of speaking any of the
human languages due to the lack of a tongue or lips. Instead, they speak with
clicks and pops; a very primitive language for a very intelligent and advanced
culture.

Like the Drak races, the Khepra have no clear
origin. Many assumed they evolved naturally, however research by Drak
scientists have noted genes in Khepra DNA that indicate artificial genetic
manipulation of some sort.

Certain scientists hypothesize that early Khepra
discovered the secrets to cloning before any of the other races, and as a
result, modified their own DNA to increase skill traits that help their race
compete with humanoid races on a more even footing.

As Kirill Seryeshka enters his study, Ziz is waiting
by a window, staring out.

Kirill Seryeshka takes off his hooded robe and hangs
it on a hook next to the study door.

“Good, I see you've made it already,” Seryeshka says
to Ziz to announce his presence.

Ziz turns toward Seryeshka to direct his attention
to the contractor for his next job.

Seryeshka makes his way to his desk and sits down in
his throne-like chair.

He pulls out a DataCom from his satchel and sends a
file to Ziz’s DataCom. Kirill Seryeshka starts briefing Ziz on the job he wants
him to complete.

“This file has all of the pertinent information for
you to complete your assigned duty,” Seryeshka begins, “The task is simple, but
the job may be more difficult than you might expect.”

Ziz pulls out his DataCom and reads the file as
Seryeshka explains the major details.

“Located in the Kishar Expanse is an enemy force. I
want you to find the intruders and remove them from our territory. Capture
anyone who may hold information, kill anyone who gets in your way. You have
full authority to act on behalf of the Empire,” the Kirill explains.

Though speaking in the language of the Khepra, Ziz
has a translator device to convey his message. The device vibrates air
molecules to synthesize speak into sounds similar to the desired language. As a
result, the translation sounds more like a buzz in the form of speech.

He tells Seryeshka, “This force you speak. It is
large. Will cost extra.”

“I understand the conditions,” Seryeshka notes, “I
promise that by the end of this war, you will be the richest Dabba on this side
of the galaxy. Possibly even in the whole galaxy.”

Ziz speaks again, “Promises you make, promises you
keep. No promises kept, makes Kirill hunted lizard-man.”

Kirill Seryeshka snickers and looks up at a wall in
his study, which holds the heads of game kills he personally made, and then he
turns back to Ziz and replies, “The day this hunter becomes the hunted will be
the day this Empire falls. That will never happen for as long as I shall live.”

Assuring Ziz, Seryeshka completes his briefing, “As
the future Emperor, I can assure you I am a Drak of my word, and all of the
Empire’s coffers will be at my disposal by the time you finish your task.”

Ziz nods his head, informing Kirill Seryeshka he
accepts the job. He stores his DataCom back in his vest and walks to the exit.

Before leaving, he turns back to Seryeshka and says,
“This job. I will have fun I think.”

Ziz laughs a ghoulish laugh and takes his leave.

After Ziz is gone, Seryeshka speaks aloud to
himself, “Hunt my friend. And leave no enemy head attached.”

While Seryeshka and Ziz prepare for their own little
war, the interrogators of the Alliance begin their work on poor Sophie.

An intelligence officer and two security guards keep
Sophie ‘company’ in a tiny cell-like room on the Wayfarer.

“It has come to the attention of the Directorate
that you possess knowledge of a technology we call an infinity loop,” the
interrogator begins, “We require you hand this knowledge over to us, to ensure
the safety of the galaxy from Drak incursion.”

Sophie remains silent and stares out into the void
of the room, not directing her eyes to any single object or person.
Emotionless, she simply sits and stares.

“Your help is required. Whether you provide the
information freely or by ‘other means’ is totally up to you,” the officer warns
Sophie.

Sophie again remains unmoved by the officer’s
attempts to coerce her.

After several hours of failed attempts, the officer
calls in one of the medical doctors on-board.

The officer whispers into the doctor’s ear, turns to
see if there is any sign of response from Sophie, and then turns to leave the
room.

As the officer opens the door, he turns-back to
Sophie one last time and says, “I gave you a chance. Now you must meet the
consequences of your failure to produce.”

The officer then leaves the room with the door shutting
behind him.

From down the hall, crew-members hear her screams as
they go about their own business.

On occasion, one or two of the crew stop to see
where the horrific sounds originate. A few people whisper here and there, and
then they go on with their duties.

Zoey sits in her office, back in the medical bay,
when rumor of Sophie’s interrogation reaches her. Conducting a little work,
Zoey overhears a patient and a nurse talking about the screams and hearsay of
who makes them.

The conversation catches Zoey’s attention and she
pokes her head out from her office like a hibernating ground creature popping
up to gauge the season.

“What?!” Zoey asks the pair with shock.

The two look over in Zoey’s direction and repeat the
conversation.

“Everyone is saying that that new woman, Sophie, is
in interrogation,” the patient informs Zoey.

The nurse adds, “I’ve been hearing people talk about
it all over the ship. They say you can hear her scream from two decks away.
Some are even saying her screams vibrate the walls of the ship like a
ground-quake.”

Zoey immediately runs out of the medical bay in the
direction of the holding cells, assuming that is where they have Sophie.

When Zoey gets to security, she asks the guards on
duty, “Where is Sophie? I demand to see who is in charge of her interrogation!”

The guards look at her as if she has two heads and
reply, “What are you talking about? No one is being interrogated here.”

Zoey scoffs in frustration and heads to the command
deck to speak with Commander Asim.

After checking the bridge, officer’s mess, and
recreation center, Zoey heads to the Commander’s quarters.

Commander Asim is getting ready for bed when the
buzzer rings at his door.

“Enter!” Asim calls out, to allow the door to open
for his unexpected guest.

Zoey storms into the Commanders quarters in a rage.

“Where is Sophie? Who gave permission to torture her
and why?!” Zoey rants in a tirade.

“Settle down Sergeant,” Commander Asim attempts to
calm Zoey before she makes an occupational mistake.

“The Intelligence Directorate gave the order to
interrogate her. She possesses knowledge of technology well beyond our
capabilities, and the Alliance demands that we learn from her anything that
will help in this war against the Drak,” Commander Asim tells her.

“This isn’t right, SIR!” Zoey says to the Commander,
“If we stoop so low as to torture people who are considered 'allies,' we risk
moving from a free democracy to a tyranny!”

“I completely understand, and in some ways agree
with you. However, orders are orders. You’ve been in the service long enough to
know how that goes,” Commander Asim explains.

Zoey puffs up her chest and exclaims, “This cannot
be stood for! You must stop this at once, Sir! Let me talk to her instead.
Maybe I can get something you can give to the directorate without the need for
torture.”

Commander Asim thinks about Zoey’s proposal for a
moment, and then tells her, “I would if I could Sgt. Sebastian, but it’s out of
my hands. This, Sophie person, is under the supervision of the Directorate.”

“Then who do I need to talk to, Sir?” Zoey inquires
in hopes of being able to talk sense into the interrogator’s head.

Commander Asim walks over to a wall terminal, opens
a comms channel to Captain Osoe, and says to him, “Captain Osoe. I have a young
Sergeant here that informs me she may be able to help you out with your
interrogation proceedings. Could you meet with her?”

A voice replies back over the comms, “Sure. Any help
would be much appreciated.”

Commander Asim looks over to Zoey to see if she is
satisfied with the response while wrinkling his forehead and brow to indicate
finalization.

Zoey nods in apprehensive appreciation and salutes
the Commander before heading out to meet Captain Osoe.

After being directed to the interrogation location,
Zoey and Captain Osoe meet at the Sophie's chamber.

Zoey storms-up to the Captain outside of the room,
renders a half-cocked salute, and says to the Captain, “Sergeant Zoey Sebastian
reporting, SIR!”

“Welcome, Sergeant. I hope you have something to get
through to this Sophie character that we don’t,” the Captain says to Zoey.

Zoey explains to the Captain, “Sir, I know Sophie.
We share a connection through common beliefs. I am certain we can get intel
from her without the need for inhumane treatment.”

Captain Osoe agrees with Zoey’s appraisal and opens
the door.

Zoey sees Sophie tied-down to a chair, beaten and
bloodied. With her eyes swollen shut, gashes all about her mouth and head, and
blood pouring from the wounds onto the floor, Sophie slowly lifts her head up
in silence.

Sophie has not spoken a word since her arrest by
Captain Osoe, but as soon as Zoey enters, Sophie asks, “Is it time?”

The Captain and Zoey both look at each other in
confusion.

The Captain asks Sophie, “Time for what?”

Sophie finally replies to a question he asks and
with a angry tone vigorously answers, “Time for Namus.”

Captain Osoe considers Sophie’s answer as a threat
and ordered Zoey to leave immediately while they secured their prisoner.

Zoey abruptly refused to leave and runs to Sophie's
side. Zoey hugs her and whispered into her ear, “I'm here for you.”

Sophie moves her head in the direction the Captain
and then drops her head down in exhaustion.

“Give us a few, would you Sir?” Zoey says to Captain
Osoe to indicate she would like a private moment with Sophie.

Captain Osoe looks at the doctor and the guards and
nods to let them know it was all right to leave the room.

Captain Osoe and the others make their way to the
viewing room next to the interrogation chamber to watch Zoey's attempt at
questioning the mysterious woman.

In the viewing room, the Captain can watch and
listen to everything going on in Sophie’s room via holographic windows. Similar
to a two-way mirror, the monitoring system records everything, from the heat
spectrum to the sounds spectrum, and records it all for digital processing.

The are displayed on a flat-screen monitor in the
viewing room, and can be interacted with by the interrogation overseer using
hand gestures. This allows them to view indicators to see if the subject is
lying, monitor their health signs, and even see sub-dermal devices, in the
event the subject attempts to commit suicide or try to escape with a hidden
weapon.

Zoey first asks Sophie if she is alright.

Sophie lifts her head up slightly and replies, “Are
you ready to learn the truth, young one?”

Zoey plays along with Sophie’s curious questions.

“Yes, I am ready,” replies Zoey.

Sophie lifts her head high and begins glowing so
brightly, Zoey is temporarily blinded. The bright light fills the room. The
audio and visual out of the room is temporarily cut-off.

Zoey squeezes her eyes tightly shut in the awe of
the brilliant bluish-white light.

Once the light dissipates, Zoey sees that Sophie’s
wounds have completely healed.

“How is this possible?” Zoey asks her with
confusion.

Sophie smiles at Zoey as she releases herself from
her shackling with nothing more than a thought and says, “In time, all shall be
revealed. For now, I have a story to tell you.”

Sophie goes on to tell Zoey her story, warning that Zoey
must not tell another living soul.

The story goes on for what seems to Zoey as an
eternity, telling of the Ancients, the War of the First Ones, and the Fallen.

When Sophie completes her story, she says to Zoey,
“Now it is time.”

Zoey asks, “Time for what?”

Sophie replies, “Now it is time for Namus.”

With one last gleaming smile, Sophie disappears in a
flash of light leaving Zoey in the room by herself.

Zoey attempts to make sense of everything she has
learned, and of Sophie’s miraculous recovery, and disappearing act.

When the lights and other electronics return to the
room, Captain Osoe runs into the room with the guards.

“What is happening?!” the Captain yells.

Zoey turns to the Captain and offers no reply,
appearing dazed and confused.

In a delayed reaction, Captain Osoe realizes Sophie
is no longer in the room.

Having the door guarded, Sophie could not have
escaped. Moreover, to the Captain and everyone else outside the room, the event
lasted merely a second.

“Where did she go?” the Captain again attempts to
get answers from Zoey.

Zoey shakes herself out of the daze and answers
back, “She’s gone, I think.”

The Captain orders the guards to begin a lock-down
to search for their escaped prisoner.

Zoey, in the chaos and confusion, stumbles aimlessly
back to her office in the medical bay inattentive to anything happening around
her.

In a soundless, slow motion scene, Zoey walks down
corridors and takes lifts as chaos unfolds aboard the Wayfarer. Her expression
is a mix of shock, disbelief, and epiphany.

When Zoey finally makes it back to her office, a
general alarm orders all crew to their stations and non-essential personnel to
their quarters.

Zoey sits in the chair at her station physically,
mentally, and emotionally drained. She lays her head down on the desk and loses
consciousness as the world fades away into darkness.