Echoes of Harmony

Hallow Building

Mornage, Stariek

The soft warble of an alarm filled the air, and the walls were bathed in a pulsing red light as Hayden and the others rushed through the hallway. Surrounding them in a loose circle was a group of a dozen Stariek soldiers, each armed with an assault rifle—assault rifles refitted with stun rounds per the provost’s instructions. Their destination sat near the far end of the hall, where Hayden knew a hidden stairwell would bring them to a private hangar. It was a design choice created for such an eventuality: the occupation of the Hallow Building. Never before had a provost needed to use the passage, but, if the last few days had taught him anything, these days were filled with unprecedented events.

As they neared a blank section of wall, the soldiers parted and took up positions to cover both ends of the hall. The sounds of shouting and stomping feet echoed up the nearest stairwell. It steadily grew louder, though still seemed to come from dozens of stories below.

Hayden approached the wall and pressed his hand against it. The surface danced with blue and green globules of light as it analyzed his biometrics. Several tense seconds passed before all the lights changed to green. With a soft chirp, the wall slid apart to reveal the hidden tunnel. It curved to the right, the base of a set of stairs just visible around the corner. Tyn, Rivas, and the admirals made their way through and started up the stairs as Hayden hung behind just inside the door. One of the soldiers moved forward and brought his right hand to his left shoulder in salute to Hayden. An insignia on his bicep designated him as a captain.

“The Hyperion shuttle will meet you at the top of the stairs, provost,” the captain said. “I’ve notified the guards of your imminent arrival. We’ll close the door behind you and hold off the protesters. Non-lethally, of course.”

“See that it is,” Hayden replied, narrowing his eyes on their weapons. “Thank you.”

As he said the words, the door slid shut, sealing him in the tunnel. Hayden stood there a few moments longer, taking deep breaths. At least Kaylee and Skylar are protected. They’re in the safe room, far away from all this. He closed his eyes and tried once more to utter a prayer to any god that might want to listen, but he received nothing but silence in return.

The sound of the receding footsteps moving up the stairs snapped Hayden out of his trance. He took a deep breath before taking the steps two at a time. The metal beneath his feet clanked with each bound he made up them. His breathing came faster as a stitch manifested in his side, and he silently cursed himself for not exercising more when he had the chance.

As he reached the top of the stairs, the sound of screeching metal and roaring of engines carried to him. Field Marshal Tyn, Secretary Rivas, and Admirals Wilkins and Chapman all stood there, watching as an entirely black transport flew through the still opening bay doors. It spun around, its engines firing to slow its approach, and landed on the hangar floor with unnatural grace.

The side of the transport, where there had been no sign of a door previous, opened to reveal a brightly lit interior. Standing in the new opening was what appeared to be a man by the broad shoulders and barrel chest. Black, form-fitting armor covered him from head to toe, with just a narrow reflective visor where his eyes should have been.

“Provost,” the man said, his voice somewhat mechanical through the helmet. “if you would be so kind as to get on board, we can get out of here. Before your own people kill you.”

Hayden took a deep breath to keep from verbally abusing the man. He moved forward and was helped into the transport. A row of six seats ran down either wall with a space of about two meters forming a walkway between them. Hayden took a seat closer to the front, starting slightly when a pair of straps automatically shot from the wall and locked him in place. Tyn and the others quickly followed, taking seats across from and next to him.

The black-clad soldier moved to the front of the transport, the door separating the cockpit from the back hissing open at his approach. With a final glance back, both the door at the side and the one he walked through closed. A rumble immediately ran through the transport as it lifted into the air.

“Do you actually trust them, Provost?” Tyn asked, his mouth forming a sneer. “How do you know you are not leading us to our deaths?”

“I don’t know, Fleet Marshal.” Hayden brought his hands up to the straps holding him still, wrapping his fingers around them. “The way I saw it, though, is that there were two options. The first is to stay there and wait to be ripped apart by the frenzied mob. On the other hand, the second is to allow a small amount of trust and accept the Hyperion aid in escaping. The first is a guarantee of death; the second is a chance at life.”

As he finished the statement, the floor below them slowly turned mostly transparent. Thousands of meters below was an image of Mornage Hayden found both familiar and horrifyingly changed. The sprawling metropolis was covered in clouds of smoke as fires blazed. Some smaller buildings, while difficult to tell from so far up, looked to have their street fronts blown apart. The red and blue of emergency lights flashed throughout, passing between the skyscrapers as they responded to issues.

What happened? Hayden’s breath caught in his throat as he watched. The smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils. He swore he could hear screams echoing from below, though he knew they were much too far. First Epinau, now this. Never before had Stariek seen such devastation, and for it to happen under his watch…

The door at the front of the transport hissed open. Stepping back through was the black-clad man.

“We thought you should see what we’re saving you from.” The man folded his arms and leaned against the door frame. “Apparently your citizens weren’t as loyal as you thought if all it took was a couple days for your society to fall apart. Don’t worry, though. Once they are integrated into our Hyperion society, they will be so much happier than you could ever make them.”

Hayden’s hands balled around his straps, the fabric digging into his palms. His breathing quickened, and he felt a snarl touch the corner of his lips. That he dared mock him like that when his wife and son…

The thought quickly cut off, and his eyes darted around the floor to search for the Llewellyn Mountains and Frostwing Estate. There had been no communications from the estate, which was not entirely unexpected. But if the riots did this much damage to the city, they could do so much more there if they knew where it was.

At the periphery of the visual granted to them, he saw the edges of the mountain. They were much too high to make out any detail, causing him to silently utter yet another prayer for his family’s safety. He didn’t know what prompted him to continue. All his previous ones had so far gone unanswered. Would one more really make that much of a difference? Still, just the thought that something may answer put him at ease, if only slightly.

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The transport continued its course out of the planet’s atmosphere. Slowly, the rising smoke of the city faded away behind them. Once they reached the darkness of space, the floor returned to its usual opaqueness. Hayden’s heart arched as he considered the possibility Skylar may have been captured, but he shunted the fear away. Their plan was a good one, and the safe room was carefully designed to prevent detection. Plus, Zayne was there to keep them protected.

The thought, while it did not completely reassure him, put him at ease.

#

HMV Wagener

Stariek Orbit

The atmosphere on the bridge of the Wagener rapidly shifted as the last of the Stariek vessels powered down their weapon systems. For a moment, it appeared a few may refuse, but all acquiesced in the end. Some of the fighters and bombers were still powering down their own and returning to hangars, but they were inconsequential in the grand scheme. This brought a smile to General Zorn’s face despite the loss of the Conta. Now, there was just one more matter to be handled before their precious provost arrived. Confirmation of the success from his teams on the surface reached him just a few minutes before.

“Colonel, tactical,” called out Lieutenant Yushchenko. “I am detecting a transport quickly approaching hangar bay alpha.”

“Tactical, determine the identity of the vessel,” Colonel Huang said, moving towards the holographic projector in the center of the room. “Is it the one carrying the Provost?”

“Negative, colonel.” Yushchenko shook his head as he stared at the screen, prompting Zorn to smile lightly. “The transponder is rapidly altering itself. It has taken four different identities in the last fifteen seconds.”

“Lieutenant, grant the ship unrestricted landing access,” Zorn called out as he watched the vessel’s approach on the tactical board. “Clear the hangar of any nonessential personnel immediately. I am heading down to meet it personally.”

Zorn turned on his heel and started for the lift without waiting for a confirmation. If the lieutenant knew what was good for him and his family, he would obey the order without question. However, Huang moved forward, stepping between him and the door. He held his hand up, stopping just short of placing it on the general’s chest.

“Lieutenant, belay that order. General, I would like to remind you this is my ship,” Huang said. He narrowed his eyes at Zorn, which brought a slight smirk to the older man’s lips. “Unless you can tell me what is on that transport, I will order my tactical officer to shoot it down.”

In his mind, Zorn could see the ship consumed in a ball of fire. With it, he knew the wrath of Hades—of which, he had never been on the receiving end—would descend upon him with prejudice.

“If you destroy that vessel,” Zorn said, lowering his voice and stepping so close to the colonel he was forced to back up, “it will be not just the end of your career, not just your life, but the extermination of your entire bloodline.”

Zorn would be lying if he said he couldn’t remember the last time he was this angry. It was not often his orders were disobeyed, but, when it happened, there needed to be zero tolerance. Especially when the offense was repetitive. Doing otherwise would result in the failure of their society.

“If that is what society demands, then so be it,” Huang hissed, enunciating the words. The expression on his face—a mixture of stubborn pride and barely hidden anxiousness—made Zorn raise an eyebrow for a fraction of a second. “I will not needlessly endanger my crew, no matter who you are, no matter what threats you make.”

“Colonel, you realize I could have you executed where you stand without lifting a finger, do you not?” The man nodded but stood his ground. Zorn sighed and clapped him on the shoulder, nearly knocking the colonel aside with the sudden force. “Very well. It would not do to rid our society of someone as dedicated to it as you are. The ship contains a person of particular importance to Legate Habricht. I will require access to one of the holding cells until the rest of the Seventh Fleet arrives. Unfortunately, that is all I am able to discuss.”

“You guarantee the detainment of this individual does not pose a threat to the ship or crew?”

“Of course.” Zorn scoffed. How dare he question me like this? “Though if it did, rest assured, it would be for the betterment of society.”

“Of course,” Huang mimicked. He turned to Lieutenant Yushchenko, pointedly ignoring Zorn’s piercing stare. “Lieutenant, transmit orders to the vessel to dock as the general wishes. Plot them a course and warn them against deviating even slightly from it.”

“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant said and went about carrying out the order.

“Colonel, if I may have a word,” Zorn said. Once more without waiting for a response, he walked to an empty corner of the bridge near the lift, confident Huang would follow. Sure enough, he turned to find the man directly behind him. They stared at each other for several tense seconds. Zorn knew he would have to be the first to speak, but the longer the silence stretched on, the longer the colonel had to wonder what would be said. Finally, he folded his arms behind his back and started, “Don’t think for a moment you have won.”

“Of course not, sir.”

“You have talent, colonel. I can see you becoming a general, perhaps even a… legate.” Zorn had to force the last word out of his mouth. The dithering heads of the military still refused to bestow the rank upon himself, no matter how many appeals he made and recommendations he secured. If he had to see one more person pass him by… He mentally shook his head. The thought wouldn’t do any good. “You could use the help of someone in a position to secure your future. Someone such as myself. But I do not abide the insubordination you have shown me thus far.”

“My apologies, sir.” Huang stood up straighter, inclining his head slightly. Zorn had not noticed previously that the man stood just a few inches shorter than himself. Now, he seemed to grow further in stature. “I appreciate the candor and offer you have made me. However, I will ensure I am not only able to do what society demands, but what is right. If that means I end up executed, then at least I would die knowing I stayed true to myself to the end.”

“If I were you, I would not let either the Council or the Public Safety Directorate hear that.” Zorn managed a grim smile. “Though I admire the tenacity. Until I say otherwise, you are not to disturb me while I visit our special guest. Is that clear?”

“Of course, sir.” Huang clicked his heels together and straightened his back, bringing his right fist to his left shoulder in a salute. “May I return to my duties as captain of this ship?”

“You may.”

Zorn turned to the lift without returning the salute. The door hissed open at his approach, revealing the circular interior. As he stepped on and pivoted to face the door again, his eyes locked on Huang. Part of him did admire the performance the colonel displayed both over the last few days and in his records. Another knew he could not let such insubordination stand if their society was to properly function. Zorn knew which part of him would win out in the end, and the thought of what that meant brought a smile to his face as the doors closed.

#

Mornage, Stariek

Omega’s transport sailed through the air above Mornage. Even through thick clouds of smoke, it was easy enough for it to see. Changing to other sensors rather than relying on the visible light spectrum ensured its vision was not impaired. There was more damage to the city than the organization’s models predicted, but that was a minor point in the grand scheme. All that mattered was Omega reaching the Hallow Building before the Hyperions.

It set its shuttle down in the empty hangar bay near the top of the Hallow Building. It disembarked, looking about the area. An almost identical trail of ionized particles to that it found outside Frostwing Estate lingered in the air. Without needing to look for more evidence, it knew the truth.

It failed again.

A bout of negative reinforcement surged through it for a moment as it accepted the failure. Less than a second passed before it composed itself. The Creator would not be happy, of course. However, there were still plenty of chances. Omega knew the Creator’s plans, and this would not drastically change them. Slow them down, yes, but not cause them to fall apart. Its first failure caused much larger problems than this one.

There were sure to be more Hyperion ships to arrive in the next few weeks, and, if its calculations were correct, they would not be the last ones to arrive. During the chaos, it may be possible for Omega to finally succeed.

Omega returned to its shuttle and took off again, once more opening a channel to the Creator. After all, it was programmed to report back regardless of the success or failure of its mission.

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