COLONY SHIP 02, UR: DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
Threat assessment… Severe.
Current odds of survival… Two thousand seven hundred fifty to one.
Suggested course of action… Escape.
Alpha extended a robotic hand to Lesker. Reluctantly, perhaps even grudgingly, the black-haired businessman accepted it. A quick pull brought Lesker to his feet. Grumbling with disdain, the man brushed the thin coat of concrete dust from his suit. Clearly he was used to maintaining a neat and tidy appearance—a habit Alpha could appreciate, though this was hardly the time or place for such things.
Less than a block away, the twenty-story goliath known as Typhon stood amid the wreckage of The Grand Galactic hotel. It towered over the pile of concrete rubble, its red eyes scanning the debris for survivors. There was nothing moving down there. Nothing at all. All the people and Darkers on the ground floor had been crushed flat when the building collapsed in on itself. Without Alpha’s quick thinking, he and the others would’ve been among them. Instead, they stood safely across the street.
“That was, like, totally insane!” exclaimed Marten. He was still jittery with adrenaline from the ride down.
Beside him, Charmie the red-feathered Charmuskan chirped in agreement. He mimed a familiar punching motion, the one he’d shown Alpha earlier. It was the victory pose of Charmie’s favorite movie hero, Go Booma.
Insane was not the word Alpha would have used. Back in the hotel, he had evaluated twenty-seven possible courses of action. The one he chose simply had the greatest odds of survival for everyone involved. Strictly speaking, it was the opposite of insane. It was the logical choice to make. Fortunately for them, it had worked.
Unfortunately for them, Typhon was still nearby—and still a very real threat. Worse yet, it had just spotted them. The great beast let out an angry roar that echoed down the street, shattering street-facing windows in either direction.
“What now, boy?” Lesker asked urgently.
Alpha glanced at Typhon, then back to Lesker. Calculated the odds in his head again. No matter how many times he ran the numbers, the result was always the same. “Now… we run,” he replied.
So they ran. A narrow alley separating two high-rise buildings provided their means of escape. Behind them, Typhon’s growing footfalls told them all they needed to know: the monster-king was in hot pursuit. Thankfully, it was far too large to fit through the alleyway. Not that it needed to. A single tail swipe to the closest high-rise was enough to topple the building. Thirty stories of corporate offices came crashing down in a massive shower of glass and concrete.
By that time, Alpha and his companions were already clear of the destruction zone. They zigged and zagged between hotels, residential complexes, and office buildings, trying to put as much distance between themselves and Typhon as possible. It didn’t help much. The massive Darker smashed through building after building, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Alpha knew they needed a plan—and fast—or their chances of survival would be nil.
He came upon the answer a minute later. Racing through deserted streets, the group passed a number of hastily-abandoned automobiles. Perhaps, he thought, one of them might still have a key in its ignition. There was only one way to find out…
“What are you doing?!” Marten shouted frantically.
The CAST was busy poking his head in an unlocked sedan. “Attempting to locate a vehicle we can commandeer,” he replied.
No luck with the first or second vehicles. But the third…
“There are keys in this truck,” he reported calmly. “We can escape faster than trying to run on foot.”
It wasn’t an ideal choice. The olive green truck was big and boxy, not aerodynamic at all. Its open back was weighted down with concrete bricks and bags of cement. Still, it was better than the alternative.
The children climbed into the passenger seat right away, but Lesker hesitated. “I… don’t have much experience,” he said.
Alpha cocked his head slightly to one side. “Experience with what?”
“Driving,” he admitted. “It’s been years since I sat behind the wheel. TX-8 always drove me around, so there was never a need to do it myself. If I do this now, I’m liable to get myself—that is to say,
us—killed.”
The businessman was the only one in the group tall enough to see out the front windshield. He was also the only one able to reach the gas pedal and brake. Experienced or not, they had no choice but to rely on him.
“I am sure you will do… fine.” Alpha had no way of knowing if that were true or not, but he’d heard that humans sometimes require encouragement in the face of great odds.
“Alpha’s right, Mr. Lesker,” Marten chimed in. “You can do it! You just gotta believe in yourself.”
After a moment of indecision, Lesker reluctantly took a seat in the cabin. He stared hard at the controls, his brow furrowed like he was studying a complex math equation. Twenty seconds passed. Thirty. Alpha was starting to wonder if the man was ever going to move. But then, unexpectedly, Lesker’s demeanor changed. With newfound confidence, he started up the vehicle and took hold of the wheel.
Just in time. Two blocks behind them, Typhon burst through the side of an apartment complex. The towering structure practically exploded from the inside out. It sent a thick shower of debris raining down on the empty street below.
Inside the car, Lesker slammed his foot on the gas pedal. The vehicle whined in protest and refused to budge. Then Lesker remembered to release the parking brake and the car took off in a squeal of rubber on asphalt. The sharp noise attracted Typhon’s attention. In response, the creature reared back its horned head and bellowed loudly. Once, twice, three times total. They were short, high-pitched bursts, not like the thundering roars it usually emitted.
Alpha stared at Typhon through the rearview mirror, contemplating the meaning behind the strange noises. He didn’t have to wait long to find out. A pack of Dagachas swooped down out of the sky and began chasing the truck. That’s when Alpha realized it: Typhon wasn’t just roaring, it was calling for reinforcements.
The truck was rolling along at a decent pace but the Dagachas were still closing in fast. Alpha calculated they would intercept the vehicle in nine point seven seconds. Without wasting time to explain himself, the CAST opened the passenger door and swung around into the open truck bed in back. He found himself standing on a pile of cinder blocks and large cement bags. In was likely the truck belonged to a construction company, or at least had been transporting materials to a construction site.
Normally the extra weight would have been a liability. But in this case, Alpha saw an opportunity to accomplish two goals at once—to nab two Rappies with a single net, as the saying went. Removing the cinder blocks would lighten the truck’s load, increasing its top speed, but it also served another purpose as well: ammunition. Alpha hefted one of the pale gray bricks, took aim at the nearest Dagacha, and hurled it as hard as he could. It struck the fish-like Darker between its beady red eyes. The creature let out an awful screech and dropped to the ground.
Alpha grabbed another block. Tossed it. A second Dagacha went down. Then a third. He threw another, but by then the Darkers were getting wise to his tactics. They were learning how to dodge. Alpha kept throwing anyway, managing to hit two of the five remaining targets. That only left three.
He nearly lost his balance when the truck careened around a corner. Lesker’s driving was fast and erratic, almost reckless, but so far they hadn’t crashed into anything. Luckily there wasn’t much traffic in their part of the city. Everyone else had already evacuated, leaving the roads wide open.
Two of the remaining Dagachas rushed forward together. Alpha struck the closer one with a concrete projectile but the other slipped past his aim. It rammed its bulbous body into the back of the truck, momentarily lifting the vehicle off its rear wheels. Alpha narrowly avoided being thrown from the truck as it came crashing back to the pavement. The Dagacha charged at him again. Reflexively, he swung a block two-handed and caught it right in the teeth. The Darker squealed in pain and flew off.
There was no time to rest. The pale-faced CAST extended his sensors in all directions, searching for a target, but the third and final Dagacha was nowhere to be found. Alpha waited a minute just to be safe, then gave up. Perhaps the creature had decided to flee rather than risk a brick to the face.
When he climbed back inside the cabin, Marten and Charmie were practically bouncing on the seat with excitement. “You did it!” Marten grinned, his face beaming. “You whupped those Darkers good, an’ you did it all by yourself! That was so stellar!”
“I was simply trying to protect everyone,” Alpha responded blankly.
“C’mon! With moves like that, you should totally join the ARKS. You’d pass the exam no problem, I know it! Then you could fight all the bad guys you want.”
The CAST stared out the front windshield. “I… cannot.”
It was all he could say. Marten and the others didn’t understand his circumstances. No one did. They didn’t know about the promise he made to his creator all those years ago, or the secret he kept hidden inside…
“Look out!” Marten screamed, breaking Alpha’s train of thought. The last Dagacha was dead ahead. Not only that, it was on a direct collision course with the truck.
Lesker tightened his grip on the wheel. “I see it.”
Inexplicably, the man
sped up. He was planning to ram the Darker head on! Alpha did the math in his head, determined it was too risky, and reached across the seat. Grabbing the steering wheel with one hand, he yanked hard to the right. The truck swerved around the Dagacha just in time. Unfortunately, it also sent them careening towards an outdoor plaza. The vehicle jumped the curb, rattled up a flight of steps, and went soaring through the air as the ground beneath them suddenly fell away. Outside, the world rushed past in a blur of color. Marten and Charmie were busy screaming their lungs out. Lesker retained his composure but his face was pale with fright.
Splash! The truck dropped front-first into a shallow pool of water. The pool was about a meter deep and at least ten meters across. In its center was an elaborate, multi-layered fountain topped by a golden statue of a female angel. The statue smiled down at them warmly, its arms spread wide in a welcoming gesture.
With their vehicle hopelessly stuck, Alpha and the others had no choice but to abandon it. They climbed out through the window and slogged through the meter-deep water until they reached the edge of the pool. The CAST climbed out first, then helped Marten and Charmie do the same. When he tried to assist Lesker, however, the man swatted his hand away. “I’ve had more than enough
help from you today,” he growled.
Alpha stood back as Lesker pulled himself out of the water. The man’s pants were drenched and clung to his legs, yet his top half remained impeccably dry. It was an odd sight. In other circumstances, it might even have appeared comical.
But Lesker wasn’t laughing. He was fuming. The man could scarcely contain his anger, like a teapot about to boil over. “You wretched little bucket of bolts. How dare you take control of the wheel from me! Your meddling nearly got us killed!”
“Based on the relative velocities, trajectories, and masses involved, I calculated that—”
“I had everything under control!” Lesker snarled, cutting him off. The throbbing vein in his forehead looked ready to burst.
Under control. The man certainly didn’t look under control. He looked like he was on the verge of becoming unhinged. Given his temperament, could Alpha trust him to lead them to safety? Or was it time they parted ways?
Perhaps the situation warranted a little tact. Alpha wasn’t very good at tact but decided to give it a try anyway. “Forgive me for acting without your consent. It was not my intention to offend, but I do not regret my actions. Despite the outcome, avoiding the Darker was the safer choice. A head-on collision had a seventy-nine point two percent chance of causing serious bodily injury, with a forty-five percent chance of fatal injury to one or all of us. Those risk levels were unacceptable.”
“I don’t need you dictating risk assessment to
me, boy. I assure you, I am well versed in the subject.” Lesker stabbed an accusing finger in Alpha’s direction. “From here on out you’re going to do what I say, when I say it. Understand? If you want to save your friends, you’ll shut that irritating mouth and fall in line like a good little soldier. Otherwise—”
“
Duck!!” shouted Alpha.
Despite his anger and bruised ego, Lesker complied right away. He dropped to the ground a split second before the Dagacha chomped the empty air where he’d been standing. The same Dagacha that nearly rammed their truck earlier, Alpha noted. It had followed them all the way there.
The CAST sprang into action immediately. In less than a second he crossed the three-meter gap separating them. His right fist came up, slamming into the Darker’s rubbery chin. A solid impact. The Dagacha rocked backward, temporarily caught off-guard.
It didn’t remain surprised for long, however. Nor was it seriously injured. If anything, the attack only served to make the creature mad. It glared down at Alpha, practically daring the boy to try again.
The Darkers’ main weakness was photon energy. It was the only thing capable of wiping their foul energy from the universe. Without a photon-powered weapon, Alpha knew he had little chance of defeating his enemy. And so, once again, their best option was to run. Taking Marten by the hand and Charmie by the wing, Alpha hastily led the group across the plaza. Lesker followed close behind.
The plaza itself was a wide, open space, circular in shape with the fountain situated in the center. It was ringed by a row of green shrubs punctuated at regular intervals by steps leading upward and outward. Alpha made a beeline for the closest flight of steps, hoping they could escape before the Dagacha had a chance to catch up.
They never got that far. Before they even reached the edge of the plaza, a menacing silhouette blocked their escape route. Its clawed arms, needle-point stinger, and insectoid wings were immediately familiar.
An El Ahda. It hovered in the air in front of them, red eyes filled with murder, ready to tear the group apart.
Alpha stopped dead in his tracks. Turned around. The Dagacha was still headed straight for them. No way they could get past either Darker, not unarmed. So instead, they turned and headed for the nearest open staircase.
It didn’t stay open for long. A trio of Dagans materialized out of thin air at the top of the steps. Without missing a beat, Alpha changed course yet again. His only thought was escape. Not for himself, but for his friends. Saving them was his priority, his mission. One he refused to fail.
And yet, at every turn, fate tried to thwart his efforts. Each new direction brought a new threat. A Kartargot. A Breeahda. A pair of Dahgashes. More Dagans. Soon the plaza was surrounded, all three hundred sixty degrees, by a ring of over two dozen Darkers.
Alpha and the others were trapped. There was no hope of escape, not this time. To survive, they would have to fight.
He would have to fight.
Even if it meant betraying the memory of the man who created him…
* * * * * * * * *
- Seventeen years ago -
Dr. Bowman: “Before you go, I need you to promise me something. Can you do that for me?”
Alpha: “If it is within my power, of course, Doctor.”
Dr. Bowman: “You’re a very special boy, Alpha. The first of my creations. I just… I don’t want to see you go down the wrong path, that’s all. Down Arden’s path.”
Alpha: “I do not understand. Do you and Dr. Sabik not get along?”
Dr. Bowman: “Arden and I, we don’t always see eye to eye, I’m afraid… especially when it comes to you. I wanted to advance the science of cybernetics, to develop a new type of CAST brain. He wanted to create a weapon. I should never have let him install the ARGUS system inside you. But, well, sometimes that’s the compromise you make when you work as a team. It’s a decision that’s haunted my conscience all these years.”
Alpha: “What would you have me do?”
Dr. Bowman: “I have to go away now, Alpha. At least for a while. While I’m gone, Arden will look after you. That’s why I want you to promise me. Promise you won’t use ARGUS.”
Alpha: “Is there… something wrong with me, Doctor?”
Dr. Bowman: “No, no, of course not. But the power that sleeps inside you could be dangerous in the wrong hands. It could be made to do terrible things. You’re more than just a weapon, Alpha. So much more. You think. You feel. You dream. And like anyone else, you deserve a chance at a normal life. So please… promise me.”
Alpha: “I promise.”
* * * * * * * * *
It was the only way. For seventeen years, Alpha kept his promise. Seventeen long years. But on that day, surrounded by certain death, he had no choice but to break it.
Forgive me, Doctor. For the sake of protecting others and to do what I believe is right, today I must become a weapon.
Alpha delved into his own systems and selected the program marked ‘ARGUS.’ After a split second of hesitation, he activated it. Immediately he could feel himself changing,
shifting, both inside and out. His secondary power core was coming online. It began diverting a steady flow of photon energy to his extremities. His hands and forearms rearranged themselves into new shapes. They became bulkier, sturdier, more armored. His feet and lower legs followed suit. His chest plate reinforced itself with a layer of photon-infused reflective shielding. Finally, a protective mask slid over the lower half of his face, covering his nose and mouth.
The transformation was complete. He was no longer Alpha the boy, but Alpha the warrior. A true knight in shining armor. His body had become sleek and polished, a stylish fusion of form and function. Lines of shimmering reddish-pink traced the energy rushing to his arms and legs. He was, quite literally, a living weapon.
Your wish was to give me a normal life, and for that I will always be grateful. Now it is my turn to pass on that kindness. Marten and Charmie deserve the same chance you gave me. More than anything else in this world, my wish now is to give that to them.
Alpha glanced up at the ring of Darkers closing in on them. Calculated the best angle of attack for each one. A thousand simulations played out in his head. Naturally, he chose the one with the greatest odds of success. And then, to the astonishment of Marten, Charmie, and Lesker, he
vanished.
But he wasn’t gone. He was simply moving faster than their eyes could keep up. A red-and-white bullet seeking his first target…
* * * * * * * * *
- Three months ago -
Irene: “Are you happy, Alpha?”
Alpha: “Why do you ask?”
Irene: “You’ve been spending a lot of time helping me with my lab work, and—while I appreciate that very much—I wonder if you wouldn’t be happier, well, spending that time elsewhere. Having fun, playing with friends, that sort of thing.”
Alpha: “I do not have any friends. Nor do I require any. Helping you and Dr. Rauth gives me all the fulfillment I need.”
Irene: “Oh, honey. You know you’re like family to me, don’t you? I will always want what’s best for you. Always. And though you may not feel that way now, there may come a day when you change your mind. Everyone gets lonely sometimes, even a CAST. So when that day comes, if it comes, just remember… happiness isn’t always free. Sometimes you have to work for it. But I promise you, it will always be worth the effort.”
* * * * * * * * *
Alpha’s fist buried itself deep in the belly of the El Ahda. Before the creature could react, a loud whine cut through the air like the sound of a power generator turning on. It quickly rose to a crescendo, then—
whump! The photon energy in his hand discharged in a sudden, concentrated burst. A fraction of a second later, the El Ahda had a massive hole blown through its midsection. It looked like a bomb went off inside it. The Darker gurgled and died instantly.
Alpha pulled back, staring in wonder at the scarlet glow surrounding his right fist. He knew full well the capabilities of the ARGUS system, but seeing it in action was still a sight to behold.
He also knew it was draining his internal energy reserves at an accelerated rate. A
very accelerated rate, as a matter of fact. He was practically bleeding photon energy. At the current rate of consumption, he had less than two minutes until his secondary core was completely dry.
Plenty of time to save the day.
A flying leap sent Alpha up and over the approaching enemy swarm. His newly-enhanced leg thrusters gave him a lot more mobility than before, not to mention speed. In contrast, the Darkers were almost moving in slow motion.
He landed behind a trio of Dagans, pivoted on his left heel, and delivered a flurry of rapid-fire strikes in less than a second. The spidery Darkers practically disintegrated under the onslaught.
Not wasting any time, he launched a flying kick into a nearby Breeadha. The bulbous insect crashed to the ground, temporarily stunned into submission. A pair of Dahgashes were next. Alpha threw a blazing cross punch into the mouth of the closest one, rupturing its reddish core. The energy discharged from his fist traveled through the Darker and struck the one behind it, killing both creatures in a single blow.
No time to rest. The piercing laser of a Kartargot sliced across the ground in Alpha’s direction. A spinning backflip was enough to dodge the beam and land him atop the beast’s flat-topped back, where a single punch to the core took it down.
Again and again he went after them. Again and again they fell before his power. He was a whirlwind of death, never stopping, never slowing. At last there was only one left, the Breeadha he knocked down before. Just as the creature’s feeble wings lifted it off the ground, Alpha punched it squarely in the face. The Breeadha exploded into a black-and-red mist.
And just like that, the fight was over. Total time elapsed: thirty-eight seconds.
His job done, the CAST allowed his body revert to its previous form. He was no longer Alpha the warrior or Alpha the weapon. He was just a boy again—a boy standing amid a pile of Darker corpses.
When he returned to his companions, he found himself unable to look them in the eyes. What must they think of him now? A cold-blooded war machine? A liar who concealed his true nature? Surely they would never look at him the same way again, not like they did before. Surely—
“You did it!” Marten grinned, lightly clapping Alpha on the shoulder. Beside him, Charmie danced around excitedly. “You really did it!” the boy continued. “‘Course, I knew you would. We were rooting for you the whole time!”
Standing behind them, Lesker crossed his arms, shrugged, and looked away. “An impressive display, nonetheless.”
Alpha blinked twice. He didn’t know what to say. Privately he thought,
You were right, Irene. It was worth the effort…
* * * * * * * * *
A five-minute hike brought them to the parking lot of the Galactic Savings & Loan, one of
Ur’s largest banks. When they arrived, Alpha stopped to look around, almost like he was waiting for something. Or someone.
Predictably, Lesker was both confused and annoyed. “What are you dallying for? I told you, we have to get to the docking bay—and soon. We don’t know if that oversized freak is still chasing us.”
“Do not worry, I contacted my sister remotely and asked her to meet us here. She will arrive momentarily to help us.”
“Your… sister?”
No sooner had the words left the man’s mouth than Alpha detected a presence approaching from behind. “Alpha, are you alright?” came a familiar voice.
All four of them turned to face the newcomer. It was Alpha’s younger sister, Aki03.
Strangely, she did not look happy to see them. She was glaring past Alpha, to the person standing behind him. “Alpha,” she said, her tone firm, “step away from that man.”
To Lesker she said, “Lee Okada. I never expected to find you in a place like this.”
TO BE CONTINUED
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