Page 32 of Fated to the Alien Chieftain

We can’t harm them!I can see hundreds of the machines zooming around unloading their weapons at us. Only Aenaraels forcefield placed in front of our position has halted them. All over the room our bullets snap and whiz but every shot is absorbed by their green shields, I can feel the despair and hopelessness of the others. Closing my eyes I project feelings of bravery and hope into them, wishing I could do the same for myself.

“I can’t hold this much longer,” Aenarael shouts out, as her shield shimmers less brightly, absorbing a barrage of green bolts.

Krogoth has a look of concentration on his face as he waves his hands unusually. I peek out to see a large swirling vortexoverhead, stretching to encompass the entire ceiling beyond Aenarael’s shield, before it descends like a sliver of space itself. There’s no escape for the machines as they attempt to dart lower and lower to escape the falling cosmic blanket. But eventually, each one blinks out of existence once they touch the strange floating void.Krogoth’s power is crazy!

As suddenly as it began, it stops, filling me with relief. The others cautiously peek out from behind cover, seeing the danger has passed. Krogoth stands proudly, offering me a hand. Getting to my feet, I see the piles of green goo where Aenaraels’ shield had been. My warvisor fills my senses knowing that the goo contains nano machines, probably some kind of localized nanophage. Fortunately, no one is hurt.

“You all fought well—” Krogoth begins before a massive crash erupts from somewhere behind us. I leap down instinctually as my heart pounds in my chest and my ears ring from the noise. A heavy floating platform, much bigger than the last, has punched a hole through the wall. This one also has another segment that sits atop, bristling with glowing green weapons. I watch in horror as it releases a barrage of green, radiant lance of fire through the air into a warrior.

The poor soldier doesn’t even have time to scream, hit in his side before he can even turn. His body from the waist down just ceases to exist, taken or consumed in an instant. The weapon platform unloads a barrage of this lancing green fire from its four rotating turrets. The others leap from their cover, seeking refuge on the other side as green blasts erupt everywhere. Unlike the green goo of the smaller machines, this terrible robot’s weapons punches holes through everything they touch.

A warrior peeks out, firing some kind of rocket launcher at the machine. Scoring a direct hit, the explosive erupts into a fiery conflagration. I breathe deeply, hoping maybe it has been stopped. But as the smoke clears, I can see a thick greenshield. The machine is unfazed, undamaged, unstoppable and mercilessly pouring more lancing blasts into our cover. A green lance penetrates through, hitting a warrior with his back to a metal bench, instantly disintegrating him.

Suddenly, a swirling orb appears, resembling space itself, directly beside the massive machine, causing it to shudder and bend. I look at Krogoth beside me, his eyes glowing purple, completely still with concentration.

The terrible machine breaks and compresses, the sound of metal popping and bending rings out amongst our heavy breaths. Pieces of the robot crush down and break off, getting sucked into the vortex, until finally the whole thing is swallowed by the void.

There is no time to celebrate as another of the monstrous machines crashes through the other wall, grinding twisted metal as it hovers closer. Before I can think of running, Krogoth has placed another vortex beside it. It attempts to fire a barrage at us, but already its body and turrets are bending and twisting. Krogoth grips me around the waist, pulling me deeper into the room. “Keep moving!” He roars.

The blood roars in my ears, as I struggle to catch my breath. More green lance fire passes overhead, deflected by a silver shield. Ahead of us, the smaller eight-legged drones emerge from the walls, hundreds of them skittering menacingly, intending to bar our path. Panicked, I aim my rifle, watching some erupt into shards as I pull the trigger. I’m vaguely aware of more heavy platforms entering the large room.

I can’t keep up with the sheer carnage, as more and more machines pile into the room from all directions. Everything seems to move in slow motion as I keep firing at the smaller drones, while Krogoth pulls me towards the far end of the room. He continues roaring commands, beckoning us onward as hecreates vortexes and crushes hundreds of the robots with his strange powers.

We’re surrounded. The enemy presses in from every direction, even sections of the floor and ceiling release floating machines and skittering drones, as the larger weapon platforms crash in from outside. I freeze in terror as a heavy turret points directly at us, spitting lances of green murder, expecting the worst. I blink back, surprised at seeing Krogoth has placed a vortex in front of us, sucking in the oncoming death.

The horde is endless, for every one destroyed another takes its place. Krogoth and I push ahead as he continuously crushes the machines before us, creating a safe flank. As we reach the end of the room, I notice from the corner of my eye a huge circular door, much bigger than the others. Many of the warriors are dead now, as the rest scramble towards us under constant attack from the relentless machines.

Only Aenaraels’ silver shield provides some protection from the onslaught as it deflects and absorbs specific attacks. She stumbles forward, almost falling, in her exhaustion, no longer able to maintain a solid wall anymore. I project feelings of strength and abundant energy into her and the others, hoping it might help. Arawnoth's raging infernos melt and twist some of the slower moving heavy weapon machine, but he too moves as if exhausted.

Krogoth reaches out with his powers, destroying hundreds of the machines, filling the room with swirling vortexes and shimmering void meshes of destruction, but the stream of metal is endless. He projects his powers, pulling the other stragglers towards our end of the room. They quickly reorientate themselves, taking cover and returning fire.

I fire my weapon aiming for the smaller drones, those at least I can destroy, firing burst after burst until my weapon clicks empty. My hands shake, searching for a way to reload, when Inotice Krogoth’s eyes glowing bright purple. To my amazement, he’s summoning a giant spinning orb so large it stretches the entire width of the room and has torn through the ceiling and floor, creating a cosmic barrier between us and the assault.

Still, some smaller drones emerge from the pulsating tubes and holes around us, but their numbers are diminished, for now. “Leave us Patriarch and Matriarch, you must confront the Void Bringer quickly. It is the only path remaining,” Ecneius says, as his eyes glow golden looking between the two of us.

I stare at the ragged survivors, feeling their fear and hope. “Thank you all for fighting so hard.” I bow towards them.

I feel Krogoth placing a hand around my waist, guiding us towards the massive looming doorway. He turns back to the others, shouting, “Your deeds here will echo through the ages.”

Some nod while Dranuxia waves goodbye. A pang of apprehension clutches my stomach as we stand before the massive door, knowing a terrible horror lies beyond. I squeeze Krogoth’s hand, seeking his reassuring presence.

The Void Bringer, it’s in there. I can feel its emptiness lurking.

Chapter 12

Roxanne

Cosmic Bliss

Krogoth rips the dooropen. A sudden rush of air hits us as the atmosphere pours into the chamber, causing me to clutch onto him as the physical force almost takes me off my feet. He anchors us to the ground using his powers, while I struggle to breathe amidst the filling vacuum.

Eventually it subsides allowing me to take a deep breath as I try to calm my nerves. “Be brave, Pebbles, we will defeat it,” Krogoth says, squeezing my hand. I nod at him as we rush into the narrow walkway, with its smooth dark metal walls devoid of any features, contrasting with the other areas of this ship.

It’s not long before the sounds of gunshots can be heard behind us, as the others fight desperately to buy more time, bravely sacrificing their lives for this one chance to stop the VoidBringer.I just hope we can make it count.Cautiously, we walk along the tight walkway, until up ahead, the path opens to a large circular room, which is bowled in the center, much like an amphitheater.

Along the ceiling, countless tubes and pipes pulsate and twist together at the epicenter of the roof. My anxious glances sweep the surroundings, my heart quickens, yet there’s nothing, no giant machine, no supercomputer, just the empty smooth dark metal surroundings and cylinders above.

In a blink of an eye, metallic ropes and pipes shoot out towards us with deadly intent. I dash to the side, fearing for my life. But Krogoth stands with his hands outstretched. His eyes glow as he holds them in place before tearing them off with his abilities. They wither and flop as if alive before they melt away into dust.

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