Thread:FleetCaptainT/@comment-27324808-20170426004532

Forty

That morning the invasion had begun. Only small steps at first, but Intrepid knew it would get worse.

“Here are reports of ex-space attacks on properties all around the Nimbus System.” Mara reported. “Around twenty Block Yards, five Avant Groves, a Chantey Shantey, a Raven’s Bluff.”

She sat at the edge of a carpet on a dirt-packed ground with a laptop in front of her, in a small hidey-hole in the hills of Avant Gardens. The others she’d escaped with from Rover’s Block Yard were outside except for Rover, Luke, and Red, and Intrepid (who had woken up in the flight); they were inside. The others who’d escaped in rockets even earlier, by themselves, were still unaccounted for, namely Shira, Jonna, Shadow, and Skilled Honored Ninja. Some, like Cailan and Crimson and Stromling Cyclone, were just missing and they weren’t even sure if they had escaped. But they could hope.

“Hold on, what are the names of the properties?” Rover asked. “Better question; who are they owned by?”

“According to these news bulletins, the Chantey and the Bluff are owned by you, Rover.” Mara said. “The Avant Groves belong to you, Cyclone, Rover, Jonna, Edgar, and our version of Skilled Honored Ninja; the Block Yards are owned by just about all of us, save for Evelyne.”

“So they’re specifically attacking our properties.” Rover stated. “Wonderful.”

“They’re sending us a message.” Red suggested.

“Yeah, they want to kill us.” Luke said with a grimace. “I’d know.”

“Both.” Intrepid reconciled. “They want us dead, and they’ll keep trying to get us for as long as we’re alive, or not infected. You guys keep working down here, I’ll check with the others outside.”

He went to the ladder in the middle of the room and climbed it. The hidey-hole, with its few desks and desk chairs and carpeted floor and a map table, had plenty of server equipment in it with antenna links on other mountains. It used to be manned by Suave Able Cat, lieutenant of the legendary Lord Brocktree, who had first shown them the place. It was a good hiding place, Intrepid remembered, from that time two years back. He had just met Kate and her friends. Even Shira magically showed up. It seemed so long ago.

Suave or Brocktree weren’t here now, so they commandeered it.

Intrepid climbed the last rung and stuck his head out the camouflaged entrance. It was still plenty sunny, even in the late afternoon, since trees were far and few in the grasslands. He surveyed the rolling landscape until he saw the rest of their team, hidden in a valley between two of the steeper hills in a grass-covered shipping container. It was designed to be invisible from the air, as was the gulch where they stowed their rockets. But their rockets with supplies had disappeared with Jonna, Shadow, Skilled, and Shira.

We don’t have a lot of hiding places left. Intrepid thought depressingly. As he walked over to the valley, he became aware of someone behind him. He glanced back, but he only saw Red.

…

Night had fallen when Edgar returned from scouting. By now distant cracks of gunfire, clangs of swords, and flashes from explosions small and large were apparent elsewhere in the green world. “We have to get moving soon if we’re to stop this.” the Shinobi reminded. “We have to assume the others won’t get here in time.”

Intrepid sat in the middle of the container’s walls. Evelyne, Allison, and Ben shared a couch towards the entrance where Edgar stood. There were some weapon racks on the walls. In the back, seated crosslegged, Cyclone kept an eye on the still girl lying on their only field cot. They’d given Kate a medicine chest’s worth of Imagination supplements, but she remained comatose.

“They’re probably out fighting,” Evelyne said. Cyclone glanced at her. The black haired girl was looking out at the hills. “So should we.”

A laptop beeped next to Intrepid and he turned to its screen. “Finally.” he muttered. “Future Intrepid’s database has finished de-encrypting, for the second time. Cyclone,” he called, “if you want to learn more about Creative Sparks-”

“Ryder told me everything.” Cyclone responded more abruptly than he’d meant.

“Well,” Intrepid removed the flash drive and glanced over to to the couch, “Kate would want us to share what we know.”

“If you’re willing to listen.” Allison spoke up. “We all have the power of Imagination, some more or less than others, although in Evelyne’s case, not at all. Cyclone, Kate, and I have abnormally powerful Creative Sparks.”

“You too?” Intrepid said. “Who else has secrets?”

Cyclone didn’t have any secrets, but he added, “Master Blade 9 has a strong Creative Spark.” Blade was the only one who hadn’t yet responded to the mail he and Kate sent out when they returned. He hoped he was alright… he gave Kate’s a hand a squeeze. He hoped she was alright.

“It’s not so rare.” Red said, moving to join Intrepid at the laptop. “Supposedly Allison, Ben, and my dimension’s Leek Works has a list collected of everyone in the Nexus Force who we know has the trait. I never saw it, but I listened in on those who did. Tiberius told me it numbered in the hundreds.”

“Then it should be on this computer.” Intrepid said with realization.

“The key is knowing what you can do with a Nexus’s worth of Imagination.” said Allison. “And what you can’t do.”

You can save people from death, Cyclone noted, looking at Kate. But at what cost? “What will we do with such a list?” he called. “Find them and recruit them to our cause? Will we even be alive that long? We’re running out of time.”

“We can split up.” Red suggested. “Intrepid and I can find other people with powers. The rest of us who can, proceed with the plan to neutralize the Maelstrom Mine with the Paradox serum.”

“But that will kill Evelyne.” Intrepid protested.

“You dolt, I’m already dead.” Evelyne retorted. “I don’t care what you do if it’ll stop the invasion. Just revive me later.” Evidently Evelyne had been revived before. It should be possible to do again.

Intrepid breathed deeply and got to his feet. “Fine, but I’m going to Crux Prime. Who else?”

Allison got to her feet and Edgar nodded at the entrance. Eventually they turned to Cyclone. He shifted his gaze back to Kate’s face. She was so helpless, and he didn’t know how to bring her back. Except… he closed his eyes, willed his Imagination to show itself, and he channeled some of his supposedly-Nexus-level reserve into his companion. He felt it leave his soul, and go into hers. Then he let go of Kate’s hand.

Cyclone stood up. His legs needed some stretching after he’d sat for so long. But he was ready.

“That makes a full team of four.” Intrepid said. “Rover, Luke, Mara, and Jay and Katie will stay here to guard, as well as in case anyone else shows up.” he decided.

“I know where the Paradox serum is.” Red said, picking up Intrepid’s laptop. “I’ll get it to you there.” There was a shift in the atmosphere that made everyone's ears pop as air rushed to fill the space she left.

Intrepid held out his hand, in it was his Unverse Manipulator. Enough hours had passed to recharge it, however that worked. Edgar put his hand on top, then Allison, and Cyclone walked over to add his.

To Crux Prime, Cyclone thought, and so did Intrepid. They were whisked away.

The silent thrill of an Unverse tunnel was unfamiliar to Cyclone. He felt the presence of Intrepid’s, Edgar’s, and Allison’s Creative Sparks around him. Intrepid’s was small, but determined and effervescent; Edgar gave off courage and foundation; and Allison was a hidden powerhouse. But he also felt something sinister, the presence of dark forces, and the sensation of being watched. By the Maelstrom, or something else?

They arrived on a clifftop on the Crux Prime, far beyond Rivendark Canyon and the ruins of a defunct Nexus Temple. At the cliff’s edge stood four older people. Two of them had Leek Works badges. Cyclone recognized the adult faces of Future Intrepid and Future Luke and Future Mara, but the fourth was facing the other way, over the cliff’s edge. His suit was vaguely Paradox in design, Space Marauder in essence. His helmet was on.

“Good, you popped up in our containment zone, or the Maelstrom would have detected your entrance.” Future Luke stated. “Mind you we’ve been waiting here for hours beyond the original rendezvous time.”

“We ran into complications.” young Intrepid said sourly.

“The invasion. So we’ve heard.” Future Intrepid said.

“Some of our teammates are still missing.” Edgar related, and Future Intrepid turned to the Shinobi sadly.

“We all lose something in war.” he said. “Unless you have nothing to lose.”

There was a flash of light and a rush of air, and Red dropped out of a rift. She dropped a small box in Future Intrepid’s hand and he handed it to the nearest person, Cyclone. He handed it off to his Intrepid.

“Welcome back.” Intrepid said to Red. She looked up, seeming a bit harried for some reason, but after a moment she smiled reassuringly.

“There’s a ten-thousand strong advanced Stromling between us and the Ore Deposits.” Future Mara reported. “We’ll distract them, so you can get in and use the antitoxin.” Intrepid opened the box. “We should all carry a plunger, so we each have a shot.”

“You can’t just teleport in without being detected.” Future Luke explained. “We’ll go first and clear a path, then you come in when it’s safe.”

“He means less unsafe.” Future Mara said. “That being said, let’s go.”

The Space Marauder turned around then, and that’s when Cyclone recognized his Future Dimension counterpart.

The Future Dimensioners all disappeared and a moment later rumbles rang out over the cliffside. Cyclone, Intrepid, Edgar, Allison, and Red darted to the edge to see orange and red flaming debris and dust shooting out of previously invisible vents in the ground. More explosions rocked the ground that crumbled rocks on the opposing cliff face. At the ravine’s bottom between cliffs, guarding the Mine’s entrance, Stromlings and Mechs and Camel Spiders responded to the commotion and assumed attack positions.

Then a blue light shone out of the Mine entrances. The pure energy grew to such an intensity that the stronger Maelstrom forces were stunned and the Stromlings were vaporized.

“That’s your cue.” Red ordered. “Go.”

Cyclone felt Intrepid’s hand grab his arm, and then they were off on the most dangerous mission of their lives.

<ac_metadata title="Chapter 40"> </ac_metadata>