Kalon

Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-One: Cami Akur Neda - Part Three

Galactic Quadrant: Darna Quadrant

Ruling Government: Talum Merchant Federation

Solar System: D-447

Planet: Ora

Location: Orarak City, above the planet's surface.

I see we are on the thirteenth floor, recalling it was off limits when I took the doctor hostage, my eyes search for details about its purpose. Around me, I see loading stations for the metal suits they wear. Some of the racks have the powered suits open and partially disassembled to repair them it seems. My eyes take in as much as I can about their construction, searching for more flaws in their design.

The one in charge puts up a fist, and all the soldiers halt.

"Roger that, Warden. Good copy. Enroute."

"Again?" one asks.

"Pit stop, Warden wants to speak with him before he's transported," the one in charge says.

The soldiers groan through their helmets but do as he bids, moving into a small chamber. Only three of them can fit with me. It looks like a larger version of the pods they make us use. Their numbers are thinning, and I haven't had to do anything.

"Rendezvous at this location. Do not make me come find you," the one in charge says to the soldiers who must wait.

Why does she want to see me? Where are they taking me? This has to be about the order to report from the Grand Counsel, whatever it is, it seems important. Either that or it is about the Cursed Edict. Pushing the questions from my mind, I try to focus on absorbing as much as I can. There is information here to be found, information I may have use of later.

"Sir, getting interference on the main comms channel," one of them says, but it is strange, I feel like their voice is familiar.

Brushing it off and trying to focus on the layout of the glass tubes we move through, they are less random than the ones hunters normally travel.

"Getting the same on my end," the one in charge replies.

"Only static for me," the third soldier breathes.

"Missions the same, report to the Warden then…" he begins, but stops as the elevator lurches to a halt, slamming us against the inside wall.

The light flickers red, then back to its normal hue.

"That didn't seem right," the one in charge says.

"Everything seems to be in order, sir," the one whose voice sounds familiar says.

The doors open, and the one in charge exits first, looking around the halls.

"Let's get off this elevator, something is wrong with it," the one in charge says, motioning to the other two.

The first one follows. I am about to do the same, but I feel a tug on my shirt pulling me back as the door slams closed, leaving me alone in the pod with only one of the soldiers. The soldier whose voice sounds familiar is the only other person with me now. They punch in a command to the elevator panel, and a slot opens where they slide a device. The light turns red, then green. A series of text plays across the screen rapidly.

"Check your holopad," the soldier says.

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My arm slowly raises as I lift it up. Eyes wary of the soldier. There is a single message from my sponsor tab that appears a moment later.

Trust them.

My eyes look upwards at the soldier again, they are with whoever is sponsoring me. Is this what they meant by be ready? What have they planned? Why have they planned this? My mind is turning, my hand grips that which I have hidden in the folds of my clothes. The same thing that I took from the last challenge and asked Ira to hide for me.

"Why do I recognize your voice?" I ask them, still wary.

"Adar Ulic Bekara," they say, the pronunciation is clearly not Kuwathi though.

"While there is life, there is the will to keep it…" I say, then it hits me, where I know the voice from.

I remember the voice clearly now, it was from the soldier who let me pull Arrum from the dead, the one who held the others back. The one who ordered they search the dead once more. Why are they here?

"Didn't think I'd be seeing you again," he says.

"Nor I you," I ask cautiously, "Why are you helping my sponsor?"

"Let's just say, I've been properly motivated to do so."

Before I can reply, they raise a hand up to their helmet at their ear.

"Roger that, sir, the elevator is still acting funny. I will get out when it stops and update my position," he swears quietly, "Comms weren't supposed to be back on this fast. You need to be quick."

The elevator door slides open on the fifteenth floor, I have been here before with the doctor. It is where they process the dead. My wrist buzzes, and I swipe open the notification.

Left.

"Go. I can't be seen now that the comms and surveillance are back on," the soldier says, pushing me out of the elevator. The door slams shut behind me.

I turn left as it says, another message appears telling me to go right, and I do. The doors open as I walk toward them. I come upon blood streaks from the floor originating from an elevator, leading to a large door. Taking pause for a moment at the sight, I feel a buzz on my holopad.

Turn right, there isn't time to waste.

Something inside of me wants to know desperately what is behind the doors where the blood leads, something dark lurks in there, the stench that wafts from the crack in the door tells me this, it is putrid and sickly. My holopad buzzes again.

They are coming, get into the pod, hurry!

"Vek," I curse, turning right and rushing through the open doorway to a pod. As I do, I hear the pounding of metal boots running through the halls. They are close.

The pod whirs faster than normal after flickering, ripping across the glass tube line. A hole in the tube opens at one side after less than a minute of movement, and there is darkness at the end of it.

Vek… Vek… Vek…

My eyes grow wide as I realize why there is no tube past the darkness.

The pod ejects from a hole in the side of the floating city, now free-falling. The pod spins wildly in the air, there is a flashing red light, the pod detaches into pieces, the air rushes past me, disorienting me. I fight against the wind, trying to correct myself. As my arms flail trying find the right angle, I am reminded of all the time Arrum and I spent as children riding the storm's wind.

Finally, I am able to right myself, the only light I see is from the three moons in the sky, and a floating city owned by the masters. I look down and see the clouds below. I don't have a parachute. I'm going to die. Think – Think – Think. I look around me, moving through the air, contorting my legs and arms to push myself towards the pieces of the pod, and to my dread, I find nothing I can use. My eyes are wide. Thoughts rushing in my mind, I remember all those months ago that Luna used Maka to slow our fall… I don't have enough, my body doesn't hold it well without runes. Can I pull it? The air is thin with Netherium from the surface, even thinner with Etherium.

I hear something to my right and turn.

Blinding lights erupt thirty paces away from inside the clouds, my arms try to shield the light as I feel something grasp my leg. I hit the clouds and feel myself becoming drenched in water. Whatever has attached itself to my leg pulls me towards the light, I am pulled past the light into a ship's hull, the size is similar to the Arasha ship I was on months ago with Betran. My heart is racing as I see the people who have saved me. They wear mismatched pieces of metal armor with weld marks to repair old holes. The door closes, and there is a hiss of air, my ears pop.

"Strap him in. Burn to orbit and go dark," one of the people says, their voice distorted through the facemask they wear.

"Need to get his chip out first, or he's going to get toasted."

"Right, right. Get to it."

One of the metal men moves towards me with a tool in hand, instinctively I move out of the way, diving under his arm and pushing against the suit. To my surprise, I knock him over, a massive thud against the wall. My own strength surprises me, but I do not stop, I move towards the tool he had.

"Just tranq him," another says.

I feel a sharp prick in my side and reach my hand towards it, pulling the object out, it looks like a dart of some kind. My vision becomes blurry for a few moments. Stumbling against the wall of the small shuttle. It does not stop me as I move forward, punching and kicking whatever I can. My strength again surprises me when I connect with one of their helmets, leaving a dent in it.

"Again! Tranq him again, you fucking idiot!"

I feel a sharp prick twice more in my back, my body becomes heavy like lead, knees buckling as I crash to the floor.

"Fucking hells," one curses, his voice distorted as my ears begin to ring.

"What the shit are they feeding him, bastard dented my helmet," another says.

My eyes try to strain themselves to stay open. But I feel another prick in my back, and it sends me to the darkness's embrace.

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