in through automated
channels.’ Knightly’s voice began to sound a little uncomfortable
as he delivered the rest of his report. ‘Most worryingly, there has
been no response from anybody outside of the CIC. I am unable to
raise anybody on any channels. What are your orders Sir.’
Aeniah looked
at us and said, ‘we are coming to take back the CIC, hold it at all
costs. When we get to you we will have to come up with a strategy
to take the ship back.’ As she spoke Knightly must have authorised
the opening of the pressure doors into the vessel because the doors
hissed just for a second and rolled away revealing the airlock into
the vessel.
‘Confirmed
Sir, Knightly out.’
From my
position behind the others little was visible. The heavenly mass of
wings veiled the view into the airlock. Aeniah, taking point, moved
into the airlock with Sean a close second. For some reason Blue
Dawn was sticking next to me. We moved together and into the
airlock. The pressure door closed behind. After a few seconds the
pressure door leading into the vessel flashed green and rolled
away. We entered into the hanger of the ship.
The hanger was
a state. Where there had once been row after row of light
spacecraft there was only charred wreckage. Somebody had gone up to
each individual light-craft and detonated explosives within them.
In the centre was a mass of bodies. From our vantage point we could
see several figures dragging the corpses of others onto the pile.
They we giggling and discharging rifle fire into the already
decimated corpses beside them.
I rushed
forward to the front where Aeniah crouched low. My angels
gracefully merged with hers to form a more strategic ring of
protection. I raised my lancer up to my shoulder. The reticule went
red and I fired.
An explosion
of light erupted from the muzzle and burst into the nearest figure.
He was lifted into the air by its force and cleaved in to two.
Aeniah let out several pulses from her pistol into the others. Blue
Dawn folded her arms. There were not many and so within a matter of
moments Aeniah and I had dispatched them all. The angels never even
moved at the sound of the gunfire.
I moved
towards the bodies. I began to look into each of their faces, not
sure what I was looking for. And then I realised, in a moment of
horror, that I was looking for him. Frantically I began to heave
the bodies aside trying to get a glance of more, but Aeniah pulled
me away.
‘George,
George, shush, shush. It’s okay. He isn’t here. Do you see those
markings?’ I nodded. ‘That means that these were guardsmen. Adrian
can’t be with them. He is probably just holed up somewhere waiting
for rescue. Once we take the CIC, we will find him, I promise
you.’
I shook my
head. ‘Aeniah, I have tried my best. I really have. I have tried
not to worry, not to care. But I just can’t. I have to find him. I
just have to be sure. You take my angels and I will go and find him
by myself. I think I have learnt enough to know how to get by. I
got through Ascension and found you so I’m certain that I can find
him in here.’
Before Aeniah
even had time to say anything Blue Dawn interjected, ‘No. I can’t
allow you to do that. Your loss would be irretrievable. George your
genetic affinity with the Ascension project means that I simply
cannot afford to allow you to die. You are the only person left
that has any possibility of removing the Artefacts, saving the
world. I know you don’t fully understand why, but you must believe
me, I will explain everything in time.
‘But I also
know that I can’t ask you to leave him alone for any longer. I will
come with you and we will take just two angels, one each. Aeniah
and Sean can have the rest. That should be more than enough.’
‘I don’t even
need that,’ Aeniah broke in. ‘It is okay, you two can go. By the
way Dawn, you do realise that I can’t have Knightly opening the
doors for both parties at once, he has enough to do.’
‘Your
channels.’ Knightly’s voice began to sound a little uncomfortable
as he delivered the rest of his report. ‘Most worryingly, there has
been no response from anybody outside of the CIC. I am unable to
raise anybody on any channels. What are your orders Sir.’
Aeniah looked
at us and said, ‘we are coming to take back the CIC, hold it at all
costs. When we get to you we will have to come up with a strategy
to take the ship back.’ As she spoke Knightly must have authorised
the opening of the pressure doors into the vessel because the doors
hissed just for a second and rolled away revealing the airlock into
the vessel.
‘Confirmed
Sir, Knightly out.’
From my
position behind the others little was visible. The heavenly mass of
wings veiled the view into the airlock. Aeniah, taking point, moved
into the airlock with Sean a close second. For some reason Blue
Dawn was sticking next to me. We moved together and into the
airlock. The pressure door closed behind. After a few seconds the
pressure door leading into the vessel flashed green and rolled
away. We entered into the hanger of the ship.
The hanger was
a state. Where there had once been row after row of light
spacecraft there was only charred wreckage. Somebody had gone up to
each individual light-craft and detonated explosives within them.
In the centre was a mass of bodies. From our vantage point we could
see several figures dragging the corpses of others onto the pile.
They we giggling and discharging rifle fire into the already
decimated corpses beside them.
I rushed
forward to the front where Aeniah crouched low. My angels
gracefully merged with hers to form a more strategic ring of
protection. I raised my lancer up to my shoulder. The reticule went
red and I fired.
An explosion
of light erupted from the muzzle and burst into the nearest figure.
He was lifted into the air by its force and cleaved in to two.
Aeniah let out several pulses from her pistol into the others. Blue
Dawn folded her arms. There were not many and so within a matter of
moments Aeniah and I had dispatched them all. The angels never even
moved at the sound of the gunfire.
I moved
towards the bodies. I began to look into each of their faces, not
sure what I was looking for. And then I realised, in a moment of
horror, that I was looking for him. Frantically I began to heave
the bodies aside trying to get a glance of more, but Aeniah pulled
me away.
‘George,
George, shush, shush. It’s okay. He isn’t here. Do you see those
markings?’ I nodded. ‘That means that these were guardsmen. Adrian
can’t be with them. He is probably just holed up somewhere waiting
for rescue. Once we take the CIC, we will find him, I promise
you.’
I shook my
head. ‘Aeniah, I have tried my best. I really have. I have tried
not to worry, not to care. But I just can’t. I have to find him. I
just have to be sure. You take my angels and I will go and find him
by myself. I think I have learnt enough to know how to get by. I
got through Ascension and found you so I’m certain that I can find
him in here.’
Before Aeniah
even had time to say anything Blue Dawn interjected, ‘No. I can’t
allow you to do that. Your loss would be irretrievable. George your
genetic affinity with the Ascension project means that I simply
cannot afford to allow you to die. You are the only person left
that has any possibility of removing the Artefacts, saving the
world. I know you don’t fully understand why, but you must believe
me, I will explain everything in time.
‘But I also
know that I can’t ask you to leave him alone for any longer. I will
come with you and we will take just two angels, one each. Aeniah
and Sean can have the rest. That should be more than enough.’
‘I don’t even
need that,’ Aeniah broke in. ‘It is okay, you two can go. By the
way Dawn, you do realise that I can’t have Knightly opening the
doors for both parties at once, he has enough to do.’
‘Your
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