Star Bate Saga: XIII

As the ship continued rumbling, Firmament dashed towards the lift. Angel called out after her but she payed no heed. The lift opened onto the bridge and Firmament stood nonplussed at the sight of the crew. Chatoyant and Grayson were on the ground while Aria stood rigid and Anderson was nowhere to be found.

“Did you party too hard?”

Chatoyant met Firmament’s eyes with a plead and a glint of cold, solid wisdom. “Fe, something’s coming.”

Firmament stood quietly. “Aria?”

Aria flinched like she’d been shot and turned towards Firmament. Although impossible, she looked cold and scared. “Chances. Gone. Down to. 5% chance. Of reaching. Destination. <1 of survival.”

“What?! Why?!” As Firmament shouted this, the ship shook so violently that Firmament had to catch herself on the pilot chair. Suddenly a deafening siren went off and the whole of the bridge were cast in an unsettling infra red-colored light. The radio crackled to life like that of a madman’s laugh and on it was Anderson’s strained breathing.

“Engine 4 has completely shut down due to unknown reasons. Fe, it looks like we’ve entered an unknown expanse of space and traveled right into a dust storm. Turn us around before—“ He was abruptly cut off as the ship violently shook again. The siren grew louder and more penetrating as screams were heard from below deck. “Dammit Fe engine 6 is failing.” Anderson said. He shut off the radio and Fe raced to the helm. She began calculating coordinates as Grayson steadied Chatoyant and ran off to check on the prisoners. After punching in a few numbers and instructing Aria to take care of the sirens, Firmament raced towards the wheel and spun it 360 around, halting the pace of the magnanimous Star Bate. She stopped it and attempted to turn the ship but it ceased moving entirely. Suddenly the wheel locked up. Firmament cried out in an attempt to turn it but it was locked tight. As she attempted to get a better grip it spun back to its slacked starting position and the ship began to move forward again.

“What in the hell—“ She was cut off by the sound of silence. The sirens had stopped and everyone seemed frozen yet calmly breathing. Firmament snapped her head and looked out at their chosen path. In front of the ship was a mass of pink dust that shimmered wildly.

“Sabian. Funny. I thought I admonished all you savages years ago.”

Firmament sat in a moment of stunned silence before answering. “What are you? What have you done to my ship?”

“Oh my. An earthling Sabian. Tell me my child, are you a slave? Has your world already been purified?”

“I’d spit at your feet if you weren't so cowardly intangible.”

Suddenly the ship shook violently.

“How dare you speak to a god like that you damnable single stemed filth.”

“A god. My, someone’s feeling insecure. It’d help to know which god I am speaking to.”

The cloud of film seemed to hiss and move closer to the glass. “Lachesis.”

“Ahh, yes. Well my professional title is Firmament Corre. Renegade, Firmament Corre. Captain, Renegade, Firmament Corre. It is a pleasure to be in your nitty gritty presence, your godliness.”

Chatoyant stirred for the first time and chuckled robotically. “Fate. She’s fate.”

Firmament turned. “Fate isn’t real. Gods don’t exist.”

“This is why you shall perish in celestial flame. I’ll show you what a real god can do.” Suddenly the ship seemed to go belly up and flung Firmament and Chatoyant across the mirrored volcanic floor. They rammed into each other as Grayson unsteadily slid out of the lift.

Firmament took the moment of stoppage to call out to Grayson. “Grayson run down to the brig. Release the crew and have them take up battle ready positions. Go!” Grayson uttered no sound as he slid back to the lift. As the mirrored doors closed the Star Bate turned on its side yet again. This time though they both clung to the controls and failed to be tossed about. Suddenly the ship began to shake so violently that sparks erupted from parts of the helm.

“Dammit she’s taking down the whole ship!”

“No.” Chatoyant started shakily. “She’s scaring us. She needs the ship.”

“Could you be a bit more specific dear, why, why does she need the ship?!”

There was an earsplitting roar and the radio crackled to life. “Fe, there’s some kind of a hole down here. Some dust is getting through-“ Anderson was cut off by a coughing fit. As this was occurring the doors slid open and Grayson and Angel dashed in. Grayson helped Chatoyant up and Angel went to Firmament’s aid.

“What are you doing here?”

“This is my ship too you know.”

“I’m sorry Firmament he followed me.”

“What’s this?! A dwarf, a human, a sabian, and an unknown working together?! Pitiful, really.” The ship began to shake again. “I’ll find great pleasure in watching your bodies burn up together in unity as I take this ship. I find great pleasure in burning all savages. Just like I found pleasure in burning the entire planet of Sidereal.” Firmament tensed up and narrowed her eyes. If an intaginble mass of fuschia, celestial dust could smile, it did. “Yes I know little sabian. I remember. You’re the last. I’d take pity on you, but really I’ve run out of patience.”

“You killed them all, didn’t you?! You destroyed an entire civilization, just because you thought your piss or whatever the hell have you was worth more than their lives. Well I hate to break it to you, your godliness, but they were savage because they worshipped gods, no better than you. You’re nothing but faux hope and inanimate dust.”

The Star Bate turned on its side again but Firmament caught herself on the chair and stared out the glass. The dust whirled inside itself, like it was breathing.

“How dare you, they were not civilized. Their gods were nothing because I am everything. I am the most powerful. You doubt my power?! My influence?! I felt you leave that planet and I let you. So you would tell the world what happened. And then I smited your mother. Watched her burn up inside herself. Watched her writhe and pray to a god who didn’t exist. I watched her soul shrivel and congeal. And then I did the same to your father and neighbors until the whole planet was alight in a blue celestial flame all my own.”

Firmament’s face was contorted in uncharacteristic rage and she flew at the glass with a scream of pure anguish and despair. Angel barely grabbed her coat sleeve in time before she would’ve rammed into the glass. “You killed them all! They were mothers and fathers and there were families and they were a peaceful people you savage, you savage!!” She sobbed, slamming a fist down onto the controls. “They were real,” she cried out, “They were real beings that felt emotions and had thoughts and found solace in their souls dotting the universe on stars. So you executed them all you savage!” She slid down from the controls and Angel held her.

The dust roared again.

“You’re just like them.” Chatoyant spoke calm but angrily. “You all want to purify time and space, think that you’re gods. But you’re not, because gods create and you destroy. You want this ship, just like you let Firmament live, because you want to be known. That’s how you survive; gain strength. By having your ideas carried out and striking fear in the hearts of many. But Firmament didn’t remember. Half the solar system doesn’t. You gain strength from your ideas and you will die by your ideas. No one gets to decide who’s more worthy than the other. Not your nor I. If anything, you shall perish by your flame and by the hand of righteous anonymity.”

“Who are you.” The roar grew deafening.

Chatoyant stood tall and proud though. “I am Chatoyant. I’ve met many like you. Thinking they can change the world by killing good men and women and creatures of day and night. But they are wrong. I met a man who thought Orientals were evil. That the white man should dominate Earth. That with the discovery of aliens and diverse planets of yore there was no purity left. He was wrong and he fell. But not before he got to me and my village. I was burned of my skin, my family slaughtered. I was given many skin grafts, of white skin. Because that was his ideal race. Death was my solace just as purity was his. But I lived, and instead of spreading his name in grace and disdain I disregard his existence. You’re all the same. Savages who try to draw attention away from their own mangled souls by staking those who have come to peace with their savagery.”

For a moment, everything was silent.

Firmament capitalized. “Angel, contact your crew. Tell them to take up aim at the mass and fire at will.”

“Fe, it’s, she’s dust! We can’t fire at dust!”

“Then burn it.”

Suddenly the radio crackled to life and Aria came on. “Firmament ! The dust is too much ! Has in. Filtrated entire floor. Two dead. Rising. Both dust and count. May day !”

Firmament slammed the controls. “Dammit she’s in!”

“You shall perish in celestial flame.” The ship lurched forward and started turning westward. The warp speed lever slowly inched into ready position. Firmament leaped at it and pulled it back.

“Dammit she’s gaining control! Angel hold this down.” She then lunged at the radio button. “Aria, get everyone out of there and to the escape ships.”

Aria crackled on. “But. We need continuous maintenance on the engines—“

“Leave them. Go now!”

Aria crackled on an ‘aye’.

Angel started through gritted teeth, clearly struggling at holding back the warp speed. “Fe, what are you planning?!” Firmament ignored him and turned to Chatoyant. She grabbed her shoulders and gave her a hug.

“Get them all out safely and make sure they get as far away as possible. You have two minutes. Then, you, Grayson, Aria, Angel, and Anderson take a ship and go. Don’t look back.” Chatoyant looked anguished but nodded. She turned and ran toward the lift. Grayson stood astonished.

“Are we abandoning ship!?”

“You are.”

“Firmament, what are you—“

“Grayson, you need to go.”

“FIRMAMENT”

“GO.”

Grayson’s face contorted in terror and wretchedness. He nodded slowly and dashed towards the lift not daring to look back. Firmament turned towards Angel finally.

“Go, I’ll hold her.”

“No.”

“Angel—“

“No. A captain goes down with his ship. Your ship maybe but I still have to honor my code. I know what you’re planning on doing. I can help.”

Firmament was silent for a moment and then nodded. “Do you think she’ll stop them?”

“No. She wants the ship. If she succeeds…she’ll find them again soon.”

“She won’t.”

Angel nodded. He pressed harder on the warp and the ship slowed. Firmament pounced under the helm and started teasing the circuits and wires.

“How much salt would you say is aboard this ship?”

“Oh, about, a lot.”

“Ahh, and isn’t it right next to the crew’s fresh water supply?”

“That it is.”

“So if the door of the supply were to open, and combine with the salt—“

“And the aqueous mixture were to produce and abundance of hydrogen gas—“

“And that gas was to seep out into a passageway full of pure oxygen—“

“Off with her head.”

“Exactly my dear.”

“Now all we need is some bait.”

Firmament hit the call button with her elbow. “Oh Lachesis, you’ll have to try harder than that. Angel is very strong and very stubborn.” Force increased on the lever so much so that Angel had to grab his elbow. “That’s a girl.” Firmament then snapped off a few wires and sat back against Angel.

“Oh and one more thing, dear. Kuokoa maisha yake, kwa yeye ni mwanga wa nyota. My mother was not wrong.” As she uttered this, Firmament connected two cobalt blue wires. “You can let go of the lever, Angel. It’ll be over soon.”

“What did you say to her?” He said, sitting against her on the floor.

“Something Captain Tychism said my mother told him when she gave me to him to try and save me. He was the last ship allowed out of Sidereal. She said, ‘Save her, for she is starlight.’ I wanted to remind her how right those words were.”

Angel nodded and grabbed Firmament’s hand. She leaned her head on his shoulder as the ship increased speed indefinitely.

Suddenly there was a deafening roar. Then the interior of the ship, every compartment, floor, and bunker was ablaze. The fire hungrily swallowed everything whole until the roared ceased. There was silence.

To be continued…