Galileo (Battle of the Species) (6 page)

Sparks surrounded the ship, while it filled with the deafening sound of metal grinding against pavement. They all watched the police station, nearing at a meteoric speed.

“Oh gawd,” Adam said.

Renn’s eyes watered and he felt a sickness begin to rise. He could feel a powerful energy building up inside him. He put up his hands in front of him, unaware of what he was doing, rather just needing to release the energy within him. Energy flooded from his body, shattering the front window, and formed a force field between the ship and the building.

Decelerating, they crashed into parked hovercrafts along the way. When they came to a halt, they sat there a moment, letting it sink in that they had stopped, while the ship rocked and moaned.

Adam and Frank looked at Renn and couldn’t help but laugh in relief.

“I love Mindeerians,” Frank said.

Smoke filled the ship and the sparks developed into small electrical fires. “Come on, we have to keep moving,” Frank said, unstrapping his harness.

They rushed out of the ship, running towards the police station. Renn looked up to see the dogfight above the town in the distance and wondered why they were still running when they were now far from danger.

Inside the police station, officers were scattering in all directions, on the phones calling for more backup, and suiting up into combat uniforms.

Frank made his way down the hectic hallway towards the control room, where an intergalactic agent watched the hovering screens in the center of the room. The agent spotted Renn and Adam out of the corner of his eye and rushed towards them. He wore a black combat suit with metal boots that rose to his knees and steel armbands covering his forearms. Renn recognized the insignia engraved on his silver chest plate as Intergalactic Law Enforcement.

“This is David Akerlund,” Frank said, as the agent approached. “He’s an agent with the I.L.E., specializing in endangered species.”

The agent shook Adam’s hand, asking if they could speak privately, glancing at Renn.

“Sure,” Adam said, to Renn’s annoyance. Renn was already a little perturbed that the agent was wearing thought blockers.

Renn sat on a bench outside Frank’s office and leaned back as far as he could, trying to eavesdrop when he heard his father’s voice rising. He peered through the window, seeing Adam’s hands shaking with adrenaline while he fought his mounting anger.

“My son is half human! He has as much right to be on this planet as anyone else! I can show you his papers…” Adam said, yanking out his wallet.

“This isn’t a question of citizenship,” the agent replied calmly. “This is about protecting the remaining Mindeerians without endangering a planet unprepared for galactic warfare. Keeping him here won't save him; it will only attract those who are after him, putting this planet, and everyone protecting him, in danger. The Galileo is your best bet.”

“He isn't even old enough to go there. I know very well the Federation’s minimum age for a human, or a Mindeerian, to attend a Federation school is fourteen Earth years,” Adam argued. “Renn's thirteen.”

“The Galileo has already received permission from the Federation to accept Renn early. It's only a year difference,” Frank said, as Adam’s eyes widened, listening, “and under the circumstances…”

“Who…when…who sent in the request?” Adam demanded.

“His mother sent in the request the moment Mindeere was attacked,” the agent replied, “and considering who she is, you can imagine how quick the Federation was to comply.”

Adam rubbed his face in frustration. “Okay,” he said, attempting to control his tone. “Please explain to me how being on a ship full of kids is any safer than being on a planet,
any
planet, with law enforcement.”

“This isn’t just some random academy in space. It belongs to the…”

“Yeah, I know who it belongs to…” Adam interrupted, but was cut off by the explosion coming from outside. They could hear the fighter ships making their way towards the police station, shooting down anything standing in their way. The battle over Camden had ended, leaving behind a trail of burning police crafts.

Overwhelmed, Adam looked at Frank. “Frank, this is my son we’re talking about.”

“Tell me one place he’ll be safer than the Galileo and I swear on my life, I will help you take him there right now,” Frank said.

Screaming could be heard outside the station. “They've landed,” the agent said. “We have to get him out of here.”

“All right,” Adam replied reluctantly. He looked at Frank. “You got a portal at this station?”

“We had Cybernex close it down,” the agent said, looking at Frank.

“You did what?” Adam said, in shock.

“It wouldn’t be the first time the Eminites sent another species as assassins through the portals. We weren’t about to take the chance of someone getting to Renn before we did,” the I.A. explained. “We’re going to have to fly to a port junction. We have a shuttle outside, waiting to depart.”

Adam opened the door and walked out towards Renn, finding him pale and shaking while he stared wide-eyed down the hallway. At the end of the hall stood a door, succeeding in muffling the sound of screeching coming from outside. A large figure slammed into the door when it was shot down, leaving streaks of green blood running down the window.

“Dad, what was that? What’s happening?” Renn asked.

“Get up, we need to move,” Adam said, watching the door.

Frank and the I.A. came out and looked down towards the door to the outside.

“Frank, show us another way out of here,” Adam said, grabbing Renn’s arm.

Adam, Renn, and the agent followed Frank down another corridor, while local law enforcement ran back and forth, positioning themselves for battle.

They could hear an explosion from inside the station, causing them to jump. The lights went out and alarms began to blare. Faint emergency lights kicked on, flickering from the explosions that erupted in other parts of the building.

Renn’s anxiety increased with every step and his palms illuminated brighter. He heard the sound of thumping on asphalt, cement, and tile before the screeching rose to a deafening tone. But no amount of sound could drown out the scared thoughts of the humans around him. He wanted to hear them think of a plan, a way to survive, but the thoughts drifting the halls lingered on wives, husbands, and kids.

I hope he’s all right…

I hope she stayed home…

I just want to see them one last time…

Renn covered his ears, wishing he could block them out, but their fear and worry nipped at his heels at every turn.

Renn followed the others through a dusty corridor in an unused part of the building, where the lighting became scarcer. A light at the end of the hall flickered and then went out. When it once again illuminated, a blue light appeared, zipping down the hallway towards them. They were then sprayed with blood as Frank took a blast to the chest.

Renn stood there in shock, feeling the warmth of the blood splatter, while his mind battled to accept that it was Frank’s.

The I.A. fired back at the lone Eminite walking towards them with a menacing stride, hitting it in the forehead. The Eminite fell to the ground with its mouth wide open, revealing sharp, brown rotted teeth covered in fresh red blood.

Renn looked back to see Adam cover Frank’s wound with his hand.

Frank cringed in pain and grabbed at Adam’s shirt.

“I’m right here, Buddy. I’m not going anywhere,” Adam said, until Frank stopped struggling and rested his head against Adam’s knee. Adam gasped for air, as if the wind had been kicked out of him. He looked up at Renn, then grabbed his son’s arm. “Your hands are your weapon. If anything but a human comes near you, you fire and you shoot to kill…”

“But dad…”

“Listen to me!” Adam yelled. “If something happens to me, you need to make contact with a Federation ship called the Quintessence. Do you understand?”

“The Quintessence. I got it,” Renn replied, unable to suppress tears after listening to his father prepare for his own death.

Adam took Frank’s gun while the agent yelled, “Let’s go!”

Renn glanced back at Frank’s body while they ran, feeling like he was going to be sick. Adam pulled him along and they soon broke out into a run. Escalated screeching could be heard behind them as the sound of hard bone being dragged filled the halls.

They turned around when an Aranea came careening around the corner, running straight for them. The black arachnid lifted its bony tail into the air to increase its speed and screeched when it spotted Renn.

Adam and the agent opened fire, while more arachnids joined the hunt.

Renn backed up until he felt heavy breathing behind him. He turned around, finding himself staring into the black eyes of a lone Aranea. It was close enough to bite him, but instead it just inhaled.

The Aranea stepped back, lifted its long black head and gave an ear splitting screech.

Renn raised his hands towards the Aranea and released bolts of lightning from his palms.

The Aranea's screech turned from a war cry into a cry of agonizing pain. Renn watched in horror as the creature withered and contorted as it burned, making Renn gag from the smell of its burning flesh. The creature rolled onto its back, tucking its legs inwards and twitching until it was still. Renn looked down at his hands, understanding why Earth’s government had forbidden foreigners use of their powers. Like a dog tasting blood for the first time, he understood how easy it was to kill.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped before he turned to see it was his dad.

“Renn, I need you to listen for thoughts,” Adam said. “The officers would have clustered by now. Where are the survivors?”

Renn dreaded listening for those thoughts, but he closed his eyes and focused on the distant echoes.

I’ve got to stop the bleeding…

Where is he?

Maybe they’ll leave if we get him off the planet…

“This way,” Renn said, pointing down the corridor to their left.

“Let’s go,” Adam said, grabbing Renn’s shoulder.

They ran down more corridors until they found themselves once again in front of Frank’s office.

“Where are they?” Adam whispered, looking around.

“Hello?” Renn said quietly, hearing the human thoughts nearby.

Three local cops stuck their heads out of doorways, looking at them in shock. One whipped out his wrist communicator. “I’ve got eyes on the boy. East door.”

Renn felt a pang of relief until he heard the same cop think,
If I just take him out now, they’ll leave.
Renn’s hands illuminated brighter and he slowly turned towards the cop, staring him straight in the eyes.

The cop’s face went blank and he shook his head, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

A few more cops came running and surrounded them while they made their way through the door with the streak of green blood.

When they walked outside, they saw the dock and shuttle covered with Aranea and Eminites. Civilians had joined the fight as farmers came running with guns, in an attempt to protect their homes and land from invasion. Renn was grateful they were no longer in Camden and had yet to see a face he recognized, since losing Frank had been upsetting enough.

The I.A. looked back at the officers who were taking steps backwards towards the station doorway. “They won’t leave until the boy’s gone. Let’s go!”

The officers inched closer towards the shuttle, firing when they could get clear shots. The humans’ numbers were dwindling at a horrific pace and the Eminites were almost upon them. The last standing police fought back to back, with Renn standing alone in the middle.

This is it,
was the last thing Renn thought before he heard the sharp crack of lightning. When he turned around, he saw a beautiful brunette woman in a black and silver Federation suit, jump over them twenty feet in the air, and rush the enemy. She created a large wall of energy with her hands, pushing the Eminites and Aranea into the air. They fell in a heap of green scales and black flesh, and scrambled to regain their ground.

Two large S-shaped blades ascended into the air, spiraling towards the enemy’s necks. The metal on the woman’s suit then shattered into dozens of pieces and hovered in the air, spinning into a dozen six-blade shurikens. Renn watched the blades zip towards the Eminites and Aranea. He at first thought she was missing her targets, when the blades did nothing more than cut off their ears. But the ears took the thought blockers with them. Renn’s eyes widened when he sensed her enter the minds of the Aranea and Eminites. Those without thought blockers turned and attacked their own kind, as the Mindeerian woman used the enemy to fight the enemy.

Renn thought his mind was playing tricks on him when liquid silver descended in the air without frames. Dozens of soldiers ran through the portals before the silver ascended and vanished. They were of various species, the majority of which Renn didn't recognize, but they all followed the woman’s command. Men with wings flew overhead, firing arrows that appeared to burn their target upon contact. Renn watched in awe, as the Eminites became overwhelmed, despite outnumbering the soldiers four to one.

Adam grabbed Renn's arm, pulling him sharply towards the ship.

The enemy was pushed back enough, giving Adam, Renn, and the agent time to board the ship. Renn and Adam took seats, with their backs to the wall in the eight-man shuttle. The seats, detecting the weight of the occupants, ejected straps, automatically wrapping around their chests and thighs.

Renn looked behind him, out of one of the many circular windows, where an Aranea caught sight of him and jumped onto the wing. It crawled towards Renn’s window and tried to bite through the glass as it screeched.           

A blue light crackled around it while a lightning blast seared the Aranea’s flesh, until it dropped to the ground, dead.

The Mindeerian woman lowered her hand and made eye contact with Renn, then turned towards the others, slaughtering every enemy who crossed her path.

As Renn’s shuttle pulled away, he asked, “Dad, who was that?”