Zein: The Homecoming (12 page)

‘The holograms will be connected to an underground cable that is built into the rock foundations below the museum,’ said Kabel, remembering a particular lesson given by Malkin, with his teaching hat on. ‘The cable is very sensitive and picks up the atmospheric power of even the slightest amount of zinithium. It would take hundreds of years to run out.’

Walter reached out and spread his hand to cover the handprint. It immediately changed to blue and Walter could hear the hologram talk. He let out a delighted gasp and motioned for some of his fellow scientists to touch the handprint. They all did. Kabel left them engrossed in the story of Zein’s reflection period. He moved deeper into the library. He saw everyone participating with the hologram that stimulated their interest and saw Tyson was listening to
The Changelings
. Kabel was attracted to the
Blackstones – Early Years
, which was in a corridor with programmes on all the other clans. He placed his hand on the handprint, sat down and waited.

The voice of the woman in front of him was soft and gentle, her blue eyes twinkled. She took him through the years when magics did not exist and it was a hard
but simple life. They had originally come from a small insignificant planet where they were enslaved by the Xonians, who had ruled vast swathes of the Universe with an iron fist. It was a woman who had led the uprising of the technically advanced race, outwitting their masters, who had grown sloppy. They had stolen two ships, one the impressive
Elanda
, which they had helped to build for the Xonians for the purpose of future conquests. In an incredible and daring plan, the whole race had escaped and they had searched for a planet that could become their home. It was nearly three years in space when they discovered Zein and settled their population on the planet. The hell of winter and reflection had caused many deaths until they mastered the ability to collapse the buildings and seek shelter in the newly built underground city, the Aeria Cavern. They had even fought off the inevitable Xonian attack in the First Xonian War, albeit with a heavy cost in lives.

The name of their leader was Cilan Blackstone, her name sent a shiver of excitement down Kabel’s spine; the name was not new to him, Cilan’s role in the development of Zein was taught to him by Malkin but he never took him through the deep history, preferring to focus on history that would impact Kabel on Earth. Now he was finding out about a whole period of history that he had no previous knowledge of. He listened closely to the light tones of the presenter.

He was told that the Blackstone clan were strong, ambitious and keen to develop Zein. They had encountered the Changelings prior to the Second Xonian War and had struck up a partnership, in which for promises and land they would be taught how to harness the magics of Zein.

At the Inner Council the other clans demanded the same treatment and the Changelings taught each clan
different magics with understanding that the full extent of the magics was too powerful for any one Zeinonian. It was explained that the magics came with a warning. Misuse of the magics twisted an unsuspecting body in ways that are initially latent but then become a living nightmare with madness the result. The Changelings demanded that the Zeinonians agree to the limitations set. Keen to have abilities that they could use to defend against the violent and deadly Xonian hordes, they readily agreed.

There was always a suspicion that the Blackstone clan were granted more of the magics for their support of the cleansing of the Pod from the planet, the Changelings’ main enemy. Kabel frowned, struggling to take in the warlike nature of the Changelings with his experience of Zebulon and he decided when he was back on the ship he would seek out the Changeling. The hologram figure pointed out that this was never proved, though rumours persisted through the years.

The party were all engrossed in the history of their choice and once they had finished with the hologram they were viewing, they swapped to another hologram. Time ticked on.

Tyson was engulfed in the history of the mysterious Changelings and the facts didn’t stack up. Where did they come from? Why exterminate the Pod? The history lesson seemed one-sided and key facts were left out. He, like Kabel would seek out Zebulon when they returned to the
Elanda
.

Kabel was enjoying a tutorial on the Pod, and he was at a particular part of their history which showed that in the early years on the planet they kept to themselves, mainly around their breeding grounds in the south, when his headset sparked into life; it was Sean Lambert,
who had remained in the first APC, the strong Scottish accent unmistakable. He was checking in with the five groups worried that time was passing and no one wanted to be in the silent city when night fell. They knew that night came quickly on this planet. Each of the teams rattled off their call sign as did Kabel; the title “Hybrid” was their call sign, much to Tyson’s amusement. Kabel broke off from the hologram he was on and signalled to the others to wrap up and make their way to the front entrance.

For Tyson, the most interesting discussion was on the Changelings, which had proved more complex then he thought. It was clear that no one knew where the Changelings came from but common thinking was that they had travelled with another race and had been stranded on Zein with the Pod. He pushed the thoughts to one side and speedily ran down the stairs.

Soon they were out of the Royal Council and into the Reinan Circle, where a beautiful site met them. The suns were beginning to drop further in the sky, creating a kaleidoscope of colour, cascading over the landscape, reflecting an orangey glow to the rooftops of the desolate city. The team could not enjoy the picture for long, with the fear of the unknown beginning to grip them.

Kabel hesitated, balancing the need to leave for the safety of the
Elanda
with exploring further. He made the call and decided he needed to see the Grand Zein Central Transportation hub before travelling back. He flagged the retreating personnel and troops to move with urgency to the buckled doors of the building, which reluctantly they did. Cautiously they entered, with the US Marines flanking the team.

As they moved into the murky building they could make out the extraordinary height of the transportation
field with its massive four towers pointing at each other across the divide. They identified the scorch marks where photon shots had burned the steel walls. There were also many ruptures in the floor, indicating breeches into the room from below the ground. The team moved deeper into the room.

Suddenly, Tyson saw a face across the transportation field. He made out the shock registering on the handsome face and the body encased in red armour. His mind flashed back to his fight with Manek Malacca in the Core.
Malacca clan
, he thought, taking in the colour of the armour and the swarthy nature of the skin. With him was an intimidating figure with half an arm and a group of four or five troopers all carrying what seemed to be old photon rifles retreating through a hole in the ground. They had also frozen in shock at the sight of Tyson and the soldiers around him.

‘Hey, you?’ he shouted. The strangers snapped out of their shock and without further delay disappeared down one of the main holes in the floor.

Kabel, who had swivelled round at Tyson’s urgent call but only glimpsed the intruders as they disappeared down the hole, due to an obstruction in front of him, was just going to shout to go after them when his communication link sparked into life again. ‘Team Leader One this is Team Leader Four we are under attack,’ reported the calm voice of one of the US Marines leading Group Four. Photon shots could be heard across the Reinan Circle. ‘Team Leader One, this is Team Leader Five, they are everywhere.’ With that followed a scream and the line went dead.

Kabel acted. ‘Quickly, to the vehicles.’ He glanced across the room and saw Tyson move towards the hole the men had disappeared into. ‘Tyson, leave it, we need
to get back to the vehicles, now!’ he commanded. Tyson hesitated and in that moment Pod appeared from a number of other holes within the building, pouring out from the ripped and jagged holes, converging on Tyson and fellow members of the team. The soldiers laid down defensive fire and in that moment the scientists and companions retreated to the outside, straight into a horrific scene.

The other three groups were running as fast as they could back to the vehicles. The last flickers of sunlight were gobbled up by the encroaching tendrils of night. The security detail protecting the other three groups, consisting mainly of US Marines and troops from the Malacca clan, had created a defensive line, firing into the mass of bodies that were jumping from roof to roof, exiting damaged buildings, swinging from exposed pipework as they attacked the convoy, to give the civilians a chance to make it to the vehicles.

Too many
, thought Kabel.

I agree with you, bro
, replied Tyson, as he fired his photon shotgun through the broken window at one of the massive forms rising from the holes in the floor at the Grand Zein Central Transportation hub. The soldiers supporting the other fleeing groups were now grappling with the attackers no match for the brute animal strength. The civilians had managed to climb into their respective APCs but the troops supporting them were losing their battles.

Amelia, alarmed, screamed a warning to Tyson when she saw a seven foot, dark blue furred, giant ape-like creature jump off the top of the Grand Zein Central Transportation hub and land behind Tyson with his frightening incisor teeth bared. As he brought his wicked looking claw down onto Tyson’s unsuspecting back, Tyson’s force-field flared up. He activated one of his
seckles and whipped round severing both the lower part of the arms of the creature. The creature roared with pain, blood spurting from the stumps and then one of the troopers finished the creature off.

More and more of the creatures were racing to the centre of the city, drawn like moths to a light on a dark night, fixated on the convoy. A number of the troops exposed in the circle supporting the other three groups died where they stood, their limbs ripped from their sockets by the enraged beasts, who didn’t break stride in their attack. Groups One and Two had not reached the vehicles yet and more and more of the vicious animals were launching themselves like maddened beasts at the frantically defending Blackstone troopers. Tyson heard and felt their fear. They were still untried even with all Remo’s training behind them and were panicking at the unfolding nightmare. Then the levitation tanks and ASV weapons opened up and the barrage tore the front line of the attackers to pieces, momentarily halting the advance.

‘Quick, get to the trucks, now,’ yelled Kabel as he fired into the massed ranks. Some of the scientists were too slow and perished at the hands of the attackers. Walter Moore ducked as one animal launched a swinging arm at his head. Walter fell over, losing his glasses, and it looked like he was lost. Then Bronstorm and Hechkle went to his aid, dispatching the main attacker by simultaneously swinging and embedding their seckles deep into the creature’s stomach and ripping out his intestines. They stood over Walter, protecting him as he found his glasses, placed them on his face and then continued his sprint to the APC.

The others fell behind him creating a meaningful barricade. Bailey was firing with unerring accuracy at the nearest Pod and Amelia kept pulling at his shoulder telling him to get into the APC. Eventually all the survivors
managed to climb aboard and for the next two minutes the powerful guns halted the attack. Kabel could see that the halt in the attack would only last for a moment; the creatures appeared crazed, throwing their bodies at the vehicles even though their numbers were taking massive casualties.

‘This is Group One Leader. Let’s move. Don’t stop until we are safely behind the barrier,’ Kabel ordered all the drivers. ‘Sean, contact the ship and ask them to send air cover, there are too many, we don’t stand a chance without help.’ The experienced Scottish man patched into the communication link with
Elanda
as the driver next to him followed the back of the ASV in front of them as the convoy snaked out of the large central circle. On the ship, General Corder received the request but delayed the order. At the back of his mind was the opportunity to be rid of Tyson.

The expedition, led by the two levitation tanks at the front, fought through the debris and the growing number of attackers. The tanks cleared the street before them before advancing back towards the ship, all the while with the creatures jumping on the tanks trying to find a way in and wrestle control away from the intruders.

On the ASV behind the fifth APC the troopers manning the Browning and grenade launcher were using them to good effect, until, one of the Pod managed to land on the top of the vehicle and tear the head of one of the troopers clean off and then slashed the throat of the man firing the Browning machine gun. Another joined him and they used their claws to rip the door of the ASV door off. They then swung in. The ASV careered off the street into one of the buildings.

Kabel heard the scream of the driver through his headset.
Where is the air support!

The expedition was making very slow progress through the city. The levitation tanks were blasting away and the remaining ASV was keeping the hordes away from the APCs. A few of the Pod jumped on the APCs only to be flung off the moving vehicle or picked off by the machine gun on the ASV. The Pod seemed to recognise this, with Tyson picking up a sense of urgency from the Pod to attack the ASV. Although he couldn’t understand all the words as his magics were still attuning to the language barrier, it was enough to understand the Pods’ plan.

Sure enough, at a narrow part of the road, six Pod jumped on the ASV in front of Group One’s vehicle and after a brief fight the ASV skewed sideways, blocking the path of the other vehicles.

‘Out everyone,’ Kabel shouted, ‘we are sitting ducks if we stay in these vehicles, if we go down, then we go down fighting.’ With that, Kabel released the lock on the vehicle and the back doors were flung open and he leapt out with the remaining soldiers followed by his companions. Tyson jumped onto the back of the APC and pulled his photon blaster out and activated one of his seckles. He coolly used both to good effect. One Pod jumped and whilst in mid-air Tyson shot him, causing the body to leap back in the air from the force of the shot, and then another came from behind him but his force-field, thankfully, did its job as the blow bounced off him. He brought his seckle into the fight, ripping into the muscled stomach region that was less hairy then the rest of the animal. He then threw the creature off the APC as, with a look of disbelieve and pain, it held the open wound in its hands.