Chapter 2: Chapter Two: Awakening

High above the dark side of the moon, a black sphere floated. Stars glowed and shined in the vast distances, but the orb looked pristine, unaffected by radiation or freezing temperatures of space. Roughly the size of a two-story home, it hung in the vacuum of space like any other debris floating in the cosmos.

A dim light blinked on the surface of the sphere. Followed by another.

A singular light glowed to life on the black, solid surface. It peered down to the dark side of the moon.

Within the light, scans and computations appeared. The light cut through the darkness, without every shining any light down. On the dark side of the moon, a black pyramid stood.

The sphere scanned it. There was no movement or power fluctuations. It stood as it always stood, quiet, dark, and alone.

The sphere changed its scans. They penetrated the moon and reached all the way to the blue planet on the other side. It continued to scan. Readings appeared within the sphere’s core, sensing a new, stronger fluctuation. The sphere continued to scan, waiting patiently for the rising power to dip, like it had done in the past.

The power continued to rise in small increments. After a time, the sphere saw that the power was not weakening. It reached a point on its scan, the point of no return.

The sphere opened a subspace communication signal. In the far distance of space, its signal was received.

The sphere waited. It then began receiving commands.

Above the northern lunar pole, time and space began to rippled. Small surges of unknown power arced out of the rippling and spread into space before fading away. In a blink, reality shimmered before a new, smaller sphere appeared.

It had no lights. Only a black, perfect orb high above the moon. An initial scan from the new orb locked on the planet in the distance. A silent hum filled the black sphere and a second later, it shot toward the planet at amazing speed.

The sphere barreled along like a cannonball. It changed its course, curving its trajectory and aiming for the planet. When it reached the upper atmosphere, flames surged. It didn’t affect the sphere as it came down like a comet. It plummeted down with accelerated speed and by the pull of the planet’s gravity. It simply blasted through the atmosphere, following the signal to its target.

***

Heat and power pulsed. It smothered me, but not in a bad way. Electric fire filled every cell of my body, but it was comforting. The pulse of streams, lakes, ponds, seas, and oceans crashed upon my spirit and I welcomed it with open arms. I felt like I was dreaming, but deep down, I knew I had to wake up.

I slowly opened my eyes.

I was on my stomach, and staring at a rock not too far from my eyes. I simply stared, wondering why I could see so well. The cavern was dark. There was no hint of light from my cellphone.

Sounds pressed on my ears. I could hear everything, from the scurrying of insects in the dark, to the wind blowing outside of the cavern.

I pressed my palms to the dirt floor and slowly rose up. I twisted my legs under me and sat down, taking in all the new and powerful sensations.

The cave was dark. Really dark. But I could see like it was late afternoon on a sunny day. A memory touched my calm mind. I lifted a hand and touched my back, remembering the humanoid thing cutting across it and losing feeling from the waist down. Much to my surprise, I could feel my legs, and everything else around me. It felt like my senses were dialed to eleven, no, twelve. Touch, sight, smell, hearing, all much more powerful than I remembered.

I turned my head and looked over to where the pool of milky blue liquid was. I blinked as I saw that it was gone. I stood up and walked over to the edge. I peered down a deep pit, no liquid in sight. It was gone, like it was drained away.

The sensations along my senses were almost too much. I touched a hand to the side of my head, the pressure building before it relaxed and drained away. What happened to me? The last thing I saw was the dogs turning into the same liquid before I was pulled under. I thought I was dead. I put my hand to my chest and felt my heartbeat. No, I was very much still alive.

I turned around, my gaze cutting through the darkness and spotting my cellphone. I walked over to it, easily. It was odd, like I felt I had a new spring in my step. I couldn’t believe how good I felt. There were no aches or pains. I felt like I could run ten marathons and build a ship after I was finished.

I reached down and picked up my phone. I turned it over and tapped lightly at the screen. The moment I tapped it, the glass broke and cracks splintered out.

“Dammit,” I whispered to myself.

Turning it over in my hand, it seemed it was drained of power before I accidently broke it. How long was I out? It must have been more than eight hours, because my phone was mostly charged when I reached the camp site. But I could have been down here for days. And what happened to me? Why did I feel so good, strong, and powerful? It was like I had a different body than the one I walked in with.

I put my broken phone in my pocket and made my way to the rocky tunnel. I followed it as sensations filled my senses. When I saw light, I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I was only in there for a little while. It was early afternoon when I arrived. It might be approaching evening.

I stepped out of the mouth of the cave and looked up to a clear, sunny day.

It was beautiful, but something was off. The sun wasn’t hovering over the western horizon. It was just above the eastern horizon. Was I out of it the whole day and night? If only a day had passed, there would be no one looking for me because my parents knew I would be here for a long weekend.

I touched the side of my head again, feeling power pulse through me. I wish I had some answers, but it looked like, whatever happened, I made it out alive, better than alive.

I turned and began walking. I knew the way back to camp. I had an emergency phone in my truck. I can call my parents and see if they know how much time had passed.

I reached the edge of the forest and walked on the small, dirt path. The sounds of birds were nearly deafening. I quickly was able to turn down the volume to a normal level, but I felt like I could hear anything if I focused enough.  

I walked through the forest with questions filling my mind. I had to push them all away. Maybe I imagined what happened because of my PTSD? Stop, I had to stay calm and clear my thoughts. Get to the phone, call home, and get some answers. After that, I can decide on what to do next.

I was halfway through the small forest, when something touched my senses. I looked up and my eyes widened as a large fireball was barreling down in my direction!

The ball of fire roared as it streaked down from the sky. It was as big as a small house.

I turned and ran. I could hear, feel, taste the flames as the forest blurred past me. I seemed to notice that I was moving fast, really fast. I reached the rocky hills in a blink. I barely glanced over my shoulder as the fireball came down and struck the small forest with such power, everything was blasted in light.

I was lifted off my feet and thrown as the area exploded like a hurricane making landfall. I tumbled through the air, unable to tell up from down, left from right. In an instant, I saw The Spear before I slammed into it, shattering it to rocky dust.

I continued to tumble through the air. I arced down and slammed into the ground, chunks of urth flying up from the impact. The momentum slowed as I ground to a halt. I lifted myself up and jumped to my feet. My hands touched my own body, expecting bloody wounds and broken bones, but there were none. My clothes were ripped and shredded, but my skin was pristine.

I whirled around and saw column of smoke snaking into the air. The forest was on fire. Trees were flattened and brush ablaze.

I stood in shock, a small thought touching the back of my mind, wondering if my truck was, okay?

A vibrating hum touched my senses. I continued to stare at the smoky destruction. Something big shifted in the smoke. I took a step back, followed by another. I didn’t blink as something began to rise from the smoke and fire.

Its body was metallic. It had a roundish shape, but now it had thick, robotic arms unfurling from its body. Underneath, four armored legs stabbed out as it rose up. A single light appeared in the middle, like an unblinking eye. It glowed a golden yellow as its black body turned slightly. It was not the size of a forty-foot tree, and much thicker. The yellow eye shifted and locked on my gaze.

A flashback of smoke and flying debris filled my mind and I was rooted to the spot.

The armored metal monster pointed a thick arm at me. Something that looked like a small cannon emerged from its forearm. There was a whirl before blazing light stabbed out from it.

All I could do was lift my arms and cross them across my face. There was no where to run, or dive for cover, not with the half a second worth of time I had. I braced myself, a deeper thought telling me, this was the end.

Hard metal struck me by the hundreds and I was again lifted off my feet. I was sent hurtling through the air. My back slammed into a large boulder, and to my surprise, it cracked upon impact.

The deafening noise of the robot’s arm cannon died down, and I stood, small scratches covering my body. It felt like small papercuts, but as I looked down at my arms, those tiny cuts began to close up immediately.

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“What the,” was all I could say before I heard the massive whirling and thundering of metal legs coming toward me.

The four-legged robot aimed its arm cannon at me and the whirl cycled. I wasn’t about to let it do that to me again. I bent my legs and leapt to the side, but instead of leaping just a few feet, I launched into the air sideways!

I was high in the sky and looking down at the giant robot, the devastation, and my truck by the campsite, on its side.

I started to fall when a storm of metal slammed into me. It was enough to spin my body in the air as I felt each round strike, blunt, and fall away.

The stream of bullets continued to strike me as I slammed into another large boulder. I cracked it as I bounced off and fell behind it.

My senses were dazzled as I tried to make sense of what was happening. I was back on my feet and pressing my back against the side of the boulder I just cracked. I checked myself again to see light scratches, but nothing too deep. They already began to heal.

I knew I had to run. I looked over to a path between the rocky hills. It would provide me with enough cover to try and get away. I bent my legs, careful to not launch myself. I was about to run, when the boulder behind me was lifted up. I glanced back to see the large robot lift up the boulder with its left hand, and aimed at me with the cannon on its right.

I darted forward and the air around me boomed like a cannon firing on a battleship. The sound of the robot’s cannon went off, I darted into between rocky hills in a blink of an eye. I couldn’t believe how fast I was going until a shadow loomed over me. I slammed my feet into the ground, my boots ripping off because of rocks. I stopped with now bare feet as the large boulder slammed into the space between the rocky hills, preventing any further escape.

I turned to dart in another direction, when a hiss touched the air. I barely got three steps when a small missile struck the ground near me and exploded. I was hurled into hill and bounced twice before landing on my hands and feet. I lifted my head as saw the large robot aim at me.

I don’t know what overcame me as my mind snapped. All fear bled away as I brow filled with silent anger. This thing showed up and started blasting at me. I wasn’t about to let it continue.

My muscles vibrated before I launched forward like a cannon going off. The robot’s arm cannon spit out a stream of hot metal. I blinked as several large rounds hit my face and flattened. I jumped and spun my body into a spiral as rounds hit me and bounced off and deflected. I was nearly to the giant robot, when a clawed hand shot out and grabbed me in midair.

Thick metal fingers clamped around my arms and chest. The whirls of mechanisms vibrated as the robot lifted me up to it. I grunted as I tried to break free. The thing had a firm grip on me. I stared at the golden yellow eye as I was brought closer.

Madness consumed me as I growled and then roared. Sparks shot up from the metal hand as I pushed out with my arms. Metal groaned as the fingers could barely hold me. I roared louder, the machine’s fingers unable to hold me much longer.

The robot lifted me up and slammed me down on the ground. I felt the impact, but it barely registered as I continued to push out from its grasp. Metal groaned louder, and a thick finger snapped off. I pulled my arm free and grabbed at another finger. I pulled and the metal finger began to bend away.

The robot lifted its cannon and aimed it at me. I didn’t care. I just needed to get out of its grasp. Something clicked and slid within the cannon. Heat and energy appeared deeper within the barrel of the cannon. I grunted as I pulled open another finger so hard, I ripped it off in a shower of sparks.

The cannon went off at point-blank range.

Energy slammed into me. Actual pain seared my senses as I screamed in torment. I lifted my hands and balled them together. In a fit of rage, I slammed them down at the wrist of the hand holding me. I didn’t expect to do much, but when the power of my strike shattered the wrist, I smiled as I fell.  

I opened the last two metal fingers before hitting the ground. I rolled from the severed hand and back to my feet as the robot pointed its cannon at me. Not this time!

I ducked to the side the moment the cannon went off. The explosion sent me flying to the side. I righted my body and hit the ground. I was crouched down as the robot turned and tried to aim at me. I launched from the ground and flew up to its cannon arm. I landed and grabbed onto it, my fingers stabbing into thick metal armor. I planted my feet and pulled. Metal creaked before the armor plate behind the cannon was pulled off.

I turned the metal plate in my hands and stabbed down into odd circuits and cables. The plate was sharp enough to cut through them. Sparks blasted into my face as the arm started to not work correctly. It made odd whirling sounds and sparks appeared along the arm. I might had done enough damage to let me escape.

I bent my legs and launched off the arm. I soared into the air, higher and higher than I thought possible. I glanced down to see a box stab out from the robot’s armored shoulder. Three missiles shot out and streaked toward me.

My arms and legs flailed, unsure what to do. I then began to move and hover without any assistance. I looked at myself in wonder, before three missiles hit me. The explosion sent me hurtling through the air, but I only had scratches across my body.

I fell, leaving trails of smoke behind me. I looked at the giant robot as another box stabbed up from the other shoulder and aimed.

With a thought, I stopped falling. I didn’t know it could be that easy.

Missiles fired. I crossed my arms and shot down like small, blurry comet. The missiles flew toward me, but I was much more maneuverable. I slipped to the side, a missile shooting past and missing me by inches. I did the same for the next two. I glanced to the side to see them turn and curve back. I barreled down at the robot as it looked up at me.

My plan was to use the missiles against it and try to run. I think the robot was smart enough to guess what I was doing because I heard the missiles behind me peter out and fall.

I didn’t stop my descent. I had to stop this thing before it had any more tricks up its sleeve. I continued to fly toward it, my entire body becoming a battering ram. Holes opened up around the main part of its metal body. Metal tentacles slipped out and a dozen of them shot up toward me.

I tried to change direction and veer off. I was nearly away from the robot and its tentacles, when some of them shot father and coiled around my limbs and waist. The metal tentacles went taught, and I was pulled down with instantly.

I slammed into the ground with a thunderous boom.

I struggled, the tentacles firmly holding me down on my stomach. I was able to turn my head enough as a rod slid out of the robot, with a black, crystal-like tip. I managed to glimpse it before it began to whirl like a drill.

My entire body radiated power. I slammed my palms down and pushed up. The metal tentacles groaned as cracks appeared along them. I wasn’t going to let this thing drill into me. I let out a roar as I pushed harder, the groaning metal music to my ears.

Time stopped as the whirling drill-bit touched my neck. In the next moment, I screamed like I never screamed before.

The drill spun and penetrated my skin. I felt it, a dark entropy crawling along my senses as the drill bit a little deeper. I struggled, only for more metal tentacles wrapping and holding me in place. I gritted my teeth as the drill touched my spine. Then, as quickly as it came, the drill pulled back and something else stabbed into the back of my neck.

The crawling darkness faded as I felt something attach to my spine, right below the back of my head. A haze fell over me, like I had pushed myself beyond my limit.    

Tentacles picked me up and turned me around. I faced the damaged robot as its single, golden yellow eye stared back at me.

“Your move,” I said as the thing in my neck burrowed thin needles into my spine.

The robot eyed me with its one eye. Another whirl of metal and the entire robot’s body opened up like a giant mouth. I stared at padded section within the robot before I was thrust inside. Tentacles let go and the entire thing clamped closed on me.

Light filled the small area, barely big enough for me to sit up in. I reared back a fist, ready to smash my way out. Greenish gas filled the small chamber and weakness pulled on my muscles.

“What…the…” I managed before I passed out.

***

The large robot waited until its sole occupant passed out. It stood up straighter as sensors detected Urth fighter jets approaching at super-sonic speeds.

The robot’s arms and legs slid into the main body. Hatches closed and it took the form of its original spherical shape. An engine hummed for several seconds before the sphere launched straight up into the sky.

Fight jets closed in when sensors went off. Pilots stared out as a sphere shot up into the sky. The pilots tried to get a lock, but sensors were scrambled, unable to get a lock.

The pilots simple watched as the sphere blasted further and further into the sky, until it was gone from sight in the bright sunny day.

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