Episode VII
The Ancient Gift. (Part I)
 

 I was Vo’tion, or perhaps I am Vo’tion. A simple Vasudan trapped outside time, in this place. Thirty one years ago I died, trapped my mind was on Vasuda Prime, but my body was trapped in this place, a place outside of time and outside of space. But before I died I was met by strange beings, they called themselves the Creators. They existed in this place, here, outside of time.
 When the great cataclysm that created our universe was created, our universe was split in two, one existing outside of time, in which one could alter the very flow of matter in the other. And the second universe, more full then the first. This is our universe. But there is no need explaining it, because it doesn’t make much sense to me either.
 I am the master of Time. My soul is trapped outside of time, outside of space. And Beyond known time, Beyond known space, it is my place to guard all knowing time, to protect the flow of time from those who would destroy it.
 I am also the guardian of the Leader for the Shivans, at first I only thought that the Leader for the Shivans was one man against a deadly race called the Destroyers. I was wrong, I train, and have trained all those Leader for the Shivans, and so it continues, beyond known time, and beyond known space.

 The Shinning blue lights of subspace twisted in silent agony in the depths outside of the Requiem. David and Sam stood alone on the bridge of the mighty ship, watching, waiting for something to happen. Sam had laid in a course for an unknown planet, a megalith of gravity and of force. The planet would shred the Requiem like a rag doll in a dog’s mouth. But Sam kept on that they would be absolutely fine.
 David eased himself down into his chair. “Never thought this would happen.” Sam looked up at him.
 “What?” Sam replied. “That you’d become an admiral, that you’d be trapped out here, flying to a strange unknown world?” David nodded slowly.
 “What did I do to deserve this?” Sam shook his head.
 “You were a good man.” David looked down at Sam.
 “My station destroyed, countless officers dead, all because of me. And for what? Only to run some more, they will eventually reach us, and then what? We’ll be dead, or running again.” Sam stepped up to the chair; he reached down and grabbed David’s half-raised arm.
 “Listen, who are you? David never talked like that, what has this uniform, these pins,” Sam motioned with his free hand at David’s caller. “What has command done to you?” David threw Sam off.
 “An old Man, that’s all.” David looked down at his feet. “An Old Tired admiral that should have retired a hell of a long time ago.” Sam steeped back down.
 “Well that doesn’t matter now. The only thing that does is protecting her.” David gave a small laugh.
 “And why is She so important? I never understood your importance. You even said so yourself that if you didn’t defeat the Shivans, that one man couldn’t defeat an army.” Sam shook his head.
 “It’s not the Army that matters, nor the man. It’s what they stand for.” Sam said slowly, he thought for a moment. Then spoke again. “We live in space, deep, and dark. Since soul was ripped from our hands we have sought space as our home, a prison, a black tomb of death for our home.” Sam steeped forward. “Not many lights can shine bright enough that people can see them, some burn on worlds, but none could burn bright enough to encompass our space. Konsu tried, the GTVA tried, but we follow our leaders, not because we believe in what they are saying, but because we need to follow someone.” Sam turned back to David. He looked deep into the tired admiral’s eyes. “And while we’re all following our leaders the people need something to believe in, something to get us home.”
 “So Kate is a beacon?” David asked, half skeptically, half not understanding, “A shining light in the depths of space to lead us home?” Sam shook his head.
 “No, not to lead us home, but to discover humanity.” David shook his head a few times, non of this made any sense, David had never known Sam to spew philosophy like it was some toy to take apart and figure out how to put it back together. “But Kate won’t fight the army, no, we are not dealing with an army. We are dealing with the darkest, most evil enemy we have ever faced.” David furrowed his brow.
 “And how do you know?” Sam looked up.
 “Because I fought him.” David pulled back in shock. “He’s not Shivan, but he fights for them.” Sam said slowly. “That’s all I know, all I could find out from them.” David shook his head again.
 “That’s another thing, who the Hell are ‘them’?” Sam gave a half smile.
 “They are everything, and nothing.” David didn’t look anymore pleased. “I couldn’t resist.” Sam broke into a full smile.
 “You have a singular wit Sam.” David said smiling. Sam began to laugh. “Remember these times? Before it all went to hell?” Sam nodded slowly. He fingered for a sword that wasn’t there. “We could laugh then, be free to hate the enemy.” Sam nodded.
“We can still hate Shivans can’t we?” Sam asked, smiling. David nodded.
 “But you can’t make a good joke about a Shivan.” David said. He knew what was coming; Sam had that giddy smile on his face that meant he was thinking of a really bad joke.
 “Why did the Shivan cross the rode?” David buried his face in his palm.
 “Oh God no.” David said, half smiling.
 “Because he couldn’t control the jump node!” Sam bent over laughing, David suppressed the urge to burst out.
 “That’s not even funny.” David said. They stopped after that; they’re past melted away as they remembered what time they were in.
“Truly, I don’t know. Who they are, what they are… I don’t know.” Sam began to leave. David spun his chair around to face Sam.
“Where are we going?” David asked. Sam smiled.
“Someplace extraordinary.” David fell back in his seat. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling. Sam turned and walked off the bridge.
 
“So what now?” Ridow started. “Just sit here and play poker or what?” Vo’rant eyed Ridow over his cards.
“Are you in or not Terran?” Ridow grumbled as he threw a few chips into the center pile. Vo’rant smiled looking over his large pile of chips. Kate was relaxed, her sword lying over on her bunk. Kate began to laugh quietly, Ridow was mumbling about how Vo’rant kept winning, but when gambling with little pieces of metal, it didn’t really matter.
“I raise thirty.”  Kate tossed a few silver chips into the pot. Vo’rant stacked a few chips.
“I’ll see your thirty,” Vo’rant threw in the chips. “And raise you ten.” Kate tossed in another ten chip. David flung up his arms and threw down his cards.
“I’m out.” David flung himself back into his chair. Vo’rant looked over at Kate.
“Do Vasudan’s even sweat?” Kate asked slowly. Vo’rant didn’t budge. “Fifty.” Kate said, throwing in the chip. “Let’s see them Vasudan Ace.” Vo’rant showed his hand. Ridow fell back in the chair, clanging to the floor.
“Ow.” Ridow said slowly. His head suddenly came up from the floor, and peered across the table at Vo’rant’s cards. Then his head disappeared again. Vo’rant smiled hysterically. “The guy’s always said; never play against computers or Vasudans…” Vo’rant’s smile grew. The door beeped.
“It’s unlocked.” The door swung open and Dirken stepped in. He looked around and his eyes fell on Ridow, still lying on the floor.
“I see you’re winning Ridow.” Dirken said half smiling.
“Shut up and sit down.” Dirken began to laugh slowly. Vo’rant stood.
“He may accompany my position.” Vo’rant said, turning to leave.
“See you later Vo’rant.” Vo’rant gave a half smile, and walked out of the room. Dirken looked around the room half shocked; he contemplated what had just happened, and perhaps what it meant. Kate followed after the tall Vasudan with her eyes. Vo’rant had taken his sword with him, and she thought that she had a good idea where he was headed. Dirken rested his eyes on Kate; she was still watching the door slowly close.
“Was it something I said?” Dirken asked. Kate shook her head. Her braid flowed back and forth, the metallic golden charm swaying with it.

Dove sat quietly in his room, the scents of incense wallowed up around him, he had a personal air filtration unit going, and it was recycling the air so that the system wouldn’t detect a fire. The room was poorly light, it was small, and cramped, and overly not a very comfortable place, not like Kate’s Captain’s sweet. It had no central table, no room to maneuver, just a bunk, a desk, and a screen that displayed space like a porthole. The room was longer then it was wide, but there was still enough room for up to three people to sit comfortably around. The fumes spun around Dove, caressed him. To the side was his painting of the Vasudan in his dreams. The Vasudan with hands full of doves. Dove had a name, a name before all of this began, when he was with the NTF, but now he had nothing, no name, simply Dove. That was who he was now, he regretted what he had done, so much that he sat alone here, caressed by the light of about five candles. One wasn’t lit, that might have been too much for Dove to handle, but he brushed off the thought. Dove was sitting on his cot, cross-legged, eyes shut, his hands rested peacefully in his lap. The door chimed.
“Enter.” Dove said slowly. Vo’rant filled the door space. The Vasudan bent and squished himself to fit through the narrow space that was passed off as a door. He surveyed the scene, looking all around, his eyes rested on the painting that rested at the back of room, next to the porthole. Vo’rant looked down at the candles, he pulled one up, and used it to light the sixth candle. Vo’rant stepped lightly around the incense burners and sat down cross legged, or what the Vasudan’s passed off as cross legged, and looked over at Dove. Even at his elevation, Vo’rant was still at eye level with his ancient nemesis.
“You should not have lit the sixth candle.” Dove said slowly.
“Perhaps.” Was all that Vo’rant said. Dove was half shocked, but he never showed it. He slowly opened his eyes. He had expected Kate, Sam, or Ridow, but not Vo’rant. The Vasudan had taken a strange feeling towards Dove, but Vo’rant was not acting right at all. This Vasudan, this loyal beast, should be hating Dove, the untamed evil inside of Dove struggled, tried to force it’s way to the top, he pushed it back down with one mighty swing. His mind nearly cracked under the strain.
“You are the last person I would have suspected to come see me.” Vo’rant nodded slowly. “Tell me Vasudan, why don’t you hate me?” Vo’rant thought about that for a moment, then he answered, slowly at first, taking it lightly as if walking through a flower garden, yet still stepping on all the flowers.
“Hate you, yes, I do hate you. Was that what you expected? Perhaps you would like a comic book ending, where I say I can’t hate you because that brings me down to your level, no, my Hatred for you runs deep into my soul.” Dove nodded slowly.
“A pity, truly a pity.” Dove closed his eyes again. “There is more.” Vo’rant nodded. Dove opened his eyes again, it seemed as though Dove was reading Vo’rant’s mind.
“I can see it in your eyes, even in this dim dark, bright light, that you are dead.” Dove thought he might smile at that. “the Evil in you died, your mind splintered into a thousand realities and you will never get the all back. I can no longer hate you, because there is nothing left to hate.” Dove didn’t stir.
“The Evil isn’t dead, only suppressed, I can keep it under control, the rage, the hatred, the broken life that makes me who I am. But I want you to swear to me Vasudan, swear that if I ever break, that you will use that sword on me. Swear it by your sword knight.” Vo’rant pulled out the strong blade.
“By Vo’tion’s blade I swear it.” Vo’rant said slowly. He reached up, and dragged his hand across the blade. His palm was glazed red, and his blood fell to the floor. Its slightly off colored red was barely distinguishable in this dark light. The incense filled them, and surrounded the two warriors.

Sam walked into one of the transformed cargo bays. The lush green plants that had been carried over from the Dunwitch hill blossomed in the special UV lights. They had erected three large screens from wall to wall, they displayed the spinning vortex of subspace, beautiful blue, and the spinning colors of subspace flowed over the decks. Flowed up the walls, and across the plants. Sam gazed at them a  while, thinking slowly to himself. He walked over to a control panel and hit a few keys. The spinning lights changed, and faded away, they revealed a scope of stars, beautiful in all their glory. Like pinholes in the curtain of night, like fires burning on candles in the heavens. Sam would be dead soon, he knew it, and he had seen it happen. Sam was too be sacrificed, to die to save Kate, his final act alive in this world, this plain. But there was more to this then simply his death, the battle would wage on, back at home, on Earth, the battle raged. The Battle struck out in the hearts of every human being that had ever walked the metal of a ship, or the rocks of some distant world.
“I still remember you, Vo’tion my old friend. How did we do it? All those many years ago, how did we win? Only to be put back here, stuffed into the matrix of this universe, only to be ripped from her heart again.” Sam passed the floor. “If I am to die, on what terms will I fade away? Will people remember me? What would be the point.” He watched as a single flower blossomed in the darkness. “This single flower, so beautiful.” He caressed its bright gold petals. “I could rip it from this soil, and give it water, but it will still die. It cannot survive without the soil. That is how it is with all living beings.” Sam let the flower fall back into its resting-place. It seemed to acknowledge his touch, in some strange unforgiving way. He walked back over to one of the large screens. He reached his fingers out to touch it. “this darkness, this space, this existence, all blends together in one single dream, yet dreams die hard and you hold them in your hands long after they’ve turned to dust. And yet somehow life goes on.” Sam said those last few words very slowly, his hand touched the screen, it flickered for a moment with the pressure from his fingers, and then went back to normal, these screens were resilient, and looked good on a ship like this. They didn’t use much power, and worked very well. The door slowly slid open, Sam turned.
“I thought I herd someone talking in here.” Sam didn’t budge, he pushed the cloak up around his collar.
“Just the tired ranting of an old man.” Kate smiled. She walked up. “Well, maybe not that old.” Kate joined Sam in looking at the starlight screen.
“I don’t recognize the stars.” Sam smiled.
“It’s the view from Earth, thirty two years ago, before our planet was lost.” Kate nodded. “It is not your place to bring us back there.” Kate looked quickly over at Sam. How did he know what she was going to ask. “It’s not that hard, the lost Generation always thinks of our home. Lost in the incandescent lights of our fates.” Kate nodded slowly.
“Then who am I?” Kate asked slowly.
“I thought we had been over this.” Kate nodded.
“Probably. But I still don’t understand.” Sam agreed with her, he barely understood it himself. Sam looked up into the darkness, as if searching for an answer in the grim dark heavens, as if getting an answer from the thousand lights burning in the heavens. Then it caught his eye, and bathed him with a thousand words.
“You are there.” Sam pointed at a single light in the sky.
“Where?” Kate asked slowly.
“Wait.” Sam said slowly. And then it happened, light broke over the Earth, bathing the two figures in the streamers of fire. The continents of Earth slowly came into view, as the sun rose high into space. The Earth was light on fire, it burned as brightly as any star in the havens. “You are the sun for the lost generation.” And then the sun rose high into the sky, Kate watched it, it didn’t hurt, she could feel the fake light on her skin, feel the brightness envelop her, feel it caress her face, and touch her soul. And in that moment, frozen in a thousand lifetimes, stuck in the cornerstone of her existence, the sword, their team, their destiny all fit into place after that one second of a glowing star that probably none of them would ever see. And then She understood.
 

   To be continued…
 

Leader for the Shivans 3: Journey from Dunwitch Hill
Will continue with:

Episode VIII
The Ancient Gift (Part II)