The Cybrid fired continuously, a terrible barrage that shredded much of the wombcouch and the surroundings. Thick streams of nutrition gel and vital life fluids spurted out in every direction, much of it being vaporized with a violent hissing sound by the particle beams. The target however was not being hit. Particle beams dissipated into nothing and bullets careened inexplicably into the floor and walls. Petresun had willed all his mental strength to protect himself... and he had.
The Cybrid stood in amazement. Silence prevailed for a few seconds before it retried its original attack. Bullets and particle beams soared towards, around and into Petresun, who stood invulnerable and impervious. The impossible was happening, and it didn't take long for Petresun to realize his full strength. He stood unaided from the destroyed chair mechanism and held his hand straight out with the palm facing the herc. Mentally he willed it backwards and nothing happened. Then he forcefully shoved the herc backwards, as though he had extended his hand and with the strength of a Titan pushed it back. The Executioner stumbled backwards, the Cybrid pilotform attempting to regain control. This situation was irrational and inexplicable. It attempted to correct the incomprehensible random variable with linked weapons fire, to no avail. Petresun clenched his other hand into a fist and willed a massive pressure down upon the left leg joint of the Executioner that hooked the legs to the beetle-like cockpit. Slamming down with the force of a massive telepathic hammer the herc's leg shattered and spun the rest of the machine several meters to Petresun's left.
Slowly Petresun walked through the breached door and into the Courtyard. The Cybrid herc was making pitiful noises as its servos struggles to lift the heavy machine back up, and a nano-repair kit attempted to fix the extensive and irreparable damage to the leg. Ignoring it, he came to the edge of the destroyed section of wall and looked outside. It was a panoramic view that showed the city block on that side of the Palace, burning buildings and ruins of buildings, and smoke reaching out for the sky. Along the broken up bottom road and in the 'scrapers reaching out above, Cybrid infantry and light hercs were advancing. Two Cybrid hercs standing directly outside attempted to discern what was happening to their comrade, and leveled their weapons at Petresun. He merely looked at them.
Know your fate... he said to them with his mind. They backed away quickly, reversing at top speed while training their armed weapons upon him. He ignored them, and looked down at his hands. The power in these hands... he clenched them into fists and the herc in the Courtyard exploded.
"Captain, I assure you that I am quite fine here." The TDF soldier fidgeted with his rank insignia, in contrast with the collected and relaxed Emperor, who was standing barefoot on the Palace floor as though he had never been confined to his chair at all.
"Sir, I would feel much better if you let us withdraw you from the combat zone now. While it's true that we've had a miraculous turnaround, I can't bear the risk of having a stray shell hit the Palace and..." He was interrupted by another man in military garb, smeared with blood and grease and looking with hard eyes at Petresun.
"There is no danger of that. However, I agree with the Captain's assessment. We should withdraw you to a separate location Emperor Petresun." The Immortal interrupted the soldier and stepped in front of the Emperor. "We need time to study what has happened to you, and to recoup our terrible losses in this battle. We may have won, but that doesn't mean they haven't bloodied us. Early estimates place losses in manpower and material at the highest in the entire war to date, and that's not even counting our subsidiary defense networks, just the city itself." The Immortal looked grim and somewhat alarmed. Petresun could read his frightened thoughts. What would happen to him? What had happened? How had the Emperor attained such strength? What would the Brotherhood do? How is it possible?
"Very well." Said Petresun with a faint smile. "I think I am beginning to feel weaker now anyway," he lied, "and I suppose I could relocate now that our troops have pushed the enemy back to the city limits." Turning back to the TDF soldier he said, "Make no mistakes Captain. This has indeed been a great victory for us, despite whatever my bodyguards insist. You and your men have done well today." Petresun put his arm gently on the man's shoulder, and felt all of the terrible things he had endured during the battle, and the overwhelming graciousness that took hold of him at simply being touched and recognized by his Emperor. People were such simpleminded fools... but they were devoted and unyielding fools. They were his people.
As Petresun allowed himself to be led away he knew the Brotherhood would study him extensively. He would deceive them all, and they would never understand the secret of how he had won the battle of Nova Alexandria for humanity. They would never comprehend the true nature and scope of his powers. They would never become more powerful than him. Not if he could help it...
Date: 2838
Location: Peru, IBA
Petresun's mind drifted back to the present, and to the multiple challenges to his power drifting throughout this timeline. He knew now that there were forces set against him of great strength, and that these forces had manifested themselves into two beings of immense power. He could not discern their true names. It was hidden from him, as though his omniscient mind's eye had been clouded deliberately. He could sense that they were both females by the way their shadows appeared to him. All Petresun could see was those shadows... stalking his dreams, reminded him that something still menaced him. And he also dreamt of an exploding star, and a great wave that would be his undoing, and could destroy all the human race... the great Emperor was considering giving up sleep if he could not resolve this issue quickly.
He knew one was an Immortal, and that she had died several times only to return. He suspected these deaths were deliberate suicides; she had still been learning her power and was uncertain of it. But that was the past. Now, she was powerful. And her essence was moving with some sort of deliberate plan against him...
The other being was in his custody. He observed her from afar and wondered. If she had only stayed put in her cell he would not have been forced to act against her. She had to have known that to move against the God Emperor at this point was suicidal. Yet she had nevertheless attempted to escape his minions. Now he was focusing his own strength against her, and he had caught her in a trap, a temporal loop. The time distortion would hold her in place until he could decide what to do with her. In the meantime she would suffer thousands of deaths at the hands of an Imperial Magneto Fusion Assault Cannon turret.
However it was not this "prophetess" that troubled him. It was the other entity, the one moving against him, managing to shield her movements from him, and dwelling ever in the corner of his mind. She would give speed to the terrible events that would unravel him and his universe. Petresun could not allow this. Perhaps the Immortal Brotherhood had devised this plan, plotted a conspiracy against him? His mind's eye roved over them, sensed their fear, apprehension... they knew he was always among them. They knew he was watching. It could not be the Brotherhood... then what? What would send this signal? What would trigger this apocalypse...?
Suddenly, it came to him. His focus changed instantly, and simultaneously felt the shockwave of a star called Eta Carinae pass over the Earth. The explosion of the distant past passed through his brain like the thrum of a tuning fork. This was her move. He could feel her reach out... feel her moving her pieces, in that instant before the end. He felt her mocking essence reach out and touch him, her astral hands shifting pawns, putting pieces in jeopardy, and closing her divine plan as any good player of chess would, once assured of victory, allowing the beaten foe to examine the board while leaving them with a confident and satisfied "Checkmate." That was the thought that passed through his mind. Petresun the God Emperor could feel no remorse, sorrow, or even bewilderment at his stunning defeat and incredible, inglorious fall. This was destiny.
Two time-rending explosions ripped simultaneously through the mostly reconstructed Imperial Palace in Nova Alexandria and the hidden TDF base in Peru. Both facilities were mostly leveled and the fatalities were instant and painless. The Emperor was obliterated, wiped from the universe as though he had never existed. It was done. The breach had been repaired, the timeline corrected. The prophecy had been fulfilled.
-Maestro
Copyright © by Ghosts of the Antipode All Right Reserved.
Published on: 2004-06-16
