A New Divide

GOODBYE BLUE SKY

“Collin! Collin, can you hear me!” I could hear Mark’s extremely distorted voice through the ringing in my ears. I dropped to my knees as the debris from the planetary collision was crashing down all around us. I admit, I did not know how to feel. It was such a surprise, and I hate surprises with a passion.

“COLLIN! MARK! HURRY!” My father shouted to us. “MOVE IT! OR WE ALL DIE!”

I was snagged away from my paralytic stupor when Mark began dragging me to where my father and Virgil stood. The ground shook so furiously that it was nearly impossible to walk without collapsing. Incredible earthquakes tore the terrain open like tissue paper, while the ocean brewed with incredible intensity from the gravitational force of Minerva’s brutal destruction. The relentless waves crashing against the shore, the turbulent ground beneath, and the planetary fire falling from the heavens. It was pure destruction like I have never witnessed before.

Virgil and my father had called down a tractor beam and were anxiously waiting for us to make it there in one piece. Though the distance was short, I could see that the surface, the once beautiful rolling hills, were being transformed to ash by the fallout of that terrible catastrophe.

Mark and I had reached the tractor beam, we shot through the air, and instantly, we were aboard the Alexandria. I vomited all over the hologram floor, as soldiers were landing into the room left and right. My father held me as Virgil and Mark rushed to the bridge, which was but a stone’s throw away. I pushed my father off of me and screamed at the top of my lungs. As he tried to comfort me, I pushed him aside, tripping and collapsing out into the hallway. I ran, extremely disoriented, into a woman and knocked her onto the ground.

“Collin?” she asked.

“Helena! Oh, thank god!” We embraced in a long-awaited hug. We were both so relieved to see each other, we were crying tears of joy. When I let her go, she wiped off the nasty vomit from her chest that I had rubbed onto her. “Ew! What the hell is this? I’m going to throw up.”

“Sorry, I already did!” I said. Helena then puked on the floor and yelled at me as I was kneeling down to her.

“Oh my god! Collin! That is so fucking disgusting!”

“You act like you’ve never been puked on before.” Still disoriented, I attempted to stand up; after stumbling into the wall I slid up, and tried helping her to her feet, leaning my head into hers, and my hearing started to cease again.

“Hey! I’m sorry! I’m still getting used to the traction beam!”

“Ah! Do you have to scream directly in my ear!” I couldn’t hear her so I continued to scream into her ear, still teary, and so thankful she was alive.

“What! I had a giant rock explode right by my face! I can’t hear so well!” She pushed me back, and I stumbled on the floor. I looked back to her as she swung her arm around me, and helped me to my feet so we could greet the others, and find out what the hell was going on. “I’m so glad you’re okay! I thought you were dead!”

She then screamed in my ear, “COLLIN, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP SCREAMING DIRECTLY INTO MY EARHOLE!”

“WHAT! WHY AM I AN ASSHOLE?”

She looked directly into my eyes, just before we reached the sliding door to the bridge, grasping my head, so I could understand her. “COLLIN, STOP TALKING!”

The bridge was overwhelmed with activity. My hearing began to return, and I was able to make sense of what was happening on the bridge. Helena brought me to the center of the command center where Mark stood on the balcony, overlooking Rayden’s planetary horizon. He looked to me with a grim expression as Victoria stormed onto the bridge. “I want a battle-damage assessment done immediately! What the hell just happened!”

“Sir, all interplanetary transmissions are disabled, we can’t call in support!” the technician exclaimed to Mark as he remained silent. Mark knew then exactly what had caused the destruction of Minerva. The Remoran’s very own gravity cannon; he gripped the railing very tightly and spoke under his breath.

“He did it. I can’t believe he really did it.” Mark pressed the intercom button, and addressed the confused stationary fleet of his.

“Attention, all Remoran ship captains! Charge shields at 200 percent! Prepare for light jump in ten minutes. I have reason to believe that we are under attack.”

“Commander! Multiple jump signatures detected in quadrants 4 through 19! Oh my god.”

“Ready weapon systems! Prepare for impact!” I looked through the windshield of the Alexandria as we all witnessed thousands, upon thousands, of Crusader warships instantly jumping in from every direction. They completely surrounded a third of the great Remoran fleet, several hundred kilometers above the surface of Rayden. It was an ocean of warships, ready to fight—the entire Crusader fleet, with the Hammer at its helm.

“Sir! The crusader fleet outnumbers our ships 84 to 1. The computer predicts a .0003 percent chance of success if we engage.”

“Extremely irrelevant information right now.”

“This is it,” my father said as Silas rested his hand on Mark’s shoulders. “It’s been an honor serving next to you, sir.”

“Fire all weapons!” Victoria shouted out, but as she did, Mark finally broke his silence.

“STAY THAT COMMAND!”

The bridge was filled with silence and confusion. Everyone except for Victoria, and Silas, rushed to the command center below to investigate the current matter.

I learned that day that confusion is the most effective method of intimidation. The more we anticipate the events ahead, the more safe we feel, the better we can plan—it is instinct. It’s the feeling of not knowing what to expect that is the pure form of fear. Arcoh was truly a master of persuasion in that regard.

“Why aren’t they firing?” Virgil asked.

“Sir. They haven’t even charged their shields.”

Mark sighed and again said something under his breath. “What is going on?” Just then, a technician turned around in his chair and approached Mark from the balcony above us.

“Sir, we are being hailed!”

“What’s the origin of the transmission, Private?”

“Computer says it’s from the Hammer, sir.”

Mark pointed to the windshield, and stood upright, correcting his posture. “Bring it up on the main interface.”

The transmission was coded through and it became projected on the windshield. There, a giant thirty-foot Arcoh sat in his throne, crossed-legged, smoking a cigar, on the elegant bridge of the Hammer. Ivan was standing to his right with his arms crossed behind his back. Arcoh presented a confident look across his face, as Mark and the rest of us stood there in shock and awe.

“Arcoh,” Mark said in anger. It felt like time stood still as Arcoh smoked his cigar, and smiled through his teeth, exhaling the putrid smoke. Waiting for him to speak, waiting for him to say something, so we could know, the traits of a master manipulator, and as we stood paralyzed with fear and anticipation, Victoria broke our silence.

“What is it that you want, Arcoh?”

Ivan stepped forward a few feet and spoke for Arcoh, who continued to remain silent. “How dare you address His Eminence, you worm! You will speak when spoken to.”

“Listen here, asshole! Nobody attacks the Remoran fleet before addressing terms of battle! How the hell did you bastards find us!”

“Admiral Andrews, hold your tongue! The Last King is about to speak.” Ivan turned around to Arcoh as he lightly waved him aside. Ivan moved out of the picture while Arcoh adjusted his posture. Exhaling the smoke of his cigar, Arcoh finally spoke very calmly and collectedly. The crew on the bridge looked on, completely captivated at the terrifying presence of Arcoh the Eminent.

“Gravity. It is truly incredible how the force that brings us so close together—can tear us so far apart.”

Silas stepped up and trembled as he responded to Arcoh’s statement.

“King Arcoh. Perhaps we can reach a diplomatic solution. No more blood needs to be shed today.”

Victoria turned furiously to her brother and spoke out in rage. “Did you seriously just greet this psychopath with formalities? You are no brother of mine! He is going to destroy all of us! He seeks no diplomatic reason!”

Arcoh smiled as the holotransmission zoomed in on him. “As a matter of fact I could not agree more with the young man. Diplomatic—I like that. I prefer not to destroy your fleet with your own precious weapon.”

“Commander, what do we do?” Victoria asked as I jumped towards the screen with anger. Mark held me back, as I shouted to the man I despised more than anything in the universe.

“Arcoh! What have you done!”

“You people think you are in control of your fate; you are not. You spent so much time trying to figure out how to outsmart me, you failed to see how I would outsmart you. If you play a big hand, or in your case, Collin, execute a power play, and you know you will win, your opponent then knows what to expect of you. The trick is, not to play the hand big, but draw them in, make them bet on themselves, give them the illusion that they have won, and boom. Then you prove to them that you are in control.”

“You are a monster! A disgrace to military leaders!” Victoria blurted out.

“Victoria, that is enough!” Mark sighed and turned back to the screen to address the king.

“What are your terms, Arcoh?”

“Well, Commander, I would first like to say, I’ve had a change of heart. The old me would have destroyed your fleet without any hesitation. Despite what you may think of my malicious, and perhaps sadistic, nature concerning the purge, I am a changed man. I owe that all to the young man at your side.”

I became furious at the comment and I clenched my fists in anger. Mark continued to hold me back. Arcoh then took a minute to exhale the smoke from his cigar, and fixate his position on his throne.

“Now. I am only going to say this once. So please try to pay attention.”

Mark nodded in agreement. “You have our attention.”

Arcoh laughed slightly, and creepily, as he slowly began to rotate on his throne, continuing to enjoy his cigar. “You will surrender yourself along with Mr. King to my armada. We will meet hallway between our vessels to make sure the contents are there. For this, and only this, will I spare your fleet. You have one hour to comply.”

Arcoh ceased his transmission, and gave way to our path. That moment reminded us of the seemingly endless plains of Crusader ships stretching over the planetary horizon, now littered with remnants and fire. The yellow star’s light, peaking over the curve, highlighted their masses.

“Partner? It seems we are at an impasse.”

“Seems that way, doesn’t it, Virgil?”

Victoria ran up to the railing and spoke out. “Sir, you cannot hand yourself over!”

“We don’t have much of a choice, Admiral.”

“He is going to kill every single one of us, sir. I’m not asking you! I’m telling you! Don’t do this!” Victoria shouted, and her comment sprouted anger in Mark.

“What would you have me do!”

Silas walked slowly up to the railing directly next to Victoria, and asked the question we were all thinking, but too distraught to ask: “How did he know?”

Victoria looked to him with curiosity.

“What are you talking about, you fool?”

“How did he know when to strike, where to strike, and how to strike us?”

Victoria glared at her brother as she began to walk down the balcony to the command sphere, where the rest of us stood. “Call it coincidence, brother. I have no idea!” Mark paced around, and began to think, as Victoria called out to him, “Commander Wyman?”

“Soldiers are not allowed to believe in coincidence, Admiral.” I then expressed my anger towards Victoria.

“You idiot! Do you seriously think this was all caused by coincidence!”

“I am no idiot! You sniveling little prick!” My father rushed at Victoria, and tackled her to the ground. He tried to pin her arms to the ground. She was fiercely struggling to break free. “Don’t ever talk to my son like that, you bitch!”

“Get the hell off me! I will kill you!” Victoria flipped my father over her shoulder, and then she planted her knee on his chest and attempted to strangle him. I ran up to her and kicked her in the face, sending her straight on her ass. I helped my father to his feet, as Victoria sat up and groaned, wiping the blood from her face. “You hit a superior officer! I want him off my ship!”

Everyone looked at Victoria, disgusted by her attitude. Mark stood over her and looked down with disappointment.

“Victoria, you know the Remoran law of power. They are my guests, not yours. You are treading on mighty thin ice.” She wiped the blood from her broken nose, and pointed to my father. “It’s them! They are the ones! Those Kings! You heard Arcoh! Everything was perfectly fine until they came along!”

She began to pant, and groan in pain, as the people in the room refused to acknowledge her. Silas walked up beside her and attempted to help his sister to her feet. “I will take no man’s hand in help! Get away! I can stand, brother!”

Victoria quickly stood up, and again wiped the blood dripping from her nose. “You broke my nose, you punk, you traitor! You liar!”

Silas spoke softly as he stared at his sister with a strange look. The awful look, and realization that his suspicions of a Salaran spy in the Remoran army had led directly to his very own sister. “Victoria?”

She brushed his comment away, and she continued to berate my father and me. “Not now, brother!” Silas again spoke softly, but he looked up at her with disbelief and fear in his eyes. “The legate called you Admiral Andrews. How does he know your name and rank? Do you know him? This is the first time Remorans have ever traveled this far.”

Victoria turned to Silas, her mood began to change. She became defensive. “How dare you insinuate that I would be affiliated with Salaras in any way? I am your sister, Silas! You know our history with these bastards. I would see them all dead!”

“You’re the one who suggested this was all coincidence; that is mighty suspicious,” I said to her.

“Collin, I swear—”

Virgil stepped into the conversation at that point. “Please, darlin’. You seriously expect us to believe that the most powerful weapon in the galaxy was stolen, and used, in the exact moment we had to make our leave to fight! Partner, she is a spy! I knew something was off with you the moment we left Arcadia, Vicky!”

“Nobody asked for your opinion, Virgil!” She looked to Mark, a look of hope washed over her. She thought that if anyone could vouch for her fierce loyalty, it would be the only person in the universe she would ever look up to, or revere.

“Commander Wyman. These accusations are ridiculous. You trust me. Don’t you?” Mark sighed in disappointment. It was clear that Victoria had been keeping secrets. He then called up to the ship’s computer. “ALI?”

“Yes, Commander?” ALI responded.

“Can you do a search for radio wave transmissions over the last year, and see if any coordinate from Remora to Salaras, or any world under rule by the Salaran Kingdom?”

Mark peered into Victoria’s eyes, hoping that nothing would turn up. Victoria looked to Mark full of worry, a feeling that made us stand still. One could slice the intense tension that filled the air with a knife. “Searching . . .”

Victoria jumped up to Mark and grasped his shoulders. Her eyes appeared extremely glossy; she fought so hard to withhold the tears that had been building in her ducts.

“This is ridiculous! Mark! Listen to me!”

“Three results found. Most recent was sent fifty-six annual solar days ago, from the office of Admiral Victoria Andrews, here, aboard the Alexandria.”

Mark sighed roughly and his lip even quivered knowing the order he had to give. “Guards, seize her.”

“That’s—THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!” Victoria burst out in rage, and she began to shake Commander Wyman furiously as four soldiers began rushing down the stairs to subdue her. Victoria struggled to break free of the tight hold the Remoran guards had on her.

“Mark! For the love of Eden, please listen to me!”

Victoria managed to grab the guard’s arm to her right, and flip him onto his back. As the guard to her right fell, she elbowed the guard’s face to her left, very swiftly, sending him stumbling into the wall behind him. But soon after she delivered a hell of a punch to the guard in front of her, another soldier rushed in, and stunned her with a TNC (temporary nerve corruptor).

The TNC is a temporary paralytic stun device that only most elite security forces keep by their sides as a secondary sidearm. The device looks something like an old-world metal lighter, but with a chrome-colored metallic body. When the button on the top of the device is pressed against the biological target, it will cause the subject to lose control of his or her entire nervous system for a few minutes. It is an extremely effective nonlethal weapon.

“Like I said, Admiral: we are not allowed to believe in coincidence.” Victoria then shouted in agony as the soldiers lifted her immobile body off of the floor. “Mark, please! You are making a mistake!”

“The only mistake I made was giving my trust to you! I thought that—together—we could accomplish anything, but in the end, it was only me trying to survive your treachery.”

“Mark, I’m so sorry. This is wrong. Please listen.”

“I am so disappointed in you. Take her to the brig.” Victoria cried then, for what probably was the first time in her adult life. She had betrayed the trust of a man she saw as her mentor, the only person she had ever looked up to, and the man she would forever love. She wept past her brother, who could not have been more disgusted with what she had done, and the way she had chosen to act.

“All right, everyone! The show is over! I have a plan and it is time to move forward with it!” Mark shouted to the crew aboard the bridge, and they scurried to their respective stations. Mark then called Silas over to him, and the rest of us gathered around the giant spherical projection.

“Vice Admiral?” Mark inquired to Silas.

“Yes, sir?”

“Due to your sister’s recent implications, you are now in command of the Alexandria.” He simply nodded with a distraught look on his face, still struck by his sister’s actions. Mark sighed and looked up at him, wearing a weak smile.

“Now, as acting admiral of the fleet, I would like to give you your first assignment.”

“Anything you need, Commander.”

“I want you to escort the four next to me, and yourself, to the escape pods. Alert all crew members to evacuate in less than one hour.” I looked to Mark and turned him around with my hands, confused by his request.

“What about you, Mark? You are coming with us. Aren’t you?” He took a deep breath and diverted his eyes to the windshield, staring out at the mighty crusader fleet.

“No, I’m giving myself up to Arcoh.”

Silas stepped in and voiced his concern; Mark’s comment had taken all of us by surprise. “You can’t, sir! I cannot lead these men on my own!”

“You will do fine, Silas. Once a majority of the men and women have evacuated their ships, I will greet Arcoh and board his vessel. When this happens I need you to do the most important thing I have ever asked of you, Silas.”

“Sir?”

“I want you to destroy the ship. Killing both me and Arcoh.”

We were all shocked by what Mark had just requested and in a state of disbelief. Everyone, even some of the crew members, objected.

“Are you out of your mind? No! There has to be another way!”

He turned towards me angrily, the first time I had ever seen him act so emotionally. Perhaps it was the suicidal plan he thought of. He grasped my shoulders and shouted at me, his eyes weary.

“This is the only way we have now, Collin!”

A pause occurred between us, and a mournful vibe began to pollute the air.

“But we need you, Mark. You cannot do this.”

He sighed and his anger ceased. He rubbed his hands through his hair, and gently grasped my shoulders once again. A look of compassion swept over his emotional facade. “I would happily sacrifice myself for the good of all Eden. Arcoh is a rabid dog and he has to be put down for the sake of humanity, Collin. He has our weapon, the damage he will cause with it will be unimaginable. This is the only shot we might have at preventing that.”

“Would you listen to what you are saying? This is madness!”

“Why do people always view bold ideas as mad? If Arcoh were to capture you, all would be lost. I know you learned that in the Realm. So I will sacrifice myself, so you can save all of us from our paths of decadence. You already planted the seeds when we arrived in Arcadia. Use them.”

“But I don’t know if I can do this without you, Mark.”

“People believe what they want to, Collin. I believe in you, and all of Eden will believe in you if you stop him, that I promise you. You must understand, we all have our parts to play.”

I looked down at the ground feeling somber. I didn’t want to admit it, but his plan made sense. I could only see one flaw in it.

“What if Arcoh does not show up, and we kill the greatest leader Eden has ever seen for nothing?”

Mark lightly chuckled and replied, “Collin, you know he will show up. He destroyed your home world just to get your attention. He would do anything to see you again, it’s his pride, his disgusting arrogance, that is his strongest attribute. We are going to turn that against him. His mightiest quality will become his greatest weakness.”

That air though, I swear you could smell it through the dried sweat, blood, and dirt. And Mark could smell it too, and it frustrated him. He could tell that, despite his good intentions, everyone was against his plan.

“What about you, Virgil, old friend? Are you going to disagree with me too?”

“Boss?”

“Yes?”

“I think you are a goddamn idiot! I agree with the kid. There has to be a better way.”

Mark backed away from me, and took another deep breath shaking his head at the ceiling. “So that’s it, huh? None of you are with me on this?”

Silas looked boldly at the commander. “We would gladly die by your side fighting these bastards rather than use you as bait. Commander, sir.” We all looked to him, and nodded accordingly to what Silas had said. Mark saw this, and began pacing around rubbing his lightly shaved jaw line.

“I see then. Guards!” A group of twelve guards rushed over towards us and stood awaiting Mark’s orders.

“Escort all bridge members to the escape pods, and place the bridge on lockdown.” The twelve soldiers grabbed us, and began leading us out of the command center, along with all of the bridge’s crew. I kicked, and screamed, as I tried to free myself from the brutal grasps of the soldiers.

“NO! Mark, you can’t do this! We need you! Mark! Mark!” One of the soldiers zapped me with a TNC and my body went limp. Tears rolled down my face as I saw Mark, standing alone, in the middle of that bridge. So convinced by his own resolve, he was blind to what he was walking into.

He waited and pondered, and reflected on his life. Truly, he had always wanted to save humanity out of the most selfless act imaginable. This plan he had, he had never been more sure of anything in his life.