Chapter 38

Talking Correctly While Acting Stupidly

“We have broken containment. Sector Sigma One Alpha Nine. Thanks to a lancer movement made possible by my Psionic spear, we have breached a line in the enemy formation. Turning back around now to give supporting fire and administer cluster charges with extreme prejudice!” Rayquel states clearly in a tone that stirs something deep inside me.

“Love it when you talk all dirty.” I say, as I do what she suggests. I begin lining up the cluster barrages to fire out at large intervals around our exit point. The enemy is still surging forward, seemingly oblivious to the fact that we broke containment. That or these versions are the un-evolved destroyers that just go ever forward until they either burn out or find a new target to feed off.

Seeing my commands coming to life, she states clearly and concisely what I am doing. “Administering high impact telekinetic rounds now.”

WHOOSH! The sound of the bombs leaving the tubes is the only indication we have that anything has happened. Once the rounds enter space, the death and destruction unleashed is oddly silent.

I fire every barrel of every weapon we have, all while administering the depth charges like grandpa taught me to use grenades to fish properly as a child. I didn’t quite understand the way the grenades could explode underwater, something about the initial explosion being contained within the grenade itself. With that same form of logic defying physics, these cluster charges went off, releasing crystallized shrapnel. Why crystallized shrapnel? Simple this is a space elf plane, which means we couldn’t do anything without their magic glittering crystals.

In this case I am very thankful for the odd eccentricities of the Endarians, as their crystalline shrapnel bombs expand ever outward away from us. Theoretically we just fired directly at our comrades who were coming from the other end of the portal created by Astria, but they are so far away and separated by so many alien bodies that there is little way to believe these bombs pose any immediate threat to friendly forces.

“Initial salvo released. Got another run in you, partner?” She asks me, as she turns her head back and lowers her wings slightly as if to try to talk to me face to face. This is all for show of course, the viewers at home will of course think the display is disingenuous, unless we physically move and talk to each other. With that I nod.

“Let’s do it.” I say, as I begin to guide us back into the back lines of the enemy. Once again, I am using the enhanced clarity that being on so many foci crystal affords me. Within seconds I feel the minds of thousands of tiny minds and manage to blink them out of existence in seconds.

“Heading Omega, Two Alpha Eight.” She calls out loudly. This is for both me and the rest of the team. Again, I can’t distinguish a mind at this current moment. Instead, all I can do is carve huge swaths in the endless swarm before us. Just like last time I charge forward, knowing from previous experience that if we are going to survive in an Endarian ship, we will need to clear all the way through to an ambient source of light. That was part of my initial reason for charging straight through the enemy lines earlier. If we had stopped even for a second, we could have been cut off from power sources, meaning our ability to get consumed whole by the endless waves of monster would be nearly quadrupled. Especially if the beasts were able to do more than bounce off lifelessly from our vessel.

Crackle.

Out of the corner of my eye I see and hear the crackling of a windshield. In a moment of panic, I look up.

Badump.

My heart races at the sudden surge of fear before we charge forward. I slam on the brakes just before we enter, but the crack I had just seen a moment ago is gone.

“What is it?” Rayquel asks.

“Nothing. I just thought I saw something.”

“Saw what?”

“Nothing.

“WHAT did you see?” She demands. I feel a sudden spike from our bond and realize she likely felt my sudden surge of fear from my bond to her as well.

“Look I thought I saw a crack form in the windshield.” I admit, as I am about to go forward with the path she chose.

“Wait, changing destination, now heading southeast, Epsilon One Alpha Eight.”

“Okay?” I shrug, as I change the course slightly again. This time I feel it, a deep pounding in my chest like my heart is trying to escape while it still can.

“Correction. I have found the enemy main force. All units direct your fire towards Epsilon One Alpha Eight.” Rayquel says.

Badump.

My heart is still racing. I can feel sweat pouring on my face, but it is suddenly less than it was before.

“Firing the last of our rounds towards the anomaly.” Rayquel says. Then a ping on my map shows the intended spot where she is talking about. I fire the last of our kinetic rounds at the area she indicates. Shortly after the missiles are away, my heart comes to a normal rest and is able to stop pounding.

Flash.

There is a white-hot light that temporarily blinds our screens for a moment. Then after a second the dark waves of monsters that had been serving as a sort of visible protection from the Prolaxian’s hive mind suddenly becomes seen.

As soon as I see it, my mind becomes awake with memories of being so close to defeating a few of these fleet commanders that I pause for a second.

“We have visual on a hive mind.” Rayquel states clearly.

For a second, I am at a loss, how did she know what this creature was?

I remember her saying something about ancient records from when they first encountered the Prolaxians, but did that mean they recorded all evolutionary forms of the great creatures? Also, if they had records, why didn’t they share with the other space faring races? Or maybe they had, and it hadn’t trickled down to my level? That much is possible, then again, they might have thought informing me was a minor point, as I already knew about the dangers of these extra planar beings.

“I can’t sense its mind.” We were close enough that I should be able to sense something that massive. Looking at it, it was likely like the psychic hunter I fought on the Endarian home world. The one that could shield its mind from mental assaults.

“Prepare contained breathing apparatuses. We are going in.” She declares.

I feel hesitation on our end, but since she is giving the order, I can’t help but obey. She is after all my path forger. Part of the bond is that she leads the way, while I watch her back. Even if she is telling me to charge head long into death, she is the one leading the way. Feeling confident that she wouldn’t want to commit suicide or something else as stupid, I follow her lead.

With a few clicks of levers my tubes are sealed and any attachments to the cockpit are removed. With only my seatbelt in place I head forward, knowing that Rayquel will have more time than me to prepare.

We are charging froward, from the other end I see bright flashing lights. A sign that concentrated fire is being directed at the spot in question from the rest of the Endarian wing. The only problem is, is that we are now separated by one large monster who is believed to be capable of controlling and directing billions of these tiny terrors through space.

As we get closer, I see what looks to be a giant round world, with long tentacles that come out from the giant sphere in the way flagella would move around a particularly large amoeba. In this case there are hundreds if not thousands of giant flagella whipping around wildly. Each shake gives impulses and sends fort electrical currents that guide and direct the millions of tiny monstrous beings forward.

“Lasers are useless against this creature. Intel states that only Magical and Psionic attacks will work on this creature. Its mind is completely concealed through its veiling technique, meaning you can’t Mind Rend it. Since this is space, Pyrokinesis also won’t work.”

She is right, I do need oxygen to keep a fire going. As such Pyrokinesis is a no go. Mentally I wonder about creating air to then immediately burn before it goes off into space, but quickly dismiss that idea. Such an idea is not worth testing during the heart of battle.

“Well, I guess I can’t Precognitive it to death either, meaning I only have one course of action.” I state resolutely. Don’t get me wrong, it is a powerful attack. It was particularly effective before it got its new evolved form when I was able to progress my class’s rarity to Omega. Now this will be my first time truly using the new and evolved version of my power since I got it. A part of me is tingling with anticipation at the use of such a devastating power. Especially one that is amplified by focus crystals. For a moment I imagine myself sitting on a keg of gunpowder, while trying to light a tiny cigar. I quickly dismiss the image as I focus on my next step.

I aim us, so we are going in a straight line towards the monster. Then I kill the energy to the thrusters, while I set us on a locked course.

Manual Controls relinquished.

The command pops up on both my and Rayquel’s console. “Okay?” She asks, but I am already closing my eyes as I am reaching out with everything I have. The giant monster is in range, well more than in range at this point.

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

Dead softball sized monster corpses crash against our ship. Any deviation of course is automatically corrected by the on-board computer that is now locked in on the giant monster.

“You sure you got this?” Rayquel asks.

Grunt.

I hear her and instantly dismiss the thought as I need everything I have to focus. Reaching out with my Telekinesis-X tendrils I grab hold of the massive creature and begin to squeeze.

“SCCCRRREEEECCCCHHHH!!” A mind shaking cry of pain lashes out.

Crackle.

The windshield cracks just as I imagined it had earlier. Still, I focus away from that, from all the warning signs that are going off. From the beeping alarms of decreased hull integrity. Instead, I focus on my mission, knowing that Rayquel either will or will not jettison us off into space. So, we avoid explosive decompression as we are sucked through the openings created in our vessel as air is sucked out into space.

My body is floating, but I can’t tell anything. Instead, all I do is keep my death grip on the creature with even more fervor than before. I’ve lost the power amplifier, but we are close enough now that such an assist is unnecessary. Instead, I squeeze and twist.

“SCRRRRREEEE!” The creature lets out another pitiful burst of psionic energy.

I feel and smell the sweet tang of blood. Fluid is pouring out my ear drums, but I am focused. I know it is either me or it. Also, I see the effect the scream is already having on her minions that are near us. Minions that if fully functional would be able to easily swarm and devour Rayquel and me. But we are safe, as the minds of billions of tiny creatures slowly die off, killed by the defensive cry of pain by the giant hive mind.

Realizing she, and yes something that is this much of a queen to all her kind, must be female. At least in my mind she must be. I also realize she is hurting her own forces more than she is hurting our own.

“HAHAHA!”

I laugh at the thought of the monster put in charge of these creatures somehow being the one to cause more death and destruction of her own kind that me. It is somewhat sad when I think about it. For a second, I almost feel jealous at such wanton destruction, but then realize that as the cause of her pain and distress I am the ultimate cause for the deaths of billions of scourge, I redouble my efforts.

Focusing one last time. My mind is mush, no longer aided by the crystals, and with so much reverberating backlash in my mind I can barely focus. I cast a Heal on both myself and Rayquel. Our bond letting me know exactly where she is, even though she is floating off listlessly away.

Then I breath in one deep breath, as I focus on my next task. I have never let go of my Telekinetic-X grip on her, on the queen bitch. Focusing my mind I ready myself for the next part.

Using my hands as foci, I begin channeling more and more tension into my Telekinetic grip, then before she can build up a resistance scream, I pull.

“DIE YOU BITCH!” I scream, as every fiber of my being is invested in this one attack.

I pull my hands apart, again my mind, body, and soul acting in perfect unison as all three perform the act together.

My mind is so connected with my body and soul that I feel the squishing sensation. I feel the moment the space resilient membrane gets pulled away and peeled back, allowing the fluid sac on the inside to explode forth.

Whoom.

My mind blinks. At least that is the best way to describe such static feedback. I lost consciousness for half a second, long enough for my telekinetic hold on the beast to lapse. In a panic I look around, trying to find the creature, only to see that it is still just lost chunks and particles in space.

At that realization, I realize just how close I came to losing entirely. The beast had nearly mounted its counterattack, an attack that even when mostly dissolved caused my mind to shut down entirely. The fact that I had killed her before she could unleash her final attack, is the only reason why I am still alive. Then I feel the strong connection from the other end of my pair bond. In that instant, I realize, that is the only reason we are still alive.

Nodding to myself, I realize there is still one more important thing to do. My eyes scanning, I search for something. Then finally my eyes land upon it, a giant floating sac that is easily the size of a small space craft. Seeing the large object, this is the fail-safe. The zombie sac. I am not certain if that is the correct scientific term, but it is the term the humans used to describe the sac’s purpose and it is as good of a name as any.

With the sac destroyed, and the main source of competency for the scourge reduced to space pulp I relax. No minds are around me. Well one mind is near me, but I am having a hard time focusing on it now. My mind recognizes the mind and soul as belonging to Rayquel. With that, I cast one more round of heals on the two of us. Then I let darkness take me as my mind finally relaxes.

My last thought, at least if I die due to scourge, I won’t be awake to feel them bursting to life from my insides.

With that one comforting thought, I let my mind give way fully to darkness.