The Gauntlet of Possession (The Teracian Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  “What did they do to him?” said Trevor.

  “Is something wrong with his head? Is he going to be okay?” said William.

  The humanoid nodded several times and placed its hand on its chest.

  Just as quickly, Allen roused slightly and could hear his friends more clearly. A feeling of exhaustion hit him once more as a blue light left his vision.

  Brenda glanced back at Allen and saw him opening his eyes. “Guys, he’s awake. William, do we have any water?”

  Allen tried to stand but felt a crippling pressure in his head. A strange new wave of sounds came from right next to him. The voices were faded and didn’t sound familiar.

  “Do you think he was affected by the Spectrum Wave Emitter?”

  “Yes, he was hit with it right before he entered the temple.”

  “These people are human, but they are not mechanical. Are there other planets inhabited by humans?”

  “I do not know. They have never seen us before, let alone other Teracians.”

  “They cannot be from this galaxy. Earth was left desolate over 500 human years ago.”

  Allen raised his head and saw the return of the pulsing pain in his skull. The raindrops impacted his forehead, and each drop felt like ice. What were those voices just now? Teracians? Earth was destroyed 500 years ago!

  William abruptly braced as Allen jerked his head forward and toppled over, thrashing at the mud, causing it to cover his forearms and clothing.

  “Allen, it’s okay! Trevor, hold him down. Allen! Allen! Calm down, you're all right.”

  “There is no time for this. That cybernetic wretch gusting through the temple must not disturb Dazshra. It will mean the end of us and the One Mind!”

  Allen hunched over on his knees and wiped the debris from his face. His headache persisted, but his vision and hearing were normal. Pressing onto his temple, he massaged slowly.

  “Are you sure you’re okay to come with us? You could stay with Anya under the forcefield while we go inside,” William said as he rubbed the mud from Allen’s back.

  Allen stood up and collected his balance, “I can make it. Just a headache and exhaustion. We’ve been awake since yesterday morning when we had class together.”

  “It’s been a long time, and I’m feeling it too, but we might be able to rest in this structure. At least it’ll shield us from the rain, but I can’t say the same about the cold.”

  “Did any of you hear strange voices just now?”

  Everyone looked at him and shook their heads.

  Allen grasps William hand as a smile etched on his face for the first time since the accident.

  “Let’s get out of this rain.”

  Glancing at the sky, he saw the clouds reveal the monolith he’d seen earlier. Like a stampede, his heartbeat increased; the strange voices still fresh in his mind. He had barely heard it and thought it was William or Trevor, but the speech took on a fuzzy tone, like a TV antenna out of alignment. They referred to themselves as Teracians and that the Earth was desolate. That would mean we really are on a different planet, but what year is it here? I’m sure I’m just hearing things, or they really did talk.

  Allen and the group began to follow. He looked back and saw Anya watching them venture deeper into the unlit corridor. Only a few drops of rain glistened off her face. I hope nothing happens to her. The sounds from their footing echoed with each step as their shoes impacted the dry surfaces. The narrowness of the stone corridor forced them to walk in pairs with William and Brenda being led by the Teracians and Allen and Trevor guarding the rear. William took out his phone, and the rest followed, lighting the dusty metal walls. Allen let his hand drag along the surface and noticed a much smoother exterior and more metal pieces the further they walked. The pathway was cold and silent, except for the sound of breathing and the stirring of rocks. Allen could see no signs of cobweb or animal droppings. The air left a dryness in his throat, and his breathing became shallow. The two Teracians were several feet ahead of them and walked at a much faster pace. Allen wondered how long it had been since someone was last here. The structure had appeared to be sealed long ago, and the powder and debris he kicked up seemed to have accumulated for many years. No traces remained from the armed assassin; it was as if he had just vanished from existence.

  Approaching the end of the tunnel, the group found a much larger chamber. Allen glanced behind him and saw nothing but falling dust and darkness. The silence cut like a knife into his bare flesh. Appearing suddenly in front of them, the Teracians started walking around the chamber; faint glows lighting their way. The space looked to be the size of a small castle. With little light, the different pathways looked endless. One of them approached a thin cone-shaped arrangement in the center of the room and illuminated it with a spark from its palm. They repeated this in every corner of the room, and soon the entire chamber was brightly lit.

  “Wow, this is huge! Brenda, do you know what this reminds me of?”

  “No, but you’re going to tell me, aren’t you?” she said with a chuckle.

  “The Harrisburg Planetarium back in London. God, I wish we were there now.”

  “When we get back we can tell them that we found alien life. Mum will see us on television.”

  “Don’t let your guard down, guys. That thing is in here somewhere,” said William as his hand clenched into his pocket.

  “Ah come on, relax. The dust in the pathway wasn’t shaken up. Didn’t it disappear or something and it produced a small gust of wind. This dust didn’t become unsettled.”

  “We don’t know what these beings are capable of. Don’t underestimate something that you don’t understand,” William said. He shifted his attention to Allen and the rest of the group, “Make sure to stay together.”

  “What about Anya? Why did you let her stay behind?” said Allen.

  “She will be fine. She is safer out there than we are in here with the forcefield and all.”

  Allen decided to change the subject. “What kind of metal do you guys suppose this is?” he said as he let his hands drag along the wall.

  “Well it could be anything or metal that we don’t have on Earth,” said Trevor.

  “You’re probably right.”

  Trevor brought his nose up to the wall and breathed deeply. “It isn’t iron. Maybe it’s a thick metal like titanium or something.”

  “These walls aren’t hollow either,” said Allen as he banged on the surface. “You could survive a bomb if it hit this place.”

  The two Teracians were now in the center of the room, and their chests were void of light. They hadn’t said a word to the group and silently walked around the room, same as Allen and his friends. Taking advantage of the light, he took some time to observe. They were pristinely silver in color and had no visible hair. The armor only encased their chest, wrists, and mouth. The rest of their bodies appeared to contain the same metal as the trees. Each of their gauntlets were blue, and Allen could see a crystal in the palm. In plain sight were their wings, hanging from the center of their backs.

  The group met back at the entrance after being satisfied with their examinations. Allen patted his shirt and was pleased that it was mostly dry. The dust on his face remained from the corridor.

  “So, are we going to discuss these guys now? I don’t think they talk to us,” said Brenda.

  “What if they can understand us, but they can’t communicate as we do? They have that plate over their mouths. I’m sure that restricts their voice. I guarantee they can’t speak English,” said Trevor.

  “That’s a good point, but we can’t make any reliable conclusions. They don’t seem willing to harm us, and I’m sure they could with those weapons on their wrists.”

  “We should keep our distance for now,” said William. He appeared unchanged from the weather, and his look of confidence hadn’t altered. No weakness of fear reflected on his face.

  The Teracian warriors approached the group. Their metal-laden bodies produced little noise when th
ey walked, and their hands remained by their sides. They stopped to meet William face to face; seconds passed, and no one moved. The mysterious figures made no effort to communicate, and Williams’s body remained rigid as anticipation grew.

  “I’m sure you can understand us. You displayed your concern when my friend had passed out. Can you tell us where we are and what just tried to kill us?”

  Allen waited without blinking as he watched William’s attempt to converse. “Are we on Earth?”

  “The one with the lenses can hear us, but we don’t want to alarm him. Do not project your mind out loud. Only to me when you speak.”

  Allen saw the Teracian glance at him. Its chest changed slightly blue as it stared at him calculatingly, “Why was he able to hear us immediately after the wave? The humans in the Septune Station claimed that they were the only ones who could perceive our voices because of their technology.”

  “We will need to speak to Elder Barogn about this. Keep your mind silent for now. We will wait for what he proclaims when we’re done here.”

  William looked behind him and noticed a series of loud clicks and bangs near the walls. Allen ducked in the corner, bracing for its return. The disruptions ceased, and the chamber became silent.

  “I don’t like this, guys,” said Brenda.

  Unexpectedly, a large burst of heat rose off of the floor. A dark body slammed into William, causing him to fall off balance and strike the ground. Smoke scattered around the room and Allen heard Brenda scream. The assailant appeared as the smoke cleared. Its gaze centered on William, as if waiting for him to stand up. An intense burst of energy erupted from both of the winged warriors as they smashed their palms into the side of it. The blow connected for only an instant and the assassin disappeared from sight.

  “William, are you alright?” said Brenda as she helped him up.

  “I’m alright, just caught off guard. Stand back. He might come back again. Get everyone out of here!”

  “We aren’t leaving you-,” Brenda said as the current suddenly shook her to her knees. The assailant appeared again and grabbed William by the neck, lifting him into the air with little resistance. William’s teeth bared as it began to squeeze. The small gun remained grasped in its right hand.

  “You drop him, you bastard,” said Trevor as he ran towards the pair at full force. As he reached them, the man dodged his advance with a fluid motion. Trevor braced himself from smashing his full body into the wall. He quickly turned around and attacked again, but his punches seemed to miss each time; the gun still poised in the same position.

  Realizing he was distracting the robotic killer, Trevor kept it up, giving their protectors an opening. The two Teracians were suddenly on top of it, but the assailant retaliated with a burst from the pistol, sending them flying back to the center of the chamber. Their bodies crashed into one of the torches, causing it to burn out and bang onto the floor. William quickly reached into his pocket and produced a knife. With one rapid motion, he slashed at their attacker’s legs causing it to lose grip. Red blood dripped from the wound as if it came from human veins; its hands reached for the gun. William slashed again but met armor. The clang of steel on steel rang throughout the metal chamber.

  “William, get away from that thing!” said Allen as the group backed away from the fight.

  William continued to slash but was unable to hit the exposed area on its leg. It backed away but was too late. A well-calculated thrust landed across its head, causing it to topple over. The Teracian stood over the assailant, its gauntlet blazing with a red glow. Energy spilled and warped around its hand like a whirlpool as it prepared to strike. The energy blasted in a swirling torrent, enveloping the room in light. Trevor and Brenda shielded their eyes, but Allen couldn’t look away. A single beam of energy struck the floor as their attacker came alive and moved from its path. The ground beneath them started to collapse, and several sections of the wall broke down into pieces. The last thing Allen saw was the assailant falling through the cavity, taking both William and the Teracians with him. The light in their gauntlets slowly disappeared as they fell deeper. The room reverted back to darkness as the remaining torches extinguished. He could see a slight glow from one of the Teracians as it held onto the ledge below him. The ravaged floor continued to snap and burst.

  Three

  Shrouds of Chaos

  The sound of cracking bones and tearing muscles traveled in the dark sub-chamber as William collided with the metal floor. His back and most of his upper torso felt dislocated and detached from the rest of his body. Littering the area were chunks of rubble and stone slabs; the rupture letting a weak light shine down. Several of his bones felt broken and any attempt to move his swollen legs ended in a cry of pain. William tried to remain calm, but the blood loss was forcing his mind to dwell in dark places. In an instant, his whole life had spun out of control. In less than 24 hours I’ve gone from months away from graduating college to minutes away from bleeding out. I’m going to leave my friends and Anya alone, and my family will never know what happened.

  The pressure in his skull increased with a rush of pain every second he sat up against the broken column. He placed his hand on the cool metal and thought of his family. His parents must be worried about where he’s at right now. The dinner on his side of the table would be getting cold soon. I can’t sit here and just die. I have to try to get up. He felt his vision blur slightly as he came back into reality. William planted his arm on the ground and pushed. Waves of agony shot out from every corner of his body as he rose off the floor for only to fall back down. Leveraging himself against a piece of metal, he tried again and again, but couldn’t get to his feet; the metal slicing into his bruised arm.

  Shuffling and scrapes came from his left. The damaged body of the Teracian that had defended them laid there like a shattered doll. William took out his phone and shined it on the ravaged alien, revealing a steady stream of blue liquid escaping from its leg. The once flexible wings looked twisted and bent as it laid its back against a plastic support beam. Bloodied cracks were etched across its chest, revealing a small source of light. It stared at William with blinking eyes like it was trying to communicate something to him, but nothing left its lips.

  William coughed and saw blood on his arm. He set his phone on a rock and turned his head to the Teracian. It looked just as defeated as he did, and he felt a slight connection start to form. The distinct features of its face resembled an ordinary human in almost every way minus the skin color and lack of hair. Every inch of its body was blue, and he could make out a winding pattern along its side. Its mouth remained covered, but William could see a thread of blood retracting from the edge. He figured that he should try to talk with it one more time.

  “So, this is how our lives are going to end? No funeral or remembrance. Just laying down here dying in this god-forsaken ruin. You know, you never understand what your whole life has amounted to until you realize that it’ll soon be over.” William could hear the Teracian’s breathing become shallower as it attempted to rise. A feeling of regret resonated in his heart as he realized how dismal he sounded. Its pristine gauntlet continued to give off a sapphire glow. “I don’t suppose you can help us live with that, can you? It would seem you carry an overwhelming power in that thing.”

  A spark of insight gleaned in the Teracian’s eyes as it raised the gauntlet above its head. A steady pull of the air around them commenced as the crystal in the mechanism pulsated with a blue hue. Even after everything he had been through that day, William still had hope that this stranger was going to save his life. The Teracian’s hand lit up like a brilliant torch, and a bright orb shot out to the center of the room; the room glistened brightly as if the sphere held the power of the sun. William could start to make out a series of odd machines surrounding a clear glass container in the center of the room. His eyes squinted as everything became fully lit. The Teracian dropped his arm to the floor with a loud thud. The plate covering its mouth retracted instantly, and a spla
tter of pale blue fluid squirted out of its pale mouth. William saw a twisted smile forming on its bloodied gray mouth.

  “Everything is being put into motion, Ajhara.”

  The bright light from the gauntlet remained luminous, as the Teracian drew its last breath.

  His gaze was situated on the alien as its white eyes remained open, staring at him. Tears fell from his cheek as he watched the Teracian fall to its side silently. William gripped his left hand into a fist and slammed it on the surface beneath him, causing the sound to reverberate throughout the room. His head fell back with a sigh as he blindly stared in front of him. The room wasn’t much smaller than the chamber above and didn’t seem to fit the environment. The patch of flooring below him seemed to be solid metal, but the surface in front of him was smooth and untouched. Several holographic computer monitors lined the chrome tables, and large sections of wires traced the rear sections. The wires lead to a massive glass sphere that contained a black fog. William noted that each of the four walls and the floor beneath him were both covered with a black lining and coating. Bringing a small comfort, the light created by the fallen Teracian remained as a beacon of hope.

  William wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned again to the solitary body. The gauntlet that it carried was still active. Without a second of hesitation, he reached over and fumbled to grasp it. His blood coated hands made it harder to grip the weapon, but with several tries he was successful. With all of his strength, he pulled, hoping to harness the power it contained to stay alive. William gritted his teeth as his willpower slowly diminished. The tool seemed to be fused into its arm and wrist.

  “Of course, it’s impossible to remove. I probably couldn’t use it if I tried…” he said as he trailed off. A violent cough escaped his throat, and he brought his hand up to his mouth. Splotches of blood coated several of his bruised fingers. I’m going to leave Anya alone. I promised her I would never leave her alone. Ever since her diagnosis, I told her I would always be by her side. Damnit, why did this have to happen? Every inch of his body cried out for relief. He found that he couldn’t fight it anymore.