The other side of beyond, p.23
The Other Side of Beyond, page 23
part #2 of Mitch Mythic Series
THE OPENING ABOVE the altar had fully enlarged. A wide circle of white light haloed a gaping blackness. Mitch and the others had stepped back a considerable distance from the altar. He looked behind him and he could see the soldiers had remained in place, unaffected by the happenings above the altar. Their faces as stoic as ever, the soldiers watched the proceedings with what seemed like indifference. Mitch didn’t have much time to consider the inner thoughts of the soldiers for his attention was quickly brought back to the opening above the altar.
“Oh great goddess,” Mother began to say. As she started to speak, the soldiers began to chant in unison once more. The vibrations of their voices filled the depths of the cavern, sound reverberating off of the stone. “Great goddess, bless us with your presence, with your light. Great goddess, come forth from the darkness into light, into the light.”
Mother’s chanting blended into the rhythmic song of the soldiers. Strange sensations passed over Mitch as he watched the open circle, transfixed by the foreboding darkness staring back at him, an eye into the great beyond.
“Great goddess, come forth with your wisdom and your guidance. We humble creatures of this domain are in need of your great strength and vision, strength and vision,” Mother continued to chant and the soldiers voices seemed to intensify, picking up the beat. Mitch looked over to Drak who seemed just as transfixed as he was, but when he caught Mitch’s eye he grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
“Guess we wait for the Goddess. Could start singing, too,” Drak said and looked at Mitch sideways.
“Yeah, right,” Mitch said and rolled his eyes. “I don’t know about you, but I’m terrified about what might come through that hole. With our luck, it’ll be some three headed monster. If we survive, I’ll wind up eating more organs.”
“Ha, you think you could kill three headed monster?” Drak said with a laugh.
“Well, I wouldn’t just let it eat me,” Mitch answered back.
“I’ll bet you’re a virgin, Mitch,” Kate said from the other side. “Everybody knows you’ve got to sacrifice the virgin first. I couldn’t think of a better offering than #epiccrotchshot boy to appease the Goddess.”
“You just don’t quit, do you?” Mitch said through his teeth.
“It doesn’t look like we’ll have much time to bicker over who gets to be the tribute. Somethings moving on the other side,” Gaelin shouted over the chanting.
Mitch looked up and he could see movement deep within the opening, flickering not unlike a burnt out fluorescent light, strobing rhythmically in the distance. The motion seemed to be drawing nearer with each syllable emitted by the soldiers. Jagged pulsing movements and staccato flashes brought a strange unease to Mitch as he felt himself moving further backwards. Looking around for somewhere to hide, all he saw were the stone faces of the chanting soldiers. The rhythm of their chanting seemed to have pushed them into some type of trance, empty black eyes staring up at the open orifice above the altar. A deep fear overcame Mitch and he was suddenly reminded of how far away from home he actually was. Hopelessly lost in space and time and nowhere to run to. He looked over at Drak, standing calmly beside him.
“Look so scared, Mitch,” Drak whispered.
“Why the hell aren’t you scared? This is insanity. I’m certain now that I’m having some kind of psychotic breakdown. I’m probably laid out in mental hospital right now in a catatonic state, drool running down my chin,” Mitch said as he looked around in all directions for some way to escape.
“You mustn’t think those thoughts, Mitch” Drak said as a serious expression came across his face. “We here now and that’s all that matters. This happening and you need to focus. If you want to survive this then you must be ready. Get yourself together. It looks like whatever is on other side of that portal is coming through any second.”
Mitch gulped and looked up at the portal again.
“#Epiccrotchshot boy wants to run home to his mamma,” Kate said from beside him. “Nowhere to run to, Mitch. The demon goddess is coming and she wants to eat your soul.”
“Your are an absolute psychopath,” Mitch said as he kept his eyes on the open portal.
“You are absolutely right, Mitch Mythic,” Gaelin said from further to his right. “It’s coming now. This is gonna be nuts and me without a camera. Imagine how many hits this would get.”
“Yeah, a video of you being devoured by the portal goddess would go viral for sure,” Kate said.
“Everybody quiet,” Drak said. “No need for this banter now.”
“Yes, master Drak,” Kate said.
A blast of light caught their attention and the portal began to expand. The light circling the opening throbbed and pulsed, in sync with the chanting of the black eyed soldiers. Mitch became aware of a hot wind blowing over him as the energy in the cavern began to change. The light emitting from the opening grew stronger and Mitch brought up his arm to cover his eyes. The rush of the wind strengthened dramatically and they all had to crouch down in order to not be blown over. The black eyed soldiers weren’t phased at all by the conditions in the cavern. They continued to chant as the wind and light blasted over them.
Mother had pulled herself to the side of the portal and continued singing her own incoherent song her as the glow of the portal illuminated her metallic chamber.
Bursts of electromagnetic energy shot out of the portal in every direction and a great roar of sound filled the cavern. Mitch continued to crouch on the deck before the portal and struggled to clutch his ears and cover his eyes at the same time as he was overwhelmed by the furious mixture of light and sound. The clamor rose towards a crescendo and Mitch stole glances towards the open portal between the strobing flashes of light. He saw figures begin to emerge on the other side. Illuminated outlines and traces of movement jumping in and out focus, moving between realities. For a moment he thought he saw a face of some kind, but it vanished as a wave of electricity shot out of the opening. The outlines began to fill in and the figures became more apparent, opaque traces of other worldly beings forcing their way into existence. Galactic distances spanned in single bounds, breaching the fabric of reality. Worlds colliding, brought together by the very forces holding the multiverse in place.
With nowhere to turn to, Mitch and the others had been forced to cower before the spectacle. Had Mitch been able to escape in any feasible way he would have done so in an instant. Fear was on full boil in his guts as panic creeped up his spine.
The tempo of sound and light had reached its zenith and a final deafening boom shook the entire cavern. The force of the blast blew Mitch off of his feet and sent him rolling down the stairs lined with the chanting soldiers. As he righted himself he was shocked by the immense silence hanging in the air. An emptiness in stark contrast to the furious rage of light and sound present only seconds ago. All of the soldiers had ceased chanting and they were now on their knees in prayer pose, prostrate before the altar on the platform above.
Mitch stood for a moment on the stairs and looked up. He couldn’t see the altar and any signs of the open portal had disappeared. He was terrified of what he may find at the top of the stairs, but he was compelled to move forward by a grotesque curiosity trumping his overwhelming fear.
He took a few furtive steps upwards and halted as the altar came into view. He could see Drak, Kate and Gaelin staring forward, transfixed by what lay before them. The portal was still open above the altar, but it seemed to have grown dormant for the moment. The electromagnetic pulses had subsided and the black opening was calm like a pool of water. Several figures crouched on the ground before the altar, they were humanoid in shape and appearance, but there faces were hidden. A single figure stood in front of the crouching humanoids. A small slender frame dressed in a metallic jumpsuit, dark black hair hung long across its back.
The figure remained still and silent as Mitch took in the scene before him. He could see Mother standing to the right of the altar. She stared forward intently, but remained motionless. Mitch climbed up a few more steps to the summit of the staircase. His movements caught the attention of the figure standing before him. It whirled around and Mitch’s jaw dropped in shock.
“Well, Mitch Mythic, did you miss me, or what?” Moon SoHee said as she cocked her head to the side and smiled.
Immediately after SoHee spoke, the prone soldiers raised up their torsos and began to chant again. Mother came forward, her feet clacking against the ground and SoHee turned and looked towards the massive chamber moving spider like towards her. She seemed unfazed by Mother’s terrifying shape. SoHee nodded towards her slowly and solemnly. Mother’s head, hanging beneath her metallic torso, echoed SoHee’s action. She stood and watched as SoHee turned her attention to Mitch once more.
“What is going on? What are you doing here?” Mitch said in disbelief.
“What do you think I’m doing here? I’m here to rescue you, of course,” SoHee said. Mitch could feel a hint of spite in her words as she spoke, but the relief he felt at seeing her face flooded through his entire being. Without thinking, he suddenly rushed forward and hugged her.
“You have no idea how happy I am to see you,” Mitch said as he was flooded with emotion.
“Don’t worry, Mitch,” SoHee said as she he hugged him back. “I understand. I’ve seen it all.” She pulled herself away from his embraces and raised her arms to her side. A bright light filled the cavern again and the portal compacted in upon itself. The energy shot towards SoHee and wrapped itself around her, forming a radiating sphere. Mitch jumped back in shock and then a smile flashed across his lips.
“You got your goo back, I see,” He said and he began to laugh. “There’s obviously a lot we’ve got to talk about. We’ve really got to stop meeting under these insane conditions.”
“Well, it’s kind of all your fault. What is it with you and wormholes anyway? I had just gotten my life back on track and then you had to go and get yourself sucked across the universe,” SoHee said with a laugh. “You’re not going to believe who came along for the ride.”
“If it’s Robert Chapman I’m going to be very upset,” Mitch said as he took a step back.
“Ha, almost,” SoHee said as she turned her attention towards her traveling companions. “Wake up people, we’re here.” She reached her hand out and several waves of energy shot out of the orb and passed over the frozen figures crouching on the ground. They began to re-animate and Mitch looked on in shock as he started to recognize faces.
“Anybody look familiar, Mitch?” SoHee said as she looked back at him.
“This is insane. Where did you find these people?” Mitch asked in astonishment.
“It’s a long story,” Gerald Tobero said as he got to his feet.
“That guy? How is this possible,” Mitch asked.
“You’re really asking that now?” SoHee said.
“And you’ve got a lot of explaining to do,” Jordan Davis said as he gave Mitch a cold look.
“Seriously, you travelled across the multiverse to come find me and you had to bring that guy,” Mitch said as he shot SoHee a look.
“Wasn’t my choice. They kind of hitched a ride on a runaway train. Like I said. There’s a lot to talk about,” SoHee said again.
“What it this place,” Natalie Babcock said as she rubbed her head and adjusted her eyes to the light. “Don’t tell me those are hostiles we’re looking at.”
“They’re not hostile. Well, at least I don’t think they are hostile. We might also be prisoners. It’s kind of a confusing situation,” Mitch said.
“You think?” SoHee said as she looked over at Drak who had stood by silently watching the conversation unfold, a grin curled across his lips. “Nice bit of engineering we found in that cave under Kingsford. You’re either a genius or a lunatic, but either way you’re the real reason we’re all here.”
“I just trying to get home. These two had other plans,” Drak said as he cast a glance at Gaelin and Kate who had somehow managed to remain silent.
“Gaelin Thomas Mercier, AKA Chuk44. A known “Cell” operative with connections from Beijing to the Kremlin,” Gerald Tobero said as he stepped forward. “I’ve kept your file on record for a several years. I should’ve known it was someone like you behind all of this.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I’ve never heard of the cell in my entire life,”Gaelin said, locking eyes with Gerald.
“I’m sure you haven’t,” Gerald said. “Don’t worry your pretty little head. You’re the least of my problems at the moment. But don’t think that you’re getting a pass on this one. If we ever get out this mess, you and I are going to have a fairly frank discussion.”
“Ooh, a frank discussion. That sound sounds serious, Gaelin,” Kate said from the side.
“Keep out of this, Kate,” Gaelin said as he shot her a look.
The prone soldiers continued to chant all around them, but a clicking and grating sound caught everyone’s attention. Mitch watched wide eyed as Mother’s giant form clambered upon the altar and she turned herself to look at her newly arrived guests.
“What is that thing?” Natalie said as she backed up and readied herself for a fight.
“Don’t,” Mitch shouted out as he saw the soldiers taking defensive postures. “She’s not going to hurt us and I’m pretty sure your weapons won’t have any impact on her.”
“Yes, this is not the time for hostilities,” SoHee said as she stepped towards Mother. “We’re welcome guests. Isn’t that right, Mother?”
Mother’s head lowered down from her chamber to SoHee’s level and a serene look came over her.
“Great Goddess, we are honored by your presence,” Mother said.
“I am not worthy of such a title,” SoHee said as she bowed before the Mother’s head. “I and my companions have come to help those in need.”
“Yes, those in need, those in need,” Mother said as chewed over the phrase, eyes lost into thought for a moment. “Dangerous times, Dangerous times. All are in need, in need.”
“How is it that you know her?” Mitch said as he stepped to SoHee’s side.
“It was kind of like a long distance call. This network they talk about is real and anyone can access it,” SoHee said.
“Yes, a call, a call,” Mother said as she brought her head towards Mitch. “Signals in the network come to me, come to me. Wayward travelers lost among the network. I feel the vibrations in the network, feel movement in places lost long ago, long ago. Draw them in, draw them closer. First I found you dear boy, you and your strange band. Brought you here, kept you safe.”
“I’m not sure I call that safe. You fed us to that creature,” Mitch shot back.
“Defeated it though, didn’t you,” Mother said with a sly smile. “Seems more like I fed it to you, fed it to you. Soon after I felt the goddess calling to me, calling to me through the network. Powerful forces at work, powerful. I reached out and she finds us, comes to us in our hour of need.”
“What danger are you speaking of,” Mitch asked.
“Jarkadu is dying, as I told you. The energy sucked from its core by Holrathu and his Masters has made the planet unstable. Our system has ventured ever closer to a cluster of stars filled with negative energy. The pull of the dark energy residing in this galactic nebula tears away at our planet with every passing second. The planet has grown unstable as it approaches the nebula and I fear this solar rotation shall be our last,” Mother said as her eyes stared out across the cavern.
“You said you need our help,” SoHee said. “What do you need us to do?”
“Yes, what to do, what to do?” Mother said as she looked over SoHee and then turned her head to Mitch.
“I told you I would deliver to you a prophecy and that is exactly what I shall do. This prophecy will reveal to you how you will help my people and help yourselves and in doing so release the network from its bonds, from its masters,” Mother said solemnly.
“Do you think we can defeat them?” Mitch asked.
“They will be defeated, but the path to victory is not clear, not clear. Many obstacles in the way, sacrifices to be made, sacrifices, sacrifices,” Mother said as her voice drifted off.
“Told you somebody was getting sacrificed,” Kate said from the side.
A tremendous boom tore through the cavern, catching everybody off guard. Mitch fell to his knees as did everybody else around him. Mother was shaken terribly as well, but her spindly legs kept her balanced as the platform shuddered violently.
“It has begun,”Mother. Mitch felt a rush of warm sulphuric air blast over him and he looked across the cavern. Fissures appeared along the rock wall opposite the platform and Mitch could see molten rock pouring through the cracks.
“We need to get out of here,” Mitch shouted.
“Right you are, Mitch,” SoHee said as she turned to look at him. “I’m getting readings of massive seismic activity beneath us. This planet is entirely unstable.”
“Mother, how do we get out of here,” Mitch shouted.
“KiGuan will take you and your friends to the tower. There I will deliver your prophecy,” She said as the platform was rocked by another tremor. Across the cavern the lava had burst through several more openings and a steady flow of molten rock began pouring through the walls. It was only a matter of time before the entire cavern collapsed upon itself. The soldiers had quickly gotten to their feet at the sight of the lava. Swathes of them launched into the air while others manned the craft lining the edge of the platform.
KiGuan stepped forward from the soldiers and directed Mitch and the others to follow him. “Stick with me if you want to stay alive,” He shouted and turned on his heel.
“Come on, you heard him, we’ve gotta get out here,” Mitch shouted. Gerald stole a few quick glances at the other soldiers.
“After you, Mitch,” Gerald said as he started forward.
“Let’s move,” Drak shouted out.
“I’m still waiting for somebody to get sacrificed,” Kate said.
“If we’re lucky, maybe it’ll be you,” Gaelin said as he stepped into a jog.
