Zein: The Prophecy Read online

  The camera feed watched the annihilation of New York and then was switched off and normal programming kicked in. The world was left stunned. The US President buried his head in his hands in grief. The German Chancellor, who was nearest to him, placed her arm round his shoulders in comfort. Zylar ordered his men to take the leaders to the cells.

  He looked out of the Palace window as they dragged Michael Dunstable’s body away. He watched his Ilsid troops train. He had over eight thousand here and another ten thousand scattered around the quadrants working with Malacca’s forces to prevent any insurrection. He smiled. With millions of recruits to his Ilsid and the plunder of all the zinithium on Earth he could conquer the Universe.

  Behind him, Leila watched the destruction. She pulled Delilah to her and comforted the young girl. Their future looked bleak.

  Chapter 26

  The Bunker

  The Changeling scurried towards the cells where Kabel and the others were. They had been locked up with the other prisoners. Kabel was so pleased to see some friendly faces and he gave his mother and aunt a big hug and told them that they would be all right. He had no idea if they would but it was what they needed to hear.

  The two soldiers outside were relaxed, content that they were safe. Chet laughed, ‘Glad we are here and the rest of those mugs are either doing Zylar’s bidding or stuck away in that Core hell-hole,’ he said. Morgan agreed. He had been to the Core once and the cramped housing had not been fun. It was Morgan’s last thought. The Changeling turned into a Roth and gored Morgan straight through the heart. As Chet tried to swing his rifle from his shoulder the Changeling knocked his feet away from him and then broke his neck. He changed to a monkey and with his long fingers took the key off the dead soldier and opened the cell.

  ‘Zebulon, about time,’ said Kabel, ‘can you please get these cuffs off me.’

  ‘Never grateful are you?’ The Changeling changed to a strange looking large bird of prey and with a fine talon sliced the cuffs off. Soon all the prisoners were free and rubbing their hands and arms to help the circulation after the restrictive manacles. Kabel hugged his mother and aunt again and shook Malkin’s hand warmly.

  Lord Southgate approached Belina. ‘It is so good to see you, child. You are the image of my daughter.’ The old man looked at Belina with tears in his eyes. Tears welled up within her; she had been starved of affection by her uncle all these years and only now realised it, when true love and care were there to be seen in all their glory. She had listened to the discussions since they had been locked up and realised her life had been a lie. The last hour had brought her a brother and a grandfather. Family. One of life’s true loves. Never to be parted by distance or time.

  Lord Southgate saw the tears and misjudged the meaning. ‘Please believe me that we didn’t know you had survived.’ Belina didn’t hesitate and after a few small steps forward ran to her grandfather and gave him a hug. The old man, initially surprised, was touched and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. The others watched happily and Kabel even had to brush a small tear away from his face.

  Not going soft on me are you? the Changeling asked. Kabel ignored the comment.

  Instead Kabel was all action. ‘Right, we need to get to that antenna and bring it down.’

  ‘It’s very heavily guarded. I saw pillboxes with photon machine guns either side and there must be around thirty Ilsid and Eastern Quadrant army regulars guarding it,’ said Remo, ‘however…..’. He tailed off and he seemed to be thinking deeply about what he was just about to say. He looked up at the group with a glint in his eye.

  ‘If I can get into one of those levitation tanks I can create a very noisy diversion,’ said Remo wishfully. Lord Southgate liked the idea.

  ‘Maggia, Palminder and Gemma you stay here for now. I will go with you, Remo,’ said Lord Southgate. Remo’s face expressed astonishment, which made Lord Southgate explain, ‘Don’t get confused with the title Remo; I was driving those before you were out of nappies.’ Malkin laughed at Remo’s surprise.

  Malkin then said, ‘I will go with Kabel. Remo, you should take Dante and Grampion.’ The diversion party set off up the stairs, carefully checking for any other guards. Gemma had been watching everything unfold. She felt left out as she was not included in the plans and was not being taken seriously. She was very able to take care of herself. Her first excitement at meeting Kabel had receded somewhat. She was still attracted to him but her thoughts were increasingly of Tyson and of how Kabel was treating her like some little girl he needed to look after. Well that was not going to happen she said firmly to herself.

  ‘Anything the matter?’ said Belina, sitting next to her, ‘you look troubled?’ Gemma shrugged and looked across at Kabel, who was in earnest discussion with Malkin.

  ‘You like my brother, don’t you?’

  ‘I thought I did, but everything is moving so fast.’

  ‘It’s all been very unusual, I guess, for you. Give him a chance post all this excitement. I can see he likes you,’ said Belina trying to allay Gemma’s fears.

  Gemma shrugged her shoulders. ‘I know I am overreacting, so much has happened over such a short space of time.’

  ‘I don’t think you could ever calculate you would be in a strange land, in the sky, ready to take on a faceless enemy?’ said Belina, half joking, laughing. Gemma laughed along with her.

  ‘Girls, you stay here where it’s safe and we will come back for you. Belina, which room is the passageway?’ asked Kabel. Belina stood up, confronting her newly found brother.

  ‘How many times do I need to tell you I can handle myself?’

  ‘Same here,’ said Gemma, standing up next to her, her temper exploding. She pulled the seckle from within her tunic and activated it to show she was ready.

  Malkin chuckled. ‘We sure have a couple of feisty girls here. Kabel, it looks like we have two recruits for the attack on the bunker.’ They all smiled, which reduced the tension they were all feeling. ‘We need to temporarily disable the transportation portal,’ said Malkin. Seeing the questioning looks he explained further, ‘Once we attack they may send for reinforcements.’

  Kabel turned to the Changeling and instructions passed between them. The Changeling turned into an eagle and flew up the dungeon steps and through an open window in the Palace heading for the transportation building.

  It was a short flight. The Changeling settled on the top of the building and looked down at the two guards at the open front door. They were a couple of Eastern Quadrant army men having a cigarette. The door was slightly open. He turned into a spider and raced down the wall and disappeared through the gap. Once in the building he turned into a mouse and scampered to the portal room. He knew that there would be guards inside the room and an operator. This was no time for finesse. He turned into one of the Pod. He opened the door and stepped in. There were three guards and the operator. The guards froze as they saw the image of their childhood nightmares standing in front of them. The Changeling ripped out the nearest guard’s throat with one mighty claw. The other guards were trying to bring their rifles around, too late, the Changeling was onto them and their lifeless bodies dropped to the floor. The operator had soiled himself and stood trembling. The Changeling took pity on him and using a closed fist knocked him unconscious. He walked to the portal and transformed into a chimpanzee. He followed the instructions Kabel gave him and pressed the appropriate buttons to block any chance of reinforcements.

  Back in the Palace Kabel turned round to his sister. ‘Let’s go then. Belina, can you lead us to the passage?’ He felt within his tunic; like Gemma, the guards had not removed his seckles either. Gemma picked up a blaster for her left hand and Belina a photon shotgun from the motionless guards. They headed up the dungeon steps. Belina knew the Palace inside and out. When she wanted to, her favourite pastime was to sneak around to the kitchens to watch the guests coming and going without anyone noticing she was there. Belina used this knowledge to keep the group hidden. Surprise was
highly important. They quickly made their way to the room with the secret passage and Belina pressed the necessary area to open the entrance. One by one they entered the secret passage and began the descent into the bunker.

  Remo led the remainder of the group to a back entrance. The soldiers inside the palace were few and far between and it was relatively easy to remain undetected. A number of bulky photon shotguns were also carelessly left near the door opening onto the parade ground by lazy soldiers who were helping themselves to some hot food in the kitchen, relying on their photon blasters for protection. The group of four took one shotgun each.

  Once out of the Eastern Quadrant Palace they hunkered down behind some crates of supplies and completed some reconnaissance of the parade ground. The three tanks were a good four hundred yards away from the bunker and the turrets were open. The crews were in front eating their tea and gambling with dice. In total there were twelve soldiers, four per tank. Around the large perimeter of the Outer Wall they could make out frequent patrols, each four strong. Lord Southgate pointed at the activity just outside the barracks. That must be where the rest of the force, which had previously surprised them, was billeted.

  Remo motioned to the three others to pull their Eastern cloaks around their bodies and put their hoods up. Most of the patrols were similarly attired.

  ‘Right, the plan is simple. We walk up to the tank crews, they mistake us for one of the patrols, we overpower them and then those tanks can be managed by two people. Lord Southgate and I will take one and you two,’ pointing to Dante and Grampion, ‘take the other.’ Not waiting for an answer he said, ‘Let’s go.’

  They moved out from the crates with their cloaks wrapped around their bodies and made their way at a reasonable pace to the tanks. The tank crews were laughing, one of the gamblers had lost a whole month’s pay from a poor bet. The tank commander took delight in ribbing him on his bad luck. He noticed the patrol approaching them.

  ‘What are these foot soldier clowns doing?’ he sneered. The other tank crews laughed. ‘Those sorry excuses for soldiers should be patrolling out there not in the middle of the parade ground.’ He stood up to heap more scorn on his colleagues as the group closed the gap between the relaxed men.

  ‘What the hell do you think you are doing, you worms? If you think you are having any of our food then you are very mistaken,’ he bellowed, glancing back to his appreciative audience. As he turned back to face the patrol he saw Remo’s face and the flash of blue tunic. He was initially stunned and then he saw the yellow tunic of Lord Southgate under the flapping cloak.

  ‘Why you…,’ he cried, startling his men. He had only managed to draw his blaster partially from his holster when Remo blasted him of his feet with the shotgun catapulting him back quite some distance. The other three companions opened fire and the fight was over very quick. Twelve men lay dead round the fire. Shouts from the barracks and the patrols hurried them along.

  Remo and Lord Southgate quickly climbed into the middle tank and Dante and Grampion climbed into the one on the left. Remo sat at the controls and Lord Southgate took over the commander’s role to seek targets. The two tanks levitated from the ground and began to move forward towards the bunker.

  They had travelled some fifty yards under small arms fire, which the tanks’ armour dealt with easily, when Dante diverted the turret back to the remaining tank. ‘Fire,’ he shouted and Grampion followed the order. The tank exploded.

  ‘Best not leave the enemy with a chance to fight back,’ Dante muttered under his breath.

  Lord Southgate targeted the barracks. Soldiers had stormed out of the barracks. There were some thirty or forty men setting up a defensive ring in front of the building. Their initial small arms fire was now replaced with a couple of portable photon rocket launchers and machine guns. These were much more threatening to the tanks.

  ‘Fire,’ he shouted and Remo let two rounds go. The barracks exploded, sending the soldiers outside flying. The main threat dealt with, they ignored the patrols and headed for their principal target.

  In the bunker, there was panic, General Chad and the Ilsid were the only ones calm. General Chad was watching the action unfold on the monitors recording all the action outside. They saw the two pillboxes open fire with the powerful photon machine guns targeting each of the tanks. He turned to the operator near him. ‘Patch me into the pillboxes,’ he said. The operator opened a channel. ‘Both of you concentrate your fire on one tank. The combined firepower will be too much for the tank’s armour.’

  Inside one of the pillboxes they changed the tracking of the weapon and joined their sister pillbox in firing at the tank on their right. Inside the levitation tank, Dante was relaying firing instructions to Grampion. They concentrated their fire on the front gates with good effect. Their blasts were buckling the door and the soldiers in the outside bunkers had no chance. The photon machine gun shots made the tank rock; they continued their way forward. It was when the other machine gun turned on them that the experienced Dante knew that it was only a matter of time. He directed their remaining fire onto one of the pillboxes.

  Lord Southgate watched the switch in tactics from the pillboxes and grimly watched as the other tank was pummelled. He directed their fire onto the same pillbox as the other team were firing upon. The tank next to them exploded. Remo cursed; they had been good friends of his. The combined attack on the left pillbox worked and the enclosure burst into flames. The other pillbox continued; however, the armour could withstand this barrage. The remaining tank continued towards the bunker. Lord Southgate wondered how the rest of the group was doing.

  Chapter 27

  Boundaries

  Tyson and Lord Fathom were in deep conversation. They had watched the unfolding events of Zylar’s threats to Earth, the execution of the British Prime Minister and the terrible annihilation of New York. The human contingent had watched in growing disbelief as the events unfolded via the sophisticated 4D communication hub which linked into all the news and broadcasting stations. If they were willing to kill millions, then nothing was going to stop him wiping out billions of people. The man had no scruples.

  During the uneven fight between Zylar and the British Prime Minister, Tyson had leapt up, quickly followed by Amelia and Bailey. Tyson’s mum was in one of the pictures. Tyson was incensed and it took both Amelia and Bailey to calm him down and for the blue shimmer to leave his body. Lord Fathom had also seen Kabel’s sister, Delilah, who he knew from his close friendship with the Southgates and he was livid. That was an hour ago and since then Tyson and Lord Fathom had shunned all others and taken their own counsel.

  Amelia was in discussion with Evelyn, who was still moving around stiffly from the abuse meted out by the late Manek Malacca. Bailey was distraught. His parents were supposed to be in New York and he didn’t know whether they had survived the blast. They were due to travel home today so he was hoping they were in the air flying back. There was no way to contact them from down here. He had pushed away Amelia, who tried to comfort him. He wasn’t interested in sympathy, he wanted Gemma. He went over to Hechkle.

  ‘What happens now, big guy?’

  Hechkle saw the earnest look Bailey gave him. He had grown quite attached to the young human. ‘There needs to be a plan to oust Zylar, which means attacking the Southern Quadrant Palace,’ he said, then saw the unanswered question on Bailey’s face. ‘Easier said than done, Zylar has something like fifteen thousand soldiers from the conquered quadrants barracked near the Southern Quadrant Palace and there is the small matter of seven to ten thousand Ilsid. You saw how devastating untrained soldiers were here; wait to see battle hardened Ilsid troops in action.’

  ‘We have our own, though?’ Bailey said. Hechkle shook his head.

  ‘No. Lord Fathom immediately ordered the bluejack antidote be administered to all survivors. It will take a few days for the diluted serum to work.’

  ‘So we have lost the army that just won this battle. Why?’ Bailey said, shaking his head. />
  Hechkle looked soberly at the young human and gently said, ‘Better to have true men and women fighting for you then drugged robots is what Lord Fathom said.’ Heckle waited for this to sink in. ‘I for one support him on this. You can’t have people fighting for you who have no say or idea what they are doing. Your friend,’ he pointed to Tyson, ‘controlled them and they killed for him. That is what Zylar does with the Ilsid. It is only a small step to abuse this power.’

  Bailey stared at his friend realising Hechkle was right. His worries about the changes he had seen with Tyson came back. Yes, there had been a few smiles, pats on backs and some of the old Tyson; however, the boy had gone and a man had replaced him. Bailey was not sure whether he truly liked the man he saw. At this moment he wasn’t the priority for Bailey.

  Tyson had his back to Bailey and didn’t hear the uncertain thoughts of his friend. Lord Fathom had agreed that an audience be granted to the officers of the defeated Eastern Quadrant army. The Throne Room’s doors opened and in marched the surviving officers of the Eastern Quadrant army, flanked by Lord Fathom’s Royal Guard. There were thirty officers in total, some carried wounds, others ill thoughts. At the front was Cronje, his injured arm in a sling. His face was a mask. Hechkle and Bronstorm watched from the side. Cronje saw the young soldier who helped him and they acknowledged each other. Cronje looked at the giant of a man next to him and saw a long term foe that had done battle with him in many conflicts. Cronje came to a halt in front of the throne where Lord Fathom sat. To his left were his daughter and another woman, a human, and to the right was a young man whom he recognised as the victor of the battle with Manek. His gaze warily rested on him.