Kyle West - Extinction

“There have been…times…where we thought we won,” the Wanderer said. “Just on a few worlds. Always, the champion had died, the Radaskim faded…but in time, they came back, more powerful than ever…”

The Wanderer went quiet, thinking. Anna waited for him to continue.

“I see that you care for him very much. And Alex will need that. Love is the only thing that makes the darkness of the world worth enduring, and you humans have a lot of it.” The Wanderer paused. “No one knows what happens in the heart of darkness, between the Champion and Askala. Only the Champions know, and they are all dead.”

As the Wanderer spoke, Anna’s hope died in her eyes. Watching that was more painful than anything I could ever remember

“But none of us must give up. Despite the costs we all have to bear — there is always hope. Always.”

The Wanderer looked across the lake, toward the entrance of the cavern.

“We must not linger here. Take me to your ship.”

We swam through the lake and reached the far shore, leaving the glittering cavern behind. The Wanderer led us up the twisting tunnel until we reached the roots covering the opening. The Wanderer raised his right hand. The roots unknotted and retracted into the floor and walls, revealing the glowing night. For miles upon miles, the fields emitted a pale, pink radiance, and in the distance, shining hills rose.

The wind blew warm as we stepped out of the Xenolith. The roots once more enclosed the opening.

I reached for my radio.

“Makara? Ashton? Do you read me? We’ve left the Xenolith.”

“Coming down,” Ashton responded. “We’ll be there in a minute.”

Within a few seconds, Perseus appeared in the sky, its landing lights gleaming. A short time later, the ship lowered to the xenofungal bed.

The Wanderer walked toward the ship, Anna and I walking on his either side. Perseus’s blast door slid open, revealing Samuel and Makara standing at the top of the ramp.

When we stepped inside, we found everyone waiting, including the Raiders. Everyone looked at the Wanderer in surprise.

As the door shut behind us, we stood in silence. Everyone seemed to be shocked that the Wanderer was with us — this mysterious, prophetic man who was the leader of all the Elekai resistance against Askala and the Radaskim.

“The Elekai were attacked first,” I said.

“There’s no army?” Makara asked.

“Their dragons are being healed,” I said. “Very few got out unharmed, if any. The Wanderer knows a way we might save the city.”

Suddenly, everyone noticed what had changed about Anna.

“Anna…” Makara said. “What happened in there?”

“They have this huge lake made of… something, I don’t even know. I was under for a minute, then I came out, healed.”

“Completely?” Julian asked.

Anna nodded. “I don’t understand how, but I’m fine. I’ve never felt better, actually.”

Everyone turned to look at the Wanderer, who stood silent in his cloak and cowl. Some of the Raiders tried to back away upon seeing those whitened eyes. The Wanderer made no movement or sound, until the wardroom had gone completely quiet.

“There is a way to save Los Angeles,” the Wanderer said. “I can gain control over the Radaskim horde’s mind, if only for a few minutes. Maybe longer.” He paused. “Let’s hope longer.”

“That’s great,” Makara said.

“I fear this battle serves two purposes,” the Wanderer said. “Askala wants to destroy as much of humanity as she can in one stroke. That much is clear. But I also think she hopes this attack will draw me there. She knows I’m the only one with the ability to stop it — and she also knows this will cause me to die.”

This news was greeted with startled silence.

“What happens to the Elekai, if you die?” Ashton asked.

“There will be no Xenomind to lead,” the Wanderer said. “Our efforts would be directionless for a while, until a new leader rises to the mantle.”

One by one, everyone’s eyes turned on me. My face went white and my stomach twisted. I tried to speak, but no sound came. For some reason, the Wanderer’s saying it out loud and everyone’s looking at me made it worse.

But I had agreed. It was the only choice I had.

“I had hoped to better prepare you for this, Alex,” the Wanderer said. “But time is not on our side.”

“This…Releasing,” Samuel said. “How long would it take? What’s involved?”

“Land me on a tall building,” the Wanderer said. “Somewhere I can project the wave-thought. Alex, also, must be present. Keep us safe for a few minutes. That’s it.”

“Wouldn’t you two standing on top of a building make you targets for every dragon in L.A.?” Makara asked.

“Maybe with both spaceships, we can protect them long enough,” Samuel said.

We all knew it was desperate. We all knew there was little hope for victory. But we had to fight and do whatever we could to save Los Angeles. And if we had to go down fighting, against all odds, then that was what we had to do.

“Let’s go back,” Samuel said.

Everyone looked at the Wanderer for final words.

“Good luck,” he said at last. “Let us not make this our final stand.”

It was an hour and a half before the city came into view. Ashton piloted Perseus high in order to escape the Radaskim dragons’ range. When he descended, we saw a large part of the already ruined city was in flames.

“Augustus,” Ashton said. “Do you have a copy?”

It was some time before the Emperor answered.

“Where is your army?”

“We don’t have time to explain. What’s the tallest building in the city under your control?”

“What? Why?” Augustus asked.

“I said there was no time!” Ashton said. “We have a weapon that could destroy the Radaskim army. We need the tallest building we can to work with.”

“That would be the Reaper HQ,” Augustus said. “Carin Black and his men are making their final stand there.”

“And your legions?”

“What’s left of them are retreating to the sea.”

“And you are in the Orion?”

“Yes,” Augustus said. “Along with my Praetorians. Black is in Reaper HQ.”

“Listen,” Ashton said. “We’ll need your help holding off the dragons. It’ll take time for the weapon to be set up, but it will neutralize all the Radaskim invaders.”

“And what is this weapon, Dr. Ashton?”

“Once again,” Ashton said, “there’s no time. You just have to trust me.”

Augustus paused a bit before answering.

“Fine. We are very desperate, Ashton. I will let Carin know what you’re doing so you don’t get shot by his SAMs.”

“Where is Reaper HQ?” Samuel asked.

“It’s the U.S. Bank Tower, the tallest building in the city. There’s a helipad.”

“Make the arrangements with Black,” Ashton said. “We’ll be there in two minutes. And get your ass in the air. We’ll need your help.”

Augustus had no time to protest Ashton’s gruff treatment. Ashton cut off and lowered the ship toward downtown. In the west, the sea was dark and empty, though fires and lights lit its shoreline — the remnants of the Novan legions. The streets below were dark and cluttered with rubble and flame. Swarms of movement plunged into the city.

The tall white tower approached. As we neared, human forms became discernable on its top. Reptilian screeches sounded from outside the ship.

I realized this could very much be our final battle. If we didn’t win here, Askala and her hellish legions would win all of Earth.