Academy of Secrets (original version)

Rings of Yothanos: Off-Earth Assignment (part 1)

I knew the next off-Earth assignment would be different from the last two, but I didn’t expect the damn off-planet physicals to be even more ridiculous than usual. We had to hop from one scanner to another, more than once. The doctors had my image appear on screens so many times, I could probably walk out naked and they wouldn’t be surprised at all. The scans somewhat resembled the ones for the last two assignments, but now they had to test everything. Our reactions to warping, the effects of the gravitational fields on our bodies, how our armor would hold up, our bowel movements, and if we could count to ten while standing on our heads; and no, I’m not kidding about the last two. They actually took everything into account.

            Reevus looked like he wanted to bury his head into the floor, like an ostrich. His forehead had worry lines on it, and he kept readjusting his elec-specs. His hair plastered on to his pale face from sweat. I felt a pit grow in my stomach. Reevus had never looked this nervous before, not even when the Weaver had taken over one of the control centers. Maybe we were in more danger this time. After thinking about the Havoc surge again, I started to wonder if that would happen during the off-Earth assignment. Not exactly the most comforting thought. Tami must have noticed Reevus’ state too, because then she asked him something.

            “So Reevus, I have a question.”

            “Yes Tami?”

            “If we can just use Hyrion, which is on every planet, to close the Havoc Rift, what’s the point of even making Heroth in the first place?”

            “Ah, that’s an excellent question Tami.”

            Reevus’ tension eased as he dove into his explanation.

            “As I’ve said before, we’re dealing with a minor form of the Havoc Rift. Granted, it doesn’t seem very minor, but energy-wise it’s nowhere near as powerful as the rift in its true form. That’s what the Heroth are for. We’re made from the purest form of Hyrion, the first to ever emerge on the Shukari home planet. However, pure Hyrion can only work inside a suitable host: humans. We function the most effectively through use of the Herothian temple. Since the Havoc Rift isn’t at full power yet, we can simply use the Hyrion. But a Heroth has to be the one to put it inside the minor rift, because we give it the most energy. Does that make sense?”

            “Yes, but if we’re Hyrion in its purest form, couldn’t one of us just go inside the Havoc Rift to close it?”

            “Well…yes. But we need to avoid that, especially if we’re going to eventually use the Herothian temple. That needs all of the Heroth to function properly.”

            Even while on this pressing subject, Reevus seemed to calm down. His face and muscles relaxed, until we reached the Volkmire that is. The six of us stood facing the ship for a moment. Reevus turned us so that we were all facing him. He took a deep breath.

            “Please just—be safe. Don’t do anything reckless. All of us have to be back so we can stop the Havoc Rift. If anything chaotic happens, follow your orders at all costs. Colonel Lenards knows what to do in a crisis. So…good luck.”

            And then we piled into the Volkmire.

            The flight to Yothanos took much longer than it should have. The computers had advised against warping all the way there, with the dimensional instability and everything, so the Volkmire cruised through space for a while. We dodged asteroids and only warped so we could avoid getting sucked into gravitational fields. This gave me way too much time to think. But then something came to mind, something important. The mission was going to take place on the rings of the planet, so—