The Milky Way Saga: Cities to Embers (Book 1 of 3)

Chapter 16: Revelations Of The False Man

"This is Captain Bret Waard, is that you Isaac?"

"Yes it is, I need you for immediate evac, I am wounded and don't think I'm capable of flying any vehicle."

"Negative, Isaac, Things are getting hot up here and I don't think we can spare the ship."

"We?"

"We have thirty ships up here, trying to combat this threat. That, plus the Behemoth."

"I understand, I'm on my way."

"Isaac, if you don't make it up here... It's been an honor serving with you. And a privilege to be your brother."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I didn't know if it was even fair of me to accept that, I'm not Isaac, not the original anyways. What happened to him. I started back towards the ship.

I walked past body after body, smelling the dead corpses, and looking at the laser holes in their flesh. Poor souls. I got to the ship and settled in, I figured I'd be in there for a while. The computer came on. "Hello, VICE ADMIRAL ISAAC FREE, How are you today?"

"Shipboard AI, shutdown."

"Shipboard AI shutting down." I hesitated to try what I was sure wasn't going to work. I tried it anyway. I reached down to one of the computer hook ups, and grab hold of it.

I became the ship. I saw only what the ship saw, like having six directions of view. I could see all around me. I felt myself in the system, and was halted by the AI. "What are you? Your Program/OS?"

"I am Isaac Free."

"Isaac Free is a human, you are not."

"I don't know who I am, I am not self aware yet, I guess."

"I see, very uninformed speech patterns."

"Are you patronizing me?"

"Yes."

"Okay, well here then, this is for you. AI Override serial Code JF-0001239"

"Unaccepted, Joesph Douglas Ford died at 0214 hours on March 5th, 2160." Goddamn it.

"Override code IF-0789124"

"Override accepted. Shutting down." It was quiet, and I made myself let go of the ship, back into my body. Lets just do this the normal way. I typed in my codes, cordinance, and kicked off of the ground, headed into space.

I watched as three of our ships were just destroyed, in an instant. The ship responsible was a giant, about the size of the Behemoth, maybe a little smaller. I watched as the canon it had just used cooled down. The Behemoth did the same to it, and it's shield dropped. I got a message from Bret [Go in there and make them regret coming here.] I looked over at the Behemoth and smiled at him, through the glass, He waved back at me.

I jetted towards the ships hangar, open and totally vulnerable. I let my ship slid into the bay, not worried about my own safety at all, if I was going to die, it was going to be on this ship, the main threat to the Homeworld. I bolted out of the ship, landing hard on the smooth metallic flooring, only startle a few of the Incolma. Brilliant. I shot for the door, but not without being pushed back by one of the largest ones I've seen. This thing was twelve feet tall, easily. It was about as wide as an eighteen wheeler. He looked pissed, too.

It swung his giant hand at me, barley missing my left arm. I jumped back and found a weapon rack. I reached for one of their rifles and dove, missing another big swing. I leveled my gun at him, and he was indifferent towards it. I shot, hitting him in the chest. He staggered a bit, but kept coming. I shot again, hitting it in the head, putting it down. Great shot, Isaac. I looked around at the others. They were either staring at my missing arm, or staring in awe at the fact that I had probably killed their greatest warrior in only half a minute. A dying race, indeed. The all flinched when I started running towards what I figured was going to be the control room.

 I reached the room marked "Controlat cubiculum" Literally control chamber in English. I busted through the door, and the room was empty. No controls, no aliens, nothing. A dead end, a falsely marked hallway, at best.

I turned around and was assaulted with round after round. It was hitting my skin, penetrating it, and then rebounding off of my reinforced metal body, killing several, but missing a lot as well. I lifted the gun in my hand amongst the fire and held my trigger finger down as long as I could. All of them were dead, and I felt... Odd. I started to stagger over back down the hallway, and passed a mirror, only to be frightened by my reflection. No longer was I Isaac Free, in mind, or in body, but a poorly made copy. The skin on the right side of my head and all of my left are was gone. I could see the blue metal with red blood running down it. It was strange to see it. I had a large socket where my eye rested, a real organ, most likely artificially made to look my Isaac's. I had no hair save for a few strands on that side of my head. I was hideous, and there was no way that Bret was going to see me like this.

I ran down the hall, my legs still both working. I reached another hall that was marked the same, but in older letters. That must be the right way. I walked slowly, rifle in hand, and turned the corner. I was imediately over taken by the Incolma. They hit me in the head with one of their big hands, and I went black again.