Space Epic II

I opened the door to the sounds of lively music, uncontrollable laughter, and fearless dancing. This was a welcome home like no other. Amara's embrace felt no less comforting than that of my late mothers. Being with her always brought back memories of my childhood. I drank profusely, trying to forget the treacherous journey. So much I blacked out until morning. 

I reached for my laser gun, relieved to find it in the nightstand drawer. "I must have put it there last night." I haven't felt this way since I last had a Cerestrian hangover. Amara was already awake, making her morning tea. I always wanted to marry her but never built up the courage. My last brush with death changed that, so I decided to propose today at the Great Falls—the place of our first date. It was during sunset under a crimson-wrapped sky. Amara said yes, and started planning our wedding day right away. My potential future with her was the most important thing to me, so I decided to quit the hero business, but do heroes ever retire? 

Trying my best to adapt to a domesticated lifestyle, I took a job doing planetary analysis for the government. The money wasn't nearly as good, but the job was safe. I'd do anything to make Amara happy. She always dreamed of a Plutonian wedding, so that's just what we did. We wed in June. An intimate wedding under the Hydra moon. 

Things were going well, that is until they weren't. On October 13, 2407, I got the call. Fellow bounty hunter Kamau was killed while investigating The Upward. The Upward was a newly formed death cult that used their belief in an apocalyptic end to reign terror on every known inhabited planet. They believed they were fighting a holy war and used their religious beliefs to justify their immoral actions. Kamau got too close and paid the ultimate sacrifice. 

Devastated by the death of a comrade, I gathered myself to attend the funeral. I wasn't planning on giving a speech, but I obliged per his mother's request. Mid-speech, I was interrupted by two of the Upwards hover-bike goons. A laser beam grazed my shoulder as they opened fire on the funeral. One of the goons managed to abduct Kamau's mother, Makena, and escape on their hoverbike. To no avail, We combed the scene, searching for clues before the police arrived. Feeling defeated, we returned home so my wife could tend to my wound.

The following day I remembered something that Makena said about her son's investigation. She told me that he stationed himself in the habitable zone of Wolf 359. I apologized to Amara for what I was about to do. I knew that I was slipping back into my old ways and that it would affect our marriage. Her eyes filled with tears as she begged me not to go. I tried not to look her in the face and told her I had to leave. She grabbed my arm and pleaded with me, but I made up my mind. She squeezed harder and said, "I'm Pregnant." It felt like gravity left the room, and the world fell silent. I didn't know what to say or how to say it, but I knew if the Upward had their way, my child would not have a future. Again she begged me to let the police handle it, but this was personal. Finally, I gathered my equipment and headed toward the Red Dwarf Star, Wolf 359.

Using Kamau's cell caster, I located his base camp through triangulation. I found a link chart on the wall showing The Upward's hierarchy. A sure sign of how far down the rabbit hole Kamau was. The Upward was run by two Bishops and their High Priest, Ascension. As part of their holy crusade, every planet they invaded was given an ultimatum; either convert to The Upward's religion or be eliminated. The Upward wasn't looking for true believers. Instead, they used the new converts in their Prisoner Camp for selfish gain. 

Their Prisoner Camp was located on The Upwards main transport ship. Appropriately named The Temple. There they farmed the prisoner's memories to extend their life span. Their holy text claimed that a chosen few known as The Upward would convert or eradicate every planet in the Universe. Extracting the memories of their converts to earn the award of immortality in the Upper Heavens. My best chance to stop them was to get captured and infiltrate the transport ship from the inside. 

The perfect opportunity presented itself in early November. The Upward was still in the planning stages of their attack on Earth, so they were currently docked just outside the Milky Way. My plan was to sneak onto their transport ship disguised as a new convert, which worked. I stepped out of the shadows into the cold hallway and cried out to the guards, "Please accept me as your humble servant." "I only live to worship the God of the upper heavens." The guards quickly seized me and threw me in the hole for processing. Processing was a ritual they performed on every new convert. First, they would baptize the proselyte in a pool of symbiotic sludge before connecting them to an EEG machine. 

From inside, I could transmit my location to Earth's Space Force. After I find Makena, I'll call for backup. Careful to not alert the other guards, I brandished my holographic knife and silently killed the guard at the entrance. Then, moving stealthily, I took down 2 more guards before getting to the farming room. After eliminating another busy guard while they were monitoring vital signs, I took their nano rifle and ammo. I hid behind one of the many suspended bodies and aimed the gun toward the main gate. As soon as the gate opened, I saw Makena. She was being escorted by the two Bishops. I called for backup and followed them down the ship's hull. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for revenge. An Aviator's revenge. 

Following the two Bishops led me to an automatic double door that required a fingerprint to open. Unfortunately, the door closed and locked behind the Bishops, so I needed to use my Flipper Zero to hack the lock. Hacking the lock was a piece of cake, so I cautiously entered the chamber. As soon as I entered, a bright light blinded my vision, and I heard a voice, "How dare you desecrate this holy vessel with your impure presence?" The voice was no one other than the High Priest, Ascension. I replied. "How dare you claim the moral high ground while enslaving innocent people to fulfill your sick prophecy?" Ascension used his telepathic technology to grab my neck, which caused me to lose my grip. The rifle made a loud sound when it fell to the ground. The way I dangled from Ascension's grasp made me look like a rag doll. Ascension ordered me to beg his God's forgiveness.

I spit blood as I struggled to get the words out; "I will never worship your God." Ascension tightened his squeeze, and then, "BOOM!' the transport ship jerked from the impact. Lights flickered, then switched to emergency amber. Ascension lost his hold and fell to the ground. Grabbing the nano rifle, I turned my attention to Makena. She was scrambling to get up from the floor. Before the Bishops could recover, I shot them with the nano rifle, one in the jaw and the other in the chest. I darted to Makena's aid, but Ascension was not far behind. 

The Space Force was able to breach the ship and provide assistance. Grabbing Makena, I booked it towards the cargo bay. With her safe behind a container and took cover on the opposite side. I fired a couple rounds before changing position. I tried to flank Ascension by moving in a half circle until I could attack from the side. My plan was working. I just needed to change my position one more time. After Ascension sent a barrage of laser fire in my direction, I made my move. From the corner of my eye, I saw Makena jump on Ascension as he aimed his weapon. When I looked back, I saw that Ascension threw Makena across the room. She landed on a sharp object. I closed in on Ascension, aiming down the sights; I locked onto Ascension and riddled him with bullets from the nano rifle. I shot until the clip was empty, shooting him even after he lay lifeless. I checked Makena's pulse, but unfortunately, she didn't make it. Her death would ultimately be the catalyst that sparked the fall of The Upward.

A Space Force soldier pulled me away from Makena's body and led me to the rescue shuttle. Aboard the rescue shuttle, I couldn't help but feel beaten by the loss of Kamau's mother, but her death wasn't in vain. The Upward's plan to attack Earth has been averted. But, unfortunately, this wouldn't be the last time one of their overzealous followers would try to carry out their agenda. It was a melancholy victory but a victory nonetheless. I used my cell caster to call my wife. "I'm coming home, Amara."