Chapter 14

“Don’t walk in front of me ... I may not follow
Don’t walk behind me ... I may not lead
Walk beside me ... just be my friend”

― Albert Camus

The campus canteen was bustling with students at lunch time. Jason looked out over the city and saw a large, ugly, black, pterodactyl with a mouth full of long sharp teeth dive and catch a white bird part of a flock flying in formation. The flock barely reacted, closed formation and continued to fly. The pterodactyl chewed on the bird in midair, then grabbed it with its claws and began to tear it apart as it flew towards the shield. Feathers streamed behind it as well as a droplets of blood. The bird looked directly at Jason and moved its snout as it held the bird in its claws. The jaw moved.

“I am the Gazronnaas, I will catch you, tear you open, and rip you apart.”

His sense of foreboding grew.

Jason felt a bump on his back as a student behind him tripped and steadied himself. He heard him mumble something placatingly. Jason looked back as the student started to turn. He was unfamiliar to Jason. Jason’s neck and shoulders felt tense. He flexed his shoulder muscles, rolled his shoulders then rotated his head on his neck. His sense of disquiet grew, his heart hammered in his chest, he felt uncomfortable and began to feel foggy. He must be off balance and disturbed by his observation of vicious pterodactyl that talked to him. He began to feel dizzy.

“That idiot looked quite unbalanced and intoxicated,” said Alfred. “Did he hurt you?”

“He whacked me between my shoulder blades when he stumbled, but didn’t hurt me,” said Jason. “I am feeling odd.”

“Let’s head for class,” said Razza. “The joys of a level III electronics laboratory await us all. Come on people look sharp, move it.”

“You look dazed Jason, are you sure you are okay?” Corvus asked.

“Since I have had my premonition, I am seeing Gazronnaas around every corner. When that student bumped into me, I got a hell of a fright. I was thinking of killing him when I turned and saw it was a student who tripped.”

Jason shuddered.

They walked into the laboratory and sat at their places. Jason’s unease grew. He saw several students who were unfamiliar to him and his sense of doom increased. His mind was woolly and unfocused. He wanted to sleep.

“What the hell is going on?” Corvus asked then shouted, “Watch out people we are under attack!”

Jason looked up. Two AI marines fell, then the other three guards in the room. Six unfamiliar students who were casting towards the guards turned towards him. He put up his shield automatically. He was just in time. A large fireball struck his shield.

Jason’s friend, Pukini Punahele one of the Azayal, wearing his battle face, crept towards one of the Gazronnaas from the side and leapt towards him with claws outstretched and canines elongated. He tore into the Gazronnaas ripping his face and eyes. One of the other Gazronnaas blasted him from behind. Pukini subsided onto the floor.

Begona Keris his other Azayal friend attacked one of the other Gazronnaas with fireballs.

Ooryphyon cast towards one of the other Gazronnaas, but it was blocked by the Gazronnaas shield.

Annjus fired a steady stream towards one of the other Gazronnaas and as her shield began to collapse shouted towards Ooryphyon, to cast.

Begona and several of the students around her collapsed.

Andrea, Julia and Zafa attacked one of the other Gazronnaas together. The Gazronnaas shield held. The Gazronnaas was powerful and dangerous, but what to do?

Jason couldn’t think. His mind was clouded and couldn’t decide how to get out of danger, what was going on? Why was his mind so clouded?

“Jump Jason,” Razza shouted, “they are after you.”

How can he jump? Did he know how?

“Jump, Jason, for heaven’s sake get out of here,” Ooryphyon shouted. “You blithering nitwit just jump.”

Several Gazronnaas attacked Jason. His shield barely held them. He was struggling to keep it going thought there was plenty of power. He wanted to cast, but he couldn’t think of what to do. Something was seriously wrong with him.

He vaguely looked around and saw a powerful blue column of power. He bent it and mixed in red from another column. He was enjoying playing with it. What did he want it for?

Annjus sent fireballs towards one of the Gazronnaas. The Gazronnaas took his attention off Jason. Jason cast the spell for the removal of the Gazronnaas from the student. The cast was weak and ineffectual. It did absolutely nothing! He couldn’t do anything properly.

He reinforced his shield.

I need to think.

He watched as Julia created magical avatars and sent them towards the Gazronnaas.

Oksana was looking calm as she alternately took cover, stood and cast while using a small shield. Annjus looked equally calm beside her. Annjus was struck in the shoulder right through her shield and fell. Razza shrieked. He saw her eye burst.

What to do?

I must jump. When should I jump?

Thoughts swimming, he wanted to sleep.

Corvus shook his shoulder.

“Jason, you must leave us, they will kill you, you must go, we will manage.”

Jason couldn’t think how to transport himself.

Suddenly it came to him.

He jumped to the outside passageway.

“Call reinforcements, the guards are down in there, six Gazronnaas at least. They are skilled and powerful.”

Three of the Gazronnaas manifested in the corridor, seconds later three more followed them. He put up a shield. Think he must think! The Gazronnaas began to cast towards Jason. Two guards fell. One Gazronnaas died burning.

Jason jumped to the bubble above. The Gazronnaas followed seconds later.

He put up a shield, reinforced it, and tried to think.

How could they know where he was?

How did they do this?

Why is my power weak?

His shield collapsed.

He narrowly dodged several fireballs, then jumped again.

As soon as he reached his destination he again jumped. The Gazronnaas continued to follow him. They then started to attack his brain telepathically. He fended them off as best he could.

Jason randomly jumped from place to place looking for a military presence. He couldn’t think where to go. He couldn’t get away. He tried empty spaces, he jumped into buildings and down into the square. They continued to chase after him. His left shoulder was burning. He needed time to think. How could he get time to think?

He needed to get into something solid.

He jumped down below the city below the jungle and into the ground. He continued to move through the ground as he thought.

It’s not safe on the surface.

What about up a tree?

What about the birds that inject the eggs into the skin and the big pterodactyl like things?

How do they know where I am?

They darted me before.

There must be something on my back. That was no student. It was one of them. He reached around to feel.

It is amazing I can move in rock and I can reach around to feel between my shoulders!

There was a small round device between his shoulders, an inch in diameter and half an inch thick. He tried to pull it off.

Oh fuck, the pain is horrific! The damn thing can’t be pulled off. Can I burn it off? I can’t underground no.

What the hell can I do with it.

Switch it off.

Concentrate on the casting.

Why am I so fuzzy?

It must be that cursed device.

He felt for magic. It was abundant. He mixed the powers and cast.

He switched the device off.

Immediately he felt better. The fuzziness went and he could concentrate.

He visualized the device, then carefully incinerated the inside doing as they had recently been taught. The pain was agonizing, he almost lost consciousness.

Wait for the pain to recede.

That was diabolical!

Those cursed Gazronnaas will die!

Back to the University and the laboratory. Go to the passageway first.

Soldiers were everywhere.

They reacted to Jason’s sudden entrance turning to face him then raising their assault rifles.

He held out his arms to the sides showing empty palms.

“It’s Ok, I am the Emperor. I was in the room but managed to teleport out taking six Gazronnaas after me. I managed to lose them.”

The guards relaxed. Jason was recognized.

He didn’t know the insignia of the approaching officer, but he could spot a senior officer a hundred yards away.

“Emperor, I am Col. Nelwok, can you tell me what happened?”

“Shall I begin with the events in the room or shall I begin with what they did before they got to the room?” Jason asked.

The Colonel looked startled.

“Begin with what you know before they got to the room.”

Jason’s neck and shoulders began to throb. He was sure he had burnt himself. It was a small price to pay for killing the device!

“While I was in the canteen having lunch, I felt a student bump me from behind. Soon after that incident, my mind became foggy and confused. We finished lunch and walked up to the laboratory to work on electronics. Several students remarked I was not looking well. Then through the fog several students who I didn’t recognize walked in to the lab and sat at some of the tables.

“I can predict dangers approximately half a day ahead. I had a sense of imminent danger this morning. I knew something was going to happen today. I asked for extra guards today and warned of an impending Gazronnaas assault. As soon as I saw the students, I knew something was wrong. I didn’t know what it was. I was too foggy and sleepy to do anything.

“One of the students shouted a warning. I saw several guards fall including my Marine AIs. I looked around and saw several of the foreign students were casting and attacking the guards. They neutralized the guards quickly and turned to attack me. The other students encouraged me to teleport out, and tried to attack the Gazronnaas, but I stayed for a while as I couldn’t think what to do other than keep up my shield. I wanted to cast to remove Gazronnaas from one of the students, but I couldn’t get organized.

“One of the students walked up and held my shoulder and told me to go.

“I jumped to the corridor outside to warn the guards and to get them to call reinforcements. The Gazronnaas followed me. I jumped to several places, but they followed me wherever I went. I think my left shoulder was burned by them when my shields failed.”

Jason felt his left shoulder. The sleeve was burnt away, and the skin felt blistered.

“I needed time to think, I teleported from the city, passed through the jungle and went underground and began to move through the rock to buy myself some time to think. I knew I was being tracked by the Gazronnaas. Finally, I recalled the slap on my back and when I felt behind and below my neck, I felt a circular device. I used magic to switch it off. Immediately I felt better and less fuzzy. I then burnt the device on the inside. I couldn’t take the risk that they could switch it on again.

“I then came back to assist the others and teleported into this passageway.”

“Can I see the device?”

Jason turned around.

“You have a nasty burn around it. You’re going to need medical treatment and they are not going to find it easy to get it out. It is deeply embedded. It looks like it has pulled itself inwards.”

“Colonel I would like to go into the room to see if I can help my friends.”

“I have just arrived; we can walk in together.”

The room was badly damaged. There were scorch marks and craters on walls, equipment and desks. Desks were overturned, chairs were broken on the floor and several areas had spatters of blood.

There were medics everywhere.

“They were able to interfere with the software that manages the portals. They delayed reinforcements for several minutes,” said the Colonel. “They were able to teleport very much as you do. It is an exceedingly rare skill amongst us!”

The Colonel stood for several minutes listening.

“The Gazronnaas killed all the guards in this room as well as several students. Many of the students were severely injured and are in hospital. A medical shuttle is taking some of the students for treatment to the Collective ship. Nine of the Gazronnaas remained to fight in this room and were incapacitated by the students before the reinforcements arrived. The students killed three before you left, one was killed by guards in the passageway outside, the students killed three of them after you left by the students and the others are in our custody. We captured their consciousness and the severely damaged students who were occupied by them are in treatment. The students fighting in here acquitted themselves well but sustained significant casualties. The five Gazronnaas that chased after you are still at large.

“Several Gazronnaas randomly attacked people in the city. They were insane and some of the bodies show signs of decay. The Gazronnaas consciousness has been removed from their bodies, but the students are not recovering.” The Colonel added. “The Gazronnaas consciousness is as insane as are the students.”

“We are scanning the city for the Gazronnaas. We can’t see them or sense them. If they can teleport, they are going to be difficult to catch.

“We expect they will also lose their minds in time. The next few days is going to be extremely dangerous for you. I would suggest you wear light armor as a precaution. We have armor we can give you that is comfortable, is highly effective, and you will hardly know it’s there.” The Colonel suggested.

“Excellent idea! It would’ve helped save the day today. When I get back to the palace, I will arrange it,” said Jason.

“I suggest you go to the hospital first and have them remove that device on your upper back and treat your burns. If I may I will liaise with the palace on your behalf? In the meantime, I will send some men with you to the hospital. You will be unnecessarily delayed if you wait for your guards.”

****

Jason decided he would rather be treated on Ouma Chatzke’s ship. He thought it would be safer, and he knew what they could do. They knew how to remove complex devices. He contacted her while she was touring with Cassius and Mergal and she arranged for him to be taken to the ship.

Jason explained about the teleporting Gazronnaas and arranged to be protected while in the pod.

Several platoons of soldiers guarded him in the pod, while he was having his treatment and the device on his back removed. Afterwards he spoke to the doctors.

“Many more doctors were involved than I expected,” said Jason. “Can any of you tell me what happened?”

“Emperor, we were able to treat your burns easily, but our teleportation device in the medical pod could not lock on the device on your back. Our engineers helped us work on it, but nothing we tried worked. We were able to confirm the device was not operating, but we could see it sent out fibers that knitted themselves into your spinal cord. We consulted the doctors and engineers from the planet. They sent a team of scientists, doctors and engineers to come and help us. I will hand over to my colleague from Idza.”

Jason nodded to the doctor.

“We know the kind of device used on you. The Dermon assassins make use of similar devices when they want to terrorize people or are concerned they might not easily kill them where they are. They assist the assassins to find the person identified, and ensure they are killed. They gravely impair the function of the person, so they are unlikely to fight back. We first confirmed your device was not functioning as it has anti-tampering sensors. If you try and pull it off, it generates extreme pain. If you try to cut it out it explodes.

“Our metallurgists identified the metals and other elements making up the alloys used and provided guidance to the teleportation device. We could have removed it using our powers, but it would take several days.

“We are highly impressed by your medical technology. We look forward to a new generation of devices that can use our powers. Once the teleportation device in the medical pod was appropriately calibrated, the machine could remove the device including the spinal threads in a few minutes,” said the doctor from Idza. “It would have also taken us a few days to deal with your burns.”

“My thanks to both of your teams. Are there any limitations to what I do? I suspect I’m going to face further assassins in the next few days. I need to know what my limitations are,” said Jason.

“You are fully recovered and are fit to do anything you wish,” said the Collective doctor. The doctors nodded then began to turn to walk away.

“Thanks again to all of you,” said Jason to the doctors. Brecht Chatzke, Cassius and Mergal approached looking concerned. Adhhan followed several paces behind them.

Adhhan ran to hug Jason. “I was so worried about you grandpa. Are you all right?”

“I am thanks to the doctors from the ship and your doctors. I am fully fit and ready to return to the palace.”

“What happened Jason?” Cassius asked.

Jason explained in some detail.

“Jason, why don’t you stay here overnight. Time is running out for the assassins,” said Brecht.

“I am sure we can protect him in the palace. The assassins could attack him on this ship as easily as they can in the palace. They are looking for you. They flashed in and out of several wards in the hospital and they flashed in and out of the palace. They flash out before the automated defense systems in the passages can target them. Jason, we will cover you with guards and even place guards in your room overnight. I suggest you wear light armor. We will provide it for you. You can sleep in it comfortably. It will block several magic attacks and most beam weapons,” Adhhan explained.

“Brecht, I am not safe on the ship. I am sure they teleported onto the ships coming here,” said Jason. “I don’t intend running from them. Adhhan’s guards can help us using magic. I have some ideas I want to try. They don’t carry weapons and we know they don’t wear armor. They cloak themselves when they are in the city, but they do not teleport and cloak. Whatever teleportation system they use I suspect they can’t carry very much. They carried that tag device but we haven’t seen them carry more than the clothing they wear.”

“Do you know if all of the Empresses are all right?” Jason asked.

Adhhan sighed.

“We replaced Razza’s eye. Andrea, Julia and Linda had burns. We brought them here for treatment. Zafa broke her arm, which the doctors on the planet repaired. Lisirra broke her jaw fighting one of the Gazronnaas hand-to-hand, she is back in the palace. Lisirra killed her opponent. Ooryphyon was uninjured. Of the others several were killed, but they have had their consciousness backed up and they will be recoverable. Nasta Varata one of the Ordreg women had her learning device stolen. She will not be able to be recovered, unless you back up people using your own learning machine. Mystera Magnus has such severe burns, she is going to be rebuilt. Begona Keris and Pukini Punahele your old Azayal friends must also be rebuilt. Begona fought hand-to-hand and killed one of the Gazronnaas despite losing her vision. He managed to burn her before she got to him. She tore him to pieces. Nearly everyone was injured. These Gazronnaas assassins are powerful magic users,” explained Adhhan. “Your class performed well, captured four and killed six of them.”

“We can confirm they are decaying and are becoming unstable. We extracted them from the students and interrogated them. Six of the assassins chased after you Jason, one died in the passage and five went after you. There were fifteen assassins. We discovered twenty-seven insane students so far. The Gazronnaas were removed from the students and interrogated. We incarcerated them in secure AI facilities. We are going through their memories to find out what they know. The ordinary Gazronnaas are all unbalanced. The elite group have had training to survive and maintain themselves and their hosts better than the rest. One of the captured ones is an officer and part of the assassin group. She did a lot of damage and hurt several civilians in the market before she was captured. There are five of them out there at least. They know their time is almost up. They must make another attempt very soon. This time we will be ready for them,” said Adhhan. “The assassin group can maintain themselves mentally longer than any other group, but the bodies are not holding up as well.

“Adhhan, do we have any idea where they could be hiding?” Jason asked.

“Our police are searching all likely hiding places. The interrogation process is slow and we have not found much of interest so far. We are not having any luck. Even if we do find the members of the assassin group, they are likely to jump elsewhere,” said Adhhan. “We are using city-based sensors and we have gunships parked above the city with active sensors. They have managed to evade us everywhere. We detected them in the hospital, in the palace, and the University. On each occasion they disappear.

“What is beneath the city?”

“All the services provided to the city are beneath the city. Specifically, we have the antigravity opposer cubes, stabilizers, movement engines, sewage recycling, rubbish regeneration, some heating and cooling systems, water storage, power generators and miscellaneous other equipment and services,” said Adhhan. “No one can get into those areas without security keys.”

“What kind of security is in place in those areas once someone is inside. Let us say I jumped in, could you see me? How many people or AIs are in that area at any one time? Are there spaces where someone could hide?” Jason asked.

“I can’t answer that question, but I will make sure we search the utility areas,” said Adhhan.

“I am sick and tired of the Gazronnaas constantly having the initiative. Do you have any units of yours which can jump as the Gazronnaas do?” Jason followed up.

“That is an excellent idea Jason, I will follow up both those points,” said Adhhan, “and I am going to do it right now!”

“I tried to use our dogs and boars to do the same exercise on Mars and Porquenta. The Gazronnaas blocked them and nearly trapped them underground. We didn’t get anywhere. I doubt they have access to the same equipment to block us here. They are not armed, so I doubt they hide out in the jungle. They don’t transport anything other than the clothes they wear, and I have my doubts they have maskers to hide themselves. The Gazronnaas love underground and below the ground. I would look in storage facilities, under the city, basements of buildings if they exist. I would lay odds they are beneath the city.

“I don’t find jumping onerous and I can carry weapons. I am thinking of going hunting for them before they find us this evening. Can you give us assault weapons and a range of other stuff we can use? I have some ideas I want to try out.”

“Jason, I prefer you don’t expose yourself to risk unnecessarily. Let me see what I can do using our people first,” said Adhhan frowning. “I will give all of you an assault rifle and a side-arm keyed to your DNA. I will also give you a choice of swords and a knife.”

“Thank you Adhhan.”

“Jason you are inclined to take too many risks,” said Brecht. “Remember you have millions if not billions of children who are dependent on you and a whole Empire. It is not worth risking yourself and the empresses to try and kill five Gazronnaas.”

“Brecht I prefer to go after them on my own terms, rather than be waiting on tenterhooks for them to come for me,” said Jason.

“Adhhan, we will join you for dinner at the palace,” said Cassius. “We had better let you contact your people. I hope you have people who can jump around like the Gazronnaas. They have had it their own way for far too long. If you have such people that will reduce the risk to Jason and his people.”

Adhhan hurried away, her communicator firmly attached to her ear.

“I don’t think you’re going to have much sleep tonight,” said Brecht. “Come and have a drink, afterwards we will take you back to the palace.”

****

The dining room in the palace had three times as many alert guards with assault weapons in hand as people sitting around the table.

“Our people are searching as you suggested, Jason. Our military provided jumpers. Those that can jump as the Gazronnaas do are rare amongst us. We have tens of thousands of troops searching beneath the city and in storage and basement areas. So far there is no news. No one has found any traces of them. The Gazronnaas are good at hiding in the midst of their enemies.

“I was surprised to find how many empty buildings, floors of buildings and storage areas there are in the city. The University has many such empty areas. The police are systematically looking in all those areas and are being aided by the military. Our military has a device that blocks our jumpers, they hope to trial it on the Gazronnaas. We don’t know if their mechanism of jumping is the same as ours or yours. But we hope to find out soon,” said Adhhan.

“Could they not use it to protect the palace?” Cassius asked.

“Yes, we will trial it here tonight, but we can’t rely on it until we can test it on the Gazronnaas!”

“Is your light armor comfortable?” Adhhan asked.

“Yes, it is quite remarkable. It fits itself around us and feels soft and comfortable. Ours must be fitted by an expert. I’m sure the armor will be comfortable to sleep in if necessary,” said Jason.

“The group that went to my ship will be back here shortly,” said Brecht. “I don’t think any of them will need further rehabilitation.”

Jason glanced to the left. “Someone flashed in and then out”.

The guards had seen the figure as they pointed their assault rifles at the point Jason indicated.

Razza, Corvus, Jiskassa, Julia, Andrea, Linda, Annjus, Oksana, Begona, Kalalal, Lisirra, Ooryphyon, Zafa, Pukini, Sergei and Sheila walked in.

“We saw one of the bastards manifest herself into the passageway outside just before we came in. One of the guards, shot at her, but she was gone in an instant!” Alfred who came in last exclaimed.

“Hah, Jason you are going to chase them! I fully agree,” said Ooryphyon laughing.

Jason smiled.

The whole group laughed.

Adhhan and her sisters walked in and sat at the table. She looked tired and drawn.

“We found the place where they were hiding, a warehouse under the city. There was a confrontation and we killed one of them. The body decayed almost immediately. We can no longer track their life signs. They must have some way of blocking us from detecting them. This is a disturbing finding. Our jumpers saw ten to twelve of them during the brief encounter, then they jumped away and escaped.

“I have weapons for all of you. You need them regardless of whether you chase them or not. Our guards saw the Gazronnaas in nearly every room in the palace. Be very careful. You can identify our people easily as our jumpers are wearing a camouflage uniform. Make sure you don’t shoot any of them. They know you are wearing light armor and I gave them your images so if they encounter you they can recognize you.

“I suggest you all enjoy your dinner; I have a plan I want to talk to all of you about,” said Jason. “I am tired of being hunted. I’m not going to sit here and wait for them to attack.”

“I knew it and I agree, this is an opportunity to take the fight to them on our terms,” said Ooryphyon. “I am sick and tired of being on the back foot with these bums, yeah I say, go for it.”

****

“When I was with the dogs, Basil the trainer taught me how to follow them underground. I also learned how to follow them in space. If you stand in a circle holding hands, I will transport you. I can easily jump repeatedly taking all of you along,” said Jason. “It is time we start hunting them.”

“Grandpa, I really don’t think it is a good idea you take such a risk yourself. You are far too important to so many of us to risk yourself, your close friends, my sisters, and your Empresses,” said Adhhan.

A soft portal opened and Valsam walked through followed by several spiderlings. She walked quickly towards Jason and hugged him tightly. The spiderlings ran towards him and climbed up onto his shoulders and chest.

“Daddy, we missed you, we haven’t seen you for ages,” the spiderlings said through the link. The two on his shoulders changed into humanoid form and hugged his head and tugged on his ears.

Jason laughed and patted them.

“What is going on?” Valsam asked. “You are all holding hands, are you playing a game?”

Jason explained what had been happening.

“I agree with you fully; it is time to start taking the initiative,” said Valsam.

“The spiderlings decided rather than build a spaceship, they wanted to help you. They have been building high speed drills and have been exploring under the campus and in the surrounds between the campus in the hospital and under the hospital. They built many automated probes. They discovered a Gazronnaas base. They were so excited they wanted me to tell you and they wanted some of the junior queens to come with me to present their work.