The Legacy of the Void

Chapter 3

Aria returned to her lab to find that there were now security codes for nearly everything in it. She could not even exit her doors without help. In despair, she set about finishing Tajji, forgoing sleep day after day in the tiny hope of a taste of her forbidden freedom.

It was one such late night that she first saw the scout ship. The Lalatians preferred to live on their planet, but a few had mastered the art of space travel, and they had a fleet of fifty ships off exploring at any given time, but their home world was reliant on a series of satellites orbiting the planet. For all that the invaders were brutes, they were not stupid, and so as the Lalatians slept, they began to find a way around the satellites and the sleeping watchmen. Aria noticed the first sentinel from her windows. Her lab looked out onto the front grounds, and the unnoticed craft flew a high circle before jetting back to space. With the keen eyesight of her kind, she followed its progress. When it was gone, she hurried to her door, but not only was she locked in, there was no one to let her out. In fact, all outside communication had been severed for her, and she was forced to watch in horror was an armada of ships began to appear in the sky above her. Desperate, she powered on Tajji and set him up trying to break out of the main doors while using the tiny window she was allowed to open to set off every single one of her holographic creatures. They filled the air, some crying out in their species cries, and the various forms of life began to run about the grounds and down the levels to the populace below. She had no idea what everyone else would make of them, she simply, desperately hoped there was some good to come of it.

"Aria," said the mechanical voice of Tajji, "the door is now open."

She spun and ran out with a quick kiss on the metallic head. Dashing through the palace, she made her way to the Queen's rooms, setting off every alarm she could find on the way. By now, half of the palace was awake, and the city was awakening below, but she had no idea about what would become of the rest of the population. Most of Lalat's inhabitants were bound around the country's equator, squeezed into the small ring of habitable land, but easy targets to pick off. Rula and a handful of other guards tried to stop Aria, but she madly dashed into the royal chambers.

"My Lady," she gasped. "We are being invaded."

Baracia looked up in groggy confusion. By then, Rula had succeeded in extracting Aria from the room, and more aware advisors were starting to pour in. Aria sat in indecision in one of the outer chambers until a huge bang rocked the palace. Pieces of ornamental stone rained from the ceiling, and total panadmonium ensued. Evacuations were already in place, but Aria was pushed aside in the rush to save the Queen. Staggering back, she came face to face with one of her creations. The blue bird perched on her arm and tapped her head. Frowing, she watched as it took off and waited for her to follow. It took her a moment, but she did so. She followed the bird out to the courtyard where she had first let it fly, and it was then that she realized what it was doing. The students of the palace were in their dorms, and the way out had just been destroyed by the falling rubble. Aria raced back to get Tajji, and between her creations and herself, she managed to pry the doors open of the dorms. Students rushed out in chaos, but were quickly guided by security guards who had come to a belated rescue. Feeling a moment of release, Aria turned to see if someone else was needing help when she caught her first glimpse of the invaders.

They had already breached the city walls, and they were entering the royal grounds. They were unlike any creature Aria had ever seen, with scaly heads, four arms, and enormous legs. Their six eyes took in more than she could, and one saw her frozen form, leaping form the building to land beside her. Her only cognitive thought in that moment of panic was that this creature could leap even better than an Offworlder. Tajji stepped between aggressor and creator, and was shot for his efforts. He sputtered down, circuits frying, as Aria was left to stare in horror at the creature that was to be her doom. In one final second, a form came flying form nowhere, plowing into the alien and making quick work of its own weapon on it. Aria caught her breath as Michael turned to her.