Awoken (5 page)

“That was close,” Oa said in relief, his voice shaking.

“I’m glad I made you practice so much with that gizmo,” Ohm agreed. Oa quickly pulled them up to the deck and held onto Seeker as Ohm awkwardly climbed up over him with his one good hand. Ohm got a boot up on the platform and launched himself over the railing. He picked himself up and reached back over the railing to grab Oa. Once on the platform, Oa retrieved Seeker and crouched next to Ohm behind a stack of crates. They peeked over the crates to see that the half-circle terrace had several raised sections along its fringe. Oa assumed these sections were meant to be landing docks for the dropships he had seen earlier, yet only one remained. A plethora of tools, equipment, and raw goods were strewn about the landing decks. Crates were stacked haphazardly around the docking stations. In the center of the platform, the Marauder camp rested beneath thick support beams bolted to the stone and deck. There were cloths draped over poles to create makeshift shelters, and at the center of them sat the source of the exposing light. It appeared to be a pile of red and yellow glowing stones. They cast a warm light on three figures sitting around them. The figures were the source of the strange sound Oa had heard earlier.

“What is that noise?” Oa whispered to Ohm.

“That is music—well-crafted music,” Ohm replied.

“Sounds nice, but I don’t see the soul ember crate,” Oa said worriedly.

“They probably just put the embers in another container. Don’t fret. The Marauders will be keeping them close,” Ohm muttered as he scanned the camp. Then he pointed excitedly. “Look closely next to the pile of warmth shards. See that small bag? It is very old, I can tell by the markings. Old means valuable. The soul embers must be in there.”

“The noise you are emitting is loud enough to revive one of those soul embers,” Fred chided in a lowered voice.

Ohm’s head cocked back for a moment. Then he reached down to his hip and fiddled with something for a moment before jabbing Oa in the side with his elbow. Ohm leaned in close and whispered, “I reset Fred’s voice emitter. He is insanely loud now.”

Oa turned, startled. “Why would you do that?”

“Because it’s hilarious, and will serve to get their attention,” Ohm replied. Then turning his head slightly, he whispered back, “Hey Fred, remind me. What is that word you like so much?”

“MALARKEY!” Fred’s voice thundered throughout the cavern.

The three Marauders abruptly stopped playing their music and sprang to their feet, reaching for weapons. Startled, they scanned around looking for the source of the deafening voice. Oa looked down to see Ohm rolling on the deck in muffled laughter, quite amused by his own antics.

“Very clever,” Fred said, his voice returning to normal. “A simple resetting of my vocal emitters—”

“What do we do now? I didn’t want their attention,” Oa whispered urgently, cutting Fred off.

Ohm immediately ceased his mirth and rolled back up into a crouch next to Oa. He outlined his plan conspiratorially, “I will distract them while you stay out of sight. Circle around to the right, grab the bag, and use Seeker to get back out. I will be right behind you.” Ohm’s voice was determined and focused. “And don’t get shot by their boltspitters.” he warned as he scuttled away.

Oa ducked low and waited in position while Ohm ran off to his left. As Ohm ran, he knocked over several crates making enough noise to attract the attention of the three Marauders who slowly started stalking toward Ohm, boltspitters held ready. When Oa heard the sounds of Ohm’s distractions, he sped around the platform in the opposite direction. Oa raced through stacks of crates, taking care not to stumble over the random gear strewn about. He heard the familiar pop and hiss of the boltspitters going off. Some fired in quick bursts while others were long drawn out crackles. The light from each shot reflected off the metallic crates and filled the dim cavern.
I hope Ohm knows how dangerous those things ar
e, Oa thought to himself as he remembered the gaping hole a boltspitter put in Birk’s chest.

Oa reached the rear of the balcony where metal met rock. He scrambled over a stack of old junk and knelt down behind a heavy crate. Peeking out from behind the box, he could see that he was now very close to where the Marauders had been sitting. Oa spotted the bag next to one of the seats. He rolled out from behind his hiding spot and crawled over to the bag. He flattened down and grabbed the bag; there were many strange markings on the ancient fabric. He could not read them, but he pulled open the top of the bag and looked inside. Sure enough, Ohm had been correct: in the bag laid several glistening soul embers.

Elated, Oa hopped to his feet, but he saw one of the marauders returning to the camp. Oa backed up in haste, trying to get to the shadows. He tripped backwards over a piece of equipment, making a muffled clang as his body hit the floor. The Marauder spotted Oa and raced forward. As he came into the light, Oa instantly knew who these Marauders were. It was Bota, Jad, and Kiri.

Jad stood in front of him. He pointed his boltspitter at Oa, speaking in a surprised voice. “Oa? But you fell. How?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Oa interrupted as he stood up. “I have to do this. Leave a message for Eol, tell him I stole the embers. He can come after me himself if he wants them.”

Oa held Seeker hidden behind his back. With a simple thought, he sent it shooting up toward another hanging spire of rock over the other side of the platform. He held the bag up with his other hand. “I am going to keep these embers safe and deal with Eol. So go find another life to live.”

“Wait! Oa, you don’t understand,” Jad said taking a step forward but it was too late. Oa’s impulsiveness overrode his willingness to listen. Seeker had attached to the rock. Oa reached out with his hand, made the link, and flew up off the deck toward the hanging spire. As he flew over the terrace, Oa saw Bota and Kiri firing at Ohm as he ran toward the edge of the platform. Ohm dodged through the mess of crates, contorting his body to avoid the deadly bolts that filled the air. He was agile and quick, but one of the bolts cleaved through his left leg. Ohm skidded on the ground as his next step landed him on the stump where his knee had been. A stray shot from Kiri hit a tank next to him. It exploded spectacularly. The shock wave knocked Bota and Kiri over and sent Ohm rolling backwards.

Ohm vaulted up off his good leg and somersaulted backwards over the railing. He reappeared a moment later, aqua jetting up to follow Oa. As he flew through the air, Oa watched Bota push himself up into a firing position. The Lieutenant took aim and fired at Ohm. The shot was deadly accurate. Ohm raised his hand as if to block the bolt. Liquid jetted out of the Traveler’s hand shaping into a shield. It hardened instantly, stopping the energy bolt cold. Oa tore his disbelieving visual receptors away from the chaos, looking forward in time to see the rock spire rushing at him. He hit the rock at an angle and with enough momentum to skid up the smooth stone face.

Oa recovered from his blunder and sent Seeker speeding back up to the ledge. He felt Seeker attach just as he started to fall. He pulled as hard as he could, sending himself flying up the remaining length of the shaft. He looked back to see Ohm right behind him; the strange shield gone. Ohm’s bandaged arm was now encased in a long clear blade extending from the stump. Below, Oa could see the light of an engine as the Marauders fired up their Reaper in pursuit.

As they approached the opening to the cavern, Oa heard Ohm yell, “Fred, I need to see the fracture points of those two spires, now!” The next instant, Oa flew out of the fissure, tumbling to the ground roughly. Behind him, Ohm rocketed straight at one of the rock spires on the edge of the pit. He crashed into it, stabbing his blade all the way into the hard mineral. He leaped off the rock, aqua jetting to the slab on the other side. Both steeples began to crumble as cracks spread from where they had been stabbed. Ohm coasted to a landing beside Oa, where he collapsed on the ground. They watched as the weighty stones toppled over, sealing the rift’s entrance.

Oa looked over at Ohm. The strange blade was gone now.

“Did we get the embers?” Ohm asked, his voice slightly betrayed the pain of his injury.

“Right here,” Oa said. He retrieved the sack from his satchel and opened it to show Ohm the glistening soul embers within.

“Fantastic,” Ohm said in a strained voice. “Just as we planned. Oa, you were brilliant. And thanks for preserving my life again, Fred. That Marauder was the best shot I have ever seen.”

“It is my purpose to provide assistance,” Fred replied.

Oa’s face plates pulsed in shock as he stared dismayed at Ohm’s sparking stump of a leg. It was leaking water out onto the rock. Ohm noticed Oa’s worry and quickly reassured him. “I’m not going to die. You can help patch me up. Then we will be on our lively way. We have too much to see to let this slow us down.”

Episode 04 - The Tired Storyteller

Oa knelt over Ohm’s wound. “You should have followed your own advice and not gotten shot! Those boltspitters destroyed your leg,” he said, distraught at the damage.

Ohm shrugged. “I can patch this up. We should be able to find some parts to rebuild the rest of the leg in the next town.” There was fatigue and discomfort in the Travelers voice, despite his casual tone. “Fred has some tools we can use to stop this leaking and close these broken circuits.” He reached over his shoulder to pull Fred off his back. As the robotic pack detached, Oa heard a click followed by a slight hiss as pressure was released from unseen connectors that linked the pair.

The canister attached to Ohm’s mask blinked red. Then the flickering blue lights within the mask went dark. “Impeccable timing,” he said wearily, pausing for a moment. He looked at Oa. “Will you patch up my leg? I must replace this infernal microbur canister on my face.” When Oa nodded, Ohm opened a panel on Fred’s side and pulled out a glove and a few medical cylinders. He offered the glove and one of the canisters to Oa. “Here. Attach this to the glove. It’s got a supply of microburs inside that you can use to patch up my leg. Nothing elegant, just some cheap alloys to gum up the bleeding. I can show you how to use —”

“I’ve seen these tools before. I won’t need them,” Oa said, interrupting Ohm as he waved the glove and microbur canister away. He held out Seeker in his right hand. “Watch this.” The young Awoken sat back and withdrew into himself.

The Traveler had helped teach Oa how to control Seeker, and now he was confident that he could use the device to heal his new friend. Ohm sat, watching Oa levitate Seeker between his palms as he silently meditated. After a moment of observation, Ohm shrugged to himself and got to work. He swapped the old microbur canister in his mask for a fresh one; taking care to align the connectors properly. The blue lights behind the mask sparked up once again, as the canister connected. Oa was vaguely aware of the exchange as his inner sight began to take hold. He quelled his curiosity about the mask, narrowing his gaze on Ohm’s wounded limb.

Gradually, Oa’s mind cleared and his world exploded forth into a maelstrom of strange symbols chaotically racing through existence. In the midst of the torrent of information, Oa glimpsed the aura of Ohm’s limb. He pushed through the chaos around him until the visage was resolute and unwavering. The appendage was severely damaged; but Oa could see every alloy, vein, and spark of energy as they were meant to be. He drove toward the goal, grasping at it with his mind. Seeker spun slowly, glowing white-hot as energy flowed around it. The design grew brighter and clearer to Oa as Seeker began to spin faster and faster, humming as its energy spun out to thread together a new leg of solid radiance. The light grew to a blinding brilliance, dancing across the smooth stone.

There was a loud crack that echoed through the gorge. The light dimmed and the echoes faded. Oa felt himself tire; but he held onto the vision, willing Seeker’s power to remain at the ready. He looked up toward Ohm’s missing right hand and face and was shocked to find a familiar murky shadow hovering over Ohm’s mysterious injuries, blinding his vision. Oa was troubled; then he felt his strength slip away, replaced by a ravenous weariness. Seeker stopped spinning and plopped back down into his hand.

Ohm sat staring at his leg, new as it had been the moment he awoke, every speck of matter in its proper place. There was no sign of damage. “What …?” he gasped in disbelief. He moved his leg hesitantly, rotating his foot and tapping it on the ground. “Impossible! I can feel—I can move it.” His head snapped up toward Oa. “I must inspect that gizmo!” Oa tossed Seeker to the old Awoken then sat back exhausted by the inexplicable strain he felt after mending Ohm’s leg.

Oa was still upset by his inability to heal Ohm’s hidden wounds. He tried to recall the mysterious force that had hindered him when suddenly his vision darkened. A pair of red eyes burned into his consciousness with a ghastly shriek. As quickly as the trance took Oa it left.
Wait, what wounds?
Oa thought to himself as he looked at Ohm. There was nothing wrong with Ohm. The Awoken was missing a hand but Oa did not think it strange anymore. He realized with a tired shake of his head that he had forgotten something important. His mind told him he had fixed Ohm, but a hint of a memory whispered that he was missing something. Oa tried to chase the whisper through his consciousness, but he gave up and accepted the fuzziness in his perception as a side effect of the effort he had exerted.

Ohm snatched Seeker out of the air and shook it, listening for any noise. Then he held it up to his one good visual receptor, inspecting the orb closely. The blue light from his eyeplate reflected off the shiny metal. Ohm found nothing and started to bang Seeker against the ground. He listened to the hollow ring that it made as it hit the rock. He returned to intensely staring at the rune covered sphere.

After some silent pondering, Ohm spoke. “You didn’t happen to get any readings on what just happened, did you Fred?”

“I was only able to observe the event through your visual receptors. Since we were not directly connected, my full analysis spectrum was unavailable,” Fred replied

Ohm flopped onto his back, throwing his arms out as he sighed, “Of course it would be one of the few times we aren’t connected that this happens.” He looked up at the sky. “That most certainly factors into Eol’s interest in you, Oa. I have never seen anything like what you just did. Next time you do that, I will be ready with Fred and his
full analysis spectrum
.”

Oa climbed out of the lethargic stupor he was in and replied, “I’m unusually tired; but if you can find someone else reckless enough to get their leg blown off, I will fix them up.”

Ohm laughed and said, “That could be easier than you think. We Awoken can be a stupid crowd. Let us go gather data and start unraveling this mystery! I have a hunch it will help us sort the Eol problem.”

The Awoken rose to their feet. Oa put Seeker back into his satchel, while Ohm repacked the remaining medical canisters and loaded Fred up onto his back. Oa heard the click of connectors as Fred and Ohm’s systems were rejoined. The Traveler then turned and led the way further into the canyons, moving away from the Void until they could no longer see the black horizon. Oa followed, walking beside Ohm.

“So who are we are we taking the soul embers to?” Oa asked, patting the satchel that now held the precious stones.

Ohm’s reply was more of a lecture, educating Oa as they walked. “We will journey to the Enlightened City. I have heard that the Awoken who reside there, or the Enlightened as they prefer to be called, study the soul embers. They are supposed to be great warriors who protect the embers and honor the memories they hold. Stories even tell that the Enlightened meditate deeply enough to feel the past lives contained within each ember.”

“That’s possible?” Oa asked in disbelief. He took the bag of soul embers out of his satchel to stare at it as he walked.

“So they say. The soul ember contains everything an Awoken ever was or could be. Their essence is stored within the little crystal. Through focus and meditation, an Awoken may access the ember. Some only feel slight emotions, hints of the past. Those of great will and depth are said to hear the echo of the Awoken’s existence. Communing with the lost as if they had never died,” Ohm explained reverently. Oa noticed Ohm absentmindedly brush at the spot on his chest again. The young Awoken discreetly glanced over and noticed for the first time a thin strand that ran around Ohm’s neck, beneath the hood he wore. Oa reasoned that the necklace must be holding something, but it was hidden beneath the cloak.
Ohm clearly cares a great deal about it. His hand constantly returns to hover over that spot on his chest
, he thought to himself. He considered inquiring about the necklace but decided against it. Ohm obviously did not want the mystery object to be seen so Oa chose to respect his new friend’s privacy.

The ragged storyteller did not notice Oa’s curiosity as he lectured on. “The fabled City of the Enlightened sits high upon the great mountain, somewhere close to the peak. It will take us many, many cycles to reach it. We will have plenty to explore on the way. I want you to see and understand the value that this world has left to offer.”

The lecture was concluded. Oa nodded to show he understood, even though his mind was focused on the hidden object Ohm wore around his neck. As they walked together in silence, Oa watched the shadows of the canyon walls gradually shift as another cycle passed.

At one point Oa dropped back, allowing Ohm to take the lead. He took out the ornate bag and removed one of the embers from inside.
I hope I made the right choice by taking these. I wish I had taken the time to listen to Jad. If only Bota wasn’t trying to blast Ohm into oblivion
, he thought in frustration. Accepting his choice, Oa peered into the depths of the glistening shard.
I wonder what would happen if
— He placed the ember into the empty socket of his chest, taking care to make sure Ohm didn’t notice his weird experiment. Nothing happened and feeling quite foolish, Oa placed the ember back into the bag. He moved back up to join Ohm.

Eventually the gorge began to widen and slope downward, revealing a sprawling valley. There were numerous spires of stone that rose up from the valley floor to create a labyrinth of mineral. A web of other ravines split off from the valley and headed in all directions. At the center of the valley, Oa could see a city. The lights were bright and contrasted with the dim sky of the fading cycle.

Oa pointed. “Have you been there before?”

“Yes, many times,” Ohm replied. “That is the town of Bolleworth, and it has become quite disheveled in recent weebles. Still, there might be incidents of the intriguing nature to see. Let’s stop by. It will be good for you to experience at least one of the few remaining Awoken cities.”

They exited the canyon, moving down into the valley at a brisk pace. As they trekked toward Bolleworth, Oa could not help but pry. “Ohm, can you explain what happened at the Marauder’s camp? How do you fly around with a talking backpack and create shields and blades out of thin air?”

“Not air, but water; the secondary blood of all Awoken. It cools the fire of the sky that flows through us,” Ohm replied, comfortably settling into his teaching persona. “Fred is a fusion pack, but all he makes is water. Every Awoken has a much smaller fusion pack built in them, to replenish the liquid in their veins. It is quite dull. Fred is special though, he can hold a conversation. We have been together for as long as I can remember. I learned to manipulate the shape of water early on in my adventures. The training also revealed an innate ability I had to drain all energy and heat from the liquid. I can create an unbreakable ice. It is what I protect myself with.”

“How did you learn that? Can you teach me?” Oa asked excitedly.

Ohm chuckled. “No. It’s a dull story involving lots of repetition, and there is no need to burden you with the past. Besides, there are none left who can teach such a skill. Be content with your gifting.”

“I see,” Oa said, slightly disappointed. “Do a lot of Awoken have weird abilities like ours?” He was excited at the thought of a world of ultra-Awoken.

“No. We are the only ones left that I know of. Things used to be more interesting around here, but that was a long time ago,” Ohm replied, squashing Oa’s dreams of fantastically powered Awoken. He noticed the young Awoken’s disappointment. “Perhaps some of the wild stories about the Enlightened will prove to be true. These are exciting times. After all, Fred and I found you—number One. When we reached your crash site we could hardly believe it. A second Awoken with that number. Your gift outweighs anything I have seen thus far.”

“The number on my birth cell? You saw it?!” Oa asked in surprise.

“Yes I did. You have little perspective on the significance of that number, so I will try to explain. You would have been worshiped as a hero by now dead civilizations. They would have sought your advice and even gone to war for you. You see, Oa, each Awoken was born with a number; and while its full meaning remains unknown, lower numbers have always been treated with more importance. Awoken have theorized that the numbers are the order in which the creator made all of us. Up until now, it also represented the general order in which our birth cells emerged from the ground. It is curious that you should wake so late,” Ohm explained, glancing over at Oa.

“Anyhow, you are stuck with us; and even though I am impressed by you, I will not worship you or go to war for you quite yet,” Ohm lectured in mock severity. He pointed over his shoulder. “Fred, on the other hand, isn’t impressed by anything. He has never complimented my abilities, no matter how many times I save us with my ice shield.”

“I don’t think I could ever be ready for a bunch of Awoken to go to war for me,” Oa said with relief. He turned to Ohm as curiosity temporarily diverted his attention away from more pressing questions. “So you can control water’s shape, but all you ever make is a sword and shield? I can think of a bazillion other ways you could use that water.” He let his mind wander to all the amazing things he could picture Ohm creating.

“I agree with Oa,” Fred chimed in. “You used to be much more liberal with your skills. Limiting yourself to use a mere sword and shield is grossly inefficient. For instance, when facing the Marauders, we should have fired the water in the form of ice project—”

“I resent that!” Ohm interrupted haughtily. “It’s my skill so I will be the one deciding in what way I will use it.”

“It is pointless to try to change his mind, Oa,” Fred said.

“Fine, I will keep my amazing ideas to myself,” Oa teased. He returned to the topic of his number, bombarding Ohm with his questions. “So if I am number One, how come I took so long to wake up? Hasn’t there already been a number One? Also, what’s your number? How long have you been around?”

Ohm slapped his palm against the side of his head.“I forgot how many questions young minds can conjure,” he complained. “I am not sure why it took you so long to wake. It could have something to do with your power or Eol’s power. Perhaps it was just some insane weather. Your number might not even be
One
. Maybe it was misprinted when the Creator made it. Who knows?” He gave a flippant toss of his hand. “As for me, my number probably has a
One
in it somewhere; and it has been a very long time since I woke up.”