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Chapter 9: The God of devouring comes to dinner
I used to think that the noblest thing I could do was die for a good cause. I’m an idiot. Being a martyr can help motivate people but beyond that you can no longer help with anything.
I’m the mouthpiece of a literal God, I have been injected with a pseudo-magical immortality potion, and there’s one thing I know for sure; death is death. You don’t get perfect closure, you don’t get to haunt your friends, and you certainly don’t get to come back.
All of these thoughts crossed my mind as I stood on the bridge of the Hey Sunny and waited for everything to come together.
I had a plan. It was almost impossible, relied on luck and my own immortality, but it was a good plan.
“The micro-suns are in position,” Captain Ng said.
“Thank you.” I cut the coms and said, “Crew. Some of you have been with me for almost twenty years and some I’ve barely gotten to know. I need to take the ship into my nightmares. I want to be there when the beasts come out. If I’m lucky, I can minimise the death toll. I won’t ask you to come with me.”
Travis stood up and started for the exit, but he turned at the last second and punched me in the arm, “You idiot. Of course we’ll follow you. You’re the bravest, kindest, and best of us, and even if you’re broody, narcissistic, irrational, and make terrible jokes; we’re still going to follow you.”
He returned to his post and the rest of the crew shot me dirty looks. I wished I could send them away. I’d been having visions of this day for over ten years and they all had the horrors of the void-beasts, but unlike my other visions, I wasn’t in them. I don’t know what that meant, but none of the crew were in them either.
I guess I’d gotten used to knowing the future, and not seeing anything past the destruction scared me. The destruction itself wasn’t much fun to see on repeat either.
“Venusian mother ship, you’re in charge,” I sent before telling Travis to take us into position.
As he pressed the jump commands I told him, two people appeared on the bridge. Zuri and Diamond Stars gave me matching scathing looks, complete with hip pop.
“You idiot, you can’t do this without us.”
No, no, you’re needed with the rest of the fleet in case I fail, I said into their minds. I’m not actually going to try and blow up the suns, that was a clever lie.
“Hal, you’re not that good a liar, and Sol thinks you need help.” Zuri had the condescending tone that only teens can manage. In my head, she added, Gerald stayed behind. He’s still a little shaken from the conversion.
“We’re in position. What’s the real plan?” Travis asked.
Sighing dramatically, I said, “Did everyone know I was planning something?”
Everyone nodded.
Adric laughed and said, “You always have a fake plan, a real plan, and the cobbled together idea of a plan for when everything goes pear-shaped.”
“Fine.” I threw up my hands in surrender. “I planned on making a shield out of the micro-suns. A few centimetres of pure plasma would be enough to stop the void-beast fleet.”
That’s only half of it. You’re planning on cleansing all the Sun Speakers from the enemy fleet. You want to try and turn them. Diamond Stars smirked. He actually smirked, and damn him, he looked good doing it. When I smirk, I look ridiculous.
Me and the other two Sun Speakers went down to the cargo hold and I opened the cargo bay door. It gave me a perfect view of one of the micro-suns. It was beautiful and wouldn’t survive more than a week without a soul. That’s what stops the suns from burning too bright and too fast, their consciousness or souls.
Suzie stood in the corner, harnessed to the wall with a really big gun in her hands and a sword strapped to her back. I’d tried to tell her it wasn’t necessary, but I lost that argument.
I took the hands of the other Sun Speakers and reached out to the micro-sun. Its fire was bright and pure, ordered in the way that only manufactured things could be. Through it, I reached the next and then the next. Over two thousand spread into a circle around our solar system. 2000AU away from Sol and spread over an area of 12,000AU, each connected to the other and spreading its plasma out.
The feeling was exhilarating, holy, and painful. We channelled the plasma through our powers and felt every part. I knew instantly that I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the others.
We closed the sphere with Sol lending some of his own plasma, and I forced my will on all the other Sun Speakers. Our enemies’ prophets were brainwashed and not willing, so we gave them a choice. That was all we could do for them, that and pray.
I felt the void beasts arrive like a cold shiver down my spine. They saw the shield we’d built, and threw themselves at it with reckless abandon. There was no way we could hold it for long, but we did our best.
I was just starting to think we could thin them out when I heard Suzie screaming and her gun shooting.
I tried to take a step forward and couldn’t. Something was holding onto my chest. I looked down and saw a bloody cross between a paw and a hand sticking out of me. “That’ll give me pause,” I said, giggling as blood pooled in my mouth.That’s when I heard the voice of Denebola echoing through my head, sounding like screeching static, Hal The Sun Speaker of Sol, you and your God have been found wanting. Your death will be celebrated. You and your people shall be devoured.
Read Chapter 9 (October 2024)
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