the hall flickered and then went out. When it once again illuminated, a blue light appeared, zipping down the hallway towards them. They were then sprayed with blood as Frank took a blast to the chest.
Renn stood there in shock, feeling the warmth of the blood splatter, while his mind battled to accept that it was Frank’s.
The I.A. fired back at the lone Eminite walking towards them with a menacing stride, hitting it in the forehead. The Eminite fell to the ground with its mouth wide open, revealing sharp, brown rotted teeth covered in fresh red blood.
Renn looked back to see Adam cover Frank’s wound with his hand.
Frank cringed in pain and grabbed at Adam’s shirt.
“I’m right here, Buddy. I’m not going anywhere,” Adam said, until Frank stopped struggling and rested his head against Adam’s knee. Adam gasped for air, as if the wind had been kicked out of him. He looked up at Renn, then grabbed his son’s arm. “Your hands are your weapon. If anything but a human comes near you, you fire and you shoot to kill…”
“But dad…”
“Listen to me!” Adam yelled. “If something happens to me, you need to make contact with a Federation ship called the Quintessence. Do you understand?”
“The Quintessence. I got it,” Renn replied, unable to suppress tears after listening to his father prepare for his own death.
Adam took Frank’s gun while the agent yelled, “Let’s go!”
Renn glanced back at Frank’s body while they ran, feeling like he was going to be sick. Adam pulled him along and they soon broke out into a run. Escalated screeching could be heard behind them as the sound of hard bone being dragged filled the halls.
They turned around when an Aranea came careening around the corner, running straight for them. The black arachnid lifted its bony tail into the air to increase its speed and screeched when it spotted Renn.
Adam and the agent opened fire, while more arachnids joined the hunt.
Renn backed up until he felt heavy breathing behind him. He turned around, finding himself staring into the black eyes of a lone Aranea. It was close enough to bite him, but instead it just inhaled.
The Aranea stepped back, lifted its long black head and gave an ear splitting screech.
Renn raised his hands towards the Aranea and released bolts of lightning from his palms.
The Aranea's screech turned from a war cry into a cry of agonizing pain. Renn watched in horror as the creature withered and contorted as it burned, making Renn gag from the smell of its burning flesh. The creature rolled onto its back, tucking its legs inwards and twitching until it was still. Renn looked down at his hands, understanding why Earth’s government had forbidden foreigners use of their powers. Like a dog tasting blood for the first time, he understood how easy it was to kill.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped before he turned to see it was his dad.
“Renn, I need you to listen for thoughts,” Adam said. “The officers would have clustered by now. Where are the survivors?”
Renn dreaded listening for those thoughts, but he closed his eyes and focused on the distant echoes.
I’ve got to stop the bleeding…
Where is he?
Maybe they’ll leave if we get him off the planet…
“This way,” Renn said, pointing down the corridor to their left.
“Let’s go,” Adam said, grabbing Renn’s shoulder.
They ran down more corridors until they found themselves once again in front of Frank’s office.
“Where are they?” Adam whispered, looking around.
“Hello?” Renn said quietly, hearing the human thoughts nearby.
Three local cops stuck their heads out of doorways, looking at them in shock. One whipped out his wrist communicator. “I’ve got eyes on the boy. East door.”
Renn felt a pang of relief until he heard the same cop think, If I just take him out now, they’ll leave. Renn’s hands illuminated brighter and he slowly turned towards the cop, staring him straight in the eyes.
The cop’s
Renn stood there in shock, feeling the warmth of the blood splatter, while his mind battled to accept that it was Frank’s.
The I.A. fired back at the lone Eminite walking towards them with a menacing stride, hitting it in the forehead. The Eminite fell to the ground with its mouth wide open, revealing sharp, brown rotted teeth covered in fresh red blood.
Renn looked back to see Adam cover Frank’s wound with his hand.
Frank cringed in pain and grabbed at Adam’s shirt.
“I’m right here, Buddy. I’m not going anywhere,” Adam said, until Frank stopped struggling and rested his head against Adam’s knee. Adam gasped for air, as if the wind had been kicked out of him. He looked up at Renn, then grabbed his son’s arm. “Your hands are your weapon. If anything but a human comes near you, you fire and you shoot to kill…”
“But dad…”
“Listen to me!” Adam yelled. “If something happens to me, you need to make contact with a Federation ship called the Quintessence. Do you understand?”
“The Quintessence. I got it,” Renn replied, unable to suppress tears after listening to his father prepare for his own death.
Adam took Frank’s gun while the agent yelled, “Let’s go!”
Renn glanced back at Frank’s body while they ran, feeling like he was going to be sick. Adam pulled him along and they soon broke out into a run. Escalated screeching could be heard behind them as the sound of hard bone being dragged filled the halls.
They turned around when an Aranea came careening around the corner, running straight for them. The black arachnid lifted its bony tail into the air to increase its speed and screeched when it spotted Renn.
Adam and the agent opened fire, while more arachnids joined the hunt.
Renn backed up until he felt heavy breathing behind him. He turned around, finding himself staring into the black eyes of a lone Aranea. It was close enough to bite him, but instead it just inhaled.
The Aranea stepped back, lifted its long black head and gave an ear splitting screech.
Renn raised his hands towards the Aranea and released bolts of lightning from his palms.
The Aranea's screech turned from a war cry into a cry of agonizing pain. Renn watched in horror as the creature withered and contorted as it burned, making Renn gag from the smell of its burning flesh. The creature rolled onto its back, tucking its legs inwards and twitching until it was still. Renn looked down at his hands, understanding why Earth’s government had forbidden foreigners use of their powers. Like a dog tasting blood for the first time, he understood how easy it was to kill.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped before he turned to see it was his dad.
“Renn, I need you to listen for thoughts,” Adam said. “The officers would have clustered by now. Where are the survivors?”
Renn dreaded listening for those thoughts, but he closed his eyes and focused on the distant echoes.
I’ve got to stop the bleeding…
Where is he?
Maybe they’ll leave if we get him off the planet…
“This way,” Renn said, pointing down the corridor to their left.
“Let’s go,” Adam said, grabbing Renn’s shoulder.
They ran down more corridors until they found themselves once again in front of Frank’s office.
“Where are they?” Adam whispered, looking around.
“Hello?” Renn said quietly, hearing the human thoughts nearby.
Three local cops stuck their heads out of doorways, looking at them in shock. One whipped out his wrist communicator. “I’ve got eyes on the boy. East door.”
Renn felt a pang of relief until he heard the same cop think, If I just take him out now, they’ll leave. Renn’s hands illuminated brighter and he slowly turned towards the cop, staring him straight in the eyes.
The cop’s
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