Wanderer Ch 4: The Man Who Would Concure Space, Attack Of The Torvakatas & Imperium (Patreon)

He sat looking up at the blue sky, wondering when he would see it again, the familiar sight he had gazed upon thousands of times before. His name was Jacky Hartson, an astronaut poised to make history. For four years, he had served with the International Space Confederation (ISC), studying the gravitational and electromagnetic forces surrounding the planet Aetherium. Today was his day to triumph, the day he would unlock new spatial speeds never before seen.

Nothing could go wrong as he settled into his custom-made spacecraft, designed to siphon electromagnetic phenomena from the planet and combine them with the gravitational energies of space itself. This would allow him to reach speeds never before achieved by humankind.

["All systems seem to be working properly,"] Jack heard through the comms device in his helmet. "Everything good on your end, Jack?"

Jack smiled, recognizing his friend's voice. "Well, other than the fact that I need to pee, everything's fine," he said with a chuckle.

["You'll have to hold it. Takeoff is in a few minutes,"] Victor replied.

Jack's smile faded slightly. "Be well, Victor," he said, a touch of sadness in his tone.

["You too, Jack,"] Victor responded, sharing the same sentiment.

"It shouldn't take long," Jack thought to himself. "This is just a routine trip to our neighboring planet, Verdantia." He knew that deep down, this journey, which was supposed to take a year, could be over in ten minutes if his experiment worked. If successful, he would find himself on Verdantia much sooner than expected. There, he would spend a month on the lifeless planet setting up a workstation to aid in the development of terraforming the planet to support life.

The countdown began, each second feeling like an eternity. Jacky Hartson tightened his grip on the ship's controls, his pulse pounding in his ears. As the final moments ticked away, he felt a surge of adrenaline.

["Launch in T-minus 10... 9... 8..."] The disembodied voice over the comms counted down, heightening his anticipation.

["7... 6... 5..."] Jack's heart raced, the weight of his mission pressing on his chest.

["4... 3... 2..."] He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply to steady himself.

["1... Ignition."]

The spacecraft roared to life, the force of the launch pushing Jack into his seat. The blue sky outside the window quickly darkened as he soared past the troposphere, then the stratosphere. The craft shuddered slightly as it entered the mesosphere, the critical stage where it would begin siphoning energy from Aetherium's electromagnetic field.

"Commencing energy extraction," Jack announced, his fingers flying over the controls with practiced precision. The ship responded with a silent hum, absorbing the electromagnetic aura of the planet.

The craft began to circle Aetherium, each loop faster than the last. The ship's speed continued to climb, causing Jack to feel the pressure mount against his body. He gritted his teeth, focusing on maintaining control.

And then, like a slingshot, the craft was flung into space. The transition was almost instantaneous, the scenery outside blurring into a cascade of stars right before jacks eyes which where transfixed on the dazzling scene before red flashing lights began to appear all around the cockpit.

Warnings blared from the control panel as the ship's structure groaned under the strain. Sparks erupted from the circuits, and the electromagnetic energy coursing through the ship became volatile.

"Stay together," Jack muttered desperately, his hands flying over the controls to stabilize the craft. Yet the electrical energies continued to wreak havoc, tearing the ship apart piece by piece.

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Jack Hartson! The ship is breaking apart! Requesting immediate assistance!" His calls for help were met with static as the ship disintegrated around him.

Flying in the void, Jack struggled to regain control. He could see debris whirling past, his instruments sparking and failing. Despite the chaos, he managed to glance outside the wreckage—and what he saw left him speechless.

Ships, gleaming in silver and bronze, filled the space around him, engaged in a relentless battle.

Among that chaos, something was made known something colossal emerging beyond the explosions and lights that raced forward in all directions. "Beautiful." Jack said as he gazed forward at the massive face a woman so vast that her features were barely discernible. Her presence dominated the expanse, her expression one of both power and inscrutable intent as she looked up at him from afar her eyes glowing with golden blue like elegance.

"Victor... what the hell have I gotten into?" Jack whispered, awestruck and terrified as he drifted helplessly, caught in the middle of an unimaginable war.

***

I looked up, ignoring the small attacks that these little things actually thought could slow me down. Honestly, I would've been a little insulted if I wasn't in such a rush to get to the small craft that was being carried away by the bronze ships.

They were stealing my memories of a past I had long forgotten, the mysteries of my endless wandering.

"Don't..." I murmured, lowering my head slightly. "Don't get in my way!" I yelled, speeding forward with determination. I was ready to grab hold of my prize and destroy anyone or anything that got in my way.

***

She had traveled the cosmos for hundreds of untold years, searching for the meaning of her existence. She watched planets rotate and form, sometimes affected by her own presence. Planets circled around her face, only to be destroyed by a single strand of her brown hair. She bathed in the hot core of stars, waiting for them to explode into black holes.

In all that time, she had never been as excited as she was right now, looking at the microscopic ship being dragged away by bronze ships. She didn't even care about them. Rage exploded within her as white and red lights raged against her brown skin.

"Get out of my way!" she yelled, flicking her foot upward and destroying ships with her wiggling toes and heel before turning her attention back to her target.

***

Gurgant Frak looked ahead at the fast-moving feet, making it seem like the massive Titan was swimming through nothingness.

"Damn her," he thought as he watched more and more of his silver brethren being destroyed by the massive creature.

"Gurgant Frak! The Krugars have the small craft!" Furver Kurg yelled, watching as the bronze ships flew through the vacuum with the broken ship in a small beam of orange light.

"That will not do," Gurgant Frak said, shaking his head in anger. "Use the Torvakatas. I want that ship now!"

"Yes, sir!"

***

Exe Borlag sat in his chair of bronze, his men working frantically at the controls of the ship.

"We need to get into hyperspace," Exe Borlag commanded as the ship shook from the spatial waves slamming against its bronze hull. "Is the creature still following us?"

"Yes, and she is closing in," Torvant replied, pointing to one of the many screens on the monitor. The entire crew could see the massive face of the creature, her long brown glowing hair, her features growing larger and larger as she drew closer.

"We need to get into hyperspace now!" Exe Borlag yelled as the ship shook more violently.

"We can't! We need 10 Eons (Min) to fix the damage," one of the Krugars said in a panic.

Exe Borlag looked at the screens showing all angles of the ship. He smirked grimly as he faced the inevitable. "I don't think we have 10 eons," he said, watching as small silver ships sped around the massive body of the creature, heading straight for the Krugar crafts trying to flee.

The Wanderer's hand reached out, her massive fingers stretching toward the fleeing bronze ship. The silver ships weaved through her fingers speeding towards the Krugar crafts.

***

The Torvakatas, the fastest pilots of the Gelmud, were renowned for their unparalleled speed and agility. Their sleek, silver ships cut through the vacuum of space like blades, leaving trails of light in their wake.

The Torvakatas pilots maneuvered their vessels with surgical precision, heading straight for the Krugar ship that held the tiny craft in its tractor beam. Their objective was clear: destroy the beam and retrieve the target.

Laser fire erupted as the Torvakatas launched their assault, a dazzling display of light and energy. The bronze Krugar ship shuddered under the barrage, its shields flaring and flickering. Despite their best efforts, the Krugars struggled to maintain the tractor beam's hold.

Inside the Krugar ship, Exe Borlag's patience wore thin. Fury etched across his face, he turned to Torvant. "Send out the Imperium! Deploy our fastest ships now!"

Torvant nodded, quickly relaying the command. Moments later, smaller, sleek ships—painted bronze and glistening under the distant starlight—emerged from the Krugar vessel. The Imperium ships, much like the Torvakatas, were designed for speed and efficiency in combat.

As the Imperium ships joined the fray, the battle escalated. The vacuum of space was filled with streaks of light as both fleets clashed in a deadly ballet of destruction. The precision of the Torvakatas collided with the ferocity of the Imperium, neither side willing to back down.

And all the while, the Wanderer watched, her immense face approaching. Her eyes, vast and all-seeing, observed the chaos with a mix of curiosity and frustration. The ships, mere specs to her, weaved and darted between her massive fingers, adding to her confusion.

The Wanderer's mouth slowly opened, revealing a cavernous space lined with fleshy walls. Her breath, a powerful and warm gust, washed over the battling ships, adding another layer of challenge as they fought to maintain their course.

***

They annoyed me to no end, these little flies buzzing around my face as if I wasn't even there. I didn't understand why they were fighting, but it was clear that the silver ships were enemies of the bronze ships. And both sides seemed to want my prize—the tiny craft and its passenger.

"Damn pests," I muttered, opening my mouth wide as I neared the small battle. Without mercy, I closed my mouth, feeling the faint crunch of ships crashing into my tongue and upper jaw.

I swallowed absentmindedly, oblivious to the deaths I had just caused. My focus was on my goal, now within reach. I extended my hand, ready to grab the little ship through the small orange light that protected it. The energy barrier was weak, in no way capable of stopping me.

"It's mine!" I said with joy, my fingers closing around the fragile vessel.