Dance of the Leviathan

My eyes blur like fogged glass as the adrenaline flows like hot lava through my skin. With every breath. my lungs weaken and my legs become heavier with every second that passes by. Beads of sweat fly off my face as I plough through the steel floored race track. I draw breath as hard as I can until I can almost taste blood on my tongue. Hannibal, he’s only a few paces ahead of me, now directly by me as I run as fast as I can.

“Go Hannibal!” The other cadets cheer from the stadiums on our side as we dash past.

I glance over my shoulder as Hannibal mirrors my speed, like a jet in formation with another. Although, I’ve never personally seen a jet. With clenched fists, I pick up speed and cross the finish line a second after Hannibal. I take a few seconds to come to a full stop, at which I then hold my tired arms above my sweat ridden head.

Hannibal strides over and scoff, “Don’t think you’ll get a tie again”. He turns his shoulder and walks off running his hands through his hair.

I’ve known him for as long as I’ve been able to ‘Know’, our entire lives spent on this spacecraft; in this military academy. Yet, in all this time he’s still such an asshole. I watch as a crowd of cheering students envelop him like a tsunami, “You did great!” Some of them shout from behind the other, all pushing to pat him on the back. “How the heck do you even run that fast?” Another shouts out.

Yea about that, we’re Sentinels but we’re not allowed to tell any of the other cadets. It’s a secret training programme the academy has for… gifted cadets. Hannibal and I are the only cadets in it, thus why I have to put up with him.

“All right, that’s enough,” Hannibal grins, rubbing the back of his neck. He sinks through the crowd and disappears into the corridors.

I push through everyone and grab my towel from the railing on the seats and follow suit. Through a maze of dimly lit hallways, I go, waving my hand at sensors to open doors before I finally make it past the last metal door to the showers. I chuck my towel on a rusted hook and stride over to a showerhead, a few paces away from Hannibal. The lights flicker above, and the rusted floors pinch the soles of my feet. I gasp as the cold water hits my back, holding my breath for a few seconds while adjusting. “Guess the boiler’s broken”.

“No shit”, Hannibal’s snaps back, lathering himself in soap.

I raise my hands up to the metal shower head as a small green flame sparks from my palms; the metal turns a dark red and then glows.

Suddenly Hannibal smacks my hand shut, “What are you doing?” He intensely whispers, as his eyes stab through me. “What if someone walks in and sees you doing that?”

“The water was cold,” I shrug. “Plus, no one will see me do it, but if it shuts you up, then so be it, your highness,” I reply as I give a sarcastic bow and roll my eyes.

Once finished, I grab my towel and march off to the boy’s dormitory. I fling on an ash black robe and some briefs before my eyes catch the clock. ‘1900’. “Shit, we’re late for dinner in the mess hall.” I pull my boots on and rush out, with Hannibal a few paces behind me.

We pull open the doors, as 2000 chatting students turn their heads and the room delves into complete silence. With all eyes on us, we hastily make our way to the back of the room. Overseer Harkin is sitting blank-faced with eyes locked onto our approach. Behind him is a reinforced glass wall, just behind it is the majestic green clouds of space. Beyond that were the thousands of stars in the vast expanse of space. It still leaves me in awe to think four inches of glass is all the separates us the Great Nothingness.

Harkin rises from his seat, as the stares get even more intense. “Cadets Hannibal and Lucius! You are late.” He says as his mouth purses to a sneer.

“Apologies Overseer”, Hannibal stiffens up and salutes, boots together and hands by his sides. I follow suit.

The Overseer eyes then peer over at me, “Explain the inconvenience you have caused your fellow cadets and I.”

I take in a deep breath, “I… We were on the jogging track sir, we won’t be late again.”

“Fifth time in a month you two have been late. You know the consequences if it happens again. Now take your seats,” Harkin growls.

As the noise picks back up in the hall, I creep over to a chair next to Madeline, and Hannibal takes an empty seat beside Solas. Overseer Harkin then rises from his chair again and gestures the maids to bring out the food.

“Do you mind if I pray before we’re served?” Solas asks as he scans our faces.

He’s zealous, odd and not social. But he’s a close friend.

“Sure thing”, a scruffy boy called Ragnar replies.

We all close our eyes and tilt our heads down as Solas begins, “Oh great Dominarch, ye who sees all. Look into our futures and protect us from harm, look into our pasts and heal us from hurt. Give us the strength we may serve your will and gives us signs so we might have hope, in our Salvation with you. Hail the Dominarch.”

“Hail the Dominarch”, we all reply in unison.

From the side doors of the mess halls, emerged a few waiters. Each hauling a cart, placing platters of roasted meat in the middle of the tables. A cloud of thick smoke rose from them like steam from a geyser. Or at least I think so, I’ve only ever seen photos of geysers. I could taste the gravy in the air. I pulled back the sleeves of my robe and signalled to Madeline for a slice of meat.

“How many do you want?” She asks, smiling with her eyes.

Oh her eyes, I feel a warmth like blankets fall over my heart. She’s so beautiful. Her eyes are-

“Hello? Are you still in there?” She says waving her hand in front of my face.

“Just give me the whole platter, I’m starving,” I chuckle, stretching out my plate.

“The whole platter? Are you all right?” Solas asks, frozen with a fork in mouth and eyebrow raised.

“You’re blushing again”, Ragnar winks.

I bury my face in my arms as my cheeks flush like cherries.

“I’ll have two”, Hannibal’s days stretching his plate over.

Solas, with a fork still in his mouth, tilts his head at Hannibal. “From a whole platter too, two? Are you on a diet?”

“Back off scrawny bones!” Madeline snaps as her eyes hammer Solas. “My precious Hannibal can have as much meat or as little he wants.” She replies eyeing Hannibal up and down, licking her ruby coloured lips.

If only she looked at me like that.

“Gross”, Solas replies, covering his mouth as he gags.

Hannibal barely pays attention to her body language, instead of reaching for the platter and serving himself while Madeline continues to eye down Solas. I hate that Madeline

“Anyway!” I nervously smile. “Better eat up”. I let out an awkward chuckle as I bite into the meat. Its oils dribble down my mouth as the spices burn the back of my tongue.

Solas looks down at a flashing glass panel in his hand; a communications device. “Looks like they have assigned us our pairs for trials”.

“Can you read ours out? I think I forgot mine comm device in the dorms,” I ask, reaching into my empty pockets.

“Yea, aha... I think I did too.” Madeline adds.

Solas rolls his eyes and flicks open the list, “Might as well read everyone’s pairs.”

Madeline leans over and whispers into my ear, “I hope I’m with Hannibal. He’s so tough and strong.” She puts her hand on her chest and lets out a deep breath.

Solas continues, “Ragnar, you’re with me.”

“Yea!” Ragnar replies, pumping his fist in the air.

“Please me and Hannibal. Please me and Hannibal.” Madeline chants under her breath. Her fingers are crossed behind her back, while mine are crossed for the opposite reasons.

“Madeline’s with-”

She interrupts Solas as her chants get louder and louder. “Hannibal, Hannibal, Hannibal”. She digs her nails into the seat of her chair, trying to conceal her eagerness.

“Madeline’s with Caidus,” He continues.

“No”, she mutters, quietly clawing at the legs of her chair. One of her nails chips as she keeps clawing harder and harder, as her face twists into a cry.

“Are you all right?” Caidus asks, putting his hand on her shoulder as her face flushes red.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” She screams at the top of her lungs, violently slamming her fists into the table. “DON’T TOUCH ME YOU, OGRE!” She backhands Caidus and throws her plate, smashing on the floor.

Overseer Harkin rises from his seat, “Madeline you are dismissed, leave immediately, and report to me in the morning.” He says, pointing to the door.

She throws her chair down and lets out a banshee scream, as all two thousand cadets turn and stare, whispering and laughing. Tears burst down her face as her cries echoed down the corridors, we could hear her scream until she slams the girl dormitory doors shut, halfway across the ship.

I bury my face in my hand, yea she can be full on, but if she’s with Caidus, then there’s only one person left on the list. I look towards Hannibal and mumble under my breath, “God, now I wish they partnered me with Madeline.”

“Aaaaaand Lucius is with Hannibal!” Solas finishes as he smiles at me with his eyes. “Well, there’s not much you can do now, just embrace it! The Dominarch has ordained this!” Solas laughs.

“You know what? I’ll hit the bed early, catch you in the morning.” I get up, having lost my appetite and walk out.

“You still haven’t realised? There’s no morning in space… It’s eternal night,” Solas chuckles as his head jerks back.

I shake my head and continue walking. Once outside of the mess hall, I stop and peer over the railings on the sides of the corridor. The mess hall connects to the rest of the ship via a large suspended metal bridge. Beneath me, about a hundred feet down in the hangar bay with many ships sitting in its bosom. There’s one in particular that always stood out many of the ships are blocky and have jagged edges. If you didn’t know they were ships, you’d think they were miniature factories with their interiors on the outside. But one ship, it was like a white pearl but stretched ever so slightly. No edges, no screws marks or guns sticking out, just a smooth and sleek ship. It’s the captain’s personal vessel, I memorised the code he uses to unlock it and one day I’m gonna sneak it out for a spin

“Enjoying the view?” Overseer Harkin asks as he walks out of the mess hall and leans into the cold railing.

I gaze through the glass airlocks in the hangar bay, out at the ocean of nothingness, at the vast expanse of space. “Yes sir,” I reply, staring blankly at the ground. “Just thinking what the world is like out there, being free to explore the stars.”

“It would be hard for you and Hannibal being the only Sentinels in the academy, this inside of this spacecraft is all you truly know.” He replies, resting his hand on my shoulders.

“Will we ever be allowed to leave? I don’t understand why we can’t be trained in a colony? And outpost planet? Why here? Why do we have to hide what we are?”

“You know why Lucius,” He replies, giving me a reassuring glance. “Sentinels, are the rope that binds the Dominion of Worlds together. The powers the Sentinels have, your power to help keep peace in the world. If they knew what you were,“, He says pointing to the mess hall doors. “They wouldn’t look at you the same, all anyone has is fear of your kind. And that fear is why you’re bound here until you’re deployed. Many worlds, many people out there across the systems would kill you in an instant. You!” He says stabbing his finger into my chest. “You! Are what stands between them and total freedom, you and all the Sentinels in the Dominion, remember that Lucius, all this is for a greater purpose beyond what any of us can even fathom”.

“I never asked for this”, I try to hold my gaze at the stars, hoping that the tears don’t come out. One slips past me and falls like a marble down to the hangar below.

“Oh Lucius,“, Harkin gives me another gentle pat on the back and the points towards the Great Nothingness of space, “One day Lucius if we all play our part and if you’re lucky, you’ll live to see a world where Sentinels are no longer needed. You never know, tomorrow you could wake up in a brand new world.” We stand in silence for a few seconds, staring into the abyss. “I almost forgot, this came from the Genetics Archival Base on Syril. I suggest you open in first thing in the morning”.

I take the envelope, but don’t know what to say. Do I thank him? Can I smile? Do I salute? “What’s in it?”

“Best open it in the morning.” He gives me a nod and then walks back into the mess hall.

I turn around, holding the envelope tightly and stride off to the boys’ dormitory. As pull my boots off and as soon as I lay my head on my pillow, I was out cold.

Hours pass and groggily, I wake up to a dark silhouette gliding past the dormitory doorway. I have myself up and squint my eyes, all the cadets in the dorm are fast asleep. No one is meant to be awake, so who’s peeking around at night? I pull my linens off and gently plant my feet onto the freezing ground. The only sound is that of a cold breeze blowing through the air vents, like the quiet hum of a turbine. I look over at Solas, blank-faced and dead asleep. I creep over on the tips of my toes and lightly shake him.

“Solas,” I whisper, “Solas wake up.” No response.

I hear more noise coming from the corridors, like a wall panel being opened. Maintenance isn’t for another couple of days, and that never happens at night. I pull my robes tighter and peer my head out the door. There, someone or something. I just miss it as it went around a corner. I creep further down the corridor and see a panel on the ground and a few wires cut in the wall. I peer over the next corner and see it, in a red cloak. It’s hovering just above the ground. Its hands are like metallic red prosthetics, or a bionic, five fingers but it looks mechanical. Its head resembles a helmet with a smooth glass dome. But it’s glass mask isn’t really a mask, it’s flickering like a screen, on it a lifelike face. What is it? Fear throbs through me and habit force me to croak a “Hello”. It doesn’t hear me, it just continues dismantling another panel on the wall. I heart sinks as a heaviness sets into my gut. I peer over again, then I’m suddenly pulled back to the ground with something covering my mouth. My heart punches my chest as my lungs burn for air. My eyes dart side to side trying to glimpse the creature which as a hold of me-

“Shhh” the voice whispers. The hand gently lets go as I turn around.

“Hannibal?” I mutter in a sigh of relief as the pits in my stomach are lifted. “You asshole, you scared the life out of me.”

“Keep as quiet as possible… that’s an Archon Class Android.”

“A what?” I ask as I mentally try to flick through everything I know about androids.

“They’re used by the distant colonies that take months or even years to get to by ship. They’re dangerous machines.”

“What’s it doing onboard the academy ship?”

“I don’t know,” he replies as his cold calculating eyes scan the cut wires in the wall. “We have to alert the captain,” He says as he pulls out a communication device, “Fuck there’s no signal. I don’t know how it would’ve gotten on the ship, or even why it’s so far from the nearest planet.”

“It’s dismantling the wall panels, what’s it looking for?” I point at a group approaching us behind Hannibal “The academy’s guards are here,” Another blanket of relief fell over me, they’ll protect us. Four soldiers crouching in what looks like thin graphene-titanium woman suits, they’ve got titanium armour plates on the chests and legs too, with a full face mechanical helmet. One of them puts his finger up to his mask, gesturing us to remain quiet, they raised their guns and crouch towards us.

As I go to say another word, I feel a cold hand on my shoulder; I turn around and see blinking red eyes towering over me. My chest tightens as I gasp for air. In a flash, everything goes black and a loud thunder deafens me as a streak of lightning hits the Android in the chest, throwing it across the corridor. As it skids along the floor, sparks erupt from its metal frame as it grinds the steel ground. I look back to see Hannibal’s arm stretched out with his finger mimicking a gun. A sharp pain rips through my ears, following by a high pitch ring as he pulls me back.

Red lights flash on the walls and a muffled voice repeats itself from announcement speakers: “Red alert, red alert, immediate evacuation required.”

I look to Hannibal and try to speak, “You’re not supposed to use the Ethereum!”

Hannibal’s pulls me past the dormitory rooms I try to stand up straight. “In emergencies, rules don’t matter!” The sound of bullets piercing titanium walls rings in my head. Everyone’s rushing out of their beds and I can hear muffled screams from the girls’ dormitory. He pulls me into an elevator as I turn back and see the soldier’s gun lightning up as they rain bullets in the machine’s direction.

“We- we can’t leave them! We can help, we have to help!” I try to force the doors open, but they close on me as we descend to the hangar bay. “Noooo!” I yell hammering my fists into the door. I’m too weak to stand up without Hannibal’s support.

“Calm down! Lucius, you can stay here and die, or you can get on a ship and evacuate.” Hannibal pulls me into the hangar bay. I don’t want to go, Solas and all my friends are up there and we’re just running like cowards. “We’re Sentinels! We can help!” I rip my arm out of Hannibal’s hands and race back to the elevator shaft.

There’s a loud explosion as the elevator doors go flying past me, about ten soldiers pour out, firing at the red machine. Bullet marks riddle its red body and a gaping lightning mark scars its chest.

One soldier turns around and shouts “Get out of here! We’ll cover you!” In one swift motion, the android dashes forward, grabs the soldier by the throat and then smashes him back into the ground shattering his armour like a vase. It dashes forward and hits another soldier, sending him flying back a few metres. He gets up immediately, swaying side to side, disorientated. He tries to speak but as he turns, I see his entire jaw is gone. His tongue hangs out his throat as he lets out a gurgling cry of pain.

“No!” I yell. “We have to help them!”

“Lucius, get here now!” I hear Hannibal yell. He extends his arm and reaching out with his mind he hurls crates and spacecraft at the red machine crushing it. Hannibal runs over and pulls me up, I can barely walk. He tries bashing in codes to various spacecraft, nothing works.

“That one there!” I say pointing to the captain’s sleek white vessel. “The code is: 611528” He types a code into the panel, and a hatch pops open at the back of the ship. He pulls me in and lays me down in the infirmary. “I’ll be right back, I’m plotting a flight path to a closet Dominion colony.”

I grab his arm before he can leave. “We have to help the others”

“Do you see that?” He says slamming his hand on the window. I look over and see the machine twitching under the destroyed spacecraft. “That thing will destroy us if we stay any longer!”

Just to the side of it, I see cadets flooding out, trying to get to the various spacecraft and escape pods. “They’re here! We have to wait!” I try to get up, but it feels like a spear is stuck in my chest.

“You need to lie down! I’m plotting the coordinates and we will leave in a few minutes.” He rushes out of the infirmary into the control room.

After a few moments, I hear a loud banging on the spacecraft door, “Let me in! Let me in, please!”

I yell in pain as I force myself out of the infirmary and pull the airlock open to see Ragnar, face full of tears run in. “I couldn’t find Madeline or Solas so I ran to the nearest ship,” he burst out crying, falling to his knees in tears. “I don’t want to die.”

“Hey, it’s all right,” I say as I give him a hug. It’s not all right, there’s an unkillable android that appeared out of nowhere and almost kills me. The entire academy is evacuating and our lives will change forever. But, Ragnar was a few years younger than me, I guess I have to fake being strong for him. “Help me back to the infirmary, Hannibal’s going to get us out of here.”

Before we could take a step, I see Hannibal blocking the way, with a wide stance and arms crossed, “What is here doing here?”

“What do you mean?” I ask, furrowing my eyes and turning my palms up confused.

“If you want him to live, you’ll send him to another ship, It’s not safe for him here-”

“Stop being an asshole and get out of our way,” I push Hannibal aside and limp with Ragnar back into the infirmary.

Hannibal lets out a grunt then goes back into the control room.

I look to Ragnar and gesture him to a seat. “Strap yourself in”.

I limp back over to another chair in the infirmary and buckle three belts around me.

A metallic voice then echoes through the ship: “Launching in 10 seconds.”

“Wait!” I hear someone yell. Another loud thud comes from the airlock, I peer out the window and see the red machine slowly emerging from the debris of burning spacecraft. Then just outside the ship is Solas, hammering at the door. I unbuckled myself and race to the airlock and pull it open.

“Launch cancelled,” The metallic voice says.

“Get in Solas!” I say as he leaps in and heaves the airlock shut.

“Another one?!” I hear Hannibal yell. “We’re not a refugee ship!” I can hear his feet storming towards us. “Get in the seats now! Before that thing kills all of us!” He says as his faces tenses up.

Solas and I race back to the infirmary and strap ourselves in. Ragnar hyperventilates, as his skin pales.

“It will be fine! We’re safe now.” I say, giving him a slight smile.

“Launching in 8 seconds”. The metallic voice says.

Ragnar’s hands tightly grip the chair, “I don’t want to die”. He says as more tears roll down his face, his scruffy head pressed firmly back against the white fabric of the chair.

“You will not die! I promise I’ll keep you safe.” I say.

“You can’t promise things like that!” Solas replies.

I turn to the window and see the red machine launch a metal pole towards us.

Just as the metallic voice of the ship announce that we are launching, I look over at Ragnar. No, I try to unbuckle myself and reach for him, but the pole jets in like a bullet through the reinforced glass window and cleanly pierces through the side Ragnar’s head and out his eye socket before ripping out the otherwise of the ship. The last emotion of fear and tears still freshly rolling down his face are frozen on his dead body. There’s blood, so much blood everywhere.

“Initiating emergency containment field.” The metallic voice says as an energy field sparks up and fills in the breach in the wall. Within a second we’re launching out of the Academy hangar into space, the force pulls me back into my seat, all the pool of blood smashes into the back wall. I feel numb, no tears fall from my eyes, no words from my lips, no pain in my heart. I force my gaze at Solas, his eyes are closed tightly closed. He’s clenching his chair holding in the pain. It’s setting in now, like a stormy ocean crashing its waves in my chest. My heart is so heavy, I can barely breathe amongst the pressure of the ship’s speed, and the speed in which Ragnar just died. It’s all my fault.