The Rise of Krysus After the Fall
Steven Koutz
SPOILER ALERT: The events of this tale will spoil your reading of Shadowed Stars book 3: The Children of Home but this is a tale that must be told. This tale takes place one year after the events of 3.
The Teon science starship, Experience had been part of a fleet in orbit of the planet Yanve. The planet had experienced an environmental incident a little over one cycle ago that had poisoned the air. The only safe passage to and from the planet’s surface was through cleared atmospheric corridors created by the Helven and Teon science teams. A hyperspace portal had opened near Yanve’s far orbit. From that orbit came hurdling debris from an unknown vessel likely destroyed in an exit attempt. It had struck the Experience with a heavy impact to the lower port side. Inside the Experience, the red alerts had sounded. Personnel scrambled to their stations and the problem was quickly identified. The crew quickly dispatched medical and engineering teams to the affected areas of the science vessel.
One particular security section had been severely struck and a human female staggered from what was only moments ago, her secretly designated cell. She was very beautiful with a curvy body and long blonde hair. Her face looked perfect except for the device around her head that covered her eyes. She screamed out for Rico and was met by the Teon she had known as Teka. Like other Teons, Teka was humanoid except for the human skull and skeletal hands. Unlike other Teons, he hosted a robotic right hand with all the proper digits and many forms of cybernetics, with the inclusion of augmented reflexes wired into his body and cranial plating fused to the left side of his skull head. It surrounded his left eye socket which was under a red lens.
The woman recognized Teka’s voice as he called her by the name of Krysus. The two struggled instantly, despite the impact on the starship. It was broken as an overhead structure collapsed onto Teka and pinned him beneath it. A rescue and repair team had entered the area. They were surprised to see a human in this section but maneuvered her into the crowd of other Teons that were escorted to escape pods. The Teons in the rescue started to free Teka as he screamed out for Krysus but she was gone.
One of the skeletal Teons on the escape pod with Krysus had assisted her in removing the device from her head and eyes. He was horrified to see that her eye sockets some time ago had her actual eyes ripped from them. The escape pod communicators announced that they were being remotely diverted to other starships within the science fleet. Krysus asked the Teon to override the remote control. She swore that she was an innocent person being held by a clandestine Teon group headed by Teka Lur. The Teon was shocked but he had heard rumors of a secret and dangerous project. Krysus again identified herself and asked if she looked dangerous or like a project. She pleaded her innocence and exploited her blindness with a touch of panic and fear. The Teon identified himself as Kotch and started to reroute the console wires. Once he had control, he asked where they should go. Krysus insisted that they needed to get away from the Teons. Kotch asked if she would like her vision back. Krysus seemed to grow a puzzling look across her face as she stroked her empty eye sockets. She replied, “I would very much like my eyes back but I am afraid that my special vision will never be restored.” Kotch questioned, “Special vision?” Krysus took a moment of pause and consideration. She asked if he truly had not heard of her in the last cycle. Kotch mentioned that he may had heard something of her death during the Battle at Edge Station. Krysus seemed to feel as if she were just a footnote in history from that remark. She shook it off and boasted that she once wielded great power to control minds and access alternate realties. She added that those powers were taken from her with her eyes by a mixed breed named Rico. That name did seem to strike familiarity with Kotch. He replied, “The son of President Erikai? He left beyond the Great Curtain a little over a cycle ago on a retrieval mission of some lost comrades.” The Great Curtain was the boundary of an unexplored area of space. Krysus delved further into that information and learned that Rico had not yet returned and there had been nothing heard back from him.
Krysus then noticed that they were headed toward another Teon starship, a medical vessel dubbed, the Core. She was angered as she stated, “I explicitly said that we had to get away from the Teons!” Kotch apologized and then promised that he could get her away but he had a friend that could get her ocular implants first. Krysus asked, “Can you trust this friend?” Kotch replied in the affirmative as he initiated docking procedures.
It was sometime later when Krysus awoke and could see. She rose from the exam bed and rubbed her beautiful blue eyes. She stood and examined them closely in her reflection. She then heard voices in another room. Kotch and another Teon were reading through reports on what was dubbed, the “Krysus Incident.” There were also video testimonies that cited what Krysus had done, the threat she posed, and her reported death of being shot down by Rico. She realized from this knowledge that she was clearly no footnote. She had been considered a serious threat. The other Teon looked to Kotch and stated that they clearly had to report the fact that Krysus was still alive. He said that from what they had just learned that she was too dangerous to be at large. Kotch replied that she was clearly not the threat she was before without her eyes. The other Teon replied that it still warranted a report. He admitted that she may have been held in secret for another reason.
In the meantime, Krysus had grabbed a Teon blaster from the wall and shot the other Teon in the head. Kotch turned in panic to face her. Krysus asked, “Are you with me or not?” Kotch looked at the reports on the monitor screen, then at his slain friend, and then back at the beautiful human female, Krysus. He said he was with her and could get her a shuttle. Krysus smiled and said, “Good. Then you can help me as we go beyond the Great Curtain.” Kotch asked, “Will we hide there?” Krysus had not yet released her smile and replied, “We will do more than hide. We will find Rico and I will have my revenge.” The smile on Krysus grew even wider. She spoke with extreme glee in her tone, “Rico!”
NEXT: the two-part adventure begins: The Krysus Event
