Helios Fighter

Chapter Sixteen

The Solution

"That was the Nexus," Ladasha said after Auroras and I recounted the details of what we saw. "Basically, that's Pax's interdimensional transit system for all of time and space."

"He can't be powerful enough to control all of time and space," I said, "can he?"

"Might as well be. Guy doesn't know his own strength. Kinda like someone else I know."

"Ha ha."

"No one person can control all of space-time," Auroras said. "More likely, he is maintaining it and making slight alterations to allow for safer passage through these wormholes."

"That's still a huge thing to manage."

"Even so, the only reason he created it was to save his girlfriend. He claims that he's just repaying a debt, but I can tell when someone's got the hots."

"And assuming that this 'Pax' it's the same person we observed during our warp–" Auroras started.

"The Nexus, regardless of whether or not he can control it, is ​his​ domain," I finished.

"Which means," Ladasha went on, "that we can't directly communicate with him unless ​he notices ​us​, or we find a way to get into the Nexus on our own."

"Wait," I said, an idea forming, "if the Nexus is an interdimensional computer, doesn't that mean it can be hacked?"

"The 'Nexus' is like its creator," Auroras said. "Complicated and stubborn." I was almost discouraged, until another idea formed.

"What about forced entry?" I offered.

"What do you mean?" Ladasha asked.

"Pax accesses the Nexus by ripping the fabric of time and space, right?"

"Yeah?"

"There's only one other thing in nature that I know of that has the magnitude to do that." I saw both of their minds race. They looked at each other as though they'd formed a conclusion.

"Human Helios," Auroras said, "I recognize your intentions for doing so, but we can't go around creating hypernovas just to access some place between time and space. This aside, no nebular burst would be sufficient enough to create anything more than a black hole." My mind raced.

"Well, what about me?"

"What are you talking about?" Ladasha asked.

"If I'm a Solenoid, I can use my solar energy to open a gate." Auroras pondered this.

"It is possible," she said. "That said, we cannot dwell presently on it. We must address the matter of your star. Otherwise..."

"'Something catastrophic happens.' Right."

"Helios," Ladasha said. "Can we talk alone for a sec? In the hallway?"

"Uh... sure?" I followed Ladasha out into the empty hallway. "What's up? What'd you need?"

"​Please​ tell me you've read the book?"

"Halfway through chapter eighteen, why?"

"This is gonna sound... strange... but I think.... I think someone's... trying to call you."

"I assume you don't mean through a phone?"

"No. But, I finished the book a little while ago. It sat on my desk, but..."

"But what?"

"After you went to the sun... it... s-started glowing... and... every time I've opened it since... it's..." she seemed pretty shaken up, and I was too, which made me that much more eager to know what was happening.

"What...what happened?" The dinner bell sounded.

"I'll tell you after dinner. We'd better go before we're late."

"Yeah..." She started walking away, but something still bothered me. "Wait." She turned.

"What?"

"There's... something else. Yesterday, I had this dream..."

"What about?" I told her about what I saw in my dreamscape. I told her about how the shuttle exploded, me landing on a metal planet, and how I saw Pax, her, and someone else standing next to a smoldering wreck before Pax exploded in red light. "That was the ship's captain. Tarabella, I think."

"Yeah. I mean, I know who she is now, but that's not the disturbing thing." I explained how, after the light died down, I found myself in a martial arts dojo, and how I saw another me... or, at least, a different version of me, who had the same light, except... more...fire-like.

"That is​ odd," she said after a short pause. "Who do you think that was?"

"I don't know," I admitted

"And that cry for help; what's that about?" I shrugged. "I mean, I didn't hear anything when I was there... What do you think it was?"

"It sounded far-off, like millions of voices crying out at once through a pipe. But... If you're saying that ​you​ didn't hear anything... and I​ did​..." My voice trailed off as a new possibility surfaced.

"What?"

"It really could be a premonition... Just like Auroras said..."

"'Premonition?' To what?"

"I'm not positive yet, but I do know that it's something big!"

"What're you–"

"Let's get to dinner. I need to ask Baros and Apollo for something."

"Hey!" I took off towards the galley, Ladasha following close behind. "Why the rush!?"

"We're gonna be late!"