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the-erickson-labrynthian · 6 years

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Nathan and the Allex Cube, Chapter Six:

took me a bit to get Chapter Six on here, but here it is. Hope you enjoy, tell me what you think, etc. If you want to read it on Wattpad instead here’s the link: https://www.wattpad.com/user/BrandonErickson2. So, yeah, have a good read.

Chapter Six:

"So, if I have your story right, you wanted to break universal law and steal the most sacred Reylis treasure, to prove that you could fix your universe?"

William shook his head, "The fact is, this world is dying. I am trying to fix it."

"By stopping the people who fix it? That's irrational."

He erupted, "Thinking that what you do saves anyone is irrational!"

"We have saved many before, and plan on even more. You are clearly delusional."

"No," William said, "Wrong. Simple as that. You don't save us, you 'store' us. You copy us into a little historical document, and you call that good enough. While you play around with your toy, the world decays around you. Our world dies in fire! And you don't care! What gods are you? To me, you sound like every god I've ever read about. Nice on paper, shitty execution."

"Do you think this ramble is going to help your case? To me, you look like a terrorist to the Reylis people."

"You're damn right I am!" He shouted, "Come at me! Give me your all! If I am on your side, I die by fire. If I am against you, then I die by whatever's behind that door! I'll take my chances!"

"Dad!" Nathan exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

William turned around to Nathan and Renold, "Looking at my options. There's only this. I am playing my cards as best I can. Guess I always did suck at poker."

"This is your last chance to submit to the Reylis order. If you stand down and go to your ship, we will escort you back to your home, and you can live the rest of your lives in peace."

He turned to the speaker and laughed, "You mean in fire?"

"If you see it that way, then yes."

William ran his thumb along the underside of his chin. He turned back to Renold and Nathan. Nathan wanted to scream, "Don't you kill us, you jerk! Don't you forget about your son!" But before he could force it out Renold put a hand over his mouth.

"William, do you know what you are doing?" Renold asked.

"I always do."

"Give me your answer. Stand down, or perish."

William slowly stepped around the area of the corridor with seemingly no direction, swinging his body around as he began his answer, "Well, think about what you're offering. A complete pardon of all of my transgressions, to leave? Does anyone see the problem here? The absurdity here?" He swung his arms wide.

Nathan thought about it, and it was an odd forgiveness from what the man on the speaker had been threatening before.

"No one? Okay, I'll start. You said when we met, you would see if you had the kindness to leave us alive. Now, all of the sudden, you tell us just to go. No bargain. No haggling. Just telling us to leave. Funny how that happened, after my story."

"What are you babbling about old man? You will accept surrender of peris-"

"Yeah, yeah, fire and death, I get it, but listen to me for a sec, kay?" He was moving in wild directions, as were his arms as he ranted, "Would it not be possible that your sudden change in tone comes from hearing my story and connecting the dots as to who I am? Do you know who I am?"

"I do not need to know the likes of you."

"Bullshit. A captain wouldn't be able to resist."

"H-how do you know of my position?" The voice stuttered.

"Ignorance. Bravado. Booming voice. Lack of intelligence. Painfully obvious to someone like me. Anyways, you looked into me, and your men's databanks found a Mr. William Briggs, did it not? The man who blew into the seventeenth core of Therta XVI's Monominium mine and left no survivors? Who has survived a maximum security prison on Helisona with the blood of rats? Who rose up into the ranks of your people until he faked his own death?"

"You don't scare me."

William stared dead at the camera and the speaker, "You have a horrible poker voice. I think you want me to leave because you're scared. You know what I can do when I think. You know that if I don't go away that there is a chance, a very small one, admittedly, that I'll leave you all with no survivors."

"We have given you our options,"

Nathan noticed a timidness to the speaker man's voice. He had to give his father credit for being so dastardly with his words. Renold grabbed Nathan and pulled him in close, whispering, "Be ready to run."

William clapped and threw his hands in the air, "Ha! And like that the leverage is all on me! You are scared of an old man from a universe thousands of years behind your technology. You are terrified because you know your people won't care if you're gutted, they only want the cube. You are terrified because you thought you were the gods, but on this ship, I am God!"

"We are opening the gate."

"You are?" He laughed, "Then I guess it is settled," His tone turned cold, "I am coming after you."

"Good luck. This beast will rip your flesh apart and swallow you whole. It is powerful, giant, and hungry. It is an abomination of nature itself!"

"So am I," He winked.

Nathan heard the sound of the speaker turning off, and jumped when he heard the loud noise of air being released from the door.

"William, sir, do you have a plan?"

"Every plan I have ever had. Step one: run."

The door kept writhing and whistling as the thing behind it began to pound on it and let out a mighty roar.

"Run?" Renold asked.

"Run!" William turned around and started sprinting.

Nathan and Renold started following behind. Nathan's arms and legs immediately began to burn, but he pushed past his exhaustion. Renold ran farther, to where William was. The two shouted at one another.

"Where are we going?" Renold asked.

"Away."

"What?"

"Away!"

Renold looked back at Nathan. Nathan was barely hanging on. He hadn't eaten food in close to a day, and any food he did have was forced out of his stomach on the flight. He didn't know how he looked to Renold, but he knew it was bad when Renold told William, "We need to stop somewhere."

"We need to keep going!"

"William, your son is about to collapse!"

"Renold, I don't give a damn!" He mocked.

Nathan kept going, but every step seemed to rip him apart. His breathing was rapid and his throat felt scorched from it. On his torso something felt like it was pulsing in his side, sending more pain with each pulse and each step. His legs were on fire, and felt like jelly at the same time. He wanted to fall.

"I don't think I can keep going," He panted as they made their fourth turn to nowhere.

"You're going to keep running or you're going to die!" William screamed.

"Shouting is only going to help the beast find us!"

"If there's even a beast! It could've all been a bluff!"

Renold stopped dead in his tracks. Nathan kept running without thinking and pulled his arms up to block himself from a collision. Renold grabbed him and slid him into his arms, "You're okay," He whispered.

Nathan gagged and wretched over the floor, but nothing came out.

William was nearly twenty yards away before he turned and noticed the two stopped. Nathan looked up to see William slap his hand over his face as he ran back, shouting, "What the hell are you doing!"

"He is hurting," Renold said.

"Of course he's hurting. It's running! Why is he being whiny about it? Get your ass up!"

Nathan swelled up with anger and shouted back, "No!"

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"No!" He repeated.

"Why do you think you can talk to me like th-"

"Because everything hurts, Dad!" Water filled Nathan's eyes, but he didn't think it was because he was going to cry.

William held a dim, tired expression. He slowly took in a breath before he put a hand on Renold's shoulder, "Let's get somewhere safe. We have no idea what we're dealing with," He peered across what they had already ran through, "We ran too far, to the point where I don't even know if it's chasing us. But it's here. We need to get in a room. Do you spy anything?"

Renold pulled Nathan up and looked ahead of them, "This whole floor is the recreational area for the crew. There have to be rooms somewhere."

"Alright... let's look around, you, uh..." William looked at Nathan, "Take care of that..."

Thanks, Dad.

Renold whispered to Nathan, "Do you want me to carry you?"

Nathan nodded. Renold opened his arms up and grabbed Nathan by the legs. Nathan closed his eyes and tried to focus back on his breathing. He heard his father muttering, "Looks like a damn princess being carried like that." Nathan didn't care. He enjoyed being carried around by Renold as a kid. Back when there was time to play, and Nathan wanted to play. He missed it.

He put his ear against Renold's chest. The sound of ticking and wizzing was faint, but present in him. It felt faster than usual though, faster and higher pitch. It seemed that even he had to deal with stress on a mission like what they were dealing with.

A mission like this. A death sentence. Why am I here?

He heard his father again, "Renold, just because you have a meatbag to carry doesn't mean you get to be slow!"

"Yes, sir!"

Nathan's stomach growled again. He hoped they'd find a room for him to sleep in soon. Not any room, but the perfect one. A sturdy and soft bed, a thousand pillows, somewhere where he could sleep forever if he wanted to. And, after all this, he really wanted to.

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