Jupiter Ascending /Caine Wise

Chapter 6 - History

Caine continues to patrol the farm yard; his ears alert to every sound, sniffing the air he is aware of Jupiter's scent even as she talks to Stinger inside the house. Clenching his strong jaw, he turns his attention back to the yard, his protective instinct at an all-time high.

Inside, Jupiter questions Stinger about everything that she never knew before.

"I don't think most people would want to know the truth." Stinger replies.

"I do." Jupiter says earnestly.

Leading Jupiter into another room he begins to tell her of the beginning of human civilization, while searching through his office for some device. "So, you've been taught that the birthplace of the human race was Earth, well it's not. It's actually a planet in the Canubulum system, Orus, a little over a billion years ago." Rummaging through his desk he finds an alien device and turns it producing a small hologram that briefly displays the homeworld, Orus. Suddenly the device sparks and ceases working. "Damn piece of garbage..." he curses, then continues on, "Your planet was discovered during the Great Expansion. At the time Earth was occupied by a branch of species of Saurisapian, a dangerous human predator called the sargon. Obviously, before any colonization or resource development could be done safely to your planet, a large scale extinction event was manfactured. "

Opening her eyes wide in astonishment she asks, "Are you talking about dinosaurs?"

"Mm-hm," Stinger nods.

"Wait are you saying your people killed the dinosaurs?"

"Well technically, they're your people, majesty."

***

Far across the solar system, within the gaseous surface of Jupiter, unbeknownst to the humans of Earth, sits a mining operation. The eldest son of the house of Abrasax, Balem himself, sits at a grand desk overlooking his vast mining operation. Though his face appears youthful, his eyes betray an ancient soul, a ruthless ruler.

His people have informed him that the recurrence has been found but that she has since escaped with the help of a former legionaire, Balem voices his displeasure in a strained whisper. Activating a playback of the escape from the clinic, Balem is surrounded by a virtual recreation. Moving slowly himself, Balem approaches Jupiter and speaks to her as if she can hear him. "There you are," he says in that strange whisper again.

Balem stoops to look closely at Jupiter who is being restrained by the keepers. The scene plays out slowly around him as he speaks. "You know there are times when I actually miss you. Because no one understood this universe like you did. No one understood me..." Balem's voice breaks from the emotion, "...like you did."

Balem then looks up to this legionaire responsible for interfering. Freezing as he stares up at Caine, he knows he has encountered this nuisance before. Instinctively he reaches for his throat, it's no coincidence that Balem's vast wardrobe is filled with high collars, for even though he has been rejuvenated, he has not forgotten the physical and emotional trauma of having his throat ripped out by a defective splice. He should have been put down years ago, but perhaps he will have a second chance to exact revenge against the mongrel.

Deactivating the virtual playback, Balem turns to his underlings, in particular the Sargon known as Tskalikin. "How is it possible, " Balem begins his voice trembling with barely contained rage, "for a single splice to destroy an entire fleet of Shadows?"

Tskalikin bows his head low in submission. Once a race of mighty hunters, most of his species were destroyed when Abrasax Industries began seeding Earth 100,000 years ago. The survivors were forced into slavery for the House of Abrasax, each new generation was born into servitude; any rebellious traits having been bred out of them long ago. "It was a mistake," he admits, "they under-estimated him."

"The next mistake," Balem threatens, his voice barely a whisper, "I will hold you personally responsible."

***

Back on Earth, Caine hears movement in the cornfields. inhaling deeply, he can tell there are keepers approaching and the bounty hunters he encountered in the alley.

Storming into the house, he tells Stinger, "They're here." Caine readies his large laser blaster and begins shooting through the wall of the house.

Stinger grabs Jupiter and drags her towards the back of the house and out the back door. Not wanting to be separated from Caine, Jupiter screams his name. Caine can hear her calling and he aches to be by her side keeping her safe but continues firing rapidly through the wall. A huge shot blasts through the side of the house sending Caine hurtling back. As one of the bounty hunters steps through the hole Caine crouches ready to attack. Activating his shield, Caine growls before lunging toward at the hunter. Laser blasts deflect off of Caine's energy shield. Caine continues to charge forward, ramming the hunter. Caine fights the hunters off deflecting laser with his shield and moving with incredible speed. He smashes on man in the face with a chair, as another moves in Caine elbows him turning swiftly around to face him, and throwing a round house punch to the jaw.

Stinger and Jupiter take off towards an outbuilding but the are keepers everywhere. Nearing the edge of the cornfield, a hunter emerges with a large sonic cannon. "Oh, beeswax!" curses Stinger as he takes a direct hit to the chest sending him flying. Seeing his motionless body, Jupiter runs into the cornfield for cover. The bees all around her begin to attack the hunter, allowing her time to get away but the keepers are right on her tail.

Abruptly, she drops down out of site by the foliage. The keepers continue on and Jupiter jumps up to run the other way. Unfortunately, the hunter with the sonic cannon surpises her. Firing his weapon again, sonic wave flattens all of the corn in the area. Jupiter is caught in the wave and knocked to the ground. Just as the keepers and hunter move in to finish the job, laser blasts begin taking out the agile grey creatures. Suddenly, the attackers show themselves. It is two of the three bounty hunters from the alley. Realizing he has been betrayed, the hunter near Jupiter returns fire but is over powered.

Caine emerges from the house, after taking out the enemies inside. Desperately looking around, Caine catches Jupiter's scent out in the field. Turning in that he direction just as Jupiter is being lifted up into ship. "Jupiter," he pants. Snarling he fires up his boots, Caine furiously races towards her. Pushing himself forward faster and faster, he is nearly there when they begin to lift off. Caine leaps into the air, just barely grabbing hold of the ship as it prepares for interstellar flight.