Children Of Gaia

Chapter 25

Felix stood outside the perimeter of the settlement alone. He could hear the hum of the transport in the distance, slowly it cleared the nearest rise and landed with the usual accompanying red dust cloud. Felix boarded and was taken away bearing South. He found it difficult to gauge the distance as they travelled quite quickly over the desert but was certain that they were several hundred kilometres away. As they approached he could see the outpost, it was made up of similar modules as their own settlement leading him to conclude it wasn't a permanent installation. There was also fencing erected around it and Felix could make out automated gun emplacements spread along the fence line. The transport landed in a open area among other transports and a few dozen gunships. Felix was escorted through the outpost to it's centre. He didn't see a need to ask where he was being taken as he was there by invitation. They stopped before a large structure, his escort abandoned him once he stood before a pair of soldiers guarding the front door. One of them used his radio and opened the door inviting Felix inside. Two more guards were posted inside, Felix ignored them as he entered a side room then approached the Major sitting at his desk.

"I take it this is serious seeing as you didn't wish to say it over the radio," stated Felix as he sat down making himself comfortable without hesitation.

"Actually, I have some questions for you." The Major poured himself a drink offering Felix one but he waved it off politely. "My superiors aren't concerned with the state of the infected so why are you exactly?"

Felix was taken back, the Major did not know the full extent of the Scourge nor it's abilities of regeneration. "Major. I'm not sure how else to tell you this but you seem to have been lied to, or rather some details were not given to you."

Major Lucero scoffed, "bah! I'm a senior officer, why should I believe your claim?" Felix grinned as the Major lost grip of his glass, fumbling to keep hold it then slowly hovered over to rest in front of Felix. He reached out grasping it and sniffed the liquor causing him to screw his face up as though he had just licked a freshly cut lemon. Not an uncommon reaction as ethanol based beverages were never taken with the Gaia station in the first place.

"How do you drink this stuff? Eck." Felix placed the glass back down and slid it back over to the Major, some of the clear brown liquid splashed over the sides of the short glass and the Major finally snapped out of his trance. Mouth now closed and flabbergasted he simply pointed at Felix utterly mortified. "Just try to stay calm Major, you aren't hallucinating."

"But, but how?" he finally managed to vocalise.

"Let's just say my mind has much more potential than the average person's. That being said I believe you. You really don't know the full depths to the horror that is the Scourge," admitted Felix patronisingly.

"You-you're a telepath?" Major Lucero asked as he shakily raised his glass to his mouth downing a rather large gulp.

"Among other things," Felix replied whilst staring the Major dead in the eyes. "The important thing here is that we have a situation brewing and we need your help."

"First," the Major interjected, "I'll need all the available information on the Scourge. If you're saying that intelligence was withheld from Command then I need to know what we're up against."

"I completely agree," Felix stood and walked around the table toward the Major. "If you will allow me I can show you some of my memories?"

"Show memories?" The Major's face was puzzled but curious. "How exactly?"

Felix smirked,"I need only to touch you." The Major nodded and Felix reached out, placing his hand on the Major's arm. The Major's jaw and fists clenched then relaxed a second later. Felix showed a snippet of his memories from the presentation given by Erranos. Enough to show how serious it was when the Scourge gained a foothold. The memories then turned to a darker time, the extraction of Gaia. Major Lucero watched on as the abominations crept closer in the corridor. How one by one the Tarraxen drones were slain and how the damaged Scourge units started to regenerate and take form despite dozens of energy blasts. Felix stopped short of the part where Lloyd was cut down and when his rampage began. Felix removed his hand and sat back down.