The Rift

Chapter 8, movie madness

"You can use your weaknesses to drive your strength, and obviously I am strong as shit!" - Negan, The Walking Dead.

Lincoln and Lynn stood atop the mysterious glowing red staircase. The sky was dark grey and cloudy. Lincoln and Lynn's hair flowed in the breeze as thunder roared in the distance.

"RED KING!!!!" Lincoln yelled. "I know you can here me! Show your face you coward!"

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea." Lynn warned. "I distinctly remember you saying something about "Looking at him will make you go mad""

Lincoln turned to look at Lynn.

"Besides." Lynn said. "If this guy really lives in the center of the galaxy, I don't think he will here you if you just shout into the sky."

"This is where he first contacted me Lynn." Lincoln said. "He has to here me. I don't know how, but he is somehow connected to me."

"How do you know that?" Lynn asked. "Because some vague prophecy MAY have mentioned something, that COULD be referring to you?"

"You know Sparky took over your body for a while, right?" Lincoln said.

"The bug?" Lynn said.

"I was scared at first, but he assured me he wouldn't hurt you." Lincoln said. "He told me The Red King wanted us. He said this staircase was some sort of beacon, that it would contact the Red King."

"And you just let him turn it on?" Lynn said.

"I tried to fight him but..." Lincoln said. "He threatened to kill you. Said he would eat your brain if I didn't cooperate. He held you hostage Lynn."

"Well if this is some sort of beacon, like some sort of machine." Lynn said. "I'm sure it has some sort of controls around here somewhere."

Then a glowing red orb materialized before the two Louds.

"Well what did I tell ya." Lynn said with a smile.

Lincoln touched the orb, then the orb expanded out into a vast hologram of the entire galaxy. The hologram was about the size of the local public swimming pool and seemed co cover their entire field of view.

Lincoln and Lynn looked in wonders at the images of planets and stars.

"Whoa." They both said in amazement.

"Please enter a command." Came a robotic voice.

"Patch me through to..." Lincoln said. "The Red King."

"Patching you through to The Red King." The robotic voice said.

"Wow that actually worked." Lynn said.

Then the red orb appeared again. The orb spoke in some alien language Lincoln couldn't understand.

"Is this the Red King?" Lincoln asked.

More alien words.

"I don't think it speaks English." Lynn said.

"Red King I have come to bargain." Lincoln said.

More alien words.

"My life..." Lincoln said. "In exchange for you sparing the lives of my species, and my family. I know you want me, so take me, and leave this planet alone."

"Lincoln..." Lynn said. "Don't do this."

"I have to Lynn." Lincoln said. "I can't let you guys get hurt just to protect me. It's better this way."

"Is this like a suicide thing?" Lynn asked.

"What?"

"I'm not stupid Lincoln." Lynn said. "I know what you think of yourself. I know you think you're worthless, that the family would be better off without you." Lynn put her foot down. "But that's not true at all! We need you Lincoln, you mean a lot to us."