Epsilon

εpsilon

File One of the Cryptic Volume

By Waylon Linn-Adams

Dedicated to

Zebulon Forchion, who almost finished his second masterpiece

Copyright

Maple Leaf Writing Project

Brattleboro, Vermont

2015

.

Chapter Ⅰ

We begin this file with the sun rising over the planet Ares S-12, turning the dark, barren stone of the cliffs to a magnificent bright red. A simple ape roams around a small plateau, searching for food. Suddenly, the hunter becomes hunted. A bolt of electricity flies through the ape’s back and out his chest. He falls to the ground gasping for air when another bolt flies into his eye and kills him.

The Ape’s hunter has a slight shroud of remorse before remembering that the ape was genetically created -in a lab, for this purpose.

“Great shot, Wolf!” , yelled sarcastically a teenager dressed in robes and hood.

“Knock it off, Hector!” yelled the teenager who seems to be named Wolf.

Wolf had fairly good-looking robes, but not nearly as fashioned as Hector’s. Hector’s robes had a smooth white surface with a teal trim. Wolf’s robes were a mere brownish white with a maroon trim.

“I can’t believe they picked you to assess my combat skills. I’ll never even make it past Acolyte!” said Wolf.

“Don’t be so harsh on your older brother, ey.”

“Why shouldn’t I? You couldn’t possibly give me a lower score than you alrea-”

“SILENCE!” screamed a voice coming from behind them.

Wolf and Hector turned around to see their master, Counselor Jeborah.

“Wolf, after a recent decision we have postponed your skill assessment. However, when you try again in two weeks, your Assessor will change to Warlock Danielle,” said the Counselor. “IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”

“Yes, sir,” replied both Wolf and Hector in unison.

Warlock Danielle was a young and funny, but quite strict Warlock, with a bitter resentment for none except recruits with low ranks, such as Wolf, a Staff Carl. Wolf was most displeased about this, and half-planned to desert. He quickly recollected himself and resumed listening to the conversation.

“ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS?” asked the Counselor.

“No, sir,” replied the brothers in unison once more.

“Report back to Camp Borus A-17 immediately. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”

“Yes, sir!” replied the brothers.

“You heard him, let’s go,” said Hector.

There was a flash of light and both of them vanished into thin air.

Later that night at Camp Borus A-17, Wolf typed up a summary of the founding of the Galactic Empire for his history counselor.

THE GALACTIC EMPIRE

In the year 2137 the people of Earth realized how to create square miles of a nickel and iron alloy from only a square inch of mining from the planet’s core. After mining too much, Earth began to collapse in on itself. The counsels of the eight sectors of Earth gathered together to plan a solution for Earth’s problem. After the Ennorsian Democratic Republic and the Eurasian Allied Forces agreed to it, they all decided they should more heavily colonize the outpost planet of Ares S-12. After winning the civil war with Earth, Ares founded the Galactic Empire and fixed Earth’s core. After much advance in technology, the Empire now controls over four hundred-fifty planets.

-Wolfgang Gutenkap

Wolfgang was just finished typing up his document on his P.W.S.D. (Personal Writing and Storage Device) when the 9 PM alarm went off, signaling it was time to go to into Cryo-sleep. He quickly sent the document to his History Counselor, Marcus, and went to his sleep tank.

He put his hand on the rim of the tank. Before hopping in he noticed that the tank was not at its usually warm state, but a rather cold one. Nevertheless he hopped in.

That’s strange, thought Wolf. It is usually more wet in here. With great effort, Wolf pulled down the hatch to seal the chamber. As he tried to plug the cord to Circadia (a device that taps the consciousness of humans into a virtual world while they sleep) into the back of his neck, the hatch slowly clicked open.

Outside stood a dark figure with a tube running from its lower head into the silhouette of what looked to be an egg shape.

“Come with me Epsilon,” it said in a harsh robotic tone. “Quickly now.”

Chapter ⅠⅠ

“Who are you?!?” said Wolf.

“I am Gamma,” it said. “However I can not answer anymore questions, we must go. After arriving at our destination, you may choose to stay with us or return to your previous life.”

“ How can I trust y-” but Wolf was cut off by the egg shape opening into two bowls that unleashed a high, but quiet sound that made him levitate out of his sleeping tank and on to Gamma’s back. Wolf felt Gamma’s cold skin on his own and was utterly horrified. Who was this being? Did he mean well?

Gamma clicked something on the side of his long silk robe and it activated restraints which locked Wolf in place.

“Cover your ears!” said Gamma as he opened the egg shape again to break the glass window of Wolf’s dorm. Gamma then proceed to fly, yes fly, through the window and on to the surface.

An alarm sounded and turrets deployed on the roof of the camp and targeted them, with red dot sights.

Suddenly, a starship appeared in the sky and swooped down to Gamma and Wolf.

They had to hurry, the surface of the planet was going into its daily, molten, phase.

The turrets were charging up, but then couldn’t fire.

“With a trainee on so close to me it is against their program to fire,” said Gamma.

The planet’s surface was becoming warmer and warmer. Gamma then jumped into the air, activated his bowl mechanism, and opened a hole in the starship that they proceeded to jump into, just before the planet did its daily burn up.

Inside the starship, there was a blue light coming from what seemed to be the back of the ship.

“Greetings Epsilon,” said a voice. As the words were said the blue light flashed along with the syllables.

“Why do you guys keep calling me Epsilon?” said Wolf. “My name is Wolfgang.”

“After the death of the Epsilon before you, I received a vision,” said the blue light. “In the vision I saw the old Epsilon’s face and it transformed into your face, telling me you are the new Epsilon.”

“How did you know my name? How did you find me?”

“All methods you shall learn in due time. Now let me turn on the lights.” And with that the interior of the ship sprang into color, revealing that the light was coming from an elephant sized robotic humanoid-looking entity with broad arms and a muscular build.

Chapter ⅠⅠⅠ

“Wh-who are you?” stammered Wolf.

“Call me, call me Beta. I know, this ‘Body’ is a wreck. I was killed in Earth’s rebellion, but my brain was recovered and they downloaded my consciousness into this robot. It is my body until they can find a reliable cloning machine so we can duplicate my previous body.”

“Th- that’s, that’s amazing!”

“The looks may be appealing, but on the inside, it is- it is- it’s torture. Although right now I am plugged into this starship, so I feel as though I am flying. I have to say it is quite fun.”

“Now, Wolf,” said Beta, “before we land, you must tell me, will you join our cause to fight the Galactic Empire?"

“Well… Umm…" Wolf was having trouble deciding. You know what? You only live once. "I’ll do it,” he finally -and sincerely- said. Before he was drafted to serve in the Empire, Wolf’s mother always had told him he made decisions too quickly.

We are nearing our headquarters. Prepare for impact.

“I don’t see anything,” said Wolf.

Just then four pod shaped objects flew off the starship along with a giant ring-shaped object. Afterwards, the ring attached to the pods and created a large celestial circle, with a blue, glowing center. The starship proceeded to fly into the circle. Then the impact came. The whole ship shook and rumbled. Outside the window there was an array of colors moving all about. After about two minutes, the starship exited the tunnel and entered a dark realm which inhabited one small island in the center.

Chapter IV

The starship’s wings folded out more to reveal propellers that must have only been used for travel in a planet’s atmosphere, or a hidden dimension, which is where the small island was located. After landing, a few “boops” and “beeps” sounded off and the center of the floor opened and shot a walking ramp onto the ground. Wolf barely swung his arms as he gingerly stepped forward and onto the ramp as Gamma powered off the starship and Beta disconnected himself.

“Where are we?” Wolf inquired.

“The home of the resistance,” said Beta, “and now your home, too.”

Wolf slowly walked down the ramp and on to the ground to see a gargantuan city with flying cars, moving buildings, and many noises.

“A hover pod should arrive shortly. It will take us to The Headquarters,” stated Gamma.

“The Headquarters? Specifically; The Headquarters?" replied Wolf.

“It’s our nickname for it," said Beta, "you’ll learn why in time. Oh, and by the way, if you hear an alarm jump onto my back, it’s probably the evacuation warning."

The hovercraft arrived and Wolf got a good look at the city. It definitely was a city, but something didn’t seem city-like to Wolf. Maybe because it was smaller than an average city?

The hovercraft arrived after about five minutes of traveling.

“Here we are,” said Beta.

Then the evacuation alarm went off.

Chapter V

Beta bent over and Wolf promptly jumped on his back, piggy-back riding style.

Soon afterwards, cuffs went around Wolf’s hands and Beta began to run (although it seemed like flying) to a door at the other side of the complex.

Just then the roof of the complex blew off and Imperial ships flew through. Beta burst through the door only to fall off a platform that had partially crumbled.

“Phi! Catch us!” shouted Beta.

Suddenly a girl wearing red silk robes threw herself off the edge. She proceeded to chant -or shout, rather- a spell, and Wolf and Beta were lifted back into the air.

Just as Wolf was awakened from the state of shock he was amid, Beta de-clipped Wolf from his back and threw him at a passing-by escape pod that proceeded to teleport away.

Chapter VI

The pod that pulled Wolf into a dimensional rift was headed back to planet Ares S-12. More specifically, the Capital of Ares S-12, home to the Emperor. More specific yet, the palace of the Emperor. And now in unspecific terms, the last place anyone in the resistance wants to be alone in. But Wolf wasn’t alone. Was he? Wolf promptly stood up from his prone position and looked at his surroundings. To the north, there was the Capital City. To the west, was more of the Capital City. To the south, forest. And finally to the west, forest. Wolf got up of the rough terrain and decided to try to open the escape pod he traveled with.

“Creeeeeaaaak…”

The door slowly opened after Wolf put his hand to the identity scanner. The same girl who lifted him and Beta out of their fall was waiting inside.

“Are you OK in there?” Wolf asked.

“I’m alright, thanks,” the girl said back.

“Your name is Phi, yes?” inquired Wolf.

“Well, that’s my codename, but you can call me Desirae. Oh and thanks by the way for opening the door, it would have taken me ages to find the identity scanner in the dark.”

“Well I guess we’re about even then.”

“I suppose so. Who knows how long it would have been before I found the lightswitch.”

They both laughed at this. Perhaps to take their minds off the state of danger they were in. And there definitely was one.

It was nearly dark and they had to find shelter soon.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Wolf’s head.

“Desirae?”

“Yes?”

“I have an insane idea.”

“Ok. Tell me.”

“Do you think it would be a bad idea to attack the Capital city now? You see I have a hunch that we just… should.”

“YES, VERY BAD!”

“Well if you think about it, everyone in the resistance has some ability, more or less. Beta is a giant robot that can transform his arms into guns and Gamma is an alien that controls sound. So I must have a power too.”

“Not necessarily,” Desirae added. “Take my uncle and my father for example, their only significant power is to annoy me and that, it seems, can only be used for evil.”

“I guess you’re right. Dang it!” Wolf admitted after a very genuine laugh.

Wolf usually snaps his fingers after he becomes very disappointed or angry. However this time a green energy flickered at his fingertips.

“Do you want to rethink your previous statement?!?!?” Wolf asked, totally surprised.

“I do believe I will.”

Wolf then set his mind on emotions and energy in an attempt to channel his power and he erupted into a green flame of energy.

“Desirae, I now have unlocked the knowledge of the previous Epsilons before me,” Wolf said, his voice deepening with the power of his new knowledge.

“And…?”

“I know how to destroy the Galactic Empire.

Chapter VII

“What!?!” exclaimed Desirae.

“They have a secret that will be their own undoing,” Wolf quickly said. “They have been working on a project. They are attempting to time travel. The only reason they seem so large is because they own planets that don’t have civilizations on them yet, but will in the future. All the speeches the Emperor has given are true, but haven’t happened yet. Ergo, they only fully control Ares S-12 and Earth. Which means if we can take the Capital before they reinforce it with aliens from the future, or at least weaken it…”

“The entire Galactic Empire will fall before it even began.”

“Right.”

“That’s ingenious!”

“We’d better get going, I know a place where we can teleport Beta to us.”

The new friends hiked for about an hour or so into the forest before they found a run-down watchtower.

“It must be from before the Empire was founded,” said Desirae. “I have never seen anything that old.”

The friends walked closer to the tower and peeked around the side only to see a door. The door was quite eerie, considering the vines that had seemed to cover it for ages.

“I can handle this,” Wolf boasted as he burnt up the lock on the door with the sheer heat of his new power. The door fell off its hinges and revealed a dark space inside inhabiting only the small light of a teleporter.

Wolf slowly approached the teleporter, and opened up a keypad from the front of it. He proceeded to type what seemed like meaningless code, and pressed enter before Beta materialized in front of him.

“Wolf,” Beta said, “you are not an orphan as I had expected.”

“Then who are my parents?”

“Your mother is dead but your father… Your father was the previous emperor, and Gamma killed him.”

Chapter VIII

“Wha- What?” exclaimed Wolf. “He killed him?!?”

“I’m afraid so,” replied Gamma, who also materialized in front of the teleporter. “I was young, I didn’t know what to do, I-”

“You monster,” mumbled Wolf.

“Something corrupted me Wolf! I had no control! Believe me, I would have spared him. But… This thing… It took hold of me, and now it’s killing me. It is eating away at my flesh, so you can disclude me from fighting the Empire.”

“How would you know tha-” Desirae attempted to say but she was cut off.

“Wolf sent us each E-Messages of the situation before he teleported us here,” interrupted Gamma.

“I have a plan to destroy the Galactic Empire,” said Wolf. “Gamma is too weak to fight, but I will teleport him to the Emperor’s Palace when we are ready. When we attack, I will shield all of you with my energy for as long as I can, but I may tire quickly. In this case, I will fuel up with energy using some of Beta's emergency backup power supply. Believe me, when I am not shielding you, you’re really going to have to stay in cover, let me do the handiwork. When we get to the palace, I will teleport Gamma to us, and he will use his vocal power to push all of the Guards away. I will power up the teleportation machine, and travel to the future to self destruct all of the colonies so that other empires will form before the Empire can control them.”

Chapter IX

Wolf powered up the teleporter and teleported all of them to the centre of the city.

“GO!” Wolf yelled as he coated everyone with his energy.

Beta transformed one of his arms into a mace and the other into a minigun. He proceeded to launch the mace out of him, attach a chain, and swing the mace all about the complex.

Desirae transformed to the fire powered version of herself and launched blasts of heat at all of the Guards who attacked her.

“I can’t hold out m- much l- longer!” stammered Wolf.

Suddenly, the energy field around Wolf’s allies disappeared and they all took cover. Wolf proceeded to take energy from Beta’s reserve.

“YAAAHHHHHHH!!!” Wolf screamed as he unleashed his full power.

Wolf ran to a Guard and coated him in a red energy before hurling him at another guard, and hurling those two at a third, and those three at a fourth and so on. Soon Wolf had imprisoned every Guard in the city. Wolf went down on one knee and raised his fists, bringing them closer and closer together and as the got closer the energy around the orb of Guards became brighter and brighter.

When Wolf finally put his fists together the orb of Guards erupted into a source of raw energy that Wolf siphoned into himself.

“We must hurry,” the now power-overloaded Wolf boomed.

The allies trekked up the steps to the palace and at this time were able to see the beauty of the architecture. It had large points and very modern curves, with the common color of blue or white for the windows, but the occasional purple or red.

The allies entered the palace and Wolf teleported Gamma to them.

“I- I’m here,” stuttered Gamma.

“Okay Gamma, try to pull through until we destroy the Empire, I want you to see our victory.”

Chapter X

Guards dropped down from the ceiling that seemed to have better armor than the previous ones.

“Gamma! Now!”

These words were yelled by, well, we may never know. But as they were yelled Gamma charged up the loudest shout he could and Wolf protected everyone's ears with his energy. Gamma must have broken the sound barrier by a ton. Even with Wolf blocking their ears it was still deafening. The Guards flew against walls all over the room and Wolf opened up the time machine.

“I need to hack the time machine's code since it is DNA sealed!” cried Wolf. “Cover me for a few minutes!”

Wolf worked quickly and figured out he needed to scan his own hand, and alter the scanner’s results before they were applied.

Wolf put his hand up to the hand scanner, and the door clicked open.

“That’s right, my father was the Emperor, it must have scanned his DNA inside me,” Wolf said to himself.

He proceeded to sit in the chair inside -a large, leather comfy chair, to be exact- and punched in a code on the arm of the chair. The machine stretched and warped and within a few seconds, it disappeared.

There could have been years that went by, but they wouldn’t have had known. The machine came back after a few more seconds, but Wolf most likely traveled to the time plane a few seconds after he left, so no one actually knew what he had done.

It was over, all of it. The Imperial Planet outposts were destroyed (with a little improvisation), the Capital was taken, and most of all they could restore Earth completely to it’s natural state without interference.

I feel there is not a more suitable ending to this file.

Epilogue:

Actually, Wolf forgot something about time traveling; time might not take the path you intended for it, in fact you could bet on it. So when Wolf destroyed the Galactic Empire, that was an alternate universe he created with those circumstances. But our own time however, might not take this path. In fact it didn’t take this path. Besides, they couldn’t have killed all of the Imperial commanders, could they?

Post Epilogue:

The third in command of the Empire, Colonel Harkem escapes on a small escape pod and flies to a currently unknown destination. Perhaps… Earth…

The End