Perhaps it was the stress of the day, but Kinson dreamed he was back in Cerise City, on Mars. Unlike the moon Titan, the planet had undergone centuries of terraforming and was openly habitable. Strange looking Terran plants, mutated through their life on an alien planet, covered the large red terraces in his field of view. He looked around and searched for his family. There they were. His mother smiled as she gently rocked his youngest sister in her arms. His father played catch with Gearen, his older brother. Kinson called out for the ball, waving his arms. His father smiled, throwing it to him gently. Despite dropping the ball, happiness bloomed within his six year old heart.
The peaceful vision dramatically changed barely a second later. A terrible thunderous crack broke the heavens, bringing the boy's hands to his ears in pain. He looked up in a panic, and was stunned to see the clouds split apart,dissipating outward. Before he could think, the shockwave hit the area, sending his sight spinning.
The next thing Kinson knew, he was lying on his back, his body sore. Black dots spun across his vision, making it impossible to focus. A hand grabbed his shirt, dragging him to his feet. Why couldn't he hear anything? Kinson caught sight of his father, and gasped. Blood spilled from his ears, running down the man's bearded face. A strange sensation from his own head told him he looked the same. Kinson gently rubbed his temples, and found his small hand wet with warm blood.
Kinson's father pulled him along and gathered the rest of his family members, who lay scattered around the field. He coughed up a mixture of mud and blood as a wave of red dust swept the air, impairing sight and breath.
"Quick, get to the car!" his mother yelled. Although no one heard her, the intent was obvious.
She took the lead and they all followed, staggering along with pain-filled steps. Kinson arrived right after her and scrambled inside. He looked out of the window and his jaw dropped.
A massive vertical black line had appeared above the city, seemingly located directly above the BPI's headquarters. It looked like someone had ripped a hole in a cityscape painting, tearing space itself. A mist-like darkness flowed out of the rend, spreading across the city. At its speed, the shadows would reach them in a matter of minutes.
Finally, some of his hearing began to return, albeit faint and fuzzy. His mother pointed at her phone, showing a message and then bringing up the navigation system. Kinson faintly caught the words "Planetwide Evacuation," and "Psigate." His father, ordinarily a very safe and cautious driver, peeled out, the tires squealing at the sudden acceleration.
Most of the drive was hazy, full of fear and obscured by red dust. Fortunately, they had already been out and about, so the evacuation route was still relatively clear, and they made good time. By the time they reached the Psigate, however, panic stricken drivers clogged the streets, making use of everyone's recovered hearing to launch frequent honk attacks.
The Psigate was a massive technological wonder, stretching tens of stories into the air. It combined modern technology with Psionic power to generate short range teleportation. Each planet in the Alliance only had a few of them, as they devoured resources in both construction and upkeep. Kinson had heard that this Psigate was connected with the planetary spaceport, stationed in high orbit around Mars.
As they drove up, Kinson looked through the back windshield, and let out a gasp. It seemed the spreading mist was right behind them, gaining ground at breakneck speed. For some reason, fewer cars were arriving out of the mist as time went on.
Fortunately for them, they reached the underground parking lot mere moments before the darkness swept the area. Exiting the car, Kinson's family followed the other fleeing residents and found the entrance to the Psigate. It was the first time Kinson had ever been inside the building, and it reminded him of an airport. The biggest difference was the sheer scale of things. They passed several loading ports that looked like it could fit entire trucks or even trains. Despite their frequency, everyone ran through the security measures with ease, entering the warp bays in the center of the structure. The warp bays faced out into the lobbies, where the plentiful standing room was fully occupied by waiting refugees. Several full length windows gave a nice view of the surrounding city.
It was soon his family's turn, so his father led them onto a large platform, already packed with people. Kinson found himself on the edge, clinging onto the sturdy leg of his father.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and an uneasy silence settled upon the hundreds of people within the building. The whirring of complex machinery and sparking wires did little to distract Kinson's eyes, who, like the rest of the crowd, was busy sharing out the window at the ensuing calamity.
The dark mist flowed around on invisible currents,twirling about like a sandstorm. Crowds of people pressed up against the building's windows, screaming and banging on the bullet proof glass. The cause of their terror was soon apparent, as a large shadowy silhouette, perhaps 20 feet tall, suddenly appeared in the mist. The vaguely humanoid creature loomed within the darkness above the people's head, radiating a menacing aura. Several dark tendrils curled away from its body. After extending for nearly a dozen feet, the shadowy appendages shot out, lancing through the masses like spears. Screams filled the air, accompanied by another mist; this one of blood.
The creature suddenly appeared closer to him, moving so quickly Kinson failed to follow it with his eyes. As it stopped once more, he finally got a clear look at it. The monster's only discernible feature were its glowing red eyes, vengeful lights in the darkness. They seemed to bore straight into Kinson's soul, planting a irrepressible terror that would never be erased.
The panicked Psigate operators began slapping buttons and switches, quickly initiating the warp.. The Psigate's apparatus began to glow with light, and Kinson shifted uncomfortably as his body tingled. The shadowy monster continued to slaughter the crowd outside the building, and the massacre escalated to hundreds in mere seconds. Having finished off most of the humans outside, it once again peered within the building. Then, it raised an arm.
Shadows seemed to coalesce in its palm, forming a sphere darker than starless space. It pushed it forward, and a massive explosion of shadows streaked forward, clashing against the previously impenetrable glass. The windows immediately shattered, followed with half the building itself. Dust and glass fragments filled their air, and shrapnel shredded those closest to the incursion. As the building began to crumble, the previously frozen crowd rushed towards the teleportation platforms in a blind panic, stampeding many of their own in the mad rush. Armed guards opened fire on the shadowy figure, but had no effect on the monstrosity. Even the newly discovered psi weapons didn't phase it. The psionically enhanced bullets seemingly disappeared the instant they made contact with it. The monster's red eyes seemed… delighted? In a mass of shadow, the creature entered the building and commenced a slaughter as bloody as before. As the dark tendrils slid towards the platform, the Psigate finally activated, and everything turned white.
As Kinson disappeared, his gaze fell upon the final fear ridden moments of a planet doomed to destruction.
He awoke from the darkness with a scream. In a blind panic, his arms flailed about and smacked into the stiff bed frame beneath him. Pain shot through his wrists as a brutal crack echoed throughout the room. The pain brought him out of the past, and he calmed himself. Hopefully, nobody heard that…
"Hey, what's going on down there?" A sleepy Trevor crushed his hopes. Kinson ducked his head sheepishly.
He rubbed his aching hands and wondered how to reply. It wasn't like he could just admit he had a nightmare. That was too childish!
"Uh… nothing much, just got a little startled when I woke up," he stammered.
"Huh. Be quiet, some of us are trying to sleep. Now, if there's nothing else, I'm going to do just that. " Trevor rolled over, true to his words. Within seconds, his breathing turned deep and even.
Kinson shook his head. If only it would be that easy. He turned on his phone, and inwardly groaned.. 2am. Kinson laid back down, resting his head on his thin pillow. No matter how much he tossed and turned throughout the following hours, he was unable to fall back asleep.