Aphehein – Alpha Centauri
Aphehein was once one of the most prosperous planets at the epicenter of the Empire. Its mild temperature, stable atmosphere, and strategic location made it one of the first planets colonized after humanity's initial expansion. With a population of 12 billion, it was at the peak of what one could expect from an average planet.
But now, Aphehein lay in ruins.
Yank emerged from the portal onto a plain that resembled a desert of coal, marked by charred shadows and an unnatural silence. It was as if the planet itself had been burned and then abandoned.
"Cerberus, stay close," he murmured, his deep voice cutting through the silence. "It's too quiet."
Cerberus, the immense wolf accompanying Yank, responded with a low growl. His ears perked up as he began sniffing the air, already on alert for potential threats.
"Camouflage yourself. Let me know if you sense anything coming."
With an almost magical movement, the wolf vanished into the landscape, his fur changing color to blend with the environment. Yank took a deep breath. There was something in the air—a smell he couldn't quite identify but one that stirred memories of the worst battles of his life.
He wasted no time. Touching his special ring, he summoned the Mark 5000, a .50-caliber submachine gun with dual barrels and a tripod capable of anchoring to any terrain. The ring glowed, and the weapon materialized before him. Even with only one arm, Yank worked with superhuman efficiency, assembling the firing turret in a matter of minutes.
"Work for me, girl," he muttered as the gun came to life with a mechanical hum. "Let's take some bastards down."
A distant howl echoed across the plain, and the tension in the air thickened.
From the north came the sound of rhythmic clicks, like incessant teeth chattering. It was a sound Yank knew well but could never grow used to.
"So, it's Tyranos. Damn devourers."
The creature appeared on the horizon. It was enormous, at least four meters tall. Its skin was a grotesque fusion of rotting flesh and scar tissue, adorned with human intestines and organs like grotesque trophies. Lifeless eyes dangled from its torso, while its distended abdomen clearly housed the remains of its victims.
Yank's stomach turned, but he stayed focused.
"Cerberus, now!"
With a silent leap, the wolf reappeared behind the creature. His claws, sharp as blades, tore through the tendons of the entity's legs, causing it to collapse with a heavy thud. Even fallen, the beast remained grotesque, dragging itself forward with its arms as a guttural scream erupted from its deformed throat.
Yank moved in. From his belt, he drew a chainsword designed to cut through even the toughest materials. With a firm strike, he drove the blade into the creature's neck.
The flesh was as tough as metal, and the saw screeched as it cut, but with immense strength, Yank managed to decapitate the creature. The stench of rotting flesh and bile filled the air, and he stepped back, vomiting as he wiped the blade clean.
"Damn monsters," he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Cerberus, we need to move. Time is against us."
Yank knew the Tyranos were dangerous enough on their own, but as they evolved, they regained senses that made them even deadlier. A fully developed Tyrano, with vision, hearing, and smell, could devastate an entire planet.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, giving way to a long night, the sound of gunfire filled the air. It was the Mark 5000, detecting more movement.
Yank crawled to the top of a nearby hill to get a better look. What he saw in the ravine below was even more grotesque than the devourer.
A massive basin of flesh, blood, and bones formed what looked like a horrific cauldron. Mutilated bodies floated inside, some still bearing expressions of terror.
"Titayaraus..." Yank whispered.
The Titayaraus was one of the largest creatures known to the Federation, used by the Tyranos as a means of transporting their royalty. The monstrosity leaned its misshapen mouth over the cauldron, sucking up its contents with a nauseating sound.
Yank knew he couldn't waste time. He located his target about a kilometer away and began moving quickly.
From the top of a dark hill, Yank observed the devastation ahead. The fortress was surrounded by dozens of Tyranos, moving like a grotesque tide around its walls. Creatures of varying sizes and shapes, all equally deformed and threatening, swarmed the plain.
At the center of the siege stood a Tyrano General. Perched on a giant throne carried by colossal beasts, the General was a chilling sight. His slender, elongated body moved in a serpentine fashion, and his eyes gleamed with cruel intelligence. In his hands was a grotesque goblet fashioned from a hollowed human head, filled with fresh blood.
"You still resist?" the General bellowed, his voice reverberating like a warped thunderclap. "Surrender, and I promise your deaths will be swift. We are hungry, and your bodies will be devoured whole!"
Yank, deeply surprised, took a long breath, staying hidden. He knew his presence couldn't be detected—not until he reached his objective.
"Cerberus," he whispered to the wolf beside him. "We'll carve a path. No one can see us."
Cerberus growled softly, his ears twitching. He understood the command.
The two descended the hill slowly, cloaked in shadows. The darkness and Cerberus's natural camouflage were their greatest allies. Every step was calculated; every sound avoided.
The first target was alone—a smaller Tyrano patrolling the perimeter. The creature was nauseating in appearance, with long, spindly arms that nearly dragged on the ground and a waxy, melted-looking skin.
Cerberus approached silently, like a predator. With a precise leap, he sank his fangs into the monster's throat. There was no sound beyond a muffled gurgle as the Tyrano collapsed, lifeless. Yank quickly moved in, dragging the body into the shadows before it could be noticed.
"One down," he muttered.
After half an hour of stealth and lethal precision, Yank finally reached the area near the hatch. He knew exactly what to look for: the Koramia Gigas, an extremely rare tree used exclusively by the Astras to camouflage strategic locations.
To most, the Koramia Gigas appeared to be just another dead tree. Its dry, gnarled appearance drew no attention. But to the Astras, it was a symbol—a subtle marker indicating that something important lay hidden beneath.
Among the bodies and ruins, Yank spotted it standing solitary amidst the desolation, its twisted roots buried in the scorched earth.
He approached quickly, examining the base of the tree.
"Koramia Gigas," he murmured, touching the rough bark. "You never fail."
With a pull of his superhuman strength, he uprooted the dead tree, revealing a metallic hatch beneath.
"Cerberus, we found it."
The wolf moved closer, staying alert for any danger. Yank opened the hatch, and together, they disappeared into the underground, leaving the battlefield behind.
Before opening the hatch, Yank cast one last glance at the battlefield. The General remained at the center of the siege, his skeletal arms gesturing wildly as he shouted threats.
"They have no idea," Yank murmured, a faint smile forming on his lips.
He turned the hatch's lock and pulled it open. The entrance gave a soft hiss.
"Let's go, Cerberus. We've still got work to do."
The wolf descended first, and Yank followed close behind, shutting the hatch behind them. The fallen Koramia Gigas tree beside the entrance remained as a silent symbol that an Astra had passed through this place.
Inside the dimly lit corridor, Yank and Cerberus could hear distant commotion. It was clear the battle for the fortress was still raging, but Yank ignored the noise, heading in the opposite direction.
"We can come back later, Cerberus. If we don't find what we're looking for, we'll return to help."
A few minutes later, they arrived at the designated laboratory in Quadrant 32. The area was in ruins, with signs of vandalism, shattered glass, and destroyed equipment. The glass room at the center was empty, but the unnerving energy lingering in the space kept Yank on edge.
"Where is it?" he murmured, scanning the room with sharp eyes.
Then he noticed a figure lying on the ground, almost motionless. He approached cautiously and heard a faint cry:
"Help..."
The woman was lying on her side, her eyes half-closed and her breathing weak. Yank knelt beside her, assessing her injuries.
"Are you alright?"
She moved slightly, her voice coming out as a whisper. "Astra...?"
"Yank, Astra Class 2-B, at your service. Can you tell me the whereabouts of the Bhaskara stone?"
The woman let out a bitter laugh that quickly turned into a groan of pain.
"You've come for the spoils. How ironic... too late."
Yank pulled a small vial from his backpack and poured the liquid into her mouth. "Drink this. It'll help."
She swallowed with difficulty, but within seconds, her breathing stabilized. Her skin regained some color, and she looked at him with disbelief.
"Never thought I'd see an Astra save someone irrelevant. You must be from some backwater planet."
Yank raised an eyebrow. "No human is irrelevant. My mission is the Bhaskara. But if it's not here, I must fulfill another purpose. Can you stand?"
The woman, now stronger, nodded slowly.
"Karin. My name is Karin."
"Understood. We need to get out of here. This place isn't safe."
As Karin followed the Astra, who still seemed to be searching for something in the corridors, she reflected on what needed to be done. It was madness, but if all was lost, they could flee to another planet, even one considered peripheral and irrelevant. Humanity had to prevail.
Karin pointed toward a distant room. "Wait. Before we leave, I need to grab something important. Help me."
She led Yank to a locked room. The digital panel blinked, but Karin quickly entered a code, muttering words of disdain under her breath.
"That bastard tried to steal this from me, but he didn't succeed. The code's new, so screw him."
The door opened with a soft click, revealing an untouched interior. At the center of the room were two gleaming capsules. One contained a vial marked 0-SSS, and the other held a black, opaque egg with the marking 0-S.
"What's that?" Yank asked.
Karin carefully retrieved the items, cradling them as if they were priceless treasures.
"This is why we were attacked. The vial contains the DNA of the precursor Astra. The egg was combined with the DNA of the strongest creature ever recorded. Together, they could create an unparalleled defender—or a deadly weapon. It was our last hope. But who would've thought there was a traitor among us?"
Before they could continue, footsteps echoed down the corridor. The door suddenly opened, revealing a tall man holding a briefcase and a gun.
"Karin. You hurt my feelings talking about me like that. Did you really think I wouldn't know? Now, hand over the briefcase and the egg."