Kalxor smiles, baring his teeth. They have brought him back to his origin, a savage predator looking for his mate. Fighting the hunters to get the woman he loves.
“I was designed to do two things. Number one. Fuck. Number two. Kill anything that stands in my way,” he growls. “I’ll let you choose the option you see fit.”
The officer yanks on his radio comms device, hands shaking. “Ground to Earth Federation. We need backup,” he says.
But the radio isn’t responsive. There is a peculiar frequency running through it, and it sounds like a thousand voices speaking at once.
“We need backup,” he says again, more frantic and wild this time. “Please!”
“Your pity party is over,” Kalxor grunts. “And now, all of you are going to die.”
Defeated, the man falls to his knees, shivering, and crying.
And then he wets himself.
“Please,” he begs. “I, I, I’ll leave the force. I’ll make a better life. I’ll do better.”
He waves his hand, and their rifles bend upward, barrels facing their own skulls. “You are incapable of doing better,” Kalxor roars.
Again, the officer hits his radio, begging anyone, anything for help. And this time, there’s a response.
“Ava?” The voice asks. “Are you there?”
It’s muffled, and the frequencies dart in and out, but I can hear him. It’s my father, Gerard Lancaster. He’s still alive!
“Dad,” I whisper. “Is it… really you?”
The frequency shifts back and forth, many voices speaking, until it solidifies into one unified voice.
“Ava. I’m here,” he says. “Don’t worry.”
“What’s going on, daddy?” I ask. “I know you. You must have planned this. How does this all end?”
I hear his soft chuckle, and I immediately picture him winking. I miss him more than anything in the world. He wasn’t a terrible guy. He just knew what had to be done.
“You want to know how this ends?” he asks. “With a sunset. A kiss. And two souls coming together as one.”
I suck in my lower lip and weep with joy. “Daddy...”
“But first,” he continues, “it’s time for some fireworks.”
The soldiers gather like a scared pack of wolves. They all fall to the floor, and I scurry away, running into Kalxor’s chest.
My dad continues to speak. “Three…”
“Don’t do it,” the officer says.
“Sir,” another soldier coughs. “Sir, where is back up?”
My father chuckles. “Two…”
“If you do this, the entire Federation will take you down. They’ll kill your entire family for this,” the officer bellows.
The countdown does not end until it ends.
“One...”
Boom.