The Ocoda Chronicles Book 1 Paladin Read online

  Jackson smiling says, "Welcome Doctor Chan. It's my honor to escort you to the patient."

  Qui Shi hesitantly replies, "Thank you Colonel Jackson. I am honored by your assistance." Qui Shi warily turns her head downward as she tries her best to hide her curiosity in Colonel Jackson.

  Qui Shi was raised with a strict traditional family upbringing. For her to show interest in a western man would be looked upon poorly by her family. However, she has often followed her own heart, more than her family's wishes. The two walk from the landing field to a limousine, which then drives them directly to the base hospital, after several security checkpoints Jackson brings Doctor Qui Shi into Caleb's room. Val and three Doctors are in the room waiting.

  Val is aggravated, and asks, "Are you going to help him, or just stick more needles in him?"

  Dr. Qui Shi confused, answers, "I am sorry, I doubt I can make much of a difference in his present condition. I'm only here as an agent of my government to see if there is anything of concern, but after my examination I may hopefully have some ideas that might be helpful."

  Jackson says, "This is Commander Ocoda's brother-in-law, Valentine Arao. He has been with him since that blue thing appeared. Val this is Doctor Qui Shi Chan."

  Doctor Qui Shi asks, "I see, and he hasn't been affected like the Commander?"

  Val, still annoyed, answers, "No Dr. Qui Shi I'm fine, but feel free to stick your needles in me too, I’m sure there's a vein in me somewhere with an ounce of blood left in it."

  Dr. Qui Shi smiles, and says, "No thank you Mr. Arao. I think I will focus on your brother-in-law."

  For several hours, Doctor Qui Shi examines Caleb, going over every bit of information. She stays with Caleb as she waits for the results.

  Colonel Jackson shows up with coffee, and makes small talk with the Doctor.

  Jackson curious, asks, "Well Doctor Qui Shi, is there anything you have found that our Doctors haven't?"

  Qui Shi replies, "Yes Colonel. It seems your Doctors are very thorough, but I strongly disagree with their findings about the genetic changes. I believe that they are not harming him." She pauses, as she pulls out a holochart, "They're actually keeping him alive. It appears that these silica, which have attached to his D.N.A. sequences are missing something. I was able to pick up some minor radiation from the Commander, but these levels are extremely low. Specifically, since you first examined him days ago, it is so low that I am barely registering it now. However, according to your readings when he was first examined those readings were off the chart. It is like he is missing a part of himself."

  Colonel Jackson's holophone begins ringing. He immediately answers, "Go ahead." He listens for a few moments, and reluctantly says, "I'm not sure that he can be moved at this time sir."

  Jackson listens diligently. Obviously angry, he answers the voice back on the phone, "Yes, sir." He hangs his phone up, and unenthusiastically says, “Make the Commander ready for immediate transport." He looks at Caleb, and says under his breath, "I'm sorry Caleb."

  Dr. Qui Shi, surprised says, "Moving him will kill him Colonel."

  The other Doctors all agree.

  Jackson shakes his head, and replies, "It's out of my hands. They’re coming to get him and it doesn’t matter if he’s alive, or dead. They want him back in Washington."

  Val, listening to Jackson slowly moves behind one of the Marine guards. He quickly grabs his service revolver screaming, "Back away from Caleb now! You're not going to take him anywhere!"

  Jackson quickly jumps up between the soldiers and Val, saying, "Calm down Val. Put the gun down.” Damn it Val. Don't do this. I was just starting to like you.

  Just then, an explosive loud roar erupts just outside the base hospital. The wind begins to blow at increasing velocity, just as it did on the pier at Battleship Cove. Men and women on the base are blown around, by the extreme winds.

  Val is so disoriented by the noise he lowers his gun. Jackson quickly takes advantage of the distraction and grabs the weapon from Val. The noise becomes louder and louder. The hospital windows begin to pulsate. Then Caleb starts to convulse and regains consciousness. He instantaneously rips free from the restraints as if they were nothing. He grabs the breathing and feeding tubes and yanks them out in a single motion.

  The Doctors and guards try to stop him, but Caleb pushes them against the wall like rag dolls. His strength is a surprise to everyone, including him. Jackson cautiously points his weapon at Caleb, saying, "Caleb, stand down now, I don't want to put a bullet in you but I will."

  Caleb replies, "You do that, and I'll just get pissed off at you Jackson, and right now I'm the only hope this planet has." I'm finally starting to understand.

  Jackson confused looks over at Doctor Qui Shi. She is looking at the readings on her medical scanner, and calls out to Jackson. "The radiation, it has returned. Just as strong as it was before."

  Caleb looks to the Doctor, smiles and then jumps up, and out of the bed. The Marines charge the room, with assault rifles all trained on Caleb. The entire building begins to shudder violently. Then in the moment of a single heartbeat, the glass shatters behind Caleb sending the glass shards all over the room. Everyone instantly shields themselves from the debris.

  Caleb looks at the people in the room, smiles, and says, "I now know what is happening. I'm here to help Colonel Jackson. Trust me Colonel, let me help."

  With that, Caleb jumps from the window. He leaps across the air, some 50 yards in a single motion. He disappears into a bright white light, which appeared out of thin air. Then the noise becomes louder. The wind blows at hurricane force, and then moments later it is gone, as if it was never there. Jackson stands at the shattered window in total disbelief. His phone rings as he looks into the night sky, as does everyone else in the room.

  Commander White, then charges into the room, and yells, "Colonel! What happened? Where is Commander Ocoda?"

  Jackson is still in disbelief. He just points out the window and says, "He went out for a walk."

  PALADIN

  CHAPTER TWO

  PALADIN

  Where am I? I feel odd. I feel reenergized, and I feel like.. . I can’t explain it. What is going on with me?

  Caleb has jumped onto the floor of a cold metallic corridor. He is on a ship, and can hear the hum of energy moving through the floors and walls. Caleb stands up calling out he yells, "Hello!"

  Immediately a calm soft-spoken voice speaks out of the intercom system, "Hello Master Caleb, I am Paladin."

  Caleb shocked, asks, "Paladin? That’s a very familiar name to me. So you’re the voice that voice that’s been in my head for the past week, making me say things, putting thoughts in my head?"

  Paladin humbly responds, "No master, I cannot make you do anything."

  Caleb confused, continues, "You know Paladin, you kept telling me all kinds of things, but to be honest, I’m not really sure I understand it all."

  Paladin responds, "It will take just a little longer for our minds to completely meld master. The symbiotic relationship has never been attempted on a race as primitive as yours."

  "X’enas?” Caleb confused, asks, "Yeah, that’s what you are? Right, an X’ena?"

  Paladin responds, "No, not exactly master. I was partially created by a rogue group of X’ena scientists. They desired was to stop the T-Challa from using your world to dominate the rest of the galaxy. I was originally designated X’ena one hundred and fifty-two. A probe designed to meld with one of your race and then find any means possible to use my power to save your planet, but in a peaceful way. This was my original program, by my original creator, an X’ena scientist called Bach."

  Caleb replies, "Yeah, I can remember that. I can remember things about him, but they’re not my memories, they’re yours."

  Paladin responds, "We share our mind’s master, but you are the dominant mind, even though I may possess more knowledge. I was created to serve."

  Caleb, slightly overwhelmed by everything replies, "Ok, enough with the
master crap. Please call me Cale, or Caleb."

  "Yes, Caleb.” Paladin respectfully responds.

  Caleb overwhelmed continues, "Why the name Paladin, and what did you do with the USS Massachusetts?"

  Paladin responds, "When I entered your mind for the first time I learned of your people’s religions, and of this holy warrior. The one you called the Paladin, and your connection to that name. I felt it fit with what I wished to be as a part of you, and to this world."

  Caleb listens intently as he tries to absorb all Paladin says. Paladin continues, "Because of my race’s pacifist nature, I took it as my name, and as for the USS Massachusetts. You’re on it, albeit changed into me."

  "Changed?" Caleb perplexed, asks, "What do you mean, changed?"

  Paladin replies, "This vessels dimensions were almost exact match to what I had enough power to convert into a weapon, a weapon to help save your planet."

  Caleb confused, asks, "Converted? Converted into what?” This is too much to understand. I’m asking questions, yet I know the answers.

  Paladin responds, "Into me, this warship. My original creator Bach knew I would need to be used for violence. It is why he discontinued building me. Thankfully, a few scientists under the guidance of a rogue X’ena scientist called Enoch decided that they had no choice. They continued my construction in secret, and ultimately completed me. Enoch was later punished for doing so, and was expelled from X’enablanca. When he left the planet, he released me to complete my mission."

  Caleb, slightly overwhelmed, asks, "Why did you choose me Paladin?"

  Paladin calmly replies, "The melding of our minds has been slower than expected. It will become faster as we are now together. These questions you have, they will be basic knowledge to you."

  Caleb becomes frustrated, and asks again, "Why did you choose me Paladin?"

  Paladin replies, "Caleb, you were about to die when I first saw you. I protected you over the city of Boston, but when I sought you out again, you were trying to end your life. I had no choice but to meld with you, or let you die."

  Caleb now angry asks again, "Why save me? Why not save my family instead?"

  Paladin sincerely, replies, "I was created to find a warrior of great skill, whose heart was true. You fit those requirements, as for your family. I cannot change the past. I cannot bring back the dead, and to be as clear as possible. I didn’t understand the pain of losing someone, not until I merged with you."

  Caleb begins hearing an echo in his head, of their conversation. He says, "I’m hearing us speak in my head."

  Paladin replies, but telepathically, "Our symbiotic connection is happening faster now that we are together. We are sharing our minds and our thoughts. We will now become one."

  Caleb starts to feel groggy and weak, saying, "You’re . . . alive. You’re not just a machine. You’re a living machine and you’re sentient.”

  Paladin replies, "Yes Caleb, I am part of you, and you are part of me. We cannot live without each other."

  Caleb surprised, says, "There’s more. I can do things, incredible things. I can feel the power of this ship inside me, but you’re hiding something? I can feel that too."

  Paladin reluctantly, replies, "Yes Caleb. I was trying to protect you from some of the negative effects of our melding."

  Caleb starts looking deeper, saying aloud, "So I will feel the pain from this ship when it is damaged. Whatever damage befalls the ship befalls me.”

  Caleb, seeing more states, “I can heal people from injury.” He pauses noticing, “My healing is limited off the ship, but on the ship I have no limits. Wait, there’s more, my life? It is very short. . . I will die soon?"

  "Yes, Caleb.” Paladin reluctantly, replies, "X’ena’s, live for some ten thousand of your years. However, by melding with you I had to sacrifice ninety percent of my life force energy, so I will die with you, if that is any consolation to you."

  Caleb sighs, feeling defeated, he asks, "So, just how long will we live for?"

  Paladin replies, "We will live eight hundred, to one thousand of your years, that is if we are not destroyed by the T-Challa first."

  Caleb, chuckling, suddenly realizes something. Wow, eight hundred years, that’s . . ."Wait!" Caleb is shocked as he sees yet another part of his curse. He says, "I can’t leave this ship."

  Paladin replies, "Not for more than a few hours. Any longer, and we will both die."

  Caleb thinks to himself, I’m a prisoner on this ship for the rest of my life. A very long life. Caleb becomes depressed at this latest news.

  Paladin responds, "Caleb, I am sorry, but it must be this way. We are part of each other. You cannot live without your heart any more than I could live without mine. We are a part of each other."

  Caleb, lost in thought begins walking through the ship. He heads towards the Bridge. As he walks, he continues getting random thoughts and images in his head. Realizing they are not all his, he begins to understand more about his situation.

  Caleb asks telepathically, "Paladin, you can hear my thoughts, as I hear yours?"

  Paladin replies, "Yes Caleb, I can also feel what you feel. Your pain is part of me. Your children and your wife are now part of me, I feel their loss as you do, and it’s something I have never experienced before."

  Paladin continues, "When I first entered your body those painful emotions were so strong, so all consuming. It caused me to act out. This is why when we finally met in person our melding was so difficult, and so painful."

  Caleb pauses briefly, thinking about his long life again. Focusing his thoughts on how he will spend it alone without his children or Emily. He once again starts to think of her, the image of her appears to him in his mind just as it did in the hospital waiting room. He is startled when he hears her voice, and laughter echoing through the entire ship. What the hell! Angry, Caleb yells, "Paladin! That’s not right! You shouldn’t be doing that!"

  Paladin somberly, replies, "I didn’t do that. You did. We are the same. You can control every part of this ship as if it was part of your own body. Unfortunately, your mind isn’t strong enough to control every part of me. Not yet anyways, and certainly not at the same time, you will need help."

  Caleb shakes his head, thinking to himself. This is beyond crazy.

  Caleb continues to walk through the ship, eventually entering onto the Bridge. A massive room filled with multiple seats, devices, and control panels. They encircle the command and control center or C.i.C for short. Straight ahead is a very large open view portal. The view clearly shows the base below, a great distance from Paladin. Caleb, slowly walks closer to the view portal, touching it he feels energy. Amazing, I wonder what this is.

  Paladin, hearing Caleb's thoughts replies, "Its plasma. A clear energy field and it is as strong as the hull."

  Caleb surprised at Paladin’s response, smiles thinking. My thoughts are no longer my own.

  Caleb notices a diagram of the Paladin Battleship imaged on a holoscreen. He questions, "We’re cloaked? No one can see us by any means, but this is what you look like?" A three-dimensional image floats before Caleb. It is a detailed image of the amazing battleship called Paladin.

  Caleb pauses, studying the design of Paladin. He asks, "You’re similar to the Battleships of Earth, but undeniably different too, much sleeker. Caleb, curious, asks, “Those cannons don’t fire shells do they?"

  Paladin replies, "No. They fire highly explosive plasma energy charges. The three main turrets, each with three individual cannons can fire extremely powerful charges over great distances, much further than any T-Challa ship, and as for our cloak. Nothing can see us, except similar X’ena technology."

  Caleb focusing on his thoughts says, "Hmmm, yes, I can feel all the weapons. I can feel other things as well. We have three support fighters. They are in the hull of this ship. They have multiple attaching pods, a transport pod, which is capable of carrying some two hundred people, a basic cargo pod, and a combat boarding pod. This pod is specially designed to penetrate a ship�
�s hull. It allows assault team’s access to enemy ships, impressive. We also have dozens of spacial torpedo launchers throughout the ship. I can feel everything. I’m starting to understand a little better." Caleb pauses as he tries to absorb everything, stating, "This is amazing, and we have a very complex defensive shield system. It’s extremely powerful."

  Paladin replies, "When the shield is up, you will not feel the pain from the impact of our enemy’s weapons, only the damage upon the hull of the ship. All this information is part of you Caleb, but it will take you time to understand it all."

  For several hours, Caleb walks the ship, learning all he can about Paladin’s many systems. As well as all the ships multiple functions. Their mind’s meld as each learns about the other.

  Caleb staggered by it all states, "Paladin, with all this information I feel so overwhelmed. I can’t tell where you end and I begin, so much information, so much power. I feel like I am going to explode."

  Paladin responds, "Like a drop of rain in a pond, it ripples through the water, affecting it, changing it, but eventually, it becomes part of it."

  Caleb, smiling, asks, "So I’m the raindrop, and you’re the pond?"

  Paladin responds, "Yes, Caleb, but in this depiction, it is I that must meld with you, as you are the master and I am your servant."

  Caleb surprised, and annoyed, states, "I am no one’s master Paladin. I will not be your master, but I will accept being your friend. Can we do this as friends?"

  Paladin impressed, responds, "I would not have understood what you meant Caleb. Not before merging with you, but after learning about the person that you are I think that I may be the raindrop and that you may be the pond. Yes Caleb, I would very much like to be your friend."

  Four additional hours pass. It is morning now, and only fifteen days until the T-Challa’s deadline.

  Caleb has spent the past hours learning as much information as he can. Overwhelmed, he looks down at the base below thinking about the people down there. I can spend days trying to learn all about what I am, and what I can do, but we don’t have time for that. I have to start taking responsibility for what I need to do. Caleb pauses, as he considers his options. Just how crazy is this going to sound. Hello Madam President, I’m the guy you think is responsible for … oh the hell with it.