On the galaxy's edge.

CHAPTER 1

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. And the frozen bodies of rebels that drifted endlessly in space had proven otherwise, their screams were frozen in time. 042907DS’s breath fogged up the window from his sleeping bunk. He stared down, not remembering were he was, or who he was. His pale blue face shone reflectively from the ribbons of plasma hovering above him. He looked up, outside of the cell stood a guard. He went back to staring out the window. Beyond the rebels was his home planet. Planith, plants thrived abundantly, like a shade of purple with a pinkish gloss. Splendid buildings struck the epic landscape, like golden scimitars that shone proudly when the early morning sun penetrated the mountains. But it was a guise… dreamt up by the sovereign. Wait! The sovereign, who was he? He can’t remember anything, his mind was blank. But why? He felt like he was born yesterday, he doesn’t even know his own name. He just has a bar code strapped to his suit: 042907DS. He sat down on his bed, he could feel the pulsing from the large engines vibrate through his bones. Until he couldn’t stand it anymore, he stood up and asked the guard “what’s my name?”

Silence. The guard was standing, almost frozen. No expression was read on his pupil-less face. He frowned and walked around his cell. Then something snapped in his mind, like puzzle pieces clicking together. He knew his name, it was J’hadeÈ. Mortar troop 042907DS, of the seventh unit ‘backbreaker’. And… how did he know this? His mind took dips into sanity, and came out lost. Was he born yesterday? No, he had memories. Memories of himself going into the room, with the machine… His mind wasn’t his own! He could feel himself losing more of himself to the insanity possessing him. That’s why when he saw a soldier appear in a pixilation like crackling lightning, he couldn’t resit when he led him away.

He woke up, strapped to an examining chair. He has little time to process what he is seeing, this is one of the rare times when his mind wasn’t controlled. He knows everything about himself, he knows about the sovereign. The room was bare, guards stood at the entrance. Warm light filtered through the wall, leaving a calming appearance

“Good morning 042907DS”, J’hadeÈ winced when he recognized the voice.

“It’s never morning in space”, J’hadeÈ said.

“Point taken”, responded the voice. It was stern, but sounded like an effort to friendship. But J'hadeÈ coudn't exchange niceties, he was talking to the Sovereign.

“But that’s not what I came to say to you”.

“What do you want with me?” J’hadeÈ asked, no response.

“Show your face, coward”. J’hadeÈ spat, an ill grunt followed.

“I’m the coward?” The voice responded. “042907DS, your the one who — ”

“That’s not my name!” He strained at the straps locking him to the chair “it’s J’hadeÈ”.

“Not for long” countered the voice, “The machine will take care of that”.

His eyes shattered, that word: 'The Machine'.

“You won’t win”, he wheezed. His mind began spinning, the rhythmic ticking of the machine echoed in his head. Living in his nightmares, from his pores cold sweat trickled down his face, and his short grey horns ached. The Sovereign was taunting him. Guards entered the room, and began dragging J’hadeÈ away.

The Sovereign bent down, and whispered in his ear, “Even if I don’t win... You’ll be too lost for saving”. J’hadeÈ fell unconscious. I’m 042907DS, I serve the sovereign. I am his humble servant. I must go through the machine... I must go through the machine...

He awoke, and screamed at the top of his lungs. If nobody can hear a scream from space, they would have been proven wrong. It wasn’t a scream of terror, or pain. It was a scream for help, hopless hope. J’hadeÈ was standing paralyzed, completely controlled by the sovereign. The soldiers next to him didn’t respond to the scream, just stood there, a mind controlled zombie. Who was he know? A commander? What rank did the sovereign make him? He needed to stop him, with a stronger rebellion than the ill-fated ones left on Planith. Frozen in space, reminders of the sovereign’s dominance. If only he didn't... wait, does he even remember what he did? does he remember anyone? J’hadeÈ could tell the machine’s power was waring off, otherwise he couldn’t think for himself. Then he noticed that he wasn’t on the ship he was previously on, that was a class II Quasar. He took a deep breath, the air smelled tight and strong. J’hadeÈ looked at the hanger he was in. He tried moving, but his body didn’t respond. All he could do was speak, which isn’t useful when you’re in the ranks of a zombie army. Then his hearing returned, and it was loud!

Wailing sirens sounded overhead, and heavy metal screached, the hanger door opened. Slowly the metal clanged, and it soon revealed a heavenly planet. From space it looked like a world teaming with life, from greenery extending to darker brown, then all wrapped up in an ocean. Was the sovereign extending his reach to other systems? An ear-splitting headache pierced his mind, he would collapse if he could, it was the sovereign’s voice traveling through the minds of the soldiers. Like screeching agony, the sovereign spoke through all of them. “BEHOLD!” All the troops said at union, their faces showed no emotion. “THE PEOPLE OF THIS PLANET WILL BE UNITED UNDER THE GREAT SOVEREIGN!” J’hadeÈ felt sick to his stomach. But he spoke with as much vigor as the other troops. What planet did we conquer? Who does the sovereign control? He answered himself, “BEHOLD! THE GREAT PEOPLE OF EARTH! THEY ARE ALL MY NEW SERVANTS! The words echoed in the hangar, all of the troops began cheering, even J'hadeÈ. He strained to move, but he could feel the slightest numbness from his feet. He needs to warn earth, but how? The sovereign had his icy grip on him. The machine’s effects don’t last on him, he needs to wait. In the mean time, he is the only one who can defeat the sovereign, the only hope for the galaxy… "ALL HAIL THE SOVEREIGN!"