SOLDIER OF THE EMPIRE
Conner and Elise extracted their weapons from the locker in the Prison Ship’s cargo bay, and rushed back up to the main corridor to confront this new prisoner.
When they reached the corridor they found him standing over Mach.
The prisoner had his right hand on Mach’s head who was kneeling with his arms stretched out and frozen in front of him.
The lights in his eyes were dull.
A strange silvery fluid, like mercury in a thermometer, was flowing over the robot's head and up the prisoner's arm.
Conner and Elise edged nearer and the convict turned to them.
It was a man, with a strong, stubble covered, jaw line and piercing green eyes. He looked to be about thirty years old.
Conner was confused to see that the man was wearing the outfit of a Roman Centurion.
He had plate armour and a frayed red cloak fell from his shoulders. The silvery fluid was running all over his body, and even coming out of his skin, like sweat.
The man let Mach go and the robot fell backwards, completely immobile.
The cell that had been surrounding the man was gone. A puddle of liquid at his feet was eating away at it.
The man stepped forward towards them and the liquid moved onto his body and was absorbed into his skin.
“I have been away so long, what year is it?” the man asked.
Conner and Elise didn’t answer they were too taken aback by what they had just seen.
“Children,” the man said sternly, and they snapped out of their shock. “What year is it?”
“2014,” Elise said.
“Two thousand and fourteen years?” the man said, “I’ve been away almost two millennia.”
“Tell me does the Empire still stand? Does the rebublic still rule the Mediterranean?”
Conner looked at Elise.
Elise looked the man up and down, “Do you mean the Roman Empire?” she asked.
“Of course I do.” The man replied.
“The Roman Empire hasn't existed since the 6th century,” Elise said. “Fourteen centuries ago.”
The man frowned and looked around at his surroundings.
“How did it end, did the barbarians sack the city and destroy it? They did didn’t they?” he said.
“Who are you?” Elise asked.
“My name is Unum Decimus, of the 11th legion.”
“Why are you on this ship?” Conner asked.
“I should ask you that child, have these creatures conquered the human race?” he said.
“What creatures?” Conner asked.
“The so called Judges of the Universe,” the man said.
"You've met the Judges?" Conner asked.
"Yes I have, I have been their prisoner for ten centuries," he replied.
"That's impossible you can't be more than a thousand years old," Conner said.
"I am over two thousand year old," Unum replied.
"How can that be?" Elise asked.
The man held up his hand, the silvery liquid that had been flowing over him writhed between his fingers. "These are tiny machines, they inhabit my body and continually heal me, keeping me young. I received them from an alien race that abducted me from my legion in their flying chariot," he explained.
"You are a real life Centurion?" Elise asked.
"Yes, the aliens that abducted me experimented on my body, but I escaped from them and have been trying to get home to Earth ever since."
"So why did the Judges imprison you?" Conner asked.
"They feared my power and sought to contain me," the man said, and he waved his hand vaguely along with a shrug of his shoulders.
"What power?" Conner asked.
"You will soon see, when I restore the Empire to its former glory."
"I'm sorry?" Conner said.
"No doubt after two thousand years much has changed. Caesar will be long dead, barbarian hordes will have spread across the planet like a plague. I must restore the might, power and order of Rome."
"You're a prisoner of Mach's, you have to go back to jail," Conner said.
Unum scowled at them.
"Listen boy, I am a Soldier of the Empire, I am two thousands years old and have not seen my home for centuries, I have power you can't understand. You will not stand in my way, no one can," he said.
He suddenly flexed his hand and the silver liquid flowed forwards and engulfed Conner and Elise.
When they reached the corridor they found him standing over Mach.
The prisoner had his right hand on Mach’s head who was kneeling with his arms stretched out and frozen in front of him.
The lights in his eyes were dull.
A strange silvery fluid, like mercury in a thermometer, was flowing over the robot's head and up the prisoner's arm.
Conner and Elise edged nearer and the convict turned to them.
It was a man, with a strong, stubble covered, jaw line and piercing green eyes. He looked to be about thirty years old.
Conner was confused to see that the man was wearing the outfit of a Roman Centurion.
He had plate armour and a frayed red cloak fell from his shoulders. The silvery fluid was running all over his body, and even coming out of his skin, like sweat.
The man let Mach go and the robot fell backwards, completely immobile.
The cell that had been surrounding the man was gone. A puddle of liquid at his feet was eating away at it.
The man stepped forward towards them and the liquid moved onto his body and was absorbed into his skin.
“I have been away so long, what year is it?” the man asked.
Conner and Elise didn’t answer they were too taken aback by what they had just seen.
“Children,” the man said sternly, and they snapped out of their shock. “What year is it?”
“2014,” Elise said.
“Two thousand and fourteen years?” the man said, “I’ve been away almost two millennia.”
“Tell me does the Empire still stand? Does the rebublic still rule the Mediterranean?”
Conner looked at Elise.
Elise looked the man up and down, “Do you mean the Roman Empire?” she asked.
“Of course I do.” The man replied.
“The Roman Empire hasn't existed since the 6th century,” Elise said. “Fourteen centuries ago.”
The man frowned and looked around at his surroundings.
“How did it end, did the barbarians sack the city and destroy it? They did didn’t they?” he said.
“Who are you?” Elise asked.
“My name is Unum Decimus, of the 11th legion.”
“Why are you on this ship?” Conner asked.
“I should ask you that child, have these creatures conquered the human race?” he said.
“What creatures?” Conner asked.
“The so called Judges of the Universe,” the man said.
"You've met the Judges?" Conner asked.
"Yes I have, I have been their prisoner for ten centuries," he replied.
"That's impossible you can't be more than a thousand years old," Conner said.
"I am over two thousand year old," Unum replied.
"How can that be?" Elise asked.
The man held up his hand, the silvery liquid that had been flowing over him writhed between his fingers. "These are tiny machines, they inhabit my body and continually heal me, keeping me young. I received them from an alien race that abducted me from my legion in their flying chariot," he explained.
"You are a real life Centurion?" Elise asked.
"Yes, the aliens that abducted me experimented on my body, but I escaped from them and have been trying to get home to Earth ever since."
"So why did the Judges imprison you?" Conner asked.
"They feared my power and sought to contain me," the man said, and he waved his hand vaguely along with a shrug of his shoulders.
"What power?" Conner asked.
"You will soon see, when I restore the Empire to its former glory."
"I'm sorry?" Conner said.
"No doubt after two thousand years much has changed. Caesar will be long dead, barbarian hordes will have spread across the planet like a plague. I must restore the might, power and order of Rome."
"You're a prisoner of Mach's, you have to go back to jail," Conner said.
Unum scowled at them.
"Listen boy, I am a Soldier of the Empire, I am two thousands years old and have not seen my home for centuries, I have power you can't understand. You will not stand in my way, no one can," he said.
He suddenly flexed his hand and the silver liquid flowed forwards and engulfed Conner and Elise.
