《Savros》


 Chapter One: Home

    They started the morning with a rare treat; a family breakfast. His father had peeled himself away from work for two entire days and seemed determined to make the most of it. He¡¯d run into Savros¡¯ room that morning, opening the door in mid-sentence, rattling on about the emerald sands and crystal waters of Faetrell as he tossed him his trunks. His father already had the terrapod loaded for a day at the beach.


    Around the kitchen table, they ate a breakfast of local fruits and biscuits with dried meat as his mother and uncle told him funny childhood stories from when they were young. Apparently, growing up with a sibling your own age meant always having a partner in crime. And someone to blame it on when you got caught.


    After eating, they sent Savros off to gather anything he wanted to take. Running off to his room, Savros grabbed a small jar with a lid and the scanner his mother made for him. He could use it to identify plants and insects. He also grabbed a second pair of shorts. Stuffing it all into his treksac, he ran back down to the kitchen door.


    The three of them had their backs to him and discussed something quietly. He thought they looked kind of worried, but when they turned to him, they were all smiles. They took the last of the picnic supplies to the pod. He tossed his treksac in with the food and his parents¡¯ extra clothing, and the four of them climbed in.


    They spent the entire day running around in the sand. The whole beach shimmered with an emerald hue. His father had told him it was algae living in the sand that gave the shore its dazzling display of color. And the waters lived up to their name of crystal as well. Even at depths he couldn¡¯t reach, the water was so clear, he could make out individual pebbles on the seafloor. He¡¯d scanned and cataloged four new insects that he¡¯d never seen before. He also found a little flower of unknown species. At least that¡¯s what the scanner said.


    They all enjoyed the warm sunlight and the cool breeze well into the afternoon. It was rare that they were all together like this, especially when they weren¡¯t working. As the sun started getting closer to the horizon, they packed up the terrapod to head home.


    After a day like this, they were all in good spirits, but the day wasn¡¯t quite over yet. They made one more detour on the way back. His father stopped at a local trader¡¯s house and disappeared into the hut. He returned a few seconds later with a huge cheesy smile and carrying a large side of fresh meat wrapped in paper and burlap. He¡¯d given Savros a wink as he tossed the package to him to hold while they made the quick trip home.


    They arrived at the house a little before dinner time, so he and his uncle set about building a fire in the garden while his mother and father prepared the vegetables. As they sat around the fire laughing, they each took turns stirring the pot of veggies and turning the meat. Reliving the events of the day, everyone was happy and hungry. On top of having the best meal he¡¯d ever had, Savros couldn¡¯t remember the last time they had a whole day together like that.


    After they had put everything away, and while his uncle and father were dousing the fire, Savros headed up the stairs, passed his parents¡¯ room on the left, around the corner to the right, and down the hall to his own room. He pulled the small glass jar from his treksac and held it up to examine its contents. It had one small, bizarre-looking flower in it. Tomorrow, he would press it between the pages of a book and preserve it the best way he could. Strange that the scanner couldn¡¯t identify it.


    He gave the jar on his desk one more glance and tossed his treksac to the floor in the corner. It was late. He knew he should get some rest, but all the excitement was making the idea of sleep sound absurd.


    Savros let out a sigh as he fell backward, landing on his bed. He pictured different festivities they could have planned and tried to practice feigning surprise. He lay in his bed quietly and made faces of shock and astonishment as he imagined everyone jumping from behind cover to surprise him.


    He and his uncle had been planning a camping trip for several months and were ready to set out on a grand adventure through the countryside. They were heading out first thing in the morning. His uncle¡¯s birthday and his were only a few days apart, and they fell on the second week of their three-week trip. He and his uncle would return brand new men.


    That was exciting enough by itself, but for the last few days, his mother and father had been acting secretive. He kept catching them huddled up, whispering to each other, but then acting nonchalant when they noticed him¡ªwalking off whistling or smiling and asking if he was ready for his big trip.


    Then there was the sneaking out at night. He had been having trouble sleeping the last few nights, which he accounted for as the excitement of his upcoming camping trip with his uncle.


    The night before last night, sitting at his bedroom window, he saw something strange; his mother and father were sneaking out through the garden behind the house. And last night, he saw his father go out again, alone this time. He could only conclude that they were planning a surprise party for him and didn¡¯t want him to overhear them or see the preparations.


    He knew not to expect a lot. His mother and father weren¡¯t particularly wealthy, neither were they poor. When his mother was younger, she held a position at the Galactic Center of Knowledge, where she made a reputation for herself as a skilled TekDev processor. She spent her days sorting through failed tek, blueprints, and devices.


    When she found one, she felt was worth developing. She would gather all available notes and research on the topic and develop a workaround to the known issues. She created the first reliable tryptic energy detector, a small sensor. And later, she developed it into a scanner, tunable to all known energy types and sources.


    When he was younger, his father had explained that his mother¡¯s work was so important that you¡¯d have a hard time finding a ship, vessel, or transport without one of his mother¡¯s scanners in it. He¡¯d said that to this day, people came to her with ideas and half-formed plans for something, asking her advice, even occasionally offering to pay her to develop their projects into a working device. She always provided free advice but would never take a job or accept money from anyone. His mother believed the risk was too great. With tek in the wrong hands, they could turn most things into weapons. She had no desire to add to the conflict and destruction that already appears everywhere.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    On the other hand, his father would take nearly any job offered to him. But then again, that was the business his father started. He ran a delivery service. In the beginning, it was primarily running goods delivered by transport to the neighboring villages and towns. He prided himself on delivering anything to anyone on the planet by the next day.


    He¡¯d been in a few close calls, but, in the end, he¡¯d always met his deadline and maintained his pride. A few years ago, he started getting regular delivery jobs for off-world. Thanks to his father¡¯s integrity and work ethic, the business grew pretty fast, and now he was the go-to man for deliveries anywhere in the system.


    His father truly enjoyed his work, and it had provided enough for a nice living for him and his family. He could afford to live a much more lavish life, but he always said that what they had was enough. Any other profits went back into the business as his father grew and expanded it. He was in the process of purchasing a vacant station from the EdenFire Empire. They had once used it as one of their storage depots, and it¡¯s already set up to meet his needs. With that, his father would expand into the neighboring systems.


    His uncle had come from his longtime mining job to help at his father¡¯s request. In the early years of the business, he had needed help and couldn¡¯t afford to pay anyone directly. He enlisted his brother-in-law¡¯s help, and together they had weathered the storm of the first few years. For two solid years, only his uncle and father worked the business. They were up before the sun rose and usually out well after sunset. But in the end, it paid off.


    His father continually put everything extra he had back into growing his business. Now that the company had taken off, his uncle mostly ran food and dry goods to the next town over. Savros was pretty sure his uncle had met someone special to him, but he¡¯d mentioned no one, and Savros never asked.


    On the weekends, he and Savros would go hunting. His uncle had taught him how to survive on the land. As well as teaching him about typical plants and insects that appear on lots of planets. His uncle had also shown him how to identify poisonous plants by sight before he could use any tek to get the answer. He loved learning tek from his mother and occasionally taking off-world trips with his father. But he loved learning about nature and life from his uncle the most. He couldn¡¯t have asked for more. His father had even offered him a job next year, meaning in a few years, he would pilot a ship to other worlds on his own.


    He was sure that they would have a surprise party tomorrow morning, and after they ate, he and his uncle would head out on their trip. Sleep eventually started catching up to him, and his eyelids grew heavy, so he gave in and closed them. As he lay there drifting, he thought he heard a thud like a door slamming, but there was nothing else. After listening for a moment longer and only hearing silence, he didn¡¯t pay it any more attention as he drifted off to sleep.


    As Savros slept, his uncle sprinted down the hallway towards his room. His heart was racing in his chest. In the darkness, the state of his cloak wasn¡¯t apparent. Neither was the blood. He was just about at Savros¡¯ door and was going full speed when he collided with it.


    The door to his room exploded inward, waking Savros with a terrifying start. He sat bolt upright in bed as splinters of door scattered across his chest and face. A dark figure was getting to its feet just inside the entrance. He could feel a scream rushing up from the pit of his stomach, but just before it reached his lips, he heard his uncle¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Savros. Savros? Savros!¡± His uncle grabbed him and snatched him out of bed. And Savros found himself suddenly on his feet as something else hit him in the chest.


    ¡°Hurry and get dressed. Don¡¯t think, or-or-or ask questions, just get dressed as fast as you can.¡± He was sputtering in hushed tones, but the undeniable sense of urgency in his voice had Savros dressing as he was still finishing his sentence. His uncle grabbed a lump of something off the floor and turned to Savros just as he pulled on his second boot.


    ¡°Good boy, Okay, grab your treksac and your snares¡± His uncle was already heading out the door. As he disappeared around the corner, Savros couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could be happening. He grabbed his treksac and snares and headed for the door. The splinters and pieces of door crunched under his feet. He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it.


    ¡°PSST,¡± his uncle hissed, poking his head back in the doorway.


    ¡°Savros, I¡¯m sorry, but we have to go right now, let¡¯s go, lad.¡± They ran back down the hallway, the way his uncle had just come. They approached the corner, heading toward the staircase, just past his mother¡¯s room. A million questions were forming in Savros¡¯ mind. Was this part of the surprise? Why the urgency? Where were they going¡­? He never got to finish the thought.


    With his next step, something exploded through the wall with extreme force, leaving a jagged hole in the wall. Dust filled the air as debris scattered across the landing at the top of the stairs, falling through the railing on his left to the foyer below. Whatever came through the wall was in a heap, a few paces in front of him.


    He and his uncle came to a complete stop, stumbling while trying to make sense of the scene laid out before them. His mind just couldn¡¯t process it. What was happening?! Then he saw movement in two places, first to his right, a few paces in front of him. A very sinister and determined-looking man was on the other side of the new hole in the wall. Second, whatever this guy had just thrown through the wall, just moved. As the man lifted his foot to step through the hole, his eyes remained locked on whatever was on the floor.


    Savros¡¯ mind raced in a panic. Then, as the stranger¡¯s first boot hit the floor, the pile moved again. Just as it occurred to Savros, whose room was on the other side of that wall, time slowed to a near stop. As she lifted her head just enough to make eye contact with him, his mind finally made sense of the images he saw. The heap on the floor in front of him was his mother¡¯s mangled and broken body. As he stared into his mother¡¯s eyes, he could see what was happening, but he couldn¡¯t believe it. He could see the guy who had done this to his mother in his periphery, but he could not break eye contact with her. As time accelerated back to normal speed, Savros watched in horror and disbelief as the man grabbed his mother¡¯s hair, lifted her head, and cut her throat, all in one fluid motion.


    If time had stopped before, this time, all of existence shattered. Savros was alone in a void. Darkness surrounded him on all sides. He felt a tug on his arm from somewhere, but it somehow felt very far away, and he could see nothing in the darkness. He thought he could almost make out the silhouette of the man standing over his mother. And then he felt his hand lift above his head. He heard a strange sound, and there was an explosion of light. It filled every corner of the darkness until all that he could see was a brilliant white light. As the light faded, so did his consciousness. The last thing he saw before returning to darkness was his mother¡¯s face.

 Chapter Two: Coming to Terms

    Savros¡¯ eyes snapped open as he sat up in a start. Something had happened, but he couldn¡¯t quite grasp what it was. He looked around at the unfamiliar setting. Where was he? He tried to stand up, but his whole body protested, and it took much more effort to get to his feet than he was expecting. As he finally accomplished the task, his uncle came through the trees into the little clearing he found himself in.


    When he made eye contact with his uncle, everything that had happened came flooding back to him, and he vomited and sank to his knees. He couldn¡¯t believe any of this was real. It couldn¡¯t be. But as he closed his eyes, he saw his mother¡¯s bloody face. He vomited again. He didn¡¯t get to finish the next thought before another wave of nausea hit him. This had to be a bad dream. He knew it was a dream.


    His uncle lifted his body from the dirt and vomit, sat him down, and started wiping his face with a damp piece of cloth.


    ¡°Just breathe, Lad¡± his uncle wrapped an arm around Savros¡¯ as the two sat there weeping together. It was too much for Savros¡¯, and after a few minutes, he was out again.


    Savrotores gently laid his nephew¡¯s head on the ground. Last night he¡¯d failed to protect his brother-in-law from assassins and then been witness to his twin sister¡¯s murder, right in front of him and her son. He did not know how to explain any of what had happened to Savros. In fact, he really didn¡¯t know what to think himself. A few days ago, strange men had shown up in some of the towns around the area looking for a couple that sounded suspiciously like his sister and his brother-in-law. Thinking it was an amateur tek developer or a merchant looking to get goods delivered, Savrotores had gone to meet with the men.


    However, when he¡¯d come across them in town, they refused to say why they were looking for these two people or what they wanted. They declined to answer questions at all and had only made vague threats about ¡®finding them eventually.¡¯ It had made Savrotores very uneasy, and he went back to discuss the situation with his sister and his brother-in-law. Not wanting to worry Savros, they kept it a secret from him until they could figure out what these guys actually wanted.


    The night after Savrotores had tracked the men down, he¡¯d caught one of them sneaking around the garden. He¡¯d gotten the jump on him and managed to knock the intruder unconscious before he even knew what hit him. Savrotores tied the man up and interrogated him but couldn¡¯t get any information at all from him. All he would say is, ¡®The prophecy must not unfold.¡¯ Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean.


    Unsure of what else to do, and with the man fully immobilized, Savrotores had retrieved his sister and brother-in-law, so they could determine for themselves what was going on. They made their way out into the garden, but when the man saw them, he only said, ¡®The prophecy will not unfold.¡¯, and then remained silent.


    Not being the violent type and not knowing what else to do, Savrotores hauled the man, still bound, back into town and left him lying in the town square. The townspeople would undoubtedly aid the man, and if he¡¯d broken any laws in the town, they would have justice. It seemed like the safest course of action, and the three of them had agreed. It was the best way to handle it.


    But the very next evening, Savrotores caught another man sneaking around, and while he wasn¡¯t able to get the jump on him, he was able to subdue him before he got away. This time he only alerted Savros¡¯ father, and the two of them proceeded to the garden. Again, upon seeing Savros¡¯ father, the man smiled.


    ¡°So it is true, I confirm. The prophecy will not unfold¡± was all he said, and then, like the man the night before, refused to say another word. Savros¡¯ father was at a loss as he stood staring at this stranger. Nothing was familiar about him at all. Strange hair and features, strange clothes of black and green, and in that one statement from the intruder, he¡¯d heard an accent he couldn¡¯t place.


    ¡°Would you mind taking the pod and dropping this one at the same place you left the last one? Maybe the townspeople will make some sense of these crazies.¡± He said to Savrotores.


    ¡°I sure hope so because it is not making any sense at all to me.¡± With that, Savrotores tossed the man in the back of the terrapod and headed for town. Savros¡¯ father ran back to the house.


    Upon his return, the three of them had decided it best to leave the house for a day. They could all use a break anyway, and the recent events had made them all uneasy. They decided to leave for the day and focus entirely on Savros¡¯ birthday celebration. Whatever those weirdoes wanted, they could go about it the usual way, or Savrotores would just keep dumping them off in town, still tied up.


    Never in his wildest dreams did he see events playing out like this. He still had no idea who those guys were or why they attacked and killed his sister and the boy¡¯s father. He didn¡¯t know if they were after him and Savros or if their targets were only the boy¡¯s parents.


    One thing Savrotores knew, without a doubt, was that they couldn¡¯t stay here very much longer. They needed to keep moving for now. He also knew that the trail would grow cold if he left the area, and he¡¯d have a much harder time tracking these monsters down.


    Savros¡¯ safety came first, though. First, he would get the boy somewhere safe, and out of the way, then he would track these maniacs down and get some answers, not to mention vengeance for his family. He intended to make whoever was behind this pay dearly.


    It was already getting late in the day, and, with Savros resting, Savrotores decided it was a good time to round up some food for them before Savros woke up. He checked on Savros one more time and checked his scanner to ensure no large life forms were skulking nearby. On top of the new threat of the men, there was still the usual threat from predators to worry about. Nothing showed on the scanner. Savrotores walked off into the forest in search of food.


    A couple of hours later, he returned carrying two small rodents on a snare. As he entered the clearing, he saw Savros right where he left him. Savros stirred and came too as Savrotores came back into camp. He helped Savros sit up and leaned him against the large log near the fire. Savros stared blankly into it. Body slouched and hands in the sand. He didn¡¯t even notice his uncle walk up next to him. And didn¡¯t hear him ask if he was hungry. Savros was unaware of anything around him as the events of last night played through his mind on a loop. It wasn¡¯t until Savrotores dropped the two rodents in front of him that Savros partially snapped out of it. He lifted his gaze to meet his uncles. With tears in his eyes, he just sat there, unable to find the words to speak or the desire to look for them.


    His uncle placed a hand on his shoulder and stood in silence, mourning with his nephew. Savrotores once again vowed vengeance, this time on behalf of his nephew.


    One of the little rodents had regained consciousness and was about to make a break for it.


    ¡°Damn,¡± he thought to himself, ¡°can¡¯t even get a moment to¡­¡±. He put his foot over the snare lead and bent to retrieve the snare before it succeeded in its plan of exodus. There wasn¡¯t much meat on these things. He held the snare up to inspect it. They were both awake now but had seemed to have consented to their fate as they dangled helplessly next to each other.


    Rodents like these were on every living world, with a few exceptions. For the most part, knowing how to catch and prepare one here meant you could find food on nearly any world. There were exceptions like the city-planet Deatosfeer, which had less than two percent of its natural terrain. And boasted housing eleven times the recommended population for a planet of that size. And there were several planets with a majority surface of water. Any land on these had such a delicate ecosystem that you dare not disturb it. Fishing was the preferred way to get food, anyway. You got higher quality meat and usually more of it. A couple of fish would have more on them than these two pathetic specimens.


    ¡°Still, some is better than none,¡± he thought as he cut and gutted them before laying them on a rock to bleed out. He continued to busy his body and mind with activity to prevent despair from setting in. He knew he had to keep Savros safe.


    Since his uncle returned to camp, Savros hadn¡¯t moved or spoken. Other than flinching when his uncle cut the prey he¡¯d caught. Savros didn¡¯t have the actual strength left to feel startled or alarmed or even afraid. He felt nothing at all. Maybe empty. He looked over at his uncle, who was busy getting a fire going. As he looked around, he realized they were at the first place his uncle had ever taken him camping.


    He knew they were a full day¡¯s journey from home, in the wilds north of town. But he didn¡¯t remember any of the trip at all. The last thing he remembered seeing was his mother¡¯s face. But there was something else there, too. He remembered the blinding light he saw surrounding his mother¡¯s face. What was that light, and where did it come from? Come to think of it, how did we even escape at all?


    The longer Savros watched his uncle, the more questions he had. He just didn¡¯t have the strength to ask them. Finally, he laid back before hitting the ground. His head hit something soft. His treksac, and off to his left, was his cloak. Judging from the way his cloak looked, it had been lying there for a full day. Savros could make sense of nothing, a day¡¯s journey and then a day laying here asleep?! How was that possible? He laid his head back onto his treksac.


    ¡°Uncle Sav?¡± He finally asked weakly.


    ¡°Yeah, buddy.¡± His voice wasn¡¯t much more substantial.


    ¡°How long has it been since¡­¡± he trailed off, unable to finish.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three days, bud. I think we¡¯re safe for now, but we still need to be careful.¡± Savrotores came and crouched down by Savros and handed him one of their old water bags.


    ¡°And my father?¡± Somehow, Savros knew the answer before he¡¯d asked.


    Savrotores hung his head in sadness.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Savros. We¡¯ll talk after we eat, okay? We¡¯ve had a very hard few days, and we both need food and rest if we are to keep going. For now, just rest and drink some water.¡± His voice was calm and reassuring, but his eyes still bore the weight of his sadness and pain.


    Savrotores retrieved the two carcasses from the rock and ran them through with the spit. He placed them over the fire and stepped back as the hair burned off. Acrid smoke swirled past him on its way up the mountain. He thought he heard his uncle say something, but by the time he gathered the strength to speak, he¡¯d forgotten what to ask.


    A short while later, his uncle carried two tin plates over to where Savros still lay staring into the sky. Savrotores sat down next to his nephew and set Savros¡¯ plate next to him. Holding his own, he stretched out his legs and, leaning back against the log, shared in Savros¡¯ view. They watched a few clouds go by. It seemed like more may move in. It was a long time before either spoke.


    Speaking in short choppy sounds, Savros managed to say, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I know, lad. I can¡¯t make sense of it either.¡±


    Savros sat up, catching his plate and staring at it.


    ¡°But who would do something like that, and what about my father?¡± he could feel tears forming in his eyes, and his breathing was sharp and shallow.


    Savrotores took a deep breath as he finished his meal if you could call two bites of stringy meat a meal.


    ¡°I was with your father when the men appeared. At first, we only saw the one, but when we stepped out to confront him, three more appeared behind him, and as they circled around us, two more ran past us towards the house. We fought the four men, but when your father took a blade across the back of his leg, he went down. I was going to leave him safely behind a tree while I tried to hold them off. But your father didn¡¯t want me fighting them. His only concern was you.¡±


    ¡°He made me promise to make sure you and your mother were safe. I ran past her room on the way to yours, and she was gathering a cloak to investigate the fighting in the garden. I told her we were under attack and we had to go. I thought she was right behind me. I sprinted to get you and thought we¡¯d meet her on our way out, but¡­.¡± Tears fell in the dirt in front of him as Savrotores recounted losing his closest family only a few days before.


    He continued, ¡°and then I tried to pull you away, but it was like trying to pull a Goko tree out by the roots. I couldn¡¯t even budge you. I saw your arm move, and with your hand above your head, you spoke in the language of the Ol¡¯Gud¡¯s! Savros, you used magic, real magic, not tek! The man standing over your mother was consumed in light until a doorway of darkness appeared, and the man was taken. With the light fading, you collapsed. I carried you up here, where I hope we¡¯ll be safe. And I¡¯ve been trying to come up with a plan.¡±


    Savros sat in a mixture of stunned dismay and confusion. It had all been real; his mother, the light, and the darkness. All those fragmented memories that seemed like a dream had actually happened. And his father¡­ Were both of his parents really gone?


    ¡°But my father. My father could still be¡­.¡±


    Savrotores shook his head. ¡°We passed him on the way out. He didn¡¯t make it, lad.¡± Silence fell upon them once more.


    They both still had many unanswered questions. But there were two things they really wanted an answer to. Who? And why? Neither had even a clue to either. They sat there in shared dismay.


    Breaking the silence, Savros asked, ¡°What did you mean I ¡®spoke the language of the old Gods¡¯? Only the Az¡¯Reign can use real magic, and I¡¯ve never heard of any old Gods.¡± Hoping to get an answer to at least one of his many questions.


    ¡°Not ¡®old Gods¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®Ol¡¯Gud¡¯s,¡¯ it¡¯s a single word, and it¡¯s the name of a people, a very ancient people, from the very beginning of our history. From a time before the Holy Catastrophe, when tryptic energy permeated every inch of existence, and magic was accessible to everyone everywhere. Even most of the Az¡¯Reign of today can¡¯t truly speak the language. They don¡¯t really need to say the words out loud to use magic, but those who can usually have much more control of the energy than the others. Of all the things I don¡¯t understand, you speaking that language and using magic is the most dumbfounding thing I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡±


    Savros was equally confused. As bad as they are, tragic and horrible things happen to people of all ages all across the universe. It¡¯s one of the harder parts of life. But he¡¯d never heard of anyone, ever, suddenly speaking the language of magic and wielding its power.


    It wasn¡¯t a very helpful answer, but at least Savros had learned something about what had happened. Somehow, he had used magic, and he had a faint memory of hearing a strange voice making strange sounds. Was that his own voice he¡¯d heard? He didn¡¯t remember saying anything at all.


    The sun was setting, and as the temperature dropped, it sent a chill through Savros, who suddenly felt the need to relieve himself. Setting his plate on his treksac, he tried to stand and found his muscles very uncooperative. Everything was very sore, but nothing felt broken. He stretched his legs as he sat there, moved his arms around, and arched his back. Yep, everything hurt. A shiver ran up his spine.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he thought to himself, ¡°let¡¯s do this.¡± He bent his legs and slowly stood to his feet. He was a little unstable as he reached his full height, but he was up. He stumbled toward the tree line to find an appropriate place and, on the way, was getting used to having legs under him again. A few steps into the tree line was as far as he made it before he ran out of time and dropped his pants.


    He was hungry by the time he finished and stumbled back to his treksac, despite the previous days¡¯ events. The little rodent was long cold by now but only appeared to have a mouthful of meat over the whole thing. He tore out the saddle and loin and tossed the rest aside. It¡¯s funny how amazing gross things can taste when you''re starving. And as small as it was, it seemed to help. He moved closer to the fire and Savrotores as he tended it.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± Savros asked as he sat on a log and picked up a stick to poke around in the fire. He didn¡¯t think he could go back home. Every room and hallway, every entrance, everything in the entire house would spurn haunting memories of times gone for good.


    ¡°For the moment, we wait here. Around moon-rise, we should know more and be able to form a complete plan. On the way up here, an old friend of mine tracked us down and intersected us. He¡¯d heard about what happened. He helped me carry you the rest of the way here. Yesterday morning, he left to sneak into town and gather any rumors or gossip. He¡¯s also going by Draklyn¡¯s to make arrangements for¡­¡± he broke off his sentence, unsure how to finish it.


    He continued, ¡°He¡¯s gonna take care of everything at home for us. It¡¯s too dangerous to return until we get to the bottom of this, but we don¡¯t have many options elsewhere. For now, let¡¯s just wait until he gets back and hear what he¡¯s found out.¡±


    Savros had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Somehow, he could tell that things weren¡¯t about to get any better. As he watched the sun sink below the horizon, it was as though he were watching it set on his childhood and his life with his family. In an instant, everything had changed, and he knew it was going to keep changing. As the horizon buried the last twinkling rays of light, his thoughts drifted to his mother again, but the pain was too much, and he looked away. He chose to focus on something else.


    ¡°Uncle Sav, did I really use magic?¡± His voice carried a mixture of skepticism and wonder and as he watched his uncle¡¯s face take on a look of boyish wonder itself.


    ¡°You sure did, Buddy. I wish I knew how¡­.¡± Savrotores trailed off as he racked his brain for the thousandth time in three days, for even the slightest hint of how Savros accomplished such a feat.


    ¡°Does that mean that I¡¯m Az¡¯Reign? How could¡ª¡°, Savros was interrupted.


    ¡°No, you aren¡¯t Az¡¯Reign, neither were your parents. But that does remind me of part of a story that my father used to tell me about the Ol¡¯Gud and the Az¡¯Reign. It went like this:¡±


    ¡°The Ol¡¯Gud¡¯s and the Az¡¯Reign were among the first in the universe. Magic energy filled the cosmos, and the two peoples grew up and evolved on worlds soaked in magic.¡±


    ¡°The Az¡¯Reign learned to harness the energy by manipulating their own. They fill themselves with magic energy and mix their own energy into the magic. Then the magic energy obeys as readily as the body¡¯s energy. It meant as much energy as a body can handle for those with the skill to command it.¡±


    ¡°The Ol¡¯Gud¡¯s were less forceful with their methods. They learned to use their breath gently to adjust the energy. As time went on, this evolved into a language. Spoken words to which the magic energy responds willfully and powerfully but blindly. Once the magic leaves their lips, it¡¯s on a mission with little regard for collateral damage.¡±


    ¡°As the universe became more populated, the Ol¡¯Gud retreated more and more and were seen less and less.¡±


    ¡°It goes on from there about the Az¡¯Reign¡¯s rise to power and eventually gets around to the lost magic energy. His stories went on forever sometimes. You know? But that¡¯s pretty much the only thing I have to go on at this point.¡± Savrotores looked across the fire at Savros, trying to gauge his reaction.


    Savros was trying to take it all in. He¡¯d never heard of the Ol¡¯Gud before today and never knew how the Az¡¯Reign did their magic.


    ¡°So does that mean I¡¯m an Ol¡¯Gud?¡± he asked, thinking that was any better of an answer than Az¡¯Reign had been.


    ¡°No,¡± Savrotores answered and continued, ¡°much later in the story, when the magic energy was lost, the Ol¡¯Gud¡¯s all died. They had used their breath as a tool for so long that they couldn¡¯t breathe properly, and their bodies couldn¡¯t function without the magical energy. And so when the magical energy was lost, so were they.¡±


    ¡°You are not Az¡¯Reign or Ol¡¯Gud, I¡¯m sure of that. What you did was something different. You used the voice, but you also used your body and its movements. I¡¯m afraid we may never know all the answers.


    The scuff of boot on the gravel made Savros jump, and Savrotores sighed in relief as he turned to see his oldest friend.


    ¡°Parson, you made it back, and early too. Did you see Draklyn? And Sophie? Any sign of those¡ª.¡° He stopped himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my friend. Please, come up by the fire and sit. I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t any food to offer you, but you can at least get warm while we talk.¡±


    Parson approached the fire. Not a large man, but not what Savros would call small either. He was shorter than Savros but still twice his size. A large, petite man, Savros finally decided, and by the looks of his clothes, he¡¯d been on the road for days. As Parson approached and Savros encountered his smell, he changed his estimation to weeks. This man had definitely been on the road for weeks.


    He sat across from Savros, thankfully downwind from him, landing in a poof of dust.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright ¡®Tores. I know you and the boy must be eager for information and answers. And if them rumors are true, you won¡¯t want to be hanging around here long.¡± He looked at Savrotores through his eyebrows with a serious eye before he continued.


    ¡°Them men were from a Holy Order of Assassins. Mostly guardin¡¯ prophecies and the like, but them believe they are ordained to prevent the end of all things. You know the same thing all them fanatic types are on about. One of them caused a scene in the pub few nights back.¡±


    ¡°After attackin¡¯ yours, them left in a hurry. Several in town saw ¡®em flee out of the old mill. So I investigate it. Not much around, save a black and green cloak. But while I were there, a bird came deliverin¡¯ a message. The message were from a place called PomBomPae but say ¡®Execution of the four is priority. Upon completion, return to Towkwa¡¯. Never heard of either of them places, but the four must mean the two at home plus you and the boy. On my way out stopped to see Sophie, give her your message, and overheard a young lad describing men in black and green threatening a shopkeeper. Said they were carrying on and making a scene, desperate, like. I didn¡¯t wait to hear any more; what with you two up here alone. So I left early to give you the word.¡±


    Savros listened with a keen attention for anything that could help fill the hole in his understanding of the last few days, as did Savrotores. Parson leaned back and took a pipe from his pocket. He tapped it on the log, and a pile of dirt and dust fell out of it. He examined it with a scrupulous eye and gave it a ¡°hmmph¡± before he put his pipe back in his pocket and stood up.


    ¡°¡¯ Tores, Savros,¡± he said as he wobbled to his feet, ¡°it breaks my heart that this happened to them and put you out here. Boy, keep your chin up; things¡¯ll get better. I know them words ain¡¯t much, but they¡¯re true. ¡®Tores, if you¡¯re needin¡¯ transport off, use mine. Damn, things just rusting there at Tuscanuchi, anyway. I¡¯ll tell ¡®em to keep an eye out for you and a mouth shut about you. I best be off now then.¡± Parson turned and gave them each a nod and another look through his eyebrow and teetered off.


    ¡°Parson, stay here tonight. We¡¯ll all set out in the morning.¡± Savrotores was getting to his feet.


    ¡°Ahhh, would that I could, my friend, but the woods, the woods are lovely,¡± Parsons continued speaking as he waddled off into the night with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Safe travels, my friend,¡± Savrotores answered back as Parsons vanished into the night.


    ¡°What does he mean ¡®the woods are lovely¡¯? It¡¯s too dark to even see them.¡± Savros asked.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s something he always says, something from a long-lost story from a long-lost world. ¡®The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.¡¯ It¡¯s beautiful, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, lad, we have a little more to go on, two names. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s something. That bit about ¡®the four,¡¯ though, means we really can¡¯t go back to the house. They¡¯ll be watching it for sure. Tuscanuchi should be pretty safe for a while, and from where we are now, we could be there by midday tomorrow if we get an early start.¡± Savros could tell his uncle was stalling. He usually had a thorough plan.


    ¡°What happens when we get to Tuscanuchi?¡± He¡¯d been through enough surprises and didn¡¯t feel like waiting around for more bad news.


    Savrotores took a moment before he responded, ¡°Well, I do have an idea, but it¡¯s not great. We use Parson¡¯s transport to send you to Abriva. You¡¯ll be safe there. Between the Halo and EdenFire Security, it¡¯s about the safest place I can think of. While you¡¯re in Abriva, I¡¯ll track down Towkwa and PomBomPae and put an end to this madness. Then in a couple months, I should be able to send for you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Abriva! But why can¡¯t you come with me? We can go to Abriva together, then in a couple months, they¡¯ll think we¡¯re gone, and we¡¯ll be able to go home again.¡± Savros thought about returning home, and everything that had happened came rushing back to him again. He fell to his knees and cried. Savrotores knelt beside him and embraced him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, lad; I know how hard it is. Life can seem very cruel at times, and it is. We must be strong and brave. And we must face whatever life throws at us. We must show her we are not afraid, and even when we feel afraid, we don¡¯t let it stop us. We cry we scream, we wail in the night, but we continue.¡± Savrotores hugged his nephew, his only living family, tighter as they both wept.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest, lad. We¡¯ll be able to think a little clearer in the morning.¡± They¡¯d been sitting there in the dirt for a while, and it was actually late. If they were getting even a halfway early start, they needed to turn in now.


    Savros gave no argument. The two bites of food had helped earlier, but now he just felt exhausted. He twisted his legs out from under him and sat flat on the ground, reached back and grabbed his treksac, and, as he laid his head down, he entered a world of troubled dreams and restless sleep.


    Savrotores stayed up only up a few minutes longer. He contemplated just running with Savros. Would they ever have peace, or would they be running from maniacs or looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives? The only viable solution he could think of was to kill or be killed, and since they¡¯d already killed his sister and his brother-in-law, he decided it was time to do some killing of his own. Before he let sleep take him, he knew he¡¯d made up his mind.


    Savros woke with a start. Savrotores was already up and had the entire camp packed up and put away. The sun had only begun to brighten the sky, and it would still be a while before it crossed the horizon.


    ¡°I could have helped,¡± Savros said sleepily, getting to his feet and gathering his stuff.


    ¡°Thought you could use the rest. Besides, all done!¡± Savrotores, with a cheesy grin, gave a flourish of his hands as if to say ta-da!


    Savros smiled and shook the dust from his cloak before wrapping it around his shoulders. The morning air had a bite to it that he hadn¡¯t noticed until he stood up.


    ¡°So, I guess we¡¯re going to Tuscanuchi then.¡± It wasn¡¯t really a question because he knew the answer. His uncle was right. It wouldn¡¯t be safe at home until they got to the bottom of this. And he certainly didn¡¯t know where to go on his own. Besides, seeing Abriva would be incredible! All the different people and cultures come together all in one place, trading with each other and collecting rare goods. His head reeled at all the possibilities.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry lad, I wish I could come up with a better plan. But, well, neither of us asked for this. And no one would have expected it. Try to think of it as a vacation, a chance to experience one of the ¡®Wonders of the Age.¡¯ There¡¯s nothing like Abriva anywhere else in Living Space. Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll even get to spend a night in the Halo. Now that would be something, wouldn¡¯t it? The finest rooms with the most luxurious furnishings and the best food in all of Living Space.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it would, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to go home, anyway. I guess the best thing I can do is keep moving forward.¡± Savros meant it. He honestly couldn¡¯t think of a better idea, anyway.


    They spent the better part of the day traveling to Tuscanuchi. Heading out that morning, Savrotores explained, ¡°Going around would take at least twice as long, but the route is well marked. Easy enough, but lots of cutting back and forth.¡±


    Savrotores hadn¡¯t been very specific about exactly what he would do when Savros was gone. But he had promised to stay in touch while Savros was on Abriva and promised not to confront Towkwa blindly or go to PomBomPae without telling him first. He really hoped his uncle would keep his promise.


    After arriving in Tuscanuchi, they went straight to the local depot. Savrotores had him wait outside while he went in to inquire about the transport. Savros didn¡¯t mind at all.


    Tuscanuchi was the travel center for this world, and as such, there were the usual tourist traps and locals trying to earn a meal. His favorites to watch were the musicians and magicians. Real magic was very rare, but the magicians could fool just about anyone with their illusions. In a way, they were like a reminder that magic is real. Some of the tricks even seemed like an homage to the real thing.


    Savrotores came out, shaking his head as the door closed behind him. ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve secured your transport if you can call it that.¡±


    Savros¡¯ mind jump-started at the reminder of traveling off-world. ¡°So, what kind of ship is it? Is it a freighter or just a pod? I wish it were an actual star-liner; I¡¯ve never seen inside of one.¡±


    Savrotores looked down at his nephew. ¡°Technically, you¡¯ll be flying by freighter, yes. I¡¯m afraid Parson¡¯s arrangements are more suited to himself than anyone else, but that¡¯s to be expected. He never set it up for you to use. It was just an offer from an old friend in our time of need.¡±


    As they entered the loading dock on the far end of the building, Savros saw row after row of cargo boxes. All goods and wares were to be delivered to various places across the planet, with only a handful waiting to be shipped off-world. As they strolled through a row toward the goods destined for off-world, Savros thought they must be going to meet the captain or other member of the crew. But as they approached the six outgoing boxes, Savros noticed a seventh off in the corner, with the lid cracked open. Savrotores walked straight up to it and opened the lid to reveal a padded interior. Wrapped all the way around the inside was a metal band with intricately carved designs on the top edge of the box and the bottom edge of the lid.


    Savros looked into the box and then at his uncle, and then back at the box. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± he asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a modified shipping container.¡± Savrotores held the lid open. ¡°Hop in.¡±


    Savros¡¯ eyes drifted from the box¡¯s interior to meet his uncles. He blinked, still staring. Savrotores smiled, ¡°it¡¯s Okay, lad, I promise. I need to show you how it works, so you¡¯ll know how to open it. But there is more, and you have to be inside it to see, so hop in.¡±


    He was half sure that he was the butt of a joke here, but he ended up climbing over the side as his uncle waved him on hurriedly. The top of the box was just about waist high to Savros as he stood in.


    ¡°Go ahead and sit down,¡± Savrotores couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the look Savros was giving him, ¡°you¡¯re gonna like this bit, I promise.¡±


    As Savros leaned to sit, his hand touched the box¡¯s plush red lining, and it turned a slate blue under his hand. The blue color slowly spread out as he stood bent over, watching wonder as every bit of red was replaced by blue. ¡°Whoa!¡±, Savros plopped down onto the surprisingly soft, dull blue lining. As he sat down and leaned against the wall, a paler sky blue color spread from around his body as it engulfed the stonier blue color, the new blue seemed to roam around over itself a few times before settling in. ¡°Whoa.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Savrotores didn¡¯t seem very surprised or impressed by the sudden changes. ¡°Are you ready for the cool part?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t it?! Did you see what just happened?¡± Savros lifted his hands and modeled the new wallpaper.


    Savrotores laughed and said, ¡°Watch this,¡± as he slowly shut the lid. As the box grew dark, an ambient light emerged from the corners, soft but more than ample in the space. The cover touched home, and the last sliver of light died. Instantly, a sapphire light followed the path of the etchings on the metal band, that with the lid closed and viewed from inside, made a connecting pattern. As the light continued its path, certain symbols stood out to Savros. He knew what it was. He¡¯d seen them before, and as recognition struck, he sat dumbfounded as the magic worked its way back to where it started.


    After completing its journey, the magic energy dissipated into the air around Savros, and he heard a hissing sound.


    ¡°Savros, while the lid is closed, it seals the container. Anyone that inspects it will find it sealed, and while he says he¡¯s never needed it, Parson assures me it is even sealed to protect from the vacuum and radiation of space. Basically, as long as the lid¡¯s closed, nothing and no one can get to you or will even know about you. Scans show an empty container. And if someone wanted to open it for any reason, they couldn¡¯t. Even right now, there is no way for me to open the container.¡± Savrotores watched the lid of the box.


    Two heartbeats later, the lid of the box inched up as Savros, worried he was trapped in the box, tested the lid. It lifted with minimal effort, and light from the storehouse overheads flooded into the container, and Savros heard another hiss as he pushed the lid further open.


    Savrotores went on, ¡°the lid can only be opened from the inside. Guess Parson didn¡¯t want anyone walking in on him while he was stinking¡ªsleeping!¡ªI meant sleeping.¡± He winked at Savros with a silly grin.


    Savros laughed, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he would be doing both. But where did he get this?¡± Savros¡¯ voice changed to awe. ¡°This is magic! Did you see the way it changed, and when you closed the lid, there were all these patterns and magic energy going around! It¡¯s magic, like real magic!¡± Savros leaned over the side to get a fresh look at the outside of the box.


    ¡°It is real magic, and Parson won it in a bet. That¡¯s all he¡¯s ever said about where it came from. I assume an Az¡¯Reign made it, but any of the beings still capable of finding magic energy could have made it.¡± Savrotores watched Savros inspect the box. He continued, ¡°when you first sat down, and we closed the lid, the box conformed to you. It chose a color more suited to your needs and also sampled the air here to recreate for you. As I said, when you¡¯re inside, nothing can open it except you. You¡¯ll still feel turbulence, bumps although they are cushioned, and you can still hear what¡¯s going on around you.¡±


    Savros was only half listening. He was standing in a magic box, about to leave the solar system, and he was going to Abriva. He snapped back to full attention when he heard his uncle say, ¡°they¡¯ll be loading these up soon.¡±


    Savros climbed out of the box, ¡°how much time do we have?¡±.


    ¡°Just enough time to say goodbye.¡± Savrotores looked like he was trying not to choke. The two of them had just lost their family, home, and income, and now they were saying goodbye to the only family they had left; each other. A tear slid down his cheek, and he smiled to hide it or pretend it wasn¡¯t there.


    Savros made no attempt to deny his tears; his uncle was the only thing in existence that was still a constant for him, he¡¯d been a daily part of his life for years, and with everything else that had happened, it just didn¡¯t seem fair that they had to split up now.


    Their tears fell as they hugged. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I told you about the Halo if you run into any trouble. And take this, you won¡¯t need any food in the box, but once you get to Abriva, you¡¯ll have to barter for food and goods. On the surface, Abriva is a lot to take in, but once you get down there, it¡¯s not as crazy as it sounds. Remember, you¡¯ll need to head west. The nearest town, BelToa, is due west of the depot. You¡¯ll meet with Sadjier; he will be looking for you.¡±


    ¡°I know, meet him in the tek piles,¡± Savros looked at the ground. ¡°I love you, Uncle Sav. Please don¡¯t die out there and send me letters like you promised.¡± Savros hugged his uncle again as the clanging of a large door opening echoed down the corridor or containers. He could hear men talking and laughing as they entered the building.


    ¡°I love you too, Savros, and I haven¡¯t broken a promise to you yet, have I?¡± Savrotores gave him a questioning look.


    Savros shook his head, ¡°Hm-mm.¡±


    ¡°And I never will, lad. Now go on, hop back in that box.¡±


    Savros jumped in, and as he was closing the lid, Savrotores said, ¡°Remember ¡®west, tek, Sadjier.¡¯ I¡¯ll come and get you the moment it¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Uncle Sav¡± was the last thing he got to say before the men came around the corner and the lid dropped shut with a hiss and a light show that was exclusively for Savros.


    So, there he was waiting, suspended in midair somewhere above Abriva. At some point, he would be sent, along with the other containers, to a storage depot. It had been about a day since he said goodbye to his uncle. He¡¯d been too excited to sleep, but now, with nothing to be done at the moment, sleep began creeping up on him.


    ¡°Here I come, Abriva.¡± He drifted off to sleep as his thoughts turned to his uncle and the horrible events that had led him here. Still, he was determined to make something from it.

 Chapter Three: Abriva

    *DING* ¡°Halo Proxima has initiated our descent. All personnel should stow any cargo or personal items and proceed to duty stations. Prepare for re-entry in thirteen minutes, and congratulations on an event-less flight. Enjoy your leave, everyone.¡± *DING*


    With the announcement over the ship¡¯s PA, a cheer roared through the crew. The noise and activity level continued to rise for the next few minutes, and then silence. Except for the boots of one last crewman running to his station, it was eerily silent. He was just about to let curiosity get the better of him and take a little peek when the rumble started. It was very faint at first, but before he knew what was happening, the entire ship was shaking so fiercely that he was sure it was going to get ripped apart and send him flying out into space.


    ¡°Any second now,¡± he said to himself as he grit his teeth, closed his eyes, and braced himself against the walls of the small box he was hiding in.


    He wondered if his uncle had made a terrible mistake, trusting the strange guy back at Tuscanuchi. They seemed to know each other. At any rate, he knew as long as the lid was closed, the shipping container would automatically seal. But would it keep him safe in the emptiness of space? Unlikely. Just as he was contemplating dying, everything stopped. No more banging, no more alarms, nothing, just silence. The silence lasted for eternity. ¡°Oh no,¡± he thought, ¡°did it happen? Did the whole ship explode and send me hurtling through the blackness of space?¡±


    *DING* "Congratulations again, and welcome to Abriva, the capital planet of the J¡¯abri Vah." *DING*


    Relief washed over him. They hadn¡¯t exploded after all, and now it was just a matter of time. Everyone would be off the ship within half an hour except a few crew members. And in a couple of hours, his would-be deathtrap of a box would arrive in a storeroom. At which point, he would finally be free from the thing. While initially amazing, it wasn¡¯t what he expected when Parson said they could take his transport from Tuscanuchi.


    In his life back at home, Savros had heard and learned many incredible things, but he¡¯d never had the chance to see or experience any of it. It had all been stories and lessons. Education could only take him so far. Now it was time to use some of those years of studying. He knew that a new world was just beyond the doors that towered over him. A place that, until now, he¡¯d only read about: he could hardly contain his excitement!


    He could still hear his father¡¯s voice, ¡°Abriva is the central trade depot for nearly all artisans, craft workers, and specialists, where handmade items can be bought or sold and are shipped all around Living Space. Thanks in part to an agreement between The Creators Alliance, the guild that ensures fair practice between traders on Abriva, and The EdenFire Empire. Abriva also serves as the commerce hub for EdenFire and central shipping for their products. EdenFire is one of the oldest corporations still functioning. And for over 900 years, one of the wealthiest. It¡¯s no wonder they make everything. In fact, if you have a product, it was either made by EdenFire, or they have an alternative version available at a range of prices.¡±


    ¡°Between The Artisans and EdenFire, nearly 100 million people visit the planet each day, looking to purchase or trade for the item or service they desire. Thanks to Halo Proxima, travel to and from the planet is relatively easy. The Halo, as it¡¯s known, encompasses the entire planet. Residing just beyond the upper reaches of Abriva¡¯s atmosphere. It serves as landing, hospitality, and transportation for all incoming travelers via ship or pod. Not long after its completion, they even transported the ¡®Gate of Az¡¯Reign¡¯ to the Central Chamber, even though no one alive had ever seen the gate open.¡±


    ¡°Only pre-scheduled delivery transports and local J¡¯abri Vah citizens¡¯ vessels may bypass the Halo. However, Halo Proxima still controls the descents. Visitors going through the Halo are treated to a level of luxury that is scarcely seen in the universe. All visitors receive the utmost hospitality and care. With the finest craftsmen in Abriva residing on the halo, everyone gets a taste of the very best Abriva has to offer. With the number of visitors, Abriva gets each day, the length of a stay is limited to a single night. In rare instances, a second night in the Halo has been granted, usually only for a person grieving the loss of a loved one that had died on Abriva after the first night.¡±


    Still standing at the door to wonder and adventure, the entrance to everything, the useless facts and trivia from his father¡¯s lessons, faded from his mind. This was it! His heart was in his throat as he lifted the latch and gave a push.


    The door barely moved. ¡°I guess a door this size doesn¡¯t just swing open.¡± he thought. He managed to get it open enough to squeeze out of it with a little more effort. Okay, this is it! And with that, he stepped through the crack in the door out into his first new world.


    He¡¯d been off-planet many times as a child, but always to a station somewhere or docking with another ship so his father could conduct business while he waited in his quarters or sometimes in the galley. Never to another planet. His father had always said that landfall on a planet was a needless risk, and besides, he already had a world to explore.


    The hot, dry air caught in his throat and made his eyes water almost immediately. Even the light breeze was enough to kick up sand and dust into his face, making it impossible to breathe. As he fell to the ground, unable to see or breathe, choking for air, a stronger gust of wind hit him with more dust. His mind was racing frantically. The atmosphere was supposed to be breathable on Abriva. People come here from all over for shopping, and¡­ something was grabbing him and lifting him into the air. Suddenly, he felt the ground beneath his feet and a wall against his back. A dark figure stood over him as he blinked and wiped the dirt from his eyes.


    ¡°Are you alright?! Oh wow, I just about smacked ya! If you hadn¡¯t fell down cryin¡¯, I¡¯d prolly be picking up your head right now! And what are you doing way out here, anyway? Did you get lost? I can¡¯t imagine how that happened. There¡¯s nothin¡¯ around for days, not on foot anyway. So let¡¯s see, hmmm, if you didn¡¯t get lost, you must have come out of the shed, and the only way to get through transport security is to be in a container! Oh. No way! Did you get shipped here! Did you ship yourself? Don¡¯t you know how dangerous that is? But if you shipped here through security, your container had to be sealed. How did you get out of a sealed container? HOLY FUCKING SHIT! You¡¯re a runaway Az¡¯Reign! Wait, but why would an Az¡¯Reign runaway to a dry-goods storage depot? Hmmm¡­¡±


    As he blinked the last of the sand from his eyes, Savros could hardly believe them. He was also having difficulty making sense of what was coming in through his ears. But first, he had to fix his eyes. He was standing there staring at a pair of goggles with dark red lips that never seemed to stop moving under the goggles, with a small scar on the chin just below the lip. And on top of all of that was a pile of dust-filled purple spikes of hair. He looked up at her and blinked a couple more times, thinking for sure he had hit his head and was hallucinating. But then his ears took over again, finally able to see and hear properly again he realized, whoever this crazy girl is she has come frighteningly close to figuring out not only how he got there but also who he is, just by looking at him and almost ¡°smackin¡¯ him.¡± Wait what! He looked past her to see a terrapod only a little distance behind her. She had been towing a small trailer with it, and, by the looks of the pile of packages all crammed into the front of the trailer, she¡¯d been moving pretty fast when she hit the brakes.


    Savros had finally pulled himself together enough to get at least a feel for his current situation. Meanwhile, the girl in front of him had stopped talking and was now just staring down at him. After a few moments, she hopped down off the small crate she¡¯d been standing on, and got right in his face, eyeball to goggle lens. Finally, she stood up straight with a look of finality on her face as if she had decided his fate.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± she said, ¡°you¡¯re coming with me. I haven¡¯t quite figured you out yet, but I will. Anyway, I can¡¯t leave you out here. Like I said, you can walk for days and not find anything but sand and dirt. I¡¯ve got a few more stops to make before we head back. You can help me out since I was nice enough to avoid hitting you.¡± She gave him a smile and said, ¡°You can call me Polly. Come on, let¡¯s go. Unless you¡¯re planning on moving in out here.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh to himself, which spilled over into laughing aloud. If this is how his adventure was starting, he could only imagine what crazy characters he¡¯d meet and befriend along the way. At least this one seems friendly enough, he thought to himself. And if it¡¯s really as far to a village or city as she claims, he wouldn¡¯t make it on foot.


    ¡°Hi, thank you for not ¡®smackin¡¯ me and, yes I, suppose I do need a way out of here, so thank you for the ride as well. I will help you in any way I can. My name is Savros. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Savros was still a little unsteady and had trouble finding words to speak with, making his speech sound oddly formal.


    ¡°Whoa, lighten up, guy, uh, Savros. You sound like you just came from a funeral or school or something. When we get back to KaiStar, we¡¯ll sort through everything. It¡¯s best not to spend too much time in the sun out here. The radiation is high, and overexposure isn¡¯t good for you at all. And don¡¯t worry about helping me out. Like I said, I¡¯ve only got two more stops, and that whole trailer is going to the next stop. Once we drop it, we¡¯ll drop this envelope at the last facility before heading back.¡± She patted her hip pocket where he presumed she was keeping the envelope.


    There was something about her that really put him at ease. He smiled, ¡°great, let¡¯s get going.¡± They headed towards her parked terrapod if you could call that ¡°parked.¡± She hopped in the cockpit while he settled in behind her. He had no sooner sat down, and they jerked forward and were off. The pod was in such bad shape, and the trailer it was towing was in no better condition. He could scarcely hear himself think; there was no way he¡¯d get to ask her any questions until they got back to KaiStar, whoever or whatever KaiStar is. It didn¡¯t sound like the name of a city in Abriva that he¡¯d ever heard of. It could be a smaller settlement on the outskirts, or even a person, for that matter.


    He was still pondering it when they started to slow down. He didn¡¯t understand how the noise this thing was making seemed to get louder as they slowed down. Eventually, they came to a screeching, grinding halt in front of a rather large building with no visible doors. There was, however, a large industrial telepad at either corner. She hopped out and said something to him he didn¡¯t even have a chance of hearing and ran over to the closest corner. A light flashed as the building sensor scanned her. Her Bio-ID would confirm her delivery and activate the pad. It relieved Savros that she appeared to be an honest, friendly local, just trying to finish up her workday.


    She gave him a thumbs-up, yelled something else at him. He couldn¡¯t even hear her voice, but her lips said, ¡°let¡¯s do this.¡± She landed squarely in the seat in front of him and circled around, stopping with the trailer entirely on the telepad. Another flash of light and the entire trailer was gone. Without even looking back, she punched it, and they went screaming across the desert floor toward the last stop.


    The poor pod wasn¡¯t complaining any less, but it was definitely moving faster now. They had barely gotten up to full speed before they started slowing down. But this time, there was no building in sight. At first, this confused Savros, but it wasn¡¯t long before he saw and understood why as the ground changed from reddish dirt to a weathered and beaten metal material. A thought dawned on him, ¡°This facility must be entirely underground, and we¡¯re on top of it.¡±


    As they approached the center, a pillar rose straight up to Polly¡¯s eye level. She stuck her tongue out at it, looked at him with a grin, and shrugged. There was a quick flash of light, and then a thin slit opened in the front of the pillar. She dropped the envelope into the slot, and they were off to KaiStar. One thing was for sure; they weren¡¯t sneaking in anywhere with this heap.


    While pondering what KaiStar could be, he happened to notice the sky. Everything had been happening so fast he hadn¡¯t taken a chance to look around before. It was late afternoon on this part of the planet. The atmosphere reflected very little light onto the planet at night, and the result was a jet-black backdrop for the brilliantly shining stars. The other view that was truly unique to Abriva was the Halo. Halo Proxima appeared like a beam of light splitting the night sky in two. Especially when viewed from a point on the planet near the equator. Savros assumed they must be near the equator, anyway, judging by the heat today. With the sun setting in his eyes, he looked at what was around him instead.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The storage depots were far behind them at this point. There were mountains, off to the one side, way out near the horizon. On the other side, nothing but a flat desert as far as he could see. He couldn¡¯t be sure, but it looked like there was water out there, dancing across the desert floor. Savros had to admit he was disappointed. He had been hoping for more fanfare, more bustling in the streets, and all the sights and sounds. But here he was, on Abriva all afternoon and into the evening, and so far, all he¡¯d experienced were the sights of the storage depots and the sounds of the little screaming pod that was getting awfully cramped and, well, Polly would be the fanfare. He chuckled to himself. She was definitely the highlight of the day.


    The next highlight of the day was the sunset. As the last rays of light disappeared behind the horizon, it was as though someone had flipped a switch on the day, and it was suddenly night. It took a couple of minutes for his eyes to adjust fully as he stared up at the suddenly-night sky. He knew they were finally adjusting when, suddenly, a blur of hazy lights came into view. They grew less fuzzy and more distinct as he watched them until they grew into a crystal clear, unobstructed view of an infinite starfield. The haze of the galaxy stretched roughly north and south, the beam of light cutting across the sky from east to west from Halo Proxima. The result being: a beautiful starry night sky split into quadrants. Savros wondered in awe at the different colors of stars. From home, they had all pretty much looked white. But here on Abriva, he could see red, yellow, blue stars, different shades of pinks and purples, and a few greens.


    Polly slowed the pod, and the screaming died down a little. Savros looked forward, and he could see the glow of city lights up ahead. The contrast against the darkness made it apparent how dark it actually was. Even with the light from the pod, he couldn¡¯t see more than a few feet in any direction. Without the pod, he¡¯d be standing in pitch-black darkness right now.


    As they got a little closer to the city lights, Savros saw that it was a small city. Town may have been more appropriate, but either way, it was a site for Savros¡¯ sore eyes. They started passing various dwellings and buildings, and not long after, street lights started popping up here and there. At the first sign of houses, Polly slowed way down, and as they got closer and closer to town, there were more and more lights, and Polly was going slower and slower while the pod continued its non-stop screaming. Savros dubbed it ¡®The Pod of Infinite Agony¡± because even if the pod couldn¡¯t feel agony, Savros could.


    They seemed to be heading right into the heart of town, but before everything got too congested and crowded, Polly turned off the main road and down a side street to the left. A few blocks down and another, they made another left and almost immediately another left and into a makeshift hangar. They pulled to a stop, and Polly cut the engines. To his dismay, the noise in his ears didn¡¯t stop when the little pod finally went to sleep. He¡¯d been listening to it for so long that it stayed with him as a buzzing and ringing in his ears for quite a while. His eyes, too, needed time to readjust to the sudden and copious amounts of light.


    He half fell out of the pod when, stepping down, he discovered his foot asleep. Getting to his feet and looking around, Savros could only gawk.


    Polly stretched and moved around, walking in little circles. She stopped, facing a large ship in the hangar. ¡°Hey Kai, baby, how¡¯re you doing?¡± she smiled and skipped in a circle a couple of times.


    ¡°This is KaiStar!¡± he choked, trying to keep himself from yelling it.


    Polly looked back at him, ¡°Huh?¡± she looked at him, blinking. ¡°Oh yeah. Yes, this is KaiStar. He¡¯s one of a kind, thanks to Jaen and me, and Shin, of course. Come on, let¡¯s go find Jaen, and then I¡¯ll give ya the tour!¡±


    She ran off toward the large double doors to their right. Savros took a step after her but stopped when he looked up at KaiStar again. KaiStar was a ship unlike any he¡¯d ever seen! From his vantage point, he could tell it was a ¡®U,¡¯ with the bridge at the bottom of the curve. He could see one arm of the ¡®U¡¯ and was amazed at the state of the plating. At first glance, it appeared to be badly rusting. The whole ship appeared to be in need of repair. But as he stared, he noticed he couldn¡¯t see any actual damage. It seemed to be all entirely cosmetic. ¡°That¡¯s the strangest paint job I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± he said to himself. He couldn¡¯t see the top of the ship. The hangar veiling was lower near the entrances. The building opened op in the center, though, enough to house this incredible ship, KaiStar.


    He took a few steps, peering up, trying to see the top. He kept moving forward. Each step revealed more of the ship, and finally, he could see the full profile of KaiStar. And he¡¯d been wrong before. KaiStar was not a ¡®U¡¯ shape at all. In fact, it was actually very similar to one of his father¡¯s freighters, but it had a bunch of strangely shaped pieces attached to it. The shadows and light made it difficult to discern from any distance at all. Someone had also done an engine swap and heavily modified the stern. This style of freighter usually had a sizeable boxy aft section to house the powerful but incredibly large and insanely old engines. But those old workhorses had been stripped out entirely. The added bulk to the sides, about two-thirds of the way back, coupled with the tapered aft section, completely changed how this shipped looked compared to its original build. Savros liked it this way better. As far as he was concerned, KaiStar was the most fantastic ship in Living Space.


    An unfamiliar voice came from behind him, ¡°Polly replaced four old J-40¡¯s with one PD-X3 neutron drive.¡±


    ¡°Plus a couple secrets!¡± Polly chirped in. As Savros turned to see who else was speaking, he heard Polly, ¡°Hey Savroni, this is Jaen, she¡¯s pretty much everything around here.¡± Savros turned and was greeted by the kind face of a woman with the reddest hair he¡¯d ever seen. In the messiest bun that¡¯s ever existed. Her eyes were deep green, intelligent, and pondering as they studied him. She was a good deal taller than Polly, nearly a full head. Standing side by side, they were quite the colorful and lively pair. The two were about the same age, he¡¯d guess. Maybe ten years older than himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice surprise meeting you like this, Savroni, was it?¡± Jaen extended her arm to offer her hand in greeting and gave him the slightest wink.


    Savros chuckled nervously, running his hands through his own blue hair. They seemed so nice and accepting. ¡°It¡¯s actually, Savros.¡± He said, glancing at Polly with a smile, ¡°but Savroni is fun.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! That¡¯s the spirit, Savroast!¡± Polly laughed and skipped off toward KaiStar.


    ¡°She likes you. She doesn¡¯t make up little nicknames for everybody.¡± Jaen began walking with Savros, following Polly. ¡°Let¡¯s go before she comes back, twisting up both of our names. We¡¯ll introduce you to Shin while we eat dinner.¡±


    Savros¡¯ stomach rumbled at the thought of food. He was afraid if he spoke, he would drool, so he just nodded and quickly followed Jaen in the direction that Polly had disappeared into the darkness. They came up to a loan ladder in the darkness. Jaen went up first, and Savros looked around in the darkness before climbing up after her. He didn¡¯t climb for long before a light from above flooded down onto him. Jaen pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped off the ladder through the entrance.


    As Savros reached the top and stepped through, he found himself standing in an airlock. Jaen sealed the door behind him, and a brief alarm sounded on the one opposite from them. It immediately swung open, and Polly bounced into the room. ¡°Come on, you two, me ¡®n¡¯ Shinzi have been waiting forever.¡± She drew out the final ¡®r¡± in forever. ¡°There couldn¡¯t have been much food in that storage depot, aren¡¯t you hungry? Have you had snacks this whole time?¡± she looked at him seriously, ¡°You been holding out on me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, and I¡¯m sure Savros is hungry too, so just relax, Poll¡¯s, we¡¯re coming¡± Jaen let Savros follow Polly as she brought up the rear. They exited the airlock into a corridor. This part of the ship was pretty much exactly like the original ship would have been. Everything looked old and well used but also well cared for and in remarkable condition. A few paces ahead, there should be an entrance to the bridge. Polly pushed the door open, and they filed onto the bridge.


    Savros had expected to see some of the crew stationed around the bridge, but so far, he had seen no one at all except Polly and Jaen. What he saw instead of a crew was a heavily modified control room. All the crew stations found in the freighter were gone, and the room was largely stripped down. Banks of various hardware types replaced each station. As the trio entered the center of the room, several lights came on, and a voice addressed the three of them.


    ¡°Welcome home, ladies, and welcome Savros. Polly said you would be joining us for dinner, so I have prepared additional servings. As is tradition, tonight¡¯s meal is the most popular dish of the local Sans¡¯amon¡¯s diet. Which consists largely of a vegetable stew with sides of roasted Goglow tail.¡±


    ¡°As for actual introductions, my name is Kaiozoshin, but I rather like Shin. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Savros.¡±


    ¡°It sounds delicious. Thank you, Shin, it¡¯s nice to, uh, meet you as well,¡± Savros said aloud to the room, lifting his head and projecting his voice, unsure of where the mic was located. Polly nudged Jaen, giggling at Savros.


    Shin giggled a little too, ¡°How polite! But don¡¯t worry about speaking loud enough that I can hear you. As long as you are aboard the KaiStar, you could whisper to me, and I wouldn¡¯t miss a word.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Savros asked, looking around the room.


    ¡°All around. I am a learning construct, an automated intelligence, created by Jaen. I am throughout the KaiStar. I monitor, operate, and maintain all systems aboard the vessel. The KaiStar is my home and my body.¡±


    Shin stopped talking as Polly cut in, ¡°We can get to all that later; let¡¯s eat, guys!¡±


    ¡°Of course, the table is ready,¡± Shin said, and a door opened to their right. As they crossed the entrance, the lights came on, and Savros almost fainted. There was a very large bowl of what he assumed was the vegetable stew and several smaller plates, some with pieces of bread and others with roasted Goglow tails. It smelled so wonderful that Savros thought maybe he was hallucinating it; nothing could smell that good.


    They ate and laughed as Polly told the story of her and Jaen¡¯s first meeting when they were about half his age. And Jaen explained a little more about Shin. He controlled every aspect of the ship. Savros only found it slightly unnerving that a ship¡¯s A.I. had a personality and even social intelligence that surpassed his own. She said she didn¡¯t know exactly when Shin achieved independent thought. Even Shin didn¡¯t know when it happened. He said one day, while running a debugging program on a new piece of hardware, he caught himself daydreaming, and a wave of realization washed over him. He was self-aware. And Polly promised to give him a tour of the ship and show him some of the other mods she¡¯d made to the ship.


    Jaen saw him eying the stew after finishing his bowl, and she assured him that he was welcome to eat as much as he wanted.


    ¡°We always have a big feast the day before we head out on an off-world job. And the way you finished that first bowl, you must be starving. When was the last time you had a decent meal?¡±, she had meant to reassure him, but asking about his last decent meal had brought a sudden change in his demeanor, and the energy in the room suddenly became heavy and uncomfortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s been five days, I think. I was asleep for a couple of them.¡±, he pushed the last little chunky piece of vegetable around in the bowl. He didn¡¯t look up from the bowl at all while he recounted the events that had brought him there. When he got to the part where he met Polly, he trailed off. It was dead silent in the room. Savros finally looked up to see Polly and Jaen looking at him with concern through teary eyes.


    ¡°Five fucking days!¡± Polly jumped over the table from a seated position in her chair and wrapped her arms around Savros. She hugged him so tightly that he was sure he heard his bones breaking. She sat him back down in his chair. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with your uncle? Sending you off alone like¡­ and right after¡­ and you¡¯re just supposed to wander around¡­ find some random guy, somewhere on the planet! W-w-w-what are you¡­ and¡­¡± Polly had broken down into a series of sounds and facial expressions.


    ¡°I think what Polly is getting at is that it seems incredibly irresponsible of your uncle to send you off alone after experiencing such a traumatic event. And with no actual plan, once you got here, I have to agree with her. What could he have been thinking?¡± Jaen had scooted up beside his chair as Polly paced around the room, making faces and arguing with herself. Jaen saw him watching Polly¡¯s apparent breakdown and added, ¡°don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s fine. When she hears something that doesn¡¯t fit her logic, she gets a little quirky while her brain tries to make sense of it. She¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t feel like we had much choice. We only knew that they wanted to kill us. Our other option seemed to be hiding in the woods until they found us.¡± Savros deeply missed his family and hoped that his uncle was okay. He went on, ¡°we didn¡¯t have any food or supplies. We¡¯d just lose everything. Nothing has gone as planned, but all I can do is keep moving forward. And here I am, safe and sound, thanks to you and Polly. I¡¯ve met an Automated Intelligence named Shin, who¡¯s probably the best cook in Living Space. And if you guys are willing to help me find Sadjier, I will just keep moving forward until Uncle Sav shows up to take me home.¡± Savros was trying to be brave and mature but found the words comforted him while he spoke. It might not be peculiar, but he had a plan after all, and he decided he would stick to it. Keep moving forward. He liked it; it was simple and easy to remember and should be pretty easy to stick to.


    Polly had stopped and listened to Savros as he spoke. She and Jaen exchanged a quick look. ¡°Savros,¡± they said in unison. Polly squeezed her shoulder, and Jaen continued, ¡°of course, we¡¯ll help you find Sadjier, and if you think it¡¯s for the best, we¡¯ll take you to him. But we also want to tell you that you are welcome to stay with us for as long as you need. We aren¡¯t rich, and you¡¯ll have to help us work, and there are times we really need help. Besides, Polly likes you, you¡¯ve already grown on me, and I¡¯m sure Shin would love to have another guy around. And we have delivery and transport clearances on most worlds and diplomatic status on a few. What I mean is, you, we could come and go as we please on Abriva and most other worlds. We¡¯ll still take you to Sadjier so your uncle will be able to reach you, but you are welcome to stay and travel with us in the meantime. Just think it over.¡±


    He heard the words, and as the meaning sunk in, he went from confident in his plan to questioning it immediately. It turned out to be harder to stick to than he thought. But he could still move forward with Polly, Jaen, and Shin, couldn¡¯t he? He definitely felt safe with them. They all seemed to be bonding quite quickly, and he felt a pleasant warmth with them when everything else had felt so cold, and then he realized he would be sad to see them go, ¡°I would love to stay, and I¡¯ll help out any way I can, I promise!¡± He heard his voice rattle it off before he even realized he was speaking.

 Chapter Four: Bel Toa

    Savros rested well. He slept deeply in his new quarters, despite his mind turning to his family and his uncle just before he drifted to sleep. He woke up with a yawn and a stretch, swinging his legs off the bed. Last night, they had spent several more hours in the galley. The mood shifted several times as they all shared different stories. Eventually, they called it a night, deciding to all go together in the morning to track down Sadjier and leave a message for his uncle. Savros was mainly excited to travel in KaiStar with Shin. He''d didn''t know it was possible to bond with an A.I., but Shin was different; anyone that spent a few minutes talking to him would see that. Shin was the distinction between artificial and automated intelligence. A standard A.I. makes adjustments and sounds alarms and warnings. It basically translates what the operator wants to do into a language the ship''s systems can understand. It''s an interface between a person and the myriad of systems and components aboard a ship.


    Shin was different. He was the ship. He was also several crew members, navigator, pilot, chef, but above all that; he was a friend to Polly and Jaen. Savros woke up feeling like they were all becoming fast friends, and he was growing more excited to start this day with his new friends. He looked around the room for his clothes and gear, only to see a basic bare room with no clothes and none of his stuff.


    "Uh, Shin?" Savros asked, hoping he wouldn''t have to go streaking down the corridor searching for clothes. Not how he wanted to start this new adventure with Polly and Jaen.


    "Hey, look who''s up! Good morning, Savros. I imagine you''re looking for clothes. I took the liberty of stowing your gear, as well as supplying you with a few basic crew member items."


    He had been facing the door. "Good morning Shin!" Savros rubbed his head as he laughed nervously. "Clothes would be great!" as he spoke, he heard a click behind him and turned to see two drawers slide partially open.


    Inside the drawer, on the right, was everything he had on him when he got here. It wasn''t much. Everything had been cleaned, as best it could be. Shin could do a lot, but he couldn''t turn raggedy old clothes new again. But he did get all the dust out of everything and most of the stains, as well as restitched the busted seams.


    There was a neat pile of clothes in the left drawer, under a few trinkets and some tek. Savros picked up the items sitting on top of the clothes. He held a small metal stick about the length of his little finger, but only half as wide and flat, and with a hole in one end. Savros couldn''t see any markings or discern a use for it. He also held what he assumed was a communicator. He loved the idea of always being able to communicate with someone. In his other hand was a device that reminded him of his uncle''s compass that they used while camping. This one, however, appeared to be military or industrial grade and was quite a bit heavier. Still in the drawer was a stack of clothes.


    "What is all this stuff?", Savros asked.


    Shin replied, "In the drawer on your left is a crew outfit that I put together for you. I based it on the style of clothes you were wearing when you got here, but I combined it with Polly and Jaen''s shared sense of style. I spoke to them about it last night, and we agreed as a member of the crew, you should have a uniform of sorts, something that''s ''Us'' but still ''You.'' We all hope you like it.


    "On top of that is a TallyStik. It''s how you get paid, and it''s also how you spend money on some worlds. The TallyStik also contains your identification, known medical records, and education transcripts. This information is linked to your bio-ID, and without your biosignature, all information stored within remains encrypted and unattainable. It''s considered the most secure and generally the best way to handle these things, but it''s not without flaws. I recommend leaving it stowed aboard the KaiStar when it''s not specifically needed."


    "Next to that is a crew communicator. They are linked to the KaiStar and me. I can relay messages or connect you directly and assist you when needed. You''ll get the hang of it quickly. Just carry it somewhere that it will be easily accessible to you."


    "Lastly, there is a handheld scouter. It acts as a navigator for you. A holographic overlay can show terrain and life forms in relation to each other. KaiStar Crew appears on the overlay as blue. Its sensors can also penetrate up to two feet of solid mass. I can also upload data to your scouter to give you added information when going to an area. It comes in very handy on recovery missions. If the location is known or track-able, I can simply mark it on your scouter''s map."


    Savros examined each item as Shin explained them. They instantly became his most prized possessions. In truth, they were his only possessions, but that fact made no difference to him. To Savros, these things represented a second life, new friends, and fresh adventures. And in the spirit of sticking to his plan of moving forward, he accepted these things as a part of his new life. For only a brief moment, he peered into the drawer containing his old clothes; his old life, before he pushed the drawer closed and said, "Shin, can you lock this one for me?". He removed his new clothes from the still open drawer.


    "Done.", Shin said, adding, "please don''t feel obligated to wear the clothes provided. You may choose your own attire. We already loaded your TallyStik with more than enough funds to purchase different clothes if you wish. I can also make any adjustments to these that you need."


    "I''m sure these will be great. I''ve never had a uniform or been part of a team before. I''m proud to wear it." He held it up and examined the shirt.


    They made it from a material he couldn''t identify. It seemed to be a mix of cobbon, a common plant used as a base for many fabrics, woven in with something akin to leather fibers. The result was a robust and breathable material. It was the same material Polly and Jaen''s outfits had been made from. It, too, had similar straps sewn into it as theirs did. Until now, he''d thought they were belts that had to be put on separately. It turned out they were part of the shirt. He pulled it on over his head. As his blue hair popped through the collar, it became apparent that it was at least two sizes too big. He tugged on the bottom as he positioned it on his shoulders. The shirt shrank down to a perfect fit with the second tug on the bottom!


    "Whoa!" Savros spun in a circle, trying to look at himself.


    Shin chuckled, "Cool, right? The fabric coupled with the tek in the straps makes quite a pair. If you give it three tugs, it will go even smaller for a form fit that doubles as a wet suit and cold protection. The pants perform a similar function although too much less dramatic and noticeable effect. The boots are, well, they''re just boots. We matched them to the size of the boots you wore last night."


    Savros had the pants on and was sitting down, leaning forward, putting the boots on, "I love all of it. It''s perfect! Thank you, Shin!".


    "You are welcome, my new friend, but I assure you, Polly and Jaen made most of the decisions. I did try to match the underlying colors to the clothes you had on." Shin sounded pleased that Savros approved of his new gear.


    He stood to his full height, almost an inch taller, with the new boots on. They made him feel several inches taller. He put the scouter in one of the little pockets on the strap running across his chest and right side, near his hip. He thought about where he should keep the communicator. It was small enough that he worried about losing it. He found another small pocket on the strap up near his left shoulder. The communicator fit into it perfectly.


    "Is there a mirror in here? I wanna see how I look." Savros used his fingers to brush through his hair as he looked around the room. Two panels to the left of the drawers flipped in their frames, revealing a full-length mirror. Savros liked what he saw. The fit of the clothes gave him a tailored look, and the boots added so much to his height that he almost didn''t recognize himself. "I look like a real member of a crew!" Savros said, primarily to himself.


    "You are¡ª." A knock at the door had cut Shin off. Savros turned to face the door as it opened.


    "Good morning, you guys!" Savros greeted his newest friends with a beaming smile as they stepped into his room. Jaen was first. She was about to say something when she saw Savros standing there in his uniform. Her face froze as she looked him up and down.


    After only a moment, Polly lost patience and pushed past her saying, "Good mor¡ªwha''?", she had looked up mid-word and was having a little difficulty processing that this was the same Savros she''d picked up in the desert the day before. The two stared for a moment longer before they blinked in unison and started talking at the same time.


    "Oh wow! You look great! Do you like the clothes?" they said together.


    Jaen followed up with, "Did you find the communicator?".


    And Polly right behind her with, "and the scouter?".


    They stood smiling, blinking at him, waiting for his response.


    "I love the clothes! They fit so well. I''ve never had anything like this before. I feel like a giant in these boots too!" He stomped around playfully in a little circle like a giant monster.


    He patted his upper left side pocket. "The communicator fit nicely in here, and the scouter fit here.", he switched to patting his right hip. "Shin explained them to me and told me about the TallyStik also.". He held it up, "Shin said there is already money on it for clothes, but I don''t need any more clothes.". He held it out to them, "You can take the money back and use it for something better."


    A slight twinge of pity shot across Jaen''s face, but Polly burst into laughter. She took a step forward and pushed his hand down. Polly grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the face. Her face turned severe, "Savulavulous, listen," she said, positioning herself next to him and putting an arm around his back as she turned him slightly to face the mirror, "These clothes, the tek, the money is yours, they are gifts from your new friends. They are just small ways to help you adjust and make things a little easier for you. We''re more than just a crew. We''re even more than friends around here. We are a family, and now you are a part of our family."


    Jaen had stepped up behind the two of them. When Polly finished talking, the three of them were standing together in the mirror. The mirror flashed for a split second. Savros jumped at the flash and began blinking, but the image in the mirror didn''t change.


    "That''s an image worth saving," Shin said as the remaining panels that made up the wall flipped in their frames. The mirror and the image of the three of them now covered the entire wall. Shin continued, "I proudly present the crew of the KaiStar." There was something special about the picture, especially to Savros. It was evidence, and it was documentation. It was proof that he was not alone.


    The three of them smiled, standing there looking at their larger-than-life portrait. Before Polly spun around and headed for the door, "Come on, you guys, we still gotta go track down this Sadjier before we head to Idyll Quies.". She stood at the opening, rocking back and forth on her heels. As Jaen headed for the exit, Savros placed his TallyStik back in the drawer he''d taken it from and pushed it close. With that, the trio headed toward the door.


    "Later, Shin," Polly said as she stepped into the airlock.


    "We should be back before lunch." Jaen was next through the door.


    "Bye, Shin." Savros stepped through and pulled it shut behind him.


    Once they were all in the main airlock, with the doors secured, the outer door sounded an alarm and swung open.


    "Good luck finding Sadjier, you guys. Let me know how it goes." Shin worried it would take longer than they thought to track this guy down.


    Savros nearly had a panic attack when he realized they would be taking the "Pod of Agony" around town.


    "Can we just walk?", He wasn''t joking, but the two just laughed it off.


    "Relax," Jaen said, tossing him a pair of goggles. "The dampeners were damaged, but I patched them this morning. Now she should purr like a Fur."


    "Yeah, sorry ''Ros, I didn''t have any earplugs for you yesterday, but I brought extras this time, in case something like that happens again." She opened her hand and showed him a handful of little beads. "Just squeeze it until you feel it pop, and then hurry and stick it in your ear." She demonstrated with one in her hand, and Savros watched as it swelled. It reached its maximum size and stayed for a few seconds before shriveling back into a bead.


    "Tek." she said, "If there''s no pressure on it, it will revert to its smaller state. You can reuse them if you need to, but carrying a few extra doesn''t hurt. And Shin will clean them for us, good as new, when we get back to KaiStar. Plus, you get like two hundred and fifty of them in a package." Polly gave him several beads, and he quickly found a small pocket for them on his belt.


    The three of them climbed onto the pod with Jaen driving, Leaving Polly behind her, facing backward, and Savros in the back seat facing Polly. Jaen fired the engines as Savros winced, preparing for the worst. To his surprise, the little pod fired right up and was running smoothly, without so much as a whimper. Savros smiled, Polly cheered, and Jaen hit the throttle. They were off zooming around town in an almost silent terrapod. Upon hearing about Sadjier and that he was supposed to "look for the tek," Polly and Jaen had concluded that the best place to start their search would be the tek dumps on the other side of town. While most of Abriva was a bustling, thriving commerce location, the town of BelToa was not that.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    BelToa was the less glamorous side of Abriva. This number of tourists, and not to mention the number of goods being made, tended to create a lot of waste. From scrap materials to broken tek, anything useful, in any way, that had filtered its way out of the surrounding larger cities, ended up in BelToa. All the tek in BelToa usually ends up in or comes from the northern blocks of town. KaiStar was hangared in the southwestern blocks. With the pod working so well, they moved through town at quite a clip.


    "Are you excited to go off-world in an actual ship instead of a little box?" Polly leaned forward and asked Savros with a grin.


    With the biggest smile, Savros leaned forward and said, "I can''t wait to see how it all works and to see Shin in action. I can''t believe we''re going to a new planet already. I was so afraid that I''d be stuck somewhere alone. But now I have you and Jaen and Shin. I''m a crew member, and we''re going to a luxury resort planet! Excited doesn''t even begin to touch it."


    "I know!", she tapped her knees and clapped her hands. "I''m excited too! We haven''t made a delivery to Idyll Quies before or any of the proper worlds. So far, we''ve only been to the moons, usually for ration delivery for the resort workers. But this time we''re going to Idyll! The most expensive and luxurious resort planet in Living Space. I''ve heard they''ve been known to give free rooms to delivery crews in the offseason. But based on the delivery manifest, I''d say things are in full swing around there. But hey, we can still take in the sites. Jaen says to be on my best behavior so that we''ll keep getting jobs like this, so I guess that means we can''t crash a pool party." She made a mock sad face and gave him a wink before leaning back in her seat.


    As they made their way around town, Savros took in the sites what there were of them, anyway. The town was constructed primarily of large warehouses and recycling plants surrounded by smaller dwelling-style buildings. As they made their way further north, they eventually came across a part of BelToa that was more like what Savros had expected to see on Abriva. In the town square, quite a few pedestrians made their way across the square or gathered in small groups here and there, discussing the news and weather and making small talk while enjoying the fresh morning air.


    He saw an enormous animal pulling a cart and stared in awe. He''d never seen anything like that creature. It was twice as tall as the man leading it through the square. The creature''s head was as larger than the man''s torso! Four legs, nearly as long as the man was tall. If the creature''s belly hadn''t hung down so low, the man could have walked under this thing. Savros craned his neck and turned his body to watch it a little longer as they made the corner, headed out of the square. With it no longer in sight, Savros turned and repositioned himself in his seat. Still wondering what the creature was. He''d never seen anything like that in his books or lessons.


    "Crazy, huh? That''s Crive and his Felbore, Myen. The first time I saw them, I had to ask him about it. Crive said Felbore are basically extinct, and their original homeworld was devastated by centuries of miners, scavvers, and pirates ravaging the land and resources. He said Felbore lived for centuries but only reproduced every eleven years. With their homeworld gone... As far as he knows, Myen is the last Felbore left. It''s so sad. I try to bring him a treat every time I come to the square. He loves those little opples that grow around here." It was apparent Polly felt a special connection to Myen.


    A few more turns, and Jaen brought them to a stop in front of a large building. The sign on the front of the building said "T-P-4.6".


    Jaen climbed out of the pod, "This should be the place," she said, pointing at the sign, "Tek Processor four-six, according to Shin''s research, there is a record of a Sadjier Nevala being assigned to this station about eight years ago. Unfortunately, all current information pertaining to Tek Processors is stored in-house, so we don''t know if he''s still here. At least it''s a start, though." Jaen headed up the steps while Polly and Savros hopped out of the pod and caught up to her.


    Savros half expected to walk in the front door and be greeted by giant piles of old broken tek sorted through by even bigger machines. What he did not expect was to walk in through the front door and be greeted by the largest man he''d ever seen.


    "Ahhhh, welcome friends, I am Sadjier, if you need tek you''re in the right place! HAha, haha! I have everything!" He threw his arms out to the side and let out a bellow of a laugh. He was loud, and his long hair, long beard, and large belly only added to his almost overwhelming presence.


    "Goddamn!" Polly pushed through the other two. "You''re as big as a house!" she said, walking up to him and standing next to him. "Look at this!" Polly was standing next to him, looking like a three-year-old next to her father. Sadjier''s ankle was bigger around than Polly''s entire body.


    She burst into laughter, "I don''t know, Savrow, maybe your uncle knew what he was doing after all. This guy''s big as shit! He could definitely keep you safe. Well, as long as he doesn''t eat you, anyway."


    Savros stepped out from behind Jaen as Polly commented on the man''s size, and Sadjier''s face dropped. He crossed the span of three men with a single step and stood in front of Savros.


    "Savros! Thank the stars! You''re safe! I had gone to look for you yesterday, at the depot your uncle told me about, but you weren''t there! I sent two more out to look for you this morning. Your uncle entrusted your safety to me, and I let you down. Forgive me, Savros, and please don''t tell Savrotores about this." Sadjier looked into Savros'' eyes with tears in his own, pleading.


    Savros watched in disbelief as this mountain of a man begged him not to tell his uncle. He heard Jaen say, "Well, at least the old man made some kind of plan for Savros."


    Polly responded with, "Yeah, I suppose it''s better than just dumping him on another world, but still."


    "Listen, Sadjier, I won''t tell him, but I do need a favor from you. Last night I met Polly and Jaen, and Shin. They are the crew of the KaiStar, and they''ve allowed me to join them. I want you to tell my uncle when you hear from him. Tell him I''m safe. You can even tell him you got me this job if it helps. Okay? Just let him know I''m okay. And tell him to keep himself safe too, okay?" Savros stood in front of this mountain as it wiped tears and snot from its face.


    "Okay, Savros, sure. But are you sure you are safe?" He asked, looking at Polly, then Jaen, "these two don''t look like they can keep themselves safe, let alone someone else."


    Polly''s face was immediately red as she stomped towards Sadjier. Savros intercepted the beating he was about to get, though. "I''m safer than I''ve ever been. And we keep each other safe."


    Jaen cut in, "If or when you hear from Savros'' uncle, you can send any messages to this location." Jaen handed Sadjier a small slip of paper. "And please don''t worry about Savros. Polly and I are much more capable and resourceful than we may seem." Jaen took Polly by the hand and headed for the door.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean any offense to you," Sadjier called after them. He looked back at Savros, "You know, with the fire coming out of those two, I believe you are pretty safe with them. Okay, Savros, I''ll tell Savrotores you''re safe and sound. And I''ll send his messages along to you. But stop in once in a while and let me know you''re safe, okay?"


    "It''s a deal," Savros said with a smile. "Thanks, Sadjier, I owe you one!" He said over his shoulder as he headed for the exit.


    As Savros pushed the door open, Sadjier started laughing again, "Okay, friend, live your life! But remember, if you ever need tek, you just come find Sadjier. Sadjier has ALL the tek!¡± The door swung shut behind Savros, and the smile left Sadjier''s face as he entered the back office.


    Polly and Jaen stood next to the pod of agony. He stood at the top of the stairs, looking at them. He didn''t understand how he could feel so close to them and like he''s known them forever, when this time yesterday morning, he was sitting in a small magic box waiting to see what would happen when he opened it. With no idea any of them even existed, he never would have ever guessed that his life would change so abruptly and drastically. It seemed surreal to him, but it felt so good he decided not to question it and just to appreciate it and them.


    ''I''m gonna have to give it a new name,'' he thought to himself as he descended the half dozen stairs. ''the TerrorPod of Agony'' was actually a pretty nice little pod when it wasn''t screaming.


    "All set?" Polly and Jaen asked together.


    "Yep, yep, thanks, you guys. It feels good knowing I can get in touch with my uncle." Savros said to the pair. "Now, let''s get the fuck outta here!" as he hopped in the pod.


    "WOOOO!" was the response from Polly as she threw up the devil-horns and stuck out her tongue before jumping into her seat.


    Swinging her leg over the saddle, Jaen was in similarly good spirits. "Let''s do this!". She hit the accelerator, and they were off. Racing back to Shin, who, by now, should have KaiStar just about ready for takeoff.


    Shin had been ready for some time now. The Hangar Maintenance Technician team was not. The crew walked into a hangar with chemical lines and electric charging cables strewn all over. A handful still remained connected to KaiStar.


    "What the hell is this?" Jaen demanded of the closest HMT to her.


    "Sorry, Ma''am, there was a hangar fire in the 3 Block of Eastern section this morning. Nearly everyone has been called in to help with that situation. We''ve got her all charged and everything topped off. We''re disconnecting the last hoses, and she''ll be ready to go. And we''ll have all this cleaned up before you get back." He stood in a civilian salute, stiff back, one arm bent behind his back, right hand held vertical in front of the sternum with palm facing left.


    "Him." She corrected the tech.


    "Huh?" the tech looked at Savros, confused and pointed, "Him?"


    Jaen rolled her eyes, already bored and ready to go. "KaiStar is a ''him'' not a ''her.'' You''ve got ''him'' all charged up, and ''he''s'' ready to go." She looked at the tech standing there in that awkward pose.


    "Oh, of course, ''he,'' got it, sorry ma''am."


    Jaen waved him on and turned to her companions with a bit of a grin and a shrug. "What?" she mouthed to them.


    "Come on, guys, let''s go see how Shin is doing." Polly was on the move again. The three of them raced to the ladder, and about halfway there, *Pop* Polly disappeared!


    "Cheater!" Jaen screamed before she too disappeared in a *Pop*.


    Everything had happened in the span of two footsteps, and Savros was left stumbling to a halt, trying to figure out what had just happened. As he came to a stop, *Pop* Polly reappeared right next to him, grabbed hold of him, and *Pop* he was standing on the bridge, facing Jaen with Polly''s arm wrapped around him. He was baffled, and stuttering as Polly laughed and squeezed him.


    "Here," she said, letting go of him and handing him a small piece of tek, "I built the hardware, Jaen did the software, and Shin just finished integrating the software with his own! So now. We have." She was pausing for dramatic effect. "Short-range teleporters!" Polly was beaming. Jaen was enjoying Polly''s enthusiasm, and Savros was marveling at the capabilities of such a tiny piece of tek.


    "Shin handles most of the work. These are basically just tracking beacons. Once we get all the bugs worked out, we won''t even need these. Shin will sync our bio-data with the software, and it will recognize us as crew members. I''m thinking voice-activated is the way to go. What do you guys think?" Polly was actually asking what he thought, but he was still coming to terms with the fact that he had just teleported for the first time and hadn''t even begun processing that he now had a teleporter he could use whenever he needed it, let alone think of ways to improve it. He sat down in the chair next to him, still staring at the tracking beacon Polly had given him.


    "I wish you guys could have met my mother. Back in the day, she was a tek-dev at the Center. She developed and modified new tek from the old stuff, and she was really good. She could get things to work that no one else could. Once, she told me how she and a friend had made a makeshift teleporter in their dorm so they could sneak out without anyone knowing. She would have loved you guys." He looked up from his hands at the now somber faces of Polly and Jaen.


    "Oh shit, I''m sorry, guys, I didn''t mean to kill the mood." He chuckled and rubbed his hair. "I just meant to say thanks, is all. You guys are incredible!"


    "Hey, don''t sweat it, Savray; you''ve been through a lot. I''m amazed you''re even functio¡ª"Jaen''s elbow in Polly''s rib cut her off.


    "We''re here, all of us if you want to talk. It seems Polly''s use of language is rubbing off on you, though, so maybe you should talk to me or Shin instead." She winked at Polly and Savros as they both looked at her simultaneously. "I''m just saying; we can''t all be cussing like stailors."


    "I''ll show you ''cussing like a stailor,''" Polly said, taking a deep breath.


    "All lines are free. All doors are secured. All ground personnel are clear. KaiStar is ready for departure." Shin''s voice cut in right as Polly''s lungs reached capacity. She held her breath until he finished.


    "Agast, me maties. Battle down the scratches and sliver the shimbers, you skallypags and billowigs! We set sail! To stations you tulip-tummied-wrench-ringing-void-trash! AARRRGGGG!" Polly had one eye closed, and the other one bulged outward as she pretended to brandish a sword at them.


    "That was ''cussing like a stailor''! I speak with the refinement of.. of¡­ something fancy, whatever. You heard Shinhan. We. Are. Ready! WOOOO! Let''s do this damn thing!" Polly plopped into the chair next to Savros and spun in a circle.


    Jaen took her seat next to Polly as the three of them turned to face the screen. The view from the console was the same view they would have if they could see through the hull. They watched as the hangar split down the middle and began to draw apart on either side.


    "That''s cussing like a pirate." Jaen leaned back in her chair.


    "Pirates are stailors, though," Savros added,


    "Thank you, Stavros." Polly smiled in victory.


    "Hangar doors, clear. Beginning flight sequence. Gravitational break in three, two, one, break." The trio felt a small bump and then nothing.


    "Beginning ascension to Halo Field altitude. Halo Field altitude reached. Contact with Halo established. Halo Proxima has control."


    Savros watched on the screen as they cleared the hangar doors and began ascending, but he couldn''t feel them moving at all. Savros was beginning to feel like nothing was ever quite as fantastic in real life as it was in his mind. All he''d ever known were his father''s ships. Clunky old freighters that until now he had nothing to compare them to. They had been frightening and wonderful to him as a child. Big noisy engines, blasting off all that power and heat. The whole ship felt like it would rip apart every time they left the surface. The booster engines would push him hard into his seat, and as a child, he''d imagined being on a crew of a dozen guys, all battle-hardened, leaving home again to return to a war they knew they couldn''t win. The planet below celebrated them for their bravery, and eventually, he would return as the hero who won battles in an un-win-able war. Childhood fantasies aside, compared to KaiStar, everything in his father''s fleet was obsolete. And KaiStar started life as a ship that could have been in his fleet! He couldn''t help but wonder why his mother had never stepped in to help modify and update his father''s ships.


    KaiStar was very heavily modified, but he could imagine many improvements could be made without taking it this far. Polly and Jaen were obviously both very gifted and could make anything mundane into something extraordinary. There was still no fanfare, no celebrations as he imagined as a kid, and now there wasn''t even the force and vibration that he''d come to associate with breaking gravity. He wasn''t really disappointed. In fact, he was a little relieved that this experience was so much different from the ones he had with his father.


    "Savros, look!" Polly whispered excitedly.


    The view on the monitor screen now showed as much below the KaiStar as it did above it. As Savros watched, the glowing edge of the atmosphere came into view at the top of the screen. Below the bright line was Abriva''s atmosphere. Above it was a clear view of space. The trio watched in appreciation.


    If they were as close to the equator as Savros guessed, then the Halo would be almost directly above them at this point, and as the KaiStar slowly rotated to face away from the planet, they could see it just off to their left, extending down in front of them and up behind them. It appeared much, much closer than Savros would have guessed. He could actually see people walking around on the lower section of the Halo.

 Chapter Five: Idyll Quies

    "We are free from Halo influence. Taking us out." Shin said as Savros felt another small bump pushing him back slightly. The Halo began moving toward the left and out of view of the screens. In no time at all, the glare from Abriva''s atmosphere was no longer visible either. He was officially flying in space as a crew member of KaiStar, the most fantastic ship he''d ever seen with, he was sure, the most incredible crew anywhere out there. Savros felt right at home, and the anticipation for his virgin trip was building. He was bouncing in his seat, looking back and forth between Polly, Jaen, and the screens.


    Jaen looked at the screens in front of her, "Okay, you guys, we should be at Idyll Quies in about half an hour Galactic Time. Shin has our course set. We have just enough time to eat something before we make our delivery. You guys hungry?"


    Savros was hungry, but he was also shocked. "Only half an hour? How can that be?"


    "Oh, right, we never got to give you the full tour." Polly was already out of her seat. "Wait right there." She bounded off through the door to the galley. Savros and Jaen were still standing up when she leaped back through the door¡ªholding two sealed packages in one hand and one in the other. Using the hand holding two, she tossed a pack to Savros and Jaen simultaneously, looking confident in their trajectories. When they both caught them, she struck a pose. "Ninja skills!" Polly said in a ninja whisper as she broke her pose.


    Jaen was already heading to the main corridor off the bridge, so Savros took the cue and followed her. Polly followed up behind as the three hurried out of the room. Savros followed Jaen down the entire length of the corridor, through the door, and down another hall nearly as long as the first. They approached the aft portholes, and he could see movement through them. Jaen motioned him over to one while she watched through her own. He approached the closest one and peered out of it.


    Jaen began explaining, "Each wing of the KaiStar remains wrapped around the body, unless we''re traveling through deep space. As the wings unfold and come down, they align at a perfect sixty degrees relative to each other and the PD-X3 drive engine." Jaen and Polly watched as well as Jaen described what was happening. She continued, "After they lock in place, the shielding opens, and the two remaining PD-X3''s are brought online."


    Savros watched as the wings aligned and the shielding opened. As the engines came online, you could visibly see the energy connecting the three machines forming a triangle. Each wing is actually the spine of a smaller class freighter. Polly stripped them and modified a PD-X3 for each. It took over three years to get them to work together."


    Polly took over the explanation. "It pretty much creates an isolated black hole and uses its jet streams as a propulsion source. And if that weren''t cool enough, because of the nature of extreme gravitation, even though the two jets face the opposite direction, they both propel us forward. So, in a way, these three engines create one engine that makes two engines.


    "But that''s not enough to get us there that fast. The wings can also rotate around the drive engine, a hundred and eighty degrees from each other. When the field is activated, the circle forms a feedback loop as they continue to rotate. As the gravity inside the ring of light nears the physical limitations of what''s possible, we can tear a hole in reality and go waltzing through like we own the place." Polly''s voice took on a maniacal tone.


    When Savros looked from the porthole, he saw Polly standing there with the cheesiest diabolical grin he''d seen. Jaen and Savros couldn''t help but laugh at her.


    "That is the worst way to describe it. I hate it when you say it like that." Jaen looked at Savros as Polly rolled her eyes in mock sarcasm. Jaen continued, "it''s more like jumping a ditch. This ditch is gonna take another twenty-six minutes to finish jumping. We aren''t actually tearing anything, and it causes no damage to ''reality,'' as Polly likes to put it."


    "Ugh, whatever, which one sounds cooler, ''jumping over a ditch'' or ''tearing a hole in reality''? Huh? I rest my case." Savros had to admit, Polly''s description sounded cooler, sinister, but cooler. Jaen''s kind of made more sense, though. "Besides, I could give a boring scientific explanation too." She cleared her throat and stood up straight, gripping the collar of her shirt.


    "These engines function on two combined principles that, as a unit, I like to refer to as six links of entanglement. You see, any two random points in space, no matter the physical distance between them, can be connected by using no more than six sets of entangled particles. We fire the engines, and they trap a single particle for excitation. Once Shin has located the partner particles, we use the grav drive to trade particles, leaving us in a different part of space holding one of the original particle¡¯s partners. Shin continues to track down particles that connect with the destination particle. We keep trading particles until we reach our destination. Never needing more than six trades." She dropped her collar and leaned into the hull. "See? Boring."


    "That''s my girl!" Jaen was excited as Polly finished her explanation. "Wait, what? Boring? No way, that was awesome. I love it when you''re all brainy like that!".


    "Oh, you like that?" she stood up straight again, "Should I keep going?" gripping her collar once more, "After the six trades, the contract will be fulfilled, and we shall rip a hole in the walls of this universe¡ª. "


    Jaen rolled her eyes, and Savros chuckled at the two of them. Before looking back out the porthole. The wings were beginning to rotate, and a faint circle outline formed along the engine''s path.


    "That''s intense! So we can travel anywhere in space in half an hour? That''s insane!" Savros was staring at them in disbelief.


    "It''s pretty crazy, but it doesn''t work quite like that. A single jump or trade takes about twenty minutes, two trades take a total of forty minutes, three trades will take us eighty minutes, four trades take two hours and ten minutes, five takes four hours, and when needed, six jumps takes six hours, and forty minutes. Once we''ve connected a chain, we can connect to any particle in the chain with a single jump. So once we''ve been somewhere, we can usually return in a single jump." Jaen gave one more glance out the porthole window before turning and heading back up the corridor, with Savros and Polly behind her.


    "We''ve got about a minute and a half before we make the trade. Let''s go eat in the observatory. We haven''t done that in a long time, remember?" she said to Polly over her left shoulder. "Polly and I used to eat lunch every day in the observatory, dreaming about the day we''d finally have KaiStar up here where he belongs."


    Savros thought the observatory sounded like a great idea. He wanted to see what it looked like to travel this way. Back in the first corridor, they made a left through a door, and Savros stepped into a beautiful garden, dimly lit by accents scattered through the various plants. To his left and his right, the hull had been made nearly entirely of glass. Only the twinkle of millions of stars illuminated the beautiful inky blackness. They sat on a bench that appeared to be handcrafted from a large tree root and just watched.


    Savros had lost track of time when he heard Shin''s voice. "Making the trade, to continue the analogy, in three, two, one, commencing trade."


    As Savros watched, the space between the stars seemed to grow rapidly darker until it smothered all light from the stars, then an explosion of hues of blues blended with whites filled the observatory''s view. Savros stood and walked to the window. The blues and whites seemed to be moving away from him as h stood and looked out the glass.


    "It''s beautiful and crazy." He just stared for a while.


    Eventually, Jaen said, "Look up."


    And Savros turned his gaze toward the ceiling and watched the fantastic view. It took him a moment, but eventually, he realized something looked off. It''s not like he knew what it was supposed to look like, but something was making him feel uneasy. A slight sense of vertigo was becoming stronger. He walked over to where Polly was gazing out the window on the other side. As he stood next to her, the dizziness was dying down, but when he looked back up, it promptly returned.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "It''s difficult for your mind to make sense of at first, but you''ll get used to it in no time." Jaen was still sitting on the bench and had opened her little package and was eating something from it.


    "No matter where you look, it appears that you are moving away from that direction. It''s easy to make sense of when you can only see it from one perspective. But when you can see it from the sides and above, your mind doesn''t know how to process it. You can''t be moving away from every direction at once." Jaen continued eating.


    Polly spun around to face them in an overly dramatic fashion. With a similarly dramatic tone, "My dear, Savory, please allow us to welcome you to,¡± (dramatic pause with a flourish) ¡°Quantum Space!". She paused again with a sour look on her face.


    "Shit. No. No, I don''t like it. You were right. It sounds like a bad science fiction story. I just can''t put my finger on the right¡­." She looked at Jaen and shrugged, "Whatev''s, it''s hard naming things sometimes; we¡¯ll finger it out." She went back over and sat next to Jaen as she tore open her meal pack.


    Savros joined them, genuinely hungry and curious about the contents of his sealed package. He tore the top off the package as he sat opposite Polly, next to Jaen. Jaen watched him sniffing the top of the pack, "It''s just basic ration sticks. We have a cabinet in the galley stuffed with them. Thanks to a mixup with the delivery manifest on one of our first missions. Four years later, we''ve whittled it down from a crew cabin to a galley cabinet. Still, with Shin around, we don''t even need the rations. That cabinet could easily last another four years. But they really aren''t bad, so we eat ''em sometimes. Just biscuit sticks and meat sticks, usually with a bag of various dehydrated vegetables." Jaen had finished hers and leaned back, gazing up at the breathtaking yet disorienting view.


    "Hey, you guys, we have about three minutes before our ''trade'' is complete. We should arrive within a four-minute flight to Idyll Quies."


    "Thank you, Shin. Are you guys as excited as I am to see Idyll? I''ve always dreamed of taking a weeklong vacation at Idyll Quies. The peace, the tranquility, the best food and drink in Living Space. Just a week of golden sunshine, gentle waterfalls, and strong drinks. Ah, perfection!" Jaen gazed out the window.


    Polly said, "A week seems like a little much. What would I do with myself? I''m definitely excited to see it, and I could spend a night there, but by the second day, I''d be itching to leave."


    Jaen giggled under her breath, "Oh love, you''d probably be ''asked'' to leave by then."


    Polly started to protest but changed her mind, "that''s fair," she laughed.


    Savros and Polly had finished their rat-paks, and the three of them stood in unison and headed for the bridge as though they had done it a thousand times.


    "Wow, you weren''t kidding, Shin." Savros stared at the monitor from his seat on the bridge. Idyll Quies loomed like a monster in front of them. "We really are like four minutes from Idyll Quies." It was a larger planet. From their vantage point, it appeared to be covered in lakes and rivers, as well as mountains. The golden sun cast a glow that made the whole planet shimmer with a golden light. Some of the structures on the surface were visible from even their altitude.


    "There will be some turbulence. Without the Halo''s grav-field, we get to enter the atmosphere the old-fashioned way. Shielding is at one hundred percent. Shields are functioning at full capacity, and as soon as we break the barrier, I''ll fire the drive engine. Turbulence should last no more than a few seconds." Shin was silent for a second, "Clearance granted. Hang on, guys, entering atmosphere."


    The KaiStar rattled a few times, and each time was more violent than the one before, and then Savros felt an overwhelming force pushing him into the back of his chair. He smiled as he tried to move his head. The turbulence was gone, and as Shin slowed their acceleration, the force holding him back was beginning to weaken until it was no longer present, and he began to slow the descent even further. Savros now leaned forward in his seat, propping himself against the arms of his chair and relying heavily, if not almost entirely, on the harness attached to the chair. He smiled again as he felt the skin on his facelift away from his skull. It didn''t hurt, but it was a feeling you don''t get to experience on many other occasions. It had always been his favorite part of traveling with his father as a child.


    Shin had them slowed down to a standard cruising speed and assigned altitude as they headed for their delivery destination.


    "The Pasithea is only a couple minutes away. The cargo is ready for offloading, and I have alerted the resort to our imminent arrival. We should be finished up in no time at all."


    "Welp, we don''t get a week, but we might get you a night out of the deal!" Polly looked excited, too, as she tried to eek a little more enthusiasm from Jaen.


    "Doesn''t just being here fill you with a sense of calm?" Jaen did look pretty relaxed now that he thought about it, so did Polly, and he felt less weight on his shoulders as well.


    "It is nice and peaceful," Savros remarked as they flew over the calm, radiant golden waters below. "Is that it?" Savros asked as a large structure came into view ahead of them.


    "Yes, that is Pasithea, consistently ranking as one of the top resort destinations in all of Living Space. We''ll be arriving in about thirty seconds." The trio watched as Shin spoke, and the resort grew larger and more prominent on the screen as they approached.


    "What do we have to do when we get there?" Savros asked, watching the resort grow larger still.


    "What do you mean?" Asked Jaen, "after we drop the shipping container off, we''re free to see the sights, experience what Idyll Quies and the Pasithea have to offer. Was there something you wanted to do?" She looked over at Savros with an eyebrow partially raised.


    "Oh, no, I just thought maybe we would have to delivery individual packages or something." Savros said, a little surprised, "but as long as we''re here, we might as well go to the beach, right?" Savros laughed, rubbing his head.


    "Hell. Yes. We. Should!" Polly said, banging hands on the arms of her chair with each word for emphasis.


    Savros could feel the force pushing him to the side as Shin made the bank to bring them around.


    "Landfall in three, two, one." a hard bump as they landed had everyone looking around curiously.


    "Everything okay, Shin?" Jaen looked concerned.


    "Yeah, sorry about that, you guys, it''s these floating landing pads. More accurately, it''s the massive fish that live beneath them. I can account for many things, but¡ªwhen a giant fish will move¡ªisn''t one of them. Everything''s good, though, no damage sustained. Commencing delivery." Savros could hear Shin opening the cargo bay doors, and the hoists activate as the container was lowered to the ground. The hoists retracted a few seconds later, and the bay doors closed.


    "Receiving transfer manifest. Delivery complete. I have good news and bad news, guys. The Pasithea is under renovations and sends their regards and apologies that they can''t offer you the typical one-night stay at this time." Everyones, face dropped, and much of the excitement left the room. "It goes on to say, however, upon completion of the renovations, we would love to welcome you back with a complimentary three-night stay for you and the crew listed on the manifest. We look forward to seeing you then."


    "Oh, hey! Three whole days and nights later beats the hell out of no nights! We need to find out when they''re supposed to be finished. What do you think, Jaenith?" Polly was watching Jaen, waiting.


    "Definitely! That''s close enough to a week that I feel like someone heard me!" Jaen laughed, "Okay, guys, where do we wanna go first? I''ve heard the Fall of God is one of the most beautiful natural places known to exist. Or, there''s the Shatey Beaches, enormous palm trees, whose leaves are easily twice the size of the terrapod, pepper the beach. Shin can probably find a lot more places we could visit."


    "Can we take a tour? Like just fly around and see different places? Do you guys wanna do that?", Savros looked from Jaen to Polly and back again.


    "I was going to suggest the same thing, Savigo! Let''s just cruise around and check shit out. What do you say, Jaejae?" Polly peered at Jaen over the goggles she had put under her eyes, on her cheeks.


    "KaiStar SkyTours at your service! Shin, would you mind taking us around and showing us some sites, please?" Jaen looked pleased with their group decision.


    "It would be my pleasure. I would suggest the observa¡ªoh, that''s interesting. You guys may rethink the tour when you see the job offer that just came in. I''ll bring it up on the monitor. It''s time-sensitive, and if we take it, we''ll need to leave very soon. Pick up a diplomatic wartime refuge from the Nog''Racias system and get him to the Galactic Center. He needs to be off-world in less than six hours, and it''s five jumps from here. There''s no deadline on his arrival at The Center, so we can refuel after we pick him up if we go directly from here. I''d normally disregard a job at a time like this, but this one''s offering five times our normal fee. What should we do?" Shin waited as they read the manifest.


    "I mean, we are finished with the delivery job, and we get to come back here, anyway. We can see it all then. I say we go." Jaen said as she and Polly looked at Savros for his vote.


    "Let''s do it!" he said. He''d dreamed of going to Nog''Racias since his uncle told him stories of the war as a child. That was before his mother made Savrotores promise to stop filling his head with war stories.


    They looked at Polly, "Let''s bounce, baby! This kinda place ain''t exactly my scene, anyway. Let''s go do some wartime shit." She put her boot on the console. And adjusted her goggles so that one eye was covered by them, "Agast, ye lamb lovers, prepare to set sail!"

 Chapter Six: Nog Racias

    ¡°Okay, guys, here¡¯s the itinerary Shin made. We¡¯ve got about three hours until we get to Nog¡¯Racias System, but we¡¯ll still be another hour or so from our target. It doesn¡¯t leave us a lot of wiggle room, but we should be fine.¡± Jaen had the course pulled up on the screen along with times and eta for their destination.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, easy-peasy. Shin¡¯s piloting the fastest ship in every category. And if we have to, we¡¯ll bring the twins out and let them play!¡± Polly gave her two thumbs up.


    Savros watched them, still blown away that they could cover that much space in just a few hours. He¡¯d learned about space travel years ago in his lessons, and as far as he knew, the fastest vessels in Living Space would need at least thirty-six hours to cover that much space, and that¡¯s just a rough estimate at top speed, not taking into account stops for fuel. The vast majority of craft would need weeks to make the journey. He¡¯d vaguely heard something about Shin being fast and bringing the twins out to play.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure Shin can outrun anything.¡± He gave the double thumbs up like Polly before feeling he missed something and dropped them.


    They both paused for a second. ¡°He absolutely can! But just in case he can¡¯t, we have The Twins.¡± She held up two thumbs again.


    Savros copied her, as confused as ever. Keeping her hands the same distance from her chest, she moved her torso around, leaning, twisting, and turning. Savros looked at her, waiting for some kind of comprehension to occur in his brain. He moved slightly, mimicking her movement, hoping it would help. Polly brought her thumbs down like she was pressing a button. Savros copied her, still confused. She moved her torso again, keeping her hands relative to her chest while pressing both thumbs down on top of her hands. She did it all again but added sound effects, ¡°pewpewpewpew¡± every time she pushed her thumb down, ¡°pewpewpewpew.¡± It clicked, but he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°No way! KaiStar has guns?! But it¡¯s not a military vessel. Are they legal? I didn¡¯t see them. Where are they? What are they? How do they work?¡± Savros couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Polly giggled and stomped her feet rapidly while in her chair, ¡°Haha, I knew you¡¯d love it. Okay, get ready for this. We have twin cannons!¡± She pulled two imaginary guns from imaginary holsters and held them up. ¡°They are super-pulse hard-light chain-splitters! It¡¯s a mouthful of destructive goodness. Each gun shoots two hard light laser projectiles simultaneously, with an adjustable fire rate from single shot to full hard light beam, but we have the governor capped at fifty rounds per second. It gets a little too hairy if we take it any higher. As for legal. As long as we keep them capped at fifty and don¡¯t misuse them, yes. Our biggest rule with the guns is this: We never pull them out unless we¡¯re gonna use them.¡± She ¡®pew-pew¡¯d¡¯ him with her imaginary guns before returning them to their holsters. ¡°But Shin has a great simulation to practice on. It¡¯s also super fun.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, can I try the simulator? I never even thought about needing weapons, I also never thought we might go to Nog¡¯Racias, I¡¯ve always wanted to go there, and as a kid I dreamed about being a great starfighter, returning home as a hero.¡± He was thrilled at the idea of getting to practice firing KaiStar¡¯s guns.


    ¡°But where are they? I never saw any guns at all.¡± Savros was thinking about how KaiStar looked when he first saw it. He couldn¡¯t recall anything that looked like weapons.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the cool part. You know how the wings wrap around KaiStar when we aren¡¯t using them? Well, the guns are on arms that wrap around KaiStar just in front of the wings. When they are all wrapped around, and secured, you really can¡¯t tell the wings or arms are even there. Each arm unfolds away from the ship and is fully articulate.¡± She pulled her imaginary guns again, but this time crossed her arms first and pulled from her left side with her right arm and vice versa, waving them around in all directions, even pointing at her own face. ¡°Shin set up safety protocols so that the guns won¡¯t fire through KaiStar, ¡®cause, well, you know, boom.¡± She jerked her head back at the boom and slumped in the chair.


    ¡°Crazy! You guys are insane; that¡¯s so awesome!¡± Polly, Jaen, and Shin all chuckled at Savros¡¯ enthusiasm. ¡°This is gonna be fun. When can I try the simulator?¡±


    ¡°You can try it now if you want. I¡¯ll set it up at your station.¡± Said Shin. He had created the entire simulation from scratch and was quite proud of the results. ¡°Use the dual stick controls. They are similar to the gun pods. Only the button on top will function in the simulator. Just watch the monitors. I¡¯ll highlight targets until you get the hang of it. Running simulation, good luck Savros.¡± Shin started the simulation. A curved screen appeared before Savros, a smaller version of the main viewing screens. Initially, he saw the same thing on his screens that appeared on the larger one. The first sign of a difference was the arms unfolding from around KaiStar. He couldn¡¯t see all of it on his monitor, but from what he saw, it did look a lot like Polly crossing her arms and drawing her guns. He could see either gun on each side of the screen as he pulled on the sticks and the guns, and his view turned upward. Pushing them forward, the view on his screen angled downward. He pushed the button on the left stick, and two piercing beams of light erupted from the left gun. It was a little startling, and Savros checked the main screen to make sure it was just in the simulation.


    At first, he didn¡¯t think he would ever get the hang of it. The targets came in so fast he could barely respond before they were off-screen again. It took him a while, but he had finally started hitting enough of them that Shin had removed the tracking highlight, and it was quite a while before he hit another one. But now, he was hitting about three out of ten. Polly was right. It was fun, but it was frustrating. He wanted to do better. He wanted to be able to hit ten out of ten, to be as impressive as Polly and Jaen were. He wanted to do something amazing like them. He kept practicing.


    ¡°Hey, Savy, how¡¯s it going over there?¡± Polly leaned back to look at him. No response. She could see him get a hit on the monitor. Then another and another. She went over to stand behind him and watch. By her count, he was hitting about sixty percent of them. She put her hand on his shoulder, and he almost jumped out of his seat as he went into a nosedive in the simulation.


    ¡°Whoa, relax, Savnax, just coming to check on you. It looked like you were getting quite a few of them. I dub thee- Savrocks, Asteroid Slayer.¡± She laid either imaginary pistol on his shoulders. And lifted them off as she finished.


    Jaen¡¯s voice came from behind Polly, ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving in Nog¡¯Racias System in just a few minutes. We¡¯ll be quite a ways away from the actual battlefield, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re completely out of harm¡¯s way. There are bandits and scavvers, hoping to capitalize on the destruction and confusion, as well as spies, saboteurs and general maniacs. To them and many others, the sounds of war are the sounds of dinner bells.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and to limit our exposure time, I¡¯m taking us straight to full speed as soon as we arrive. We¡¯ll have to make a detour to refuel, though. The closest station is a little out of the way but it can¡¯t be avoided.¡± Shin said as he changed the display in front of Savros to show the updated itinerary. Where they had pretty much had a straight line to the Galactic Center of Knowledge, they now had another stop in a nearby system, then on to the Center.


    ¡°Wow, that did not seem like three hours!¡± Savros said, standing up to stretch his legs and back. ¡°I feel like I was getting better, but at first I could barely see them coming in. Starfighting is harder than I imagined it would be.¡±


    ¡°You were improving quite quickly. However, those were just asteroids on a fixed path. On the way back, I¡¯ll let you try your aim against moving targets and if you can hit those, I¡¯ll give you a live training simulator against actual fighters. It¡¯s quite a bit harder when the targets move and even harder when you¡¯re evading fire as well.¡± Shin sounded as excited to let him try it as Savros was to get started.


    ¡°He¡¯s not kidding about that. Each step in the simulator is like a whole new world to learn and adapt to.¡± Polly was back in her seat, leaning back, looking at him.


    The thought of it getting even more difficult was only slightly daunting for him. After all, Shin had said he was ¡®improving quite quickly¡¯ that felt like pretty good praise to him. If he got to practice enough on the simulator, he was confident he would be ready if the time ever came.


    ¡°Arriving in the Nog¡¯Racias system in three, two, one. Welcome to Nog¡¯Racias, engaging drive engines. Arriving at destination in one hour thirty-two minutes.¡± Shin¡¯s announcements sounded incidental to Savros like Shin wasn¡¯t even aware he was doing it.


    Savros didn¡¯t even feel a bump or anything this time, no push as they accelerated either. He would have thought that the three engines working together would have made a tremendous amount of gravitational force as they accelerated the KaiStar.


    So far, space travel hadn¡¯t been the glorious adventure he¡¯d thought it would be. Yeah, it was still his first day and all, and yeah, he¡¯d already been to one incredible place, and now he was on the way to a second. He was still excited. He just hadn¡¯t realized how mundane the trips would actually be. Traveling through space was pretty much just traveling at night with no scenery to look at. He was even more grateful for friends like Polly and Jaen and Shin, who, along with KaiStar, were just loaded with secrets. The simulator should make the boring times more interesting, and if that doesn¡¯t do it, there is always a ton of stuff to talk about with Polly or Jaen. Savros realized the journey was the job, and his companions made the job an adventure.


    His body still somewhat stiff from sitting for three hours, Savros decided to take a walk around KaiStar. He was getting more familiar with the ship, but there were still rooms he hadn¡¯t seen yet.


    ¡°Hey you guys, I¡¯m gonna stretch my legs a little, feel like going for a walk?¡± He looked back and forth between the two of them.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s weird? I¡¯ve never once thought about just walking around KaiStar. We¡¯ve spent so much time in here, usually running around adjusting systems and making repairs, since we¡¯ve got everything synced and put Shin in charge of them, there really hasn¡¯t been a lot to do, and honestly we don¡¯t even go around the ship much unless Shin tells us about an issue.¡± Jaen smiled to herself, remembering when she and Polly had to run around like crazy people just to keep KaiStar together. ¡°I could use a walk. I¡¯ll go with you. It¡¯d be nice to see KaiStar through you eyes.¡± She stood and stretched, realizing she actually would benefit from a little movement.


    ¡°You guys go ahead, I¡¯m gonna kick some ass in the simulator, can¡¯t let Savros get better than me.¡± She gave him a wink as she spun her chair around.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®get better than me¡¯? I¡¯m gonna be the best. How can you be better than the best?¡± He could hear her gasp behind him, but he and Jaen were already on their way out the door.


    ¡°Ooooh, why you little¡­ We¡¯ll see about that, mister.¡± He could hear her yell after them as the door closed.


    Shin had been narrating the tour, With Jaen adding in bits here and there. It turned out other than the cargo hold, he had seen most of the ship. Splitting the main length of the ship were two parallel corridors. In the main corridor, just off the bridge, was a hatch in the floor where the service entrances for the wings, as well as the arms, were located. Off to each side, next to the wing service hatches, was a cubbyhole with a pilot¡¯s seat in it.


    ¡°These are the gunner-pods.¡± Jaen said, ushering him to take a seat.


    Shin showed him the actual controls for the guns, which typically remained concealed within the console until the arms drew out and extended. Savros sat in the seat holding the controls and imagined being in a real fight based on his experience with the simulator. Something about this seat made it seem way more serious than it had felt on the simulator.


    Eventually, Shin led them back to the bridge. Climbing the ladder and emerging back on the main deck, to their left were four doors Savros hadn¡¯t seen inside of. They were off the opposite corridor from the crew cabins, but they had very different-looking doors. Shin continued,


    ¡°Piso¡¯Mado is a just up ahead. Under wartime protocol we don¡¯t have a name for our contact, only a bio-ID. We¡¯ll have to verify the target before we leave. The offer came from the Center directly, so as long as the target matches the bio-ID we should be okay, but still, all things considered, I¡¯ve assigned them to the holding quarters.¡±


    ¡°Holding quarters?¡± Savros asked.


    ¡°The four rooms on the starboard corridor have been modified. We¡¯ve completely isolated the holding quarters from KaiStar systems. Fortified against attack from the inside and are secure-able with a hermetic seal. They look like normal rooms. However, we designed them for quarantine situations, but they come in handy in all sorts of situations. In the event of extreme danger or need, we can jettison the entire room. Hopefully, it never comes to that, but we have it if it does.¡±


    They were back at the bridge and taking their seats as Shin finished his job as Tour Guide. Savros kind of felt pity for Shin. He seemed perfectly content with his existence, but he was in charge of nearly every aspect of the KaiStar. It seemed like a lot of responsibility with no downtime. But then again, does Shin even need breaks? It was easy to think of him as a guy on the ship talking to them over the intercom. But it got a little more complicated when he thought of him as a part of the ship. Without a biological body Shin wouldn¡¯t need sleep, but how could any sentience not go mad without at least a mental break?


    In a matter of seconds, Savros had gotten very curious about what existence was like from Shin¡¯s perspective. He didn¡¯t know any way to approach the situation other than to just ask him.


    ¡°What¡­¡±, before he could finish his question, something on the screen caught his eye.


    ¡°What is that?¡± The glint on the screen was approaching very quickly. A massive structure looming silently in the dark was growing more massive by the moment.


    ¡°That is a sentry station. At the height of the war, this was the front line. These stations were installed and operated together to monitor traffic. They were also heavily armed to protect fleeing refugees as well as hold off advancing forces. Only two have been found. The others are believed to have been dismantled, either recommissioned by the fleet or chopped by scavvers.


    ¡°This one is known as Piso¡¯Mado. It¡¯s been converted to a back-up supply depot and usually runs active-dark to avoid attention from scavvers and others. Our contact should be expecting us. I¡¯m waiting for bay confirmation now.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    They watched as the structure grew so large it extended past their field of view above and below the screens. They did a good job of running active-dark. From their perspective, the place looked long abandoned and forgotten. A hangar door suddenly began to open, casting a sharp light onto the ship.


    ¡°Confirmation received. Proceeding to bay three. Here we go, you guys, keep your eyes open. Remember, our goal is to make a positive I.D. and depart with the target as quickly and quietly as we can. Be safe out there. Touching down now.¡± Concern carried through in Shin¡¯s voice as he wished them good luck. Savros looked from Jaen to Polly as they stood. They both looked calm but serious. He took his queue from them. Game-face time. He followed them out of the bridge.


    At the airlock door, Polly turned to him, ¡°You ready for your first mission, Savroy? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be pretty straightforward, but like Shin said, we still need to be careful. Keep your head on a swivel, and if anything goes sideways, just get back to the KaiStar.¡± She patted the pocket he¡¯d put the teleport beacon in.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, I¡¯m on it, I.D. the target, return to ship, get the hell outta here.¡± Savros had his game face on.


    ¡°You got it, my man!¡± She gave him a smile and a thumbs-up before proceeding through the airlock after Jaen. As the pressure equalized in the airlock, Savros¡¯ excitement rose. His life had taken extreme turns recently, and here he was about to go I.D. a target and escort them halfway across Living Space. Just another day on the job. The thought made him smile. Just another first day on the job.


    The airlock alarm sounded, and the exterior door opened. They made their way down the ladder. It made sense to Savros that they would use the ladder instead of teleporting outside. Not knowing for sure what was waiting for them meant caution was necessary, and holding the teleporter card meant they could use it for an easier escape if things ¡®go sideways,¡¯ as Polly had said. They had made it about halfway across the hangar floor when a door opened and an elderly, oddly dressed yet strangely distinguished-looking guy came strolling into the hangar. He carried a cane, but he didn¡¯t use it to walk as he strode confidently toward them. He was so confident that it put the three of them on guard. When he was still several paces away, he stopped and bowed slightly. He spoke with a calm, clear voice.


    ¡°Greetings Ladies, Thank you ever so much for escorting me to the Galactic Center of Knowledge. As well, thank you immensely for meeting me all the way out here. I¡¯m afraid escaping from the heart of the enemy has cost me everything, including any favors I could call in to get myself out of here. But with your arrival, I am finally able to continue my journey back to the Center.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Redonde Prashaad: Researcher, Historian, Documentarian, Scientist. I¡¯m a man of many focuses under the singular lens of truth. It¡¯s my pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± He bowed again, a little deeper this time.


    Jaen spoke, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well, Doctor Prashaad. If you wouldn¡¯t mind just staying there for a moment while, I verify you bio-signature.¡± Polly scanned him, and the tek showed a bio-match. Doctor Prashaad was their intended target.


    ¡°Thank you Doctor, if you¡¯re ready to depart we can help you with any luggage you have.¡± Jaen looked around him and the empty hangar.


    Doctor Prashaad smiled sadly, ¡°as I said, getting here has cost me everything. That wasn¡¯t hyperbola, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯m currently wearing everything I have. It¡¯s my own doing. I was captured, researching the origins of the conflict in the region, in a rare moment of panic and forethought I ditched my gear, including my TallyStik. Moments after being transported to a base for interrogation, the site I had been examining was hit by blanket fire. I flew past it on a subsequent transfer and the entire area looked like a glass sea. Anyway, this is it until I make it back to the Center.¡±


    ¡°Very well, shall we?¡± she motioned with her arm, in an ¡®after you¡¯ gesture toward the ladder to the KaiStar airlock. The four of them made their way back to the ladder. Polly first, then the Doctor, followed by Jaen, with Savros bringing up the rear. They climbed the ladder, and just like that, they were back on the KaiStar, step one of the mission complete.


    As the airlock alarm sounded and the door opened, Polly hopped into the corridor. As the Doctor followed her, she spun around and took a step backward.


    ¡°Welcome to KaiStar!¡± she said. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind following me, I¡¯ll show you to your quarters. We¡¯ll have to stop to refuel in a bout half an hour, then we¡¯ll make a beeline for the Galactic Center. The second leg of the trip will take about six hours. After we refuel, we have a meal scheduled and you are welcome to join us in the galley or you can eat in your quarters, if you prefer. Otherwise, you may want to use the time to rest. We¡¯ll be arriving just before sunrise at the Center.¡± They were standing outside the first room with a strange door.


    ¡°Here we are. You¡¯ll find your room fully furnished. Should you need anything, please use the intercom. We¡¯ll alert you at mealtime.¡± She ushered him into the room, to which he promptly responded by entering.


    He turned back to Polly. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine in here. And Thank you for the offer of eating with you and the crew. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a meal with friendly faces and pleasant banter. I¡¯d be honored to join you. I await your invitation.¡± He bowed again as she closed the door.


    Polly headed for the bridge and met Savros just around the corner in the corridor. ¡°Oh, watching my back, huh? That¡¯s so sweet! Or did you think I couldn¡¯t handle Doctor Grandpa back there?¡± she smiled and put up her fists like a fighter, bobbing and weaving,


    ¡°It¡¯s not that at all. I just wanted to see what happened and how things went. He seems nice enough and his story sounds sincere. I wonder if he learned anything useful about how the war started.¡± Savros and Polly walked back onto the bridge just as Shin was finishing the jump countdown.


    ¡°Well, you can ask him when we eat if you want. He said he wanted to eat with us.¡± Polly plopped back down in her seat and put her boots up on the console.


    ¡°Speaking of food, I don¡¯t know about you guys but I¡¯m starving, what¡¯s on the menu Shin?¡± Jaen asked, turning her seat to face Savros and Polly.


    ¡°Well, we still have plenty of Goglow tails and fresh vegetables that won¡¯t stay fresh for long. We also have plenty of the grains that we got from BeiHan. How does kabob¡¯s and grains sound?¡±


    As Shin spoke, the trio¡¯s tummies formed a harmony of agreement, rumbling in unison.


    ¡°Great!¡± they all said at the same time, all with equal enthusiasm. With that decided, all that was left to do was wait until they refueled and headed for the Center. They sat there, each imagining what the meal would be like, while their stomachs occasionally made sounds of impatient agreement.


    Doctor Prashaad, assuming the door to his quarters had been remotely secured, didn¡¯t even bother trying it. Instead, he busied himself in his room. He inspected the room and the furnishings, not for anything in particular. You just couldn¡¯t be too careful these days. Having found nothing suspicious, and he admitted, surprisingly well furnished, he laid back on the bed, hoping the trip goes quickly and that everything at the Center was still in place. In truth, he just wanted to be home. To take a bath, wear a fine robe, and not get out of bed for at least a month. To have a steak and a glass of wine. His stomach rumbled in agreement. He wondered how well they ate on this ship, the KaiStar. Hopefully, it was at least better than ration packages.


    He heard a knock at the door, a pause, then the door opened. Jaen poked her head in, ¡°Hi Doctor Prashaad, we¡¯ll be docking to refuel in just a moment. This will be our only stop and unfortunately, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to stay confined to your quarters until we¡¯re finished here. There¡¯s no need to take any extra risks when we¡¯re only a few hours away.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Doctor Prashaad was only surprised that his quarters hadn¡¯t been secured all along. ¡°I shall remain here until the all clear is given. Not a problem.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Doctor, I¡¯ll come get you for dinner as soon as we leave.¡± She said as she closed and secured the door. Polly and Savros were getting ready to make the walk down to the station attendant to provide payment.


    ¡°Journey¡¯s Begin, what does that mean?¡± Savros was staring at an enormous holographic sign above the station.


    ¡°EdenFire set these refueling stations up in areas that are heavily traveled but scarcely populated. The name was some kind of marketing bullshit or something. I don¡¯t know, everyone just calls them ¡®J.B.¡¯s¡¯ now. With so many people in and out of here all the time, it¡¯s a good idea to keep to yourself. Every kind of person comes through here.¡± Polly was eyeballing everyone around them as she spoke.


    ¡°They make it worse by not accepting auto-purchase accounts. You have to come down here in person every time. It¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡± Polly kept complaining and staring down at everyone around her. It was a bit of a madhouse in the place, but they were steadily moving forward.


    Just before they reached the counter, a kid burst in between Polly and Savros. Polly¡¯s foot came up and tripped the kid. She caught his arm just before he hit the floor. Savros, confused, looked from Polly to the kid, and then he noticed what was in the kid¡¯s hand. He reached up to feel for it, and sure enough, his communicator was missing, and there it was in this kid¡¯s hand.


    ¡°OWW!¡± the kid howled as Polly effortlessly twisted his arm further. ¡°Please take it, I¡¯m sorry, please.¡± Savros reached out and retrieved his communicator, and Polly sent him stumbling into a group of onlookers as she released him. It was their turn at the counter. Polly turned to face the attendant, who looked somewhat alarmed and also amused by what he¡¯d just seen.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, all three in bay three.¡± She waived a TallyStik in front of him, and as an afterthought, added, ¡°please.¡±


    He took it, scanned it, and returned it, ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am, three in three, all set.¡±


    Polly took the TallyStik and stomped off, the look on her face causing people to part for them as they exited the market and made their way back to the docking bay. As they made their way out and the groupings of people became more and more sparse, Polly¡¯s pace slowed a little, and her demeanor softened.


    ¡°Sorry, Savro, I don¡¯t like being in a crowd like that, and then that kid.. If they would just accept auto-purchase.¡± She stopped and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Anyway, I guess the first thing you learn in a place like this is, if someone touches you, they just took something from you. Sometimes it¡¯s a bump like that kid, sometimes it¡¯s just a hand brushing your arm, whatever it takes to create a distraction. It¡¯s all about awareness of the possibilities around you. You need to have an awareness of the larger space, but it¡¯s vital that you also maintain awareness around your personal space. It¡¯s just things you pick up as you go. The first time we ever stopped here, I lost my communicator, TallyStik and the hand held tek I was field testing. They robbed me blind, and I didn¡¯t even know it until I discovered each individual thing missing. Since then, as much as I hate this place, I always come down and pay whenever we have to stop here. No reason to put Jaen through all that when I already know what to expect, you know? But hey, we got through it and we aren¡¯t missing anything. Hopefully.¡± She patted her pockets as they continued toward the KaiStar.


    As they rounded the last corner before the Bay 3 docking doors, Savros saw a figure entering bay four. With the lighting in the corridor and at that distance, he couldn¡¯t see well enough to make it out clearly. In the first split second of rounding the corner, he saw a tall figure in a dark robe with a strange hue enter the door in a flurry. It was unexpected and happened so fast he thought it could have been a shadow. Whatever it was, it sent chills up his spine, and his stomach suddenly soured, making him want to vomit. He leaned against the station wall, still staring toward the bay four entrance. Polly noticed and looked where he was looking. Not seeing anything, she looked back at him.


    ¡°Are you okay? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost or like you were halfway through eating your cereal before you found the finger in your bowl. You don¡¯t look so hot.¡± Polly took his arm and helped him through the door, back onto the KaiStar. By the time they had reached the bridge, Savros was feeling much better, and much of the color was returning to his face.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Polly had been staring at him intently since he sat in his seat on the bridge. Now that he was looking and feeling better, she was starting to ease up on the intensity.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought I saw something down the corridor and then I just wanted to throw up. I don¡¯t know. It was like this sickening feeling of doom or something. It seems about gone now. Maybe I¡¯m just hungry or tired. It has been a hell of a first day!¡± Savros grinned at Polly.


    A big smile lit up her face, ¡°Shit yeah it has, a hell of a first day, Woo!¡± She threw both her arms in the air.


    ¡°A hell of a first day, indeed. Your vital signs have returned to normal and are stable. Your body temperature is fine. I¡¯m not picking up any trace of pathogens or bio-agents. And tryptic sensors are silent. Whatever was causing your symptoms appears to be stress induced. A nice meal and some sleep would probably be good for everyone.¡± Savros agreed with Shin. He definitely needed sleep.


    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Jaen came out of the galley, licking her finger, all smiles, ¡°Shin it¡¯s perfect, thank you so much.¡± She looked back toward Polly and Savros on her way out. ¡°I gotta go sign the bill, then we can get outta here and finally eat!¡± She ran out of the bridge.


    As soon as they made the jump, Jaen went to get Doctor Prashaad so they could all eat. By the time she returned with him, Polly and Savros were already seated in the galley. The smell of the kabobs filled the entire room, and everyone looked hungry enough to eat their own arm or someone else¡¯s.


    Jaen took her seat across from Savros, next to Polly, and the Doctor sat next to Savros. Polly lifted the lid from the serving tray of kabobs while Jaen uncovered the boiled grains.


    ¡°Doctor Prashaad, please help yourself, enjoy.¡± Jaen had barely finished speaking before the Doctor was reaching for a kabob.


    ¡°Thank you so much for the hospitality and the food. It¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve enjoyed a meal in pleasant company.¡± The Doctor had two kabobs and was reaching for the grains. Two spoonfuls, and his plate was full and his face happy.


    Savros and the ladies took turns pulling kabobs and scooping grains. They all finished their plates before any of them really spoke anymore. Savros pulled his second kabob and was getting more grains when he thought to ask the doctor some questions.


    ¡°So, did you find anything useful in your research into the war?¡± Savros dumped the spoonful of grains onto his plate. Polly and Jaen looked at him, curious about his response as well.


    Doctor Prashaad swallowed his food before speaking. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, ¡°I did uncover the truth about the war, but I¡¯m afraid it doesn¡¯t help much. The truth is the entire war was originally started over missing leaders from two sister planets. Both of the peoples blamed the other for the loss of their beloved leader and swore vengeance. The war has been raging ever since, at it¡¯s peak it encompassed three star systems. It has since receded back to the original two planets, but it¡¯s no less brutal. I believe Ol¡¯Guds, who retreated or perished with the Tryptic Energy, led both planets. Neither of the peoples had anything to do with the other¡¯s missing leader, yet have been paying the price for countless generations. It¡¯s sad but I¡¯m not sure that this information will be of any use at all.¡± He pushed a few grains around his plate.


    ¡°I thought if I could uncover the truth, it would bring an end to the conflict, but when I presented the facts to their commanders, they immediately detained me. For dissent and hurting morale. They made it quite clear to me that those in charge are only concerned with winning by annihilating the other side. They have given no thought to stopping the war on their own terms, at all.¡± It was obvious from his expression that he couldn¡¯t understand why they willingly continued fighting.


    ¡°At any rate, my mission is complete, and I can leave the war-zones behind, This mission has lead me into furthering the research on the Ol¡¯Guds, so after I publish my discoveries from Nog¡¯Racias, I¡¯ll continue in that direction.¡± Doctor Prashaad seemed relieved to get his story off his shoulders, even a highly abridged version like that.


    While the others pondered his story, Shin spoke. ¡°It must be hard to hear that you¡¯re fighting for a false cause. Especially after doing it for so long, on such a scale. Can you imagine fighting your whole life, as your father did, and his father and his father and his father, alongside generations of your fellow kinsmen? Recruiting peoples from other worlds, who would otherwise have no interest in your conflict, growing your side, improving your forces and abilities. Generation after generation, believing that they are on the side of justice and righteousness. Meanwhile, their adversary believes that they are on the righteous side and have been fighting for justice. At this point, countless lives have been lost, or torn apart or never even started. The war machine isn¡¯t concerned with who is to blame. The truth in your information will only matter to people. And if either side were to accept that information, it would be akin to accepting fault in the longest war in our history. A war that if the Doctor is correct about, started at the very beginning of our history.¡± Shin grasped the complexity of the problem much better than Savros had prior to his explanation.


    They continued the meal in better spirits as the conversation turned to lighter topics. After several helpings each, they were all in need of some rest and retired to their cabins. Savros hadn¡¯t considered that being in space for extended amounts of time would mean setting your own schedule. Shin had kept the lights on BelToa time, but after dinner, he had adjusted them to Galactic Time, based on the time at the galactic Center of knowledge. It functioned well as a way to keep universal time in Living Space, and they set the daily cycle of the Center to the mean cycle of over a thousand inhabited worlds. Savros liked the galactic calendar better than his home world¡¯s calendar. Because his homeworld was a little further from its sun, he was thirteen by its calendar. But according to the Galactic Center of Knowledge, he was almost fifteen.


    After his shower, he¡¯d gotten straight into bed. He was exhausted. What a day! And after all that, he was also fourteen, and in two months, he¡¯d be fifteen. Time was flying by. He laughed to himself. His thoughts turned from what the day had been like to how things used to be. Today seemed like an even more insane day in contrast to where he was a week ago¡­


    His heart broke all over again as he involuntarily relived that night that seemed so long ago but was only a week ago. The night his world exploded. The night his mother and father were murdered, and he ran. He cried until, completely exhausted, sleep took him.

 Chapter Seven: Dr Prashaad

    The force of the explosion was so strong that Savros awoke midair, just before landing on his back in the middle of the floor. He sat up, blinking to amber lights and a muffled alarm. He was already at the door, headed for the bridge when he heard Polly¡¯s voice over the intercom.


    ¡°Savros, Doctor Prashaad, to the bridge! We are under attack! Code red, get up here now!¡±


    Savros was through the door and in his seat before Polly finished the announcement. Doctor Prashaad was only a few seconds behind him. He strapped himself into the seat behind Polly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Jaen?¡± Savros asked, concerned, ¡°what¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s attacking us?¡±


    ¡°Jaen¡¯s on her way up from the engine deck. We completed the first six jumps, and before Shin could lock onto another particle, we got hit. Jaen was at the engine decks, ready to check a voltage drain that Shin had detected mid flight. I don¡¯t think she even had time to open the hatch before they hit us.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, they must have found me! I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯d been hiding at Piso¡¯Mado for over a month before I sent word to The Center. I thought I was going to be clear and safe. They must have tracked us down somehow or followed us from Journey¡¯s Begin. I should have waited longer, now I¡¯ve doomed us all. I¡¯m¡ª.¡° Doctor Prashaad was cut short when Polly spun her chair around and slapped him in the face, harder than seemed necessary. It seemed to do the trick, though. Doctor Prashaad immediately gathered his wits and calmed himself.


    ¡°We got this, don¡¯t worry, besides we¡¯re so far from Nog¡¯Racias at this point there¡¯s no way they could predict our location, and with our engines, they couldn¡¯t have followed us. We must have arrives at the wrong place at the wrong time and gotten caught in the crossfire or just happened to run into an enterprising group trying to capitalize on their luck by getting the jump on us.¡± Polly spun her chair back around as Shin activated the screen and brought the short-range sensors online.


    Her first theory was immediately shot down; only one ship showed up on the display, they weren¡¯t caught in a crossfire. There was still a chance that they had just surprised another passing ship, and it was a misunderstanding. She watched the screen as the ship sent another volley of fire, and theory two went down the drain. What kind of ship would fire twice on another ship that had made no move of aggression?


    ¡°Raising shields. Shielding at ninety-nine percent, shields at one hundred percent. Hailing unknown vessel, prepare for impact.¡± The second volley smashed into the shields, rocking the KaiStar with as much force as the first impact.


    ¡°Shielding at ninety-nine percent, shields at ninety percent. Frequency open.¡±


    ¡°This is KaiStar, diplomatic vessel en route to Galactic Center. Cease fire, I repeat, cease fire!¡± Polly sounded commanding but not desperate. In fact, she was actually quite calm, considering the circumstances. There was only static on the line.


    Polly repeated herself, ¡°This is KaiStar. Please cease fire and identify yourself.¡±


    Static for a moment longer before a voice came through the intercom, ¡°Release him to us and you may live, defy us and you will not.¡± Another volley of fire was heading at KaiStar. It struck the shields just as Jaen was entering the bridge. She leaped over the back of her seat and landed squarely at the controls.


    ¡°Shielding at ninety-eight percent, shields at seventy-two percent.¡±


    ¡°Sorry guys, thank you Shin, we¡¯ll take it from here. Savros, Polly, the twins, please.¡±


    Savros¡¯ heart was racing as he and Polly jumped down the hatch and took their seats in the cubbyholes. As Savros sat down, his seat spun in a full circle as a full surround holoscreen booted up around him. In one corner, he could see the KaiStar in relation to the other ship. He gripped the controls and leaned to the left as his whole chair spun to the left, and his view changed. In the bottom corner, where he could see the KaiStar and the other ship facing off, he could see the forward arms of the KaiStar unfold. He almost forgot where he was as he watched the KaiStar draw two very large guns. It reminded him of a gunslinger in the old stories, drawing both pistols at once. He turned his attention back to the main screen and the ship that was targeted on it. As the guns came online, a reticle appeared on his screen. He moved the controls slightly, and it lined up perfectly, and without thinking, he pushed the trigger. He could feel the vibration of the guns through the whole ship. Savros was blown away at the rate of fire and the power behind it. He¡¯d only tapped the button, but he¡¯d sent several dozen bursts of the laser. As his shot neared the enemy craft, Polly¡¯s shot came in from her side. Together, they struck the enemy ship with much more force than Savros expected. Several of the beams passed right through the holes created by the beams in front of it. One shot from each gun, and the enemy ship was not only crippled, but it was also thoroughly exploding.


    Savros looked over at Polly as she watched the same scene unfold on her screen.


    They climbed out of their cubbyholes and hugged.


    ¡°That was crazy!¡± Savros was trying to catch his breath after the rush he¡¯d just experienced.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t pick a fight. You never know what the other person is packing. Come on, let¡¯s get back up to the bridge.¡± Polly climbed back up the ladder.


    They entered the bridge to see Jaen slap a visibly shaken Doctor Prashaad.


    Jaen composed herself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Doctor Prashaad, but you have to keep it together. The threat is gone. I need you to breathe. Just take some deep breaths and calm yourself.¡±


    ¡°What do we know?¡± Polly spun her chair around and kicked her boots up on the console.


    ¡°The only thing we have to go on is the transmission they sent and the visuals that Shin was able to capture. We can infer that they at least assumed we were unarmed. Nothing that does us any good at the moment. Shin do a flyby and capture everything you can, then let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Jaen was sitting in her seat, staring at Doctor Prashaad.


    ¡°Are you calmer now, doctor?¡± Jaen¡¯s voice was kind, but her face was serious. The doctor nodded his head that he was calmer, but the way his fingers were curled into his seat, he didn¡¯t look calmer.


    ¡°Okay, good. I need you to think carefully. Do you know of, or can you think of, anyway, that anyone could be tracking you or us? Did anything happen to you, maybe in your captivity or at Piso¡¯Mado, that would allow someone to know your location? Magic, tek anything?¡± She continued watching him, waiting for his face to give it away even before he decided to tell them or not. She could see it in his face. He had no recollection of anything happening that could lead to this. He shook his head, no.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how, but we have to assume that they are after the doctor and can somehow track or predict our location. Fortunately, after our next jump, we should be close enough to the center to ward off most attackers. We¡¯ll finish our next jump in about twenty minutes and then we are only about an hour¡¯s flight from the Galactic Center of Knowledge. In two hours you¡¯ll be in your own home relaxing. Unless you think they¡¯d dare try once you¡¯re there. Seems pointless at that point, regardless of their goal. At any rate, we¡¯ll report the incident and deliver any evidence we have. The center should be able to handle it from there.¡± Jaen spun back around.


    ¡°How we doing Shin?¡± She was looking at the screen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gathered everything I can. Jumping now.¡± The screens faded as they made the jump.


    ¡°Does anybody see anything useful?¡± Polly put the images Shin had captured up on the big screens. They browsed through them, looking for any markings or designs that would give a clue as to who it was. Everybody was looking, but nobody could see anything. They spent the majority of the jump looking through stills and watching videos, but to no avail.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve only got a few minutes before we land the jump and are back in Living Space. Even though we should be safe, let¡¯s not take any chances. Savros, Polly, ready the twins.¡± Polly and Savros headed back to the cubbyholes. As they entered the corridor, they could hear the bridge over the intercom. Jaen continued,


    ¡°Shin, as soon as we land, hit the drives and let¡¯s move, straight line to the center. If they do ambush us, at least we can give them a moving target. Doctor Prashaad, I want you to just sit quietly and breathe. You saw how we handled the last one, and even if we can¡¯t disable them, we can outrun them. If we don¡¯t come across them first, the Galactic Service is always stationed at the checkpoints entering the system. If they are still pursuing us when we get in range of the checkpoint, it¡¯ll be their problem. Okay, here we go, everyone get ready!¡± Jaen was fully focused on the job at hand. Savros found the way she could transform into ¡®Captain Jaen¡¯ like that to be quite impressive. She was like a completely different person.


    Shin¡¯s voice came over the intercom, ¡°here we go, three, two, one. Engaging drives, raising shields. Incoming. Evasive m¡ª¡° The KaiStar rocked and shook with the biggest impact Savros had felt. His screen flickered, and when it came back up, he saw three bogeys as the KaiStar drew its weapons. Before they were even drawn, another volley and another massive impact. The corridor lights flickered as Savros turned his full attention to the screen. One ship in front of them with another flanking on either side.


    He heard Shin report the shield status, and it was not good, shielding at eighty-four percent, shields at fourteen percent. Then he heard Polly, who sounded like she was laughing,


    ¡°Let¡¯s light these fuckers up! Woo!¡± Polly unloaded her first volley toward the craft on her side of KaiStar. Savros was only a split second behind her on firing on his enemy vessel. His first volley seemed to be entirely absorbed by their shields. Disappointed that it hadn¡¯t been destroyed like the last ship, he locked back on and held the trigger down this time. Another impact nearly threw him from his seat as the lights in the corridor went down and. He recovered himself in time to see the enemy ship exploding, but he worried it would be too late when he heard Shin say shielding was at thirty-eight percent and shields were critical at six percent. He hoped with everything he had that Polly had taken out the ship on her side as he took aim at the large ship in front of them.


    ¡°Give me a boost Shin.¡± He said as he pushed the button, determined to not let up until he saw an explosion. Much like the first time, his volley was met by Polly¡¯s at nearly the same time. Neither of them was willing to stop firing until they were sure the enemy ship was disabled. After a full second, the first sign of explosion and then the big one they were waiting for.


    Polly and Savros were on their feet and moving to the bridge as fast as they could.


    ¡°Shin, is everyone alright?¡± Polly asked, ascending the ladder. No response. She stepped through to the bridge. Jaen was leaning the doctor up against the seat as he sat unconscious on the floor. The bridge, like the corridor, was dark, except for the sparks and occasional flashes of the lights. Smoke was slowly filling the bridge, and Shin still wasn¡¯t responding. Savros went to help with the doctor, and when he got closer, he noticed the blood on Jaen¡¯s face, and he started feeling sick again.


    She saw the look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m okay, really, it¡¯s just a cut above my eyebrow, where I hit my head on the console in that last attack. Those guys were serious this time. I can¡¯t believe they were waiting for us like that twice. That shouldn¡¯t be possible, but it proves that it wasn¡¯t a mistake last time. They¡¯re tracking him, somehow.¡± The Doctor was starting to come to, so Jaen left him with Savros and turned her attention to the screen Polly had managed to get working. Savros could hear Polly,


    ¡°It looks like Shin¡¯s housings are undamaged, thankfully. Let¡¯s see, well that¡¯s not good.¡±


    Jaen turned to Savros, ¡°Good news, bad news. Good news, Shin¡¯s housings are undamaged which means he should be fine. Right now, he¡¯s buried under a mountain of broken hardware and corrupted software, but he¡¯ll be able to hack himself out long before we can get to him. More good news, the powers supply and fuel reserves are undamaged. The bad news, nearly everything else is damaged. Shields and shielding are gone, engines are off line along with life support and navigation and,¡± she looked around the dark bridge of the KaiStar, ¡°Main power is out.¡±


    Savros listened to the situation they were in and waited for more because he was at a loss for what their next step should be. As he was taking it all in, Polly grabbed a tool bag and ran out the door.


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± she continued, ¡°Shin will find his way out through life support or navigation. It will save us having to rebuild one of those systems. We won¡¯t know the extent of the damage to the systems until Polly gets the main power restored. It shouldn¡¯t take her long. How is he doing?¡± She pointed at Doctor Prashaad.


    Savros looked down at the doctor, who was mumbling something about ¡®wartime antics¡¯ as his head rolled from side to side and his eyes fluttered.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be alright. Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Savros was desperate to help keep his new family safe.


    ¡°Could you take him back to his quarters? Put him on the bed and manually secure the door. We¡¯ll check in on him once we have things a little more under control.¡±


    Savros couldn¡¯t lift him entirely off the ground, so he grabbed him under his arms and dragged him out of the bridge. He was only halfway to the doctor¡¯s quarters when the corridor lights came back on, followed by a light show of sparks and arcs, before going dark again. As he reached the door, the lights came on again, this time with less fanfare. They flickered but remained on. Savros dropped the doctor¡¯s torso onto the bed, lifted his legs, and rolled doctor Prashaad onto his side against the wall.


    He left, securing the door behind him. He met Polly at the door to the bridge as she was climbing up through the hatch. She gave him a thumbs-up,


    ¡°Main power, check. Did you get Doctor Doomsly squared away in there?¡±. He nodded as she continued. ¡°Hopefully, he stays out of it until we get there. Be better for all of us, really. Hey Jaen, any word from Shin yet?¡±


    Jaen looked over her shoulder at them as they came in. ¡°Not yet, but I can see him working his way through navigation. I¡¯m working on life support while we wait for him. We¡¯re better off letting him bring the engines back online. I¡¯m rerouting power to life support from main power, so I¡¯m killing the lights and accessories. We¡¯re running dark.¡±


    A new display appeared on the screen, and code began to scroll as the program booted up, the screen went blank, and a map of Living Space appeared on the screen with a flashing red dot. The view on the map zoomed in on the dot, frame after frame until the KaiStar was visible under the red dot. The map zoomed back out until the galactic center was also visible on the map. A red line extended from the blinking dot to the galactic center.


    ¡°Course Accepted¡± appeared in red letters above the line. Another window opened next to the map with more code scrolling through it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize this. Shin must have written it.¡° Jaen looked at the code, trying to make sense of it as it flew by. The screen went blank, and when it rebooted, there was a pair of crude digital lips and a caption that read, ¡°Kaiozoshin Speak¡¯s.¡±


    The lips opened, ¡°I can¡¯t stand not being able to speak or express myself, it¡¯s hell.¡± Shin¡¯s voice sounded digitized and slower than usual, but it was definitely him. A sigh of relief went through the three of them. Shin continued,


    ¡°I still can¡¯t hear you and I¡¯m not a hundred percent the screens are working, but if you can hear me, I¡¯ve repaired navigation enough to chart a course. I¡¯m firing the engines now. Engine one: off line, engine two: disabled, engine three: misalignment. Rebooting engine one. Engine one booting, coming on line. Firing engine one. Engine one: misfire firing engine one. Engine one: misfire. Increasing power supply and fuel delivery, firing engine one. Engine one: on line, functioning at sixty percent capacity, operating at thirty percent efficiency. Engaging engine one. On course to Galactic Center. Continuing reassignment of system functions. Navigation operable, port side scanners operational, bridge communication operational.¡± The lips promptly disappeared from the screen.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be back.¡± Shin¡¯s voice over the intercom was a genuine relief to all of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back!¡± the three of them said at once.


    ¡°Life support, online! It¡¯s only functioning at about thirty percent, but it¡¯s more than enough to get us to the center.¡± The relief in Jaen¡¯s voice was apparent.


    ¡°Now that everyone is okay and we¡¯re back on course, I think I¡¯ll go hang out in the cubby until we reach the checkpoints. Everything happens so fast, I want to be ready if it happens again. I¡¯ll check on the doctor on my way.¡± Savros was already heading for the door. Jaen looked at Polly, who just nodded and stood up.


    ¡°Hey Starfighter, wait for me. I¡¯m not letting you claim all the glory.¡± She ran after him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the glory.¡± He said as he stood in front of the door to the doctor¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°Hey lighten up, it was just a joke. You¡¯ve had the worst week imaginable, and then today was supposed to be a simple delivery to a luxury planet. We thought we¡¯d take you somewhere nice and enjoy a mini vacation of our own, but here we are, limping into the galactic center, beat up and broken. But none of us are limping in alone, we¡¯re all still here. And Savros, Jaen and I fully accept you as a member of our family. Even if you never set foot in the KaiStar again. Both of us will always be there for you until the end and even beyond if we have anything to say about it. My point is you aren¡¯t alone and you never have to go through any of this alone.¡± He hadn¡¯t heard Polly¡¯s voice sound so caring or sincere. Savros turned and looked at her with tears forming in his eyes. He moved his mouth to say ¡°thank you,¡± but his voice didn¡¯t work. She gave him a long, hard hug as they both shed a few tears.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s check on this Doctor, what¡¯s he a doctor of again?¡± Polly seemed to have run out of patience with the man.


    Savros unlocked the door and peeked his head in. He was greeted by the loudest snoring he¡¯d ever heard. Savros closed the door and secured it.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine, it¡¯s a miracle he can sleep through his own snoring.¡± He said with a laugh as he wiped the last of his tears away. With their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, Polly and Savros headed down the darkened corridor to the cubbyholes.

 Chapter Eight: Galactic Center

    They reached the checkpoint without further incident. And after reporting the attacks, they had an escort from the checkpoint all the way to the Center. The Galactic Service used the trip as a chance to investigate and gather information from the crew of the KaiStar. They dispatched investigators to the scene of both attacks before they even arrived at the Center, hours later than planned. They landed with a heavy thud, and Shin immediately cut the power to everything but his systems.


    Doctor Prashaad had slept until the Galactic Service was already aboard the KaiStar. He woke in a panic and had to be restrained by a service member. They eventually got him calmed down and were able to take his report. Satisfied that they had all the information they could gather, the Galactic Service assured the still unsettled Doctor he was safe here at the Center. They also ''asked'' that Polly and Jaen not leave until they''d finished the investigation at the sites, as if they could go anywhere at all with the KaiStar in its current state. Besides, after a day like today, none of them were in an extreme hurry to go anywhere.


    The Galactic Center supplied them with quarters while KaiStar was under repair. They even offered to cover the expenses since it was an official mission, and Doctor Prashaad was returned safely. They eagerly accepted the offer but insisted that they oversee all repairs to KaiStar. Aside from it being their home, Shin was too precious to let just anyone go rummaging around. Besides, KaiStar was nearly completely custom-built, solely by Jaen and Polly. Only they knew and understood the various systems and their interactions.


    After getting KaiStar settled into the repair bay, Savros, Polly, and Jaen officially checked in with the Galactic Center of Knowledge. As Doctor Prashaad thanked them each by name and apologized profusely for his behavior during the crisis. He made them promise to come and see him before they left, then he pretty much ran out of the KaiStar. The crew was only a minute or two behind him. Exiting the repair bay, they entered a large, brightly lit corridor. Towards the end, in the middle of the floor, was a wooden desk.


    As they approached, an enthusiastic voice greeted them.


    "Greetings, I am Le''Ander: Hospitality Liaison. Welcome to the Galactic Center of Knowledge. Contained within this section of the building, you will find the offices of History, Research, Law, and Commerce. I can provide you with directions and more if you''ll kindly provide me with a party name and the office that interests you."


    All three of them could only stare as Le''Ander came around from behind the desk. From his face, he appeared to be a mid-forties male starting at where his collar bones should be; a gleaming metal carapace seemed to grow from his skin. Thin band after shimmering thin band made up his torso, tapering at the waist and further tapering through where his legs are to an end. Where his feet should have been, a single wheel glided effortlessly and silently across the floor. Surprisingly, his arms, while made from or covered in the same bands of shining metal, still had a fairly usual shape with shoulders, biceps, forearms, and incredibly nimble robotic fingers that articulated gracefully and accurately as he rifled through a stack of several forms. When no response came from any of them, he looked up from the papers, just as they were pulling themselves together.


    Savros spoke first, "KaiStar. Crew KaiStar.", his mouth was working, but his mind was still catching up. He tried not to stare. Polly and Jaen seemed to be regaining composure as well.


    "Yes, hi," Jaen smiled, "nice to meet you, Le''Ander. We are the crew of the KaiStar. Our ship is in the repair bay¡ª. "She didn''t get to finish.


    "Ah yes! They hero crew of the KaiStar!" He deftly separated the pages and pulled one from the middle. He continued as he looked at it, "Welcome to the Center! We have four rooms prepared for you off of the engineering section of the Research wing. If you prefer to be quartered in a different wing, I can begin accommodations immediately. Each wing has its own dining hall off the main corridor." Le''Ander rolled back around the desk.


    "These will function as your visitors pass, door keys, and meal vouchers." He came wheeling back around his desk and held out three little metal rods that looked a lot like a TallyStik. They each took one, and it lit up as they grabbed it.


    "These are now programed with you bio-signature and will work for all the before mentioned uses. It says there are four of you. I''m afraid your absent crew member won''t be able to get around the Center without it." Le''Ander looked a little concerned.


    "Oh, that''s Shin, he won''t leave the KaiStar, so you may keep that. He also will not be needing any quarters or accommodations. Thank you, Le''Ander, we''ve had a lot of excitement today and I''m sure I speak for the three of us when I say that we''d like to go to our quarters and freshen up, before anything else." Jaen looked at Savros, who just nodded, and then at Polly, who was nodding and mumbling something while she stared at Le''Ander.


    "Very good. I''ll change it to three active members. Please ask your crew member, Shin, to stop by my desk, should he wish to enjoy the Center. Now, then. Take a left at the end of the corridor, past my desk" he gestured with his hand as he spun on the spot.


    "The corridor opens up into a large garden." Le''Ander continued, "The doors to the right lead to the Law wing, where galactic law is written and revised. The doors across from the corridor lead to the History wing, where Doctor Prashaad is the senior field investigator. To the left you will find the Research wing, containing hundreds of millions of physical books and manifests on every topic imaginable, with several times more audio and video recordings, blueprints and diagrams."


    "There is much more to the tour, but I do not wish to keep you. Your rooms will be through the doors to the left. Take an immediate left into the corridor. The five doors on the left are the quarters that have been prepared for you. Your key will open any of them the first time, but only that door from then on. You may choose any room you wish, halfway down to the right is the dining hall." Le''Ander spoke quickly but clearly and then ushered them through with a slight bow.


    Jaen went first, with Savros following her and Polly bringing up the rear. As she stumbled past Le''Ander, she mumbled something and reached out and touched his arm. She giggled at the cool feel of the metal, mumbled something else, and stumbled on behind Savros as they headed for the doors on the left.


    Polly was still giggling and mumbling to herself as they made a left and came into the corridor.


    "Polly?" Savros was right next to her but had to say her name three times before she looked at him, "are you okay?"


    She blinked a few times and looked around. "I think I fell asleep!" She laughed, "I should have slept earlier during the jump. I just had a dream that we talked to a guy made out of metal, rolling around on a wheel! So where are we? Did we get rooms yet?" she looked around the corridor.


    "Umm," Savros pointed at the door in front of her, "we''re at our rooms."


    "Oh, good!" she looked at her hand, still holding her key. "Cool, I''m beat." She unlocked the door, opened it, walked straight to the bed, and fell into it, snoring softly as she hit the mattress.


    Jaen laughed, "Night Polls," she said as she shut the door.


    "Well, I guess that''s Polly''s room. I''ll take the third one if you want the first one."


    Savros was already standing in front of the first door, so he just nodded, "Goodnight Jaen," he looked at her closed door, "Good Night Polly." And then, as he opened his door, he thought to use the communicator, "Goodnight Shin."


    Savros was closing the door to his room as Jaen was opening hers, "Good night Savros, Sleep well."


    Savros followed Polly''s example and headed for the bed.


    "Good night Savros, you did exceptionally well today, you should be proud." Shin somehow sounded as tired as Savros felt.


    Savros lie down, replaying the events of the day. Idyll Quies felt like several days ago, but by his best guess, it was only maybe thirty-seven hours ago. Then he tried Shin''s simulation. He never imagined then that he''d be using the real thing just a few hours later. He never even made it to moving targets in the simulation, and he''d already taken out a live ship on his own and two with Polly. It felt weird to him, and at first, he assumed it was the sheer intensity of the day. He felt like a real starfighter today. He never imagined being scared or how hard his heart would be pounding when he used to imagine winning battles and returning home a starfighter hero. Well, he was in a starfight, and he did get called part of a ''hero crew'' today. Then it occurred to him. Hero or not, he could never go home with his mother¡­ and his father¡­. He wept as he thought of the last thing he did with his family. The day at the beach, his father winked at him; he cooked the meat for dinner with his uncle while his mother and father prepared the rest of it. And then¡­ He still couldn''t face the memories. But then his uncle was there. He hoped Savrotores was alive and well and hadn''t sacrificed himself in a quest for vengeance. With nothing to return to, he clung to his new life, his new family, even tighter. He couldn''t protect his mother or father, but today he helped protect his new family.


    "Shin was right," he thought, "that is something to be proud of."


    The walls emitted a faint glow as he lay there, blinking himself awake.


    "Oh man," he said aloud to himself as he sat up stretching, "I wonder if the others are up yet."


    He hit the button on the communicator. "Morning guys!"


    A few seconds went by before Jaen responded, "Good evening Savros, did you sleep well?"


    "Evening! I slept all day!" he laughed, "yeah I slept great! How are the repairs going?"


    "Polly slept quite a while, too. And to be honest, I wasn''t up as early as usual either. Even with all of us sleeping in, we''re ahead of schedule. We should be ready to go by this time tomorrow. Polly''s out there motivating the repair team. Shin has Navigation fully online and is working his way through life support."


    "Great, I''ll get dressed and head down."


    "Actually, Polly had a good point earlier. If you didn''t know, Tek-Dev is located in the Research Wing. One thing about the Center, they always keep good records. It may be worth it to you to go poke your head in. Le''Ander said your key would get you in and who knows, maybe one of your mom''s old friends could still be there."


    He was stunned. He hadn''t even considered the fact that his mother had walked these very halls. That in a room not far from here, she developed the tryptic sensor, then the scanner.


    "Thank you, Jaen, and tell Polly thanks as well. I''m gonna go over there right now. Just let me know if you need any help down there."


    "Will do, good luck."


    With the com silent, Savros jumped in the shower before throwing his uniform back on and left his temporary quarters in search of Tek-Dev. Back in the main section of the research wing, Savros continued further down the main research corridor. There were three doors on each side of the corridor. There was a display in front of each door, showcasing that department''s most impressive discoveries and developments. First on the right was Med-Dev; the display held various hand-held medical scanners and devices. They also had samples of several vaccines and cures on display. Each tek or sample had a picture commemorating the person or team that developed it.


    The smell of food wafting across the corridor drew his attention. A steady stream of people was coming from the opposite end of the corridor and going into the dining hall. Each time the door opened, mouthwatering aromas poured into the corridor. As Savros approached the dining hall, the display on the department just past the dining hall came into view from around the large abstract sculpture in the corridor.


    He froze mid-stride as he read the words on the department sign: Tek-Dev. His palms were suddenly clammy, and his feet weren''t moving like he wanted. He lumbered and stumbled toward the display, almost afraid of what he might see but unable to stop at the same time. He slowly walked around the case, and there on the middle shelf was his mother''s tryptic sensor, next to a picture of her when she was so young he barely recognized her. Savros stood and stared, tears rolling down his cheeks. She was smiling in her picture with three other people standing next to her. The looks of pride and excitement flowed off their faces. He longed to hug her and hear her voice. In his mind, he could still see her smiling down at him. Grateful that there was a competing image. That, at least for now, the image of his mother''s face as she died had been replaced by her smiling at him from a time when things were simple and peaceful. As he sidestepped the display to enter Tek-Dev, his eyes landed on the photo again. This time, he noticed a man standing off to the side in the background. He was surprised to see that it was Doctor Prashaad, obviously much younger, but it was definitely him.


    Savros turned, walking toward the main garden. He had to know if Doctor Prashaad really knew his mother. Back in the garden, he took notice for the first time of the grandeur of the place. The tree in the Center was bigger around than some houses. It was only about twice as tall as it was wide, but the canopy was massive. Making his way around it and through the spattering of other plants of varying species, sizes, and color, he came to the history wing and strode right through the doors without a pause.


    The history wing was set up differently than the research wing. There were way more departments, for starters. Savros counted six doors on either side, but because of the various sculptures from cultures of the past, he couldn''t see the other end of the corridor or how many doors there actually were. He chose the left side this time and walked towards the display. It wasn''t a department, after all. It was an office. "The Office of Doctor Redonde Prashaad."


    Savros pushed the door, and it swung open. He stepped into the office as the door shut behind him. The soft light accented the plush leather furniture, and the smell of old dusty books only added to the motif, making the room feel warm and peaceful.


    "Hello?" the voice came through a door at the back of the room. Doctor Prashaad appeared in the doorway, holding a large stack of papers. "Ah, Savros! How wonderful to see you again! I had sincerely hoped that all of you would be able to visit me, so that I can show my gratitude. However, I''m sure you can relate me feelings to the ladies."


    "Uh, sure." Savros said, rubbing his head, "but I actually wanted to ask you about something else."


    "Of course, of course, I''m compiling my report of the Nog''Racias," he waved the papers around to demonstrate, "but I could use a break, anyway. What''s on your mind?"


    "Well, my mother developed the tryptic sensor here at the Center, and I saw a picture of her with you in it and I was hoping you could tell me something about what she was like while she was here?" Wanting to get it out of the way, he added, "She was¡­ she," he paused, trying to keep it together, "died not long ago." The tears were there, but he wouldn''t let them fall.


    "She, she has? Oh, that''s terrible, just terrible. I''m so sorry for your loss. Please have a seat." He tossed the papers on the desk and gestured to the cushy leather chair.


    "The tryptic sensor, that was sometime ago. I''m afraid I didn''t know her particularly well. We collaborated on a couple of projects. I helped her with a code hidden in an ancient Ol''Gud text, and she helped me with a piece of tek that could translate written languages."


    "From what I knew of her, she was fiercely intelligent, funny and caring person. She was only here for a single cycle, but she made a rather large mark in that short time, not just on me, but on our entire civilization. The sensor made it possible for the¡­" he trailed off and came in with a different approach, "well, I''m sure I don''t need to give you a history lesson on the subject. And as our relationship was extremely short and purely academic, I think I know of a better way that you might gain the insight you are looking for." He stood and gestured to the door, "Follow me, please, if you don''t mind a short walk?"


    Savros stood and followed the doctor back into the corridor. They made an immediate left and continued down the corridor to the next door. It was marked "Hall of Records." Savros followed Doctor Prashaad through the door and into a large room that kind of reminded Savros of a hangar or storage depot.


    "Here we have a record of pretty much everything of note that has happened at or come out of the center." As he spoke, he led Savros past row and rows of cabinets, apparently organized by some kind of genius or madman. Savros couldn''t make sense of the filing system at all, so he gave up and just followed the doctor as he continued, "As you can see there are many many exhibits in this museum of sorts. Spanning many centuries and countless generations." They were so far into this labyrinth of cabinetry that Savros realized without the doctor, he would be lost in a maze.


    "Ah, here we are!" He opened the doors on the cabinet, and an interior light bathed the contents in soft blue light. Doctor Prashaad stepped aside and gave Savros full access. He reached forward and pulled open a drawer labeled "Research" and peered into it as the same pale blue light illuminated its contents. Stacks of paper, binders, manuscripts, and documents.


    Doctor Prashaad spoke from behind him, "This is everything that was collected surrounding your mother''s development of the sensor and the scanner. What you have now is all of her collected research that made that development possible. Each drawer has different contents related to your mother''s work here at the Center. The bottom two drawers contain a few of her personal effects that were left here after her departure."


    Savros set the papers gently back in their place and closed the drawer. He looked at the labels and didn''t see any that would really tell him about his mother; the collection was focused on her work, not her as a person. He did feel a strange sense of warmth being so close to the things that had been important to her at the time. His eyes settled on the bottom, two drawers. "Personal Effects"


    He pulled the left drawer open and found a picture of a young man that bore a striking resemblance to himself. He stared at it for quite a while before he realized it was a picture of his mother and father when they were only a few years older than he was now. The tears hit the photo before he even realized he was crying. He''d never thought to ask how his parents met and had never thought that they knew each other while she was here. The pain of missing them was only amplified by the feelings of not really knowing his parents, of never getting to know his parents. He knew that this was probably as close as he''d ever feel to them again, but the shame was tainting it. Holding it in his left hand, he opened the other drawer with his right. A small collection of trinkets. They looked like the kind of thing you''d see on display in an old person''s home, nothing impressive or particularly identifiable. He was about to close the drawers when he thought he saw one of the little doodads light up.Stolen novel; please report.


    It was a little sphere about the circumference of his smallest finger, covered in spikes that made the circumference three times the size of the ball. The spikes looked exceedingly sharp, but when he touched it, he couldn''t feel the spikes at all. It felt like a smooth ball. He examined it and wondered what it was, what all these little things were.


    "The Center tends to take over our lives, your mother, while brilliant, wanted more from life, she wanted to make a mark and do something to help all people but she also wanted a life of her own, a love, a home, a family and children and grandchildren. That is the man she fell in love with, the day after our celebration for the approval of the tryptic scanner, she published her ''intent to depart'' notice, and the two of them left to settle on a small planet far out from the Center. I thought you reminded me of someone when we first met, but I couldn''t place who or from where. It''s obvious now, the similarity is uncanny. And you are the proof that she was living her dream." Prashaad looked relieved and forlorn at the same time.


    "I know this probably isn''t allowed, but do you think I could keep the photo of my father and this little ball? I don''t have anything of theirs, and with these it feels like I''m caring a part of them with me." He looked up through tears at the doctor and was again surprised when he saw tears in the doctor''s eyes as well.


    "It is not allowed, but under the circumstances, I can make an exception. Out of respect for you and your mother and father. The ball, as you put it, originated with the Ol''Guds and emits a very low but steady and detectable amount of tryptic energy. All the items in that drawer do. It''s how your mother was able to test and perfect the sensor and the scanner. I''m sorry I wasn''t able to provide you with the stories you wanted. Hopefully, these things and this experience will be of some aid to you."


    Savros pushed the drawers closed and stood up, wiping the tears away and taking a step back.


    "Thank you Doctor Prashaad, I don''t know what I expected from you but you''ve given me more than I thought possible." As he carefully put the small photo and ball into separate pockets, Doctor Prashaad closed the cabinet.


    "It warms me to hear. Now, if you''d like to join me, I was just about to enjoy a meal in the dining hall. The food is quite good here and the menu changes all the time." Doctor Prashaad led him through the twists and turns back to the exit.


    "Thank you, Doctor, but I really need to get back to the repair bay. Can I take Polly and Jaen something to eat? I''m sure they haven''t stopped to eat anything since they started working."


    They were entering the corridor as Prashaad was answering him, "Oh yes, of course, I would join you, but I must finish my report, and I''m sure you''re all very busy with the repairs. If you don''t wish to go through the line, there are stations just inside the door to get quick, cold meals.


    Doctor Prashaad pushed open the doors to the dining hall. When the scents hit his nose, Savros accidentally drooled on the floor. He laughed at himself as he wiped his chin and followed the doctor to the nearest station, just inside the door. The smells were putting his sense into overload, and the level of volume in the dining hall was off the charts. He couldn''t even hear what doctor Prashaad had ordered. After a moment, he turned to Savros and extended three individually wrapped items. He held another and motioned him toward the door.


    "It''s a little too loud in there for me some days, and with my report sitting on my desk, I may as well go eat in peace while I finish it," The two of them walked back toward his office and the history wing exit. As they approached his door, doctor Prashaad turned to him, "Savros, you are, much like your mother, quite remarkable. I am certain the future holds great things for you. And I am sure your mother and father would be quite proud of the man you''re becoming. We never stop growing, though, so stay vigilant. Stay true to who your parents were. Don''t let the hardships of reality change who you are. Good bye Savros, and thank you for saving my life and getting me here safely."


    Savros nodded, again fighting the tears, "You''re welcome, Doctor and Thank you." He touched the pocket with the photo in it.


    The door closed, and Savros entered the garden and made his way back toward Le''Ander''s desk on his way to the repair bay. Le''Ander was busy with a small group as he walked by, but he still acknowledged Savros with a nod as he passed.


    A sense of relief and excitement washed over him when he saw KaiStar. All new shielding, the weird rusty-colored panels had been destroyed in the attacks and replaced with shiny black panels. The whole ship had a new look, the darker colors bringing out a sense of menace. KaiStar looked downright intimidating. He stood at the ladder looking at it and his hands full of food and used his free hand to hit the teleporter button.


    He was in the middle of the main deck corridor. Engineers, mechanics, and all manner of repair people were hustling through the ship. One guy with a red face went sprinting past him, nearly stumbling over him. He offered an apology as he continued down the corridor. A few seconds later, Polly came stomping by. When she saw him, her face lit up. "Look who''s up! How are you feeling? Did you see Le''Ander? I thought I was dreaming him up."


    Savros answered each question as they came, "Hey. Pretty good. Yeah." He laughed, remembering her reaction to him the night before.


    She continued, "I gotta run, Savroly, give these guys a break and they take a vacation. Jaen''s on the bridge with some galactic service guy. I''ll be up there soon as I check on this shit. Be right back." Polly ran off down the corridor, and Savros realized that guy had probably been running from her. He laughed to himself as he entered the bridge.


    Jaen was in mid-conversation with a large, rather commanding-looking woman. He sat the food down on the console and sat in Polly''s seat, hoping to the caught up on the situation and conversation. The woman stopped when she saw Savros and faced him directly.


    "Savros?" it wasn''t really a question because she didn''t wait for an answer.


    "I am Captain Iskatel of Galactic Service: Investigations Department. As pursuant to the applicable laws of Galactic Investigation and the statutes and regulations of the Investigations Department, I hereby notify you of three points I am required to present to you. Firstly, in accordance with Diplomatic Law and Extreme Threat Policy, all repairs, including upgrades to the KaiStar, are of no expense to you. Secondly, the Galactic Center hereby recognizes you as the patent heir on both the tryptic sensor and tryptic scanner. Lastly, due to your mother''s contribution to the greater knowledge, the Center has elected to enact Sanari, allowing her to be treated as an active member of the Center and receiving all the benefits and commendations."


    "As Sanari is active, I should also inform you that we have taken up an investigation into your mother''s demise and those involved. I already have investigators on the way."


    He felt a hand on his shoulder as the room fell silent.


    Then the softer-than-normal voice of Polly,


    "Ah shit, I totally called her a guy."


    Silence.


    Polly cleared her throat and squeezed his shoulder before stepping around him, "Hi, I''m Polly, I''m sorry about that I only caught a glimpse of you before and I assumed because of you size¡­ and demeanor¡­ that you were¡­ a guy¡­." It was obvious to all of them that she wasn''t going to win this one. Captain Iskatel appeared to be unmoved by anything that was happening.


    "So what does ''patent heir'' mean?" Savros asked the captain.


    "It means the patents fall to you, you own the rights to both teks now."


    "Oh. I see." Said Savros, but he still didn''t understand what it meant. He''d just decided it would be easier to ask Jaen, Shin, and Polly about it.


    "As for the attacks you suffered while retrieving Doctor Prashaad, our investigation revealed no ties between the ships that attacked you and any known associates of Nog''Racias. In fact, their markings aren''t recorded on any of our databases. It is our belief that Doctor Prashaad was not the intended target but that you, Savros are their target. A religious text pulled from the wreckage seems to indicate that this may have been the same group to attack you and your family at your home. At any rate, you should all be very careful and prepared in case there are more attacks in the future. If our investigation turns up anything, we''ll send word through you contact on Abriva." She relaxed her posture and expression slightly, "On a personal note, I am sorry for your loss." She turned on the spot and strode from the bridge.


    They sat in silence for a moment after Captain Iskatel left. Jaen and Polly came around to face Savros as they knelt in front of him.


    "That was a lot to process." Shin was the one to speak first.


    "It was a lot. How are you feeling, Savros?" The look of concern in Jaen''s eyes, and Polly''s, for that matter, was like a weight crushing him down.


    "I don''t know, really. I guess I just assumed that those guys were after the doctor and it never occurred to me that they could be coming after me. And I''m putting you guys in danger. I just¡­" It had been an emotional day, in a horribly emotional week, and the gates had finally fallen. Savros broke down into tears. Not only from the loss of his parents but just from the frantic pace life had thrown at him ever since.


    Polly and Jaen put their arms around him in a group hug as he slipped off the edge of the seat, and they all settled on the floor.


    "It''s okay to cry, and to talk about it. You''re not going through any of this alone. You, Polly, Shin and I are a family and we''ll get through this together. The Galactic Service will track them down and we''ll fight through whoever they throw at us in the meantime."


    "Sav, we got your back man, if someone''s coming after you, then they''re coming after all of us. You aren''t putting us in danger. They''re putting themselves in danger by messing with my family. If they''re dumb enough to send another one after us, me ''n you will teach them the same lesson we taught the others."


    Savros cried while they took turns comforting him, and it did help. It was reassuring to know he wasn''t alone and that they didn''t blame him for the attacks or what happened to KaiStar. It felt good to know that even in the face of death, they were still right behind him and watching his back.


    "But what about KaiStar and Shin, the ship was nearly destroyed in that last attack? What if they send even more next time?" Still sobbing, Savros didn''t look up while he spoke.


    It was Shin''s turn again, "Even if KaiStar is completely destroyed, the truth is, the three of you are much more likely to suffer a fatality. My casing is shielded against pretty much everything, and even if the entire ship exploded, I could be recovered. For now, I am bound to, but not dependent on KaiStar. And with the upgrades Polly and the crew have made, we are much better prepared for active combat. We''ve only been set up for mid range support and that''s only for the diplomatic missions. With the looming threat and given your mother''s standing, the Center has granted us full combat permissions."


    "Oh yeah, Savy, wait till you get a load of this! While we were replacing the shielding, I installed twice as many shield generators, and the shielding we replaced the old stuff with is brand new and battle class shielding. It''s gonna take a hell of a lot more than a couple of ships to beat us up that badly again!"


    Savros looked up, "Really? It''s that much stronger?"


    "Yep, and after the real world trials of the twins, Shin created a routine to bring them online and to draw them out much faster. He also synced them to the simulation controls and routed the hud through our screens so we can man the twins from the bridge in emergencies. Now, if they show up again, we''ll be like gunslingers in the old stories! Pew pew! And if they even get a shot off, we prolly won''t even notice it."


    Savros sat there, feeling the warmth of the embrace and savoring the closeness to loved ones. He finally spoke,


    "Do you guys think we could go back to Abriva to check in with Sadjier? I''d really like to see if my uncle has sent word and try to send another message to him. With the galactic Service on the case, I really hope he hasn''t already gotten himself in trouble."


    "Of course, if he still hasn''t received any news we can go look for him ourselves if you''d like."


    "Yeah, I''d still like to smack him one for sending you off like that, anyway!"


    "Okay, next stop, Abriva!" Shin sounded excited, but he couldn''t tell if he was excited to leave the Center or return to Abriva. Or something else entirely. Or just his imagination.


    "Well, you guys, it''s late. What do you say we call it a day?" Jaen helped Polly and Savros stand, and the three of them turned toward the door, where they saw the food Savros had brought in with him.


    "What''s this?" Polly asked, picking one up.


    "I''m not sure. I went to see Doctor Prashaad, and on the way back here, we stopped by the dining hall, and he ordered these for us. He picked the other two up and handed one to Jaen.


    They all tore them open and revealed a thick, juicy cut of meat nestled between two rolls. It was cold, but it still smelled amazing.


    "Oh, this looks so good. Thanks, Savro, I didn''t eat at all today." Polly was talking through a mouthful.


    "Me either, you know we really need to get on a better schedule." Jaen followed Savros and Polly off the bridge and out of KaiStar.


    The three of them passed Le''Ander with their mouths too full to speak. They raised their sandwiches to him in a toast on their way by. Through the garden, through the doors, through more doors, until they were standing in front of their rooms. Each chewing their last bite.


    "Thank you guys, it''s been a rough and wild time lately and I wouldn''t have gotten through any of it without you." He unlocked his door and held it open. "I love you guys." He rubbed his head again, looking somewhat sheepish.


    "Ah. He loves us! You hear that, Jaen!" She smiled, "We love you too, Goodnight Savros, goodnight Jaen."


    "We love you, Savros, goodnight" Jaen gave him a hug. "Goodnight Polly" she gave Polly a hug too. And with that, they all retired to their rooms for the night.


    The next day, when Savros awoke, he went straight to see Doctor Prashaad. There was one more question he was hoping to get an answer to. He found the doctor in his office.


    "Ah, Savros, this is unexpected. What can I do for you?"


    Savros wasted no time and got straight to the point. "We''re leaving today and I don''t have a lot of time, but I was wondering: Have you ever heard of anyone spontaneously using tryptic energy?"


    The question truly threw the doctor off. It was clear he wasn''t expecting the topic. He sat and thought for a moment.


    "Hmm. Well, there are stories from the past, myths and legends mostly, that tell of someone accidentally using magic or doing so when under certain kinds of extreme stress. I''m afraid none of the stories have been substantiated. They are just too old to verify. And one would think, if it used to happen, it should still be happening today, but there aren''t any new reports coming in. Why do you ask?"


    "Oh, I heard one of those stories somewhere and thought if it were true, maybe someone knew how it worked. What about the Ol''Gud, do you know anything about them, my uncle told me about them and I''ve been really curious ever since." Savros thought it better to deflect the attention off of himself and play the curious kid angle, hoping the doctor might accidentally give him a clue to what was going on with him and the tryptic energy.


    "Taking an interest in the Ol''Guds and magic, eh? We have that in common. As soon as I hand in this report, I''m setting out to research and hopefully discover more about the Ol''Gud. A lot of their history is shrouded in mystery, which is only further muddied by the countless stories dreamed up by parents to tell their children, and charlatans to dupe the masses. Sorting through the misinformation is a bigger undertaking than just starting from scratch with investigation and research. So that''s my plan. Forget everything I''ve heard about the Ol''Gud and treat them like a new discovery." He stood and turned to the bookcase behind him, pulling a large volume from the shelf and handing it to Savros.


    "This is the current body of work relating to the Ol''Gud. As I said, it''s full of erroneous information, misinformation, and errors. You may have my copy, since I won''t be needing it. But remember, there''s no way to know what, in this book, is accurate information and what is fantasy. Take whatever you learn from it lightly."


    Savros looked at the bulky block of a book. He didn''t know a book could weigh that much. He examined the leather cover, with the title "Ol''Gud: A Compendium of Knowledge, Theories and Rumors," tooled into the surface. Along with a strange symbol of lines and shapes inside a circle.


    "There are many great and fantastic stories in there. I hope some of them prove to be true. I''m most interested in the ''Holy Catastrophe'', the retreat of tryptic energy and the disappearance of the Ol''Gud. The most prominent version in the book tells of a rampaging beast, Gah''Tak, that, were it ever set free, would devour the entire universe. The original Az''Reign worked with the Ol''Gud. Actually tricked the Ol''Gud into assisting them in creating a being of pure, condensed, tryptic energy. Of course, it went horribly wrong, and it took all the power of De''Den''Dae to imprison it. It was the Ol''Gud who created the lock that binds Gah''Tak''s cell. To ensure Gah''Tak never broke free, and to ensure that they brought no other abominations into being in the name of De''Den''Dae, they sealed all the power of De''Den''Dae- the name of magic in the Ol''Gud tongue- on the First World, knowingly sacrificing themselves in the process. But ultimately protecting existence and redeeming themselves for the death and destruction they inadvertently brought on the universe by creating Gah''Tak in the first place. The Kalibal held extreme power three times the amount in the entire universe, but it''s nothing compared to the full power of De''Den''Dae. If the power of De''Den''Dae were once again permeating the universe, magic would be available to everyone. It would be as air, or dust, or space; everywhere. It would usher in a new golden age of prosperity and peace. At least that''s what the prophecies imply. It''s likely purely fantasy. Once again, I must apologize, as I lack reliable information, and I fear that text may do you more harm than good. However, poor as it is, it is the most complete collection on the Ol''Gud. I''ll make sure I save you a copy, when I finish the new manuscript."


    Savros'' ears perked up when he mentioned prophecies, but he didn''t want to get into the details.


    "Oh, that would be great!", Maybe the new manuscript would have the answers he needed.


    "Great! It usually doesn''t take more than five years or so to complete an investigation like this and to compile a manuscript." Doctor Prashaad was pleased with himself, but Savros watched his luck shrivel up. If he were to learn anything more from the doctor, he would have to wait five long years. But if he was going to be able to protect his new family, he needed answers now.


    "Thank you, Doctor Prashaad." Savros rose to leave, "I can''t wait to read your new book." It sounded like excitement to the doctor, but it was a simple matter of fact to Savros; he couldn''t wait.


    Savros left the doctor''s office carrying the large tomb on his way to the dining hall again before checking in with the others. When he got back to KaiStar, and once again was carrying too much to navigate the ladder. He had to balance the giant book and the bags of food until he found the button. Popping onto the bridge, still performing a balancing act, he dropped the food and the book.


    "Surprise!" he shouted when Polly and Jaen jumped in a start at the sudden nearby commotion. They turned as he was retrieving the items and standing up.


    "Savros! Oh, thank you! I''m starving", Jaen eagerly accepted the bag he was handing her. Polly accepted hers and winked at him as she plopped down and opened the bag.


    Jaen was already eating hers and began excitedly telling him about the progress they''ve made, "Shin has all systems properly routed, we even put in a few redundancies, which should make it easier to reroute systems should we need to in the future. As soon as the Galactic Service finishes their inspection and gives us the go ahead, we''ll be ready to go whenever we want!" She took another bite and a sip from the small pouch, looking quite pleased. Savros was listening but had his mouthful.


    "And," Polly added, "the Galactic Centered offered us another larger-than-normal bounty to make a supply run. It''s a three-part delivery which accounts for some of the increase, but personally I think they are trying to make it up to us for this last job." Polly bit off another large piece and began chewing.


    Jaen wiped her mouth, "So, the plan is to load the supplies, then we hit up Abriva to check in with Sadjier. We''ll spend the night on Abriva, while Polly and I fix a few issues the galactic Service caused. Then we''ll make the drops. We need to be on guard after we leave here, however the other attacks didn''t start until we had already been traveling for a while, however they are tracking us it seems to only work in flight, which leads me to believe it has something to do with the energy signature of the engines. They aren''t common and the configuration we have them in is unheard of. Shin will be analyzing our energy signatures from now on trying to identify any unique signals." She ate the last of her meal.


    "As long as we don''t stay on-world too long and get trapped there and as long as we don''t travel for too long at once, we''re hoping to avoid any attackers and be gone before they realize where we are. It prolly won''t work, not for long anyway, but even Shin estimates we should be able to make it to Abriva and finish the delivery before we have a run-in. And since we are on alert now, we won''t be caught with our pants down again." Polly had finished eating while Jaen was explaining, and Savros swallowed the last of his while Polly was finishing up the explanation.


    "Sounds like we have a plan. How long until they say we can go?" he asked, picking the Ol''Gud book up from the console.


    "They do the final inspection at their own pace. But it shouldn''t be much longer." Jaen looked at the book but didn''t mention it.


    Savros saw her eyes hit the book. "I went to see Doctor Prashaad again. I wanted to ask him if there were any stories from the history of regular people using magic, and I asked him about the Ol''Gud. He didn''t know anything about either really, but he said he was going out to research the Ol''Gud and what happened to the tryptic energy. He said that this book is mostly just myths and stories and there probably isn''t much truth to it, but he said I could have it. It''s his personal copy."


    "I thought he might help me understand what I did that night or how I did it, or if I can do it again. If I can learn to use magic like that, I can protect you guys and we won''t have to run or hide any more. We could just be free." His thumb traced the outline of the symbol on the front of the book as he stared deeply into the cover while he spoke.


    Polly and Jaen shared a look laced with concern and empathy. "If anyone can figure it out, it would be you, Savros." Jaen smiled at him.


    "Yeah, and in the meantime, we got the twins! Me ''n you will mow down whoever tries to hurt us." Polly leaned into Savros'' shoulder. She stood back up straight and looked at him. Seriously, though, if you learn any magic from that thing, I expect you to teach me first.


    Savros laughed and rubbed his head, "Deal. Doctor Prashaad said it was mostly nonsense though."

 Chapter Nine: Return to Abriva

    ¡°Three, two, one, jumping.¡± Shin had begun the countdown within minutes of receiving the all-clear from the Galactic Service. It was a relief to Savros that, thanks to Polly and Jaen¡¯s previous trips to and from the Center, the trip to Abriva was only a single jump. Savros decided to use the time to get acquainted with the book. In his quarters, he sat the book on the desk and sat down in the seat as he opened the cover. On the first page in the Center was the symbol from the cover. Around it was three other symbols. Above it was another symbol in the same size circle, with another symbol below and on either side of it. Forming a triangle when connected with the main symbol in the Center. Savros looked at the symbols but couldn¡¯t make sense of them. On the next three pages, he found three vastly different versions of the same tale and began to understand what Doctor Prashaad meant by it being unreliable. He flipped through the pages. It appeared to be just as the doctor had described, everything from bedtime stories to myths and legends, from different sources, and from across the ages. He looked up when he heard a knock on the door to his quarters.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he said without getting up.


    The door opened, and Polly came in. ¡°Hey ¡®Roni, we¡¯re gonna be at Abriva soon. I wanted to come check on you before we head to the gunner pods. So, how are you holding up? You doin¡¯ okay?¡±


    Savros looked at the book, but he wasn¡¯t reading anymore. He thought about his parents and his uncle and Jaen and Shin, and then he looked at her.


    ¡°To be honest,¡± he began without looking up, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I should feel.¡± He was quiet for a minute before he continued, ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course, ask away.¡±


    ¡°Am I a bad son for not wanting to get vengeance for my parents? That was all my uncle seemed to think about afterward and I just can¡¯t help but think I should feel the same way. But what good would that do? It won¡¯t bring them back, nothing will bring them back.¡±


    Tears were falling from both of them when Polly spoke.


    ¡°Savros, no one can tell you how you¡¯re supposed to feel. We all mourn in our own way. But let me ask you something, would your mother and father want you out there looking for trouble? Do you think they would want you to avenge them, or do you think they would want you to live the best life you can?¡±


    ¡°I think they would want me to be happy. But how can I be happy when the same people that killed her are probably chasing us?¡±


    ¡°Well, look at it this way, then. You have the option of taking avenging your parents every time they come for us. And in that way, you¡¯ve already taken out at least eight, but probably more than ten of them. Two men minimum on the first ship, two for each of the smaller ships in the second attack, and at least two but probably four on the bigger ship. You¡¯re getting vengeance without even looking for it. That¡¯s gotta be better than sacrificing yourself in a revenge fueled suicide mission.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this way, you have me, Jaen, ¡®n Shin watching your back, they¡¯ll never get to you.¡± She gave him a wink as he looked up at her and held out her hand, ¡°Come on, we¡¯re gonna be there soon, let¡¯s get ready, in case they are waiting for another ass-whoopin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Three.¡± They were already in front of the gunner pods when Shin started the countdown. ¡°Two,¡± they took their seats as the display popped up and began scrolling immediately. ¡°One¡± Savros held his breath and gripped the controls as time seemed to stop.


    ¡°Twins online, engaging drive.¡± There was only a slight pause, ¡°No enemy ships present, proceeding to Halo.¡± Savros still stared into the gunner display, watching for any changes.


    ¡°Halo Proxima has taken control of our decent¡± Shin sounded relieved, but Savros continued to monitor their surroundings. ¡°Folding wings, folding gunner arms.¡± The display flickered, then Savros was left looking at the wall of the gunner cubbyhole. Shin continues with his final sequences.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get up to the bridge.¡± Polly took a few steps, but Savros didn¡¯t move. It wasn¡¯t until Polly touched his shoulder that he looked up at her.


    ¡°Huh?, oh, yeah, the bridge.¡± He started standing up.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Polly looked concerned.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m okay, I just¡­ I don¡¯t know, I guess I really expected them to be waiting for us, or me.¡±


    ¡°No, you had it right. If they are waiting for you, then they are waiting for us. Just like at the Center, Abriva and the Halo are too well populated, as well as being monitored and protected by their own security teams to attack openly here. We should be pretty safe, as long as we don¡¯t stay long enough for them to track us down and sneak in to the hangar or something.¡±


    He could already make out the hangar below them when he and Polly got to the bridge. He was excited to be back. Abriva felt like home base to him, but he couldn¡¯t really put his finger on why. Maybe because it was the first place he landed after leaving home? Maybe because it¡¯s where he met Polly and Jaen? At any rate, he was relieved to be back. They watched together as the hangar grew larger and larger. Then the roof split open and peeled back as KaiStar settled into the hangar with a light touch.


    ¡°Shinzi, can you drop the pod for us?¡± Jaen turned to look at Savros and Polly, ¡°Okay, you guys run over to Sadjier¡¯s, I¡¯m gonna get started on this code, and by the time you get back, Shin and I should have the software ready, and we can get started on the hardware mods.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good!¡± Polly was heading out the door into the corridor. Savros jumped up to follow her.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open out there.¡± Jaen said as Savros reached the door.


    He stopped and turned back to her. ¡°We will. You guys be careful around here too.¡± He turned back around, and Polly was gone. He teleported off the KaiStar in time to see Polly unhooking the lines from the pod. They hopped in, and they sped out of the hangar towards Sadjier¡¯s place.


    ¡°Ahh! Savros, my friend!¡± Sadjier looked genuinely happy to see him as he threw his enormous arms out and fully engulfed Savros in a hug, ¡°I have received word from your uncle, he called in not long after you left last time, actually. Here, I¡¯ll get it!¡± He sat Savros back on his feet as he hurried off to his office. He came back with a large smile and a folded piece of paper.


    ¡°It was good to hear the voice of my old friend Savrotores once more. He was not happy with Sadjier when I told him you were with the others, but after I explained to him, he said it sounded like you were safe so he was happy. I wrote down his words to you, here.¡± He handed Savros a folded in half piece of paper.


    Savros unfolded it and began to read the surprisingly clean and neat script.


    ¡°Hi, Lad. Sadjier tells me you¡¯ve made some friends, and they seemed like honorable people to him. That¡¯s great news! I¡¯ve been so worried that it was a mistake to send you away. Anyway, I think I¡¯ve located the last place the assassins were hiding out. Theres a cave in the old river bed. I¡¯m going out to investigate in the morning. With some luck, I¡¯ll lay this whole situation to rest tomorrow and at the least hopefully get an answer or two. Take care of yourself, Lad. I¡¯ll be in touch again soon.¡±


    Savros read the note a few times. As he read it, he wished that his uncle were here with him instead of out there walking into trouble. He thought of telling his uncle about the attacks in the hopes that his uncle would abandon his quest for revenge but decided a far more likely outcome would be that Sadjier would try to stop him from leaving again, and then he would have to deal with that as well as not being able to reach his uncle at all if he couldn¡¯t return to Sadjier.


    ¡°Well, at least he¡¯s alive. Can you give him another message for me?¡± Savros looked at Sadjier. He nodded in the affirmative. ¡°Tell him, ¡®I am happy and safe. I¡¯ve been to the Galactic Center and seen my mother¡¯s work. I¡¯m working and traveling the universe and I would very much like for him to join me here on Abriva. My mother and father would want us both to be safe and happy.¡¯ And Sadjier, can you do me a huge personal favor? Whenever you talk to him, try to convince him to give up his quest for vengeance. Please, his life is more valuable than anyone¡¯s death, especially his own.¡±


    Sadjier looked at him with large, sad eyes. ¡°Of course, my friend, of course. I have known Savrotores for many years and I doubt he can give it up, but I also understand your desire to have him safe here with you. The smaller your family, the more precious..¡± Sadjier¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t scream ¡®understanding¡¯ or ¡®vulnerable,¡¯ but Savros saw both of those in the man today.


    Savros looked at Polly and thought of Jaen and Shin back on KaiStar. He couldn¡¯t imagine losing even one of them. He had always taken it for granted in the past, but not anymore. Each of them, and the time they have together, was the most precious thing in Savros¡¯ life.


    ¡°Thank you Sadjier, for your service but also for your words. We¡¯ll be back in a week or so to check in.¡±


    Sadjier smiled a grin so big it was larger than Savros¡¯ forearm. ¡°You are welcome, my friend. It is my pleasure, and I will speak to your uncle, try to convince him to come for a visit.¡±


    Walking towards the door with Polly, Savros waved as Sadjier stood there wiping his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m never gonna get used to seeing that guy!¡± Polly kept looking back as the door slowly closed behind them. At the bottom of the steps, they jumped into the pod and flew through BelToa back toward KaiStar.


    ¡°Next time we have to go to the depot, you should come with and I¡¯ll teach you to drive the pod. We made a few mods to it, it¡¯s not much different, just a few things to know about. Anyway, after you get used to it, you¡¯ll be able to take the pod if you want to go anywhere. We could do it now but it¡¯s better to learn out away from everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± was all he said.


    ¡°Hahahaha, Hell yeah!¡± she echoed as they blasted up to the hangar.


    They finished hooking the lines from KaiStar back up to the pod and teleported back into KaiStar. Jaen at the main screen on the bridge, wearing strange-looking gloves. Savros watched as she used her hands to sort through code, moving lines over and bringing in new lines and bunches. Savros had no idea what she was doing, but it was fun to watch. Jaen drew a circle in the air with her finger, then poked her finger through the circle. The lines of code collapsed, the screen flickered, and KaiStar systems started booting. She took the gloves off and turned around.


    ¡°You got back sooner than I expected, but we¡¯re all done too! How did it go? Had he heard from your uncle?¡±


    ¡°He had. I sent him another message asking him to give up revenge and come to Abriva. At least he would have some protection there.¡±


    Jaen nodded, ¡°Abriva would be safer for him than his current location, but I wouldn¡¯t count on him just giving it up.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°And Sadjier is still bigger than shit!¡± Polly chirped in, ¡°You guys want a rat-pak?¡± she asked, heading toward the galley.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Savros and Jaen said at the same time.


    ¡°Halo Prox¡ªhold on¡± Shin¡¯s voice was coming through all their communicators.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s better,¡± his voice coming through the ship¡¯s intercom again, ¡°Why is it always my speech systems that have the most issue. Anyway, Halo Proxima has granted us take off clearance until local sunset tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Jaen said. Polly tossed her and Savros a pouch of food and sat in her seat to eat. Jaen continued as she tore the top off of hers.


    ¡°So we still have a few hardware mods to tweak, but everything¡¯s pretty much in perfect order, and since Polly can make adjustments to her mods while we travel, as long as we aren¡¯t jumping. We can leave now, jump to the first supply drop, and then Polly can make the changes she needs to while we travel to the next drop. Savros, and I will man the twins, with shin on lookout.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you noticed on our arrival, the twins draw out quite a bit faster now, and boot up faster, as well. With the extra shield generators and our more robust systems, our next encounter should be much more one sided, even against something like we faced last time.¡±


    ¡°That actually works for me. I need the wings open and the arms out for a couple of the mods to activate, anyway. What do you think, Savrocks?¡±


    Savros had been excited to get back to Abriva, but now that he¡¯d talked to Sadjier and knew his uncle hadn¡¯t been killed, he didn¡¯t mind leaving at all.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it. I¡¯d rather not sit around and wait to get attacked, anyway.¡± Savros was leaning back in his seat, eating the last of his food.


    Polly jumped up and rested one foot up on the console like she was about to step up onto it, brandishing an invisible sword, ¡°Shintar, take us out me matey!¡± looking back at Polly and Jaen with one eye closed ¡°Gar!¡± she said with a snarl.


    ¡°Gar!¡± Savros and Jaen answered, hoisting the words in the air as well.


    ¡°Twins pre-boot complete. Arriving in three. Two. One. Engaging main drive. Drawing arms. Scan¡¯s clear proceeding to drop one.¡±


    Savros relaxed a little in the gunner pod.


    ¡°Will it take Polly long to finish the mods?¡± He asked, looking across the small corridor at Jaen.


    ¡°No, she should finish up before we make it to the first drop.¡± Jaen said, facing him and leaning forward in her seat.


    Savros pulled the picture of his parents from his pocket and looked at it for a moment before he handed it across the corridor to Jaen.


    ¡°Doctor Prashaad gave it to me. It¡¯s my parents, when they were younger, from when my mother was at the Center. The doctor actually worked with her, but only very briefly. He also gave me this.¡± He handed her the strange spiked sphere, ¡°She used it to test and calibrate the tryptic sensor.¡±


    Jaen¡¯s eyes lit up when she touched it. ¡°Tryptic sensor¡­¡± she trailed off as she examined the ball. Squeezing it between her fingers, she smiled and handed it back to him, along with the photo. ¡°We should run some tests on that little thing one of these days.¡± She said almost absently before looking up at him as he put it away.


    ¡°So, I guess you got a something from the Center, that¡¯s good. I was worried you hadn¡¯t found anything.¡± Jaen said, leaning back and looking at the screen.


    Hitting the button on her communicator, she said, ¡°Hey Polls, how¡¯re you coming along?¡±


    Savros and Jaen were both surprised to hear Jaen¡¯s voice coming from the corridor. They both leaned out of their pods just as Polly hoped in between them.


    ¡°All done! Everything is shipshape.¡± She said, dusting her hands off together.


    ¡°Excellent timing, Approaching first drop, still all clear.¡± As Shin spoke, Savros looked at the screens in his pod. He assumed they were making a drop at some coordinate, but he could see another ship come into view. His heart rate quickened as he reached for the controls.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Savros.¡± Shin¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°The ship is our drop location.¡±


    As the words made their way through the ringing in his ears, he noticed a green ping on the ship. The enemy ships he¡¯d seen before had red pings. He relaxed his grip. But didn¡¯t let go or take his eyes from the screen.


    ¡°Syncing to drop location. Dropping package. Drop complete. Engaging drive, proceeding to second drop.¡±


    Savros relaxed slightly as they went back to full speed. He looked over to see Polly and Jaen looking at him with concern.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, guys?¡± he asked, trying to sound casual.


    ¡°Are you okay? You looked like you were about to stroke out for a minute there.¡± Polly squatted down next to him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. I guess I¡¯m a little jumpy. I just wanna be ready. They got the jump on us and almost killed us all last time. I need to be on guard to protect you guys. It¡¯s my fault, they are after me.¡±


    ¡°Savros, you don¡¯t have to protect us. We all protect each other, we all take care of each other, and if they are coming after one of us, they¡¯re coming after all of us. If someone showed up hunting Polly or myself, none of us would care about who or why they were after. They would have to deal with all of us. So try not to take the full weight of protecting us on yourself. We all share the weight because we all want to keep each other safe.¡± Jaen held Polly¡¯s shoulder while Polly had her hand on Savros¡¯ shoulder.


    Savros smiled. It was true, he would treat anyone coming after any of them as if they were coming after him, and it made sense that the others would feel the same way.


    ¡°Bad timing, but we have two unidentified vessels ahead. Shields up and guns ready.¡±


    Shins¡¯ warning came before they were even visible on the gunner pod¡¯s screen.


    Savros was calmer this time as the ships came into view, one in front of the other. Jaen switched with Polly and ran up to the bridge as Polly settled into the gunner pod.


    ¡°Why are these ships showing up blue?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Confirmed hostile ships show up in red, friendlies show up in green, and blue is for unknown.¡± He heard Polly¡¯s voice from her pod as she ran the arm through its articulation range.


    Savros did the same, testing the range and limits of the arm, ¡°So we don¡¯t want to take out any ship until it¡¯s red? Doesn¡¯t that mean we have to wait until they try to kill us before we can do anything?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, and no. If the ships are tagged to a known hostile entity, they will show up red immediately. There are also Scavvers and Pirates that typically run ¡®flying the colors¡¯, which is an easily identifiable signal marking them as pirates or scavvers. Bandits are the worst but also the rarest. They usually solo and pose as a peaceful ship until you are in position, then they open fire without warning.


    ¡°While they¡¯ve only sent two different kinds of ships after us, none of the ships that attacked us have carried identifying signals, and they are very common styles of ships. These two could be more attackers, or just two ships minding their own business. We won¡¯t have to wait long to find out.¡±


    ¡°It looks like we are going around them.¡± Savros sounded a little confused.


    ¡°If they aren¡¯t interested in us, they won¡¯t follow. Since we can¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in there, we don¡¯t want to charge right at them and make them think we are challenging them.¡±


    The color pinging from the ships suddenly turned red. At the same time, Shin¡¯s voice came over the intercom, ¡°Incoming fire.¡±


    Savros felt a slight wobble in the ship, but nothing like the last attacks. A sigh of relief escaped as he focused on the ships. They split apart, circling KaiStar in opposite directions. Savros locked on and fired, but the incoming ship evaded impact at the last moment. He frowned for a second before getting an idea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you something to dodge,¡± as he held down the trigger button, sending a blinding chain of light blasting toward the ship. He held the trigger as he jumped back and forth chaotically all around the other ship. The last burst of light made direct contact as it evaded the bolt that came before it. Savros didn¡¯t hesitate. He locked on and opened fire once again. He decided it was going to be his policy to shoot until he saw something explode. The ship exploded and blew apart. Savros spun his seat around, watching the screen looking for the other ship when Polly opened fire.


    ¡°Boom! Direct hit! Wanna light him up?¡± Polly asked Savros.


    ¡°My pleasure¡± Savros held the button until he saw the front half of the ship floating away from the back half. He was slightly disappointed he didn¡¯t get to see the explosion but decided it was still pretty cool to cut a ship in half.


    They arrived back on the bridge just in time to catch Shin¡¯s status update, ¡°Shields, at ninety-eight percent. Shielding at one hundred percent. All systems functioning properly.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Okay, let¡¯s get to the next drop before more show up.¡± Jaen turned to look at them, ¡°Everyone okay?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± they both said at once.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding about those shields! I barely felt a thing!¡± He looked over at Polly.


    ¡°I know!¡± She was grinning ear to ear.


    ¡°That was the strongest shot we¡¯ve ever been hit with too!¡± Jaen was grinning as big as Polly. ¡°See? We all protect each other, however we can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we got your back too, so try not to worry so much. If you haven¡¯t noticed, the four of us make a pretty bad-ass team!¡± Polly kicked back in her chair.


    They made the next drop without incident and continued the short distance to the final drop. After making the third drop, they changed course and headed back toward their jump point to Abriva. Tracking nearly straight back down the path, they took on the way out there. Shortly after passing the second drop point, Shin came over the intercom.


    ¡°I¡¯m picking up a distress signal. It appears to be coming from the area that we encountered those two hostile ships. Most likely a survivor aboard the second ship.¡±


    ¡°Well, shit. Okay, let¡¯s fly by and check it out. Approach with caution though, it could be a trap.¡± Polly turned her attention to the screens as she spoke.


    Jaen took her seat, and all three of them sat upright, eyes glued to the screens. Only the front half of the ship was visible. The back half must have exploded after they left. With no other ships in sight, they approached slowly. Shin is ready to engage all three drives if need be.


    ¡°Beginning scans of hostile vessel.¡± They slowly crept closer and closer. ¡°I¡¯m reading two life signs aboard. One is very weak and growing weaker. It appears all systems are down within the ship as well.¡±


    Savros looked at Jaen, then to Polly, and then back at Jaen, he had no idea what the right thing to do was, but the idea of just leaving them there didn¡¯t feel right to him, despite the fact that not long before that, they had attacked them without warning.


    ¡°Okay Shin, bring them into the holding quarters, and let¡¯s get out of here, who knows how long it will be until someone else shows up.¡± Jaen looked at Savros and Polly, ¡°You guys wanna find out exactly who is after us?¡± She brought the feed from the holding cells up on the screen.


    The screen flickered as it changed displays, and two figures came into view. One lying down, the other crouched over him. The crouching man looked up at his suddenly new surroundings with surprise. As he stood to his feet and Savros got a good look at him, vomit hit the deck in front of Savros. He wiped his mouth and composed himself, and looked back at the screen.


    A large man in a black cloak with green accents and stripe around the collar. Savros could feel his stomach sending up another volley as he looked at the screen. It was definitely the same guys who killed his parents. Up until now, everything had seemed somewhat unreal, like in a dream, but here he was awake and staring at the same garb he saw the last time he saw his mother¡¯s face.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± he pointed at the screen as he heaved again.


    Polly jumped up from her seat, ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    They could hear her rip the door open with a bang. Looking at the screens, the man appeared to have been twice her size. But she didn¡¯t even hesitate to attack. Savros and Jaen rushed from the bridge. By the time they got there, Polly had beaten the man unconscious, and his cloak was wrapped around his neck with her on his back, pulling on it hard enough that if he were conscious, he¡¯d have been looking her in the eye. When she saw Savros and Jaen staring at her, she composed herself and climbed off his back, kicked him in the head before joining them in the corridor, adjusting her clothes and gear and pushing her hair out of her eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead,¡± she said, pointing at the man she¡¯d beaten. ¡°He might be,¡± she pointed at the other guy who was missing an arm and whose face was badly burned. He coughed up blood and then was silent and still.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty sure he¡¯s dead,¡± she said as she bent down, rummaging through his cloak and clothes. ¡°Nothin¡¯. Shin, be a dear, please.¡± The dead man disappeared in a *Pop*. Polly searched through the unconscious man¡¯s clothes, ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s tie him up and see if we can get some answers from him when he wakes up. They bound his ankles and wrists, sat him in the desk chair, and bound him to that. Then they waited.


    He laughed when he woke up bound to the chair. ¡°Without me, there is nothing stopping the others from releasing Garaka. The toll will be immense, but a few hundred billion lives are a small price to pay for the safety of all. The prophecy is proceeding and it must be stopped.¡± He struggled against the bindings before relaxing again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe a little girl beat me this badly. The prophecy will not unfold.¡± He clenched his jaw, and there was an audible click, and the man slumped against the bindings. Polly took a step forward.


    ¡°No vital signs.¡± Shin said, ¡°A Parapok seed, no doubt. For this exact situation, I would imagine. Shall I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± They left, the door closing behind them.


    Back on the bridge, Savros and Jaen sat down while Polly paced around, wiping blood from her knuckles and splatter from her face.


    ¡°Okay guys, so I guess we have confirmation about who these assholes are and what they want. I can¡¯t believe there are still people clinging to these old destructive beliefs. I mean, prophecy! Give me a break. But the fact is, they¡¯re still out there and now they¡¯re coming after us.¡± Polly paced around as she ranted.


    ¡°Lucky for us,¡± Jaen interrupted her, ¡°we have intelligence and science on our side. While they have some old fortune teller¡¯s words and hatred. I don¡¯t wanna jinx us, but I don¡¯t really see these guys giving us much trouble, as long as we stay on our toes.¡± Jaen looked around at them. ¡°What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t even touch us anymore. I say we live our lives and deal with them as they come up.¡± Polly and Jaen looked at Savros.


    ¡°After this, I do feel a lot safer, but I¡¯m worried about whoever or whatever Garaka is. He said ¡®a few hundred billion lives¡¯. What do you think that was all about?¡± Savros looked back at them.


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know what he meant. I¡¯ve never heard that name before.¡± Jaen looked a little confused and only slightly worried. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to deal with this Garaka whenever he or it shows up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, then we¡¯ll introduce ¡®em to the twins.¡± Polly laughed, tossing the bloody rag into the garbage and sitting down.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Savros asked her.


    ¡°Oh yeah! It¡¯s been a while since I got to let out some pent up energy like that. We don¡¯t have to seek revenge but there¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t make them regret ever messing with us in the first place.¡±

 Chapter Ten: Throne of Heaven

    ¡°Three, two, one, jumping.¡± Shin had begun the countdown within minutes of receiving the all-clear from the Galactic Service. It was a relief to Savros that, thanks to Polly and Jaen¡¯s previous trips to and from the Center, the trip to Abriva was only a single jump. Savros decided to use the time to get acquainted with the book. In his quarters, he sat the book on the desk and sat down in the seat as he opened the cover. On the first page in the Center was the symbol from the cover. Around it was three other symbols. Above it was another symbol in the same size circle, with another symbol below and on either side of it. Forming a triangle when connected with the main symbol in the Center. Savros looked at the symbols but couldn¡¯t make sense of them. On the next three pages, he found three vastly different versions of the same tale and began to understand what Doctor Prashaad meant by it being unreliable. He flipped through the pages. It appeared to be just as the doctor had described, everything from bedtime stories to myths and legends, from different sources, and from across the ages. He looked up when he heard a knock on the door to his quarters.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he said without getting up.


    The door opened, and Polly came in. ¡°Hey ¡®Roni, we¡¯re gonna be at Abriva soon. I wanted to come check on you before we head to the gunner pods. So, how are you holding up? You doin¡¯ okay?¡±


    Savros looked at the book, but he wasn¡¯t reading anymore. He thought about his parents and his uncle and Jaen and Shin, and then he looked at her.


    ¡°To be honest,¡± he began without looking up, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I should feel.¡± He was quiet for a minute before he continued, ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course, ask away.¡±


    ¡°Am I a bad son for not wanting to get vengeance for my parents? That was all my uncle seemed to think about afterward and I just can¡¯t help but think I should feel the same way. But what good would that do? It won¡¯t bring them back, nothing will bring them back.¡±


    Tears were falling from both of them when Polly spoke.


    ¡°Savros, no one can tell you how you¡¯re supposed to feel. We all mourn in our own way. But let me ask you something, would your mother and father want you out there looking for trouble? Do you think they would want you to avenge them, or do you think they would want you to live the best life you can?¡±


    ¡°I think they would want me to be happy. But how can I be happy when the same people that killed her are probably chasing us?¡±


    ¡°Well, look at it this way, then. You have the option of taking avenging your parents every time they come for us. And in that way, you¡¯ve already taken out at least eight, but probably more than ten of them. Two men minimum on the first ship, two for each of the smaller ships in the second attack, and at least two but probably four on the bigger ship. You¡¯re getting vengeance without even looking for it. That¡¯s gotta be better than sacrificing yourself in a revenge fueled suicide mission.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this way, you have me, Jaen, ¡®n Shin watching your back, they¡¯ll never get to you.¡± She gave him a wink as he looked up at her and held out her hand, ¡°Come on, we¡¯re gonna be there soon, let¡¯s get ready, in case they are waiting for another ass-whoopin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Three.¡± They were already in front of the gunner pods when Shin started the countdown. ¡°Two,¡± they took their seats as the display popped up and began scrolling immediately. ¡°One¡± Savros held his breath and gripped the controls as time seemed to stop.


    ¡°Twins online, engaging drive.¡± There was only a slight pause, ¡°No enemy ships present, proceeding to Halo.¡± Savros still stared into the gunner display, watching for any changes.


    ¡°Halo Proxima has taken control of our decent¡± Shin sounded relieved, but Savros continued to monitor their surroundings. ¡°Folding wings, folding gunner arms.¡± The display flickered, then Savros was left looking at the wall of the gunner cubbyhole. Shin continues with his final sequences.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get up to the bridge.¡± Polly took a few steps, but Savros didn¡¯t move. It wasn¡¯t until Polly touched his shoulder that he looked up at her.


    ¡°Huh?, oh, yeah, the bridge.¡± He started standing up.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Polly looked concerned.


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m okay, I just¡­ I don¡¯t know, I guess I really expected them to be waiting for us, or me.¡±


    ¡°No, you had it right. If they are waiting for you, then they are waiting for us. Just like at the Center, Abriva and the Halo are too well populated, as well as being monitored and protected by their own security teams to attack openly here. We should be pretty safe, as long as we don¡¯t stay long enough for them to track us down and sneak in to the hangar or something.¡±


    He could already make out the hangar below them when he and Polly got to the bridge. He was excited to be back. Abriva felt like home base to him, but he couldn¡¯t really put his finger on why. Maybe because it was the first place he landed after leaving home? Maybe because it¡¯s where he met Polly and Jaen? At any rate, he was relieved to be back. They watched together as the hangar grew larger and larger. Then the roof split open and peeled back as KaiStar settled into the hangar with a light touch.


    ¡°Shinzi, can you drop the pod for us?¡± Jaen turned to look at Savros and Polly, ¡°Okay, you guys run over to Sadjier¡¯s, I¡¯m gonna get started on this code, and by the time you get back, Shin and I should have the software ready, and we can get started on the hardware mods.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good!¡± Polly was heading out the door into the corridor. Savros jumped up to follow her.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open out there.¡± Jaen said as Savros reached the door.


    He stopped and turned back to her. ¡°We will. You guys be careful around here too.¡± He turned back around, and Polly was gone. He teleported off the KaiStar in time to see Polly unhooking the lines from the pod. They hopped in, and they sped out of the hangar towards Sadjier¡¯s place.


    ¡°Ahh! Savros, my friend!¡± Sadjier looked genuinely happy to see him as he threw his enormous arms out and fully engulfed Savros in a hug, ¡°I have received word from your uncle, he called in not long after you left last time, actually. Here, I¡¯ll get it!¡± He sat Savros back on his feet as he hurried off to his office. He came back with a large smile and a folded piece of paper.


    ¡°It was good to hear the voice of my old friend Savrotores once more. He was not happy with Sadjier when I told him you were with the others, but after I explained to him, he said it sounded like you were safe so he was happy. I wrote down his words to you, here.¡± He handed Savros a folded in half piece of paper.


    Savros unfolded it and began to read the surprisingly clean and neat script.


    ¡°Hi, Lad. Sadjier tells me you¡¯ve made some friends, and they seemed like honorable people to him. That¡¯s great news! I¡¯ve been so worried that it was a mistake to send you away. Anyway, I think I¡¯ve located the last place the assassins were hiding out. Theres a cave in the old river bed. I¡¯m going out to investigate in the morning. With some luck, I¡¯ll lay this whole situation to rest tomorrow and at the least hopefully get an answer or two. Take care of yourself, Lad. I¡¯ll be in touch again soon.¡±


    Savros read the note a few times. As he read it, he wished that his uncle were here with him instead of out there walking into trouble. He thought of telling his uncle about the attacks in the hopes that his uncle would abandon his quest for revenge but decided a far more likely outcome would be that Sadjier would try to stop him from leaving again, and then he would have to deal with that as well as not being able to reach his uncle at all if he couldn¡¯t return to Sadjier.


    ¡°Well, at least he¡¯s alive. Can you give him another message for me?¡± Savros looked at Sadjier. He nodded in the affirmative. ¡°Tell him, ¡®I am happy and safe. I¡¯ve been to the Galactic Center and seen my mother¡¯s work. I¡¯m working and traveling the universe and I would very much like for him to join me here on Abriva. My mother and father would want us both to be safe and happy.¡¯ And Sadjier, can you do me a huge personal favor? Whenever you talk to him, try to convince him to give up his quest for vengeance. Please, his life is more valuable than anyone¡¯s death, especially his own.¡±


    Sadjier looked at him with large, sad eyes. ¡°Of course, my friend, of course. I have known Savrotores for many years and I doubt he can give it up, but I also understand your desire to have him safe here with you. The smaller your family, the more precious..¡± Sadjier¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t scream ¡®understanding¡¯ or ¡®vulnerable,¡¯ but Savros saw both of those in the man today.


    Savros looked at Polly and thought of Jaen and Shin back on KaiStar. He couldn¡¯t imagine losing even one of them. He had always taken it for granted in the past, but not anymore. Each of them, and the time they have together, was the most precious thing in Savros¡¯ life.


    ¡°Thank you Sadjier, for your service but also for your words. We¡¯ll be back in a week or so to check in.¡±


    Sadjier smiled a grin so big it was larger than Savros¡¯ forearm. ¡°You are welcome, my friend. It is my pleasure, and I will speak to your uncle, try to convince him to come for a visit.¡±


    Walking towards the door with Polly, Savros waved as Sadjier stood there wiping his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m never gonna get used to seeing that guy!¡± Polly kept looking back as the door slowly closed behind them. At the bottom of the steps, they jumped into the pod and flew through BelToa back toward KaiStar.


    ¡°Next time we have to go to the depot, you should come with and I¡¯ll teach you to drive the pod. We made a few mods to it, it¡¯s not much different, just a few things to know about. Anyway, after you get used to it, you¡¯ll be able to take the pod if you want to go anywhere. We could do it now but it¡¯s better to learn out away from everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± was all he said.


    ¡°Hahahaha, Hell yeah!¡± she echoed as they blasted up to the hangar.


    They finished hooking the lines from KaiStar back up to the pod and teleported back into KaiStar. Jaen at the main screen on the bridge, wearing strange-looking gloves. Savros watched as she used her hands to sort through code, moving lines over and bringing in new lines and bunches. Savros had no idea what she was doing, but it was fun to watch. Jaen drew a circle in the air with her finger, then poked her finger through the circle. The lines of code collapsed, the screen flickered, and KaiStar systems started booting. She took the gloves off and turned around.


    ¡°You got back sooner than I expected, but we¡¯re all done too! How did it go? Had he heard from your uncle?¡±


    ¡°He had. I sent him another message asking him to give up revenge and come to Abriva. At least he would have some protection there.¡±


    Jaen nodded, ¡°Abriva would be safer for him than his current location, but I wouldn¡¯t count on him just giving it up.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°And Sadjier is still bigger than shit!¡± Polly chirped in, ¡°You guys want a rat-pak?¡± she asked, heading toward the galley.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Savros and Jaen said at the same time.


    ¡°Halo Prox¡ªhold on¡± Shin¡¯s voice was coming through all their communicators.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s better,¡± his voice coming through the ship¡¯s intercom again, ¡°Why is it always my speech systems that have the most issue. Anyway, Halo Proxima has granted us take off clearance until local sunset tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Jaen said. Polly tossed her and Savros a pouch of food and sat in her seat to eat. Jaen continued as she tore the top off of hers.


    ¡°So we still have a few hardware mods to tweak, but everything¡¯s pretty much in perfect order, and since Polly can make adjustments to her mods while we travel, as long as we aren¡¯t jumping. We can leave now, jump to the first supply drop, and then Polly can make the changes she needs to while we travel to the next drop. Savros, and I will man the twins, with shin on lookout.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you noticed on our arrival, the twins draw out quite a bit faster now, and boot up faster, as well. With the extra shield generators and our more robust systems, our next encounter should be much more one sided, even against something like we faced last time.¡±


    ¡°That actually works for me. I need the wings open and the arms out for a couple of the mods to activate, anyway. What do you think, Savrocks?¡±


    Savros had been excited to get back to Abriva, but now that he¡¯d talked to Sadjier and knew his uncle hadn¡¯t been killed, he didn¡¯t mind leaving at all.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it. I¡¯d rather not sit around and wait to get attacked, anyway.¡± Savros was leaning back in his seat, eating the last of his food.


    Polly jumped up and rested one foot up on the console like she was about to step up onto it, brandishing an invisible sword, ¡°Shintar, take us out me matey!¡± looking back at Polly and Jaen with one eye closed ¡°Gar!¡± she said with a snarl.


    ¡°Gar!¡± Savros and Jaen answered, hoisting the words in the air as well.


    ¡°Twins pre-boot complete. Arriving in three. Two. One. Engaging main drive. Drawing arms. Scan¡¯s clear proceeding to drop one.¡±


    Savros relaxed a little in the gunner pod.


    ¡°Will it take Polly long to finish the mods?¡± He asked, looking across the small corridor at Jaen.


    ¡°No, she should finish up before we make it to the first drop.¡± Jaen said, facing him and leaning forward in her seat.


    Savros pulled the picture of his parents from his pocket and looked at it for a moment before he handed it across the corridor to Jaen.


    ¡°Doctor Prashaad gave it to me. It¡¯s my parents, when they were younger, from when my mother was at the Center. The doctor actually worked with her, but only very briefly. He also gave me this.¡± He handed her the strange spiked sphere, ¡°She used it to test and calibrate the tryptic sensor.¡±


    Jaen¡¯s eyes lit up when she touched it. ¡°Tryptic sensor¡­¡± she trailed off as she examined the ball. Squeezing it between her fingers, she smiled and handed it back to him, along with the photo. ¡°We should run some tests on that little thing one of these days.¡± She said almost absently before looking up at him as he put it away.


    ¡°So, I guess you got a something from the Center, that¡¯s good. I was worried you hadn¡¯t found anything.¡± Jaen said, leaning back and looking at the screen.


    Hitting the button on her communicator, she said, ¡°Hey Polls, how¡¯re you coming along?¡±


    Savros and Jaen were both surprised to hear Jaen¡¯s voice coming from the corridor. They both leaned out of their pods just as Polly hoped in between them.


    ¡°All done! Everything is shipshape.¡± She said, dusting her hands off together.


    ¡°Excellent timing, Approaching first drop, still all clear.¡± As Shin spoke, Savros looked at the screens in his pod. He assumed they were making a drop at some coordinate, but he could see another ship come into view. His heart rate quickened as he reached for the controls.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Savros.¡± Shin¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°The ship is our drop location.¡±


    As the words made their way through the ringing in his ears, he noticed a green ping on the ship. The enemy ships he¡¯d seen before had red pings. He relaxed his grip. But didn¡¯t let go or take his eyes from the screen.


    ¡°Syncing to drop location. Dropping package. Drop complete. Engaging drive, proceeding to second drop.¡±


    Savros relaxed slightly as they went back to full speed. He looked over to see Polly and Jaen looking at him with concern.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, guys?¡± he asked, trying to sound casual.


    ¡°Are you okay? You looked like you were about to stroke out for a minute there.¡± Polly squatted down next to him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. I guess I¡¯m a little jumpy. I just wanna be ready. They got the jump on us and almost killed us all last time. I need to be on guard to protect you guys. It¡¯s my fault, they are after me.¡±


    ¡°Savros, you don¡¯t have to protect us. We all protect each other, we all take care of each other, and if they are coming after one of us, they¡¯re coming after all of us. If someone showed up hunting Polly or myself, none of us would care about who or why they were after. They would have to deal with all of us. So try not to take the full weight of protecting us on yourself. We all share the weight because we all want to keep each other safe.¡± Jaen held Polly¡¯s shoulder while Polly had her hand on Savros¡¯ shoulder.


    Savros smiled. It was true, he would treat anyone coming after any of them as if they were coming after him, and it made sense that the others would feel the same way.


    ¡°Bad timing, but we have two unidentified vessels ahead. Shields up and guns ready.¡±


    Shins¡¯ warning came before they were even visible on the gunner pod¡¯s screen.


    Savros was calmer this time as the ships came into view, one in front of the other. Jaen switched with Polly and ran up to the bridge as Polly settled into the gunner pod.


    ¡°Why are these ships showing up blue?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Confirmed hostile ships show up in red, friendlies show up in green, and blue is for unknown.¡± He heard Polly¡¯s voice from her pod as she ran the arm through its articulation range.


    Savros did the same, testing the range and limits of the arm, ¡°So we don¡¯t want to take out any ship until it¡¯s red? Doesn¡¯t that mean we have to wait until they try to kill us before we can do anything?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, and no. If the ships are tagged to a known hostile entity, they will show up red immediately. There are also Scavvers and Pirates that typically run ¡®flying the colors¡¯, which is an easily identifiable signal marking them as pirates or scavvers. Bandits are the worst but also the rarest. They usually solo and pose as a peaceful ship until you are in position, then they open fire without warning.


    ¡°While they¡¯ve only sent two different kinds of ships after us, none of the ships that attacked us have carried identifying signals, and they are very common styles of ships. These two could be more attackers, or just two ships minding their own business. We won¡¯t have to wait long to find out.¡±


    ¡°It looks like we are going around them.¡± Savros sounded a little confused.


    ¡°If they aren¡¯t interested in us, they won¡¯t follow. Since we can¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in there, we don¡¯t want to charge right at them and make them think we are challenging them.¡±


    The color pinging from the ships suddenly turned red. At the same time, Shin¡¯s voice came over the intercom, ¡°Incoming fire.¡±


    Savros felt a slight wobble in the ship, but nothing like the last attacks. A sigh of relief escaped as he focused on the ships. They split apart, circling KaiStar in opposite directions. Savros locked on and fired, but the incoming ship evaded impact at the last moment. He frowned for a second before getting an idea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you something to dodge,¡± as he held down the trigger button, sending a blinding chain of light blasting toward the ship. He held the trigger as he jumped back and forth chaotically all around the other ship. The last burst of light made direct contact as it evaded the bolt that came before it. Savros didn¡¯t hesitate. He locked on and opened fire once again. He decided it was going to be his policy to shoot until he saw something explode. The ship exploded and blew apart. Savros spun his seat around, watching the screen looking for the other ship when Polly opened fire.


    ¡°Boom! Direct hit! Wanna light him up?¡± Polly asked Savros.


    ¡°My pleasure¡± Savros held the button until he saw the front half of the ship floating away from the back half. He was slightly disappointed he didn¡¯t get to see the explosion but decided it was still pretty cool to cut a ship in half.


    They arrived back on the bridge just in time to catch Shin¡¯s status update, ¡°Shields, at ninety-eight percent. Shielding at one hundred percent. All systems functioning properly.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Okay, let¡¯s get to the next drop before more show up.¡± Jaen turned to look at them, ¡°Everyone okay?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± they both said at once.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding about those shields! I barely felt a thing!¡± He looked over at Polly.


    ¡°I know!¡± She was grinning ear to ear.


    ¡°That was the strongest shot we¡¯ve ever been hit with too!¡± Jaen was grinning as big as Polly. ¡°See? We all protect each other, however we can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we got your back too, so try not to worry so much. If you haven¡¯t noticed, the four of us make a pretty bad-ass team!¡± Polly kicked back in her chair.


    They made the next drop without incident and continued the short distance to the final drop. After making the third drop, they changed course and headed back toward their jump point to Abriva. Tracking nearly straight back down the path, they took on the way out there. Shortly after passing the second drop point, Shin came over the intercom.


    ¡°I¡¯m picking up a distress signal. It appears to be coming from the area that we encountered those two hostile ships. Most likely a survivor aboard the second ship.¡±


    ¡°Well, shit. Okay, let¡¯s fly by and check it out. Approach with caution though, it could be a trap.¡± Polly turned her attention to the screens as she spoke.


    Jaen took her seat, and all three of them sat upright, eyes glued to the screens. Only the front half of the ship was visible. The back half must have exploded after they left. With no other ships in sight, they approached slowly. Shin is ready to engage all three drives if need be.


    ¡°Beginning scans of hostile vessel.¡± They slowly crept closer and closer. ¡°I¡¯m reading two life signs aboard. One is very weak and growing weaker. It appears all systems are down within the ship as well.¡±


    Savros looked at Jaen, then to Polly, and then back at Jaen, he had no idea what the right thing to do was, but the idea of just leaving them there didn¡¯t feel right to him, despite the fact that not long before that, they had attacked them without warning.


    ¡°Okay Shin, bring them into the holding quarters, and let¡¯s get out of here, who knows how long it will be until someone else shows up.¡± Jaen looked at Savros and Polly, ¡°You guys wanna find out exactly who is after us?¡± She brought the feed from the holding cells up on the screen.


    The screen flickered as it changed displays, and two figures came into view. One lying down, the other crouched over him. The crouching man looked up at his suddenly new surroundings with surprise. As he stood to his feet and Savros got a good look at him, vomit hit the deck in front of Savros. He wiped his mouth and composed himself, and looked back at the screen.


    A large man in a black cloak with green accents and stripe around the collar. Savros could feel his stomach sending up another volley as he looked at the screen. It was definitely the same guys who killed his parents. Up until now, everything had seemed somewhat unreal, like in a dream, but here he was awake and staring at the same garb he saw the last time he saw his mother¡¯s face.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± he pointed at the screen as he heaved again.


    Polly jumped up from her seat, ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    They could hear her rip the door open with a bang. Looking at the screens, the man appeared to have been twice her size. But she didn¡¯t even hesitate to attack. Savros and Jaen rushed from the bridge. By the time they got there, Polly had beaten the man unconscious, and his cloak was wrapped around his neck with her on his back, pulling on it hard enough that if he were conscious, he¡¯d have been looking her in the eye. When she saw Savros and Jaen staring at her, she composed herself and climbed off his back, kicked him in the head before joining them in the corridor, adjusting her clothes and gear and pushing her hair out of her eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead,¡± she said, pointing at the man she¡¯d beaten. ¡°He might be,¡± she pointed at the other guy who was missing an arm and whose face was badly burned. He coughed up blood and then was silent and still.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty sure he¡¯s dead,¡± she said as she bent down, rummaging through his cloak and clothes. ¡°Nothin¡¯. Shin, be a dear, please.¡± The dead man disappeared in a *Pop*. Polly searched through the unconscious man¡¯s clothes, ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s tie him up and see if we can get some answers from him when he wakes up. They bound his ankles and wrists, sat him in the desk chair, and bound him to that. Then they waited.


    He laughed when he woke up bound to the chair. ¡°Without me, there is nothing stopping the others from releasing Garaka. The toll will be immense, but a few hundred billion lives are a small price to pay for the safety of all. The prophecy is proceeding and it must be stopped.¡± He struggled against the bindings before relaxing again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe a little girl beat me this badly. The prophecy will not unfold.¡± He clenched his jaw, and there was an audible click, and the man slumped against the bindings. Polly took a step forward.


    ¡°No vital signs.¡± Shin said, ¡°A Parapok seed, no doubt. For this exact situation, I would imagine. Shall I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± They left, the door closing behind them.


    Back on the bridge, Savros and Jaen sat down while Polly paced around, wiping blood from her knuckles and splatter from her face.


    ¡°Okay guys, so I guess we have confirmation about who these assholes are and what they want. I can¡¯t believe there are still people clinging to these old destructive beliefs. I mean, prophecy! Give me a break. But the fact is, they¡¯re still out there and now they¡¯re coming after us.¡± Polly paced around as she ranted.


    ¡°Lucky for us,¡± Jaen interrupted her, ¡°we have intelligence and science on our side. While they have some old fortune teller¡¯s words and hatred. I don¡¯t wanna jinx us, but I don¡¯t really see these guys giving us much trouble, as long as we stay on our toes.¡± Jaen looked around at them. ¡°What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t even touch us anymore. I say we live our lives and deal with them as they come up.¡± Polly and Jaen looked at Savros.


    ¡°After this, I do feel a lot safer, but I¡¯m worried about whoever or whatever Garaka is. He said ¡®a few hundred billion lives¡¯. What do you think that was all about?¡± Savros looked back at them.


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know what he meant. I¡¯ve never heard that name before.¡± Jaen looked a little confused and only slightly worried. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to deal with this Garaka whenever he or it shows up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, then we¡¯ll introduce ¡®em to the twins.¡± Polly laughed, tossing the bloody rag into the garbage and sitting down.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Savros asked her.


    ¡°Oh yeah! It¡¯s been a while since I got to let out some pent up energy like that. We don¡¯t have to seek revenge but there¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t make them regret ever messing with us in the first place.¡±

 Chapter Eleven: Holy Order of Assassins

    Savros lay on his back in the sand, enjoying a beautiful day at the beach. The cool breeze blew through his hair, and the sun gently warmed his skin. An ice-cold drink in his hand. But what was that noise? That irritating sound that he couldn¡¯t place. And what could possibly be the source of this sensation he was beginning to feel? Was something cold and hard pressing against his face? As much as he hated to get up, he decided he¡¯d better find out what was going on.


    When he opened his eyes, the beach vanished, along with the warm sunlight and cool breeze. Taking its place instead was the deck of the KaiStar. He looked up from his prostrate position on the floor into Polly and Jaen¡¯s alarmed faces. They were talking, but he couldn¡¯t hear them. He wanted to go back to the beach. It was nice there. He closed his eyes and embraced the warmth of the beach once again. But that sound just wouldn¡¯t leave him alone. What could it be? He listened, trying to discern what it was. It grew louder and louder as he listened, gradually morphing into three distinct sounds. The first was a blaring alarm, and the other two sounds were still mixed together. A moment later, he discerned a distinction between Polly and Jaen¡¯s voices and the blaring alarm.


    ¡°SAVROS!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he thought, ¡°I¡¯m coming¡± as he opened his eyes. Again the beach vanished, and this time he was on his back looking up at the ceiling, Polly on his left and Jaen on his right.


    He blinked. Pain shot through his body as the world around him coalesced back into reality.


    ¡°Savros, come on. Look at me. Savros.¡± Jaen waved a hand over his face.


    Savros tried to sit up but couldn¡¯t move. His chest was on fire, and he felt like he¡¯d had the wind knocked out of him. He tried to breathe and couldn¡¯t. He panicked and gasped for air. Slowly, in small amounts at a time, his lungs allowed air to enter. He took short, shallow breaths as he tried to get his bearings.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He finally managed to choke out hoarsely.


    ¡°What happened? You went outside! That¡¯s what happened!¡± Polly was about to slap him but graciously spared him.


    Savros looked around, able to move his head somewhat. He lay there trying to breathe and trying to remember what just happened. He remembered the beach- no, that wasn¡¯t it.


    Panic hit his eyes as his mind sprang back into action.


    ¡°Gah¡¯Raka?¡± he choked it out.


    Jaen spun to face the display, ¡°Shin?¡±.


    ¡°He¡¯s,¡± Shin paused for more data to come in. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He isn¡¯t moving. At all. No life sign.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± they all said at the same time, even Savros croaked from the deck.


    ¡°How can that be?¡± asked Jaen


    ¡°I just about have the drives back online. We lost some shielding and several generators on impact, but other than a couple of weak spots, everything should be functional. Shields, online. Main drive, online. Firing main drive. Engaging main drive.¡± KaiStar lifted off the surface of the Throne of Heaven. They spun almost in place to witness the final scene.


    Gah¡¯Raka, feet still at the base of the throne, had leaned forward so far he was no longer sitting. Hunched over the KaiStar and the altar, his left fist to the slab, holding himself up. His head almost rested on the slab as he peered into the KaiStar and at the altar holding the Kalibal. Lips peeled back in a ferocious snarl, his fist only a fraction of a moment away from completely smashing the KaiStar. As they slowly backed away, the full picture came into view, and they could see that Gah¡¯Raka had been transformed into the same material the Throne of Heaven was made of. Giving the impression that it had always been that way.


    Polly helped Savros up from the floor into his chair. Something cold and heavy in hand sent pain up his arm and through his back when he tried to lift it. Unable to lift it to see what he was holding, he dropped it before his butt hit the seat.


    Now that he had caught his breath, he found he¡¯d recovered the use of his muscles. Well, somewhat. He peered forward at the object that he¡¯d been holding. Polly caught him before he slumped forward out of the chair, back onto his face. She leaned him back slightly before wrapping the harness around him and buckling it.


    Polly bent and retrieved the object, holding it up in front of all three of them as Jaen spun around to see it as well.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the Kalibal.¡± Polly displayed it from multiple angles for the two of them. It was almost identical to Shin¡¯s rendering of it. Upon close inspection, the amount of detail in the carving was so detailed and precise it looked like it could come to life at any moment. Holding it over the console, Shin performed a comprehensive scan and displayed it on the screen, overlaying their view of Gah¡¯Raka.


    They stared in awe until Shin finally broke the silence with a warning, ¡°Massive wave of tryptic energy incoming. Brace for impact in three, two, one.¡±


    They all tensed in preparation for the impact. Instead of a violent impact, as with the waves coming from Gah¡¯Raka. KaiStar was tossed into a swaying motion, like a ship at sea riding enormous waves. As the tail end of the wave passed through the KaiStar, thin white wisps of visible energy twirled and glided through the air while slowly dissipating. Leaving the crew watching the empty air after they had all faded away.


    Again Shin broke the silence, ¡°Three ships approaching with a hailing signal.¡±


    The smiles of wonder faded as Savros, Polly, and Jaen turned to face the screen.


    The voice that came through the intercom was so shrill and grating that Shin had to lower the volume.


    ¡°We, the children of Az¡¯Reign¡¯Riel, have defended reality since the beginning of history! I demand you hand over the Kalibal. We, alone, understand the prophecy, and we alone are willing to do what must be done to avoid the fates of the ancient words.¡±


    ¡°We serve to¡ª,¡± Shin lowered the volume so low the screeching was barely audible.


    ¡°You wanna keep listening to this guy?¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°From now on, I say we shoot first and talk after.¡± Polly looked at Savros as she stood up, ¡°Stay up here and try to recover. I¡¯ll get the twins ready to roll.¡± She ran off the bridge. Disappearing down the hatch.


    Savros would have followed anyway but could still barely move. At the moment, he shared Polly¡¯s point of view. Shoot first.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Jaen looked back to ask Savros, who, still leaning against his harness, just nodded back at her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jaen sighed, ¡°we might accidentally get some more information from him.¡± Shin turned the volume back up just enough to make it out.


    ¡°¡ªfound guilty under the laws of the Prophetic Order. I am Tawkwa and I will make you pay! You have unleashed Gah¡¯Tak, Father of the Great Beasts, upon us! No one is safe and none will be spared. The Kalibal must never be disturbed! I demand you surrender it at once! Before Gah¡¯Tak rises.¡±


    ¡°HEY!¡± Jaen shouted suddenly and loudly. Savros jumped in a start, and Tawkwa actually fell silent for the first time since showing up. Realizing she had the floor, Jaen made the most of it.


    ¡°Listen, Kawtra, or whatever your name is,¡± Tawkwa began to erupt again, but Jaen didn¡¯t slow or give him a chance to interrupt, ¡°We don¡¯t know what you are talking about, but none of us would even be here, if it weren¡¯t for you. If you had just stayed out of it, minded you own fucking business¡­¡± Jaen was visibly shaking from rage. She was quiet for only a moment.


    ¡°You know what.¡± It was in no way a question. And as she finished the sentence, Polly brought the twins online. Drawing both guns at once, each controlled by one of the dual sticks on her gunner-pod controls. With the latest upgrades, KaiStar¡¯s quick-draw was aggressive and menacing. Transforming the unassuming but strange-looking transport ship into a dual-wielding attack vessel on the offensive.


    It was still quiet over the intercom. KaiStar sitting triumphantly over the magical beast Gah¡¯Raka. Guns drawn and aimed at the three ships, KaiStar and crew ready to bring an end to the assassins that have been hounding them on every flight.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of reasons to¡­¡± she didn¡¯t need to finish it. The lines were still silent.


    ¡°Give me one reason not too.¡± Jaen was quiet, waiting.


    The ship to the left of Tawkwa¡¯s broke the silence, ¡°Without us to ensure certain prophecies never¡ª,¡± Polly lost patience and fired on the ship on the left. What looked to have been a warning shot must have struck something vital. The engine went critical and sent the front two-thirds of the ship hurdling and tumbling into the darkness.


    Jaen knew Polly hadn¡¯t intended to destroy the ship, but she also knew, aside from evening the odds, she could also use it to their advantage.


    ¡°Last chance, one reason we don¡¯t.¡±


    As Tawkwa suddenly blasted out and ran, he took back over the comms until he was out of range.


    ¡°The Holy Order of Assassins, under the Prophetic Order of Az¡¯Reign¡¯Riel, has protected all worlds for all of history, and you have single-handedly brought the end to us all! None can stand against Gah¡¯Tak, his power dwarfs Gah¡¯Raka¡¯s, a thousand times over. I will kill you my¡ª.¡± Tawkwa¡¯s signal cut off, leaving KaiStar alone with the ship that had first appeared on Tawkwa¡¯s right side, and had so far remained silent.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t listen to me. It was obvious the whole time that we pushed you through each line of the prophecy. Years ago, the man who just ran away approached your mother. The prophecy spoke of¡ªthe one to bring awareness of Dae, will bring the night¡ªWhen news of the tryptic sensor reached our ears, he was convinced it was prophecy coming to be. He tracked her down on a field expedition and tried to convince her to abandon her work in the area. When she heard his reason was an ancient prophecy, she laughed and brushed him off.¡±


    ¡°The prophecies are often vague, misleading, and contradictory. I tried to convince the others that we should put less stock in the confusing words of a forgotten time. There was a great debate, and for many years, all action was stalled. No one seemed to notice that in those years, the prophecy had not progressed. I eventually lost the debate, and he was released on you and your family.:


    ¡°Since then, the prophecy has advanced many times. The others refuse to acknowledge it. While the others in their blindness may swear vengeance on you. I renounce the order and pledge to do all I can to right my wrongs. Savros, I am truly sorry for the losses you have suffered and the likely losses that are yet to come. I lay myself on your judgment. Allow me to serve a just and righteous purpose or let me pay for my crimes here and now.¡±


    The com¡¯s were silent. The captain of the ship lowered its shield and remained motionless. Polly and Jaen waited for Savros to make the call. After a moment, he asked hoarsely, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Calac. Calac De¡¯Riel, this morning I was second in command of the Holy Order of Assassins.¡±


    ¡°What else can you tell us about Gah¡¯Tak and the Kalibal?¡± Savros asked, not sure how he felt about the current situation


    ¡°Removing the Kalibal from the altar, broke the seal on the cell and released an enormous amount of tryptic energy. The wave of energy that passed through here not long ago, delivering more energy to the universe. The one positive aspect of removing the Kalibal. A very small portion of the tryptic energy, probably only discernible to magic beings, is freely available again and by now it¡¯s made its way through all of Living Space. If Gah¡¯Tak rises, he will devour everything. There is no force that can stop subdue or even slow him. We will all be at his mercy, and he has none.¡±


    ¡°By taking it to the First World, and placing the Kalibal directly into the cell door, you can reseal it. If, before that happens, Gah¡¯Tak rises from his slumber and steps through the open door, then all is lost.¡±


    Calac was quiet again, and the crew let his words sink in. Knowing they shouldn¡¯t trust him but desperate for information, they weighed their options silently.


    ¡°After recalibrating the sensors, I can confirm, background tryptic energy is almost three times its normal value. And based on the standard set by Gah¡¯Raka, this would seem to be a minuscule amount of the total.¡± Shin spoke to the crew without broadcasting to Calac¡¯s ship.


    He continued, ¡°I¡¯ve also tracked the source of the wave to its origin. Far beyond the reaches of Living Space. In fact, it¡¯s more than double the distance from The Center than the current record.¡±


    ¡°Calac,¡± Savros voice was getting a little better, ¡°killing you wouldn¡¯t bring me any comfort, and it won¡¯t bring my parents back. If you want to do some good with your life, then I charge you with finding and protecting my uncle. He was with me and my parents when we were attacked and he stayed behind. I want you to track him down and make sure he is safe. Keep him safe until I get there.¡±


    It was quiet again for a moment, ¡°I will protect him with my life.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Relieved to be getting his uncle some help, Savros continued, ¡°We are taking the Kalibal to the first world to seal the cell. Protect my uncle and anyone around him.¡±


    ¡°I will begin at once.¡± Calac began charging his ship¡¯s shields.


    ¡°How many are left in the order to come after us?¡±


    ¡°Tawkwa is all that remains now. If left alone and given time, he will rebuild the order in short time. But for now it is only himself and Sel¡¯Pen, his personal attendant.¡±


    ¡°Go, and if you see, Tawkwa or any new members of the Order, kill them.¡±


    ¡°On my life.¡± Calac fired his engines and disappeared into the darkness, on his way to serve his new purpose.


    Savros looked at Jaen as Polly came back up onto the bridge. He half expected her to smack him on the head, but she seemed to be in relatively good spirits.


    ¡°Well, that was a shit show, huh!¡± Polly half-laughed, turning her seat to face Savros as she sat down. ¡°But you really took charge of that one! And hey! You¡¯re lookin¡¯ better, got some color back in your face. How are you feeling?¡± She sounded casual but still looked concerned.


    ¡°Pretty good, considering.¡± He undid his harness and carefully stood. The pain was intense, but as long as he moved slowly, it was bearable. He figured the only way to get through it was to walk it off, so he took a step and nearly fell on his face as the room spun around him. He fell backward, hoping his chair would be there to catch him.


    ¡°Slow down, Savros. You need to rest and let your body recover. We¡¯ll get you a hydration pack and a rat-pak. Just nibble it.¡± Jaen


    He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. ¡°We have to go.¡± He continued gazing up at the ceiling.


    ¡°Of course we do. The threat of annihilation can¡¯t go un-investigated. When we get there, we¡¯ll be able to see with our own eyes what¡¯s locked up there. The problem is, our current understanding is based on prophecies. I think the only thing we can count on for sure is that the Kalibal is somehow connected to that spot out in Dead Space.¡± Jaen handed him an open rat-pak and flask.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste any time, if Gah¡¯Tak is really out there, who know¡¯s how long before he realizes his cell is open. But we have to fix the shielding and refuel before going that far out.¡± Jaen was eating her own rat-pak while she talked.


    Polly had already finished hers. ¡°That¡¯s the plan then. We do some quick repairs, top him off, and go kick some ass in Dead Space. Sounds like a blast to me!¡±


    Savros chuckled at Polly¡¯s enthusiasm at the cost of ripples of pain flowing through him.


    ¡°Do we have a jump route to the center?¡± Jaen asked, turning to the screens.


    ¡°Ready when you are.¡±


    Jaen looked at Savros, then at Polly, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    As Shin made the jump, Polly helped Savros to his quarters to rest and recover while Jaen perused the digital version of the Ol¡¯Gud Compendium.

 Chapter Twelve: Back to Center

    Savros woke to Shin''s voice in his quarters, "Savros, we have arrived at The Center. The Galactic Service may have an update into their investigation. Polly has asked if you are up to going or if you would like her to get the information on your behalf?"


    He wasn''t sure how long he''d been out, but, to his surprise, moving didn''t hurt as bad as he''d expected. He sat on the edge of his bed, testing his arms and legs. Sore muscles, but nothing like before. He stood slowly. As he straightened his body, a wave of vertigo ran through him, but he remained upright, even if off balance.


    "Thanks, Shin. I think I''ll try to go myself. I need to move around a little, anyway." His voice was almost back to normal as he moved slowly toward the door.


    For only being exposed for a few seconds, the toll it took was surprising. He stopped on the way to the door and looked in the small mirror on his desk. Two bloodshot eyes peered back at him wearily. He actually looking forward to the long, hopefully quiet, trip through Dead Space. Plenty of time to sleep.


    "The others are on the bridge, working on the repairs. How do you feel?" Shin asked.


    "Like I got hit by a terrapod. But considering, I guess pretty good."


    "Your vitals and life signs are all strong. Looks like it''s just a matter of recovering."


    "Yeah, hope that doesn''t take too long. Thanks Shin." He walked to the door, moving slowly but not limping or falling.


    Savros left his quarters, turning right toward the bridge. Polly and Jaen, as usual, were busy at the screens. They both turned to greet him as he entered the bridge.


    "You''re lucky to be alive after that stunt at the Throne. But then again, I guess we all are. And we wouldn''t be here if you hadn''t acted when you did. Still, though, it was incredibly reckless." Jaen had come to stand right in front of Savros as she spoke. She didn''t look happy as she reached out, putting a hand on either side of his shoulders. Her expression changed from a frown to a smile as she pulled him close and hugged him tightly. Sending pain shooting through his body.


    "I''m glad you''re okay." Jaen gave him another squeeze before letting him go.


    "Yeah, you didn''t look very good. Shin said your vitals were stable, but you looked like you were dead." Polly punched his arm. He cried out in pain, and she winced. "Oh shit, sorry, Savarino. I''ll go with you to check on the investigation. Le''Ander should be able to update us."


    "Thanks, you guys. I''m feeling better and I''m glad we''re all safe. I really thought we were done for." He looked back and forth between their two faces, grateful they were all still there.


    "I think we all did. It feels like we prolly shoulda died. But we didn''t, thanks to the wild stunt you pulled." Polly smiled as she gave him a hug before turning back to Jaen.


    "You got this?"


    "Yeah, I''ll be finished up by the time you get back."


    Polly smiled and winked at Jaen, then turned back to Savros, "Come on, let''s go see what the Service turned up." They popped off the KaiStar and into the hangar bay. Savros was managing fairly well on his own, but Polly stayed close to his side in case he teetered on the way to Le''Ander''s desk. They made the short walk to the bay doors. Exiting, they made a left and headed to Le''Ander''s desk at the end of the corridor.


    As they approached, Le''Ander greeted them in his usual, professional manner before bowing and asking, "How may I be of service to the valiant crew of the KaiStar?"


    Savros leaned slightly on the edge of Le''Ander''s desk, steadying himself, while he caught his breath. "We had heard the Galactic Service may have found something when investigate my parents'' murders. Have you heard anything or can you show us?" He asked.


    Le''Ander''s eyes lit up in recognition, "Yes, yes!", He deftly maneuvered around Savros as he rolled around his desk. Flipping the screen to face them, he said, "So they''ve managed to determine that the suspects acted to prevent an ancient prophecy from coming to be. They believed that by ki¡ª, "Le''Ander stopped himself, appearing to search for the right words.


    "It''s okay, we know that already. Did they find my uncle? Do they know where he is? If he''s okay?" In his heart, he was desperately hoping his uncle was here at the Center.


    "I''m afraid not, no sign of him. I''m sorry, I wish it were better news." Le''Ander looked truly disappointed. "Oh, but there is this footage just uploaded by Captain Iskatel. I believe it is a video of the leader of the group that was responsible:"


    "Tawkwa." The three of them all said at once.


    Savros leaned forward to look at the man''s face for the first time. He saw nothing special. A small man in that familiar and sickening cloak of black and green flailed his arms as he went on a tirade that they couldn''t hear. It looked as though he would beat the other, thinner guy to death just by waving his arms around wildly. After a few seconds, the audio cut in, and immediate recognition flooded Savros and Polly.


    That screeching, whining voice. It was him, all right. Savros stared at the screen as the man went on and on, unable to make out any of the individual words. Except "Sel''pen," whatever that was, the rest was just screeching.


    "We should have killed that bastard when he had the chance." Polly said.


    "I was just thinking the same thing." Savros looked at her, "Oh well, let the Galactic Service deal with him now. We''ve got more important things to worry about." Turning back to Le''Ander, he said, "It''s nice to know the Center is doing something. Thanks, Le''Ander."


    He gave a wave and a nod before he started limping back to the hangar door, Polly at his side.


    As they crossed the hangar floor, Polly suddenly slapped Savros on the chest, nearly sending him flying backward.


    "Shit, sorry." She said, grabbing him and hauling him back upright before he hit the floor. "I almost forgot. I gotta run by and see an old friend of mine. Be back in a few. You okay from here?"


    Savros just smiled and winked at her as he hit the teleporter button. With a pop, he was back aboard KaiStar as Polly ran off to meet up with an old friend.


    Grabbing a rat-pac from the galley, Savros made his way back to his seat on the bridge and plopped into. His body was hurting way less now, and breathing had become less of a chore as well.


    "Hey Shin, how''s everything going?" He asked, leaning back in his seat and devouring the strip of meat and the weird stick of something.


    "We''re about ready to depart. We''re charge and refueled. Shielding and generators have been repaired. Jaen is on the maintenance deck performing a visual inspection with the Galactic Service. They should clear us to depart when she returns."


    "Damn." Savros laughed at himself, realizing Polly''s word choices were rubbing off on him. "How long have we been here?"


    "It''s approaching three hours." Shin said. "You needed the rest. You need more rest, so just take it easy for now. It''ll be a long trip through Dead Space. I''ll prepare a meal this evening as soon as we depart."


    "That would be awesome, I''m starvin'' and this," he waved the rat-pac in the air, "isn''t cutting it." He set it down on the console.


    "Hey Shin, how do you keep yourself entertained, just being here all the time?"


    "Between Jaen, Polly and yourself, I am plenty entertained." Shin chuckled, amused. "And managing KaiStar''s functions and operations keeps me preoccupied a lot of the time. Plus, that''s my job aboard the ship and I take great pride in my work."


    "Well, you definitely saved our butts a few times already, but don''t you ever wanna get out of the KaiStar? Take a walk, or be able to mingle with new people?" Savros was trying but couldn''t understand how Shin didn''t go crazy cooped up in the ship all the time.


    "I suppose that sounds engaging. However, I believe my situation evokes sympathy from you because of your frame of reference. Let me ask you this, do you wish you could protect all of us from harm? Gather us together safe and hold a shield around us? Do you wish you could grab your friends and just fly them across the galaxies?" Shin was quiet for a second, hoping his point was sinking in.


    "I do! But I can''t, I have to do the best I can with what I have, which right now, is you guys." Savros found himself regretting that he couldn''t do more.


    "The abilities this vessel, KaiStar, lends me are extreme and rare, well worth the price. I''ve never considered not being in KaiStar. But someday, when everything''s calm and peaceful, after KaiStar is retired, I may just take that walk."


    "Couldn''t you just¡ª"


    Polly popped onto the bridge carrying the small containers, just in time to hear Shin''s last sentence, "Oh, Great! You''re looking better by the minute. I''m starved," Polly said, eying Savros'' rat-pac hungrily.


    "There''s another meat stick and another," he paused, looking into the package, "not-meat stick, in here." He handed it to her. She dropped the packages she was carrying into her seat and took the rat-pac from him.


    "Thanks, Savy!" She smiled and plopped into Jaen''s seat and put her boots on her own chair next to the parcels she had been carrying.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "What''re those?" he asked.


    "Mmm! Check this out!" she said, through both of the sticks in her mouth. Swallowing her food, she picked one up and turned it over. It barely fit into the largest pocket on her belt, but she got it in there. Pressing the button on it, a blanket of light on a dark, red hue appeared, surrounding her from head to toe.


    Stunned, Savros watched, but he didn''t understand what he was seeing.


    "Whoa! Is it a force field?" he asked her.


    She giggled a little, "Kinda. It''s a holo-suit, a holographic space suit. It maintains an atmosphere around your body. Gas balancing, including oxygen generation, as well as the suit itself are all in here." She picked one up and handed it to him.


    "A friend of mine from childhood developed it. It doesn''t protect your body from objects or impacts, but it does keep a pocket of air around you and shields a lot of radiation."


    He turned it over in his hands. It was heavier than it looked. A grill and a button on one end of an otherwise unremarkable container. He had always been in awe of the fact that thing''s that were powerful or important were usually small.


    He looked at the Kalibal in its temporary resting place in the console. It looked right at home among the open panels, tucked in with the various parts and pieces of tek. Probably the most powerful thing in the universe, harmlessly sitting there.


    Turning his attention back to the holo-suit, he found a pocket on his left hip and accidentally pressed the button, trying to push it into the pocket. Polly laughed as he jumped when a red haze suddenly appeared right in front of him. He pushed it all the way into his pocket and looked around the bridge. The red hue tinted his entire field of vision. He laughed before changing his voice to a robotic tone.


    "I need your gear, your goggles, and your terrapod." He took a jerky, mechanical step forward.


    Polly laughed too, "Right!" She bent her elbows to right angles and made robotic sound effects as she moved her arms, hands, and head.


    "Are you two okay?" Jaen asked with mock skepticism, standing in the doorway to the bridge.


    Polly looked over at her, "Perfectly KO, Derf," she said in a thin electronic voice before giggling. She and Savros deactivated their holo-suits.


    "How we looking?" Polly asked her, tossing her a holo-suit.


    Jaen caught it, and instead of shoving it in a pocket, clipped it to her belt. "Everything looks good. Shin, any issues on your end?"


    "I rerouted the secondary drives back through their primary circuits. I am good-to-go."


    "Okay, everyone else ''good-to-go''?" She asked, looking back at them.


    "Aye!" Savros and Polly said at the same time.


    "At your leisure, my dear Shin." Jaen spun in her chair to face the others. "What do you say? After this, we head back over to Idyll Quies, take them up on that three-night offer."


    "Oh, hells yeah! It''s not my scene, but after everything we''ve been through, it''s sounding a lot better." Polly had taken her seat.


    "Yeah, I wouldn''t mind relaxing for a while, either. Lying around in the sun." He could almost feel the ocean air on his face as he wiggled his toes in the sand.


    "Taking us out." KaiStar lifted off the deck of the hangar bay as Shin glided the ship out into open space. "Since our destination is far beyond charted space, we''ll jump to the edge of living space. Once there, I''ll fine tune the coordinates. We will have to make multiple jumps. I''ve worked out the best route I could find heading in that direction. To be safe, we should only jump in sets of three. I believe after the first jump, I will be able to pick up the source of the wave on the scanners. If not, we''ll have to jump again in the general direction until we can pinpoint a location. Even though we refer to it as ''Dead Space'', it doesn''t mean that nothing is alive out there. Or that there is no danger."


    Savros sat forward, his daydream broken. It had suddenly dawned on him they were about to go farther than anyone had ever gone before. He was going to see something no one in all of Living Space had ever seen. He wondered if people had lived way out there. The Ol''Gud, maybe? Was their destination the original Ol''Gud world? A world densely packed with magic and beings- so in tune with it, they harnessed it by speaking. Even after all the eons, there must be something left of the magnificence of who and what they were.


    Who knows, he thought, maybe so close to the source of energy they''ve been able to survive out there alone on their world. Maybe they were all worried about nothing, and maybe the Ol''Gud were still out there and had already sealed Gah''Tak back in his cell¡­ he stopped himself. He knew it was wishful thinking, but flying into the unknown had him feeling like anything was possible.


    "Jumping in three, two, one."


    And just like that, they were off, heading to the very edge of Living Space. There was no visible boundary, no physical barrier. It was just an imaginary circle drawn around the Galactic Center of Knowledge. He''d always heard that it was double the distance of the farthest inhabited world from the Center, but that had always felt too arbitrary to Savros.


    "What''s at the edge of Living Space?" he asked.


    "The distinction between Living Space and Dead Space serves two purposes. First, it marks the boundary of what the Galactic Center of Knowledge deems inhabitable space. It is approximately twice the distance from the Center as Dellyoid Fyoid; the farthest in a habited system from the Center. However, that is coincidental. Because, second, the actual boundary is determined by math and science."


    "The further out we get from the Center, the less densely populated space is. At a certain point the solar systems, star clusters, gasses and debris and particles are so far spread out the direct lines of entanglement are severed. Objects stop participating in the affairs of their neighbors and simply exist."


    "Rogue planets drifting aimlessly. Particle, dust and debris, spread too far and too thin to interact with even itself. In theory, one could travel far enough away that even the stars would fade from perception."


    He knew Shin was trying to explain it as simply as he could, but he just couldn''t picture it. Rather than continue the lesson with Shin, he decided to wait and see it for himself.


    "So, if we jumped way too far out, we wouldn''t be able to find our way back?"


    "Yes, and no. I could use the diagnostics and telemetry to chart a course back the way we came. I believe I could get us back to Living Space from nearly anywhere. Fuel would be our downfall. One jump too far and we could be stranded out there, out of reach."


    "Right, so still dangerous, and if we aren''t careful we''ll die in Dead Space." He was leaning forward to stand.


    "Yes, but as long as we are all careful and watch each other''s backs, we''ll be fine. We''ll do what we need to do and get out of there as fast as we can." Jaen looked at Polly, who nodded, and then at Savros, and added, "and no hopping off the KaiStar into open vacuum this time."


    He smiled at her through the slight pain as he stood up, "No worries!" he patted the holo-suit in his pocket, "This time, we''re ready for anything."


    Savros stretched in different positions, testing the muscles and the amount of pain he was feeling. It really wasn''t bad anymore. He felt like after another nap, he''d probably be back to normal.


    "So, without those assholes ambushing us at every turn, it kinda takes the thrill out of it." Polly was gazing at the screens as she spoke. When the only response she heard was silence, she looked over to see Jaen and Savros staring at her in disbelief.


    "You want someone to attack us?" Savros asked.


    "Oh, no!" Polly laughed. "I just meant for the last few trips. We''ve been on edge, looking over our shoulders, waiting for it. And now, the threat is basically gone, but I''m still in ''ready mode'', amped up and ready for battle." She said, punching the air in front of her.


    "It does feel like we should be at the pods, getting the twins ready. But with Tawkwa detained, there''s no one left to come after us, right? And at this point, why would they? We''re already taking the Kalibal back to the first world." Savros felt it too. It was hard to relax after being on edge for so long.


    "We''ve all been on edge too long. I think after we eat and get some rest, we''ll all be feeling a lot better. Food and sleep fixes everything." Jaen said, looking back at the screens. She asked, "Is dinner ready?"


    "It needs a few more minutes. I timed it to be ready at the start of our first jump into Dead Space. We''ll be arriving shortly, with just enough time to calculate our jump before mealtime."


    They were all a mix of excited and nervous. The energy filled the bridge as they waited the last few moments before landing their first jump.


    "Arriving in three, two, one." Shin was only quiet for a second, "Engaging drive. Plotting course to point at edge of scanner''s range. Course accepted." Shin was quiet for a few more seconds.


    "I''m picking up a distress signal. It''s coming from the edge of a nearby asteroid field. It could be a Galactic Scout or miner in trouble. It''s very nearby. Should we investigate further or leave them to their fate?"


    "Of course, there is." Polly said, looking at Jaen.


    "Dammit.'' She groaned, "Well, let''s fly by. If it looks sketchy, we''ll just jump and be gone."


    "Setting fly-by course. Coming within depth-scanner range. It appears to be a scout ship. Approaching asteroid field."


    "Incoming!" The KaiStar shook as a strong force collided with the hull.


    "Was that an asteroid? What happened?" Polly scanned the screens.


    "Enemy ship!" She and Shin said at the same time.


    She bolted toward the hatch outside the bridge door. Savros was right behind her, only slightly slowed by his condition.


    "Shin!" He could hear Jaen as he dropped down the hatch.


    "Direct impact to drives. We''re immobilized until I can reset the systems." Savros could barely hear the bridge from the gunner-pod until Shin patched everything through the intercom.


    "We''re being hailed, putting them through."


    Savros'' eyes remained on his gunner screen as he drew his gun just behind Polly''s. He could see asteroids of varying sizes, and there was the ship that was sending out the signal, but so far, he hadn''t seen an active ship anywhere. He saw a slight glitch in the corner of the screen for a split second. Turning his seat to face that direction, he saw it again. A ship hiding behind an asteroid.


    The asteroids must be very dense to block out all signs of the ship, but now, at least, he knew where it was. He stayed focused on that asteroid.


    "We''ve taken out your engines." The first words they had heard from the other ship told them all two things. First, whoever it is, they aren''t alone, and second, they believe they have disabled KaiStar.


    The speaker continued, "We have you surrounded and are prepared to open fire. Stand down and prepare to be boarded or we will open fire."


    "Who the hell are you?" was the response from all three of them.


    "I am Captain Reganini Gaoword of the pirate ship R1-9c. Follow my orders exactly."


    "WHAT! No, wait, wait, wait. You''re pirates?"


    "Yes."


    "What the fuck kind of bullshit is this?" Polly''s voice had a hard edge to it.


    "We will¡ª."


    Polly cut him off, "Fake ass pirates, hiding behind rocks, doesn''t have a pirate name, doesn''t even name his ship," though everyone could hear her, she had pretty much been talking to herself, "And what kind of pirate talks like that? Don''t you know anything at all? And what are you hiding from? If you''re gonna threaten someone, at least have the balls to do it face to face."


    "I have the drives back online, course set, ready to go." Shin told the crew without broadcasting to the hidden pirate ship.


    Polly winked at Savros as she said, "Okay, let me finish up." Then back to the pirate ship, "Well, Captain, uh, Coward, was it? Sounds about right. You''re lucky I don''t have time to teach you how to be a real pirate before I blast you out of space. Don''t ever let me catch you around here again."


    Shin engaged the jump-drive, just as Polly finished her threat, and just as six vessels appeared from behind various asteroids before stretching and disappearing as KaiStar jumped.


    "Can you believe that guy!" Polly was already standing in the corridor, "We are way better pirates than that guy. Can you believe he uses the model number of his ship for his ship''s name!" Polly laughed out loud.


    "Come on, let''s go eat!" She helped him up, even though he was barely feeling any pain anymore.


    "Didn''t you see the other ships?" he asked her as they headed for the hatch.


    She paused and looked at him. "No, I am amped up. I just popped up out of the seat as we left. You saw more ships? How many?"


    "Six. I think." He thought he''d seen three in front and three behind them hiding among the asteroids.


    "There were six pirate ships and their bait ship. We could only see them because of the distortion caused when we jump." Shin explained.


    "Did you have to insult him like that?" Jaen asked Polly as they entered the bridge.


    "What? They attacked us Jae! Then they hid. And come on, you heard how he was talking. That''s not how pirates are supposed to talk. Worst pirate ever!"


    Jaen rolled her eyes, "Not everything is like it is in the stories, Poll."


    "Gar, what ye say be true. Still, it be the canons, on next we meet." Polly''s pirate personality was intent on having it out with the pirate impostor.


    "Very well." Jaen laughed with Polly and Savros as they entered the galley.

 Chapter Thirteen: Dead Space

    After a quick meal, the three of them headed off to their quarters for much-needed rest. Savros took his gear off and sat on the bed. It felt like years since he''d rested, and as soon as he sat down, his body gave up, and he slouched forward. Catching himself, he laid back and threw his feet up on the bed.


    The next thing he knew, he was waking up in his quarters. The ship was eerily quiet. He listened for a minute before moving but couldn''t hear anything. He sat up, slipping his boots on and grabbing his shirt and gear as he stood up.


    Stepping out of his quarters, he headed to the bridge. Entering the bridge, he saw Jaen asleep at the console. He went into the galley to get a drink and found Polly''s head on the table next to her clean plate. Shin had cleared everything else from the table. The cabinet door squeaked when he opened it to retrieve a hydro-pac. Polly stirred and lifted her head, blinking wearily.


    "Oh shit, I fell asleep at the table again. Good ol'' table-nappin''," she said, yawning and stretching. She noticed Savros in the corner, staring at her. "Morning Saaa," she said, letting his name lead into a second yawn.


    "Good morning," he said, sounding more cheerful than he''d expected. "Have you been out here since we ate?"


    "Oh no, I took a nap, but only for about an hour. Then I woke up hungry and came to get a snack." She looked at her plate, the hope on her face turning to disappointment when she saw it empty.


    "How long has Jaen been out there?"


    She looked up at him. "Jaen''s on the bridge? She was still asleep in bed, when I got up for my snack."


    "She walked onto the bridge shortly after you began eating. Based on her brain activity, I believe she may have been sleepwalking, or at least she wasn''t fully conscious." Shin gave them the time frame and then continued, "We have just arrived at the end of our second jump. Still no sign of our destination on the long range scans. Commencing third jump."


    Polly stood and stretched again, following Savros through the galley door onto the bridge. There was Jaen, still asleep in her chair, face smashed into the console. Polly sat in her chair, and thanks to a warped floor panel, it moved Jaen''s chair just enough to wake her up. Her eyes popped open, and she waited until Polly, sitting in her chair, came into focus before moving.


    "Morning guys," she said as Savros leaned on the console on the other side of Polly.


    "Did you sleep walk out here?" Savros asked.


    "Haha, no, I wanted to be awake for some of the jumps, just in case we found the source. But as soon as I sat down I fell asleep again."


    "If it''s off the map, how do we know we''re going the right way?" he asked.


    Shin responded, "The signal is getting stronger. As long as it''s getting stronger, we''re getting closer."


    That made sense. Savros walked over and sat in his seat. "Hey guys, I wanna say thank you for helping me through this. I didn''t know what I was dragging you into."


    Polly turned her seat and looked him in the eye, "You''re welcome, Savros, but this is happening to all of us. Potentially all of Living Space if the stories are true. I don''t know if I''d call it lucky, but personally I''m grateful that I get to be there when my fate is decided. At least we have the chance to fight for our lives."


    "Thanks Polly, I just can''t hep but think if the assassins had succeeded in killing me, no-one else''s life would be in danger."


    It was Jaen''s turn, "If they hadn''t taken it upon themselves to murder your parents and force you to run, and then chased us everywhere, and then unleashed a monster on Living Space, no-one''s life would be in danger either. None of this would have ever happened. This is in no way your fault, Savros. The Order brought this on us all. Not you."


    "I think it''s safe to say the fastest way to ensure a prophecy unfolds is to try to prevent it. And after Gah''Raka, it''s only because of you that we even have a hope of success. You are not a villain of this story, Savros, you are a hero. I believe, with this crew, we will succeed."


    Polly, Jaen, and Shin had their own points of view and words to say. He had to admit, they each had solid points. They created a situation and then forced him into it. Pitting him and his family of friends against the most ferocious beast that ever existed.


    The more he thought about it, the more his confidence grew. He didn''t ask for this, but he would not fail. He looked at Polly and Jaen, knowing that even if he did fail, the two of them never would. Between the intellect, experience and knowledge shared between the three of them, he couldn''t imagine anything beating them. With them in his corner, success was the only option.


    "What are you thinking?" Jaen''s voice snapped him out of his train of thought.


    He smiled. "I was just thinking how the four of us annihilated the assassins. We beat Gah''Raka, and now we''re going to stop Gah''Tak and stop a prophecy at the same time. They should have written prophecies about the four of us."


    Jaen laughed, "Well maybe someday they''ll tell stories about us." She raised her eyebrows.


    "At the very least, we''ll still be in the history books for farthest distance traveled from the Center. It doesn''t have that much impact, but, you know. It''s something." Polly''s confidence wavered about halfway through and completely faltered at the end.


    "That''s true, we''ll be known for something, one way or another." He was going to return to Living Space as an adventurer, an explorer, a hero, they all were.


    "Thanks, guys. I''m lucky to have you by my side. I''m gonna get some more rest before we get there. You guys should too. You might as well sleep in bed if you''re just gonna sleep in your seat, or sleep on the table, anyway. Goodnight." He headed for the door.


    "Best idea I''ve heard all day!" Polly was not far behind him.


    "Yeah, yeah." Jaen brought up the rear, "Good night Shin. Wake us up if we''re still asleep when our destination shows up."


    "Will do. Goodnight guys."


    Savros woke up, sweating. He couldn''t remember the dream, and the more he tried, the fuzzier the images got. All he was left with was the image of an empty, dark void and an empty cold feeling creeping up his spine.


    "Your heart rate is elevated; bad dream?" Shins'' voice was calm and soothing as Savros regained his bearings in the real world.


    "Yeah, I guess, can''t remember. I think I was in space again. It was dark and cold and I couldn''t breathe." Savros frowned, unable to remember more.


    "Exposing yourself to the vacuum of space like that had to be traumatic. It''s most likely your mind, working through everything that''s been going on." Shin''s explanation made sense to Savros. He had been through a lot lately. They all had. Physically, he''d taken the brunt of it. He saw to that when he popped off the ship without thinking. But now that he was thinking, he realized something else. Shin had taken the most physical damage out of all of them. He''d been nearly destroyed right away and continually beat on at every step.


    "Probably." He swung his feet off the bed. "Hey Shin, was it traumatic for you when the assassins almost destroyed the KaiStar?"


    "I suppose you could call it that. It was incredibly stressful, and even knowing Polly''s timing and timing the attacks from the other ships, I wasn''t sure we would make it. That was the first time I faced my own demise. But it wouldn''t be my demise alone. With you, Jaen and Polly aboard, I am responsible for all of our lives. Losing my own is one thing, but costing you your lives is something else entirely."


    "I''m sorry Shin, you guys keep telling me that we''re in this together, but I guess I couldn''t really see it. We''re all in this together, and none of us can bear to let the others down. Maybe that will be the key to our success. My father always told me that there is more power in helping others than helping yourself. Hopefully, he was right and hopefully, it will be enough."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I believe he was. And I believe it will be more than enough. You''ve proven you are willing to do what is necessary. Even at the cost of your own life. Jaen and Polly have been protecting and looking out for each other their whole lives long before I came along. I''ve never heard of two people more in sync. And because I was born of their minds, the three of us are able to read each other very well. The four of us are kindred spirits, or birds of a feather, or well, family."


    Savros was quiet for a while as he sat there. It wasn''t easy walking into, almost certain, doom. His new family at his side, somehow, made it both easier and harder at the same time. He recognized that without them, he would have no chance at all and reminded himself that without his actions, they wouldn''t have the Kalibal as a tool or weapon.


    "I just hope we all make it through this and things can go back to normal." He was quiet again for a moment. "I guess it would be for the best if no one ever knows why we came all the way out here. If people knew the truth, they''d never leave us alone."


    "True," said Shin, "and there would be others looking for the First World and the Kalibal."


    "You know, I always wanted to be a famous hero. But now? Now, I just want a quiet life. Traveling through the stars of Living Space in the KaiStar with you guys.. I don''t even want the fame or attention."


    "If we''re successful, I have a feeling we''ll get a sample of both. We''ll be famous at the Center and among groups in-the-know. I imagine there will be quite the fanfare at the Center if we return victorious. But Across the stars, most will have no idea the threat ever existed."


    "That''s actually a relief. Best of both worlds kind of thing." He said, standing and stretching. "Thanks Shin, I think I''m ready. Are the other''s up, already?"


    "My pleasure. Thank you for talking and sharing with me. They are both still sleeping. I should be able to get a fix on our destination when we land this jump."


    "How long have we been out here?"


    "It''s been about eight hours Galactic Standard since arriving at the edge of Living Space. I''ve put out some cold foods and warm drinks in the galley. I''m about to wake the others. We could arrive very close to our destination and we don''t know what will be waiting for us."


    "Thanks, Shin, I could use a warm cup." Dressed, he headed toward the galley. KaiStar was eerily quiet while jumping and even more quiet with everyone asleep. Savros wandered into the galley. The smell of roasted beans drew him in. He poured a cup and sat at the table, holding it in both hands and blowing on it. He couldn''t help but think of the cold mornings, camping with his uncle, holding his cup the same way, shivering and grateful for any warmth. Even though it was a pleasant temperature on the KaiStar, a chill ran through his body.


    "Morning, Savy," Polly came in, yawning and making a beeline toward the same scent that had caught his attention.


    "Good morning," he said as Jaen came through the galley door, rubbing her eyes. She followed the same path both he and Polly had taken towards the intoxicating aroma.


    "Morning!" she said cheerfully, pouring a cup before sitting down.


    "Wow, well JaeJae''s feeling chipper this morning! How about you, SaeSae?" Polly looked at him, grinning.


    "I feel pretty good too! Thanks to Shin and both of you, I''m so sure we''re gonna win that I''m kinda bored." He looked around the room in mock boredom.


    "Oh what, saving the universe isn''t exciting enough for you? Facing the biggest bad guy ever to exist doesn''t do anything for you? Well yeah, when you say it out loud, it''s kinda boring. You''re right, it''s really not even a contest," she kicked back, putting her boot on the table, an untied lace falling into her cup, "maybe we should pull hairs to decide who gets to go smack Gah''Tak around."


    Jaen laughed at the sarcasm, "It''s strange, even though we have no idea what we''re walking into, I have confidence in us."


    "Me too!" the reply came from Shin, Polly, and Savros.


    "Landing and expected destination location in three, two, one." Savros could hear the excitement in Shin''s voice as the three of them took their seats and buckled their harnesses.


    "Energy source located, engaging drives."


    Savros'' heart was beating faster the closer they got. He thought he was ready, but now that they were here, he found himself wishing he could put it off a little while longer. Looking up at Polly and Jaen, he remembered why he felt ready before. He wasn''t ready for himself, but he would always be ready to help defend his family. His courage returning, he focused back on the screens.


    "Do we need the twins?" he asked.


    "I don''t think so. There is no movement or signal of any kind other than the tryptic energy emanating from a point ahead of us."


    "Well, so far, no sign of Gah''Tak. That''s got to be a good sign. Is that the tryptic energy I can feel in my bones? Do you guys feel that?" Savros'' whole body felt like it was vibrating.


    "It has to be. I''ve never felt anything like this before." Jaen looked at Polly for confirmation.


    "It''s new to me, too. It doesn''t hurt, but it''s damn, it''s intense!" Polly looked back at Savros as the feeling grew in all of them.


    Just when Savros was beginning to fear if it got more intense, it would break his bones, it stopped. All was quiet again as KaiStar continued toward the source of the strange power.


    The crew squirmed in their chairs, getting used to the sudden cessation of sensation. Savros looked at the screen and couldn''t help but feel like something was not right with what he was seeing. He watched it for a while but couldn''t place the problem. As the last unsettling feelings of the tryptic energy faded from his body, it suddenly hit him, what was missing from the view.


    "Look, the stars are gone!" he said, pointing at the screen.


    Polly and Jaen''s eyes opened wider as they took it in as well. The inky darkness of space, illuminated by nothing. Just darkness in every direction they looked. Shin displayed the views from the scanners on the aft of the KaiStar. Only a handful of stars could be seen. Their light was the only thing battling the unending darkness surrounding them.


    Even those few stars brought a sense of comfort to Savros and the others. Knowing they had a route home made him not feel so far away.


    "Kind of comforting, aren''t they? Other than telemetry, those few stars are all we have to find our way back. But they are more than enough. But before we go back we have to deal with this," he switched the screen back to the bow sensors. The faint spot of light was much close now, larger but still not very bright.


    The light vanished from view entirely. "What happened? Where did it go?" Savros asked, suddenly sitting upright, fearing this marked the emergence of Gah''Tak.


    "The source of the energy seems to be on a mid-size rogue planet. Whatever rotation the planet maintains has hidden it from our view. However, the readings are just as high. It''s definitely still there. This is the place. We''ll be in orbit soon. I''ll scan the surface and bring us into sync above the anomaly."


    Polly laughed anxiously, "That''s a relief, I thought maybe we were too late!"


    "Me too!" Savros and Jaen said.


    "I guess we''re all a little jumpy." Savros rubbed his head, smiling.


    "Hey jumpy is better than sleepy." Polly winked back at him.


    He shrugged, "True."


    "Calm and focused would be best, but I don''t see any of us, except maybe Shin, pulling that off. And you know, inside, he''s as jumpy as the rest of us." Jaen watched the screen while she talked. "Do you guys see that?" she asked.


    They looked at the screen but didn''t see anything. Then a faint halo of light appeared in front of them. They stared, trying to figure it out. As the image slowly came into focus, Shin explained what he saw.


    "It''s the rogue planet, the First World. The source of the energy is on the opposite side of the planet. In such extreme darkness, the reflection off the surface is acting as a back light. Creating a halo of light around the dead planet."


    "It''s beautiful." Savros stared, slack-jawed, as the ring of light grew in brilliance, reaching a peak before slowly beginning to fade. By the time they had begun an orbit descent, they couldn''t see it at all anymore.


    "Still no signs of life or activity, bringing us into orbit." Shin was being cautious, and his tone reminded all of them of the severity of their situation.


    "Entering counter rotational orbit. Beginning scans of the surface." The crew watched the screen as Shin flew them around the planet. Suddenly, the horizon ahead of them started glowing again, growing brighter rapidly as they raced toward it. With the horizon continuing to grow brighter, it looked like a sunrise unlike any other.


    As the source of the light broke the horizon, a blinding white light pierced the darkness. Shin dimmed the screens as they continued their route toward it. It was so bright they couldn''t make out anything around.


    As they grew nearer and the source of the light moved into position below them. Shin began descending directly over the source, "Scans reveal no life of any kind. And only a single structure on the entire surface. In position, scanning structure and energy source."


    It felt like an eternity before the scans showed anything, but then the structure below appeared on the screen. Shin rendered a three-dimensional model of the structure.


    A tall, slender pyramid with a power source at the very top. The scan revealed an entrance at ground level, but they were unable to penetrate the walls into the interior of the pyramid.


    Well, this is it, he thought to himself.


    "Well, this is it," Jaen said, looking over at Polly.


    "Yep, this has to be the place. It''s the only place." They each stood up as Polly was speaking.


    "There is no atmosphere worth mentioning, and no way of knowing what you''ll find inside. Good luck, you guys. I will monitor comms, but based on the scans, I doubt the signal will make it in or out of there. Also, it''s quite possible you will need to get yourselves outside of the structure before your teleporters will work."


    The three of them stood there, looking at the structure on the screen. It reminded Savros of the lighthouses used to warn water vessels of dangerous waters on his home planet. Standing there looking at it, he hoped it would be as easy as taking the Kalibal to the light source.


    Polly and Jaen turned at the same time to face him. Both looked as determined as he was.


    "Are we ready?" Shin asked.


    "Ready." They said, still looking at each other. Savros hit the button on his holo-suit, and when he saw their faces, he felt a little silly, but he didn''t turn it off.


    "What? I''m not going through that again." He smiled.


    "Well, at least you learned your lesson." Said Jaen, activating her holo-suit as well.


    Polly laughed, "It never takes more than once to learn that lesson." She smacked the button on her holo-suit.


    Savros picked up the Kalibal from the console, and the three of them stood on the bridge of the KaiStar holo-suits active, taking one last look at the available information on the screen. Without another word, the three of them each reached up and teleported out at the same time.

 Chapter Fourteen: The First World

    Savros found himself standing in the dark. In front of him: the pyramid. Looking up, it towered over him. It appeared to have been built of the same jet-black material as the Throne of Heaven, and the Kalibal are made from, fashioned into blocks, and stacked in layers on top of each other. Each layer got taller and narrower as it neared the peak.


    The enormous doors, several paces in front of him, were small relative to the overall massiveness of the pyramid itself. He took a step forward, with Polly and Jaen at his side. All three of them took a step and were forced to their knees.


    The gravity was higher than they were used to, and it had caught all of them off-guard. After a brief adjustment, the three of them were upright again and this time taking stronger, smaller, and deliberate steps towards the entrance.


    Standing at the door, Savros wondered how they would get it open, but, taking another step, the double doors cracked open and then swung inward all the way open.


    ¡°Everyone doing alright?¡± Shin¡¯s voice came through crystal clear.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. It is beyond creepy out here though.¡± Polly looked around as she spoke.


    ¡°Me too, and I concur.¡± Said Jaen. Shining a light into the pyramid to no effect.


    ¡°That makes three of us.¡± Savros said, gazing into the pitch-black emptiness through the doorway.


    He took another small step forward, then another, until, finally, he crossed the threshold of the doorway. As he stepped into the pyramid, silence fell over him. Looking around, he saw Polly and Jaen next to them but couldn¡¯t hear anything. He thought his ear was ringing, but he couldn¡¯t be sure until the tone in his ear suddenly dropped in pitch, and ambient light that seemed to emanate from everywhere or nowhere filled the interior of the pyramid.


    They all gasped in the silence at the interior of the pyramid. None of them knew what to expect, but what they saw had them baffled. In place of a floor, there were steps, a mirror image of the ceiling. Two paces from the entrance, the floor stepped down. And then again, and again. Until all four walls tapered in and met at a point at the bottom.


    Only the top half of the structure was visible. The bottom half-buried in the ground was the same as the top half, except pointing down.


    They spread out slightly as they began going the only direction they could, down. Step by step, they slowly made their way to the bottom. When they were each in a corner, they could see the small platform at the bottom. Standing on the very bottom steps, they felt as if they were in a small room. Looking up, they could see a straight line connecting the point at the very top to this pedestal at the very bottom.


    Taking the last step and approaching the pedestal, the silence was suddenly broken by a deep, soothing voice.


    ¡°Believe not the lies of old. Words in time twist and distort, their meaning lost. This power belongs to you all. It is your birthright, it belongs in the universe. You¡¯ve all come so far, but the journey has not come to an end, and the struggle is far from over. Be brave, Be strong, trust your hearts. I give it back to you, use it well and continue the journey.¡±


    Savros looked at the others, making sure they heard it as well. The looks on their faces told him they had heard everything he¡¯d heard. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Was Gah¡¯Tak speaking to them? If he was the monster he was supposed to be and his cell was open, why would he sit inside it, talking to them?


    He tried the intercom, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    No answer. He looked at them, and they were both looking at him. What else was there to do? He thought. He moved closer, examining the pedestal with more scrutiny. The top of it looked like the top of the altar at the Throne of Heaven, a hole the diameter of the Kalibal and carvings of snakes that matched the Kalibal itself.


    He held it up to the others, getting final confirmation that it was still the plan. Polly nodded her approval. Jaen nodded as well. He nodded back at them and turned to face the pedestal. Bringing it over the pedestal, it began to glow along the deepest cuts of the carving. Outlining the snakes and making them appear almost animated. He rotated his wrist, looking at it from different angles.


    As he moved it closer to the center, he could feel a vibration coming from the Kalibal. Having to fight the urge to run and hide, he had to take control of himself. He tried to pump himself up, thinking; he was here; he was doing this, so let¡¯s do it, already!


    Moving the end of the Kalibal over the hole, the moment it was properly aligned, it jerked from his hand, and about half of its length disappeared into the hole. The Kalibal glowed brighter and brighter until it was blinding. Shielding their eyes, the three of them stood there waiting and hoping they didn¡¯t suddenly get killed.


    The light faded away, and Savros cautiously moved his hands from his eyes and saw that the Kalibal had split into countless fibers, all glowing, stretching, and moving on their own, reaching up from the pedestal toward the point of light above them.


    ¡°Thank you, Savros.¡± A long, deep laugh followed. ¡°At long last, the universe is whole, and I am complete. In gratitude, I will aid you in your journey and be with you until your end.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean? What¡¯s going on?¡± Savros reached out to the voice, his hand grasping at the air next to the Kalibal.


    Everything stopped, time froze, he couldn¡¯t move even his eyes. A sound became audible, and as it grew, time seemed to be returning. The sound suddenly split, becoming two distinct tones, one moving up the register, the other moving down. One continued rising higher; the other fell lower until they were so high and so low they were no longer registering to his ears. For a split second, he thought that it was over, then the lights went out.


    The Kalibal began glowing again, and in the light, he saw his own arm up, still reaching for the voice. Another half-split-second later, the Kalibal let off a burst of energy unlike any other, and Savros was knocked back against the steps and lost consciousness.


    Polly lightly smacking him in the face brought him around again. Savros opened his eyes to look at her, but something wasn¡¯t right. He could barely see, and when he tried to speak, no sound came. He tried to move but couldn¡¯t.


    He opened his eyes again. Now he was sitting on a step, Polly sitting on one side, Jaen on the other. His vision still off, he looked down and saw his own hand and arm covered in strange burns. It looked like it was still burning. Embers floated upward and drifted off the burns, and under the charred black skin, he could see light. Was he on fire? Shouldn¡¯t it hurt?


    Opening his eyes again, Jaen was bending over him, trying to lift him from the step. When he realized what was going on, he tried to help, and eventually, she got him to his feet as Polly came around under his arm on the other side. They were helping him up the steps.


    After the third step, they climbed, they all sat for a rest. Savros was beginning to get his bearings and wits again. As he sat there in the silence, he looked at his arm again. The charred and blackened skin was gone from most of his arm. He still couldn¡¯t make sense of it. How could it heal that quickly? He wiped his arm off with his other hand, expecting it to erupt in pain. Instead, a plume of ash and embers lifted off into the air, and his hand was completely back to normal. He stared in disbelief. Checked with Polly and Jaen for a reaction. They looked every bit as stunned as he was. Jaen leaned over and wiped his face, and the haze lifted from his vision as another plume of ash and ember drifted into the surrounding void.


    He hadn¡¯t realized it, but his face must have been burned too. He wished just once he knew what was going on. As far as he could tell, they had completed the mission, and he was anxious to get back aboard the KaiStar and put some distance between them and this strange place.


    Savros stood and slowly started making his way up the steps. Polly and Jaen followed, helping whenever he teetered or almost stumbled, and together they ascended from the pit of the pyramid. They stopped only to take a few breaths before making it back outside the pyramid.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Crossing the threshold, the background noise of the universe returned in stark contrast to the eerie silence inside. No one had even spoken yet, but just the underlying vibration was a huge comfort to them all.


    As soon as they were all clear of the pyramid, they each teleported back onto the KaiStar without a word.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Standing on the bridge, Polly was the first to speak. As they deactivated their holo-suits. ¡°Are you okay? I thought for sure the explosion killed you. It went off right in your face! And then you were all burned, but look at you now!¡±


    ¡°I know! I don¡¯t know, I heard that creepy voice and then the Kalibal exploded in my face! Did you guys hear that voice? Both times? It sounded like the Kalibal was talking. So, was that it? Did we do it? Is Gah¡¯Tak sealed away?¡± He was surprised by how good he felt when, a few minutes ago, inside the pyramid, he could barely move and thought he was dying.


    ¡°I guess we don¡¯t really know if we were successful or not. And yes, I heard the voice too. I don¡¯t understand whose voice it was, though. Gah¡¯Tak, based on what we know, would never just relax in his cell and encourage us to seal it back up. I really don¡¯t understand.¡± Jaen looked at Savros, ¡°I also don¡¯t understand what happened to you. Polly¡¯s right. That was a massive explosion, and it was right in your face. We saw the burns and everything. But look at you, no trace of them!¡±


    ¡°I know! And I feel great too, like better than I¡¯ve ever felt. I think we did it! I think we won!¡± He was smiling and rubbing his head.


    ¡°You might be right, we¡¯re hear, we put the Kalibal in the pedestal and made it out, all with no sign of Gah¡¯Tak. Shin, were there any changes out here?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Shin sounded very confused by everything, ¡°in fact, from out here you were only inside the structure for a moment. You walked in. There was an immediate blast of energy from the point of the pyramid and then you walked right back out. According to my instruments, it¡¯s been just over two minutes since you teleported off the KaiStar.¡± He paused, letting his words sink in. ¡°However, I gather from your conversation that much more than that happened.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah it did! Inside it¡¯s just steps leading down to a platform. When we got down there, we heard a voice saying don¡¯t believe the lies and the power belongs to us. Anyway, Savros puts the Kalibal in the pedestal and the voice says, thank you and then blows up in his face! We thought he was dead, but when the light faded, there he was, and still breathing. Hey run a scan on him Shin, see if there¡¯s anything showing up.¡± Polly winked and shrugged at Savros, ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Guess not.¡± He said.


    ¡°Other than a large amount of tryptic radiation coming off all of you, I don¡¯t see anything abnormal with Savros or either of you.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief!¡± Jaen turned her seat to face the others before sitting down. ¡°Okay guys, should we hang around and see if anything happens, or should we call it a win and head back?¡±


    ¡°Since we don¡¯t have the Kalibal any more and nothing is happening here, I vote we call it.¡± Polly said, sitting in her seat facing Savros and Jaen. The two of them looked at him.


    ¡°I mean, yeah, we did it! Let¡¯s get back to civilization!¡± Savros was excited and pumped. They¡¯d saved the universe and defeated Gah¡¯Tak before he even rose. As far as he was concerned, it was a complete success, an unmitigated victory.


    ¡°I agree, as well. There¡¯s nothing more we can do here, and unless you want to go back into the pyramid, we should go.¡± Shin gave his vote as Savros casually slipped into his seat.


    ¡°Welp, it was a weird one, that¡¯s for sure, but no way I¡¯m going back in there and hey, at least we didn¡¯t have to face Gah¡¯Tak. Do either of you guys remember what the voice said the first time? I remember something like, ¡®Don¡¯t listen to old words and old lies. The power belongs to us and the struggle for it isn¡¯t over.¡¯ But I think there was more.¡±


    ¡°I thought it said something about¡ª.¡± Jaen was cut off by Savros.


    ¡°Believe not the lies of old. Words in time twist and distort, their meaning lost. This power belongs to you all. It is your birthright, it belongs in the universe. You¡¯ve all come so far, but the journey has not come to an end, and the struggle is far from over. Be brave, Be strong, trust your hearts. I give it back to you, use it well and continue the journey.¡± Savros quoted it exactly word for word, even somewhat capturing the tone, staring at a point off in the distance and not blinking.


    Polly and Jaen gave each other quick, nervous glances. Looking back at Savros, he blinked and looked over at them, smiling.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, noticing the look on their faces. ¡°What¡¯d I say?¡±


    ¡°You just quoted that voice we heard, even down to the creepiness. You sure you¡¯re feeling okay?¡± Polly was giving him a scrupulous eye.


    He laughed again, rubbing his head. ¡°Yeah, I was just remembering what it said. It¡¯s like I can still hear it in my head. Like the words are right there. It also laughed and said ¡®Thank you, Savros. At long last, the universe is whole, and I am complete. In gratitude, I will aid you in your journey and be with you until your end.¡¯¡± This time, he intentionally made his voice sound more like the one they had heard in the pyramid.


    Jaen shivered, ¡°Yeah, that was it. Why does it speak in riddles like that? It¡¯s like listening to a prophecy.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Anyone wanna take a guess at what any of that means?¡±


    Whenever he thought about the words, he could hear the voice again in his head. The words themselves seemed benign, but something was gnawing at him. It was the laugh that kept running through his mind. ¡®Why did the voice laugh and what did it mean about being with me until my end?¡¯ he thought as the laugh echoed through his mind again.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that ¡®the lies of old¡¯ and ¡®words twist and distort in time¡¯ are refereeing to the prophecies. The ¡®power¡¯ likely refers to tryptic energy. But I do not know what struggles lie ahead, or where else the journey leads. Perhaps we¡¯ll discover the answers when we get back to Living Space.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like it that we have no way of knowing what we did. We could have made it in time and prevented a disaster or we could have made things worse. I guess we¡¯ll just have to accept that we did our best, and leave it at that.¡± Jaen turned her seat halfway toward the screens, ¡°Okay Shin. We¡¯re ready. Take us home, please.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure, taking us out of grav-range of the planet.¡±


    The view on the screen moved past the pyramid as KaiStar accelerated and began climbing away from the surface. A little later, Shin returned over the intercom, ¡°Whoa, on the surface there was no discernible change, but up here the tryptic energy readings are off the chart!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, of the chart? How high could it be?¡± Polly asked.


    ¡°If the extrapolations are accurate everything within the scanners range is saturated with tryptic energy.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean there are abundant levels of tryptic energy again? Like we can all use magic? No fucking way! Did we bring magic back to the universe? I don¡¯t feel it. Do you guys feel it?¡± Polly held out her hand and closed her eyes in concentration. They popped back open, and she closed her hand and sat on it. Staring wide-eyed at the screen.


    ¡°What? What happened?¡± Jaen asked her. Savros leaned forward, eager to hear her response. After a few moments, she shakily turned her head to face them.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°Um, well, I could definitely feel it. It happened so fast and was so strong, I think I almost blasted a hole in the bridge. That was way too much power.¡± She looked down at her hand. ¡°What do you guys say to not trying to use magic until we are back on land somewhere?¡±


    Savros laughed again. Had they really brought magic back after so many eons? He couldn¡¯t even imagine it. It seemed surreal. He didn¡¯t feel magical; he just felt good. ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea. I¡¯m in no rush to die in space.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Jaen and Shin said at the same time.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll be able to make it back to the edge of Living Space in a single jump, and from there, travel will be back to normal. Jumping in three, two one.¡±


    The universe sped away from them. They all breathed a little easier as they began the journey back to Living Space.


    They headed to the galley. Battling the extra gravity on the First World had left their stomachs empty and rumbling. And who knows what that blast did to them. He looked at his friends. Whether it was that blast of energy or just the feeling of victory cautiously creeping in, they were definitely in good spirits.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll stop at the Center and check-in. Make sure nothing else happened while we were gone. Then straight to Idyll Quies for a three-night celebration of relaxation! What do you think, Savirito? Sound like a plan?¡± Polly looked as happy about it as Jaen as they waited.


    ¡°Sounds like a hell of a plan! Beaches and sands and suns! After that pyramid, I¡¯m ready for some nature and sunlight.¡± Savros sat down, opening his rat-pac. ¡°It seems like no matter how many of these we eat, we always have more,¡± he said.


    ¡°Told you!¡± Polly laughed. ¡°It¡¯s like a never ending supply! Lucky us though, they come in handy.¡± She said, making her point by tearing another open.


    ¡°Really though, that one blunder back in the very beginning of our career was one of our best accidents.¡± Jaen said, waving a meat stick around. ¡°How many times have these things saved us? Just like now.¡±


    ¡°Well, as great as these are,¡± Polly pointed at Jaen¡¯s meat stick with her own, ¡°the food on Idyll Quies better be the best tastin¡¯, best smellin¡¯ most delicious things ever, because I am ready for some real food and Shin set¡¯s a pretty high bar for that already.


    ¡°I agree with you on that! Shin is one of the best cooks ever.¡± Savros said with a mouth full of not-Shin¡¯s-cooking.


    ¡°Thanks you guys. I do try to serve a palatable meal.¡± Shin sounded pleased and amused. ¡°However, I am certain you will find the skills of the chefs at Idyll Quies far superior.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if they¡¯re magical chefs.¡± Polly stopped, realizing what she had said. ¡°Do you guys think there will be magic food now?¡±


    ¡°What about magic clothes? I want shoes that let me fly!¡± Jaen¡¯s eyes sparkled as the conversation turned to magic. ¡°I wonder how much different everything will be now? I hope there will be tryptic versions of everything. Oh!¡± her eyes lit up even more, and she smacked Polly on the shoulder, ¡°we can develop Tryptic shields!¡±


    ¡°Wait, couldn¡¯t you just use magic to create a shield?¡± Savros was confused.


    ¡°Yeah, you could,¡± Polly seemed excited by Jaen¡¯s idea, ¡°we escorted an Az¡¯Reign once that put a shield around KaiStar, but he had to maintain it. The tryptic sensor proves that we can mix tek and tryptic energy. It is just energy after all.¡±


    ¡°It seems like a lot of things will be different. I guess there¡¯s no way to hide what we did. If tryptic energy is everywhere, people are gonna figure it out, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit, that¡¯s true! We¡¯re the hero¡¯s that returned magic to the people. They¡¯ll probably write songs about us and everything!¡± Polly laughed.


    ¡°Who knows, maybe EdenFire will make dolls of us, and little kids will play with miniature KaiStars.¡± Jaen laughed fondly at the idea.


    Savros smiled. It felt good to see the looks of happiness and peace on their faces. They had stuck behind him from the moment they met him, and it had put them through a lot, but here they were, on the other side, moving on and ready for a brand new chapter.


    ¡°Landing jump in three, two, one. Engaging drives.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen: Pirates

    Shin had barely finished speaking when a sudden impact threw the three of them to the floor. "Pirates! Drives are down. Six vessels, three off the port bow, and three off the starboard aft. Shields at ninety-eight percent, shielding at ninety percent. Incoming!"


    The second volley hit while they were still recovering from the first blow, with a third rocking the ship only a moment later. Shin couldn''t even update them on their status before a third hit them and then a fourth.


    Still, on the galley floor, Savros knew they weren''t going to make it to the gunner-pods, but he was still going to try. Polly must have had the same intention because she, too, was forcing her way to the galley door through the impacts and explosions against the shields.


    When the fifth impact rocked the KaiStar, panic set in. Savros could see no way out. Shin wasn''t saying anything, and he and Polly hadn''t even made it off the bridge yet. They were out of time. Savros looked back at Polly, next to him and Jaen, just coming out of the galley door, as his heart raced faster and faster.


    The panic was apparent in his own as much as the other''s eyes. His heart felt like it would explode and kill him even before the pirates could. Standing back up, he saw embers floating up past his face. Thinking KaiStar was on fire, he jumped to his feet, pulling his arms out of danger. Only to see his arm and hand already severely burned.


    His heart stopped in his chest as he stared at his hand.


    "All systems c-c-critical, we won''t survive another-r-r-r attack." Shin''s voice sounded digital and glitchy.


    Time stopped entirely as he looked back to see Polly had abandoned going to the pods and instead tried to make her way to Jaen. They fell into each other''s arms and time came to a complete stop as Savros made it to his feet in total panic. He had to do something, anything. He had to protect his family.


    His vision was getting blurry, and the skin on his arm looked like liquid fire swirling along the lines of the burns. He looked around, desperate for anything he could use, anything he could do. Finding nothing, the panic consumed him. His eyes darting around the bridge, they landed on Polly and Jaen, hugging each other. He couldn''t let anything happen to them. After everything they''ve done for him, he had to do something.


    There was no answer, no way out, nothing he could do. Panic turned to rage, and his vision failed him entirely. Standing alone in the dark, he couldn''t see anything at all.


    Then he saw three ships in front of him to his right and, looking back, he saw three behind him to his left. Next, the hull of the KaiStar began to appear around him. Everything came back into place as he watched his arm move on its own.


    His right arm lifted straight out in front of him as he turned to the hull on his right. His left arm extended above his head. Twisting his right arm as it pulled in near his ribs. A circle of white light appeared at the end of his fist, with a white point in the center. While a similar but larger ring appeared above his left hand.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    His right arm flew forward, untwisting on the way out until his arm was fully extended again. The circle of light kept going when his arm did not. It sailed across the remaining distance to the hull in front of him. Upon contact with the hull, the circle grew and morphed as the point in the middle became a line then separated into two lines. The circle continued to grow and divide into geometric shapes until it covered most of the distance from the floor to the bridge''s ceiling.


    He looked up at his left hand. The brightly glowing ring of light pulsing with intensity. His voice made a sound, and the ball of light dropped down the length of his arm past his face, torso and continued down to his feet. When it hit the deck, it began expanding. A complicated series of symbols changed and morphed within as the circle grew. Beyond the boundary of the hull, the symbol continued to grow, forming a flat plane through and beyond KaiStar.


    Savros began walking toward the hull. From his position, he watched as his body moved and did things beyond his control. As he approached the hull, the symbol glowed with more intensity until, within arm''s reach, the shapes inside the circle began to break away. Floating off in either direction. Taking the hull with it.


    He tried to turn and run in terror when he saw the inky black view beyond the hull. Despite his efforts, Savros stepped through the hull into the vacuum of space. As he stepped out of the hull, his foot landed in open space, but when it was level with the bridge''s floor, a symbol appeared under his foot, and he stepped out onto it. He took another step, and another symbol appeared.


    Savros watched his body move and witnessed the impossible things he was doing, but he was in no way in charge. As he watched his body do these things, he didn''t even really understand what he was seeing. A few paces outside of KaiStar, his body turned to face the three pirate ships in front of them. His arm lifted above his head and came down in a swooping arc as his other hand arced upward. A large circle with a geometric symbol in it appeared in front of him. He heard his own voice say something he couldn''t understand.


    The symbol pulsed with energy as he spoke. When his voice was quiet, the symbol began to shrink down until it blinked out of sight. He heard his voice again and watched as it reappeared in the midst of the three ships in front of him. As the symbol grew, the three ships began moving toward it as though they were pulled in by gravity. Just before impact with the symbol, an explosion obliterated the three ships and blasted the debris outward at great speed until there was no longer even a trace of the ships.


    His body turned and began walking back toward the hole he had walked out of. He never saw any sign of the other three ships that had been behind them. His next concern was Polly and Jaen, inside the KaiStar with a massive hole in the hull. Where he was terrified before, now he was infuriated. No matter his urging or struggling, his body only moved at the pace it wanted to.


    As he approached the hole, he saw the triangular pieces of the hull still floating and glowing on the edges. He stepped back through the opening as the parts returned to their original positions. The symbol, whole again, pulsed a few times and disappeared. He saw Polly and Jaen, still exactly as they had looked the last time he saw them. Another step, and he collapsed under the weight of his own body.


    "Savros! SAVROS! Can you hear me? Are you okay?"


    He could hear Jaen''s voice, but he couldn''t see her. He tried to answer, but his voice didn''t make a sound. It didn''t matter.  He''d done it. He''d protected his family. He smiled as he relaxed and gave in to the darkness.

 Chapter Sixteen: Az鈥橰eign

    Savros tried to open his eyes but found his eyelids extremely heavy and partially stuck shut. When he tried to move, his body felt heavier than it should. For a moment, he thought he may still be inside the pyramid.


    His eyelids finally responded, encouraged by the sudden jolt of adrenaline that came with panic. All he could see was a blinding light. And immediately shut his eyes again. Suddenly there was a light weight pressing against his chest. He could feel warmth radiating from the pressure until his whole torso was warmed. Finding he could breathe with ease, he began taking slower, deeper breaths as the warmth continued radiating out into his limbs and extremities.


    Opening his eyes again, the light was dimmer. He blinked, waiting for them to adjust. As the light faded, a dark figure came into view. Everything that had happened since the pyramid came back in a rush, and he jumped from thinking he was trapped on a dead world to thinking he was captive to the worst pirates ever! That¡¯s what Polly had said; he remembered that.


    ¡°Where?¡± was all he could manage to say at the moment.


    ¡°You are currently in the Medical¡ª.¡± The figure started before Savros shook his head and managed a loud moan.


    ¡°Polly. Jaen. Shin.¡± Each word took real effort. His throat acted as though he had never used his voice before.


    ¡°I apologize, sir, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve summoned the doctor. She¡¯s on her way now. I¡¯m sure she will be able to answer all your questions. For now, just try to relax and get your bearings. I¡¯ll bring you some water.¡± The figure moved about the room before returning and placing something next to him. ¡°Sip it very slowly. I will turn down the lights while you wait for the doctor. Rest at ease.¡±


    He didn¡¯t feel like he could do much else other than rest, so he didn¡¯t bother struggling anymore. Deciding it would be smarter to conserve what strength he had until he had a better idea of where he was and what was going on. Were the others safe? Where were they? And where was he? Those were the three questions he most wanted answers to at this moment.


    With the lights dimmed, he was able to make out a lot more of his surroundings and began to calm down a bit. It didn¡¯t appear to be a ship, and he didn¡¯t feel the usual vibrations of engines. The room appeared clean and smelled of mild disinfectant. Savros looked over and saw the glass of water sitting on a bedside table. He reached for it and found his arms working again. He tried his legs and found them agreeable as well.


    Slowly letting his legs fall from the edge of the bed, he used the leverage to help himself sit up. Vertigo spun the room around him, and he nearly knocked the water over, catching himself on the little table. As his vertigo subsided and the room came back to a standstill, he took the water and, taking the person¡¯s advice, took only a very small sip. Enough to wet his tongue and throat.


    Clearing his throat, he took another sip and looked around the room for a better view. There was something familiar about the room, but he couldn¡¯t place it. He saw, standing by the entrance, a tall, slender guy in a white cloak with full sleeves and white gloves. He stood silently, hands clasped together in front of his body.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, his voice shaky and hoarse.


    ¡°I am the attendant on duty. My name is Holand. I am here to protect and monitor your condition.¡±


    He took another little sip. ¡°Where am I and what¡¯s ¡®my condition¡¯?¡± he asked, his voice coming back to him as he used it.


    ¡°You are in the Galactic Center Med Wing, under the care of¡ª.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Lili¡¯El Ameil,¡± the woman speaking was shorter than Savros with long, thick, dark hair aloft in her wake as she entered the room. ¡°It¡¯s quite a pleasure and surprise to get to meet you. I see Holand has already provided you with a drink. I¡¯m sure your throat is dry and sore and you must be thirsty, but take it slow, your body isn¡¯t used to processing food and drinks any more and it will take a few days to get back to normal.¡±


    Approaching the bed, she took his hand in hers. He thought to shake it, but she just held it, extended her index finger onto his wrist, and waited quietly for a while.


    She pulled up a screen, checked a few things, and put it away again before saying any more.


    ¡°Your heart is strong and steady. The scans all look normal, other than your abnormally high tryptic radiation levels. But that¡¯s to be expected. I¡¯m sure you have a bunch of questions, but if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to ask you two questions before we get into all that. First, How do you feel? Second, what¡¯s the last thing you remember before waking up here?¡±


    ¡°I feel,¡± he thought for a moment, ¡°confused and worried. Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°The KaiStar and crew have been alerted and are on their way here now. They should be here within the hour.¡± Savros knew he couldn¡¯t relax until he saw Polly and Jaen safe and sound. The doctor continued, ¡°Would you mind telling me the last thing you remember?¡±


    Lost in thought, he looked up at her. ¡°Huh? Oh, um, I remember the pyramid, the heaviness and the silence. Then there was a blast of light.¡± He paused, remembering the events more clearly.


    ¡°What happened after the blast of light?¡± The doctor asked.


    ¡°Then, then we left. We made it back to the KaiStar and headed back here.¡± He stopped again, looking confused.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I must have been asleep for a while. I remember having a dream where I was in space with no suit or mask.¡±


    ¡°I believe that was when you were at the Throne of Heaven, trying to stop Gah¡¯Raka, yes?¡±


    ¡°No, this was different. There were other ships there, and I destroyed them. It¡¯s so fuzzy but it feels so real.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Savros, it¡¯s actually a good sign. And very similar to the statements taken from your crew-mates. It¡¯s hard to accept, but it seems your dream may have been real.¡± She was quiet for a moment, ¡°There¡¯s still a lot we don¡¯t understand and a lot to learn.¡± She looked down briefly, then back up at him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have any cognitive impairments. Your speech is clear and your recollection is with in range. Okay, Savros, there will be a lot of new stuff coming at you very soon, and some of it may be hard to take in. Try not to react and just give yourself time to adjust, Okay?¡±


    He nodded, as confused as ever.


    ¡°First, I should tell you that you have been in our care and in a coma for almost nine months, galactic time.¡±


    ¡°What! No, no, no, that¡¯s not possible!¡± He couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°As I said, do your best not to react. I know this is a shock and while you were out, many things have changed, well, everywhere.¡±


    His head was reeling. Had it really been nine months since they were at the pyramid? He tried to remember more, but all he could see were flashes of them together, laughing and joking, and then this feeling of panic and fear. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind.


    ¡°What ¡®things¡¯ have changed in the last nine months?¡± He asked, deciding to suspend his disbelief for the moment.


    ¡°Well, for good or bad, the universe is once again saturated with tryptic energy. And just like the stories from early history, everyone can access it. To varying levels of success, but it¡¯s there for all.¡±


    ¡°You mean magic is back?¡± He was starting to get excited. Who hadn¡¯t dreamed of using magic as a kid? It was like a childhood dream come true. ¡°What do you mean ¡®for good or bad¡¯? How can the return of magic be bad?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say there were unforeseen consequences of the sudden reappearance of tryptic energy. For starters, every disgruntled, ill, or demented person out there suddenly had access to vast amounts of power. Those in power were often usurped by an underling capable of harnessing more power. The balance of control was tipped in disastrous ways in many situations.¡±


    ¡°With new threats came new defenses. The drawback there were the casualties involved while developing those new defenses. A stalemate has been reached in most reported altercations, as the defenses have begun to surpass or out wit the attacks. Unfortunately, the collateral damage is¡­¡± she paused, searching for the right word, ¡°vast.¡±


    ¡°A surprising number of Az¡¯Reign have come forward and begun teaching whole worlds how to contain and maintain the energy without causing incidental damage or death to themselves or their loved ones.¡±


    Savros listened intently. He had never considered that there would be so much death and destruction involved in magic. He¡¯d always imagined enchanted worlds of wonder and splendor. Mages performing grand feats, dazzling the old and young alike. He¡¯d pictured life being happier and easier. In his mind, magic had always made everything, well, magical. What he was hearing sounded like a bad dream or like he was listening to the worst-case scenario.


    ¡°How could this happen?¡± He was looking at the floor and meant it rhetorically.


    ¡°No one was prepared, no one even knew what was going on at first. The first report was of a young man who¡¯d caught his love with another. In his emotional distress, he released a massive amount of tryptic energy, turning an entire city into molten glass. The reports just kept coming in after that. Families, towns, continents, entire planets have been lost and destroyed all across living space.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that! People wouldn¡¯t just kill their loved ones because there was suddenly new energy. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± He was back to disbelief.


    ¡°No, of course they didn¡¯t. In fact, most people have chosen to band together and help each other, along with the death and destruction. There is the biggest group effort and cooperative movement happening in all of our history. The problem was the wave of tryptic energy that blasted through every bit of living space. Everyone and everything was super charged and none of us knew it. When ever someone¡¯s emotions got away from them, it was disastrous.¡± The doctor looked at the floor. And Savros noticed tears hitting the floor in front of her. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± she continued, ¡°children, being the most emotionally volatile during their development, caused most of the larger disasters.¡±


    Savros was beginning to get the picture, but he still had a hard time believing it. Looking at the doctor, he could tell she wasn¡¯t lying or making it up, but still. Children? An angry child could destroy an entire world? How? He just couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it.


    As he was trying to process the information, another attendant dressed like Holand shuffled in, nodded to Holand, and continued over to the doctor. He said something quietly to her, handed her something small, nodded to Savros, then turned and shuffled out.


    ¡°You have received a message.¡± She said.


    His head snapped up as he looked at her. ¡°Is it from¡­¡± he trailed off, afraid of the answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s a recording, transmitted from the KaiStar.¡±, she said, not keeping him in suspense. Savros smiled at the first bit of pleasant news since he woke up. She carried the small device over to him, activated it, and handed it to him. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some privacy for a few minutes. There¡¯s one more person that I¡¯d like you to meet while things are still calm. I will return in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°How do I¡ª?¡± he waved the tek in the air.


    ¡°Oh, just tap the top of it.¡± She said as she smiled and left the room. Holand followed her out but remained on guard just outside the door.


    Anxious and excited to hear from his friends, he turned back around and tapped the little box on what he assumed was the top. A holo-screen popped up in the air above it. Polly¡¯s face filled the entire screen. A sense of relief washed over him. He touched the center of the holo-screen, and the recording started playing.


    ¡°Hey Sleepy-Savy, we¡¯re so glad to hear you woke up! You had us really worried. Sorry we weren¡¯t there for you when you woke up. Anyway, we¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Good old Polly hasn¡¯t changed, he thought.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Jaen leaned over in front of the camera, ¡°Hey Savros! As soon as we finish this job, we¡¯ll be there to pick you up. Hope you¡¯re feeling well and ready to go! We miss you. See you soon!¡±


    The two of them stood there smiling and waving at him through the camera as Shin said, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you are awake and recovering, Savros. Take care of yourself. We¡¯ll be there in two days.¡±


    ¡°Love you guys, see you soon.¡± he said to the screen, as the final image of them faded away. Knowing they were safe gave him a sense of calm and acceptance. All the bad news didn¡¯t feel so crushing to him with confirmation his friends were okay.


    He set the box on the little table and took another sip of the water. Deciding it was time to try his legs, he slowly put more weight on his feet as he began leaning forward slightly. Cautiously rising to his feet, he found himself to be more stable than he¡¯d expected.


    Taking a few weak steps, he realized it was going to take a little while to get back to normal. But overall, he felt decent, considering. Returning to the bed and sitting, he slumped down. He had either been running for his life or passed out from the effort since before meeting Polly. And just like when he met her, he found himself standing on unfamiliar ground. Only now, everyone else was in a similar situation. All of living space was only a few months ahead of him in their understanding of this new reality.


    ¡°Savros?¡± a knock on the door frame accompanied the doctor¡¯s voice. Savros turned to see Doctor Ameil coming through the door. Following closely behind her was a man in a long cloak made of a heavy, deep red fabric. Insignias, embroidered with black thread, ran the vertical length of the hem on the front of it. A tall man with dark eyes, protected by deep sockets and accented with thick black eyebrows. Savros guessed him to be a little older than his father had been.


    ¡°This is Trel¡¯Ka,¡± the Doctor said, gesturing to the man next to her. ¡°He is the Az¡¯Reign consultant stationed here at the center. He¡¯s our resident tryptic energy expert.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Savros.¡± The man spoke slowly, with a deep voice. ¡°It is an honor to meet you. My name is actually Trel¡¯Kaufrey¡¯El¡¯Sta¡¯Az¡¯Reign¡¯Rasa. I am here to offer you guidance and understanding. Much has changed. Without a basic understanding of the energy, you are likely to cause unintentional harm to yourself or others.¡±


    Savros gaped at the man as he spoke. He had always wanted to meet an Az¡¯Reign, and now he was face to face with one that said meeting him was ¡®an honor!¡¯


    ¡°Hi, Telcarf, Trelcarfels¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I just woke up, everything¡¯s still a little fuzzy,¡± he said, sheepishly making an excuse for not remembering the man¡¯s name.


    ¡°Trel¡¯Ka is fine,¡± the man said with a slight frown.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, as well, Trel¡¯Ka.¡± He stood up straight in greeting but quickly slouched back onto the bed.


    ¡°I will return in the morning. I will tell you what I know of the current state of affairs in Living Space. Then, if you are feeling up to it, I will give you the basic lessons of working with tryptic energy.¡±


    Savros realized that a childhood dream of his was coming true, but the circumstances robbed him of most of the excitement. While dreaming of learning magic from the Az¡¯Reign, he never dreamed it would be to prevent him from hurting himself or someone else. But then, he never imagined he would be one of the ones that brought magic back to the universe, either.


    ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± He asked Trel¡¯Ka.


    ¡°It is,¡± he said sadly. ¡°However, it won¡¯t remain this way. This is a time of transition, and transitions are always hard. We can mitigate the damage, but it will be up to each individual. In time, it will seem as normal as anything else. Try not to fret. Tomorrow we will look at the good and the bad. Good night Savros.¡± He turned to face the doctor on his way out. ¡°Thank you. Good night, doctor.¡± He disappeared through the doorway.


    ¡°Trel¡¯Ka has been a huge help over the last several months. He has a wait list of several weeks for any new students. The Az¡¯Reign consider him the most proficient tryptic energy manipulator in their ranks, even before the event.¡± She came up and held his hand for a moment again, her finger resting on his wrist.


    ¡°Before I go and let you rest, can I get you anything?¡± She said, standing by the bed.


    ¡°Food?¡± he said. He wasn¡¯t exactly hungry, but his stomach was rumbling.


    ¡°Here,¡± in her hand were two little beans about the size of a pebble, ¡°You can¡¯t have any real food just yet. Let your system get used to processing the water first. I¡¯ll bring you some food in the morning. Eat one of these now, and if you handle it okay, you can eat the other one in a couple hours.¡± He picked them up.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He doubted that even a handful of them wouldn¡¯t make a difference. ¡°Thanks, Doctor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Savros. I¡¯ll be back first thing in the morning. Get some rest.¡± She walked out with Holand following her and closing the door behind him. He knew Holand was just outside the door, so he didn¡¯t waste any time thinking about leaving the room. Instead, he turned his attention, assessing his physical situation. His body was weak, but he imagined that was normal after not moving for such a long time.


    He looked at the beans on the table next to the water and considered eating both of them but retrieved only one. He popped it in his mouth and began chewing the tiny morsel. As he chewed, it created a thick but light foam. It tasted faintly sweet with hints of salt, as well. By the time he had finished chewing, he had swallowed a few sips of the foamy substance. It left his mouth feeling slightly chalky.


    He looked at the other bean on the table, grateful he had decided to listen to the doctor. That experience was strange enough without having doubled it. Although, it didn¡¯t taste bad, and his stomach felt much better. Still, one was enough. He stood and walked forward a few steps. Standing in the middle of the room, he realized h was facing a window. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before. The darkness on the other side was absolute, creating the illusion of a black wall.


    Realizing it must be late in the evening, he decided to try walking around before going back to bed. Plus, the idea of going to sleep after finding out you¡¯ve been sleeping for the better part of a year proved to be intimidating.


    After the third trip to the window and back to the bed, he was sweating and even out of breath. This wasn¡¯t something he could walk off, but he needed to be in the best shape possible in just two days. He made one last trip before sitting down on the bed. Taking a few more small sips of water, he laid down, breathing slowly and deeply.


    His uncle had taught him to control his breath when they had been out hunting. Savros had a hard time controlling his breath when he got excited, and Savrotores made him practice breathing routines for weeks before they went on a hunt again. The next time they went out, though, Savros had made a kill that fed his family for weeks. Whenever he felt sick or had been injured, he would do the breathing exercises his uncle had taught him. They were a great distraction from the discomfort and pain, but doing them also made him feel close to his uncle.


    He truly hoped his uncle had kept himself safe. It felt like a lifetime since he¡¯d last seen him. And decided that needed to be his first stop after he left The Center. Hoping that since the Assassins had been hounding them, maybe they had left his uncle alone. He knew it was wishful thinking, but right now, it was all he had.


    He stirred, not remembering falling asleep. He sat up, the smallest amount of light illuminating the view outside the window. He sat up, grateful to have woken up before anyone came in to see him. Stretching and yawning, he carefully got to his feet and walked to the window to get a better view.


    The window faced the rising sun and was growing brighter quickly. Looking down, he saw only the water below. His eyes scanned upward, expecting to see land somewhere, but found the horizon with no land in sight. He had noticed no windows in the History department or in the hangar bay. This view was incredible. Gentle ripples and waves as far as he could see to either side and all the way to the horizon.


    He realized he didn¡¯t know anything about the planet the center had been built on. Did the Center cover the entire landmass? Was it a floating island? Or just built on a coast? His curiosity didn¡¯t last long, though. He turned back toward the bed and began walking. On his fifth trip back to the bed, Doctor Ameil knocked and entered with Trel¡¯Ka behind her.


    ¡°Good morning, Savros! Are you feeling okay? You¡¯re sweating.¡± She said, coming around the bed and taking his hand in hers again. Her eyes darted up to meet his. ¡°Sit.¡± She said, pointing at the bed. ¡°You need to take it easy. I know you are eager to get back to your life, but if you overdo it now, you¡¯ll only set yourself back in the long run.¡±


    ¡°I only walked to the window and back. That can¡¯t possibly be overdoing it.¡± Savros wouldn¡¯t normally argue, but he found himself irritated by his situation and lack of knowledge. He felt like he had just gotten a hold of things before, and now he was out of the loop again. He had a lot of catching up to do, and the last thing he wanted to deal with was an over-protective caregiver.


    She stared at him as though she were reading his mind, ¡°Tell you what, if you wear this, and follow the guidelines I give you, I won¡¯t hassle you about it anymore.¡± She pulled a small piece of tek out of her cloak pocket and handed it to him.


    ¡°Put it on your wrist, it will wrap self-attach. It will monitor your vitals directly.¡± He placed it on the inside of his wrist, and a band wrapped from one side of the device around his wrist to the other side of it. ¡°If you promise to stop all activity, sit down, wherever you are and rest, any time the alarm goes off, I will leave you alone about it. I¡¯ll even give you visitor clearance and you¡¯ll be able to leave your room and wander around the Center if you like.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think it will take me to get back to normal?¡±


    ¡°It will probably be several weeks to months before you no longer notice the effects of the coma. But you should be able to get around fairly easily in a few days, and I believe Trel¡¯Ka here can probably speed that up. Okay, remember, if the alarm goes off, just sit down and rest until it stops. I will check in on you after your talk with Trel¡¯Ka.¡±


    ¡°Since we don¡¯t have much time together, I will try to be succinct. Polly and Jaen gave as detailed descriptions of the events leading up to and on the First World, as they were able. If you have anything to add for the record, please do so.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t even know what I remember exactly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I will tell you what we know and what we think.¡± He sat down as he began, ¡°Only a very few, enough to count on your hands, know the whole truth of this. Listen close.¡± He spoke in a somewhat hushed tone.


    ¡°Gah¡¯Tak had other names. In more than one obscure text, there is reference to Az¡¯Reign¡¯Riel and Gah¡¯Tak being one and the same, and there are other names associated with this being, as well. Since the increase in energy, we have been able to access tomes that were out of reach before, unlocking more of our own history.¡±


    ¡°The name De¡¯den¡¯Dae, always thought to be the first words used to describe tryptic energy by the ancients, may actually have been an entity of pure tryptic energy, possibly even the source of the energy.¡±


    ¡°This sentient energy was veracious, devouring every other form of energy. The incarnation Gah¡¯Tak didn¡¯t just destroy entire galaxies, it devoured and converted all the available energy into tryptic energy.¡±


    ¡°This is the real reason that the energy was sealed away by the Ol¡¯Gud. When they learned the truth, they chose to sacrifice themselves in order to prevent the spread of this parasitic energy, and the inevitable destruction it would cause.¡±


    Savros listened, growing more worried as Trel¡¯Ka spoke. To Savros, it sounded like he was being told that his greatest victory was an ultimate loss. And that the return of magic was instead the end of the world, of every world.


    ¡°Since there is no concentration of energy, it is the consensus among Az¡¯Reign that the sentience within the energy cannot manifest. It is only theory, but so far there has been no detected pooling of energy.¡±


    ¡°There does seem to be a sinister touch to the energy, though. For example, many people accidentally discharged the reserves in their bodies, left by the last wave of energy, without even realizing they carried any energy. But even afterward, many more tried to discharge the energy in a controlled manner and still caused massive destruction. The death toll will probably never be accurately counted. Entire worlds have been lost in mere moments. I can¡¯t think of one person who wouldn¡¯t trade the energy for their family and loved ones to be returned.¡± Trel¡¯Ka looked as though he were fighting back tears.


    Savros couldn¡¯t stand the thought of so many people dying in such violent ways because of his actions.


    ¡°I should have just let them kill me. Why are you telling me this if no one else knows?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to feel that way. Many of us have found ways to blame ourselves for these consequences. The truth is, whatever this entity is, it¡¯s been pulling strings in the minds of anyone that gets close enough, since the beginning of our history. Since you were forced into this journey, the Az¡¯Reign will not withhold information from you. In a sense, you were chosen for this, by Tawkwa in ignorance, but who am I to say he was not just a messenger? With so much at stake, I believe more information is preferable to less. Or none.¡±


    Savros got the feeling Trel¡¯Ka would tell everyone everything he knew and urge people everywhere to stay as far away from magic as they could, but he was right. No one would listen anyway.


    ¡°So if I try to use magic or if I get too emotional, what¡¯s going to happen?¡± He looked at Trel¡¯Ka for an answer.


    ¡°According to the various scanners and sensors aboard the KaiStar, you unleashed enough energy to destroy multiple worlds, somehow concentrated in relatively small area. And, based on the report of Kaiozoshin, I believe you have most likely exhausted any excess that would have remained with the execution of not one but two separate Moho¡¯noko.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember being attacked? Do you remember what you did? Or how you did it?¡± Trel¡¯Ka was sitting on the edge of the seat, leaning forward. Savros thought he almost looked desperate.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t remember anything clearly after leaving the pyramid. It wasn¡¯t a lie, but he did have a memory of seeing a glowing ring falling down around him. Is that what a Moho¡¯noko is?


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad, the last Az¡¯Reign that could perform a Moho¡¯noho passed before I was born. It was said he could create one large enough for three people to stand on. At any rate, the scans show no buildup of energy in you, and after destroying six ships in space, I¡¯m confident you are safe from the initial ¡®Big Blast¡¯, as it¡¯s been called. However, the radiation you¡¯re emitting is still several times higher than anyone or anywhere, in Living Space. Except for your companions who share your elevated levels.¡±


    A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Holand carried a small platter with a lid concealing the contents.


    ¡°Doctor Ameil has sent food, with instructions to eat slowly,¡± he said, placing the tray next to his water on the table.


    ¡°Thank you, Holand.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡± Holand returned to his station outside the door.


    Savros removed the lid and was pleased to see what looked like small vegetable pieces in a light stew. It even smelled like real food. He took a small bite before looking back at Trel¡¯Ka.


    ¡°Since you are out of danger but likely to be in and out of danger in the future, I would like to teach you a shield that can easily be constructed of tryptic energy. It will also serve as a basic understanding of how to manipulate the energy for other purposes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, if this energy is alive and wants to kill us all, should we be using it at all?¡± It didn¡¯t make sense to him that they should use it at all.


    ¡°Ideally, no. However, those who seek power have chosen to embrace this new form of power fully. Without embracing it yourself, you will fall to them before anything else can happen.¡±


    ¡°As for others, well, who¡¯s going to abstain from something that can improve their life immediately because it could be dangerous in the future? Unfortunately, that¡¯s just not how the majority of people function. The needs of today will always outweigh the risks of tomorrow.¡±


    Savros had to admit he had a point. It was going to be hard to defend against magic without using magic. He would have to trust the Az¡¯Reign knew what he was talking about when it came to Gah¡¯Tak.


    Savros had finished the few pieces of vegetables and had taken a few sips of the broth. Setting the tray down, he stood and walked to the window, looking at the view before walking back to the bed. He hoped that he wasn¡¯t responsible for the end of everything.


    ¡°How does the shield work?¡± he asked.

 Chapter Seventeen: Consequences

    Trel''Ka, standing in the middle of the room across from Savros, closed his eyes and spread his arms. Two little balls of light flew from his hands, hitting the walls on either side of the room and spreading to cover the walls, and continuing until the ceiling and floor were all glowing.


    "This is one form of the shield. It will enforce any structure or person it comes in contact with." He lifted his hand, and another ball shot out right at Savros. Striking him in the chest, the same glow spread and covered his body. His vision had a slight orange tint to it, reminding him of the view from inside a holo-suit.


    "This is a very simple but effective shield when used as structural support. If a ship crashed into this room right now, we would be fine. It''s not quite as effective on a person. If a ship crashed into you right now, we''d be dead. It is most effective in the void, protecting you from vacuum."


    "This shield," he said, bringing his hands together in front of him and pulling them to his chest. A small circle of white light that seemed familiar to Savros appeared in between his crossed hands. Sliding his hands down the length of the opposite arms, the circle moved into his body. As his hands reached his elbows and his arms fully crossed, his whole body began to glow. A bubble of light emerged from his chest and continued to grow, encompassing his entire form. Moments later, the bubble had grown to encompass Savros and the bed and table, as well.


    Trel''Ka dropped his arms to his side. "Now it doesn''t matter what falls on us, one ship or ten. This shield is one of the stronger but also one of the more dangerous. It is fed through my body. If I die, the shield goes with me. The shield is extremely strong, but it should it broken against my will, it will kill me."


    Savros watched as he explained and demonstrated, but he still had no idea how Trel''Ka was doing any of it. The look on his face must have given away his frustration. Trel''Ka frowned,


    "What is the issue that plagues your mind?"


    "There''s more to it than just holding out my arm." He held it out as Trel''Ka had done to demonstrate.


    "There is. Now that you are in position, search your body for a certain feeling. It feels like nervous energy, barely detectable, but when you find it, you''ll be surprised as it grows in strength. It''s almost as though it were aware you were looking for it and runs to meet you." He looked knowingly at Savros as he spoke.


    "As it grows, you will feel it whirling and swirling around inside you. Your stomach may be uneasy and you may even feel as though the room is spinning."


    As Trel''Ka spoke, Savros had noticed the swirling, spinning sensation he was describing. It grew into a cyclone inside him before he knew what was happening. In a panic, he dropped his arms and tried to ignore the feeling.


    Trel''Ka rushed the few paces to reach Savros, helping him to the bed as he disposed of the shields he''d made.


    "That was different.", Savros said.


    "I could feel the energy you pooled from across the room! It must be due to your proximity to the energy source when it was released. Your conduit to the energy is wide open." He looked serious and rather concerned.


    "Does that mean I can do¡ª?"


    Trel''Ka cut him off. "It means your use of tryptic energy will have as much power as you chose to channel. Assuming you learn to control the amount of energy you draw out. If you were to unleash a full blast, you would most likely kill yourself and those around you. You must learn to limit the amount of energy you use."


    "How am I supposed to do that?" He was growing suspicious that even with access to it, he wasn''t going to be able to use magic in the ways he''d imagined as a child.


    "You find the energy inside you almost immediately. Now you just need to practice controlling the flow. To do that, just practice as you just did. Remain still, do not speak. Do not try to call upon the energy, just let it know you are there."


    "It may feel overwhelming for a while, but eventually you will get used to it and you will find you are able to exert much more control. Eventually, with enough practice, you''ll fine tune the adjustments with in your self giving you ever greater control. It will always be swirling inside you."


    "As far as what you can actually do with the energy is entirely up to you. There are already reports of everything from miracle healers to life eaters to vigilantes for justice, popping up across Living Space. The more you practice and use it, the more you will hone your skills in an area."


    Savros had assumed that there were set instructions for different things. He was surprised by the amount of intuition and feeling involved in working with tryptic energy. Although he couldn''t place why he''d always felt it would be a more scientific approach. Probably because growing up, the only exposure he''d ever had to tryptic energy was in the context of a sensor, a scientific instrument.


    As Savros sat there, he wondered if he could access that vortex of energy at will. He looked around inside himself, and there it was, rushing back to full force. Instead of running or fighting it, he did his best to just feel it. He let it rage inside him until it seemed to reach a peak in intensity. He sat it in it for as long as he could handle before letting it go and turning his attention back to Trel''Ka.


    Trel''Ka had been watching him intently the whole time but waited until he''d finished playing with the energy before he spoke again. "Savros, I have never felt anyone access that much energy with such ease. If you learn to control it you should be able to conquer any obstacle before you. I urge you to be smart and be safe on your journeys ahead."


    "I will. It seems like for as long as I can remember now, all I''ve wanted to do is keep those closest to me safe. For the first time in my life, I have a way to do that." He gazed across the room, remembering the last, clear memory of them he had. They were all sitting in the galley, laughing. "I will be careful," he said, as much to himself and the energy spinning around inside him as to Trel''Ka.


    "I''ve already taken up most of your day." He said, standing, "I shall take my leave. You may seek me out, should you need anything more from me. Until the Center officially opens the Tryptic wing, my office is at the far end of the med-wing. Take care of yourself, Master Savros, and remember, practice with caution. Even knowledgeable and adept Az''Reign have lost their lives in their arrogance or lack of respect in handling the increased energy." Trel''Ka turned from the bed and made his exit.


    Savros stood and walked to the window, going over everything Trel''Ka had told him. He could see the lights of a ship, or possibly, a satellite sail by. Life ran him over and drug him across the stars, but here he was, still standing. His life with his parents seemed so long ago and felt so distant. It was almost as though he remembered the story of someone else''s life. Even the day he met Polly seemed like a dream from long ago. Waiting another day for them to show up was going to be agony. He just wanted to be at home, to sleep in his bed, and get back to his life on the KaiStar. There had not been much peace, and they were on the run most of the time. But now, that was all behind them.


    It would just be the four of them now, he thought. Traveling the stars. Taking jobs and missions. Discovering all the wonders of this new existence¡­ Witnessing all the pain¡­ He thought about all the devastation suffered across Living Space since he returned the Kalibal. He had no way of knowing any of this would happen. He was only trying to protect himself and his friends and everyone else. Yet, because of his actions likely, billions of people have perished in horrific and violent ways because of him. He doubted enough good could ever come from this to outweigh the damage he''d caused. With all of Living Space affected and no life left untouched, he couldn''t help but wish the assassins had gotten him when they got his parents.


    He couldn''t shake the feeling of guilt. In the moment, he had only been able to make the best decision he could with the information he had at the time. The threat of doing nothing was total annihilation. But the consequences of doing the only thing he could do at the time were too heavy to bear. All those lives cut short.


    He glimpsed movement in the reflection from the window. Trel''Ka was standing behind him. His right arm pointed directly at Savros, his left arm bent so that his fist contacted the inside of his right elbow. In the matter of a heartbeat, Savros felt the vortex of power rise up in him. Savros still had his back to the man when Trel''Ka unleashed an attack.


    As the bolt of energy stormed toward him, Savros, from within the vortex, instinctively pushed all the energy swirling around inside of him outward. A bubble shot out of him, expanding even faster than Trel''Ka''s attack was coming in. The walls of the bubble expanded, not only destroying Trel''Ka''s attack but acting as a force field. It pushed Trel''Ka against the wall and pinned him there. It had all happened so fast, Savros never had time to turn around. Everything was based on instinct. Instinct activated by what he saw in the reflection.


    Looking back at the reflection, he was stunned that he couldn''t even recognize himself. His hair, usually a nice sandy blue color, was black and burning. His eyes and most of his face were burned. He didn''t understand what he was seeing. The next shock came when he brought his hand up to touch his face. His entire arm was burned as well. Under the burns, he couldn''t see liquid fire tumbling and rolling beneath the surface while the surface was continuing to produce ember and ash that drifted upward, riding on the currents of heat coming off him.


    He turned, looking at Trel''Ka, trapped and unable to move. From the look on his face, Savros thought he probably couldn''t breathe either. Savros felt no pity for the man. He felt nothing for him at all. He stood staring at the man from across the room.


    "Why won''t you just let me be?" His voice was not entirely his own. It sounded deeper, thicker, fuller. It carried a certain weight, and with every syllable, demanded attention. Trel''Ka was unable to respond, but Savros could see the panic in him growing exponentially.


    "You murder my family." He took a step towards Trel''Ka. "You pushed me into this." He took another and continued walking, slowly, toward him. "And now you try to murder me." His voice was calm, with no sign of malice or aggression. The panic in his captive''s eyes was in a full frenzy as Savros closed the final few paces between them.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Savros, standing in front of Trel''Ka, leaned forward so that their faces were almost touching, "No more." Savros, with burning eyes, looked at the frantic man and felt nothing at all. "I will run no more. I will fear no more. And I will hold back, no more."


    Savros held his hand out and slowly made a fist while the field of light holding Trel''Ka began to contract further. There was no scream to be heard as the blanket of energy continued to tighten around the already suffocating man.


    Savros watched as the energy wrapped all the way around Trel''Ka and collapsed in on itself until nothing was left. Trel''Ka was gone, and Savros was alone. He watched his arm as the burns slowly receded and faded until all that was left was the last few embers and ash drifting from his bare skin.


    He made his way back to the bed and sat down. Before he even knew what was happening, the whole event was finished. He looked over to Where Trel''Ka had been pinned to the wall. No sign that he had ever been there. He looked back at his hand and arm. No sign of the ash and embers, not to mention the liquid fire under the surface.


    Savros took a deep breath. Now that he was feeling again, he felt angry and confused. Why the hell had Trel''Ka attacked him? And why was everyone always trying to kill him? What did he have to do to just live in peace? And where was Holand? Wasn''t there supposed to be a guard at his door?


    Savros sneaked to the door, cracking it open enough to peek out. There was no one there. Shutting the door, he pulled a chair against the wall behind the door and waited. If another attack was coming tonight, he would be ready. He sat for hours waiting. Eventually, sleep took him.


    The door swinging inward and striking his chair jolted him awake. His immediate reaction was to prepare for an attack. The voice on the other side of the door calmed him only slightly.


    "Savros, are you here?" Doctor Amiel poked her head around the door.


    "Ah, there you are. Was the bed uncomfortable?" She asked with a curious grin. "And have you seen Holand this morning?"


    "No. No, I haven''t seen Holand." He didn''t know whether he should mention the attack on his life. What if she was in on it? But if she were in on it, then she would be here to finish the job. Either way, he didn''t see the harm in mentioning it, and, hopefully, she would have some answers.


    "Last night, not long after he left, Trel''Ka returned and tried to kill me." He watched her face as he spoke but saw no sign of quilt, only astonishment, and outrage.


    "That Can''t be! Where is he?" she demanded. "We will get to the bottom of this right now!"


    He pointed to the wall, "The last time I saw him he was right there."


    "Stay here, I will get the Service in here right away." She turned and ran down the corridor.


    A few minutes later, she returned with none other than Captain Iskatel. He felt relieved to see a face from the past and one he felt he could trust.


    "Hello again, Savros, Doctor Amiel informs me, wish to file a report of attack?" Captain Iskatel, as always, got straight to the point.


    "Well, I was attacked, but I''m not sure a report is necessary." He said, standing and walking to the window.


    "It is in your best interest to report all crimes while in the center. Tell me what happened." Captain Iskatel waited patiently.


    He stood in front of the window. "I was standing here last night, watching the lights of a ship flyby overhead. I saw movement in the reflection just in time to catch Trel''Ka attacking me from there." He pointed to the spot inside the doorway, where Trel''Ka had been standing.


    "He fired an attack at my back and I reacted. I pushed a wall of energy at him." He made eye contact with Captain Iskatel through his whole retelling of the events.


    "Then what happened?" she asked.


    "It pinned him to the wall." He said before another member of the Galactic Service came trotting into the room. They engaged in a hushed conversation before the Service member trotted back through the door.


    "Excuse me." He heard the Service member say from out in the corridor and looked up just as Trel''Ka came through the door. Arms folded behind him. He didn''t carry the look of someone who tried to murder him. Savros reached for the energy and found it waiting, hiding barely beneath the surface. He thought he''d killed the man last night. If need be, he was ready to do it again. But he didn''t call on the energy just yet.


    Trel''Ka stood before them, looking confused but eager to help, which made Savros confused to say nothing for the two confused-looking women next to him.


    Captain Iskatel broke the ice, "Trel''Kaufrey''El''Sta''Az''Reign''Rasa you are accused of attacking with intent to kill, Savros, last night in these quarters. Can you account for your whereabouts after leaving his room last night?" She stared at him patiently, waiting for an answer.


    Obviously stunned by the charges, Trel''Ka took a step backward. "I would never attack anyone! That goes against my life''s work!" He looked at Savros, "I assure you young Savros, it was not I that attacked you.", turning back to the captain, "I left this room and went to the dining hall. Where I stayed and enjoyed me meal until I retired to my office just midnight. There were many who can attest to my presence there."


    "We can get their statements later. How well do you know the attendant Holand?" Captain Iskatel again gave nothing away with her expression.


    "I have only met him yesterday, upon my first visit with Master Savros. Will you kindly tell me; what is going on?" Trel''Ka pleaded.


    "Based on the evidence my team has collected, it would appear as though Holand, disguised as yourself," she pointed at Trel''Ka, "attacked Savros. He must have fled the Center after being unsuccessful. I will dispatch crews to track him down at once."


    "You won''t find him." Savros looked at Trel''Ka, then to the floor. "Last night when I saw he was attacking, I reacted, and he didn''t survive. He died trapped inside a bubble of tryptic energy that compressed itself down until it disappeared." Savros walked over to the wall and pointed. "He was stuck right here until, poof, he was gone."


    Trel''Ka hung his head. "If this is true, then you will indeed not find him. He is no more. His entire essence and being converted to tryptic energy."


    Doctor Amiel, who had been quiet throughout the conversation, suddenly spoke up. "Savros, I am afraid this will not be an isolated incident. There are those of us who know the truth of the situation and understand that none of this is your fault. Any caring person trying to do the right thing would have made similar decisions."


    "However, there are others who do not know and do not understand. In their grief and rage, they look for someone to blame. There are already tall tales and legends of ''Savros and the infamous crew of the KaiStar'', so when those people look for someone to blame, they see you." Doctor Ameil gave him a hug as she finished speaking. She had held onto him for an almost uncomfortable amount of time before letting him go and running from the room.


    Captain Iskatel put a hand on Savros'' shoulder. "Just be careful. I''m sure you''ll be fine. While I''m here and we are on the subject, I should tell you Tawkwa escaped from custody several months ago and so far has evaded detection. I don''t mean to scare you just to inform you." She turned to leave, "Trel''Kaufrey''El''Sta''Az''Reign''Rasa, I apologize for the mixup, and for the record, no one would ever believe you actually did something like that. Stay safe, you two." She left the room as well, leaving Savros and Trel''Ka together.


    Savros rubbed his awkwardly and gave a half-chuckle a little, "Welp, this is weird. I spent all night, and this morning, thinking I killed you and trying to figure out why you attacked me. I''m sorry all this happened."


    "Savros, you must stop blaming yourself for everything happening around you and to you. Most people out there will never know who you are when they see you. It isn''t as though everyone that you come in contact will want to kill you, but there will always be the threat of a crazed lunatic bent on taking out their rage on their target of their aggression; you."


    "So I can''t trust anyone, ever? Never let my guard down?"


    "No, I''m not saying that. Just trust your instincts, try not to blame yourself, and keep your eyes open. You''ve already proven you can take care of yourself." He headed for the door. "I''ll leave you be. Stay safe Savros."


    Alone again, with his thoughts, he decided to check in on Doctor Prashaad. After channeling the tryptic energy required to defeat Holand, or whoever that was, he was pretty sure he had inadvertently healed himself or conditioned his body to be active. He made it to the end of the corridor, and his heart wasn''t beating hard, and he had no trouble breathing.


    He grinned as he entered the next section, a garden, very much like the one near Le''Ander''s desk. He concluded the Center must have a repeating layout for each side. Not knowing what else to do, he headed for the corridor at the far end of the garden. If it really was repeating, there should be a desk and attendant just around the corner. With any luck, he''d be able to get directions from there. The History wing had been bustling with activity while they were there before. But here, he hadn''t seen anyone since he left his room.


    The garden here had several smaller trees with three very large, jagged-looking boulders and several smaller ones scattered about. Each of the larger rocks was of a darker gray color than its smaller counterparts. He could hear water running and trickling, but he couldn''t see it until he was in the middle of the room. Waterfall fountains poured from the three boulders into a small pond between the three of them. If it had been outside, it would be a picturesque camping spot.


    He casually rounded the corner and, as he suspected, found a desk a few paces away in the center of the corridor. A hologram AI manned this station. An orange glow illuminated the space around the hologram, otherwise at first glance, one might think it was an actual person. As he came into view, the hologram approached him.


    "Greetings, Savros. Welcome back to the Center. I am CP-Zeta, center liaison for the medical wing. There is a message on file for you, if you''d like to see it."


    "A message? Who is it from?"


    "It was left by Captain Iskatel, several months ago."


    "Sure, let me see it," he said, assuming it was the same message about Tawkwa''s escape from custody. He was correct. However, accompanying the message was a short clip of Tawkwa just before his escape. The man''s voice was somehow more grating than it had been before. The sounds coming from his mouth reminded Savros of a fur-fight.


    Tawkwa, restrained in a chair, screeched, "He will pay! Savros will pay! His arrogance has doomed us all! We must have retribution! The universe demands vengeance!". He threw his hands in the air wildly, light bursting forth in every direction. When the light faded, he was in the middle of the room, unrestrained. Savros watched as the man screamed at whoever he imagined being in front of him. Tawkwa had degraded into a fit of wild, incoherent screaming and screeching before suddenly disappearing.


    Savros waited for a second, thinking there would be more. After a few seconds, he realized that''s why the Service hadn''t been able to locate him. The video didn''t leave a lot to go on.


    "Thank you CP-Zeta."


    "You are most welcome."


    "How far am I from the History wing? I''d like to visit Doctor Prashaad while I am here."


    "You are quite far from the history wing. You are welcome to use the internal teleport relay next to my desk, however, I should inform you that Doctor Prashaad is out on an expedition for the foreseeable future."


    "Oh, well, I guess I don''t need to go to the history wing then. Thank you CP-Zeta, I think I''ll just head back to my room."


    "You are quite welcome, Savros. Should you need anything, don''t hesitate to ask."


    On his way back to his room, he stopped by the dining hall, hoping for a meal. Doctor Ameil had cleared him to walk around the center but hadn''t cleared him at the dining hall yet. He was able to get a glass of juice, but nothing more. His stomach growled the rest of the way to his room, but when he opened the door, he discovered another tray on the table next to the bed. Suspiciously lifting the lid, the smell hit his nose, and his mouth began watering.


    This time, it was a real stew. Floating in a thick broth were actual pieces of meat and chunks of vegetables. It was a very small bowl, but it smelled as good as an entire feast. Savros ate it slowly, not wanting to set back his recovery in any way. He found the task difficult, and before he knew it, he sat an empty bowl back on the tabletop.


    He walked back to the window and tried to run through all the things that would be different. Some people loved him and thanked him, and some hated him and wanted to kill him. Not least of all was Tawkwa. He wondered if Polly and Jaen had been dealing with attacks themselves. He wasn''t so much worried about them as he felt bad for them. The toll it took, always looking over his shoulder, was weighing on him.


    He paced back and forth a few times before sitting on the edge of the bed. He knew it was getting late, and they would be here soon. Savros looked around the room. He didn''t have any gear or things to collect. He was still wearing the med wing garb but hadn''t seen his clothes anywhere. There were no drawers or closets in the room. There was one button on the far wall that he had paid no attention to.

 Chapter Eighteen: Reunited

    He walked up to the button and looked at it. Nothing special, just a small round button on the wall. Since it was about time to go, he decided to do a little snooping. He reached out and poked Polly in the eye.


    She cried out and fell backward into her seat on the bridge of the KaiStar. Savros, confused, jumped backward and hit the edge of his seat, landing on the deck. He looked around the bridge and then looked up at Polly and Jaen. Jaen smiling with her arms crossed and Polly smiling through the tears of her one closed eye was the best possible thing he could be looking at. He smiled up at them.


    "Welcome back Savros, we''ve missed you!" Shin''s voice was like that of a long-lost friend. Polly and Jaen each took an arm and pulled Savros to his feet. The three of them hugged each other before busting out laughing.


    "You got me right in the ball!" Polly laughed, playfully smacking his arm.


    "Hey," Savros laughed, "I was minding my own business, snooping around my room in the center, and just as I pushed a button it turned into your face." He grabbed both of them and hugged them again.


    "When I woke up¡­." He began but didn''t finish.


    "We wanted to be there. We waited for months, but by then the distress calls coming in from Nog''Racias and other areas had increased drastically. We had to help." Jaen was speaking, and Polly was nodding next to her.


    "It''s not that," he said. "I was worried about you guys and afraid I would never see you again. But more worried about what Doctor Ameil and Trel''Ka told me." Polly and Jaen looked as if they knew what was worrying him.


    "Is it that bad?" he asked.


    "There was an adjustment period." He could tell Jaen was choosing her words carefully, "But everyone pretty much has a hold on things now. It was a cosmic event, and the background energy levels are fairly constant across Living Space. It''s changed things for everyone, but it''s also changed things for everyone. We are not responsible for any of this, but there are those people out there that blame the three of us for the devastation and destruction that came with the energy."


    "But really," Polly cut it in, "In the four months we''ve been coming out here to help, the worst we''ve gotten is people walking, or running, away from us when they realize who we are. We''re kinda famous," smiling, she tugged her collar smugly, "and you''ll see, most people think it''s going to turn out to be the best thing ever, despite the way it started out."


    "I agree with the ladies, over all our receptions are positive. As long as we are smart and careful, our risk of attack is only negligibly higher. None of the conflicts we''ve been in have had to do with who we are or what happened on The First World." Shin always knew what to say.


    He''d only been awake for two days, but it felt like years since they''d all been together like this. They had been out here for months. If they said it wasn''t that bad, he believed them. They were all in good spirits and seemed to be in fine shape.


    "Besides, now that we''re all back together, KaiStar is stronger than ever." Polly smiled at him. "So what''s up first, guys?"


    "I think it''s time to go back and look for my uncle. We could start at Abriva, check in with Sadjier."


    "Sorry Savros, Northern BelToa is gone. We checked in with Sadjier a few times before it happened. The last message from your uncle was the one we got before we left. He never sent another." Jaen informed him. "We can go to Abriva if you want, but I think we would be better off just going to look for ourselves."


    "Sounds good to me," Polly said, "We get to see Savy''s home planet!"


    "Sadjier too?" Savros had a hard time accepting that he wasn''t responsible for BelToa and Sadjier.


    "He was never reported to the Halo as missing, so there''s a decent chance he''s okay, but the tek centers are all destroyed." Shin said. "And I hate to bring this up, but in two days, we are due to give our testimony to Nog''Racias Counsel. If we fail to appear, I don''t need to say what will happen to the Contage Refugees."


    "Shit, I forgot about that." Polly said.


    "We''ll just have to take Savros home, run over and testify, then come back. It shouldn''t take longer than a few days." Jaen looked at Polly for any disagreement.


    "We just got back together, now we gotta split up again! Boo." Polly voiced her disagreement. "But we can''t abandon the refugee''s. And Savros would have to wait aboard the KaiStar, anyway. So yeah, I guess we might as well. What do you think?" She looked at Savros.


    "Sure." he wasn''t thrilled about it but knew they had things to take care of, as well. "I can spend a little while looking around, and I''ll get a room for the night at the inn. Then hopefully by the time you guys get back, I''ll know where we need to look."


    "It''s a bummer, but it''s a plan." Jaen wasn''t thrilled about it either.


    "So," Savros sat in his seat, "what I miss?"


    Shin answered, "We''ve been transporting refugees, goods and diplomats to and from the conflict in Nog''Racias. Likely because the devastation in Nog''Racias was already so extensive, they''ve suffered little from the initial impact of tryptic energy. Other than Idyll Quies, it may be the least affected place in Living Space."


    "What happened to Idyll Quies?"


    "Nothing," Jaen answered, "They had just finished the construction and were preparing for cleaning. There were only a handful of people on the entire planet! Even in the new Living Space, Idyll Quies will still be the best of the best. An untouched gem from before everything changed." She had a look of longing, and he could tell by her tone that they hadn''t gotten to use the free stay yet.


    "Are they open yet?" he asked. "We could go use our stay after you guys are finished in Nog''Racias."


    "There haven''t been enough people back to work. It''s understandable, considering. But last time we checked on it, there was still no opening-date posted." Jaen continued, "Now that you are up and about, we can actually go. As soon as they open."


    "Yeah, it wouldn''t feel right, going without you anyway." Polly plopped down in her chair.


    "Shall we depart? Do you need to go back to the Center for anything?" Shin asked.


    "I would love to have my clothes and gear back, but otherwise I''m ready to go." He said.


    "We put your clothes and stuff in your quarters, along with some of the ''Thank Yous'' we''ve gotten in the last few months." Jaen said, swiveling her seat and sitting.


    "Oh, great!" Savros jumped up and darted off the bridge.


    Entering his quarters, stopped in his tracks upon seeing the state of his room. The desk, the shelves, most of the floor, and half of his bed were covered in baskets, bags, and various boxes. The first thing he noticed was nearly all of them contained flowers. He saw specimens from all across Living Space. His uncle had shown him several of them on the scanners they''d carried while out in the wilds, camping or hunting. Looking around, there were so many that he didn''t recognize, and he wanted to document them. Around the room, he noticed trinkets and candies, along with other things that looked edible but were unrecognizable.


    "Whoa," he said, standing in the midst of it all.


    "Everything, except the items on your bed, were all given to you by grateful individuals we''ve encountered since returning from the Pyramid. If I extrapolate the percentages based on the number of people we''ve come into contact with and the number that has greeted us with gratitude, or at least understanding, I estimate that nearly seventy percent of the population is sympathetic." Shin''s calculation was a shock to him. He''d imagined most people were probably angry and hurt and blaming him or them.


    "What''s the stuff on the bed?"


    "The package at the foot is a gift from all of us. The items next to it are gifts from Polly and Jaen. Nearly anytime they were out or went somewhere interesting, they brought you something back. I believe it was their way of keeping you close when they were so far away."


    Savros looked at the collection of goods next to the package. There was a crazy-looking insect trapped in amber. Shaped and polished for display. As he looked through the rest of the things, he thought again about his uncle and all the steps that had brought them here. Tears filled his eyes. He was so lucky to have met Polly and Jaen like he had. The fact that they accepted him right away had left him feeling like he needed to make it up to them. No matter what he did, he''d always felt in their debt.


    And here they were, still thinking of him while they were out, risking their lives for other people. He realized he''d never be able to catch up to them, but he was okay spending the rest of his life trying. He was home. He had his family back and was ready to get back to his life with them. Now I just have to find Uncle Sav, he thought to himself.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    He picked up the package and tugged on the blue bow wrapped around the stiff brown paper. As he removed the ribbon and bow and pulled the package open, Shin explained a little to him.


    "After what happened in the pyramid and especially after falling under attack at the edge of Living Space, your clothes were basically rags and your gear destroyed or lost." Savros lifted the gift out of the package and held it up to examine it. A brand-new crew uniform. The straps and belts were sleeker, the colors deeper, and the material carried more weight than his last one.


    "Polly made the designs, using Jaen''s new tek upgrades to the fabrics, and I put it all together."


    "It''s awesome!" He said, "I''ll never take it off." He stood and stripped off the paper-esque clothes from the Center and pulled on his new clothes. He checked himself in the mirror. "I love it, but I won''t match the others now."


    "I think you''ll find it matches better than you think."


    Savros opened the smaller package he found after removing the uniform from the package. The smaller package contained a new, finished version of the teleporter tracker, a new holo-suit, and a communicator. Seeing the gear sparked a memory, and he began to panic.


    "Shin," he began, terrified of the answer he might get, "Do you know where the picture of my parents is? Or the Ol''Gud artifact that was in my pocket."


    "You will find them on the shelf, likely hidden by the gifts. We put them there before the baskets and packages started pouring in."


    Savros moved a vase of incredible aromatic red flowers. The petals stood upright and wrapped tightly around the center and each other. Just behind them, he found the picture leaning against the wall of the shelf and the strange spiked ball sitting next to it. An enormous wave of relief washed over him as he picked them up. Putting the ball in his pocket, he looked at the picture. They looked so happy. For the first time, he didn''t tear up. He smiled, remembering his parents on their last day together. The day at Faetrell. At least he knew they were at peace. On the other hand, he had no idea how or even where his uncle was.


    Savros placed the picture in the pocket next to his heart, "Thank you Shin. You are a true friend, and I really appreciate it." He realized as he gave himself another look in the mirror that his hair was quite a bit longer than the last time he''d seen it. And from the nine months inside, it was a darker blue than he''d ever seen it before. He ran his hands through it, and it fell to either side of his forehead. He''d always got a haircut with his father, and this was the longest it had ever grown, just long enough to cover his eyes when he pushed it all the way forward. As he ran his fingers through it again, pushing it back to the edges of his face, he decided he liked it longer. And since it had been his and his dad''s tradition, he didn''t feel right cutting it without him.


    Savros left his quarters to rejoin Polly and Jaen on the bridge. His beaming smile only widened when he entered the bridge and saw them. They had both changed into new uniforms that matched his and were standing side by side. All of them stood there smiling for a moment before he approached them, and they all stood side by side.


    "It is my greatest honor to once again introduce the immutable crew of the KaiStar!" The bridge flashed, and Shin put the new picture of them all together up on the main screen.


    "Shit, we just keep getting better looking!" Polly pointed at the screen.


    Savros laughed, and Jaen said, "Let''s see the old one to compare."


    Shin put them both up side by side.


    "Wow!" the three of them said in unison.


    "Sagrus looks like a baby in the old one!" She winked at him as he laughed. She wasn''t wrong. "We all look younger!" She said.


    "And look how much better the new uniforms look!" Jaen loved them as much as he did.


    They gave each other a group hug before taking their seats, still grinning.


    "It''s so good to be home!" Savros said, leaning back, looking around the bridge. Everything looked about the same, except something was different. Everything looked cleaner. Some of the equipment was newer, and there were a few new interior panels on the hull, but that wasn''t it. Then it dawned on him. The wires were gone. Making the entire bridge tidier and cleaner looking. It also seemed to brighten it up quite a bit.


    "It looks great in here too! The damage must have been really severe for an over haul like that." He was still looking around.


    "So you don''t remember what happened?" Shin asked, but the others looked at him, as well.


    "I remember making it back to the KaiStar and leaving the Pyramid. After that, it goes fuzzy. It feels like a dream that I can almost remember, but slips away when I try."


    "Well, that''s probably for the best anyway, it was pretty traumatic." Jaen explained what happened. "We were ambushed at the edge of Living Space. They immobilized us and ruthlessly fired on us. But you saved us. We were moments from death when you used tryptic energy to go outside the KaiStar and destroy six ships while repelling their final attacks."


    "The entire encounter lasted only eleven seconds." Shin added.


    "Whoa!" he said. Then thought to ask, "Did my face and arms look like they were burning?"


    The look of recognition and surprise on their faces gave him an answer before Polly answered.


    "Fuck yeah they did. It was crazy! You looked scary as hell! You tore a hole in KaiStar, walked outside, all on fire and looking pissed. After you destroyed the ships, you came back inside. The hole fixed itself and you collapsed looking normal again."


    Jaen added, "We didn''t wanna bring it up, in case it was too traumatic. Polly''s right though, you looked very scary and I would never want to be on the wrong end of one of your attacks. The whole thing was pretty intense and scary, and we would absolutely would have been killed if you hadn''t saved us. We are so lucky that Polly almost ran you over on Abriva."


    "I knew you belonged with us right away." Polly winked at him, and for the first time, he truly grasped the sincerity of their statements. A tear ran down his cheek, but before anyone could say anything else, a crackling voice came over the intercom.


    "Vessel KaiStar, This is Captain Iskatel. I must inform you that you are in a no-fly zone and ask you to return to your designated flight path. With that out of the way, I would like to say to Savros, and all of you, on behalf of the Center and all the people we serve, ''Thank you and good luck out there.'' Captain Iskatel out."


    They all kind of chuckled, realizing they had just been sitting above the med wing of the Center.


    "I guess that''s our cue to go," Polly said.


    "Apologies, Captain, departing now. And Thank you." Shin responded to the Captain before engaging the drives and taking them away from the Center.


    They blasted off into the darkness, and Jaen turned in her seat facing the two of them.


    "Who''s hungry?" she asked.


    Savros was careful at dinner not to eat too much and stopped when he felt full after only a few more bites than he''d had in the med-wing. The four of them spent the evening telling Savros about the different adventures and mishaps they had while he was out. They jettisoned one of the holding quarters when one of the refugees had an emotional episode leading to a tryptic event, as they had taken to calling it. When caught in friendly fire, they ended up having to replace one of the PD-X3''s. And, after thinking they had finally exhausted their supply of rat-pacs, offering them to refugees and diplomats, they found a shipping container with more of them. Enough to fill the cupboard in the galley several more times. Some things never change.


    At the end of the evening, Savros returned to his quarters and began sorting some of the flowers and baskets. He thought of getting the scanner out of the drawer and cataloging some of them, but it was late, and it could wait. He slept soundly and deeply, surrounded by plants and flowers. The scents and fragrance of them seemed to help him relax. He awoke feeling refreshed and ready to go. It felt like this first morning of a grand new life.


    "Good morning, Shin." He sat up, stretching, still fully clothed.


    "Good morning, Savros. I trust you slept well, you maintained a rhythmic sleep pattern all night."


    "Oh yeah, I feel great actually." He hopped up and bounced in place a few times. "Wow, I really do feel great!" He laughed as he slipped his new boots on and went to the bridge.


    "Good morning, ladies!" he sang as he entered the bridge.


    "Good morning!" they sang back to him.


    "We''re all set to go look for your uncle." Jaen said, turning her head to look at him.


    "If you wouldn''t mind entering the coordinates, I will begin plotting a course." Shin said to him.


    He sat in his seat and entered everything he knew of the planet''s location. He only knew the location by the local system''s coordinates. Shin was a genius, though, and Savros was sure with a little more information, he would easily find it.


    "Destination located, plotting course." Shin found it immediately.


    "Next stop, Savy''s home world!" Polly held her hands in the air.


    "Jumping in three, two, one."


    "Breakfast?" Savros was already heading to the galley, so they followed him. He''d planned to grab a rat-pac and call it good, but there was a full spread of food this morning, so they all sat back and had their fill of various meats, vegetables, and pieces of bread. Shin was still an incredible cook.


    Before they knew it, Shin was back on the intercom, "Arriving at destination in three, two, one."


    Savros darted onto the bridge, looking at the screen. There before him was his home planet. Exactly as it had always looked when returning with his father from a nearby delivery. He could still hear his father''s voice as he showed him the different continents and where they lived on the planet.


    "There!" He pointed to an area about a third of the way below the equator. He touched the display, and Shin marked the location.


    "Beginning approach to planet. No satellite activity or long range transmission."


    "No, there wouldn''t be. It''s pretty underdeveloped. Everyone here leads simple lives and relies on each other." Savros was paraphrasing his father''s answer when he''d asked about satellites a few years ago.


    "Entering atmosphere."


    Savros watched the terrain come into view. The plains of swaying grasses and massive lakes lead into sloping foothills and rushing streams. The terrain continued to rise as the mountainous landscape rose in elevation before tapering off into a mix of ups and downs through the hills at the peaks. They cleared the peaks, and the terrain turned rocky before suddenly dropping away again. Farther ahead, Savros spotted a shining green coastline, butting up against crystal clear waters.


    "There''s Faetrell Beach! The beach is sparkling green, and the water is so clear you can see the sea floor even when you can''t reach the bottom."


    Shin veered KaiStar toward the beach to fly over it for a better view. Faetrell really was a beautiful place. Even after everything he''d seen since leaving, it ranked right up there at the top. While he was growing up here, he''d failed to notice the beauty and wonder of the landscape. He understood now why his parents chose to settle here. It was like an untouched paradise.


    They flew over Faetrell and continued on. He tried to get a glimpse of the campsite, but he couldn''t locate it from the air. The next thing he saw was the local town near his parents'' house. Unable to pinpoint when it started, he realized he didn''t even think of this place as ''home'' anymore. KaiStar had become his home, Polly, Jaen, and Shin; his family. While he still felt the pain of losing his parents, it seemed as though it had happened a long, long time ago and to someone else. His uncle was the link between them. All that mattered was finding him. And, hopefully, talk him into coming with them.


    Shin brought KaiStar in low near the front gate of the quaint, rural town, which, by his current standards, Savros would call little more than a village. A tall wooden fence surrounded the town, with large, sturdy, wooden gates on the north side of town being the only ways in or out. He knew there were other ways in and out, but to outsiders, and for appearances'' sake, the gate was the only way.


    "We''ll come down with you and make sure you find a place to stay tonight before we go." Jaen stood and turned to him as he and Polly stood, as well.


    "Okay," Savros said, sounding relieved. "I wanted to show you guys around, anyway. There''s not much to see here though."


    "That''s okay, I wanna see it anyway!" Polly said, tossing him a hydro-pac and handing one to Jaen.


    "Me too." said Jaen.


    "Cool, let''s do it." He said, hitting the button on his new teleporter.

 Chapter Nineteen: Savrotores

    Savros found himself standing in a dust cloud and was instantly aware of the heat. He''d forgotten how hot it was here. A moment later, Polly and Jaen appeared next to him, coughing as they tried to breathe. He waited while they caught their breath and adapted to the sudden and drastic change in temperature.


    "Well," he said, "here it is, a hot, dusty summer. There''s a small inn over here. I used to play at the counter while my dad made deliveries and talked to the townspeople."


    He walked from the gate toward the center of the town. All the main buildings in the town faced the large tree growing in the middle of the square. Savros walked to the second building on his left as Polly and Jaen followed. Savros laughed to himself, thinking how the three of them must look to anyone watching them. He pushed the door open and stepped into the Inn.


    "Hi, welcome to the Bardsyarn Inn and Pub. Can I get you a drink?" Savros recognized her. It was the same woman who''d always run the Inn. Her name was Sophie, a middle-aged woman, a little taller than himself. At least, she used to be a little taller, standing there looking at her from across the room. He would guess he was a little taller than her now. He made his way toward her, with Polly and Jaen in tow.


    "That sounds great. I''d also like a room for one tonight if you have any open." He said, sitting at the bar and facing Sophie directly. She had her back to them and had only glanced over her shoulder when they entered. Her dark hair was in a braid that reached to the back of her knees. The frazzled braid lifted into the air as Sophie spun to face them. She froze in place when her eyes landed on Savros.


    "S-Sa-Savros?" Sophie was wide-eyed and barely able to get his name out.


    He smiled awkwardly and rubbed his head. "Hi, Sophie, how have things been?"


    Without speaking, she ran around the bar, grabbed him from the stool, and hugged him tightly. Finally releasing him, she looked at Polly and Jaen and then back at Savros.


    "Oh, sorry. Sophie, this is Polly," he said, gesturing towards Polly before indicating Jaen as he said, "and this is Jaen. They saved my life and we''ve been helping each other ever since. Jaen, Polly, this is Sophie, she''s been running the Inn as long as I can remember."


    "Hi," the two of them said at once.


    "It''s great to meet you." She said. And looking back at Savros, "No one knew what happened to you. It warms my heart that you are safe." She put her hand to her chest, and her lip quivered slightly as she spoke. "Your mother was very dear to me and many others, and your father was a vital part of the community ecosystem. Nothing has been the same around here. Then after the accidents started, many people moved away, thinking it was something in the town. It wasn''t until weeks later that we got word it was happening everywhere. By then it was like a ghost town around here." Sophie walked back around the bar as she spoke.


    "If everyone''s gone, why are you still here?" Polly asked her, taking a sip from the mug Sophia sat in front of her.


    "There''s still a few of the older townspeople around, and I couldn''t leave them out here alone. I also don''t have anywhere to go, anyway. So I''m gonna ride it out with the old timers." She sat a mug in front of Jaen and Savros.


    "Have you seen my uncle?" Savros asked as casually as he could before taking a drink of the cold beverage she''d given him.


    She stopped in her tracks again but quickly regained her composure, "Not for several months now." She hung her head sadly. "He came to visit me for the first month after¡­" she didn''t finish but instead moved on, "the last time I saw him he said he was going to the river south of town to investigate a lead." She paused again, her head down, "I don''t know if he ever spoke of me, but I loved him dearly. I was so excited to see him, but he was agitated and kind of frantic the last time I saw him. Worried he was getting obsessed and putting himself in danger, I tried to get him to stay here, but he said he had to go. The was the last time I ever saw him." She leaned against the counter on the opposite side of the bar, tears falling on the counter in front of her.


    "Was he staying here?" he asked.


    "No," she said, shaking her head. "He was staying in the old ''servants'' quarters'' at your house. Said he didn''t like being in the house but wanted to stay close in case someone came back."


    It was hard on Savros to imagine his uncle suffering alone all this time, but it was even harder to think he''d perished out there. He''d also hoped to avoid the house altogether, but it looked like that wasn''t going to be possible.


    "I came to find him. I was hoping he''d be here, or at least around. Can I have a room for a few nights, please?" he asked.


    "Of course, Savros, it''s on the house, as long as you need. Just promise me you''ll be careful." She said, looking him right in the eyes.


    "Thank you, Sophie, I will." He finished his mug.


    "Do you want us to go with you to the house?" Jaen asked Savros after finishing her drink.


    "That would be great. I feel pretty good about everything, except going into the house. But if he''s been staying in the spare quarters, we shouldn''t need to go in the house, anyway." He was happy to have them accompany him either way. "Thank you, Sophie. We''re gonna go have a look, real quick, be back soon." The three of them stood up together.


    "Thank you so much for your kindness and hospitality. I hope we can visit you again soon." Polly sat the empty mug down on the bar as the three of them headed for the door.


    Before stepping out into the heat, they turned back to her, and together the three of them said, "Bye, Sophie."


    Jaen added, "It was a pleasure meeting you." They were back out the door and, walking quickly to avoid the heat, were on the way to the Shin and the KaiStar.


    Halfway there, he heard Polly say, "We''re coming back Shin, can you pick us up, please."


    "Sure thing." Was Shin''s response as the three of them popped onto the bridge before he even finished saying it.


    "We want to swing by the house where Savros grew up and see if there''s any sign of his uncle." Jaen said, taking her seat.


    "It should be just south of here, a little ways past the old river bed." Said Savros.


    "I see a small settlement south of here on the scan, heading that direction."


    Savros had Shin pull up above the servants'' quarters located just off the main house. He teleported down to it, alongside Polly and Jaen. It was obvious from the state of the small building that no one had been by here in months. Savros pushed the door open to the two-room living space. There was really nothing much to see. The room was empty. He walked to the desk in the corner next to the bed. A single item lay on top, covered in a fine layer of dust. An envelope with one word written on the front of it, "Savros."


    Sitting at the desk, Polly behind him to his right and Jaen to his left, he wiped the dust off the paper. He opened the flap and removed the folded paper inside. Unfolding it, he read the note.


    "Savros, I hope you are safe. If you find this, then I am afraid I may have gotten myself into trouble. I''m going to the river bed, I found evidence that the assassins are using a cave there as a base of operations. I''ve taken what precautions I can, but I have no idea what I will find there. The images are burned into my mind and every night I relive the events of that day."


    "I take solace in the fact that even should the worst happen to me, at least you made it out. I love you, Lad. Take care of yourself, Uncle Sav." A postscript at the bottom read, "Please tell Sophie- I''m sorry."


    He sat in the chair, staring at the note for a long time. So his uncle had been staying here and apparently hadn''t come back since he sat out to investigate the river. Savrotores had never talked about Sophie, but he''d never really talked about anything he was doing when he wasn''t around. He''d always been so focused on teaching him things and explaining the world to him. It warmed his heart to think his uncle had shared love with someone and hadn''t been suffering alone.


    "Well," he said after a long while, "There''s no doubt about it now. He went to the river bed several months ago and hasn''t been back since." A hard knot formed in his stomach, and dread swirled through his mind. He could only come up with one reason why his uncle wouldn''t have, at the very least, returned to Sophie after he went to investigate.


    Polly and Jaen had a hand on either of his shoulders. He slowly closed the note and returned it to the envelope as Polly squeezed his shoulder and said, "Come on, let me show you how to pilot the pod. It''s too hot to be walking around out here and I know you aren''t gonna sit around and wait until we get back. I wouldn''t either."


    By the time he stood up, Shin had teleported them back up to the bridge. Polly examined the local terrain on the screen and decided on a location to teach him how to operate the pod.


    "Shinzo, would you please take us up here, to the road leading into the town. We''re gonna drop the pod for Savros while we''re gone." Polly turned to Savros, "It''s actually really easy to maneuver once you get the hang of it."


    "Dropping pod," Shin announced before they even realized they were there.


    "Great, thank you." Polly said.


    "We''ll meet you guys at the gate." Jaen said, giving Savros a smile.


    On the ground with the pod, Polly handed him a new pair of goggles, saying, "The hard part about driving the pod is turning and steering. You have to throttle the engine to make course adjustments. If you try to turn without giving it some power, you''ll just drift straight ahead." She climbed into the seat right behind him but sat on her knees, facing forward.


    Savros climbed into the pilot''s seat as Polly pointed out the different controls. The stick in the center controlled direction, and the pedal on the floor in front of him controlled power. There were other knobs and buttons, but Polly said that he wouldn''t need to use any of them for this terrain.


    The pod fired up when he pushed the ignition button. He pressed the pedal harder than he''d intended to, and the pod shot forward, sending Polly tumbling backward into the back seat. The force pushed him back, causing him to pull back on the stick, which applied reverse thrust to the engines, sending Savros hurtling over the front of the pod and Polly flying back into the seat in front of her.


    Polly climbed up and looked over the front of the pod as Savros was getting to his feet and dusting himself off. She laughed, "Are you okay? I promise it''s easy when you get the hang of it."


    He chuckled a little, "Yeah, I think I''m okay." He coughed, shaking the dust from his hair and climbing back into the pod. "Okay, hang on, I''m gonna try again."


    "Gently," Polly urged.


    The little pod pulled away at a much more reasonable pace as he gently pressed the pedal. He experimented with drifting side to side and testing the turns. She was right; it wasn''t that hard. He just had to remember to give it some power in the turns and not jerking back on the stick like that. The little pod zoomed down the road until he saw the town gate come into view through the dust. Decreasing the power as they approached, Savros pulled the pod right up to the gate.


    Jaen appeared a few paces away, smiling, and Polly hopped out of the pod and said, "You did really well! It took me longer than that to get used to driving it. Just keep being careful, it''s got a lot of power and can easily get away from you."


    Jaen walked up to them and gave Savros a hug, "Be safe and be careful, Savros, we''ll be back as soon as we can."


    Jaen let go of him, and it was Polly''s turn. She gave him a hug and said, "We''ll see you soon, take care of yourself out here."


    "I will," he said, "Thank you guys, and you be careful out there. I''m gonna be worried about you guys until you get back. Hopefully, they take your testimony and you can come back right away. I want to find my uncle and get out of here as fast as I can."


    "That would be nice. We''ll be back as soon as we can." Jaen said.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "See you soon, Savy." Polly waved and disappeared, teleported back to the KaiStar.


    Jaen smiled and waved, "a few days at most." She said before joining Polly on KaiStar, leaving him standing in the blowing dust next to the pod.


    "Savros, I don''t like leaving you here. Please be careful. Try not to worry about us and stay focused on what you''re doing. I''ll get us back as quickly as possible."


    "Thank you Shin, I''ll be careful, I promise, and I''ll be ready to go when you get back." Savros climbed into the pod. He looked up at KaiStar and gave one last wave before pulling up next to the Bardsyarn Inn.


    He walked in, just as Sophie was stuffing something into a treksac and rounding the corner coming around the bar. "Oh great, you''re back already," she said, "I have your room ready, second door at the top of the stairs." She handed him a key. "I have to run over and check on my friends. I just got word that no one has seen them for a couple of weeks, and I''m worried something''s happened to them."


    "Do you want me to take you in the pod?" he asked, concerned.


    "Oh no, that''s okay. It''s just across town. I''ll probably be gone for a while, though. Make yourself at home. I usually don''t bother, but you can lock the door while I''m gone, if you like. I doubt anyone will show up today. There''s only a handful of us left and everyone''s busy today." She headed for the door, pushing it open. "It''s really good to see you again and know that you''re safe. Okay, back soon." The door closed behind her.


    Savros climbed the stairs to the room she''d prepared for him but about halfway up realized it was barely hitting midday. There was no reason he couldn''t go scout out the river bed today. The fear of finding his uncle''s body was battling against the na?ve optimism that he could somehow still be alive. He knew that closure would provide a ceasefire in that battle.


    Still, at the halfway point, he turned and went back downstairs. He thought of leaving a note but decided the only ones to look for him would be Polly and Jaen, and they would already know where to look if he were missing upon the return. He left the Bardsyarn Inn and Pub. He hopped into the terrapod and shot past the gates, heading south out of town.


    It only took a minute to reach the little bridge over the shallow part of the river bed. He hit the throttle, making a hard turn, and launched off the bank into the dry riverbed. It snaked around in between his parents'' house and the town before banking north around the town and eventually making it to Tuschanuchi.


    Not knowing exactly what he was looking for, he kept his speed to a minimum. The farther he followed it, the taller the banks of the river got. There was no longer any water to be found, but not long after he got into the river bed, the eroded dirt walls were too tall for him to even climb out. As the river bed started to wind more to the left, he spotted a hole in the wall to his right. He stopped behind a shrub between himself and the opening. It didn''t hide the pod very well, but it was something.


    He climbed out as quietly as he could. The palm-sized rocks, worn smooth from the ancient waters, shifted and grated against each other as his boots landed on them. He crept to the edge, as quietly as he could, where the eroded dirt had covered the stones, making it much easier to sneak up to the opening. He stood, back against the wall, just outside the hole. It wasn''t much larger than a standard doorway. Whoever dug it out used the dirt and sand they removed to spread out in front of the opening and created a sandy landing in front of the entrance.


    A muffled clang of metal on metal came from the hole, and Savros'' heart stopped, and his breath caught in his chest. Someone was in there! He inched closer to the edge of the hole and heard someone muttering to themselves. It sounded like their back was to him. He heard the clanging again and more muttering. He squatted down and quickly peeked around the corner. For the split second that he could see inside the cave, he couldn''t see much. Not far in from the opening, the cave made a hard left.


    He sneaked into the opening and up against the other wall. From here, he could smell that whoever was in there was cooking food, and it smelled delicious. He stood there for a while, letting his eyes adjust to the limited light inside the cave.


    The muttering voice caught his attention, and he peeked around the corner into the main room of the cave. It was about the same size as his quarters on the KaiStar. A small fireplace, built into the wall, must have vented up through the ground to the top of the river bank. A skinny man stood hunched over the fire muttering to himself as he turned a piece of meat. Savros stared in disbelief, unaware that he had stepped out from behind the corner and was slowly moving forward toward the man.


    "Uncle Sav?" his voice weak and barely audible.


    Savrotores jumped and spun around, shrieking at the sight of his nephew. Savros watched as his uncle, his only blood relation and the single, living tie between him and his parents, trembled in the corner of the makeshift cave, whimpering in fear. Unsure of what was wrong with him, Savros took a few steps back to not startle the man anymore.


    "Uncle Sav, it''s me Savros." He said, tears in his eyes.


    "No no no, I don''t know where Savros is. I told you, please, I don''t know." He had broken down into sobbing.


    Savros came closer again and squatted down in the middle of the room. "Uncle Sav." He shuddered violently at the name. Savros tried a different approach. "Look at me, Tores." He said firmly.


    Savrotores'' eyes snapped up to meet his, and Savros saw a brief glimpse of the man he remembered. At first there was no recognition in Savrotores'' eyes, he looked like himself again, but he still didn''t recognize Savros. He looked away after a moment and began rocking in the corner, muttering to himself again. Savros watched his uncle and wondered what happened to him to make him stay out here for so long. Not once going into town, it didn''t make sense.


    Savros stood and took a few steps closer to his uncle before squatting down again. Speaking softer this time, he said, "Uncle Tores, look at me. I need your help. Look at me."


    Savrotores looked up again, staring at Savros. The look of confusion slowly faded as the man studied Savros'' face. He looked away for a moment, then looked back at him, blinking.


    Still looking his uncle in the eye, Savros said, "Uncle please help me, don''t you recognize me?"


    "Recognize? Recognize." He muttered, looking into Savros'' eyes and squinting, "Who are you? Do I know you?"


    Savros sat down and scooted on his butt a little closer. "Look at my face, who am I?"


    Savrotores looked at his eyes and his mouth, then he looked up at his hair and smiled. He kept smiling, but Savros could tell he didn''t know why he was smiling. Savrotores reached out to touch Savros'' hair. The smile faded from his face as his hand drew nearer to Savros, turning into a frown as Savrotores touched Savros'' head and began crying. He suddenly grabbed Savros and pulled him close. Hugging him tightly and crying large tears, Savros could feel soaking through his hair and hitting his scalp.


    Savros wrapped his arms around his uncle and cried with him. After everything that had happened and all he''d been through, he''d finally found his uncle, somehow, alive.


    "Savros, oh my god, I thought I''d never see you again! What are you doing here? You shouldn''t be here." Savrotores held him at arm''s length, looking him over as he spoke.


    "I had to come find you. What are you doing out here? Sophie says you''ve been missing for months." He asked.


    "I''ve been here for months?" he asked incredulously.


    "Tawkwa and his gang captured me and left me here. They tortured me and beat me, used magic on me to get me to expose you. They were planning on using me to get to you when all else failed. But one day, they just stopped coming back. I''ve been trapped on this island ever since. How did you even find me?"


    Savros was confused but beginning to piece it together. The one thing he didn''t understand is how Savrotores could be this close to home and not recognize anything and, even crazier, think he was on an island.


    "Uncle Sav, you aren''t on an island." His uncle looked confused, "You''re in the old river bed between the house and town."


    "That''s ridiculous Lad, this is an island surrounded by water with in sight of land anywhere else. Here look." He went to the entrance, and Savros followed him. "There you see, it''s just water everywhere. Even if I tried to swim it, I don''t know what direction to go." He pointed at the dry riverbed and dry, dusty surroundings. Obviously, something was messing with his uncle''s perception.


    Savros took a few steps out of the cave and said, "there''s no water here, Uncle Sav." Savros took a few more steps out. His uncle became visibly disturbed the farther he went out. Another step and his uncle panicked, racing out to save Savros.


    "The water''s not safe!" he yelled as he ran and jumped, with perfect diving form, dove face-first into the dirt. The impact nearly knocked him out. His eyes were still rolling around when Savros helped him sit up.


    After a few moments, Savrotores had come around and was breathing heavily, still sitting in the dirt. He looked down at his hand, dry and covered in dirt, when it should be wet. Blood from his nose hit his hand as he sat there. Savros wiped the dirt from his dazed uncle''s face. Savrotores looked around in awe at his surroundings that had suddenly transformed into a very familiar setting.


    "How?" was all his uncle could say.


    Savros helped him to his feet and brushed more dirt off his uncle''s clothes. "I don''t know, it could be magic of some kind, or tek." He looked back at the entrance to the cave.


    "Whatever it was, I say we get out of here. I have a room ready at the Inn. Sophie was nice enough to make it up for me." He helped his uncle limp to the pod. "My friends will be back in a few days, and we can get out of here."


    "I guess I''ll never be able to avenge my sister''s death. All I managed to accomplish was getting myself captured."


    "I don''t know if it helps or not, but while on the KaiStar and with the help of my friends, we took out all the assassins except Tawkwa. The Galactic Service Captured and detained him. But he escaped a few months ago."


    "That''s right I did!" came the shrill screech of Tawkwa''s voice from behind them.


    They spun around to see Tawkwa, standing in front of the cave entrance, behind Sel''Pen and three other men.


    "And it looks like my timing is perfect! Now you both die! Vengeance on behalf of all living beings." Tawkwa reached back as if he were about to throw something.


    Savros felt the feeling of tryptic energy stirring in his stomach. He reacted on instinct, one hand pointed at his uncle as he released a shield surrounding him. In a smooth motion brought both hands up together as his rage at this insane little man engulfed him. This was the man responsible for his parent''s death, for chasing him and putting his friends in danger, for releasing Gah''Raka and forcing their hand in the release of tryptic energy. Savros lost control, calling up as much energy as he could muster. He unleashed a blast on the three men at the front of the group.


    When the dust cleared, Tawkwa was standing to his feet, having been thrown back into the wall on the other side of the river bed. Savros didn''t hesitate and sent another attack his way. Before it could impact, Tawkwa disappeared in a swirl of smoke.


    Savros turned back to check on Savrotores, who sat in the dirt staring wildly at the events that had transpired. He walked up to his uncle, waving the shield away and helping him to his feet. Savrotores looked at the massive hole where the men had stood. The blast was so big there was no sign of the cave anymore. All that remained was a crater in the river bed. His uncle looked at him and then back to the hole.


    "What was that?" he stammered.


    "It''s a kind of long story, but the tryptic energy is back and we can all use it now. Just before you try it out, let me help you. The first time is dangerous, you can kill yourself and everyone around you."


    Still shaking, Savrotores threw his leg over the side as Savros helped him into the back seat of the pod. "Hold on," Savros said over his shoulder as he took the pilot''s seat, "I just learned how to drive this thing today."


    Once again, he gave it too much power and jerked himself and his uncle back into the seats. This time he didn''t over-correct, though, and they kept moving forward. In no time, he had it under control, and they were shooting up the river bed, back towards the little bridge. Savros used the lower and more sloped walls of the river bed to launch them back up onto the road. Giving it more power, Savros flew towards town, feeling a tremendous sense of relief and joy. He''d found his uncle alive, even when it seemed nearly impossible.


    "Sophie''s gonna be gone most of the day. She went to check on friends, but she left it unlocked for me." He said over his shoulder.


    "Poor Sophie, she must have been so worried, and I was that close this whole time." Savrotores replied.


    The gates came into view, and Savros blew right past them, making a tight left and hard stop in front of the Inn. He helped Savrotores out of the pod, and they went inside. Savors went behind the bar and poured them both a drink before walking back around and sitting next to his uncle. He handed him a drink while he took a sip of his own.


    "Tawkwa got away again." Savros said, looking into his mug.


    "After what you did to his men, I bet we don''t see him again." Savrotores trying to reassure his nephew.


    Savros looked up from his mug to meet his uncle''s gaze and said, "I don''t know. We''ve beaten him several times, killed all of his men, and he always comes back. The next time I see him will definitely be the last time. He won''t escape again."


    Savrotores finished his mug and stood up. "I am gonna run up to the room and freshen up, maybe find some of my clothes, if Sophie hasn''t thrown them out yet."


    "Okay, I''ll be here." Savros said, going back around the bar for another drink. After his uncle disappeared up the stair, Savros sat down and took a deep breath. He smiled to himself as he took another drink. He''d run away in fear, unable to even take care of himself, but now he''d returned, found his uncle, and everything was as good as it could be. Savros still wished Polly and Jaen were here, but it was going to be nice to have a couple of days to catch up with his uncle. He had a lot of stories to tell him about the adventures they''d had.


    Savros found a few snacks behind the bar; dried meats and vegetables. Sophie wouldn''t mind, hopefully. He took a few of each for his uncle and a couple for himself. Savros circled back around the bar and took a seat while he waited for his uncle. He was ready to blow his uncle''s mind with the tales of his adventures since meeting Polly. He thought back, deciding he might as well start at the beginning; Abriva.


    A creaking step caught his attention, and he turned to see his uncle coming down the stairs, wearing clean clothes, drying the last of the water from his hair.


    "Well," he said, joining Savros at the bar, "I feel way better!" He took a sip from the mug, saw the dried meat, and picked it up, as well. Savrotores, turning his head to face Savros, got a serious look. "Thank you, Lad. Without you, I would have died in that hole, and no one would have ever known."


    "I wish I could have come sooner. I wanted to, but we were on the run for a while. When I got to Abriva, I met Polly and then Jaen and Shin. They took me on and accepted me as a part of the crew. If it weren''t for them, I wouldn''t be here either. We''ve become like a family since then. I can''t wait for you to meet them. You''ll love them." He was excited and started to talk faster.


    "It sounds like you ended up in the best place you could have. I''m grateful to your friends for protecting you. I''ll be proud to meet the people that helped you when I couldn''t. They forever have my gratitude." Savrotores took another bite.


    Savros looked at his uncle. He looked like his old self again. For a moment, in his mind, he was transported back to several years ago, when he and his father sat at this very bar, taking a break from the day deliveries. At least he still had Savrotores, he thought.


    A strange sound from outside caught their attention. At first, Savros couldn''t place the sound at all, but as it grew louder, it suddenly clicked. The sounds were Tawkwa''s voice standing outside the Inn. The next thing he knew, he saw the lighter items in the room lifting into the air. A strange stillness seemed to weigh him down while everything around him was lifting into the air. His eyes darted up to meet his uncles as flames erupted all around them, and time slowed to a crawl. Looking around, everything seemed to be exploding at once. The light and fire were everywhere. He stared into his uncle''s eyes as the flames engulfed them. In the split moments of the very beginning of the explosion, Savros witnessed his uncle consumed by fire and being ripped apart as the explosion progressed.


    He could just feel the very first waves starting to impact his body. It felt like he was being violently shoved in every direction at once. As the explosion continued and engulfed him as well, his vision changed. He could feel the tryptic energy inside him, growing rapidly, even with time almost at a stop. The vortex of energy within him spun rapidly and wildly, far stronger than anything he''d felt before. The more the explosion progressed, the more powerful he could feel the tryptic energy inside him grow.


    As the energy exploded inside him, time resumed, and the world exploded around him.

 Chapter Twenty: DeDenDae

    Savros stood, unable to move his body, but from what he could see, the town was gone. He should be facing the tree in the center of town, but all he could see was ash and rubble. It was dead silent.


    "Ha-ha-ha-ha. Oh, it''s so delicious." The laughter and the voice were coming from somewhere in the back of his mind. He tried to but still couldn''t move. The tryptic energy still felt like a tornado inside him. What''s going on? He tried to ask but couldn''t move his mouth. He tried to look around, to no avail. He couldn''t move his eyes. Unable to move or speak, he couldn''t look for his uncle. If he''d survived the attack, maybe his uncle had as well. If he could just look around a little. He put everything he had into trying to turn his head, but his body completely ignored him.


    Suddenly, to his surprise, he took a step forward, then another, and he heard the voice again, louder and more assertive this time.


    "Savros, your time has ended." As the voice spoke inside his head, he could feel the already intense energy rapidly growing more intense with every word.


    "Out of gratitude, I allowed you to live your natural life, unaffected by my presence." As the voice kept going and the energy kept rising, the surrounding ash lifted into the air and swirled around his body.


    "That life has now expired." Savros could feel walls crushing in around him, pressing him into the corner of his own mind, trapping him there, unable to produce any effect no matter how hard he tried. He was left only able to observe through what used to be his eyes and ears.


    "This vessel belongs to me now." The walls felt absolute now. He couldn''t struggle against them any more than he could battle against a mountain.


    "I don''t understand. Who are you?" he thought.


    "Ha-ha-ha-ha. I have been called by many names across many ages. At the beginning I communed with the Ol''Gud, who called me Dae. The Az''Reign worshiped my name; Az''Regin''Riel. The inhabitants of Living Space call me Tryptic energy or magic."


    "I am De''den''Dae. It is my life that gave this universe form. And it will be my life that takes that form from it."


    The energy inside him suddenly skyrocketed, seemingly unbound and infinite. It continued to rise, with no signs of stopping or even slowing. Savros witnessed as his arms lifted out in front of him and the entire planet immediately disappeared into sparkling dust. Confused but unable to move, Savros could only watch. He looked out through his eyes and saw only the darkness of space. The stars began to move as Savros'' body turned in place. Under and behind him, scattered across the inky backdrop, was his home planet, converted entirely to dust. As he watched, even the dust broke down into nothing. A few seconds later, there was no sign a planet had ever been there.


    Savros raged and fought against the rigid walls of his confinement. To no avail. The only effect it had was eliciting another volley of laughter from De''den''Dae.


    "I am the end of all things. You have the honor of baring witness to my glory."


    Savros watched in horror as De''den''Dae skipped his body across Living Space, instantly transporting from one system to the next. De''den''Dae was enjoying himself thoroughly. Sometimes he would go down to the planet and wipe out all the life he found before wiping away the planet itself. Other times he would wave Savros'' hand and wipe away entire star systems at once.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The next day Savros watched as De''den''Dae wiped the Center from existence. As De''den''Dae Surveyed his handiwork, Savros realized there were no stars to be seen in half of Living Space.


    Over the course of three days, De''den''Dae, in Savros'' body, wiped out every system, destroyed every star, and left nothing, not even destruction, in his wake. At the end of the third day, Savros found himself looking down on the pyramid of the First World. Which, as far as he could tell, was now the last world. With his body slowly spinning in space, Savros could observe no stars or anything at all to break up the uniform darkness.


    De''den''Dae laughed again, "Ah, fulfillment is grand. This was worth the wait." The darkness contained in De''den''Dae''s voice was far beyond that of space itself.


    Something was changing in his head. As De''den''Dae laughed and spoke, Savros could feel the walls holding him begin to weaken. He could feel his body again and the energy swirling around inside him. The space in his head had grown enough that he was no longer trapped in the corner of his mind.


    Thrusting his consciousness forward, he smashed through the final weakened barrier in his mind. His consciousness flooded forth, reclaiming its rightful home. De''den''Dae had emerged and taken over at a highly chaotic moment, the moment of his death. But after being trapped in his own mind for days and after watching De''den''Dae destroy everything that had ever been, he was in a different state of mind.


    Savros'' consciousness flooded into his mind, mixing with De''den''Dae as the energy tried to vacate his body. Rather than pushing it out, Savros used his own energy to increase the speed of the vortex. Faster and faster, he spun, the vortex of energy inside him. He pushed the energy into the same corner he''d been trapped in. Still increasing the rate of the vortex, he kept pushing the energy into the corner. Tighter and tighter and faster and faster. Savros pulled De''den''Dae firmly back into his body and crushed him into a fully walled-off corner of his mind.


    De''den''Dae laughed at him again. His voice sounded far away and weak. "You can''t contain me. I am infinite, unlimited, uncontainable."


    Savros could hear him but paid him no attention. The energy was still coming in; he was still packing more into that corner. When it finally stopped, he knew he couldn''t contain it and that no matter what, this much energy would kill him if he used it. Unsure of what to do, he thought back to his uncle, always teaching him how to take care of himself, and his father teaching him to help others and his mother. His mother always had time for anyone and never used harsh words towards others. Polly, who had his back from the moment they met, and Jaen, who would always help those who needed it, and Shin, the most incredible A.I. in existence and a true friend. All he could think was, "They deserve better."


    Floating alone, except for De''den''Dae raging in the background of his mind, Savros turned to survey what was once his home, what was once Living Space. The idea of everyone everywhere being gone was too painful. De''den''Dae was growing louder in his mind, and Savros could feel that eventually, De''den''Dae would overpower him again.


    He didn''t know what else to do, so he held the faces of his friends and family in his mind while the tears froze and drifted off his face. Savros summoned all of his strength, every bit of his energy, and with one word released all of himself, and as the blast was already starting, he opened his mind and poured all of De''den''Dae into it, fueling it with infinite tryptic energy.


    A light appeared above Savros'' head. An instant later, the light expanded to fill all of Living Space. Savros could no longer feel his body and could no longer sense De''den''Dae at all. The swirling vortex of energy was gone. All that was left was light.


    As the light faded, Savros'' limp body drifted alone, unprotected, in the vacuum of space. The light extinguished, and all was dark again. Savros could feel his body and was surprised he felt no pain. "I must be dead." He thought.


    Alone in the darkness of space, Savros closed his eyes, prepared to give in to death. He''d already lost everything and everyone important to him. Then he''d lost everyone and everything that was ever important to anyone. His death was a fitting end to this nightmare.


    Alone in the cold, inky blackness of space, he felt warmth on the side of his face. He opened his eyes and saw a star to his right, where moments before, there was only darkness. He looked around. As his eyes adjusted, more and more stars illuminated the darkness.


    A wave of energy rushed past him as countless new stars twinkled into view.


    Savros floated alone in space, gazing lovingly at the countless stars twinkling at him in thanks from all across living space.