“What about the Droxian?”
“She…Ryonna’s clearly moved on. Perhaps I should too.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Though you already know my take on the subject, there are plenty more fish in the sea.”
Talon regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. Simply because he didn’t believe in this particular cliché. In fact, he missed his wife and children dearly and would give anything to spend just a single moment with them. He used such idioms as a defense mechanism. As a former Star Alliance officer turned smuggler, he could never appear weak in front of his crew. That would be an open invitation for a power-hungry crewman to kill him and take his place.
That was exactly why sleep was a luxury nowadays, not that he ever got much of it since the Obsidian invasion. Every time he managed to close his eyes, the nightmares would strike. Seeing his family burn every night was something that hacked away at his soul, to the point where he dreaded sleep and only succumbed to it when his body forced him to.
“Did you see your friend, what’s his name. . .Chase?”
“No, he didn’t come. I can’t blame him though, he’s been through a lot.”
“We all have,” said Talon absently, his gaze focused on the distant starlight.
“I suppose so.”
Talon saw a couple of stars blink in the distance, followed by another trio. Without a word he rushed to his captain’s chair and brought up his holo-controls.
“What’s going on?” asked Tar’Lock.
“I think we have company.”
“What?”
Tar’Lock used his super speed to go to the scan console and brought up its interface. His Gorgar speed allowed him to enter a flurry of commands in a heartbeat. In fact, most of the time, and even more so on a ship this archaic, the interface couldn’t keep up with the speed of his inputs.
“I’m not detecting anything, Captain.”
“Send the scans to the main holo-screen. I’m sure I saw something.”
Tar’Lock complied, and soon an image filled a large portion of the near-empty bridge. Captain Epizon got up and walked toward the screen and pointed to the clusters of stars he saw blinking suspiciously a moment ago.
“Enlarge sector three by four by sixteen.”
The captain attentively observed the enlarged cluster of stars for a moment.
“What exactly did you see, Captain?”
“I’m not sure, a shadow, or something.”
“Our instruments didn’t pick up anything, I’m afraid. If you don’t mind me asking, when was the last time you got some solid sleep?”
Talon shot daggers at the Gorgar. “I didn’t imagine it, Tar’Lock!”
“I’m sorry, Captain, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Talon sighed. “No, it’s me who’s sorry, Tar’Lock. I shouldn’t have barked at you like that. I haven’t slept well at all since…well since as long as I can remember, really. But I can’t shake this feeling, my gut is telling me there’s something out there.”
Tar’Lock clicked nervously. “Then let me try to push scans beyond their resolution. I can try modifying them in order to do so, something I’ve picked up from a friend of mine.”
“Ryonna?”
“No, Keera, actually. You’d like her. In many respects, you remind me of her.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Tar’Lock smiled as his hands moved at speeds too fast for human eyes to follow, reprogramming parts of the sensor array. He then refreshed the scans onto the main holo-screen, which turned shades of red, green, and then blue, and one of the scan modes looked like old-school Earth TV white noise. Eventually, in one mode, where everything was mostly black, a faint dark-gray shadow appeared at the center of the cluster.
“There!” exclaimed Talon.
Tar’Lock saw the shape for a fraction of a second before it disappeared. But that was more than enough to send a cascade of shivers down his spine. The shape of a spider in space.
“We gotta get the hell outta here,” said Tar’Lock with a symphony of panicked clicks trailing his words. “Now!”
“Why?”
“If this is the type of ship I think it is, we’re in mortal danger.”
“Perhaps they don’t care we’ve detected them.”
“Oh, believe me, they care. We better pray they didn’t detect our scans.”
“Then let’s stop scanning them.”
“Already done.”
An ominous series of bleeps resonated from Tar’Lock’s console.
“What’s going on?” Talon asked.
“Exactly what I feared. They’ve just locked on to us.”
Asrak’Vor was sleeping in his quarters when one of his officers woke him.
“Rhhh, what is it?” he said, not trying to hide the annoyance from his tone.
“Apologies for the interruption. A ship exited the jump gate near our scout ship, Master.”
“Ships exit that jump gate every day. What’s so special about this one?”
“We’re detecting incoming scans.”
This fool better not have woken me up for nothing.
“It’s not unusual for ships to scan the area around them when exiting hyperspace; in fact, I would expect most diligent captains to do that.”
“I—I agree, Master. But the scans do seem focused on the scout ship we have in the area.”
Asrak’Vor sighed, realizing this matter needed his attention more than he required sleep.
“I’ll be right there; don’t do anything until I arrive.”
“Very well, Master.”
Asrak’Vor got up and secreted a thin oily liquid that would wash his skin from the impurities of the preceding day. He then augmented the temperature of his skin, bringing the oil to a burning point and letting it evaporate, which released a pleasant musky smell.
The Spectre arrived on the bridge and saw the main holo-screen showing relayed sensor data from the ship he had sent ahead to scout the area. He sat on his semi-organic onyx throne. The organic material molded to accommodate its user. Asrak’Vor was baffled by how primitive the ship looked, even by this dimension’s standards.
“Report.”
“The vessel is scanning our scout ship, there’s no reason to believe it has detected us, but it’s insisting and tried different methods of doing so.”
“Isn’t our stealth cloaking technology impenetrable?”
“It should be, but like our own ship, the scout ship has suffered damage, its cloaking field is operating at ninety-seven percent efficiency.”
That ought to be enough for fooling that old rust bucket’s sensors.
“Master, the scanning has stopped.”
“Any change in course from the ship?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Your assessment of the situation?” said Asrak’Vor, slightly annoyed.
“I—I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you with this incident. I apologize.”
“Apology accepted. And I think under the circumstances, you did well.”
The navigation officer bowed upon hearing Asrak’Vor’s words of praise.
The Spectre’s subordinate was correct, he shouldn’t have bothered him until he had conclusive evidence. On the other hand, it was paramount that their presence in this dimension remain a secret as long as possible. And, as such, Asrak’Vor was happy to see healthy initiative like this from his crew.
He turned to his comms officer. “Open a channel to the scout ship.”
“Channel opened,” answered the officer.
The holo-screen filled with the image of the captain of the scout ship.
“What can I do for you, Master Vor?”
“The ship that just scanned you—lock on it and destroy it at once.”
“We do not believe they have detected us.”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe. If the Earth Alliance even suspects our presence in their dimension, they’ll send an entire armada to hunt us do
wn. We can’t take that chance. Avoid making your presence known to any other ship. In the event it can’t be prevented, then destroy them as well. Whatever happens, don’t get caught, I believe I don’t have to tell you what you need to do if your ship is disabled.”
“You don’t, Master Vor, we’ll self-destruct before we let our tech fall into enemy hands.”
“Report back to me when your mission is completed.”
The captain saluted by slamming a fist into his chest, followed by a bow, and then his holo-image faded into nothingness.
6
Chase barely slept all night, thinking about how to proceed. Both Daniel and Altair’s discussions kept replaying in his mind. Eventually, he had called Argos and asked that he and Chris meet him on the shipyard in orbit around Earth. He had placed a similar call to Daniel and had let Spiros know he’d be coming to check on the Iron Fire in the morning.
He didn’t like the idea of having to convince them to stay behind. But he didn’t want to take the ship and go without at least seeing his friends and family one more time. It had been months since Chase talked with Chris. He wished it weren’t so, but the tension between them was still volatile and not yet ready to be diffused. Would it ever? Chase wondered.
He navigated his StarFury into the landing bay of the shipyard and took the turbo-lift to the observation deck. While the lift went down, he wondered if Chris would bother to show up. The turbo-lift doors opened, and the first thing that grabbed Chase’s attention was the ship outside that he could see through a large viewport that ran along the right side of the hall corridor.
The destroyer was magnificent. It was a much smaller ship than the Hope, but according to Altair, it packed a punch nonetheless. The bots had already painted the name on the side: Iron Fire. Reading the name brought back some happy memories, a time where everyone he loved was still present. Even members of his family he didn’t know he had back then, like his grandfather, Zeus, and many family members he had never really spent much time with before Arakan destroyed them along with Olympus. Some he never even had the opportunity to meet. That thought sent Chase’s state of mind reeling back into darkness faster than previous glimmers of joy, which had gently brushed his soul moments before.
Chase walked along the circular-shaped corridor, his gaze still locked on to the hull of his future home for the next few months, years, or even decades. He didn’t know how long he would roam the unknown regions, only that he would do so to try to save his wife, Sarah, and their unborn daughter.
A silhouette caught his attention. It was Daniel. The more he advanced, the more people were revealed behind the curve. Chase’s heart beat stronger with every new step. Spiros was next. Then Yanis and Kvasir appeared, which Chase hadn’t expected. He was only a few feet away when he saw Argos step forward from the rest of his friends.
Where’s Chris?
Chase felt a sting in his heart but couldn’t blame his son for not coming. He hadn’t exactly been the father of the year. Smiles filled the faces of his friends as he approached and stopped in front of them.
“It’s good to see you all,” Chase said tentatively.
“Good to you see you too, boss,” said Yanis.
“What he said,” added Kvasir with a smile, his facial tattoos steadily pulsating green.
Daniel took Chase in his arms and whispered in his ear.
“I’m glad you reconsidered.”
Have I? Chase wondered.
He had to admit, though, it felt good being reunited with the people he had gone into battle with. They had sweated, bled, and in the case of Spiros, even died by his side. Chase had brought him back, albeit in a younger clone body. It still felt weird to see Spiros look like he was now in his thirties. Whenever Chase thought of him, he always saw the older scientist’s face in his mind.
Chase clapped his best friend’s back and smiled, not willing to sour the moment by saying something he might regret.
“Chase,” Spiros said with a slight bow.
Then it was Argos’ turn, and the twin brothers shared a hug that Chase didn’t know he needed. The warmth he felt emanating from his brother soothed Chase’s soul, even if only for a fleeting moment. To think Argos was once his nemesis. But those times belonged in the past, and he was now someone Chase could trust with his life.
“It’s good to see you, Brother,” said Argos, a genuine smile lighting his entire face. “What is it I hear? We’re going on a trip to help Sarah?”
Chase had hoped to delay the moment where he would need to convince them to let him go at it alone. But it looked like the reunion was over, and he needed to let them know how he felt.
“About that—”
“Hell no, you’re not,” said a familiar voice behind him. “You’re not doing that again.”
Could it be?
Chase didn’t have to turn around to know that the voice belonged to his son, Chris, but for a second, he thought he might have imagined it. There he stood, taller than Chase remembered and full of muscles. Chase could tell he had been training intensively.
“It’s good to see you, Son.”
Chris grimaced. “You’re not taking the Iron Fire on a joyride on your own. In case that was what you wanted to tell us.”
How well he knows me.
In his heart, Chase didn’t want any harm to come to his friends or to what was left of his family. He remembered when this adventure started—when the Obsidian Empire sent them on the run for their lives. Back then, Chase thought he was an orphan and had no idea who his birth parents were or even that he had a twin brother. Now he had a family, and pushing them away would not bring the dead back nor would it make it easier on anyone.
There was something else Chase felt in his heart; he had missed all of them terribly. Even if it had been his initial intention, there would be no way he could refuse their help now. Daniel was right, he couldn’t ignore their feelings any longer.
“Well, when it’s asked that nicely,” said Chase with a smile.
Chase felt his son’s gaze lock onto his, sizing him up somehow.
“Alright then, what are we waiting for?” he added.
Spiros walked by Chase’s side. “The Iron Fire is ready to go, except for that discussion we had earlier, which I suppose doesn’t apply anymore?”
Spiros was correct, Chase wouldn’t need an artificial crew now, and so, by extension, he could accept Altair’s proposal to throw him a volunteer crew to care for the ship’s systems.
“No, it doesn’t, thank you, Spiros.”
Spiros nodded.
“Would you guys want a tour of the ship since we’re all here?” proposed Yanis.
“I’m game,” said Argos.
“So am I,” added Daniel. “Let’s take a look at what will be our home for the foreseeable future.”
“Then follow me,” Yanis said and motioned forward.
Daniel and Argos followed Yanis. Chris stood back for a second.
“I’ve missed you,” said Chase tentatively.
“You have a funny way of showing it,” answered Chris coldly.
Chase sighed. “I’m sorry, I—I didn’t know how to deal with all of it, you know?”
“No, I don’t know, Chase.”
Hearing his son call him by his first name crushed Chase, but he couldn’t blame Chris for that.
“You’re not the only one hurting. Sarah may be your wife, but she’s my mother, unless you’ve forgotten.”
“I haven’t, and if I could turn back time—”
“Yeah, that’s an easy excuse, and you know it. So, before we say things we might regret, I have something to say, and I want you to listen.”
Chase nodded. “I can certainly do that.”
Chris shot his father a look that conveyed he wasn’t convinced with Chase’s words.
“I’m only coming along because we share a goal: bring my mother back. I don’t want nor need to rehash the past any more than we have to. You and I are on a different frequency. N
ow more than ever, but perhaps we always have been. You’ll have my skills when you require them, and you can count on my help to achieve the mission. In fact, you’ll be captaining the ship, and I’m just a member of the crew.
“Fair enough.”
“I’m not finished,” said Chris sharply.
Chase grimaced. “Sorry, please continue.”
“ I have no intention nor do I care to fix whatever is broken between us. There’s only one thing that matters and that’s saving my mother. If that doesn’t work for you, then let me know, and I’ll ask Altair for my own ship and crew. Are we clear on that?”
To say these words cut Chase’s heart like a razor was an understatement of epic proportions. Under the circumstances, and with Chase having been mostly a recluse in the past year, he couldn’t blame his son for his dismissive attitude. But at least they were in the same room, and he held out hope that going on new adventures together would help mend their relationship. Even if Chase recognized it probably would take some doing and with no shortage of time and patience.
“Clear as crystal, Son.”
“Good,” said Chris as he walked away to rejoin the rest of the group.
Chase wiped the tears that burned his eyes and followed his son.
Nyx left the complex on Pisces III on a stolen grav-bike, where she had fought Zarna, but she needed to get a jump-capable craft if she wanted to put as much distance as possible between her and her captor. She headed toward the nearest town outside of the dome cities.
Outside of the few cities on the surface of Pisces III, the planet was little more than a shithole where all the scum of the regions came to trade and look for and participate in shady enterprises. Scavengers, bounty hunters, smugglers, and everything in between, they all gravitated in the region. The sooner Nyx left this planet the better. She needed to head to Geminon Prime where she had left her Fury ship. It would not be a short trip. She hadn’t slept in thirty hours, and even the icy cold wind of Pisces III’s nights whipping against her face wasn’t enough to prevent her eyes from closing.
I can’t afford to fall asleep. I need to get to the starport and get out of this hellhole.
Nemesis Page 6
