“Thanks for having us over. Why don’t you make a visit to Horizon soon?” I walked to the kitchen and wrote a message on the digital board they had notes written on. I drew the symbol for our ship, so they could know which icon to press to find us.
“Thank you, Dean. We’ll try to make it,” Karo said. “But we might wait until the little troop is older. As you can see, they’re a handful.”
“We’d love to come,” Ableen said. “Maybe in a couple of months.”
“How does the growth of your children work? Similar to that of a human?” I asked, seizing a cup of coffee. Karo seemed to have picked up a few of our habits.
Karo shook his head. “They stay smaller for the first year, making it easier on the parents to handle them all. Theos have been known to give birth to ten children at once.”
“Ten!” I nearly spat out my coffee.
Ableen nodded. “That’s how I feel about it. I think four is plenty, right, Karo?”
“Four is perfect,” he said in answer.
“What happens after the first year?” I asked.
“They begin to develop at a faster rate. By the time they’re two, they’ll be around the same place as a three-year-old human. By the time they’re ten of your years, they will be teenagers by all counts of the word,” Karo explained.
“I can’t believe it. When does it slow?” I asked.
“They’ll reach maturity at around fifteen of your years. I haven’t changed much since then,” Ableen said. It was very interesting. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, if I were to guess. Karo seemed a little older, but he’d been gifted extended life as the guardian of his people and their world.
“They’ll catch up to Jules in no time, then,” I said, glad for it. She’d have more friends, people she could trust around her. “Maybe one day they can all go to the Gatekeepers’ Academy together.”
Ableen didn’t seem to appreciate the suggestion, but Karo smiled at me. “Perhaps, Dean. Perhaps.” And that was the end of the discussion.
Mary and Jules entered the space, ready to go, and I took my opportunity to use the steam shower. Minutes later, I emerged from the guest room and was overwhelmed by the smells of human breakfast food.
The babies were still drinking from their bottles, slowing by the minute. One of them was dozing off, and Jules watched her with interest as she ate a piece of toast.
A while later, we all walked to the portal room, the four children in their pushcart, and Maggie led the way this time, probably excited to be heading home. I knew she’d get over the disappointment once she was running around Regnig’s library.
Karo and his family stopped short of the portal building, and we said our goodbyes. If Jules really was their counter to the Balance, then I tried not to think what would happen to them if Jules didn’t exist, or vice versa. It wasn’t worth the speculation.
Minutes later, we were inside, the portal table glowing, and Mary pressed the icon for Bazarn Five, basking the room in light.
____________
The ship came quickly after I asked the guards to reach out to Garo Alnod on behalf of Dean Parker. These sentries were much the same as the ones we’d hired to work on Horizon, only not quite as imposing. They were a similar race, though: tall, wide, and armored.
We walked up the steps out into the promenade, where people migrated toward food stands and transportation to their final destinations on the tourist world of Bazarn.
“It appears the planet is back in running order,” Mary said.
“They’ve recovered nicely since Lom’s attack.” I picked Jules up and set her inside the ship with Garo’s company logo on the side of it. The blue Molariun pilot smiled at us, and the door shut.
We strapped in, and I watched the promenade as we lifted from the edge of it. So many people, so many races of beings, all here for a vacation. There were numerous vessels docked on the space port in orbit above the world, reminding me of those Caribbean cruise liners. They’d go from port to port, ferrying in tourists to each destination so they could see the sights and shop. This wasn’t much different.
“Excuse me, can you take us to see Garo, please?” I asked, and he nodded.
Mary raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “First?”
“We haven’t seen him in a while, and I’d like to have a quick talk… to make sure he’s doing all right,” I said.
Maggie stood at the edge of the small ship, watching out the side window with interest. We moved across the landscape, desert below, and then over the mountain ranges we’d first stayed on at the hotel. Rivo had surprised me there, hiding in the suite. That was when we’d learned of Lom of Pleva. It felt like so long ago.
“Are you okay?” Mary asked.
“I am. Just reminiscing,” I said.
We arrived at Garo’s floating island, far above the surface. The pilot opened the doors, and we poured out, carrying our packs as we headed toward the mansion. It was quiet there, no one visible on the premises. Maggie stayed close, as if she sensed danger.
“Something’s wrong,” Mary said quietly, and she was right.
“Stay here with Jules,” I said, reaching into my pack for a pulse pistol. I wished I had the rifle, but we hadn’t been planning on running into any trouble.
Mary shook her head. “We go together.” She pulled out a gun I didn’t know she had and told Jules to stay behind her. I went to wave the pilot down, but he was already gone.
“Why is it so quiet?” I asked.
We moved toward the home but still didn’t see or hear anything. Each time I’d come to see Garo, the place was always teeming with people: either visiting dignitaries, or staff hustling and bustling around, cleaning, gardening, cooking.
I entered the courtyard outside the home, and the flowers were smashed, the grounds desolate. “I don’t like this place,” Jules said sadly from behind her mother.
“Neither do I, kiddo,” Mary told her.
We arrived at the entrance, massive double doors, and I stopped. “Do we knock?”
Mary shook her head and pushed on the left door. It swung open with the smallest of creaks, and I went in first, gun raised. The place was ransacked. Furniture was flipped over, sheets and pillows were strewn about across the ornate marble floors, and art was torn from the walls.
“This is horrible,” Mary whispered.
Something broke upstairs, and I waved Mary to stay put. She didn’t argue with me this time; she just held Maggie’s leash and pushed Jules behind her, holding her gun at ready.
I pointed up the stairs, and Mary nodded hesitantly. Another object shattered, and I ran as softly up the steps as I could, making minimal noise as I approached the second level. It overlooked the grand foyer, and I glanced down at Mary to make sure they were safe before moving toward the room all the noise was emerging from.
I pressed my back against the wall and listened. Everything was silent, and I heard sobbing now. This was it. I stepped into the doorway, gun raised, and I nearly pulled the trigger when I saw the form in the corner.
“Garo!” I shouted, and ran to the man. He was beaten, crouched at the edge of the room.
“Stop. I told you everything!” he shouted through a moan.
I was at his side, and he cowered from me.
“Garo, it’s me. Dean Parker,” I told him, and he opened his eyes, searching my face.
“It is you,” he said. “Dean Parker. How is it you’re here?”
“What happened, Garo?” My heart was beating fast. “Are they still in the house?” I thought about Mary and Jules downstairs.
“I don’t know,” he said. I helped him to a sitting position. This was his office, and it was ripped apart. The desk was in pieces, large chunks of wood spread around the room.
“Where’s your wife?” I asked.
“She wasn’t here. She’s off planet, thank goodness,” he said.
Garo Alnod was a rich and powerful man, and even though he was small, he’d always carried himself in such a w
ay that made most people intimidated by him. Now he was a shrunken husk of that man, thinner from his illness and recently beaten so badly, I hardly recognized him.
“Tell me everything,” I said. “But first, I’m going to clear this place.”
“Be careful,” he warned.
“Who are they?”
Only one of his eyes remained open; the rest of his face was swollen and puffy. “It appears Lom may have some allies.”
“Lom’s gone,” I told him.
“But his people aren’t. His resources didn’t disappear with him,” Garo said, and I understood.
“Stay here.” I left him there and moved through the house stealthily, like a cat on the hunt. I ended up outside at the rear of the house, and there were no signs of Lom’s people. I found the bodies of at least ten of Garo’s staff as I went, all dead. It was a bloodbath.
I wound my way to the lobby where Mary and Jules stood. Maggie barked, the sound echoing loudly in the open-air room.
“What’s happened here?” Mary asked.
“Garo. He’s upstairs. Mary, can you call the guards at the portal? Let them know he was attacked and raided,” I said, and she moved to the wall, accessing the console.
I ran upstairs, hearing Mary tell the guards exactly what she knew, and found Garo passed out in the office. I needed to find out what they were after, and why they’d left Rivo’s father alive when they killed everyone else.
Sixteen
The Peaks at Bazarn accepted us without hesitation. The gigantic Duupa people that worked there approached us as we exited the ship, guards flanking Garo the entire way toward the hotel. It was still as beautiful as ever, and I watched as the sun nestled behind the grand Peaks of Duup, mountains brought to Bazarn from a dying world, the ten-foot-tall people along with them.
I noticed smoke rising from their village, and under different circumstances, I would have loved to have made time to see their town, to more accurately learn their history. I had more pressing matters now.
“Greetings. Welcome to the Peaks at Bazarn. Can we assist with anything?” one of the locals asked. If I recalled correctly, this was the exact speech they’d given last time we stayed here. The immense Duupa’s voice still sounded like gravel rubbing against itself. I wondered if they ate stone for breakfast.
The guards carried Garo into the hotel, beyond the torch-lit lobby and toward a massive vacant suite. Apparently, Garo owned half of the hotel, and they fussed about, trying to accommodate our needs. We had a Molariun doctor with us, and he urged us out of the bedroom while he attended to Garo’s needs.
“This is insane,” Mary said. “We came for a nice visit with Regnig and we ended up in the middle of this.”
“It’s strange. What are the chances?” I asked.
“With you, pretty high, I guess,” Mary said. We were in the suite’s living room, and two of Garo’s bulky guards stood at the bedroom door.
“Why hadn’t his guards been at his house? I didn’t see any,” I told Mary.
“I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t always have them around,” she said. “Let’s get some air. Come on, Jules.”
Jules had Maggie’s leash and we all exited the room, heading outside. Maggie barked at one of the Duupa workers, and it bent closer, reaching out a tree-trunk-sized arm toward the dog. Maggie sniffed it, and he stroked her far more gently than I would have expected from the huge being.
“Would you care for the use of our amenities? Perhaps a hot stone meditation?” the Duupa asked.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” I said, and he turned, leaving us alone.
“Mom, why is Rivo’s papa hurt?” Jules asked.
“We don’t know, sweetie. Some bad people did it,” Mary told her.
“I don’t like bad people. Can we stop them from hurting him again?” she asked.
“Maybe. We hope so,” Mary said.
“Good.”
We stood outside, watching the sun set beyond the peaks, and eventually, the doctor came outside, heading over to us. “He’ll be okay. With his illness, this has taken a lot out of him. I’ve sedated him for the time being, and it will help him recover faster. You should be able to speak with him in the morning. I’ll be staying next door if anything comes up.”
“Thank you,” I told the blue doctor, and he shuffled off, heading inside.
“It seems we’ll be staying the night,” I said.
“At least we have a nice hotel room.” Mary was right. She hadn’t been there when I’d last visited. It was right before I’d met Regnig for the first time, and had finally started to track Mary and the Iskios’ location.
“I prefer the company this time,” I told her.
“Come on. Let’s find something to eat,” Mary said, and Jules nodded.
____________
“Tell me what happened, Garo.” I sat in a chair beside his bed and glared at a guard watching me from the corner of the room.
“I’d sent everyone home. I wanted some peace and quiet for once. With Rivo’s mother on a trip, I was going to have an easy week away from work, so I cut the staff to the bare minimum and sent my guards home for the day.
“They must have been watching…. waiting, because it wasn’t even an hour later that the group arrived. They had a man with them. He looked… like a human. Markings on his face,” Garo said, running a hand across his own bruised cheek.
“Tattoos? Looked human?” It had to be a Kold, one of the same people that had been attacking the Gatekeepers’ Academy.
He nodded. “That’s what he appeared to be.”
“Have you seen them before? The Kold?” I asked.
“I’ve heard that name, but only in passing. I haven’t seen him before,” Garo said.
“What were they after?” I asked.
“They wanted the details for my company’s ground shield,” he said before a coughing fit took over his body.
I waited for it to subside and passed him a glass of water. He drank a sip and set it down with a shaky hand.
“Garo, that’s the same shield you’ve donated to our Academy on Haven, isn’t it?” I asked, the entire puzzle coming a little clearer.
“That’s right. You don’t think… they’re related, do you?” he asked.
“I’m absolutely sure they are. We don’t know much about the Kold, only what we have from their damaged ship that landed on Haven. We also ran tests on the bodies and found they were indeed human, or as close as you could imagine. They’ve gone through different evolutionary steps, since they come from another environment. We have no idea where they came from or how we’re related.
“All we know is they were attacking Haven, and more specifically, the Gatekeepers’ Academy. If they came to obtain the shield details, they’re going to use it to mount another attack. Did they get it?” I asked.
Garo averted his gaze and stared at the wall. “I’m ashamed to say, they took what they wanted.”
“But they left you alive,” I told him.
“They did that. I only hope you can relay the message to Haven,” he said.
“The Kold ships flew in from out of system. They won’t be attacking for some time. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Haven knows to expect a coming battle. They’ve already prepared for it. We also have a large contingency of Bhlat, Padlog, Keppe, and Inlorian vessels nearby.” I sat forward in my seat.
Garo met my stare again. “You’ll also have a fleet of Molariun fighters. I’ll send them now. We’ll join the fight. It’s the least we can do.”
“Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that, but we’ll take all the help we can get.”
There was a knock on the door, and the doctor came in. “I apologize for the intrusion. Garo, it’s time for your medication.”
“Right. Come in.”
“Garo, Rivo told me you were better. How are things really going?” I asked.
He glanced at the doctor, then returned his gaze to me. “I’m dying, Dean. I won’t be around much longer.”
I tried to stay calm, but the news shocked me. “Isn’t there anything you can do?” I asked the doctor, a fruitless hope.
“Dean, they’ve tried everything. I’ve already extended my life by decades. Rivo was a miracle child, and my wife is far younger than I am. It’s time.” Garo looked so small then, so withered and fragile, a vast difference from the first time I met the virile man.
“Does Rivo know?” I asked softly.
“Yes and no. I didn’t want to tell her how soon it would be coming. She mentioned your ship, and I urged her to take a spot on it. Rivo wanted to stay with me, but I didn’t want her to sit around with her dying father either. I did that with my own predecessor, and I wouldn’t wish it on her,” Garo said, a tear falling down his bruised cheek.
“What will happen to Alnod Industries?” I asked.
“It will continue. We have capable people running the companies now, and I hope Rivo will take over as head of the corporation. All of this will become hers. She keeps her head in the clouds, and since her fiancé was killed by Lom’s robots, she hasn’t been the same. I can only hope she’ll push through all the loss and thrive in her lifetime.”
“I know she will. I’ll keep an eye on her for you too, if that eases your mind,” I said, meaning it with all my heart. I’d been the one to rescue the emaciated blue girl from the robopirates, and I could still hear the sad song she sang from the confines of the cage on board their dilapidated ship.
Garo patted my hand. “Thank you, son. Thank you. Please make sure you take care of Regnig and the library as well. He’s important to the entire universe.” He went into another coughing fit, and the doctor asked me to leave.
“I will,” I said more to myself than to him as I closed the door, wondering if I’d ever see the man again. I doubted I would.
With a heavy heart, I gathered my family, and we climbed aboard one of Garo’s ships, heading below the surface toward Regnig’s home. The journey only took half an hour, and we stayed silent for the duration of the trip.
“Papa, are you okay?” Jules asked me as we neared the landing pad outside Regnig’s.
New Horizon (The Survivors Book Nine) Page 13
