“What? A powerhouse? Is that what this is all about?” I asked him, not sure I was on the same page as he was at that moment.
“No, Dean. We don’t have to be a powerhouse. That’s not what I meant. But don’t you want our people to be protected, safe finally?” Magnus asked.
“You know I do,” I told him.
Magnus walked briskly, moving along the hard surface toward the buildings going up. “Then you know that we have to have an image out here to prevent further invasions. Even the Kold might think twice now.”
“I doubt that. Not if they’re guns for hire. You know Lom of Pleva’s banks run deep. Even from beyond the grave… or time dilation… wherever he is,” I said.
“Then we’ll defeat them, and our reputation will grow again. Dean, you do realize you’re the head of everything we do, right?” he asked.
I didn’t reply, and Magnus took this as a sign to continue. “You may not believe the hype, but Regnig’s right. Whatever you touch changes. You are this Recaster he talks about. It’s so obvious. Look at everything you’ve accomplished.”
“I only wanted to help,” I said. The comment sounded so much like something Jules would say, I had to laugh at myself.
“I know. So did the rest of us. Mary, Nat, you, and me… Ray, even. In his own way,” Magnus said, bringing me straight to that fateful day in Machu Picchu.
“Why are you talking about this?” I asked.
“You seem to forget the importance of what we’re doing. Why are you here?” he asked, turning to face me.
The sky was mostly clear, and I glanced up, seeing thin wispy white clouds rolling along in a light breeze. “To be around friends and family.”
He shook his head. “No, you’re not. You’re here because we couldn’t have done any of this without you around.”
“What do you…”
“Dean, the Ghosts wouldn’t have the information from Zoober without you there. We wouldn’t have found this very planet without you. We wouldn’t have a chance to help the shrunken world without you. Hell, we wouldn’t have found Fontem’s collection or known Regnig without you. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Magnus was trying hard to remind me of my position, but at the end of the day, I wasn’t sure I bought in to the concept.
“You don’t know that none of it would have happened,” I said.
“Keep believing that, buddy. Humility’s a good color on you.” Magnus clapped a hand on his thigh and barked a laugh.
I smiled at him, glad he was done pumping me up for some unknown reason. “Jules told me the people that lived here are now on the tiny planet,” I told him as we stood watching the crew and robots configure the camp site with practiced movements.
“She did? How could she have that information?” he asked.
I’d wanted to keep that part to myself but figured I’d hidden it long enough. “She doesn’t have a clue. She just knows.”
“She’ll be okay, Dean,” Magnus told me.
“I hope so.”
“She’s a great kid. Patty thinks the world of her.”
“She loves your daughter like a sister,” I told him.
“Imagine the pair of them when they’re teenagers!” Magnus laughed again, and I joined him.
“Good thing Dean will be there to protect them,” I said.
“He’d better,” Magnus said about his son. “The kid is quiet these days, but I know he’s always thinking. He reminds me so much of his mother.”
“That’s a good thing. Better than the alternative,” I told him.
It took a moment for the jibe to register, and Magnus turned to me, frowning. “Hardy har har.”
“Captain,” a young man said, running up beside us. “We’ve managed to clear the main mine station of the lizards.”
“Good. What drew them away?” Magnus asked.
“Salt,” he said.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Who knew alien lizards liked salt?” Magnus said. “Dean, do you want a tour?”
“Sounds good to me,” I said, following them to a rover. My mind was already at tomorrow, projecting our mission in my head. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.
____________
“The Ghosts are back,” Loweck said with a smirk.
Walo, Suma, Loweck, Jules, and I were strapped onto the wall, sitting on the metal bench. Rivo paced the aisle, grabbing hold of a handle as the ship jostled us around slightly.
The team was strong, and part of me wished Slate could join us. He was heading up the second team, searching this region’s sole city for information, or clues to the previous inhabitants. Weemsa and Loo-six were with him, along with Silo and Hectal.
Mary was still in our suite, caring for Hugo, and likely trying not to think about the fact that her husband and daughter were searching an alien planet.
“Everyone good?” Rivo asked.
“Good.” I pulled the strap around Jules, ensuring it was on tightly, and she smiled at me. She was vibrating with nervous energy, and I tried to be a calming force beside her. It wasn’t easy.
“Then we go!” Rivo moved behind the pilot’s seat in the cockpit of the clunky transporter, and the ship shook as Dubs pressed us forward, moving toward our destination.
We sat quietly as we traveled to the faraway continent. I saw the stacks of weapons and armor near the exit, and wondered what we were going to encounter there. Was this worth the risk? We knew nothing about these people we were trying to save. If Jules’ assumption was correct, maybe the people of the shrunken world had done that to themselves for a reason.
“We’ve reached our destination, Captain,” Dubs said, resorting to calling me by his given moniker for me since Magnus wasn’t around.
“Take us down,” I said, playing along with the role.
A minute later, the engines rumbled off and the rear door hissed open. The air that poured in was sweet, far different from that of the acrid dry mining desert we’d started at.
“That was fun,” Jules said as Loweck helped her unstrap from the bench.
Walo buzzed as she passed me, reaching for her custom armor. She clicked the breastplate together and grabbed a pulse rifle. I joined her, adding a few pieces of protection to myself. I left my helmet off, as did the rest of the group.
Jules’ armor was so small, and I clasped it around her, surprised she didn’t complain. Her eyes danced as she watched me, her mood suddenly changed from nervous to happy. She was grinning from ear to ear, like she knew a secret we didn’t.
“What is it, honey?” I asked her quietly.
“We’re going to help them. Thank you, Papa,” Jules said, not elaborating.
“Even though the pint-sized Parker thinks this is a game, be aware that we might be stepping into danger,” Loweck said, fulfilling her role as head of security. “Armor up, secure a weapon, and be prepared for anything. Got it?”
Suma nodded, jamming her pistol into a holster on her waist. “Got it.”
Walo buzzed her assent, and Rivo stepped off the transport ship first. The sun was bright here, the sky deep blue and cloudless. I instantly felt the humidity of the coastal city, and once I had Jules out of the ship and onto the grass, I took in the view. My breath caught in my lungs as I scoped the sights. It was amazing.
We’d landed on a flat spot atop a hill at the edge of the city. From here, we could see the metropolis built into the other hills and low-lying mountains. None had sharp peaks, only the gentle curving of the rolling hills. The ocean glimmered in the sunlight beyond, large lapping waves breaking against the coast. Tiny birds flew harmoniously like a hive-mind through the air, high above, singing a song for us, or more likely alerting others of impending visitors.
The city was cut into the hills. There were no external buildings; no high rises or floating platforms, only doors and windows carved into the landscape. From here, it appeared to be a decent-sized city; not quite comparable to one of New Spero’s Terran sites, but perhaps a few hundred thousand souls would have call
ed this home at one point.
Now nature had taken over. Trees grew out sideways from some buildings, tall grass and shrubbery filled windows and courtyards. I didn’t know where to begin.
Everyone was quietly talking to one another, pointing out different sights, and I crouched to Jules’ level. “Honey, what do you think? Do you know where to go?”
She assessed the view, scanning from left to right, and she nodded, pointing to the far end, kitty-corner to our position near the water. The largest hill resided there, and the finishings along the side of it were the most ornate: more stone and wood than the others, probably making it the oldest structure in the city. A palace, perhaps.
“Do you know what we’ll find?” I asked her, checking to make sure the others didn’t hear me.
Suma distracted them, sure of what I was doing. She pointed at the birds, and everyone watched with interest.
“I don’t know. We can find answers, I think,” Jules said. I hoped she was right. At worst, we could turn around and head to Horizon if our search party ended up coming out empty-handed. The globe-sized world could rejoin Fontem’s collection through Regnig, and the entire venture would still have been worth it. A maiden voyage for our first starship, and a successful mine for the Alliance of Worlds. It was a win-win scenario.
“We’d better start.” I stood up, directing the team’s attention. “Since the biggest and oldest hill structure is over by the water, let’s begin there.”
Dubs appeared at the ramp. “Captain, we could attempt to land nearby, but the coast is rocky and the ocean violent. According to the scanners, there are no relevant landing pads any closer than our current position. Do you wish to depart from this location?”
“Isn’t it odd that a race would build a city in a spot that didn’t accommodate ships?” Loweck asked.
“Not if they didn’t have space travel,” Suma said.
“Or they didn’t want anyone dropping in unexpectedly,” Walo offered.
“Either way, we walk from now on,” I said, starting forward. “Dubs, stay with the transporter, and be ready to retrieve us if needed. Use the drop ropes attached inside the cargo bay.”
“Yes, Captain,” the android replied.
“Let’s go,” I said, grabbing Jules’ hand. We hiked over the sloping hillside, moving toward the vacant cityscape.
Twenty-Four
“Did you hear that?” Loweck asked, her attention focused around the bend.
We all stopped, cocking our ears to listen closely. I’d heard nothing, and still didn’t.
“Must have been an animal,” Loweck admitted, and took her position in the lead. She moved with the grace of a stalking cat, holding her gun at ready all day.
“How much farther?” Walo asked. The sun glimmered off her yellow and black striped face, and beads of sweat broke through, dripping to the grass.
I wiped my own forehead and stopped, pulling water from my pack. “Here.” I passed it to Jules, who drank some, before returning it to me. I drank greedily, as did the others, as we sought shade in the shadows of one of the hillside buildings.
Suma pointed toward the ocean, which we couldn’t see from here, but could hear and smell. The whole region reminded me of crops in summer. The scent was overwhelming at times, but not in an entirely negative way. “I’d say we’re close. Another twenty minutes at most.”
Rivo sneezed and blew her nose. “Allergies,” she said.
The birds were still doing their dance in the skies, singing the day away, and I wondered when they would stop. They’d been going at it for two hours now.
“You doing okay, Jules?” I asked my daughter, and she nodded firmly.
“This is fun,” she said again, remaining positive about the heat and the long, exhausting walk.
“Fun…” Rivo muttered, and sneezed again.
“I want to see inside one of the buildings,” Suma said. She had an explorer’s mindset and the eye of a researcher. I was curious too, but we’d agreed to wend our way to the goal first, then sightsee.
The roadways between the hills were wide, made from rock like a cobblestone path. Nothing about the city made me think they were an advanced spacefaring race. There were windows on the buildings, some sort of glass, but other than that, there were no visible streetlights, no electrical boxes, no power lines.
They seemed to be far behind the cultural level of even humans, and that made their story all the more confusing. How had they lived here, then been brought to another world and shrunken? Were they herded off in an enormous transport vessel? Mion V9 didn’t have a portal stone, so there was no option to arrange a mass exodus through one of the Shandras.
I expected to uncover some answers today. Jules must have sensed how close we were, because she moved faster now, rejuvenated by the end of our journey across the city.
“Slow down, Jules,” I warned as her little legs carried her quickly around a bend and past a block. I ran after her, only to find the ground giving way beneath my daughter. I shouted at her, and she turned right as the cobblestones crumbled under her feet, opening a hole in the earth.
Instead of falling into the hole, Jules hovered there, a green glow emanating around her. She watched me with wide eyes, and I approached, plucking her and setting her to the ground. Energy thrummed around her, and the hair on my arms stood on end as the green light enveloped me.
“Quick, Jules, stop it,” I told her.
“Dean, Jules, are you okay?” Loweck’s voice carried, and I turned to see the orange woman racing toward us. When my gaze found Jules again, she was standing there as normal, no power coursing through her. “What the hell happened here?” Loweck stood cautiously at the edge of the sinkhole, peering in.
I breathed a sigh of relief. No one had seen what Jules had done. My daughter acted afraid of her newfound ability, and I raised a finger to my lips, telling her to keep it between us. She nodded, but I saw the fear in her eyes as she did so. She averted her gaze, settling it at the hole in the pathway. The others arrived seconds later, and we all hung far from the opening, worried our weight would cause it to cave in further.
“I’ll take a closer look. I’m the smallest,” Rivo said, grabbing a flashlight from her pocket. Before anyone could argue, the small blue girl crossed the stone ground and shone her light into the maw in the earth. “I think I see a room.”
Suma pointed to where Rivo was directing, and now I saw it for the first time. Our destination was only a couple of blocks away. It stood high above the other hills from this vantage point, the design so different from all the previous hillside buildings. It looked… ancient.
“What if there are underground tunnels connecting the city?” Suma asked.
“Kind of like a pedway system on Sterona, only under the surface,” I said.
Walo buzzed. “We have hives underground on Volim. It would make sense. It’s also much safer underground. Safe from predators and weather systems.”
“What else do you see, Rivo?” Loweck asked the Molariun woman.
“Not much. It’s not naturally formed, that’s for sure. There are wooden beams stabilizing the corridors. I think Suma’s right.” Rivo lowered closer to the hole, shining the flashlight farther into the opening. “This directs right toward the palace.”
“Let’s keep moving. We might need to go underground eventually, but we’ll start with the palace,” I suggested.
Jules came along slowly, and when the rest of the team was ahead of us, I lowered to talk to her face to face. “I know you’re afraid, but you’re going to be fine. What happened was an instinct, and it saved your life.”
“Papa, I’m scared,” she said.
I hugged her close, our armor breastplates clanging. “You’re going to be fine.”
“Why can’t they see me using my gifts?” Jules asked.
“I only want you to be safe, honey. Your mother and I don’t want to bring attention to you, that’s all,” I told her truthfully.
She nodded. “
I am different, aren’t I?”
“You are, but in a good way,” I told her.
“Patty says I’m weird.”
My back went straight. “Why does she say that?”
“Because of my eyes and the things I can do,” Jules said.
“What does Patty see you do?” I asked, trying to sound casual. I didn’t want the entire school and ship knowing about her Iskios powers.
“Never mind. She isn’t mean about it. She wants to be like me too.” Jules stood proud at this fact.
“Patty’s fine the way she is,” I told Jules.
“I know. I told her that,” Jules said.
“Of course you did.” I leaned over, kissing the top of Jules’ brown curls. “Let’s catch up to them. You still feeling okay about this? Are we on the right track?”
Jules nodded. “I think so. I can’t feel it as strong anymore.”
“Okay.” I didn’t know what she meant by that, but we walked in silence for the last block, meeting the team at the front entrance of the palace, as we were now calling it. The hill sloped gently up at first, then straight toward the clouds. It had to be about thirty stories high in total, and the front of the building was carved out like a box. Stone steps thirty feet wide led to a large entrance, which from here was shadowed and dark.
“Nothing ominous about this at all,” I muttered under my breath.
“I’ll go first,” Loweck said, jogging up the front steps. Pieces of slate kicked off the surface behind her; the stone likely hadn’t been walked on for thousands of years. Cracks lined the stairwell, and I followed the fissure up the side of the building.
We trailed after her, me carrying Jules up the thirty or so steps until we landed at the entrance. Two immense wooden doors were sealed tightly against a rocky frame. Loweck moved for the handle, tugging on it to no avail. She wore gloves, and I noticed the wooden pull slightly crumble under her pressurized grip. Loweck was part android, which gave her an influx of strength.
“Careful. The handle wasn’t made to last this long.” As I said the words, the deteriorating wood fell to the ground with a thump. The door still sat there, devoid of a handle to enter inside.
New Horizon (The Survivors Book Nine) Page 20
