I frowned. Then I recalled the system graphic image. It did not show a comet and ice world belt beyond the ninth world of this system. There were some comets and ice worlds, but they were few.
Comets and ice worlds are mostly missing from this system. Akantha, could an enemy have gathered lots of them in and bombarded this world with them?
An enemy who defeated all Harl combat vessels and took control of system space could do that. Perhaps they first melted the ice caps to cause societal disruption, then destroyed the Harl star vessels, before bringing in comets and ice worlds.
But how? Thrusters would take centuries to bring in enough ice to cover the continents in thousands of feet of water.
Not if the enemy used gravity projectors to drag comets and ice worlds into an inward-plunging orbit. Then a few years would suffice to inundate this world.
I shook my head and realized it was up to me to lead. And to control what next happened.
“Crew, Laserta, the Harl home world was flooded by some enemy. Weapons, do you detect any source of pulsed gravitons like those emitted by stasis tubes?”
“I do not,” hissed the sexy reptile, who swung her body toward me in a sensuous manner. Clearly she still wanted sex with me. Not now. Not when I had to figure out what the hell we should do next.
“Pilot, do you detect any Harl city or installation anywhere on those ridges and peaks?”
The avian fluttered her wings sharply. “I do not. Though a low-flying inspection might show something not visible to our scope.”
“Stars crystal, do you detect any sign of a Harl ruin that is above water?”
“I do not. However, there are hundreds of Harl cities below the water.”
I grimaced. “Are the underground tunnels below every Harl city water-tight? Or would they be flooded now? And if they were, could stasis tubes survive inundation?”
“Stasis tubes could survive inundation,” it boomed. “Only rock falls could damage a tube, as happened on Boundary. Most chambers with stasis tubes would be lined with hardened black stones, as you saw in the chamber on the forest world. But no, the underground tunnels would be flooded by a worldwide inundation.”
Which told me what I needed to know. “Stars, I think it is time for us to return to Boundary. You can ask your captive Harl what happened long ago. If he knows of a Harl refuge somewhere in the galaxy, you could hire me to check it out. You know I am loyal to an employer.”
Kalina looked at me sharply, a frown on her brown face.
“So far, you have been compliant,” the AI boomed. “Returning seems to—”
“Captain!” chirped Flow loudly. “See the ridgeline in the zoom view? There is something carved on its flat surface.”
I saw what she meant. The ridgeline had a flat area between two peaks. While a few white clouds drifted by, the flat area was clearly visible. But detail was needed. “Zoom in on the flat area.”
“Zooming in,” Flow chirped softly.
A geometric image filled the close-in view. It was laser cut into the rock, not the result of removed cobbles. The outline was of a circle within a circle, similar to the designs I’d seen on the sleeping Harl’s loincloth. The circle was bigger than the Akantha, judging by the boulders that flanked the circle. The ring of circles was crossed by two x-patterns. Which made it resemble the human pattern that meant non-functional. Or stay away. Did the double x-pattern mean ‘Really stay away?’ and from what?
“It’s a Gate,” murmured Kalina. “The double circle design matches perfectly the inner and outer surfaces of the ring that produces the wormhole entry space.”
So it was. “Stars crystal, do you have any idea what this x-crossed circle means?”
“Many meanings are possible,” it boomed loudly. “A simple meaning is that danger is present behind a Gate in this system. Perhaps the enemy that caused the disappearance of the Harl arrived through a Gate.”
“Crew, does anyone have another idea on the meaning?” I looked around my Control Chamber, hoping someone was a genius.
Draken reared up on his hind feet and twisted toward me. He stayed upright as his head segment tilted to face me. Red eyes fixed on me. His buzzsaw mouth opened. A tongue moved.
“Captain Vitades, all Harl Gates use Dark Energy to power their creation of a space-time distortion,” he honked in a low tone that I knew meant he was being thoughtful. “You also know that Dark Matter and Dark Energy make up 95 percent of the matter and energy in our universe. Our stars and galaxies are part of the five percent that are normal matter and energy. What if Dark Matter beings exist who . . . who slide through Dark Energy the way one of your wave surfers slides along a wave?” The walking worm slumped down but kept his head segment uplifted. “Would such beings be disturbed by the sudden appearance of vortex holes in their energy environment? And what if those vortex holes moved around, making it difficult for Dark Matter beings to avoid them?” Draken paused and looked around the chamber before fixing back on me. “Could Dark Energy beings have entered our part of the universe and destroyed the Harl installations and Harl themselves, in an effort to make more calm their part of the universe?”
What a question. “I have no idea what any kind of Dark Matter being might do if its Dark Energy lake was disturbed. And if such beings attacked the Harl, why did they leave intact the 93,000 Gates we now still exist?”
“There are 93,127 Gates in our galaxy,” honked Draken. “And my answer is, I do not know. Perhaps a normal bioform empire from another part of our galaxy, or another galaxy, attacked the Harl. But something did flood the Harl home world. And something caused almost all Harl to disappear, except for a few who entered stasis tubes. It seems we must awaken our Harl to find out.”
“You have a Harl in this vessel!” screamed Kalina, sounding frightened and upset.
“I do. We do. It is here at the insistence of Stars crystal. We are obliged to return the living Harl, in its stasis tube, to the Harl AI world of Boundary. In Sagittarius Arm.” I looked up at the ceiling of the Control Chamber. “Stars, which do we do? Return you and the Harl to Boundary? Or explore the 129 Gates in this system in hopes of finding a deadly alien able to defeat the most powerful empire known to the galaxy?”
“You do both,” the AI boomed. “First we return to Boundary and awaken the sleeping Harl. Then you and this vessel return here and undertake exploration of all 129 Gates. You can use spybots to enter and return with information. Or use shuttles with a bioform inside. But we will return to Boundary. And you will find the enemy behind the Gates!”
Despair hit me. I had hoped to be free of this damned AI once we returned to Boundary. I had completed its two tasks. I had found a living Harl, to my astonishment. I wanted nothing more than to escape from Boundary with my Harl riches intact and then find a nice resort planet to buy. After which I and my crew could take pleasure cruises to any place in the galaxy we wanted to visit. Now this fucking crystal wanted servitude from me. Well, I had escaped being a servant once. I would do so again. Somehow.
“Stars That Beckon, we will return to Boundary. Pilot, turn us toward the Gate we just exited. Astrogator, transmit the star light curve for the Eloteen star we left for here.”
My crew moved to comply. Kalina looked at me with an angry expression, then turned away and focused on the control panel in front of her seat. Great. On my right Laserta sat calm and relaxed, her gaze fixed on the black of space. The fox woman being calm and relaxed told me she had a scheme in mind. Perfect. The only female who might sleep with me had silvery scales and fangs that would kill me. I was too young to live life as a eunuch.
“Jake, will I be able to talk to the Harl when he awakens?” asked Kalina.
I looked back to her. Her anger was gone. Thoughtfulness had replaced it. Along with a look of respect.
“Yes, you can talk to it. Maybe your cultural analysis training can tease out why what happened to the Harl, happened.”
She gave a quick smile. “No guarantees. But I have been
well trained. I look forward to the challenge.”
I nodded, then looked forward as the blue circle of the Gate loomed before us. It seemed I was fated to be a galaxy traveler. At least I had a good crew with me. And several mysteries to solve. And mystery solving was a normal part of being an archaeologist. I smiled. Being an arky was what I loved being. It seemed that career was still needed in the Milky Way. I looked forward to being an arky in demand. And someone good at escaping servitude.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
T. Jackson King (Tom) is a professional archaeologist, journalist and retired Hippie. He learned early on to question authority and find answers for himself, thanks to reading lots of science fiction. He also worked at a radiocarbon dating laboratory at UC Riverside and UCLA. Tom attended college in Paris and Tokyo. He is a graduate of UCLA (M.A. 1976, archaeology) and the University of Tennessee (B.Sc. 1971, journalism). He has worked as an archaeologist in the American Southwest and has traveled widely in Europe, Russia, Japan, Canada, Mexico and the USA. Other jobs have included short order cook, hotel clerk, legal assistant, telephone order taker, investigative reporter and newspaper editor. He also survived the warped speech-talk of local politicians and escaped with his hide intact. Tom writes hard science fiction, anthropological scifi, dark fantasy/horror and contemporary fantasy/magic realism. Tom’s novels are STAR FIGHT (2018), STAR THREAT (2017), STAR GLORY (2017), MOTHER WARM (2017), BATTLECRY (2017), SUPERGUY (2016), BATTLEGROUP (2016), BATTLESTAR (2016), DEFEAT THE ALIENS (2016), FIGHT THE ALIENS (2016), FIRST CONTACT (2015), ESCAPE FROM ALIENS (2015), ALIENS VS. HUMANS (2015), FREEDOM VS. ALIENS (2015), HUMANS VS. ALIENS (2015), GENECODE ILLEGAL (2014), EARTH VS. ALIENS (2014), ALIEN ASSASSIN (2014), THE MEMORY SINGER (2014), ANARCHATE VIGILANTE (2014), GALACTIC VIGILANTE (2013), NEBULA VIGILANTE (2013), SPEAKER TO ALIENS (2013), GALACTIC AVATAR (2013), STELLAR ASSASSIN (2013), STAR VIGILANTE (2012), THE GAEAN ENCHANTMENT (2012), LITTLE BROTHER’S WORLD (2010), ANCESTOR’S WORLD (1996, with A.C. Crispin), and RETREAD SHOP (1988, 2012). His short stories appeared in JUDGMENT DAY AND OTHER DREAMS (2009). His poetry appeared in MOTHER EARTH’S STRETCH MARKS (2009). Tom lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA with his wife Sue. More information on Tom’s writings can be found at www.tjacksonking.com/.
PRAISE FOR T. JACKSON KING’S BOOKS
EARTH VS. ALIENS
“This story is the best space opera I've read in many years. The author knows his Mammalian Behavior. If we’re lucky it’ll become a movie soon. Many of the ideas are BRAND NEW and I loved the adaptability of people in the story line. AWESOME!!”—Phil W. King, Amazon
“It’s good space opera. I liked the story and wanted to know what happened next. The characters are interesting and culturally diverse. The underlying theme is that humans are part of nature and nature is red of tooth and claw. Therefore, humans are naturally violent, which fortunately makes them a match for the predators from space.”—Frank C. Hemingway, Amazon
STAR VIGILANTE
“For a fast-paced adventure with cool tech, choose Star Vigilante. This is the story of three outsiders. Can three outsiders bond together to save Eliana's planet from eco-destruction at the hands of a ruthless mining enterprise?” –Bonnie Gordon, Los Alamos Daily Post
STELLAR ASSASSIN
“T. Jackson King’s Stellar Assassin is an ambitious science fiction epic that sings! Filled with totally alien lifeforms, one lonely human, an archaeologist named Al Lancaster must find his way through trade guilds, political maneuvering and indentured servitude, while trying to reconcile his new career as an assassin with his deeply-held belief in the teachings of Buddha. . . This is a huge, colorful, complicated world with complex characters, outstanding dialogue, believable motivations, wonderful high-tech battle sequences and, on occasion, a real heart-stringer . . . This is an almost perfectly edited novel as well, which is a bonus. This is a wonderful novel, written by a wonderful author . . .Bravo! Five Stars!” –Linell Jeppsen, Amazon
LITTLE BROTHER’S WORLD
“If you’re sensing a whiff of Andre Norton or Robert A. Heinlein, you’re not mistaken . . . The influence is certainly there, but Little Brother’s World is no mere imitation of Star Man’s Son or Citizen of the Galaxy. Rather, it takes the sensibility of those sorts of books and makes of it something fresh and new. T. Jackson King is doing his part to further the great conversation of science fiction; it’ll be interesting to see where he goes next.”–Don Sakers, Analog
“When I’m turning a friend on to a good writer I’ve just discovered, I'll often say something like, “Give him ten pages and you’ll never be able to put him down.” Once in a long while, I'll say, “Give him five pages.” It took T. Jackson King exactly one sentence to set his hook so deep in me that I finished LITTLE BROTHER’S WORLD in a single sitting, and I’ll be thinking about that vivid world for a long time to come. The last writer I can recall with the courage to make a protagonist out of someone as profoundly Different as Little Brother was James Tiptree Jr., with her remarkable debut novel UP THE WALLS OF THE WORLD. I think Mr. King has met that challenge even more successfully. His own writing DNA borrows genes from writers as diverse as Tiptree, Heinlein, Norton, Zelazny, Sturgeon, Pohl, and Doctorow, and splices them together very effectively.” –Spider Robinson, Hugo, Nebula and Campbell Award winner
“Little Brother's World is a sci-fi novel where Genetic Engineering exists. . . It contains enough details and enough thrills to make the book buyers/readers grab it and settle in for an afternoon read. The book is well-written and had a well-defined plot . . . I never found a boring part in the story. It was fast-paced and kept me entertained all throughout. The characters are fascinating and likeable too. This book made me realize about a possible outcome, when finally science and technology wins over traditional ones. . . All in all, Little Brother’s World is another sci-fi novel from T. Jackson King that is both exciting, thrilling and fun. Full of suspense, adventure, romance, secrets, conspiracies, this book would take you in a roller-coaster ride.” –Abby Flores, Bookshelf Confessions
THE MEMORY SINGER
“A coming of age story reminiscent of Robert A. Heinlein or Alexei Panshin. Jax [the main character] is a fun character, and her world is compelling. The social patterns of Ship life are fascinating, and the Alish’Tak [the main alien species] are sufficiently alien to make for a fairly complex book. Very enjoyable.”—Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction
“Author T. Jackson King brings his polished writing style, his knowledge of science fiction ‘hardware,’ and his believable aliens to his latest novel The Memory Singer. But all this is merely backdrop to the adventures of Jax Cochrane, a smart, rebellious teen who wants more from life than the confines of a generational starship. There are worlds of humans and aliens out there. When headstrong Jax decides that it’s time to discover and explore them, nothing can hold back this defiant teen. You’ll want to accompany this young woman . . in this fine coming-of-age story.”—Jean Kilczer, Amazon
RETREAD SHOP
“Engaging alien characters, a likable protagonist, and a vividly realized world make King’s first sf novel a good purchase for sf collections.”–Library Journal
“A very pleasant tour through the author’s inventive mind, and an above average story as well.”–Science Fiction Chronicle
“Fun, with lots of outrageously weird aliens.”—Locus
“The writing is sharp, the plotting tight, and the twists ingenious. It would be worth reading, if only for the beautiful delineations of alien races working with and against one another against the background of an interstellar marketplace. The story carries you . . . with a verve and vigor that bodes well for future stories by this author. Recommended.”–Science Fiction Review
“For weird aliens, and I do mean weird, choose Retread Shop. The story takes place on a galactic trading base, where hundreds of species try to gain the upper hand for themselves and for their group. Sixteen year-old billy is the sole human on the Retread Shop, stran
ded when his parents and their shipmates perished. What really makes the ride fun are the aliens Billy teams up with, including two who are plants. It's herbivores vs. carnivores, herd species vs. loners, mammals vs. insects and so on. The wild variety of physical types is only matched by the extensive array of cultures, which makes for a very entertaining read.” –Bonnie Gordon, Los Alamos Daily Post
“Similar in feel to Roger Zelazny's Alien Speedway series is Retread Shop by T. Jackson King. It's an orphan-human-in-alien-society-makes-good story. Well-written and entertaining, it could be read either as a Young Adult or as straight SF with equal enjoyment.” –Chuq Von Rospach, OtherRealms 22
“If you liked Stephen Goldin’s Jade Darcy books duo, and Julie Czerneda’s Clan trilogy, then you will probably like Retread Shop since it too has multiple aliens, an eatery, and an infinity of odd events that range from riots, to conspiracy, to exploring new worlds and to alien eating habits . . . It’s a fun reader's ride and thoroughly entertaining. And, sigh, I wish that the author would write more books set in this background.” –Lyn McConchie, co-author of the Beastmaster series
HUMANS VS. ALIENS
“Another great book from this author. This series has great characters and story is wall to wall excitement. Look forward to next book.”—William R. Thomas, Amazon
“Humans are once again aggressive and blood thirsty to defend the Earth. Pace is quick and action is plentiful. Some unexpected plot twists, but you always know the home team is the best.”—C. Cook, Amazon
ANCESTOR’S WORLD
“T. Jackson King is a professional archaeologist and he uses that to great advantage in Ancestor’s World. I was just as fascinated by the details of the archaeology procedures as I was by the unfolding of the plot . . . What follows is a tightly plotted, suspenseful novel.”–Absolute Magnitude
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