The Star-Keeper Imperative

by C N Samson

  “That would be Andrea,” Rheinborne said, turning back to Valicia. “One of Norland’s agents.”

  They moved forward with the line. Valicia said that they now had ten minutes to get to the spaceport.

  Rheinborne nibbled the inside of his cheek. “We could just go right by them. They won’t be looking for people who look like us.”

  “I was with Norland for several days on the expedition. I think he’ll know it’s me, regardless of my face.”

  “But he doesn’t know me. I could get by him.”

  “The woman’s seen you up close. She’d be able to tell. They also have your picture from your inter-pass.”

  That was true. But what other choice did they have?

  Rheinborne risked another glimpsed at the two agents. They were both looking down at a dataslate. Their eyes flashed green, then Norland tucked the slate away into his coat pocket.

  When Rheinborne told her what he’d seen, Valicia said, “Norland must have a copy of the DSI’s own identification software,” she said. “They’re wearing augmented-reality oculars, so they can scan faces up close. Our scattering lenses won’t help.”

  “But they can only scan in the direction they’re looking,” Rheinborne said.

  Valicia shook her head, apparently reading his intentions. “The plan is for us to leave together.”

  “What’s important is for you to get away. I’m expendable.”

  “That’s not true at all,” Valicia protested.

  Rheinborne stepped out of the line. Valicia followed.

  “There has to be another way,” she said.

  “Here’s an idea,” said Rheinborne. “Why don’t you just tell Gwynne where the artifact is located, right now? If neither of us makes it, at least he’ll be able to recover it. For the good of all humankind, eh?”

  “If I do that, then he has no reason to extract us.”

  Rheinborne checked his ECM for the current time. Five minutes left. There weren’t any police near the tunnel at the moment; if he was going to make a move, it would have to be now.

  “Then you’ll have to be the one who gets out.” He squeezed Valicia’s hand, kissed her on the cheek. “I’m glad I got to see you again.” He broke away from her and strode toward the tunnel.

  When he was close enough, he slowed and made sure to walk in Norland’s line of sight, his face turned toward the man. Sure enough, the agent took the bait.

  Norland rapidly walked in Rheinborne’s direction and called out, “Excuse me, sir, could you come with me, please?”

  Rheinborne acted like he hadn’t heard, but he was aware of Emlyn circling around.

  Norland blocked Rheinborne’s way, forced him to stop. “Your inter-pass, please?”

  “Are you city police?” Rheinborne asked.

  “Plainclothes unit,” Norland replied. “I’d like you to come—oof!” He doubled over as Rheinborne struck him in the solar plexus. An elbow to the back of the neck drove the DSI man to the ground.

  Rheinborne turned and sprinted in the direction of the tunnel, aware of shouts and screams around him. A sudden force hit him from behind and took him down. He felt a knee in his back, and something hard pressed into the back of his head.

  “Don’t you fercockin’ move.” It was the voice of Andrea—or rather, Emlyn Ranzka, to use her true name.

  “Okay,” Rheinborne said. “You got me.” He composed a text note on his ECM and sent it to the Adventurer. It instructed Gwynne not to come after him, and to ensure that Valicia escaped.

  “Now get up slowly,” Emlyn instructed, “or you lose your head. Understand?”

  “Sure.” Rheinborne checked the time again; sixty seconds until Foscalini’s mysterious event.

  As the pressure on his back eased, Rheinborne asked, “So, what are you packing? Standard DSI handgun?”

  Emlyn snorted. “I’m not DSI. Now stand up!”

  Rheinborne remained on the ground. “You could be holding a stick on me, for all I know.”

  The woman grabbed a handful of his hair, yanked his head back. A gun barrel appeared in his peripheral vision.

  “Customized Threnton Lawmaker,” Emlyn said. “Impressed?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Rheinborne took his time in getting to his feet. A knot of people had formed around them, curious but keeping their distance. Surprisingly, the police hadn’t arrived yet. The signboard clock showed a mere ten seconds to the deadline.

  Emlyn poked the gun barrel into his back. “Mr. Norland, are you all right?” she called.

  At that moment, a deafening tone blasted throughout the mall. Rheinborne cringed, as did everyone else. The lights pulsed red, then a placid voice came over the public address system. “Your attention, please. Your attention. City emergency—”

  Rheinborne pivoted around, slammed his forearm into Emlyn’s head and kneed her in the gut. He wrested the gun from her hand as she crumpled forward.

  The crowd broke up and scattered. Rheinborne fled in the direction of the tunnel. The public address voice said, “Repeat, emergency protocol. Please go to your homes, or designated emergency shelters.”

  Just before he reached the tunnel, three human spaceport security officers, armed with rifles, came up and blocked his way.

  “Drop your weapon!” one of them said. All three of them had their firearms aimed and ready.

  Rheinborne raised his hands. He looked behind him, saw Norland and Emlyn approaching. One thought flashed through his mind: do not let them get their hands on you.

  “No problem,” said Rheinborne. He released the gun, let it fall to the ground.

  “Officers,” he heard Norland say, “We’re Treilath Fugitive Retrieval. We’ve come for this man.”

  “Back off,” the lead officer said.

  “You don’t understand,” said Norland. “We’ve been—”

  “Do not interfere!” the officer barked. He kept his rifle trained on Rheinborne, allowing another officer to slap magnetic wristcuffs him. The third officer retrieved Emlyn’s pistol, then ordered her and Norland to leave the area. He pointed his weapon back and forth between them.

  All this time, panicked shoppers rushed into the spaceport tunnel, ignoring the big red “DO NOT ENTER” warning that flashed on the signboard. Green holographic arrows pointed the way to the emergency shelter areas.

  Another warning tone sounded, and a heavy security door began to come down over the spaceport tunnel. The three officers marched Rheinborne inside. Norland and Emyln made to follow, but one of the officers fired a shot at the ground in front of them, shouting for them stay away.

  People kept streaming in, hoping to beat the closing door. The officers remained just inside the tunnel, keeping hold of Rheinborne but ignoring the incoming shoppers. They seemed intent on keeping Norland and Emlyn out.

  At last, the heavy door clanged shut. Rheinborne relished the look on Norland’s face when the man realized that he’d lost.

  The three security officers hustled Rheinborne along the tunnel. He asked them what was happening.

  “Citywide emergency lockdown,” one of them said. “There’s been an explosion in one of the Devorne warehouses. Courtesy of our mutual friend.”

  “You mean Foscalini?”

  “He wasn’t sure you’d make it in time,” another said. “We’re the secondary plan.”

  “So you’re all part of his group? I’m not under arrest?”

  “Right on both,” the first officer said. “And don’t worry about your friend, she’s on her way to your ship. She might already be there, so let’s move.”

  Rheinborne sighed with relief as the four of them continued on. He couldn’t wait to get off this planet.

  THE FALSE SECURITY officers removed Rheinborne’s wristcuffs and escorted him through the back corridors of the terminal. Soon, they arrived at the FBO building. The desk clerk, another of Foscalini’s people, rushed him through the departure protocols, assuring him that everything would look proper in the system. His s
hip was authorized for priority liftoff, but only within the next fifteen minutes. Rheinborne checked in with Gwynne, who confirmed that Valicia was already aboard.

  A passenger vehicle drove him to the Hawkinston’s parking circle. He leaped out even before it made a full stop and ran to the ship’s portside entry hatch, which was already open. He raced up the airstair and into the ship, but came to a startled halt as a blue-feathered male sidhreen blocked his way.

  “Hello, my good son!” the avian said in a smooth, cultured voice. “How may I be of service?”

  Rheinborne was speechless. Had he gotten onto the wrong ship?

  Just then, Valicia appeared behind the alien. “Blake, come on!” she said. “We have to lift off now!” She and the sidhreen stepped aside to let him through.

  “Wait, who—” Rheinborne stammered, moving further inside.

  “This is Kassyrinx,” said Valicia, indicating the sidhreen. “And that’s his colleague, Hurgompo.” She pointed into the passenger compartment, where a purple-skinned hrulaphan sat. “They’re with us.”

  “They are?”

  “What, Mr. Gwynne never mentioned us?” Kassyrinx asked. “An oversight on his part, surely. But that’s a discussion for later, yes?” He made a fluted chirping sound and retreated into the passenger compartment.

  Rheinborne followed Valicia into the cockpit, cast her a questioning look as he buckled himself into the pilot’s chair. The woman strapped herself into a jumpseat that folded out from the rear bulkhead.

  After Rheinborne completed the final systems checks, including closing the port hatch, he contacted the control tower. His priority departure was confirmed, and a short time later the Hawkinston streaked through the atmosphere and into space.

  Valicia reported that the Adventurer was in stationary orbit around the planet’s outermost moon. Rheinborne set a course for the other ship; it would take several minutes for the vessels to rendezvous.

  He swiveled the chair around. “So,” he said to Valicia, “you didn’t mention that we’d have guests.”

  “More than guests. They’re part of our team.”

  CHAPTER 14

  IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT of the Hawkinston, Valicia introduced Rheinborne to Hurgompo, the hrulaphan. He was an elephantine humanoid, easily seven feet tall. Multiple rings pierced his floppy ears, and his tattooed trunk reached down to the middle of his chest. The relationship between hrulaphans and the titanic tramplers of Pantagren was a constant topic of speculation; the former had been genetically engineered by the Chythex, while the latter were native to this galaxy.

  Rheinborne acknowledged the hrulaphan with a nod, then took a longer look at the sidhreen. Like all of his species, Kassyrinx had the appearance of a thin humanoid with avian features: large eyes, a short-beaked mouth, fine feathers covering his head and body. He looked to be about average height for his kind, just over six feet. His outfit consisted of a long, loose shirt and pants, but his taloned feet were bare.

  Kassyrinx stood and shook hands with Rheinborne. Hurgompo, who wore a green utility vest and a knee-length kilt, made a trumpeting sound and raised his trunk in greeting.

  “I saw you two in the spaceport,” said Rheinborne. “I thought it was a little strange.”

  “Yes, strange,” agreed Kassyrinx. “Why would the likes of myself and my companion be found anywhere in that festering pustule of intolerance they call a city, unless we had an incredibly excellent reason?”

  Valicia explained that Gwynne had arranged for them to arrive ahead of time, to serve as backup in case there was a problem in getting offworld.

  “Really?” Rheinborne said dryly. “And why didn’t Gwynne see fit to tell me about this?”

  “Information compartmentalization, my good friend,” said Kassyrinx. “What you don’t know, you can’t divulge.”

  “I didn’t know about them either,” said Valicia. “I only found out when I came aboard.”

  A chime sounded from the ship’s controls. The Hawkinston had come within range of the Adventurer.

  “Well,” said Rheinborne, “I wish I could say that it’s been a pleasure to meet you all, but...” He shrugged, turned and head back into the cockpit. Valicia went with him.

  When they had strapped into their respective seats, Rheinborne asked, “Did you know what Foscalini and his people were planning?”

  “In general, yes.” Valicia went on to say that the operation, and other smaller ones, had been in the works for months, but they ran short of cash just before the plans could be carried out.

  Rheinborne gave an incredulous laugh. “So we basically funded a cartel war?”

  “It would appear so.”

  “What does Gwynne think of that?”

  “You can ask him when you see him.”

  AS SOON AS THE Hawkinston docked with the Adventurer, the larger ship hyperjumped away.

  Gwynne and Dr. Seldra waited at the foot of the Hawkinston’s airstair as Rheinborne, Valicia, and the two aliens exited the ship.

  “What’s the location?” Gwynne asked Valicia.

  “Hi, nice to see you as well,” Rheinborne said with as much sarcasm as he could muster. “We’re doing fine, thanks for asking.”

  “Arctareen,” Valicia said. “Hatagur system.”

  “Got it,” said Gwynne. “Debriefing in one hour!” He dashed away without another word.

  Rheinborne scoffed. “Well, that just shows you what he really cares about.”

  “Ah, good doctor,” said Kassyrinx, extending a hand to Dr. Seldra. “Pleasant to meet you again, even under circumstances such as these.”

  “Sorry to interrupt,” said Rheinborne, “but Valicia’s been shot.”

  “Oh, yes,” Dr. Seldra replied, a little flustered. She told Kassyrinx and Hurgompo that a crew member would take them to their quarters, then escorted Rheinborne and Valicia to the medbay.

  It took half an hour for the doctor to complete her examination of Valicia and pronounce her in good health. The gunshots hadn’t hit any bones, so all that was needed were medical gel patches over the bruises. Dr. Seldra gave Valicia a stronger pain-relief inhalant, then instructed her to get cleaned up in the medbay’s shower.

  When she had gone, the doctor told Rheinborne that it was his turn. As he lay on the diagnostic bed, he cleared his throat and said, “There’s something I have to tell you, about the nano.”

  “Yes, what’s that?” Dr. Seldra asked, peering at the readouts on the console.

  Rheinborne told her about how Denham had adjusted his nano to speed up his healing. The doctor’s mouth dropped open.

  “He what?” Dr. Seldra typed on the console, made a sound of exasperation. “That little twerkins!”

  “Something wrong?”

  “Stupid, reckless, little...” She threw her hands in the air. “By speeding up the nano’s operational factor, he advanced the expiration time. They’ll become inert two days ahead of schedule.”

  “Doesn’t matter, does it? The mission’s complete.”

  The doctor looked as if she was about to say something, but instead she proceeded with the examination. His injuries had indeed completely healed, and she declared him fit for duty.

  “Thanks, doc,” said Rheinborne, hopping off the bed.

  Valicia came into the medbay, wearing only a standard-issue white robe. The sight of her freshly-scrubbed face and damp hair caused a lump to rise in Rheinborne’s throat. He stared at her until she told him that she was finished.

  “Right. My turn,” he said, and hastened into the shower room.

  Once inside, he removed the scattering lenses from his eyes, then shed his clothes and entered the stall. On the wet floor lay the scattered shreds of Valicia’s shift-skin mask. If only she could remove one more layer, he thought. With a deep sigh, he switched on the water and dug his fingers into his own mask.

  AFTER RHEINBORNE DRIED off and put on the new set of clothes that Dr. Seldra provided, the two of them headed to the conference room. Valicia had alre
ady gone ahead.

  “How do you feel about it?” the doctor asked. “Seeing her again, I mean.”

  “Are you the ship’s counselor, as well?”

  “It can be quite a lot to process. If you need to talk about it—”

  “I don’t.”

  “I most definitely, seriously think you do.”

  Rheinborne stopped in the center of the corridor. “Okay, doctor. What if I said that I thought we should make a clean break of it? That I should just go back to my own life, and let Valicia continue with hers?”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because she’s...I don’t know, it’s not something I can put into words.”

  “You’re very lucky, you know that?” Dr. Seldra hugged herself, as if she felt a chill. “What I mean is, very few people get a second chance like this. Don’t waste it.”

  Rheinborne said nothing.

  “It may well be,” the doctor continued, “that she’s no longer the person you remember. Why not get to know her all over again?”

  “You mean...”

  “Don’t think of her as having come back from the dead. Think of it as, she’s been off traveling the galaxy for years, and what she’s seen has changed her. It might actually be true.”

  Rheinborne considered that. It did make sense. “Good point, doctor. Thanks.”

  They resumed walking and soon arrived at the door to the conference room. Dr. Seldra palmed the access plate, gave Rheinborne’s shoulder a squeeze and strolled away. He watched her go, then entered.

  Gwynne and Valicia were already inside, seated at the long table.

  “Ah, Mr. Rheinborne,” Gwynne said. “Have a seat. Dr. Parzo has already given an account of the events in Langensbern. Would you like to do the same?”

  Rheinborne slid into a chair beside Valicia. “What for? I’m sure everything she said was accurate.”

  “All right. Then—”

  “How do you feel about having funded a cartel war?” Rheinborne asked, smirking.