by Frank Carey
"What's a Basili?" He said as he returned to human form. He stopped talking as his Knowledge on Demand system kicked in. "Wow! OK, didn't know about them. Captain, the fact remains that some very nasty people plan to harm my friend if I don't retrieve an artifact from a location at the center of this Maelstrom."
"Yes, as I said, Director Devlin explained the situation. I think I have a solution. The Consortium has explorer teams going in and out of the Maelstrom. One of them, Anna Kaff and Percy Merced, run the Armored Personnel Carrier Tenko. They are one of the top teams down there, the Consortium has hired them to take you two in. Keep in mind, no team has ever gone to the center."
"Our ship is more than capable..."
"This ship would be eaten within five minutes of entering the dust wall. Nope, the only way in is by an APC team, and the Tenko and her crew, are the best there is."
"Boss, Zoe never said anything about you having help."
Gabe thought for a moment. "Fine," he said as he came to a decision. "We'll take the bus."
"Good," Blev said. "I hope you have better luck than that Olympian ship did."
"What Olympian ship?"
"When Consortium survey teams first explored Meltor, they found a ship parked on the edge of the Maelstrom. Its markings were in an unknown language, but that changed when the League showed up. The ambassador they sent immediately recognized the markings as old Olympian. The ship was Aphrodite's Lament and it left Olympia about 3,000 of your years ago on some..."
"Where is it? Where's the Lament?" Aphrodite screamed as she ran out of the starboard cargo bay. "Tell me everything."
Captain Blev stared at the obviously mad woman. "Why didn't I pick you up on my scans?"
"She's an immortal. They can hide in the ship's network where scans can't pick them up." Siv explained. "Though I have no idea how she was able to hide from me."
"Because your race is inferior, Alue. Now, tell me about this ship..."
"Aphrodite, so help me God..." Gabe glared at her, his anger reaching the breaking point. "How dare you stowaway on my ship, insult my friend, insult a representative of a new League ally, and endanger the life of Pris. I don't care if you are the daughter of Zeus or the freakin’ Queen of the Ball. You will not come in here and make demands. Now, apologize to Siv and the Captain, then explain to me what the hell you're doing here!" He stopped and waited while the rest of them stared at him in shock.
Aphrodite looked first at Siv. "I am so sorry for saying that. I lost my head when I heard the name of the ship."
"Apology accepted. I know we're all under a lot of stress," Siv replied.
"I'm fine, though my opinion of League citizens just went up a few notches." Blev said before Aphrodite had a chance to say anything. She flipped Gabe a microdrive. "You'll find the Tenko at the coordinates stored on that drive. Oh, you'll also find my private comm code. Give me a call if you survive. You can take me to dinner, then I'll show you how to play dragons vs. robots." She walked out through the airlock, closing the hatch behind her.
"Great, if I survive whatever is waiting for us down there, I get to date a dragon or cause an interstellar incident, that's assuming the League doesn't arrest my cybernetic ass for pulling this stunt." He looked at Aphrodite. "You're still not off the hook. Why are you here?"
"The last time I saw Adonis was when he and a group of his friends went off in search of some treasure on a planet called Meltor. I stowed away in the hope of finding some scrap of evidence that Adonis had made it to this mythical place, perhaps even information on what happened to him and his crew. When I heard his ship was on the planet, I panicked. I'm not good with panic."
"Now you're off the hook. Have a seat behind Siv. Siv, take us down. It looks like we're going for a little tour."
"Boss, you did catch the remark about surviving this trip."
"Yeah, I heard. I'll deal with that bridge when I cross it. First, we need to meet our ride, so we should get going." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "But thanks for caring. It means a lot."
She patted his shoulder before sitting down in the pilot's seat. "Next stop: Meltor."
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Delphi landed in what looked for all the world like a parking lot. Parked nearby were several large, heavily-armed vehicles. Two people—a man and woman, approached the ship from one of the vehicles.
Siv opened the hatch and the three of them walked down to meet their visitors.
"DCI Adon, DS Siv, and Ms. Aphrodite," the male said. To Gabe's untrained eyes, he looked human as did his companion. "My name is Percy and this is Anna. We're your ride."
Gabe shook their hands. "Great. When do we leave?"
"Right now. Captain Blev informed us that you were on a tight schedule, so the Tenko is ready to go. I have to warn you, a group of 12 individuals wearing black armor stole an APC before heading off in the general direction of Maelstrom’s center. They have not been heard from since."
"When did this occur?" Siv asked.
"A week ago," Anna replied.
"You said black armor. Did it look like this?" Gabe asked as he went to infiltrator mode.
Both Percy and Anna jumped back, drawing weapons and aiming them at Gabe. "Yeah, just like that. I assume you know them?" Percy asked.
"Not personally," Gabe said as he returned to human form. "We share the same mad scientist. They're called strykers, and they're bad news. What's worse is there is something in that dust cloud that can take out a dozen of them."
"Gabriel, we don't know they're dead," Aphrodite said.
"Unfortunately, I do know they're dead. If they were alive, Zoe wouldn't have called me in to finish the job. She's desperate."
Percy led them to the APC. "This Zoe is the mad scientist you spoke of?"
Gabe nodded. "Mad as a hatter and bent on returning her people to what she thinks is their rightful place as rulers of the League. She kidnapped my friend and has threatened to kill her if I don't bring back a specific artifact from the center of the Maelstrom."
"Do you know what kind of artifact she wants?"
"According to the briefing Zoe sent me, we're looking for a clear, spherical crystal about yea big," Gabe said while holding his hands about a foot apart. It's on a pedestal located in an old stone building at the exact center of the Maelstrom. I don't know what it does or why she wants it, but I do know she wants it bad enough to kidnap an agent of Earth Security and threaten her life."
"And piss the two of us off in the process," Siv added.
"OK then. Welcome to the Tenko. She's a little spartan, but more than makes up for it with her firepower."
"I noticed scratches on hull on the way in," Siv noted. "Rocks?"
"Claws. We occasionally come across residents of the Maelstrom who value their beauty sleep. The hull is two inches thick and made from an alloy that can resist most anything, so not to worry." Percy patted the wall. "Right, Little Lady?"
The Tenko said nothing as the three passengers sat down in the main cabin's comfortable chairs.
"Anna and I will be up front driving. Sing out if you need anything; we use an open intercom, so we'll hear you. Need anything before we get started?"
Gabe looked at his watch. "ETA at destination?"
"Three hours, and we are aware of the deadline," Percy replied. "Inspector we will get you there with time to spare."
"Thanks. That's all I need. Siv? Aphrodite?"
"I'm good," Siv replied.
"As am I," Aphrodite added.
"Good. There are snacks and water in the cooler against the wall. Enjoy the ride." Percy and Anna headed through a hatch leading to the front of the vehicle, sealing it behind them.
"Wow," Siv said, sitting back in her seat. "Boss, did you see those scratches? Boss?" She looked over and saw Gabe stretched out, his head tilted back and mouth wide open.
Aphrodite reached over and gently touched his cheek. "He sleeps," she said as she slowly removed her hand. "He must be exhausted. I wonder what he
dreams of."
"You don't want to know," Siv replied as she squeezed his hand. "I've seen his dreams, and I wish I could forget what I saw."
###
Gabe steeled himself for what he knew was coming. Since his resurrection, every dream was the same--the crash. He relived his death over and over again. At first, he would wake up screaming, rivers of cold sweat running down his body, but he got used to the horror and the pain. Now, he anticipates it, knowing it is only a dream.
He looked around and found himself in an almost deserted cafe. Several barflies occupied the bar, but the rest of the establishment was bereft of patrons. A woman sat at a nearby table, sipping a white wine while a pint of beer sat waiting across the table from her. "Gabe, come have a seat. We need to talk."
Gabe walked over and sat down. He picked up the beer and took a drink. "Nice. I miss this brand. You have me at a disadvantage being that you know my name, but I don't know yours."
"You can call me Gia. So, how are things going in the land of the living?"
"Oh, the usual. Got a promotion, and I work with the two greatest partners one could ever hope for. By the way, what the heck is going on, and who the heck are you?"
She smiled. "I needed to talk to you about this journey you're on. Zoe is getting to be a nuisance, and I don't like nuisances. Give the word and I'll make her and her minions disappear."
Gabe looked at her and felt a cold shiver pass down his spine, for he somehow knew she could do as she said without any effort. One moment Zoe and the Strykers would be a thorn in his side; the next, they would be gone. "No. Zoe is my problem, and I'll deal with her. You're connected to all this, aren't you?"
"Josiah surprised me, and I usually like surprises, but not this time. The multiverse is out of whack, and I'm finding it difficult to keep things in whack, so to speak. It is essential you complete the task Muntz laid out for you."
"Why? To put the multiverse back to rights? I'll deliver the artifacts to the Engine of Creation, but Muntz never told me what to do with them when I get there."
"Just get them there, and the rest will be taken care of."
"I'm confused. I get the impression that you are much more than a pretty lady in a pretty dress sipping wine at a bar. Why don't you just get the artifacts and activate the engine yourself?"
She put her hand on his, then looked him in the eyes. He saw the universe in hers and found it calming. "The artifacts, as you call them, are only part of the system. You, dear Gabe, are the other part, which is why I'm willing to break the rules and get rid of Zoe."
He shook his head. "I can deal with the old mad scientist. If we're going to save the multiverse, then we should do it the right way. No cutting corners. No shortcuts. Just put our heads down and work our asses off."
"My, how you love to mix metaphors. I chose well, Gabriel Adon. Now, I will do one thing that breaks no rules."
"And what is that, Gia?"
She leaned over and touched his forehead. "No more dreams of death. You deserve a break."
She and the bar disappeared, leaving behind only the taste of a damn fine beer.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Gabe awoke to the sound of alarms. In a blink of an eye, he reflexively scanned the APC for damage or injury, but found none. Relieved, he expanded the scan to include the area around the APC, which had come to a stop, its weapons armed and ready to protect her occupants. What he found alarmed him.
"Boss, we've stopped, but Percy and Anna aren't responding," Siv said. He could hear the start of panic in her voice.
"I sense danger, Gabriel," Aphrodite said, the same concern in her voice as in Siv's.
"Our hosts are fine. They're busy preparing the Tenko for possible trouble."
"What kind of trouble?"
"There's a wrecked APC outside. They're worried about what wrecked it."
Percy and Anna hurried into the lounge. "Gabe, we have a problem."
"Yes, a wrecked APC. Did you detect the bodies strewn about the area?"
"How the hell did you know?" Anna asked.
Gabe morphed into infiltrator form. "I'm nosy. I need to see those bodies."
"There are areas with mini dust storms throughout the Maelstrom. This is one of them. We'll have to wear filter helmets."
"You do that. I'll go out and check things while you four get ready."
"But, Gabe, the dust," Percy noted.
"It would bother me if I breathed, which I don't do in this form. I'll be fine." He walked over to the lock and cycled it. "See you soon."
"He doesn't breathe?" Aphrodite asked, shocked.
"Did I forget to mention that?" Siv replied. "My bad."
###
Gabe stepped out into the gloom of the dust storm and scanned the landscape around him. Getting his bearings, he walked toward the APC. Half-way to his destination, he came across the first of several bodies. He knelt and examined it with his optical inputs while playing various scanners over the remains. "Interesting," he said before standing and walking over to the what was left of the APC. As he stood there, examining the wreckage, he was joined by his companions who were wearing protective gear. "Nice look; love the color," he said.
Siv swatted him. "Funny. The material is itchy."
"It's your imagination, Siv," Anna replied. "The dust will do that to you."
"Gabe, have you found anything?"
"Yeah, a lot, actually." All these dead strykers have had their power packs drained. It looks like Zoe went for cheaper parts."
"Power packs?" Anna asked. "You have a power pack?"
"Yes, all strykers do, at least the ones using my design. They're microfusion generators paired with high-capacity storage cells. The generator continuously trickle-charges the cells, so the cells should never completely deplete, at least in theory." He reached down and picked up a blood-covered part. "This one, though, is completely dead. Even the generator is depleted."
"That's impossible," Siv said while taking the generator from Gabe and running a scanner over it. "This design is based on a Logash Starbrite-1000 with an operational life of a century. Even a knock-off should show some residual power flow, yet this one is completely inert." She tweaked her scanner. "That's odd..."
"Find something?"
"Yeah, something odd. The generator's fuel supply tank is empty. Gabe, check control stack alpha-one-kappa. Is there a command labeled 'boost'?"
"Checking... There's one labeled 'Turbo Boost.' I have no recollection of a turbo boost function."
"In an extreme emergency, an Alue ship can bypass safety interlocks on the power plant to double energy output, though you risk blowing the ship to smithereens. Turbo boost may be similar. Percy, can I tie into the Delphi using the APC's computer?"
"Sure. Anna, could you show her?"
Anna nodded. "Sure, Boss. This way, Siv."
Anna led her away while Gabe, Percy, and Aphrodite moved on to the wreckage. Aphrodite picked up a piece of hull. "What could have done this?" she asked while turning the piece over, its edges torn like a loaf of bread at dinner. She handed it to Gabe, who held it in front of his faceplate.
"The metal has been subjected to some type of EM field which caused it to embrittle. There's nothing in the League database which could cause this type of effect. He threw the piece away. He slowly looked around the perimeter. Suddenly, he stopped and changed form to tank. "Nobody move. Siv, this is Gabe, do you copy?"
"I read you five by five, Boss. What's up," she replied over the open comm.
"We've got company. One hundred yards on a bearing of 237 magnetic. I'm picking up a massive EM field of unknown origin. It's stationary, hovering about ten feet off the ground."
"Anna has it on the APC's scanners. We have main weapons tracking it, whatever the hell it is."
"Gabe, I'm very afraid," Aphrodite said.
He turned toward her. "What's wrong..." She disappeared. No flash of light, just gone.
"What the hell?" Percy yelled.
"Gabe, this is
Anna. Siv just disappeared. One minute she was here, the next she wasn't!"
Gabe turned back to the EM field and saw it was moving off. He immediately launched two stealth drones and set them to follow it. "That thing took Siv and Aphrodite and it's moving out on a heading directly toward the center of the Maelstrom. Percy, we need to go."
"Copy that. Anna, set condition one, then pick us up. We're moving out. Gabe, can you give Anna your drones' frequencies and codes?"
"They're already in the Tenko's NAVComp," he replied as the APC skidded to a stop in front of them.
Once aboard, Percy and Anna set course to follow the drones. Meanwhile, Gabe returned to human form and joined them, taking a seat at the engineer's station. "How are we doing?" he asked, his calm demeanor belying his inner turmoil.
"Both drones continue to track the tango while it continues on a straight line directly to the center of the Maelstrom," Percy replied.
"Gabe, no Consortium team has ever reported meeting anything like this EM cloud," Anna added. "I checked our database, and the computer can't find anything resembling the thing we're chasing."
Gabe stared out the window at the dust. "This is crazy. We're chasing the bastard offspring of a walkie-talkie and a ghost. Does this have something to do with the crystal or is it just a huge coincidence? Maybe Aphrodite's father knows something. He is the king of the immortals after all."
Anna reached down and typed something into a keyboard. "You're on."
"Delphi, this is DCI Adon. Establish a commlink to the Cube, emergency priority one, Adon 1469. Initiate."
"Working..." the computer replied.
"This is Cube Communications Central acknowledging your priority one, DCI Adon. How may I direct your call?"
"Connect me with Bob. This is a matter of utmost urgency. It involves his daughter, Aphrodite."
"Please hold." The cockpit was filled with elevator music.
"Anna, can you tie the Tenko's network into the Delphi's?"
"Siv beat you to it. She was researching something in the League database when she..."
