Lavender Rose didn’t allow him to finish. “Everyone will get a closer look tomorrow. Altemus scheduled a welcoming get-together after the services.”
“I wish he’d cancel those services.” Griffon’s deep breath said it all. “Who goes anyway? Star, Altemus, and a few others.”
“Same old bunch,” Lavender added. “And did you notice that Altemus has bypassed the elder council and started calling all the shots. You know what he did to me this morning? He reassigned me! He moved me from intel to spec oversight for the new starship’s construction. He gave my job to someone else. I’m not happy about this.”
Nova stopped eating. “Calm down, Lavender. He’s a dying old man trying to save our planet.”
“He’s not so sick that he can’t boss me around.”
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Bach.
Nova washed her food down with a drink of water. “Part of it’s old age, and part is from exposure to bacterial warfare. He intercepted a deadly virus from Ulwor that double-agent Rooks planned to release in our operations Skyprism. He got it to the lake in time, but he got infected. It’s a process of deterioration.”
“He still has the most brilliant mind in the zone,” Griffon said.
As lunch went on, Bach enjoyed getting to know Griffon and Nova, and by the time he’d filled up on astral foods his stomach was ready to burst.
Griffon poured pink tea from a pot and passed a cup of it to Bach. “This is a digestive aid.”
Bach enjoyed the soothing tea, and poured a second cup as he continued to question his hosts. “Of everything I’ve learned since arriving,” he said, “your solid fuel made from garbage holds the most fascination.”
“Altemus invented it,” Griffon said. “It’s non-toxic, odorless, non-polluting, and light weight. The lab produces the basic briquette, then he does something to it right before use. No one knows what he does, and no one has ever seen him do it, but it won’t work without that final step.”
Nova added, “We suspect he’s training Star to take over. He’s getting too sick to continue on his own. With the enemy trying to overtake us, there’s a lot of pressure on his being a one-man security system.”
“He’s a miser,” Lavender added in her throaty voice. “Like a madman with keys to the secrets of the universe he controls everything so tightly you’d never get your hands on a single speck of that fuel. He calibrates and calculates to the nth degree the exact amount required for every co-op flight, every rescue mission, everything….”
“Then he personally fuels the ships, and it’s vacuum drawn into the chamber,” Griffon added.
“Yeah. No one can touch the stuff once he’s done his thing,” said Lavender Rose. “But, the enemy walks among us, so we can never be too careful.”
After the last cup of pink tea was consumed, the four headed back to the operations prism on the peoplemover connecting the compounds. During the ride, Bach turned to Nova. “By the way, earlier you mentioned services of some kind tomorrow. What were you talking about?”
“Every seven days a small group gathers on Mount Hope to worship our Creator.” She pulled a golden crystal circle necklace, like the one Star had, from beneath her jumpsuit. “This represents eternity transmitted through the light.”
Lavender pushed to Bach’s side and half-whispered, “You’re not obligated to attend the services. Hardly anyone goes. They’re something Altemus dreamed up to unite Dura. He thinks the Specter’s influence is what’s caused all the deterioration of our zone, but I say it’s a natural progression. Things don’t stay the same forever.”
Griffon nodded. “I agree. We have a lot of great new things going on that we never had before. There are bad things too, but the good balance the bad.”
Nova forced her way between them and draped her arm over Bach’s shoulder. “I go to the services. Why don’t you come tomorrow with Star and me?”
Lavender glared at Nova and increased the volume of her rasp-like voice. “Let Bach decide for himself. If he gets caught up in your small group he’ll never learn how much fun Dura can be.”
Bach handled it all with a big smile. “Well, I’ll try most anything once.” He nodded at Nova. “I’ll go to the services with you.”
*****
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The morning air held a chill accompanied by blackness so dense it seemed solid. It would be an hour before artificial light switched on, but a few had already begun their day.
A group of twenty, including Altemus, Star, Bach, and Nova, had gathered on sacred Mount Hope beside the ever-present tunnel of golden light descending from infinity.
Bach’s thoughts reverted to the dragonfly rescue ride when he first saw Mount Hope from the window. The astonishing image of a brilliant light beam from space, focused on the top of one mountain amid craggy peaks and rocky gorges, seemed forever etched in his memory. Now he was at the crest, standing next to the powerful beam. Experiencing it close up was unlike anything he could have imagined.
Star moved to Bach’s side and spoke softly, “As you see, the faithful are few.”
The services began. Altemus offered a brief prayer that all repeated, followed by a period of silence during which they took turns communing in the light. As Bach mulled over the ceremony from the sidelines, a sudden inner hunger made him want to take part in it. I’ve only attended church a few times, but this is something more than church. There’s a consuming energy, a force of some kind that beckons my soul.
He joined in as the worshipers gathered together and Altemus prayed for wisdom, guidance, unity, and peace for the galaxy and beyond. During a moment of reflection, Bach lost focus, drawn once again to the inexplicable oracle. He needed to understand in engineering logic what was happening. How can I fathom a light that gives off a sensation unlike anything I’ve ever experienced? It seems tangible, touchable, with an energy so potent I could grasp it in my hand.
Bach’s mind was still on the powerful tunnel of light during a song of praise and closing devotionals. He didn’t realize that Star had moved beside him and put her arm around his shoulders until she whispered in his ear, “Thanks for joining us.”
He jerked in reflex.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Seeming not to hear, he moved robotically toward the light, as if pulled. She followed a few steps behind. He hesitated and looked skyward, then stepped into the circular beam and stood like a statue. A feeling of weakness came first, followed by a surge of hope that coursed through every pore. The pain and anxiety of his old life faded and his mind spoke. I’ll never be the same. He stood for a while, absorbing every possible speck of energy. Then he stepped from the beam, grabbed Star’s hands, and stared into her eyes. “Star …,” he whispered, “I felt like a forcefield surrounded me, enveloped me with a power that could lift me to the stars.”
“It’s an invitation. Let the Creator guide your life.”
“What do I have to do?”
“Yield to a power greater than yourself.”
“I believe I already have,” he answered.
She pulled him aside and slipped a white cloth pouch into his hand in a way that the others couldn’t see.
He casually turned his back and removed an eternity pendant on a chain, like hers, from the pouch and subtly clasped it around his neck.
She whispered, “Tuck it into your jumpsuit. There may be Rooks here gathering information.”
Nova broke from the group with a lanky dark-haired man and approached Bach. “Well, guest of honor,” she said, “are you ready for the get-together? Everyone will be there. Oh, Bach, this is Reno, another of our co-op space pilots. His crewmate, Elan, isn’t here today, but she usually comes.”
Reno pumped Bach’s hand with a rapid-fire handshake. “Heard a lot about you. Nice to see the face that goes with the name.” He punched Bach’s shoulder in a male bonding gesture. “Want to ride on an interplanetary hop sometime?”
Bach grinned and nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Right now, I’m hungry,” Reno said, “let’s get goin’.”
Altemus led in his hovercart, and the worshipers descended the mountain path just as the planet’s artificial light switched on. Bach shuffled a few steps forward with the group, then hesitated, causing those behind him to stop. He motioned them on with a sheepish grin. “You all go ahead. I’d like to stay here for a minute or two.”
Star moved to his side and spoke softly, “What are you doing?”
“Need to stay a little longer.”
She searched his face. “You can’t walk back to the Skyprisms. It’ll take too long. And everyone will be waiting.”
“I can’t go now,” he whispered, his voice urgent.
She looked around, then nodded. “I’ll ride in with the others, then bring the ground tram back for you.”
“Thanks.”
Bach waited until the group reached the bottom of the hill, then stepped into the compelling beam. Head bowed, he meditated as if gathering strength, then looked up and spoke words he never thought he’d say. “I heard you call my name.”
Seconds passed in pure silence. Then the air stirred with an effect so transparent he thought it was his imagination. Soon, a rushing wind swept across the mount with a gentle power and every hair on his head stood on end from the positive energy. An all-consuming presence disrupted the flow of time and held him in the moment. The Creator spoke from the golden tunnel.
“Bach. I have chosen you for my special mission among the planets of Balal. Restore the space station and the attached spacecrafts.”
Bach fell to his knees, face expressionless, yet words poured from his lips. “I will do it.”
The instructions continued, as if imprinting on Bach’s memory, and a challenging deadline came in the Creator’s parting command.
“Tell no one, and trust no one, except Altemus. Complete the restoration by the new year. At that time your mission will be made clear.”
*****
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
With memories of yesterday’s epiphany haunting him, Bach paid an early morning visit to Altemus’s office and shared the experience. Minutes later he was at the controls of a ground transporter heading to the earthship’s crash site with his mentor. As they skimmed over valleys and craters on the barren planet, Bach had a sudden lapse of reason. I wonder if I could make it to Ulwor in a ground transporter? He almost smiled. Have to find out if Ulwor has fuel and nuclear power detection. This little ship could be the way to rescue my crewmates. Oh, God, I hope they’re okay.
They landed to the sight of hundreds of footprints in the sand and two mechanized scaffolds at open entryways of the Wizard and space station.
Bach checked Faith’s gravesite and, to his relief, found it undisturbed. He entered the AstroLab with Altemus via the open ramp and found that the Rooks had removed all electronics and communications devices and gleaned undamaged materials from the debris.
“Vile enemy!” Altemus grumbled.
Bach surveyed the devastation and wiped his face with both hands as if clearing off a violation. He didn’t look at Altemus. “I’ll check the other two ships. We have a big project ahead.” Using the scaffolds left by the Rooks, he entered the space station and Wizard.
Altemus headed to the flight deck. He’d planned to sit and review notes and the old logbooks Bach had retrieved from the lake, then merge new technology with old, but the flight seats were gone. He sat on the floor and opened the log, and a few minutes later jerked off his glasses and cleaned them on his jumpsuit. “Wretched eyes.”
Bach returned and informed Altemus that both the Wizard and space station were also stripped of functional items. But the mechanized lifts the Rooks had left outside would come in handy.
The elder seated his glasses against his nose and flipped through the logbook. “I’m glad you retrieved these manuals, Bach, but putting these earthships back into service will take a mighty effort. What mission could we be carrying out for the Creator?”
“He said the mission would be clear when the restoration is completed.”
“Maybe we’re to teach the residents of our other planets to operate the restored spacecraft. They need their independence and they’d most likely feel comfortable with this technology, which is like our old Kingships.” The old man’s voice wavered. “But this is a massive undertaking.”
Bach looked at his partner without blinking. “We have to finish by the new year.”
“The new year? Just the two of us and a few robots? Is that possible in a hundred and eighty days?”
“We will do it!” Bach waved his arm around the ship’s interior. “We’ll program the robots to work here alone for the heavy labor projects. And we’ll get the co-op crews to bring in additional goods—live plants, extra supplies. But we’ll have to come up with a plausible reason for it.”
Altemus put on a headset and spewed verbal notes for renovation. His spoken information was converted and downloaded as schematics and illustrations to a viewer on his wrist. He frowned and mumbled, “Need a ruse for co-op crews to bring in more supplies; space station’s internal passageway to serve as corridor between the three ships; add more windows….” Head down, immersed in details, he looked up for a minute. “I’ll build a relay system using the engines on all three ships, then reconfigure them for solid fuel. It’s my area of expertise.”
Bach nodded. “You got it.”
Referring to notes Bach had written after receiving the Creator’s instructions, Altemus sighed. “Some of these modifications are extreme.” His face scrunched up. “Are you sure the Creator said that one ship is to carry animals?”
“I’m sure. Maybe it’s so we can haul more of them at a time … relocate them to the best environments.”
“There are so few left of certain species,” the old man said, as if he’d counted them in his head.
Bach smiled. “We’ll let them breed. Bring ’em back from the edge of extinction.”
Altemus studied information on his wrist viewer. “Okay, partner, here’s the plan for this three-piece spacecraft. We’ll convert the Wizard’s cargo bay into operations and crew facilities and use it as the mother ship. We’ll house the animals within the circular space station according to environmental needs. And we’ll reconfigure the AstroLab to carry numerous passengers. The station’s left to right passageway will serve as a direct route between the Wizard and AstroLab.”
“Sounds good,” Bach said. “I’ve designed a two-part plan for the AstroLab’s modification. The first will be chambers suited to every environment so all the planets’ inhabitants will feel at home. And the second will be both heat-collecting and electronic power sources so it can fly independently of the mother ship.”
“What’s the purpose of configuring the AstroLab to fly independently?”
Bach fiddled around nervously. “So we can use it like a visitation ship or ferry rocket.”
Altemus’s lips shuddered with exhaled air. “Well, our old Kingships weren’t as complex, but this is a new era.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “What should we call her?”
“Don’t look at me,” Bach said. “I hate naming things.”
“Best name I ever came up with for an old Kingship was ‘Starsong’,” Altemus said. “Named it after Star—a blessing late in life for Casso and me. Star loved to sing children’s songs when she was young. She has a beautiful voice.”
“Beautiful woman, beautiful voice.” Bach raised his eyebrows up and down playfully.
“You should have her sing to you sometime.”
“I’d like that.”
Altemus peered over the top of his glasses. “What’s stoppin’ you?”
Bach felt like a schoolboy asking a father to date his daughter. He fought a red-faced rush, fiddled with the moldings on the walls for no reason, and changed the subject. “How can I top a name like ‘Starsong’?”
“Make it meaningful,” Altemus said.
“Meaningful,” Bach
repeated, looking around as he paced the floor. “Skytrain? Zone Runner? Omniquest?” He walked to where Altemus sat thumbing through the space station’s old logbook. “I’ve got it! This ship is the first and only of its kind—the Alpha.”
The old man didn’t move. After a few seconds, one eye squinted and a weak smile broke across his hardened face. He rose with a grimace, pointed a laser pen at the ceiling and announced as he wrote in the air, “Kingship Alpha,” as if bestowing a royal title. He placed a hand on Bach’s shoulder to steady himself, and his steely blue eyes stared into Bach’s hazel eyes. “You know this undertaking will get dangerous if the enemy finds out. They’ll see us as trying to gain back the favor of the other planets’ inhabitants.”
“What if they show up while we’re out here?”
“We’ll detect them incoming and, hopefully, get away. But they mustn’t get their hands on the solid fuel system, so I’ll build it as a component and install it last.”
“Great idea. And with the light cycles of black night or golden glow, they won’t spot us easily. And there’s nothing left of value, so they’ve probably abandoned surveillance of this area.” Bach looked out the open doorway. “Still, we should work alone as much as possible. And we can’t be seen leaving the Skyprism together. By the way, you’ve never told me how to tell when the death lake is deadly. When I’m out here by myself, I’ll need to know.”
Altemus pointed to the floor. “Sit with me for a minute.”
Bach helped his mentor to the floor.
“Remember when we were in the test lab late one night and I took you for a ride through the facility in my personal hovercart; told you I’d share something with you one day regarding that blue cart?”
“Yeah.”
“Today’s the day.” Like a gambler giving up his best secret, Altemus leaned over and whispered, “My blue hovercart’s a hiding place for my latest ‘mastermind’ project, my personal weapon, known only to Star, and now you. Housed within my cart’s undercarriage is a tiny, but powerful, device called an Electro Magnetic Organism Galvanometer … EMOG for short. I’ve developed it to detect changes in the death lake’s plasma field. When the water’s free of harmful enzymes, in antiseptic mode, the EMOG will sink to the bottom like everything else. But when the enzymes turn deadly, it repels from the water’s surface and levitates.”
Alpha Rising Page 10
