Across a Sea of Stars

by Michael E. Gonzales

  "What do you mean by out of phase?" Cris asked.

  "Our planes of existence waver but are on the same frequency, if that analogy will help you understand, but these frequencies of time and space do not pass through corresponding points in time at the same instant. But, Cris, we digress. Our problem is insignificant—the problem of the wormhole is paramount.

  "After we departed from your Moon, the ship's computers shut the wormhole down as we had programmed.

  "Then, many years ago, Caval Du Mal, who was born Agostinho Heliosorus on your Earth, in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, learned of the discovery of our ship on the Moon's far side. He knew who he was and how his people came to Earth. His keen scientific mind got him into the IIEA, and thus, a posting to the Moon. He stole one of your wheeled vehicles and got himself to the Nazerian ship and activated the hidero mas angia. He managed his return, but in so doing, left the drives active on the ship.

  "Many of your years later, perhaps it was a meteorite impact, we may never know, but the wormhole reactivated, as you know. Since your arrival, the power sustainment cell regulators aboard that ship have malfunctioned, they were the last of the redundant backups.

  "Now, the wormhole is drawing vast amounts of power from the reactors. The event horizon back on your Moon is now one hundred twenty kilometers in diameter, up from its original sixteen, and the secondary field of influence is now four hundred kilometers in diameter, though it varies. Simultaneously, the wormhole on this end is doing the same thing. It grows geometrically, daily—it must be closed."

  "How?" was Tattie's simple question.

  "That is the key question. We want you to understand that if we could, we would do this thing, but it is no longer on our plane."

  "Wait a minute," Cris said. "If this thing is devouring the Moon, won't it eventually suck down your old ship and destroy its source of power?"

  "This is true, Cris, but by then it will be enormous—close to 3,500 kilometers in diameter. It will be strong enough to drain the seas of both Earth and Nazer, pull the atmosphere off both globes. And once it devours the ship, the Moon will either be gone or reduced to a fragment of its former self. Think of the effect that will have on the Earth. It could even cause the planet to break out of its orbit. And, of course, Nazer will pass the event horizon again in a few months, and it will devastate this planet, leaving it lifeless."

  "Okay, it's all bad. Let's get back to Tattie's question. How do we stop this?"

  "The Nazerian ship on your Moon must be destroyed. Someone must go back through the wormhole and destroy it."

  "You mean me."

  "No!" Tattie squealed.

  Cris looked at her and took her hand. Her eyes were open wide, and the green had gone very pale.

  "Cris," the Velka Mislay said, "we believe there is a possibility you can make it back. We believe that when the reactor on the ship is destroyed, the wormhole will collapse in; rather like turning off the water in your sink, the water takes some few seconds to completely drain. In the case of the wormhole, you should be able to return to Hohmann crater and plunge back in before it completely drains away."

  "So, it's not a one-way trip?"

  "Remember, we said you should be able to return."

  "I see I don't have much choice. The lives of billions of people on Earth and Nazer are threatened."

  "Wait!" Tattie demanded. "Can't someone else go? Send someone else! Cris has done so much already. Please, send someone else!"

  "I'm sorry," the Velka Mislay said, "but Cris is uniquely—"

  "Then, I will go with him."

  "Ms. Tattie," the image of Major Selina said rather forcefully, "if you will let us speak, we will tell you why Cris must go, and you cannot accompany him. Being a human from Earth, Cris retains elements in his brain yet un-evolved. His amygdala remains very much a lizard brain, secreting primordial enzymes into the living tissues of his brain. His hippocampus learns differently than does ours, he retains memory differently, and this provides his consciousness with an enhanced stability. And, unique to Cris, is the sensitivity of his temporal lobe. Thus, the profound reality of his dreams, the reason his PTSD is dramatically worse.

  "The result of all these factors allows Cris to endure the wormhole’s dimensional neuroelectric shift without the multichannel transcranial current shielding the rest of us require, and so he is able to arrive on the other side of the wormhole fully in phase. Cris must go…and he must go alone."

  Tattie sat back in her chair, staring blankly ahead, tears silently streaming down her pale cheeks.

  "What—what weapon do I use on it?" Cris asked.

  "The weapons specialists of Emer Alda have your 5kt nuclear bomb, recovered from the pod that Capek arrived in. It has been fitted with a point detonation trigger. The Rapna you left at Galdo Heirya is being recovered now and will be fitted with a means to carry and deliver the weapon. Rapna are the fastest craft available to us, you'll require a burst of speed after you release the bomb.

  "The Rapna will be ready in six hours. An information and training video has been uploaded and is available through the monitor in your room. When you leave here, I suggest you study it—then get some sleep."

  ○O○

  Mag'Osnik, Tattie, Cris, and Tarnus were led to another part of the same facility where an elevator took them to the top of a very tall tower. Here, several opulent rooms were maintained for visiting dignitaries. The tower's many rooms were full as a result of the celebrations and governance conference. The floor they arrived at contained six very plush rooms, set aside for just four guests.

  After assuring his niece and Cris that his wounds did not hurt him, Tarnus bid them sleep well, and retired to his chamber. Mag'Osnik gave a wink and retired to his.

  As Cris closed the door to his and Tattie’s room, she threw herself into his arms, crying. "Come back to me."

  "Nothing can keep me from you."

  "If you make me come looking for you, I will be very angry."

  "You are a force to be feared when you are angry."

  She slowly pressed her lips to his and they shared the warmth of their love.

  Together, they enjoyed a long, hot bath before sitting down to eat the meal that had been delivered.

  They retired early, and their Amaday brought them both to pinnacles neither dreamed possible. Cris knew that it was the height of their love, not the depth of their passion, that made their unions powerful, and beautiful.

  Tattie fell into a deep sleep. Cris quietly arose and watched the video. It showed him the target, his approach, altitude, speed, and where the bomb needed to be released in order to impact within the target area. Fortunately, he was not required to hit a small target, the bomb just had to hit within an area five hundred meters deep by 3,300 meters wide; a piece of cake. Then, it showed him the route away from the target and back to the wormhole; as easy as pie. At least, he hoped so.

  Cris lay slowly down next to Tattie, who lay on her left side. He snuggled up against her back and put his arm over her, he smelled her hair…sweet, like the crop that was growing in the sunlit fields in the valley of Faretress. That seemed a hundred years ago, now. He would lead an effort to rebuild that lovely valley when he returned.

  Cris fell fast asleep and dreamed he was again walking down that dirt path in the valley of Faretress. He could feel the sun on his face and smell the crop again. He heard a noise behind him, turned to see Mag'Osnik walking about three meters behind. He stopped to wait on him. "Following me, are you?"

  "My boy, you do come up with some silly notions."

  "This is two dreams just today."

  "Well, I need to speak to you, but I wanted you to enjoy your—uhm—rest. This way, you can sleep, and we can chat."

  "What's on your mind?"

  "It's what you have on your mind I am here regarding."

  "Oh, and what's that?"

  "You are fearful you'll not get back."

  "Of course I am."

  "Your insides are tied in k
nots, your nerves are edgy, and when you get over your target, you will be extremely nervous."

  "No doubt about it."

  "Thus, am I here. I have had a vision, Cris, and as I've told you, my visions are seldom wrong."

  "You say seldom, not never, I've noticed."

  "Regardless—in this vision I speak of, you and Tattie are together—very happy and—"

  "And what?"

  "That's enough. No one need know too much of his own future."

  "Hey, Mag, I've been meaning to ask you a question. On Caval Du Mal's giant ship, I fell and Tattie threw herself after me—"

  "A profound act of love."

  "That's true, yes. But as we fell, she kissed me and, suddenly, we weren't falling anymore, we were inside the escape pod. That had the definite feel of magic to it, which of course, makes me think of you."

  "Son," Mag'Osnik became quite serious, "my powers as a Thaumatergon are truly incredible. However, and mark well what I am about to tell you, there is a power many times greater than mine, greater than the power of all the armies that ever marched or all the starships that have ever or will ever fly. A power so infinite that our finite minds cannot comprehend it. Do you know of whence I speak?”

  "No."

  "Yes—you do. And you must recall it, for you shall need it."

  Cris's eyes opened. The dream was ended, and there was knocking at the door. It was Tarnus.

  "Awaken, you two; we've time for a little food before Cris has to report."

  Chapter 30

  The Pit of Madness

  There were still three hours until sun rise, nevertheless Cris, Tattie, and Tarnus sat down to a breakfast of several delicious fruits and sweet breads.

  "Where's Mag'Osnik?" Cris asked.

  "He was not to be found this morning, and he'd not slept in his bed. It has always been his way to come and go in that manner…very annoying."

  The remainder of the meal was consumed in silence. Tattie sat very close to Cris and held his hand the entire time.

  After breakfast, the three made their way toward the flight bays. Cris felt as a condemned man on his way to the chair. Tattie was holding his hand very tightly. It did not stop them from reaching their destination, however.

  As they entered the bay, a thunderous applause went up. All the technicians, maintenance crews, flight crews, controllers, everyone that worked the bays was present to see Cris off.

  The Rapna stood gleaming in the harsh overhead lights. A technician stood atop the craft, holding Cris's helmet, waiting.

  Tarnus turned to Cris and adjusted the collar of his Nazerian uniform, one of those green and black Rev War uniforms that had been left to him as a replacement for his tattered gray uniform.

  "Be careful, Cris," Tarnus said softly, his eyes betraying his emotion. "I shall see you upon your return, and then I shall treat you, again, to some Geldneth beer."

  "Tarnus—thank you, you've been a good friend."

  "Don't make it sound so final, boy. I will remain your friend once you’ve returned." And they shook hands, the first time since Cris showed him how, back at his home.

  Cris turned to Tattie, whose eyes were filled with tears.

  "I will not say or hear goodbye, gimba," Tattie said, her voice choked. "Only—hurry home." Then she threw her arms around his neck and wept on his shoulder.

  "Home," Cris repeated. "Yes, this is home, and you are my life."

  They kissed, and Cris had to force himself out of her arms—one of the most difficult things he'd ever had to do.

  He climbed atop the Rapna and wiped his eyes before he accepted and donned the helmet. He then climbed in and closed the hatch. He looked over his left shoulder and through the hull of his machine. Tattie was standing there, her hands to her mouth. Tarnus had come up behind her and taken hold of her shoulders.

  Cris lifted the craft above the ground and retracted the landing gear. Tattie waved at him, and in response, he wiggled the wings then shot rapidly out the bay doors. He pulled the nose up and shot upward until the sun rose, and sky turned as black as his mood. Billions of stars appeared before his eyes, and behind him, the now familiar face of Nazer grew smaller with each passing second.

  "It isn't fair," he said to himself. He had been on the move since he got here, overcoming one obstacle after another. He didn't want a medal or a mountain of gold. He just wanted Tattie. He wanted to be with her the rest of his life. Now this. He stood a good chance of being trapped on the other side, and a better chance of getting killed. Should either happen, he worried for Tattie. She would never know of his fate, or he hers. What would happen to her? Would she eventually get over him and find love in the arms of another man? That idea upset him at first, but then, he did not want to think of Tattie never being happy again. "For the love of God, make her grief short and soft, let joy into her heart again and let all that love she has inside her burst forth for her and for someone—else," he muttered.

  Nazer had continued its trek around the sun, so the wormhole was behind the planet 7,800,000 kronmals. Cris slowly increased the speed of the Rapna until the computer's voice reported to him that it was traveling at a speed of 87,000 KmQ. "Whatever that means." He brought up the tactical display, which showed him where he was in relation to his target. Based on the way the computer was closing the distance, Cris figured he must have been approaching the speed of light. He watched the monitor and guessed his arrival at the singularity would take about five hours.

  The voice spoke inside the cockpit again, "Confirm destination as hidero mas angia designated as HmA 1."

  "Confirmed," Cris said aloud.

  "Correcting course and speed for best time to HmA 1."

  "Time to target?" Cris asked. There was no response.

  "Computer, time until we reach HmA 1?"

  "Approximately three-quarters of the fourth wheel."

  "Well…that clears that up."

  Cris watched the tactical display until he drifted off to sleep.

  ○O○

  Atop the highest tower of Emer Alda, Tattie stood looking up at the stars. She had been here since Cris departed. She had seen the sunrise, watched it coast across the sky, and set. Now, the stars blazed their paths across the dark dome of the firmament. The night grew cold, but she did not notice. Her tears had stopped hours ago. She was numb, as if all emotion had been drained from her body.

  The door to the roof of the tower opened and Tarnus walked up behind her. "Tattie," he said softly, "I'm very cross with you. A great many people have spent all day searching for you. It was a great discourtesy to treat your family and friends in such a way."

  Tattie turned around to face her uncle, who could see by the light from the door he'd left open, that her eyes were without luster, and cold. They seemed to look through him rather than at him. "I am sorry, Uncle."

  "Come child, come inside, the night is cold and dank. Inside, I have a beverage that may help." They made their way down the steps. Tarnus placed his arms around Tattie's shoulders. He took her to her room and sat her in a large, stuffed chair. He went over to the cabinet and removed from the drawer a disposable box made of ridged paper.

  "Tattie, the Portigalweg people of the western coast went out to sea in their great fishing boats to search for survivors of Caval Du Mal's ship. They found none, of course, but did sweep the seas for personal belongings in a hope that names could be established. In the wreckage, they found this." From the box, he produced Cris's leather bladder of the elixir of Geldneth Nordthok.

  Tattie, silently and slowly stood, advanced toward Tarnus, took the bladder from him, held it to her cheek, and began to sob.

  "My un genite," Tarnus said, using a term he had not used in years for her, an ancient word meaning, 'my only child' as he tried to console her.

  He bid her sit, and when, at last, she was calmer, Tarnus opened the spout of the bladder and managed to get some of the elixir into her. She sat back and closed her eyes. Several minutes passed before she opened them again. T
hough still red from crying, the color had returned to her beautiful green eyes.

  "I am sorry, Teaoh, it is just that I—"

  "Speak not another word, un genite. I am with you, and together, we shall endure the pain until Cris returns.

  "Listen to me, Tattie. We must go now to the Videkanica Maintenance Facility, they will be releasing Capek soon, and in whatever condition he may be, we must be there to greet him."

  An hour later, they stood before the same technician who had been so gruff with Cris at their arrival.

  "Greetings, honored Tarnus and Tattie Bogle. I trust the celebrations in honor of your great victories meet with your approval?"

  "Do you remember Captain Cris Salazar, with whom you spoke when we brought Capek in?" Tattie asked.

  "I do, yes."

  "Well, he is out saving two worlds—ours and his own—as we speak. We might never see him again if he succeeds, and we will all surely die if he does not. That man was as responsible for the victories you celebrated as any of us; more so, because it was his courage and leadership that brought us to this. And alone, he will save us again. I want you to know to whom you were so discourteous."

  The man just stood silent a moment, and then it seemed as if his pride and arrogance drained from him. "I am sorry. Upon his return, I will humble myself before him," he said earnestly.

  "I will tell you the manner of man he is: he will accept a simple apology… the phrase I am sorry, is all he will ever require."

  "Capek," the man continued, "became rather special to me. He is one of few conscious videkanica in existence. Additionally, I like him a great deal. We chatted as I repaired him and, if I say it myself, I did some of my best work on him. I am a prideful man; it happens to those of us with accumulated years, you know. So, when you brought him in again, in that condition, I was shocked and angry."

  "So were Cris and I when we found him like that and watched his murderer, Caval Du Mal, die."

  "I thought he was on board the ship when it—"

  "The full truth will come out upon Cris's return. How is Capek?" Clearly, Tattie's ire was still up.

  "Everything went fine. He is powered up, and undergoing final checks to ensure he is fully functional."