Gus (Heroes of the League Book 16)

by Frank Carey

  "A perk of being king of the immortals I would surmise. I wonder what this task is? I was sure saving the king from eternal exile would have been enough."

  "You don't know Bob like I do, old friend, I swear he makes most of this up as he goes along."

  There was a knock at the door. A moment later, Dr. Nost slid into the room and went to the examination table where Gus slept, Minnie and Horus having vacated through the ship's network. She took his pulse and checked his temperature before leaving him to sleep off the effects of the mist. Thankfully, his dreams remained calm for the rest of the night.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Two years after the incident on the planet Cerberus, twenty years after the incident aboard the Storen trade ship River’s Edge...

  Sheila stopped in mid-step as the sound filled the corridor around her. The bowels of Ventos Prime University's Museum was normally quiet, so this sound stood out like a sore thumb. It was an odd sound, reminiscent of the call of a love child of a bagpipe and a violin. "Somebody new in the League?" she asked aloud as she hurried to her mate's lab, worried that something was either trying to eat him or mate with him. She burst through the doors and found Kel sitting on a stool with open books strewn around him while he worked a crank on the end of a wooden box.

  "What in the name of all the holies is that thing?" she demanded while stopping his hand. The sound mercifully stopped.

  "Sheila!" he said while putting the box on the table before kissing her. "What brings you to my humble lab?"

  She pointed at the box.

  "Oh, that. It's a poorly tuned model of a hurdy-gurdy from Earth's European Renaissance period. It bears a striking resemblance to instruments found on several other planets, and I'm searching for possible links between the civilizations."

  "Did you print it?"

  "Yes, but the printer is..."

  "You have specs?"

  "Of course..." he replied. He dug around on the table and found a folder which he handed her.

  "Good. I know a guy who can make you a perfect copy out of real wood from Earth. It'll take him two weeks and it will sound orders of magnitude better."

  "Really! That would be great. How much?"

  "He owes me. Just remember to tell people where you got it. He loves free advertising."

  "Will do. So, what brings you down here?"

  "I got a call from someone from the SIS. Our presence is requested at the hospital forthwith."

  "Did this person identify himself?"

  "Her name is Delta Hardy, SIS Liaison to the League Office of Security."

  "Cousin?"

  "No relation."

  "Never met a non-Hardy Hardy before," he noted

  "Hardy is a very common name among the Sokuhl, silly," she reminded him with a light cuff.

  "Where's Sam?"

  "Our daughter is getting a tour of the Patronage by your grandmother followed by lunch, and hopefully, a nap."

  "When are we supposed to meet this Agent Hardy?"

  "Now."

  "Then we should get going." He took her by the arm and headed out the door.

  ###

  Kel and Sheila arrived at the hospital and were led into a conference room to wait for their appointment to arrive. They were soon joined by Losira Irithyl, Doctor and Queen of the Elves.

  "Your Highness," the two said as they went to one knee.

  "You two are just too sweet. Now, get up and give me a hug.

  When they finished, Losira got down to business. "Have you two been kept in the loop as to what's happening in the Large Magellanic Cloud?"

  They shook their heads. "Since getting back, we've been busy with normal things like a kid, careers, that sort of thing," Kel said.

  "He's given up the hero shtick," Sheila noted as she took her mate's hand.

  "And deservedly so," Losira said. "Well, things were quiet for a while. None of the probes we sent out found any trace of the Trent or any recent predations. We thought we had heard the last of that thing."

  "Thought?"

  She nodded. "About a month ago, one of the probes found something in orbit around a variable Cepheid star not far from Cerberus. It was an area that was supposed to be mapped by the first wave of the Memphis series probes sent out right after you and Sheila returned to Ventos Prime two years ago."

  "I remember reading about those probes. The Memphis series was based on Rambler-Nash 117 battle shuttles. They could run autonomously or under command of a crew."

  "Correct. They had ultra-long distance InterWeb access and each carried a copy of the League database in its memory banks."

  "So, why didn't this probe find anything when it went through the system?"

  "It went dark soon after entering orbit around the star. We assumed it had been destroyed."

  "Interesting. What did the second probe find?"

  "A space station and a derelict spaceship."

  "Did any of the ship's crew survive? Where did the ship come from?"

  "We found one survivor, a young woman, mid-twenties. The ship is an unknown. Both the station and the ship have been there a long time, too long for any crew to have survived. We think she arrived using other methods"

  "Then how did she get there? What species is she?"

  Losira reluctantly handed Sheila a dossier. "The survivor's a Sokuhl-Basili complete with wings, tail, and fire-breath glands in her throat."

  Sheila handed the dossier to Kel. He carefully read through it. "Wings... Tail... This makes no sense... What?"

  "What's wrong?" Sheila asked.

  He showed her a medical report. "She's our daughter."

  "She's Samantha? No, no, no... Sam's with Grandma Hardy having lunch. She's two, for God's sake."

  Losira took Sheila's hand. "The survivor's not your daughter. We checked and found her quantum spin signature is slightly off. It seems that one of the facets of the multi-universe theory has just been proven."

  "Which one?" Sheila asked.

  "The multi-what?"

  Losira explained. "The multi-universe theory states that an infinite number of universes can coexist in the same space. They differ by a parameter known as quantum spin. The Alue are from one of those universes as were the Grange, their quantum spins differed greatly from ours, thus the universes differ greatly. Our traveler is from a universe that differs only a tiny amount from ours, so the differences are tiny as well."

  "Damn. Can we see her?"

  "I was hoping you'd ask that. She refuses to talk to anyone. Hopefully, she'll open up for you two."

  "Does this have anything to do with the Trent?"

  "We don't know, but perhaps our guest does."

  ###

  The three stood outside and watched the young woman via a security camera hidden in the room. "Damn, Sweetie, she looks just like you," Kel said. "It's spooky."

  The young woman paced the room, deep in thought, when Losira walked in. "And how is my patient today?"

  The girl said nothing.

  "OK. I have some visitors for you, if that's alright."

  Silence.

  Losira stepped outside for a moment, then returned with Kel and Sheila.

  "Mom!" The girl yelled as she ran up and hugged Sheila. She stopped and hid behind the woman, placing the Sokuhl between her and Kel. "What's he doing here?"

  Sheila gave Kel the "Scram" look, so he obliged. "I'll wait outside, he said before turning back to the door.

  "Wait!" the girl said. "You... You have wings?"

  Kel opened his pennons. "Yep, since the day I first met Sheila," he said before folding them back.

  The girl let go of Sheila and slowly moved away from the two. "Who the hell are you? Where am I? What are you?" she said to Losira.

  Kel took a chair from its place against the wall and slid it over to the girl. He did the same for the ladies before taking one and sitting in it. Leaning back and cradling the back of his head in interlaced fingers, he began. "My name is Dr. Kellen Matu Hardy, Professor of History
at Ventos Prime University. This lovely lady is my mate, Dr. Sheila Minty-Hardy, Professor of Political Science at VPU. This other lovely lady is Dr. Losira Irithyl, MD and Warrior Elf Queen of Ventos Prime, the planet you are currently on. We found you in a derelict ship floating around a variable Cepheid star in the Greater Magellanic Cloud—by the way, Ventos Prime is in the nearby Milky Way Galaxy. So, what's your name?"

  Frowning, the girl blurted out, "Savannah Hardy, eldest daughter of Kellen and Sheila Hardy, but you're not them."

  "Nope. Ever hear of the multi-verse theory?" Kel continued as she stared at him.

  Savannah shook her head, so Sheila explained.

  "You mean that we're from different universes?"

  Kel nodded. "Look, I'm having a hell of a time wrapping my brain around this whole thing. Sheila and I have one daughter—Samantha—but she's two. Look, would it help if we got some food in you? Give you a chance to look around and get some air."

  "Aren't you afraid I'll fly off?"

  "Where would you go?" Losira asked. "We're only trying to help you, but to do that we need to know things about you. Look, why don't I have the Hardy's step outside while I get you some clothes?"

  Savannah nodded. "That would be great." Then she stared at Sheila as she hustled Kel out of the room.

  "Move it, lug! The lady needs some privacy!"

  "Yes, Dear. Moving, Dear!"

  Once they were gone, Losira made a call then sat to wait for the clothes to be delivered. "Savannah, can I ask you something?"

  "Sure."

  "Do you have elves where you come from?"

  She shook her head. "No, just normal and winged Sokuhl. The others either left or got eaten."

  "Eaten? Yech. Who ate them?"

  "The swarm. Everyone thinks we're next, but mom's got a plan..." She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Losira got up and answered it, returning moments later with enough clothes for a dozen outfits.

  "I think we should be able to find you something in this, don't you?" she asked a beaming Savannah.

  ###

  Kel sat and stared at the ceiling while Sheila paced like a caged animal. Finally, she stopped, placed her hands on his knees and bent down to glare at him close up. "How the hell can you sit there so calmly? That's our daughter in there!"

  "No, that's a Sokuhl-Basili hybrid, twenty something, girl from another universe. Our daughter is a two year old having a nap with her great-grand mother just down the road from here in our apartment.

  "Five minutes ago, you didn't even know what a multi-verse was. Now, you’re lecturing me on lineage issues with people from other universes?"

  "I would never lecture you. I am just pointing out some of the finer points of the situation as my limited understanding allows."

  "Hrmph!" Sheila said as she returned to pacing. "Hey, if it isn't her identity, then what's got you spooked. You only stare like that if something is bothering you."

  He looked at his mate. "Her reaction to me. She was frightened of me when we first met, before she saw the wings. What the hell did the other me do to her over there that could elicit such a response?"

  "Kel, you did nothing to her. As to what the other you did? I have no idea. Anyway, did you see the way her fear melted when she saw the wings? She knows you're not him. Just be your normal, goofball self and everything will be fine."

  He sat up and beckoned her over to give her a kiss. "Thanks."

  "I'm glad I could use my powers for good..."

  The door opened and Losira emerged followed by Savannah. Both Drs. Hardy gasped. "What's wrong?" Savannah asked.

  "Nothing's wrong," Sheila said. "It's just that you are so beautiful. Hey, Dragon Boy! Breathe!"

  Kel inhaled, a blush growing while he tried to look away. "Sorry."

  Savannah beamed. "Thanks."

  The three left the hospital and headed to a nearby plaza known for its variety of goods and foodstuffs from around the League. Savannah stopped once they were inside, her eyes wide with wonder.

  "What's that?" she asked while pointing at a League citizen.

  "Her name is Anna Mreg and she's an Alturan," Kel said as he waved at her. "She's a xenoarchaeologist who works down the hall from me. You should see her needlepoint."

  "Dr. Hardy! What brings you out of the cave on this beautiful afternoon?" Anna asked as she slid up to where the three were standing. "Hello, Dr. Hardy," she said to Sheila while extending a tentacle.

  Taking the appendage, Sheila smiled. "Hey, Dr. Mreg. I hear congratulations are in order. You got that grant to open a dig on Cerberus."

  "Thank you. The LMC will take a lifetime to explore." She turned to Savannah. "And who is this beautiful young woman?"

  "This is our niece, Savannah," Kel explained. "She's visiting for a while."

  "Savannah, it is wonderful to meet you," Anna said. She wrapped a few tentacles around the girl and gave her a hug. "Wings! How is that possible, Kel?"

  "Long story, Anna. I'll explain later. For now, we've promised the day to Savannah."

  "Of course. We shall talk later. It was good to see you Sheila, and good to meet you, Savannah. Enjoy your day!" Anna slid off to resume her shopping.

  "Why was she shocked at finding I have wings?"

  "Because until about three years ago, Kel was the only Basili in the League."

  "What's a Basili?"

  "A winged Sokuhl," Kel explained. "I was the first winged version born on the home world in a very long time. At first it was thought I was a genetic aberration, but then we found Nest, a city hidden out in the middle of a radioactive wasteland. Nest is home to millions of winged Sokuhl."

  "So, they were hiding?"

  "They deferred revealing..." Kel started to say, but Sheila interrupted him.

  "They were hiding. The Patriarch at the time, launched a nuke strike against them to stop a plague. They were understandably nervous about re-establishing a dialog with the rest of the planet."

  "Wow. Sounds like your Sokuhl is a wild place."

  Kel shrugged. "No more than any place else in the League."

  Sheila took Savannah in arm and led her into the plaza. "Come on, Kiddo. Let's show you a snapshot of the League.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Sheila woke to find herself alone in the bedroom. She looked over and saw Kel's side of the bed had already been made without waking her in the process. "How the hell does he do that?" she muttered. Getting up, she tip-toed over to her daughter's room, but found it made-up and empty. "Like father, like daughter." That's when it hit her: the aroma of cooking food. Putting on a robe, she padded downstairs to find mate and offspring busily putting together a Basili-sized breakfast. "You two invite the Royal Court to breakfast?"

  Samantha giggled while reaching for her mother. Sheila picked the tyke up, then gave her husband a peck on the cheek. "Morning, Love. What's going on?"

  "Sam wanted pancakes, so we made pancakes. Then we made waffles, which led to muffins, which led to scones, of course..."

  "Of course."

  "And all these carbs needed some protein to balance things out..."

  "Sausages, ham, eggs, beast hash..."

  "She's a real good cook!"

  "You mean she's a good supervisor, though she wears the flour well."

  He smiled.

  "Who did you invite over to partake in this feast?"

  "Oh, the usual suspects..." Kel was interrupted by the doorbell. "That's quick."

  "Let me." She handed off Sam before heading to the door. She returned with a young elf woman in tow. "Kel, this is Royal Security Agent Grendal Tavish. She has a few questions for us."

  Grendel showed Kel her ID, then seeing Sam reaching for her, took the child and walked over to the window to watch the people walking about below. "What can we do for you, Agent?" Kel asked.

  "Dr. Minty, may I see your Captain's License please?"

  "Sure. It's in my purse. Give me a sec..." She walked out of the room only to return shortly with her handba
g, muttering to herself in the process. "I swear it was here yesterday..." She looked up at Grendel who smiled back in unison with Sam. "Someone filched it, didn't they?"

  Grendel nodded. "We have a security video of one Savannah Hardy using the card to access an R-Sec hangar at the spaceport. Once inside, she used the card to gain access to a freighter, the Earth Space Freighter Yosho Maru."

  "Sheila, how the hell could she use your card to get into an R-Sec hangar. You've never worked for R-Sec..." He stopped when he saw the looks on the three lady's faces. "You're kidding me! You're back to being an agent?"

  Sheila smirked. "What can I say? I'm good at what I do. So, Agent, what did Savannah do once inside the ship?"

  "She stole it and its cargo, and kidnapped one deck hand by the name of Mathias Apeloko, an Earth Logash working his way through the Merchant Marine Academy."

  "How? My card can only get her into the ship, not bypass the security interlocks."

  Grendel made herself a small plate of food, then sat down at the counter with fork in one hand and Sam in the other. "We think she has a companion hiding in a piece of jewelry, a necklace to be exact. It seems that the other universe has beings similar to Clio living there." Sam reached over and tried to pull Gren's ear, but Gren skillfully intercepted the small hand and played with the child's fingers, much to Sam's delight. "Oh, almost forgot." She reached into her pocket and extracted a card. "Dr. Minty, your replacement card." She handed it to Sheila.

  "Thanks. What about the original?"

  "Still activated. R-Sec, OffSec and the Sokuhl Intelligence Service have been alerted. They will be notified the moment she tries to use the card. We have APBs out for her, the ship, and Mr. Apeloko."

  Kel locked a stare on the agent. "Honey, I know that look," Sheila said. "What's bugging you other than this whole situation is right out of a science fiction novel?"

  "What was the ship's cargo? What was it carrying? What the hell could drive a visitor from another universe to steal a ship and kidnap a deckhand?"

  Grendel frowned, then handed Sam back to Kel before pulling out her comm. She tapped some commands into it while explaining, "You know, my supervisor never told me that part... Oh my."

  "What is it?" Sheila asked.