by Frank Carey
###
Kellen, his family, and their followers stood as a group on the deck of one of the large docking bays of the station, surrounded by people who were once their prisoners. Kellen looked at his captor and yelled, "Finish this shit for we grow bored." Unfortunately, his sentiment was not shared by others in the group.
"Reverend, you really need to shut up now," a human yelled.
"I was so wrong to believe in you!" a Storen yelled.
"Husband, hush, or else we risk dying at the hands of our own worshipers."
"They can't harm him, Mother, for he is a god!" Savannah proclaimed.
"Yes, dear. Assuming we get out of this alive, we will definitely be getting you help. So, oh Reverend Hardy, what do we do now?"
Kellen looked around at the angry, and heavily armed individuals surrounding them. "Pray!"
Nelson walked out into the area separating the two groups. "Church of the Prohedron, you have been tried and convicted on the charge of treason against the Empire. The penalty is death. Do you have any last words?"
"Nelson, I seem to have missed the arrest and trial part. Was I asleep?" Kellen asked as he walked out to face the Emperor.
"You and your mob kidnapped all these people, then tried to unleash the Prohedron on the Empire. You wanted to meet the creator, so I just put you all on the fast track."
Before the situation could escalate, a hundred beings appeared, spreading out to place themselves between the ex-prisoners and the followers. Two of them—a male and female of different species—walked up to stand next to Kellen and Nelson.
"Who the hell are you? What do you want? I'm busy here." Nelson asked.
"My name is Janga," the male said.
"My name is Tulsa," the female said. "We are the immortals. Morey!" Morey appeared out of nowhere.
"Yes, mistress?"
She nodded toward Savannah. Morey walked over to Savannah and placed his hand on her arm. The two of them disappeared.
Sheila screamed.
Kellen was livid. "Where did you take her?"
"To a safe place," Tulsa said. "A place where she can heal."
"As for your question, Emperor, we are here to interfere with your society. We even called in help."
"Yes, I think the term is 'Meddle.' We plan to meddle in your affairs."
"What gives you the right..."
The crowd of ex-prisoners parted to allow an aged human to pass through. He walked up to the small group only to stop and stare at Kellen and Nelson. "I am Sensei, which means teacher. I am here to teach you and guide you to enlightenment. The first step is to let go of everything you know. We begin the journey... Now!"
###
Gus floated the Yosho Maru just off the deck as the outer wall of the station next to them was cut away by workers. Once the section was pulled clear, Gus gently guided the Yosho out of the station and into the cold darkness of space.
"Nice flying. You definitely have a deft touch," Bob said as he appeared in the co-pilot's seat. "Feeling better now?"
"Yes... I think I do. What happened back there? I was drowning in emotions. Why?"
"Things built up. You were never allowed to deal with the grief, and I'm sorry for that. You see, you saved me from eternal confinement. I saw your pain and tried to help you deal with it. Not some of my best work. Thank heavens Minnie and Horus thought to take you to Sensei."
"Don't beat yourself up. I suddenly feel like a weight has been taken from my heart. This is the first time in two decades that I actually feel alive."
"Then I have used my powers for good."
"What happened to Sensei?"
"He's staying in the other universe. He feels the need to enlighten the people living there."
"God help them. Sensei is a tough cookie. What about Savannah?"
"She's getting the help she so definitely needs."
"Good. That's good."
"So, any plans?"
"Get another ship and go back to finding things."
"That's all?"
Gus looked at the immortal. "First, I have to personally file my report with Neta."
"No e-mail?"
Gus shook his head. "No, no e-mail. She deserved to hear what I have to say face-to-face. I owe it to her."
"Good. You are changing. Change is good. Look at me. I used to not have a sense of style."
Gus nearly choked as he looked at Bob's spandex bicycle shorts topped by an over-sized sweatshirt and panama hat. "You're right. Change is good."
###
Gus walked into R-Sec headquarters and checked-in at the reception desk. "Finder Gustav Curran to see Director Tavish. I have an appointment."
The receptionist nodded as she typed Gus's name into her terminal. She handed Gus a badge and called an escort to take him upstairs to Netta's office. When he arrived, Neta's current receptionist, Glen, got him situated in the waiting room. Gus sat back in his seat and closed his eyes to think.
"Ahem."
Gus opened his eyes and found Neta staring into them, her nose mere millimeters away from his as her tail watched him from over her shoulder.
"Sorry," he said.
She moved out of his way and beckoned him to follow her into her office.
"How was your trip back from Charlene?" She poured teas for the two of them, handing him one as she sat down in the big comfy chair across from his. Gus was surprised. She usually preferred having a desk between them.
"Restful. No weapons, no doppelgangers, nothing threatening the League. Quiet."
"Did the Hardies try to hire you to find Savannah?" she asked, though it wasn't really a question.
"They tried, but I refused. They were having a hard time not going after her themselves, what with Sam and all."
"She's cute, isn't she?"
"Who, Sammy? Nothing cuter. Scary smart like her mother."
"Um, just to set the record officially straight, I know about your family and your efforts to erase your past. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because... Because... Damn this is hard... Because I didn't want to drag you into my personal hell. It was like I had a time bomb ticking away inside me. I was filled with pain, yet I felt nothing, but I knew it was only a matter of time before it went off. I didn't want you, or anyone else, to be collateral damage."
She sipped her tea. "You know that you had nothing to do with your family's death. They were doomed the moment your father tried to pull a fast one on his investors. They hired Glant, and he got creative. You were nothing more than a hapless pawn as were your mother, siblings, and... And betrothed."
"Can I tell you something no one else knows, not even Horus and Minnie?"
"Sure."
"My bonding with Gisele was arranged by my parents. I'm not sure either of us really even liked the other."
"When did you realize this?"
"When I saw a picture of the family in the other verse. I saw her and felt nothing except for the shock of seeing a bunch of dead people. I should have felt something."
"Have you dated since then?"
"What? Date?" He sighed. "Nope. I make jokes about it, but I never met anyone I wanted to go out with. Strike that, there was one person. I met her right after I got out of the hospital. I think I scared her off, though. All my emotions were shutting down, yet I saw her and my heart leapt. It was strange. It was frightening. My family and betrothed were floating somewhere in space, yet here I was safe, on a planet far from Stora, fawning after a woman who thought me daft."
"I never thought you were daft. Mysterious? Yes. Hiding something? Definitely. Daft? Not so much."
"Well, I thought you thought me... Wait a minute. You know I'm talking about you?"
She nodded, her tail staring at him intently. "And you probably thought I disliked you, or maybe tolerated you. You fascinated me, even with all the false bravado. I was afraid to let you into my life. Everything is perfect: perfect job, a quiet, predictable life, a genius niece who makes me look good just by being herself, then y
ou came along and discombobulated me. That's why I put a wall between us."
"I was sure that given enough time, I could wear that wall down with wit and charm. Unfortunately, I had neither."
"Gus, we met twenty years ago, have worked on countless cases since then, yet this is the first time we've ever let our guards down and talked to each other. What happened."
"An immortal pointed out that I needed to let go of the past and grow up. I guess I was looking for some kind of redemption where none was required."
"Minnie? Or was it Horus?"
"It was Bob, AKA Zeus."
"How the hell do you know Bob?"
He told her about the statue.
She looked at him like he was growing unicorns out of his forehead. "Do you realize the ramifications of what you did? The mind boggles. You..."
"Found something that was lost. That's what I do. I tried to be a hacker. I tried to be a ship's engineer. I suck at both jobs. But finding stuff? That I can do. The rest is incidental. Can I ask you a question?"
"Shoot."
"Do you like kids?"
"I adore kids. What about you?"
"Yeah, a lot. I sometimes daydream about having a whole romp of my own."
"A romp?"
"Earth name for a group of otters. Storens adopted it the moment we first heard it. Trust me, Storen children behave a lot like their wild cousins. When I was a kid, the first thing I learned was never lay down on the floor when a group of young Storen children are present. They swarm."
Neta laughed. She put down her tea, got up, and walked over to Gus's chair. Sitting down in his lap, she wrapped her tail around his wrist. "How about you come over to my apartment tonight and let me fix you dinner?"
He kissed her before replying. She could smell the forest and mountains. "I'd love to, but you have to let me help," he said, completing a betrothal ritual as old as the elven race itself. It had taken him twenty years, but he finally got the girl, of did the girl get him? It didn't matter. They were both happy.
###
A week later, Gus got a call from Grendel Tavish, Neta's niece, asking him to meet her at the spaceport's Pilot's Lounge. An hour later found him waiting for the agent.
"Mr. Curran, we finally meet," she said as she walked up with hand extended. He opted for a hug.
"Agent Tavish, please, call me Gus. I assume your aunt told you about us?"
"Told me? Not only did she tell me, she asked me to be her honor attendant! Congratulations to both of you," she said while returning the hug. "Soon, I will have to call you Uncle Gus."
He looked around the room. "Any idea why Neta wanted me down here?"
"Yes, I know exactly why she wants you here. This way, please," she said as she took his arm in hers and led him to the hangers beyond.
"Are you going to tell me?"
"No. I'll let Auntie do that. You're a licensed pilot, correct?"
"Yes. Had a ship called the Furball, a fine ship that started out simple, but grew to be the ultimate personal transport. She died saving my life and the lives of several other people."
"I read the reports about what happened on Alyson. I am sorry for your loss. Ah, here's Auntie."
Gus saw his bond-mate and hurried over to kiss her, his heart leaping from his chest at the mere sight of her. "Hey you. What's up?"
"Did you know that all contractors are covered under an R-Sec insurance policy?"
"No, I didn't know that. What does that have to do with me?"
She pointed to a freighter sitting on a maintenance pad while techs closed up various access panels. With a tilt of his head, he walked over and ran his hand over her bow.
"A Steigart 732. Damn, haven't seen one of theses in quite a while, at least not since they came out with the 884's. Did you know that the River’s Edge was a 732. He stopped when he saw the name emblazoned on the bow: River’s Edge.
He backed away from it, staring in shock.
"What do you think?"
Gus turned and saw his Uncle Stavros standing there, flanked by his daughters Shannon, Kayleen, and Morna, all wearing Captains' uniforms.
"Stavie? By the Long River, is this her?" he asked as Neta walked over and took his arm. She grew concerned when she felt how badly he was shaking.
"Aye, and still a fine ship she is. Trained my three girls and countless sailors on her. Sorry to see her go, but the routes got too big for her, so time to pass her on."
Gus looked at Neta. "How?"
"I unleashed Grendel on your hidden data. Within a day, she had all the details on your family. I contacted your uncle to invite him to the ceremony, which is when he mentioned the Edge being up for sale. I then arranged through R-Sec to pay for it with insurance funds. I hope you don't mind."
He turned and kissed her hard enough to make everyone on the dock blush.
"Hey, Cuz, get a room," Shannon said.
Gus stopped. "Thank you," he whispered. Then he stopped and stared at something behind Neta.
Seeing panic in his eyes, she turned to see what had spooked him. She saw a space yacht in the bay across from the Edge. "What's wrong, Gus?"
"Stavie, is that Granpa's yacht, the Vengeance?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"So what? I'm plarking disowned. He's going to cut off my head and mount it above one of his fireplaces. Honey, we need to vamoose..." he grabbed her hand, then turned to run out of the hanger, but was stopped by a wall of fur.
"Gustav! My gods, it does my old heart good to see you!" Kayleth roared as he lifted Gus off the floor to give him a mountain Storen sized hug.
"You're not going to cut off my head?" Gus asked as the giant put him down.
"Of course not. Your father had no right to say that. None! It's my fault for scaring you and your cousins with that claptrap. Can you forgive a thoughtless old Storen?"
With tears in his eyes, Gus hugged his Grandpa. "Of course," was all he could choke out.
Releasing each other, Kayleth roared, "My grandson has returned!" Family members from all around the dock ran over to congratulate Gus and meet Neta, and even Grendel. The celebration went on for many hours.
Gus spent twenty years finding things lost by others. Only one thing eluded him, redemption, but now he found that on the starting point of his journey, a little freighter called the River’s Edge.
It's funny how life works out that way.
###
Unseen by anyone in the hangar, Minnie, Horus, and Bob, all in owl form, watched from a perch up in the hangar's rafters.
"That is so sweet," Minnie said. "Bob, did the Oracle see this coming?"
"Of course," he replied. "She sees all."
"Can she see that I'm starved?" Horus asked.
"So am I," Minnie added. "How about we try Greek tonight?"
"There's a great Olympian restaurant just down the street," Horus pointed out.
"You know how I feel about the Olympians," Bob pointed out. "And we risk being recognized!”
"Get over it, wuss," Minnie said as she dove off her perch. "Anyway, it's my treat. You won't believe the bonus Gus is giving Horus and me."
"Does he know, yet, about this bonus?" Bob asked.
"No, not yet, but he will," Minnie said as she jumped down and flew out into the brisk night air.
"Fine, Olympian it is," Bob said as he and Horus followed. Below, the celebration continued.
<<<<<>>>>>
About Frank Carey
Frank Carey has been formally writing and publishing works of science fiction since late 2013. Over the years prior, he had dabbled in various forms of writing including haiku poetry, but that all changed when he and his wife, Jo, decided to try their hand at writing and self-publishing. All his work, to date, has been in the science fiction genre.
Most of his stories take place about two centuries in the future when Earth joins the League of Planetary Systems. Many of his protagonists are strong females. He is an inveterate pantser who believes the story will go where the story wants
to go.
Frank’s background includes degrees in physics and extensive work as a scientific programmer and technologist.
Frank and his wife produce a podcast—Xtreme Self-Publishing—which details their self-publishing efforts.
Frank can be reached through his podcast at xtremeselfpublishing.podbean.com or via e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected]
