Defending the Galaxy: The Sentinels of the Galaxy

by Maria V. Snyder

  Beau doesn’t reply so I keep talking. The looters stole all those Warriors—the important ones with the alien symbols. They must have them set up so they can travel from planet to planet. Maybe the looters are using the portals for more than just travel. Maybe they’re sending messages through them as well. It would make the messages impossible for us the trace back to the looters’ physical locations.

  Also remember when I chased that worm who was targeting DES’s high security areas? I lost it, but Chief Hoshi tracked it to Xinji—where there’s no one. I don’t add ‘alive.’ With this portal communication, they could access the Q-net from a different planet and throw us off.

  You do realize that those portals haven’t been proven to exist. Another long pause. Is this something the Q-net told you?

  No. I came up with it on my own. Well, Niall helped.

  Niall?

  He said we needed to look at the problem from a different direction.

  That certainly is different.

  I’m not sure if his comment is a compliment or not, so I continue. It would be easy to prove. We can open the portal in Pit 21 and see if I can access Q through it.

  In what universe? No one and, I mean NO ONE, is going to allow us to go to Pit 21 and wake the Warriors.

  Then we should go without them.

  There is so much wrong with that sentence, I’m not even going to reply. And I’m going to pretend you never said it. Think of something else, Ara.

  You’re no fun.

  That level of trouble is not fun. Trust me.

  “…Ara?” My mom’s voice penetrates my concentration.

  Oops gotta go. Later. I disconnect.

  “Are you listening to me?” Mom asks.

  I turn around. “Yes.”

  “Lunch is ready. How far did you get?”

  I gesture to the screen.

  She leans closer and peers at it. “Further than I expected.” She aims her X-ray vision on me.

  I wait. If she accuses me of using Q to help, she will be admitting that the Q-net is indeed responding to me as if it understands. Theoretically, I could have written an actual program to have the Q-net answer the questions, but that would have taken all morning.

  Instead of accusing me of cheating, she says, “Better hurry, you don’t want to be late for soch-time.”

  Swallowing my snarky reply, I go into the kitchen. Mom made me a couple thin sandwiches. Seems the rationing is affecting everyone. After lunch she insists on walking me to the socialization area. Every research base and colony has one or more, if there are enough children under the age of eighteen. Since all our education is through the Q-net, we are required by law to spend two hours together ‘socializing’, which we kids refer to soch-time.

  The area is colorful and soft. It’s geared toward the younger kids, who often spend most of their day here while their parents are working, but there is a game room that the teens claim as their own for the two hours. When we enter, the babysitter…Oops, the facilitator, brings me a portable. I have to sign the waiver that I understand all the rules of soch-time. At least I’m listed as Ara Lawrence.

  My mother promises to return in two hours like I’m a four-year-old upset about my mommy leaving me with strangers. I shake my head at the ridiculousness of this entire endeavor.

  The facilitator peers at me. “This is a rather…unusual situation, but we’ll make the best of it.” She straightens. “There’s no one your age, but perhaps the girls in the game room will include you.”

  Not likely, they’re four years younger than me. “I’m not really interested. Maybe I can help you, Miss—”

  “Norris. Thank you for the offer, but this time is set aside for you to socialize. The kids have been…unsettled since we had to evacuate. So try not to stir them up.”

  I scan the room. Everyone is staring at me. Lovely. Not that there are that many kids—about twelve, plus the four in the game room. We’re the first crew for this base so the population is small. There’ll be more kids when the next Interstellar ship arrives with more personnel. If it does.

  Yanking my mind from those dire thoughts, I find a comfy chair and wonder if Miss Norris has been told to ensure I don’t connect with Q. Doubtful my parents would want to scare her with my freaky super powers. Instead, I watch the other kids. They’ve resumed their activities, but the kids in one particular group are stealing glances at me and elbowing each other. I recognize Rance’s two sons and a few others. If I had to guess, I’d say they were all between the ages of eight to twelve A-years old.

  I try to calculate how long it’s been since I attended soch-time.

  EIGHTY-THREE DAYS.

  I flinch at the sudden words. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. But then I consider the number of days. That’s it? I don’t doubt Q, but that’s not enough days for everything that has happened. Talk about a time dilation.

  “Are you the girl who died?” a young boy asks me.

  His friends hover behind him as if they dared him to talk to me. I expect smirks and giggles, but they’re all quite concerned.

  “Yes,” I say. I’m not going to lie to them.

  “Told you, Yong,” a boy in the back row says.

  “Shut up, Miguel,” a girl snaps.

  “Stuff it, Val,” Miguel counters.

  “But…” Poor Yong looks confused.

  “But I was revived by the base’s doctor.” I grin. “I’m all better now.” No need to scare them.

  “Then why did they tell us you were dead?” another boy demands.

  These kids are smart. “To keep the bad guys away.”

  “That didn’t work,” Miguel says.

  Thank you, Mr. Obvious.

  “Are the bad guys coming back?” Val asks.

  “Are we gonna have to hide in the pits again?” Yong asks. His forehead is creased in concern.

  “Nobody will tell us nothin’!” Miguel huffs.

  “Are we gonna die?” another girl asks in a small voice.

  Stars, hasn’t anyone explained anything to these kids? I scan their expressions. Unsettled is putting it mildly. They’re terrified.

  Sensing the mood of her charges, Miss Norris hustles over. “This is not an appropriate discussion for soch-time, children. You need to talk to your parents about this.” She shoos them to go back to their toys, but they remain in place. Defiance shines in all their gazes. Wow. A soch-time rebellion.

  The woman appeals to me. Well, she widens her eyes at me in the standard plea for help. Body language is worth learning, people.

  “I got this,” I say with confidence.

  Two of the younger kids start fighting over a toy and, after a moment of hesitation, she leaves to facilitate.

  I gesture the kids around me closer. Leaning forward, I lower my voice. “Here’s what you need to know. We’ve got the best security team in the universe right here.” I jab my finger at the floor for emphasis. “That team is gonna do everything they can to protect us. However, if they tell us to go hide, then that’s what we’re going to do as fast as we can. You know why?”

  “So we don’t die?” the shy girl asks.

  “That’s the goal. To keep you all safe and to keep you from getting in the way. Hopefully, the bad guys won’t come back. I’m not gonna lie, there is a small chance they will, so you need to be ready to move as fast as possible when the alarm sounds. Just by being in that pit, you’re helping the security team.”

  There’s a moment of silence as they all absorb the information. Did I just terrify them, making it worse?

  “What else can we do?” Miguel asks.

  “Yeah, we want to help,” Yong says, and the others agree.

  Huh. Their fear has turned into determination. “Do you want to learn some self-defense?” I ask.

  The response is immediate and unanimous. Yes, they do.

  “Okay, first a warning. Do not go seeking bad guys when the order to evacuate sounds. Do you understand?”

  Nods. I wait.r />
  “Yes.”

  “Good. It’s called self-defense for a very good reason. Anyone know what that reason is?”

  “To defend yourself?” the shy girl asks.

  “Right. If someone attacks you, then you can defend yourself. But you don’t go seeking a fight. Ever. Understand?”

  “Yes!”

  “And if you start a fight, you’re out of the Soch-time Defenders Club.” I hook a thumb over my shoulder. What? Every club needs a name.

  The kids clear a large space and everyone teams up. My partner is the shy girl. I ask her name.

  “Kuma,” she says. Then adds, “It means bear.”

  “That’s a great name.”

  She ducks her head.

  “I’m going to help you release your inner bear, Kuma.” Then I growl with my fingers bent like claws.

  Surprised, Kuma looks up and I grin at her, showing my teeth. She laughs.

  I spend the rest of soch-time teaching them how to break wrist and arm holds. Their laughter is loud enough that the girls from the game room come out to investigate. It doesn’t take them long to join in.

  Miss Norris pulls me aside at the end of soch-time. “I don’t know if I approve of what you’re doing with the kids. But…the atmosphere has changed and it’s a life skill, right?”

  “Indeed it is.” I grin at her until I spot my mother waiting in the doorway for me. My good mood poofs just like a shadow-blob in the light.

  Mom asks me all the stupid mom questions—did I have fun? What did I do?—I ignore them. Then she says I can spend the rest of the afternoon doing school work. Fine by me. I’ll check on Beau.

  We round the last corner to my parents’ unit and my smile returns. Full force. Niall is standing in the hallway right next to the door to the unit. He’s not in uniform. Bonus!

  Mom marches up to him. “I’ve told you before, Ara isn’t permitted to have visitors.”

  His relaxed posture stiffens, stretching him to his full height well above my mother. Of course, she doesn’t back down. Not my mother.

  “I’m not visiting,” Niall says. He holds up a long tube. “I’m delivering this to Ara.”

  Mom snatches it from his hand. “Done. Now leave.”

  “Mom!”

  She slams her palm down on the sensor, opening the door. Sweeping her arm out, she orders, “Come on, Ara. Inside.”

  Niall edges away. Oh no you don’t. I move and step into his arms. He automatically wraps them around me, pulling me close, squeezing me tight. Heaven.

  My mother is yelling something, but I couldn’t care less. I’m drinking in Niall’s scent and the feel of his body pressed against mine. I doubt I’ll have the chance again.

  I tilt my head back to stare into his blue-green eyes. “Miss you, Toad,” I whisper.

  His expression softens. Then I break away before my mother has a heart attack.

  “Later, Mouse.” He smiles at me.

  The desire to kiss him slams in my heart, but I go inside the unit. Mom is livid and I’m getting lectured. I think. Instead of listening, I’m burning the image of Niall into my brain.

  She waves the tube to get my attention. “What is this?”

  I shrug. Mom opens it and pulls out sheets of paper. When she spreads them on the table, I understand. And my insides warm.

  “They’re Niall’s drawings. He probably thinks I miss his mother’s paintings.”

  Mom glances up and puts her hands on her hips. “That’s quite a mouthful.” She rolls up the pictures and returns them to the tube. “I’ll see these get back to him.”

  And there’s the punishment for hugging Niall. Worth it.

  Pointing to her office, she says, “You have work to do.”

  That I do. Too bad for her, it’s not filling out worksheets on the mating habits of Ignatuary birds on Planet Fuyang.

  While Q fills out my worksheets onscreen, I search for Beau. He’s not in the Q-net, so while waiting for him to pop up, I ask Q to go through DES’s scientific databases for any mention of other dimensions. My friend Lan cracked the code to the aliens’ symbols and learned that the aliens built and installed the Warriors on sixty-four exoplanets to protect us from demons from another dimension. Although Drs. Zhang and Carson said there’s no proof of these dimensions, there has to be other scientists who have looked into alternate dimensions. Right? Regardless, it can’t hurt to try.

  Interesting that Q doesn’t come back with an instant result. While it searches and does my homework, I open a new file and make some notes on what else I should be researching. After a few minutes, Q adds a file to my cluster. It’s not that big. I scan it and there’s some interesting theories about alternate dimensions and what’s called the “multiverse,” which is not just one or two dimensions, but an infinite number of them.

  One of the scientists, Dr. Channon Koty, was able to manipulate the mathematical equations to show that an alternate dimension is theoretically possible with the current understanding of the laws of physics and quantum mechanics, but she was unable to prove it.

  “I can’t build a device or an engine that would ‘open’ another dimension,” Dr. Koty wrote in her research notes. “I’ve read through the scientific principles behind the development of the Crinkler engine. The inventors were able to generate enough energy to pull space together, yet they can’t tear it apart.”

  I stare at those last three words. Tear it apart. And my thoughts immediately go to the rift in Pit 2. That’s a tear. It’s also a gateway.

  In any case, how did the rift get there? I assumed that once the Warriors were destroyed and stolen from Pits 1 to 4, that the HoLFs were able to enter our dimension or transport into our pits. Could the rift work like a Warrior portal? But instead of going from one planet to another it goes from one dimension to another? That might be possible. Or maybe the rift is what happens when you get a broken portal that doesn’t go all the way through to another planet, but stops somewhere in between where the shadow-blobs live? Perhaps that’s why it’s not a nice neat doorway like the one that formed in Pit 21. Assuming the black rectangle that coalesced in the center of the gap of Warriors was a portal. I saw a man standing on the other side, but, once again, no one else did.

  I really like that theory of the shadow-blobs living in the portal-verse. And there’s a...warmth of approval from Q. When I woke the Warriors in Pit 21, they pulsed with a green light and I sensed they were pushing back the shadow-blobs to create a safe route. Maybe the aliens discovered a way to construct a passage through the shadow-blob dimension as a shortcut to another planet. No need to crinkle space in our dimension, just go into another one and pop out a hundred trillion kilometers away. Once a portal is opened, the Warriors must act as sentinels, keeping the shadow-blobs from crossing into our dimension. Of course, I’ve no proof of any of this.

  I send Niall a quick message thanking him for the pictures and warning him of my mother’s intentions to return them. By this time Beau is in the Q-net and, once I join him, he informs me of his plans to try to breach the looters’ base again.

  Won’t work, Beau. That’s a dead end for now, I say.

  But Radcliff won’t allow me to do anything else. He wants information on the looters.

  I consider. What type of information?

  Where they are, what they’re doing, who they are. DES was unable to confirm the physical locations of Ursy Bear, Warrick Nolt, Fordel Peke, and Osen Vee. We’ve been assuming the super wormers are working with the looters, but we can’t find any trace of them.

  We can search for them.

  How? DES was unable.

  With a little help.

  Oh. A pause. Let’s focus on something else for now. How about the suspected DES employees the Q-net flagged who might be working for the looters?

  I thought Q was still fixing the security holes in DES.

  It is, but there’s already a hundred names in the suspected-looter-colluder file.

  Q must be multi-tasking. I suppress a gi
ggle. The Q-net runs everything in the Galaxy, of course it’s multi-tasking. However, finding colluders are important and I can search for the super wormers when I’m flying tonight. I add it to my flying To-Do list.

  Okay. Where do you want to start? I ask Beau.

  At the top. Those with the highest security clearance and deepest access are the most dangerous.

  DES’s board of directors—a multi-international group—meets both of those criteria. When the Q-net was first discovered and space travel beyond our solar system became possible, Earth’s leaders elected people from all over the world to be a part of a new organization, the Department of Explored Space, so no one country could have a monopoly on space travel or colonizing exoplanets. There were more than a few issues, but after almost five hundred Earth years, they’re a smooth-running machine. See? I paid attention during my history lessons.

  We open the suspected-looter-colluder file. I’m relieved not to see any of the directors on the list. Not yet, anyway. After an hour or so of looking for illicit connections to the looters, I’m uneasy. It needs to be done, yet this seems like a big invasion of privacy especially when the person is not guilty.

  What’s wrong? Beau asks, sensing my hesitation.

  I explain. And it’s taking forever.

  Unfortunately, many investigations are slow and tedious. And, yes, we’re invading innocent people’s private messages, but, remember, we all agreed that if we use the Q-net, that our interactions could be examined by DES security.

  That reminds me. Has Radcliff been in contact with DES?

  Yes, but it’s very limited and only he’s been communicating with them. We’re worried the super wormers will find a way to intercept our messages.

  “Ara, it’s time for dinner,” Mom says behind me and I almost jump out of my seat.

  “Uh, okay, be right there,” I say.

  “Wow, five full words.”

  Ignoring her sarcasm, I grunt.

  “That’s better.” She leaves.

  Ara?

  We’re still playing house and dinner’s ready. Let’s work on this later?

  I can’t. I’ve guard duty in the pits. Tomorrow?

  Okay. We disconnect.