by Frank Carey
"Aye, ma’am."
"If you're sure..." Aerith said as she carried her squirrel out the hatch, leaving Gloria and the Minotaur alone.
"Who the hell are you and why have you tried to kill Harmon?"
"My name is Xura, and Harmon had a little shock during the transfer. He'll be fine."
"His heart stopped, and now, he's in a coma. How can that be fine?"
"For an elf who survived being shot through the heart, a small shock is nothing."
"How the hell do you know about that? I heard you talking to Aerith. There was no mention of anyone named Xura being present at Maranta Five."
"That's because I wasn't there. I was waiting for Harmon on the other side," the suit said as it sat down on a couch.
"The other side of what? I don't have patience for games," she growled while sitting down opposite the robotic form.
"The flip side. The Great Beyond. The Afterlife. The Rainbow Bridge. The place you go after you die."
"Then you’re re an angel, or a demon!"
"Neither. For lack of a better term, I'm an inspector. I make sure things flow smoothly. I ensure those traveling to the next stage, do so without incident. Normally, I hand out tickets, but I came across something so incredible that I need help to deal with it."
Gloria looked at the suit in shock. "Are you for real?"
The suit rubbed its plas-metal face with its palms. "Too real. What do you know about the multi-verse?"
"Quaint idea about multiple universes coexisting in different dimensions. Some think they have different cosmological constants while others liken them to all the possible results of events. Schrodinger’s cat lives in one, dies in another, for example."
"Yes, quaint, but true. Not to get into a religious discussion, but one way to move between the verses is by dying. There are other ways, but my job involves the dying, that was until the grange showed up?"
"Who or what the hell are the grange?"
"The grange live in one of the other parallel universes. Normally they would be stuck there until they became advanced enough to move—some would say ascend—to a different parallel universe while still retaining their knowledge and personalities, which are normally reset when you die."
"I don't like where this is going."
"Yep, they figured out how to enter the gateway realm—the one I met Harm in—whenever they please. They searched out other dimensions using similar instrumentalities as theirs for the purpose of assimilation. Now, I can't stop them from invading other universes—that's the job of the inspectors assigned to the universes being invaded—but I can stop them from coming to this one. This time I need help, Harm's help."
"Why Harm?"
"He's the only being within a thousand light-years of this planet who has enough smarts to figure out how to shut down the gateway that arcology contains and destroy any record of it. Plus, he passed the test."
"What test?"
"You know, the three tasks? Didn't Royce tell you?"
"Of course he told me..."
"But you didn't believe him. You brushed it off as poppycock. Well you can take it from me, it ain't poppycock. Your cousin did have three tasks and he passed them with flying colors. The beings who do the assigning are very pleased with Harmon, which is why he was given a second chance so he could help me, and help me he will."
"And if he doesn't, or we won't let him?"
"Then that suit you were wearing for so many years will become a permanent fixture for you and every other sapient in the League. Simply put, the grange plan to enslave every sapient in this universe."
Gloria had a bad feeling this Xura wasn't kidding. "You still have the problem that your wunderkind is in a coma."
"Pish-posh. Take me to him and watch a master work her magic."
"That's right, Roscoe called you 'ma'am.' So, you're a female?"
"Oh yeah. Someday I'll show you what I look like wearing a little black dress and a pair of bitchin stilettos, but for now you'll have to rely on your imagination. Shall we go have a talk with Capt. Aymar?" Xura asked as she crooked an elbow for Gloria to take. With a great deal of apprehension, Gloria took Xura's arm and led her off the Conquistador.
"Finally," Roscoe said as he set out robot janitors to clean up the ship.
Chapter Six
Harm opened his eyes and saw big, white, fluffy clouds passing by in a bright blue sky. He sat up and saw he was lying in a field of wildflowers surrounded by a herd of big, white fluffy sheep. Off in the distance was a castle. As he watched, a dragon landed on one of the castle's turrets and began to preen.
"Beautiful, isn't it," a woman's voice said.
Harm turned and saw a beautiful female with purple eyes, long green hair, and long pointed ears sitting on a rock next to him. She was wearing a little black dress and a pair of bitchin stilettos. "Yes, very beautiful. Fake, but definitely beautiful."
"Fake? This isn't fake. Why do you think this is fake?"
"Because it looks like the cover of a fantasy novel. Hell, all you need is a big muscular guy with long blond hair to ride up on a unicorn..." He stopped when she waved to a big muscular blond guy on a unicorn standing off to the side.
"Take five, Rex," the woman said. Rex waved and rode off into the sunset. "OK, you got me. You probably don't remember me, but..."
"You're Xura and this has something to do with the fourth task, right?"
"That's pretty much it. I need your help in stopping a murderous horde from taking over this verse. What do you say?"
"A murderous horde? Really?"
"Yep. Imagine a billion Kobos unleashed on an unsuspecting League?"
Harm used one of the sheep to get up. "I'll help you on two conditions."
"Name them."
"No more bullshit tasks or near-death experiences. If I survive this, I want to get on with my life."
"Not a problem."
"Second, I want to meet the families of those who died aboard the Spindrift when I blew it to hell. I just want to apologize and thank them for the one named Kestra saving me."
Xura got off her rock and walked over Harm. She gently placed her hand on his cheek and said, "That I will do. You have my word."
"Then it's a deal," he said as he took her hand and shook it. "How do we get out of here?"
Xura laughed and snapped her fingers...
###
"He's awake!"
Harm recognized his daughter's voice. Only now did he realize how much she sounded like Marta. He opened his eyes and found himself in a hospital bed with Aerith holding his hand while medical personnel milled around him.
"Capt. Aymar, how do you feel?" a Venecian doctor asked. Harm noticed the small, vestigial scales which covered the doctor's skin, even on the top of his bald head.
"Groggy and a little stiff," Harm replied. He tried to sit up. "Aerith, give the old man a hand, would you?"
"Whoa there, big fella," The doctor said "We need to run more tests. Your primary heart stopped up on the Bridge, and we need to make sure it doesn't happen again..."
"Is it beating now?" Harm asked. He saw the look of confusion on the doctor's face and repeated, "Is my primary heart beating?" Meanwhile, he started pulling off leads.
"Yes. Oddly, you show no injuries after your short flight."
"You're good, Doctor. Now, get me my clothes. Aerith, where is everyone?"
"Interrogation." She launched into an explanation. "The Minotaur came in here, touched you, then said you would be around in a few minutes, so they took it to the interrogation room."
"Her name is Xura, and I've agreed to help her," he said as Aerith handed him clothes and turned around as he got dressed. "Damn, you are so much your mother."
"Really? Why?" she asked over her shoulder.
"You have human sensibilities regarding modesty. You also have her eyes." He sat down and put on his boots. "You know, I never had a chance to apologize for the mess of a life your mother and I threw at you. You deserve better."
"I hadn't thought of that. Your mother and I love you to pieces. We just have different ways of showing it." He saw she was still carrying the protosquirrel. "New friend?"
"Yeah. You have a lot of odd things in your cupboards..."
She almost dropped the bot when it began to speak. "Sir, thank all deities you are unharmed," Roscoe said through the squirrel. "There seems to be a communication block in that section of the boat."
Harm looked at the doctor as he checked his patient's hearts for the umpteenth time. The doc looked back and shrugged. "Standard operating procedure."
"Yeah, right. What's up Roscoe?"
"Sir, did you want me to deactivate the buffer and daemon?"
"Probably a good idea. Wait a minute. Has there been any activity," Harm asked as he got up and checked himself in the room's mirror.
"One moment, sir. Yes, there have been several attempts to enter the system."
"Sounds like someone noticed us. Deactivate the daemon but keep the buffer. If anyone tries to gain access, route them into a Rabbit Hole scenario. Perhaps tea with the Red Queen will keep them busy." Aerith and the doctor looked at him as if he were speaking in Old Elf. "Alice in Wonderland? You two need to expand your literary horizons."
He waved at the doc then headed out the door with Aerith in tow while the doc shook his head before returning to filling-out Harm's chart.
###
Xura's interrogation was moved to the main briefing room. Inside, Torga, Nachase, Royce, Marta, and Gloria questioned the Inspector. Outside, ship's security kept watch while Sgt. Zon, Cpl. Stal, and LCpl. Eloen stood-by with weapons Gloria guaranteed would bring down the Minotaur.
"Xura, let me see if I got this straight," Torga said. "You're here specifically to stop an invasion of this universe, but you need Capt. Aymar's help to accomplish your task."
"Yep," Xura replied. She stuck out her hand to check her claws. All she needed now to complete the effect was a wad of bubble gum to snap.
"What are those creatures walking around the complex?"
"The beings are called the grange, and they're walking around in what you call synth telepresence suits, suits they produced on-site. They must have a factory somewhere churning the damn things out."
"How are they getting here?"
"A portal. Look, the multi-versal laws of thermodynamics limit the number of entities which can pass through in one trip, so they can't just open the spigot and fill tubs with grange. They’re building suits and populating them at a rate of around one hundred suits per day max."
"One hundred per day?" Marta scoffed. "We can handle that?"
Xura leaned over the desk. "Yeah, but how long have they been filling suits?"
"Too long," Harm said as he walked into the room. "Capt. Torga, permission to speak?"
"Of course, Capt. Aymar. How are you feeling?"
"To be frank, sir, tired. Xura is correct, we have to stop any more grange coming here through the portal. I only had a glimpse of the capabilities my suit had, and what I saw scared me."
"Harm, what are you suggesting?" Gloria asked.
He looked the suit in the eyes. "We trust her. By the way, I think the dress and stilettos suit you."
"Excuse me?" Marta blurted out. "How did you know about...?"
Xura turned to Capt. McMurphy. "I was with him just before he woke up."
"Which means he died..." Royce said.
"Nope, not this time," Xura explained. "Harm and I share a link similar to the one shared by you and your sister. You could say Harm and I are siblings!"
"Won't Tannith be thrilled?" Marta said as she rubbed her face.
Harm walked around the table and sat down next to his wife. Marta briefly broke character. "Hey you," she said with a smile and a pat on his knee. "You up for this?"
He smiled back and put his hand on hers. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Let us begin," Torga said. "I have forwarded the information gathered by Capt. Aymar and Dr. Aymar to Sea Command along with the information we gleaned from our talk with Xura prior to this meeting..."
"You mean interrogation, don't you?" Xura asked.
"Quiet, you, or I'll feed you to one of your sheep. Show respect for the captain, capice?" Harm growled. Xura quieted down.
"Where was I," the captain asked. "Oh yes, the report. Sea Command choked on what was contained in it, so it called League Space Command, who then called me. As of ten minutes ago, warships and subs from every nation on the planet plus forces of Space Command have cordoned-off an area one hundred miles in radius around Hephaestus. The only vessel allowed inside is the Deltafish. Overhead, League and Venecian warships have taken up station in the event a space assault is necessary."
"And our role in all this?" Royce asked.
"Enter Hephaestus, determine the threat level, deactivate the force field, and then get out. If there is a threat, then Hephaestus will be taken-down by surface- and orbital-bombardment."
"Umm, I hate to be a spoilsport, but how do we get past the force field to get inside so we can deactivate it. Sounds a little circular to me," Xura pointed out.
"We could hijack another suit and use it to find the shield controls," Gloria suggested.
"The grange are already on to us," Harm informed them. "I've got some of them trapped in a virtual world I call the Rabbit Hole. If they knew to follow us back there then they may have taken precautions to prevent us from taking over more of their suits. It's just too risky to try to go in."
"What if one of our visitors go in and do the work for us?" Gloria asked.
"What do you have in mind? Bribery?" Xura asked.
"No. Harm, you said Roscoe was able to spin off daemons. I assume they have the same core control protocols as Roscoe?"
"Yes. They're just copies of the core subroutines."
"Can we swap those out for our own?" Gloria asked.
"You mean dress up like Roscoe?" Harm replied. He thought for a moment. "Theoretically, yes."
"And could the daemon mimic one of the visitors?"
Harm broke out in a huge smile. "You're a freakin genius, Cuz. Yes, we could sneak in as one of the visitors without anyone being the wiser, but we need a top-tier operator which leaves me out. I can run a synth or a frame, but I don't have the skill to pull this sort of caper off."
"Piece of cake," Gloria said. "I have a class A-1 rating."
"No!" Royce said. "This is too dangerous."
"She'll be buffered and protected by Roscoe," Harmon said. "She'll be as safe as if she were in your mother's arms."
"This from someone who was electrocuted and thrown across the Bridge?" Royce said as he stood up and leaned over the table to glare at Harm while trapping Marta between them.
Harm stood up to face the much larger elf. "After all we've been through, you actually think I would knowingly send anyone, especially family, into what I felt was a dangerous situation without telling them first?"
"Enough!" Gloria yelled. "Harm, calm the hell down. Royce, with me!" she said as she stormed out of the room. Royce gave harm one final dark look before following her out into the corridor.
"Capt. Torga, Cmdr. Nachase, my apologies for my outburst," Harm said as he sat down. "I seem to be unable to leave my past behind."
"No apology is necessary, Captain. Your passion for protecting my people and the people of the League is apparent."
"Harm, Royce thinks the world of you,” Marta said. “He knows you’d never put Gloria in danger. He's just overprotective since they got back together. I think a lot of it has to do with that twin-link thing your people have."
"Capt. Aymar," Nachase said. "Can you tell us a little more about this buffering?"
"Sure," Harm said, happy for the distraction. "Normally, the headsets directly connect the operator's brain impulses to the unit being controlled. This is perfectly safe under no
rmal conditions. For added protection, one can route the incoming and outgoing impulses into a storage buffer where they're held for one microsecond. This allows the controller to break the connection if it sees a problem in the data stream."
"Then why didn't this work for you?" Marta asked.
"Gloria. She was being disconnected, so I couldn't be properly buffered. It's a small flaw in my design, one which I am working on fixing."
"You knew about this, but you went anyway?" Marta asked as her anger grew.
"Captain, commanders, may I barge in and diffuse this situation?" Xura asked.
"By all means," the captain said.
"Harmon exaggerates the 'flaw' as he calls it. I estimate his design has less than one chance in ten million of failing the way it did. Capt. McMurphy, your limited technology forced a linear retrieval. As the de facto commander of that mission, Harmon was honor bond to send Dr. Aymar through first. Someone had to go first. In this case it was Gloria."
"Oh," Marta said with a nervous smile. "Sorry,"
"Again, no apologies are necessary," Torga said. "Thank you for the clarification, Ms. Xura."
"Yes, thank you," Harm said as Royce and Gloria walked in.
"Sorry about that, Captain. Now, I will go in and trip the shields. Xura, how much time will we have after the shutdown?"
"Seventy-eight seconds, then it resets. Meanwhile, you'll be identified as a threat by security, so exiting would be highly recommended."
"Seventy eight seconds isn't enough time to get Deltafish inside the shield perimeter," Nachase said."
"No, but it is enough time for a cloaked Conquistador to drop in and land on the roof. Xura, do you know if there's roof access?"
"Yes, there are doors at all four corners of the roof landing area. You'll have to land close to one or risk having the ship damaged by the central access doors if they open."
"Not a problem," Harm said. "I can scrape the walls if I have to, assuming I'm going." He gave Royce a pointed look.
"Unless the captain objects, I think we're all going," Gloria said.
"Dr. Aymar, wouldn't it be prudent for you to stay behind and monitor via one of your suits? That way we have communications between the team and Deltafish."
