by T. M. Catron
The plan had been to blend in with the crowds, and Rance found it easy to do. The museum attracted tourists from all over the galaxy, and the varied looks and attire reflected thousands of different customs and religions.
Solaris wasn’t wearing his conspicuous flight suit but a pair of jeans and a soft, long-sleeved shirt. He carried his customary satchel. The look was rare for him. He tended to wear whatever helped him blend in the most. In the Outer Colonies, that was a tunic and pants. On the Core worlds, a sleek flight suit wasn’t out of place. The three of them had decided to look like tourists from Barton. There, jeans were still in fashion. Rance didn’t own any, but she wore a pair of faded work pants, flowing t-shirt, and flight jacket. Jane had donned her leggings, a worn jacket, and a thin scarf around her neck.
As they walked, Solaris tugged at his clothing. Rance tried not to laugh as he stuck a thumb in his waistband and adjusted the jeans as subtly as possible.
“Something wrong, Roote?” Rance asked with a smirk.
Solaris quit tugging at his pants and gave her a dirty look. “Did you use starch on my jeans?”
Rance grinned mischievously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
They walked through a doorway into an even wider corridor. Here, floor-to-ceiling screens lined the walls, portraying videos of water and monstrous beasts swimming through dark seas.
Rance stopped in her tracks, frozen by the sight. They were whales. She’d seen videos of them, but never on screens that large. Rance moved closer, putting her hands on the glass, forgetting it was a screen. Then, she jumped back. It wasn’t a screen. She had touched cold, thick glass.
She was looking into a real aquarium. Inside the museum.
“Those are whales,” Rance breathed. It was the only intelligible comment she could make. Solaris stopped beside her, watching in companionable silence.
“I didn’t even know any more existed,” she said. With a closer look, Rance decided they were not monsters, but beautiful, graceful creatures. The whales swam in the above-ground ocean, twisting, turning in their current like an ornate, private, and primal dance.
Behind the whales, the tank extended into darkness, and Rance wondered how large the museum had to be to hold such colossal creatures. Above, light shined down into the aquarium, filtering through onto a fake sea floor.
“These are some of the last whales in the Empire,” Solaris said. “This whole side of the museum is one giant aquarium. It’s shameful that they haven’t transferred these to the seas of Barton. There was talk years ago of setting them free, but they are such a big attraction that the museum decided to keep them here.”
Disgusted now, Rance looked at the creatures in a new light. One swam up to the viewing area, and glowing text appeared on the glass at Rance’s eye level. She skimmed it. It was a blue whale, the largest of Old Earth’s whales, and the largest mammal ever to live on the planet. There weren’t any of them left in the wild. Only here.
Rance wondered if it could see her, and she wiggled her fingers at it as if she were a little girl at the zoo. The creature ignored her and moved on, its tail sweeping the water, creating a swirl of sand against the glass. These animals had never known freedom, and Rance felt a little sick at their captivity. Without freedom, what kind of life did they live? She turned to see Jane standing next to her.
“I’ve been arguing for years that they should set these animals free,” Jane said. “Even if they die on Barton, at least they would have some life.”
They moved on, more somber now, passing more aquariums filled with other giant sea creatures. The museum had creatures from other planets—giant snaggletooth animals that resembled sharks, long sea serpents, and even aquatic men.
Rance stopped to stare outright at the aquatic man floating in front of the glass. He had arms, legs, fingers, and toes, but was naked and covered in green scales. Large fins and webs floated out of his hands and toes, making him look like he was half fish. He had strikingly red eyes, which made Rance shudder. “Isn’t it illegal to hold these people against their will?”
“They volunteer their time,” Solaris said, smirking. “It’s a bone of contention among the aquatics. Many of their leaders don’t believe the race should sell themselves for the viewing pleasure of the galaxy. However, they get paid handsomely for floating there in front of you.”
Rance stared for another moment before turning away, and the trio headed down another hallway.
“Now will you tell us what we’re retrieving?” Rance asked.
“We’re going down into the basement,” Jane said.
Solaris whistled. “The basement? Very few people get to go down there. I’ve always wanted to see it.”
“Well, you’re going to get your wish. I found something a few months ago, and when I didn’t know what it was, I locked it down in one of the vaults.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you when there are fewer people around,” Jane said.
They passed another aquarium, this one smaller than the others but with windows just as high. Great, fanged fish swam in the dark water. Rance shivered but stepped closer anyway. The text that appeared this time read Lantess, an aggressive freshwater fish native to the planet Ares. Considered a delicacy, the lantess originates from the Lantes river and has been known to tear a grown man in half or swallow him whole, depending on the man (or woman’s) size.
The fish was about six feet long with four fins and a metallic hue that flashed other colors depending on the light. Rance had seen lantess on her plate before, had seen them in the market on Ares, but she had never seen a live one. They drifted in an artificial current, opening and closing their mouths. The fangs were really rows of razor-sharp teeth. Rance didn’t relish the job of whoever had to feed them every day.
The next aquarium held something even more terrifying. A single, monstrous fish, thirty feet long and streamlined like a shark. It glided through the water like a machine, around and around the tank. Its general shape was that of a shark, but it had a nose more like an arrow than a bullet. When it passed the window, its eye fixed on Rance, spinning in its socket until it could no longer see her. A thrill of fear ran up her spine, and she couldn’t help but notice how intelligent that stare was.
Rance read the information provided. “‘Rapax trucilamia. A shark-like fish found in the oceans of Barton. When it was first discovered, it was thought to be a shark mutation, and named demidon, or part shark. Now, marine biologists have determined it is a separate genus. Commonly called a reaper, this species is responsible for more human deaths than any aggressive fish species in the history of mankind. Because of its reputation and aggressive nature, this specimen is the only known reaper in captivity. The curators must keep the water temperature below the optimum for this fish, to slow down its metabolic processes and make it less aggressive.’” Rance paused to stare at the monster’s teeth. “Whose bright idea was it to keep one of these?”
“The Empire is always looking for new revenue,” Solaris said.
“I’ve been to Barton’s beaches,” Rance said with a cold shudder. “They don’t warn tourists about the reaper. Maybe that’s why it has such a high kill rate—too many opportunities.”
Solaris frowned. “Of course they wouldn’t warn anybody. It would ruin their booming tourist business.”
“Seems like the reapers would do that anyway. Remind me never to get in that water again.”
As they watched, a dead grouper was dropped into the tank. It hung suspended in the water with a gush of tiny bubbles rising to the surface. The reaper circled it slowly, its eye swiveling as it checked out the dead fish. Then, with a flick of its tale, the reaper grabbed the grouper and shredded it with one bite. Bits and chunks of flesh floated around the reaper’s head as it devoured its meal. Onlookers oohed and aahed while it was feeding.
Rance craned her head to the light at the surface. Someone had to feed the animal every day, and Rance didn’t envy that job, either. She t
hought she’d rather deal with the lantess.
By the time they reached a door with a sign that read off-limits, Rance was itching with curiosity about their errand. Jane leaned forward so a retinal scan could verify her identity.
The door swung outward, revealing a damp stone corridor that smelled as if the museum processed the dead fish down there. After they stepped in, the door closed behind them. White lights flickered on overhead, casting the hallway in faint, cold light. The basement felt more like a dungeon or a crypt than a vault, and Rance wondered at the primitive feel. The museum boasted some of the best donors in the galaxy.
“These tunnels were built around the original foundations of the museum. These particular halls are only temporary holding places for artifacts,” Jane said. “On occasion, something will get left out here for years on end. There are bigger and better vaults in other places, and those are the ones they show donors. We never bring them down here, obviously.”
“Do you have much to do with the donors?” Rance asked. The humid air clung to her skin, chilling her to the bone. She shivered.
“Museum curators tried to get me to attend a few parties, but I was afraid of being recognized by any of the noblemen. So, I didn’t go. Besides, I’d rather spend my time collecting things than standing around raising money.”
For a while, all they heard was the sound of their boots on the stone floor and their own breathing. They passed door after door, turning left and right until Rance couldn’t keep all the halls straight. Jane knew her way well. Rance tried to call up a map using her NNR, but all she got was an error message saying file not found.
“I didn’t want to talk about this before because I didn’t know who might be listening,” Jane said. “What I’m about to show you is one of the most closely guarded secrets of the galaxy. I need you to understand how important it is because once we get it, we have to go straight back to the ship.”
“What’s so important about it?” Solaris asked, frowning.
Jane stopped at a new door, and this one clearly had been installed more recently than the others they had passed. Rance had seen similar vaults in some of the largest banks. After another retinal scan for Jane, the door’s bolts clicked and hummed as the pneumatics raised the door.
Inside looked nothing like the hallway. It was dry, for one thing, a modern room lined with screens showing security footage from the museum. Smooth metal tables were set up in the center. A plain metal box rested on one. The lid was off of it, tossed aside like a piece of trash on the floor. Jane hurried over to it and peered in.
“It’s gone,” she said.
She hurried around the room, opening doors to reveal storage units and even refrigerated stasis chambers.
“What are we looking for?” Rance asked. She peered into a closet, finding a cleaning bot and more boxes.
Jane shook her head as if to clear it. She looked stunned. “Someone has stolen it.”
“What is it?”
Jane turned toward her daughter and sank against the table. “A sword.”
“We’re looking for a sword?”
“Not just a sword. It’s one of the Dioscuri.”
Solaris gasped.
“You know it?” Jane asked him.
Solaris nodded. “No wonder the Galaxy Wizards want to question you. I never thought they were real.”
Rance shook her head, convinced Solaris had said too much, that he was leading Jane straight for his identity.
Jane looked at him shrewdly.
“What is a Dioscuri Sword?” Rance asked her mother, trying to deflect her scrutiny of Solaris. She carefully avoided Solaris’ eyes.
“It’s a sword that has magical properties. Dioscuri is the mythical name for the twins Castor and Pollux, who were Greek Argonauts and accomplished horsemen. They were twins, but in ancient Greek legends, Pollux was the son of Zeus. Both helped sailors and guided them when they were lost. They each possessed a special sword to wield in battle—these we also call the Dioscuri.”
“The Greeks from Old Earth?”
“Yes,” Jane answered as she continued to search the room. Her actions were careful, methodical, but she moved with the air of someone who knew she would not find what she sought. “The history is all muddied. The swords aren’t from Castor and Pollux, of course. They were myths, and even the mythologies are confused about whether the twins died or were both made immortal. Of course, both of them form part of the constellation Gemini seen in Old Earth star charts. Around 3,000 A.D., researchers unearthed a forgotten legend, one that said the twins asked the god Hephaestus to make them swords imbued with magic. For their quests on horseback. In reality, the Dioscuri Swords are ancient, but no one knows where they came from or why anyone would think they are magical.”
“How do you know that’s what you had?” Rance asked.
“When I scanned it, all of the readings came back as an unknown metal. The sword looked ancient, but none of the materials matched those in any of the databases I searched. Since I didn’t have answers, I brought the sword here and locked it in this box. And then I went to do some unrelated research. I almost forgot about it until I came across something in the book I was reading. As soon as I realized, well… I’ve been trying to get back here for a week. Of course, the appearance of the Galaxy Wizards helped confirm my suspicions.”
“What does it do?”
“The sword is very ancient and supposedly imbued with powers not unlike what the Galaxy Wizards use.” Jane turned to Solaris. “What do you know about the Galaxy Wizards, Roote?”
Solaris shrugged. “More than some people, not as much as others.”
“A very wise answer,” she said, her eyes narrowing further.
“Thank you.” Solaris grinned. “I’m a wise guy.”
“I gathered that.” Despite her worry, Jane’s stoic facade broke for a moment as she studied Solaris. She looked both amused and worried.
“The sword is valuable,” she continued finally, “and would cause a lot of damage if put into the wrong hands. We have to find it.”
"How did you get it, Jane?" Solaris asked.
Jane walked to a wall terminal and entered a passcode. She pressed a few keys until the screen changed to show a solar system with five planets.
"The Five Sisters?" Rance asked.
"Yes," Jane answered, pointing to the planet furthest to the right. "I found the sword here. We don’t have time for me to tell you the story now, but trust me when I say it was more trouble than I thought it was worth. I nearly lost my life and my sanity to get it."
Rance frowned. She had trouble imagining Jane in a life-threatening situation, and the thought chilled her.
"Then why go after it?" Solaris asked.
Jane frowned. "I was intrigued. When I left the sword here, though, I believed it would be safe."
Without another word, she stormed out of the room. Rance and Solaris followed. They exchanged a glance, and Rance silently berated Solaris for giving away so much about himself. For some reason, she didn’t think Jane would think as highly of Solaris if she knew his real identity.
They hurried out of the vaults, running as if they were being chased. Jane spoke as they went. “Ever since I suspected what I had found, I felt watched.”
“Maybe you were paranoid,” Rance offered.
“And then my paranoia conjured real live Galaxy Wizards?” Jane asked.
“Two days ago, you told me you stopped recording your findings on your handset and other digital devices. Is that why?”
“No, I stopped doing that years ago. But I felt I had been watched for some time. It began after I found the sword. Like I told you yesterday, it made me more determined to find out what the sword was about.”
“That sounds like someone else I know,” Solaris said from behind them.
Rance ignored him—something else was bothering her. “Mother, what would be so terrible about giving the swords to the Galaxy Wizards? Aren’t they the good guys?”
&nbs
p; “I’ve never been convinced. If they had honorable motives, why follow me in secret? Why stalk me like I was a mob boss?”
Rance didn’t know what to think of that. She glanced back at Solaris and thought that Jane wasn’t the only innocent person the Galaxy Wizards had hunted like a criminal.
Chapter Eight
By the time they reached the main door, Rance and Solaris were out of breath. Jane looked as if she had just stepped off a luxury transport, calm and composed.
They merged into the main crowds of the museum. Instead of leading them back to the front doors, Jane led them down more hallways, past more displays, offices, and meeting rooms. The whole situation looked so mundane, so boring, that Rance thought there must be some mistake. The myth wasn’t real, and the theft must have been a crime of opportunity by someone looking to make a quick sale on the black market.
When Jane entered a modern room full of holograms and large displays, three guards snapped to attention. The men wore light armor without helmets. They didn’t look like the typical security men, for instead of tattoos and bulging muscles, they had clean-shaven faces and slim bodies. Rance assumed the museum kept the thugs in another room. She didn’t doubt for a moment that they employed them somewhere.
“Dr. Cross, what can we do for you?” the first guard asked Jane. Rance did a double-take, unused to hearing her mother addressed as an archaeologist.
“I need security footage of any accesses from Vault 5113, beginning from six months ago,” Jane said.
“What are we looking for?”
“I’ll know it when I see it. Just retrieve it, please.”
While they worked, Rance studied the room. Directly behind Solaris, one of the screens displayed images of wanted people. One of them was Kaur, the most dangerous pirate in the galaxy. Rance shivered, thinking about his stone-cold angry face staring at her through a porthole. She would never forget it. Unfortunately, Kaur was unlikely to forget hers, either.
