by Candace Sams
****
Charlie heard everything.
Something blinded her vision. Even the mess she hid behind seemed blurred and faded in and out of focus as she blinked. She raised her hand to her face and felt something wet on her cheeks. She realized she was actually crying.
Two things were obvious.
First, Electra knew she was dying and wanted Datron to know it as well. But the woman had at least withheld that information for the time being.
Second, she knew she loved Datron Mann with every fiber of her being. His gentle comments cracked her heart almost to the breaking point. He just said he loved her in return. And she knew if she’d had a life to give, he could have laid claim to every cell in her body.
I didn’t mean for this to happen. I should never have walked across that ballroom.
But the deed was done.
She slumped and put her face in her hands. For long moments she silently wept as the ship’s engines were revved for pre-flight testing.
As upset as she was over Datron’s revelation and her part in it, the analytical part of her brain pieced together facts.
As she now understood it, Captain Keir Trask had taken his vessel to Earth two years ago. He’d entered the Mr. Interstellar Feller male beauty pageant leaving everyone on Earth shocked. At that time, Oceanuns openly let it be known that such pursuits were beneath them.
Datron, as most of Earth knew, had been Keir’s second-in-command and had also conveniently entered the pageant. That convenience made sense now. One of them had to keep winning the various pageant events. They had to stay in the competition in order to catch Ussarian smugglers.
Electra had somehow joined their mission on Earth as a secret agent operating under Earth Protectorate protocol. The older woman’s years spent putting on the Mr. Interstellar Feller pageant were all a ruse, probably meant to hide activities her vaunted position would gain her. On Earth, Electra was in contact with all kinds of dignitaries, politicians, actors, and any number of powerful individuals who might take her into their confidence.
What better way to root out those with criminal intent than to use your fame and fortune in such a way as to garner trust. Further mulling over the facts, she knew Gilla, Clitus, and Sagan Carter—who’d been acting as Keir’s pageant manager—had all been on the same mission which was similar to the one Datron would now command. They were after Ussarians back then and they were after them now. Their mission was to stop anyone from finding out about the properties of some kind of dangerous stones; stones bearing the name of their origin―the planet Lucent.
Although still in a muddle about the particulars, Charlie was pretty damned sure she had the general facts straight.
One thing became very clear. A dangerous mission was underway. However, what mattered most was that it involved the man with whom she’d fallen in love.
She wiped the last of her tears away, knowing she could never have Datron Mann. Somehow, she’d have to leave him and find a way to make him glad to be rid of her.
He didn’t know she was dying. If he ever found out he’d chase her to the depths of space just to be with her until her last breath. And her terrible, undignified end would be witnessed by the one person in the universe she most wanted to shield.
How did Electra know about my disease?
“God…my background check!” she whispered.
Electra must have used her position to access her medical records.
Charlie felt like screaming. She never thought someone would actually check her medical history. But Electra had gone the full nine yards. There was no way to guess if Gilla or Clitus knew, but it was of no importance. All that mattered was that Datron couldn’t find out, and that he and her newfound friends came back safely. If she could in any way facilitate this, she would not back down.
She waited until the engine test-start was over. Only then would all hatches and the hold be sealed permanently. By waiting, she meant to make sure no one saw her move.
As predicted, the Hyperion’s cargo hold began to close for good, she ran for it and leapt into the interior of the ship. Her body landed against a phallic-shaped trungeon bomb that Clitus or Gilla had obviously just uncrated; likely to keep her from seeing it. This was what they’d referred to as their ‘pleasant’ addition to the supplies. Once they arrived at their destination, it was clear they wanted to waste no time unboxing their explosives.
“God help me!” she muttered, then quickly recalled the location of the nearest air duct.
It took her only a few moments to climb on top of a large crate and into the duct crawl space. She felt no remorse. This was likely the one last chance she had of staying near the Valkyrian god-like captain who’d stolen her heart.
Something told her she was doing the right thing. Of course, she’d be caught sooner or later and would be branded a criminal on Oceanus. There’d be no excuse for her actions and her mechanical and engineering licenses would all be taken away.
Everything she’d ever loved about her life would end because of her actions. But none of that mattered as it once would have. Everything was different when someone you loved was in danger.
For now, she sat in her air duct directly above the ship’s latrine—or head—and pondered all she’d heard. The flight would take thirty hours. Take off was uneventful as the artificial gravity in the duct was the same as that within the cabin. She only felt a slight tug against her body as the Hyperion left Oceanus’ orbit.
Eventually, she rolled into a ball and grew drowsy. When her eyelids finally closed, she dreamt of a beautiful beach by a blue-green ocean. A big winged man strode from the waves, nude. He smiled and held out his massively muscled and bronzed arms. She was his and had no problem giving in to his sexual desires.
It was a lovely dream.
But even as he held her, something pulled her from his strong embrace. In the fantasy world of sleep, she glanced over her shoulder at the impediment keeping her from her lover. It wasn’t so much a person who was now holding her as an entity. Black, looming and cruel.
She knew the horrific shadow for what it was―Black Hole Syndrome. Like a malevolent being, it pulled her away even as Datron called her back. But there was nothing anyone could do. She must fight it off as long as she could, all by herself. It was her battle, no one else’s. But one day soon she’d succumb.
In her sleep, she huddled tighter. It seemed if she could make herself smaller, the thing pursuing her couldn’t find her and take her away. The darkness crept ever nearer and Charlie turned, one last time, to see her big, winged angelic-like hero falling to his knees with his arms outstretched toward her.
It was a pitiful, overwhelmingly sad sight, and she wept more bitterly than she ever had in her entire life. His face was a mask of pain and sorrow. She’d done this to him. She’d broken his heart. A scream of frustration rose from her throat as she was pulled further away and into oblivion.
Chapter Thirteen
A slamming sound startled Charlie into wakefulness. She blinked as the metal confines of the square air duct came into focus. Then she took a deep breath and looked down through the ceiling overhead grate. Someone had entered one of the four heads on the vessel.
The noise awakening her had been the turbo-pneumatic hatch opening and closing. When hatches moved on these old ships, one could just about hear them all over the vessel.
She gathered her wits and thought about crawling toward the bridge to find out what the crew was doing, and if they’d slept in their bridge chairs even as she’d fallen asleep in her cramped little hiding spot. Only by hearing what was going on would she know how close they were to Chiron. What she’d do when they arrived remained a mystery. She hadn’t worked through the details yet, but planned to be a part of this mission.
To keep from being caught now, Charlie moved as quietly as possible. That she hadn’t been discovered so far was a testament to her craftiness. Indeed, leaving off a crate of linens when she’d offered to help load them, seemed to h
ave accounted for her weight. Altering the biologic read-out scanner so her presence seemed no larger than an insect’s also stood her in good stead.
She carefully twisted her body until she faced the opposite direction, intending to crawl toward the bridge. But a very large, blond head appeared just below her and right in front of the commode. If she opened the grate right above the toilet and reached out one hand, she could easily touch Datron’s thick hair. He’d probably jump right into the ceiling and dent the overhead in the process. The thought of doing just that made her grin.
She put a hand over her mouth and stifled a chuckle when Datron unfastened the front of his black uniform pants, and proceeded to urinate.
If he only knew I was here.
He began to whistle an old Earth tune, Whistle While You Work. The irony made her giggle to the point she was sure the duct would begin to vibrate and give her away.
If the mission had him concerned, she couldn’t tell.
It occurred to her he’d given her another first. He’d been her first lover. And what a magnificently divine experience it’d been. She could still feel his gentle touch on her skin and how massive he’d felt on first entering her body. She softly sighed, thinking of how he’d taken her away, to another part of the universe. It’d felt like making love to a god. How ineffective her female toys seemed by comparison. And now he offered her a first-hand look at a man’s bathroom habits.
She tamped down feelings of loss. Instead, she lived in the moment as she’d learned to do for most of her life. Right now, his softly uttered words on finishing almost had her choking with glee. Happiness in having had him at all was good enough. It would have to be.
“Ahhhh…wait for the shake,” Datron whispered and proceeded to follow through with the action.
Then he re-fastened his trousers, held his hands under the dry, sonic-cleanser in the basin, and glanced at himself in the mirror. While smoothing his palms over his tied-back hair, he spoke to his reflection.
“When I get back, I’ll make myself irresistible. Charlie won’t know what hit her. Yeah…I’m all that.”
Then he winked at himself and quickly left the head.
Charlie pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets. She stayed where she was until her laughter was under control, but then the novelty and absurdity wore off and she sat in total silence.
What was amusing a few moments ago wasn’t so funny now.
The ability to chase gloom away fled. There’d never be any opportunity for him to make himself ‘irresistible’.
Charlie swallowed hard, shook her head and blinked back tears. Then she lifted her chin and got on with what was happening in the present.
If she was going to follow through with any scheme, she needed sustenance. The easiest place to get food and water, without giving away her presence, lay just ahead.
When she got to the galley area she opened the oversized duct grate and dropped down onto a tabletop. It took only a few seconds to grab fresh fruit and bottled water, shove these into the spacious confines of her work overalls, then climb back into her hiding spot. Years of pulling herself around small spaces and lifting heavy, mechanical equipment gave her ample upper body strength to complete the task.
She reckoned relieving herself would be no problem since she could crawl back through the duct network, pull off a vent cover, drop down into a head, and then do her business without ever opening the hatch to the head itself. It’d be easy to use the back of the commode and her body strength to get back through the oversized vents in the ceiling—or the overhead as it was called—and into the air duct again.
Thoughts of Datron kept her mind occupied during the remaining hours of the journey. Aside from surreptitious bathroom trips, and a few catnaps, she stayed close to the bridge.
A half hour away from Chiron’s orbit, Datron began issuing serious orders. She sat quite still and eavesdropped.
****
After only a few hours of sleep, Datron roused the crew. He’d allowed them to slumber while he navigated the ship. He’d never trusted the old-fashioned auto-pilots. However, the real reason for his sleeplessness was this damned mission. He still felt uneasy but orders were orders.
The time to consider options was over—not that he’d been given any.
When everyone was awake and belted in, he turned on his transmitter and sent out a broadcast to Ambassador Radnor Caul. The man, as the king assured him, would most certainly be waiting for this vid-communiqué to take place.
Since Lucent and its inhabitants were once denizens of Earth, he would be able to speak English. Not having to hook into translators saved time. From here on, things must move quickly. They had to destroy those stones before the cornered Ussarians’ backup arrived.
Once communication was acknowledged and opened, he wasted no time.
“Good day to you, sir,” Datron greeted through his console microphone. At the same time he spoke, he simultaneously focused the ambassador’s image on the vid screen. “I’m Captain Datron Mann. The crew you specified is aboard. We’re approaching using landing coordinates embedded within this message. We were sent last minute orders via our mutual friend on Oceanus. In addition to the duties you requested, we understand we’ll be responsible for Chiron’s demolition. Is that agreed and are there any last instructions?”
He viewed the robust image of the bureaucrat with nonchalance. It seemed the more elevated these envoys got, the more they all looked the same. Datron pasted on his best, diplomatic smile since the ambassador could also see him and the bridge crew. To protect his king, he’d purposely left out any reference to Kryllian except for the obligatory mention of ‘our mutual friend’.
Radnor Caul smiled and held out his arms in a gesture of welcome. “I’m so glad you’re finally here, Captain Mann. I’m also gratified to see your crew includes Ms. Galaxy, Clitus Gart, and Gilla Eck’nor. We were sorry to learn from Kryllian Zatoe Doran, his grandson, Keir Trask and his lovely mate and former Earth Protectorate officer were not able to join you. I wish them much happiness as they prepare for the birth of their child. I was one of the few who knew about their joint operation on Earth during the Mr. Interstellar Feller pageant. I wish with all my heart that this similar circumstance was not occurring,” he heartily expounded.
Datron frowned at the use of so many names in any broadcast, secured or not. But the damage was done now. Radnor Caul continued with his diatribe.
“The Ussarians, as they were two years ago, continue to be a particularly dangerous nuisance,” Caul advised. “They’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on stones that can yield a fortune to the highest bidder. As you can well imagine, anyone wishing to control the minds of others would pay a ransom for this power!”
Datron nodded. “Yes sir. We’re just as anxious to have those stolen crates of stones destroyed.” He got right down to matters at hand. “As you know, I’ve been instructed to rout out the Ussarians and visually account for the crates myself. I must see them and swear to their disposal. To reiterate, we’re still supposed to destroy Chiron after it’s been evacuated. Are we not?”
“Indeed,” the ambassador confirmed with an adamant nod.
“We have the means to do so aboard, sir. This implosion is to be conducted in synchronization with the decimation of Lucent. The Ussarians will be given the chance to surrender. If they fail to do so, we’re to get the crates by any means necessary. Those are my orders.”
“This is where our mutual friend and I disagree. To kill the Ussarians we have cornered would force a diplomatic issue between Lucent and the planet Ussar, Captain. Were you not made aware of my reluctance regarding this matter?”
Datron took a deep breath and tried to be as tactful as possible. The king had sent new orders to the Hyperion concerning this very issue, but his instincts told him to press the matter. “Ambassador, the criminals’ safety requires their total surrender. Lucent won’t exist much longer. I don’t understand what issues Ussar could find with a dea
d world.”
Caul sat for a moment—a contemplative look on his face. “Perhaps you and our mutual friend, as you refer to him, are correct. It may be you’ll have to kill the thieves to get the stones. They are quite hostile, hence our having called Oceanus for help. As I reported, there are ten entrenched in a cave. They used a very small, intergalactic class vessel to avoid detection. This is how they evaded our planet’s antiquated scanners to begin with, and it’s how they landed on our surface, got in our mines, and stole the crates. Of course, we’d intended for the crates to be incinerated,” he insisted.
“Of course,” Datron answered while trying to skirt any note of sarcasm in his tone.
“It all happened extremely quickly.” The ambassador lifted his hands in a supplicating gesture. “Suffice it to say, after the initial attack and while in pursuit, my air-born constables were able to fire several photon bombs into their hull and penetrate their defense shields. Their ship was badly damaged but not destroyed. They could only make it to Chiron. As it stands, our law enforcers are hardly qualified for an entrenched battle. Once more, this is why we need the expertise and excellent strategic maneuvering of an Oceanus Protectorate officer. One whose discretion may be counted upon. Someone such as yourself.”
Datron nodded but didn’t succumb to the gushing flattery. He was being greased for some reason. But why? He had his orders and Caul knew this. There was no reason for the ambassador to kiss his and his crews’ asses. He also noted a certain derision in Caul’s voice when he uselessly referred to Kryllian anonymously, in the latter part of his discourse.
Caul smiled brightly and continued. “I am so glad you are here, Captain. I dared not risk ordering our people to attack and having the Ussarians scatter on the surface of Chiron. We cannot allow any of them to escape with even one stone. As you know, their fleet is closing in on the planet. An additional reason for contacting the Oceanus Protectorate. The Ussarians are hoping their comrades will arrive before they are arrested or killed.”
