by Dana Kelly
“The spheres are going to be here in about ten hours,” said Casey. “Are you sure this is wise?”
“No, but with so much at stake, I have to try and convince her to help,” said Orin.
“I believe in you,” said April. I’ll also be in continuous communication, she thought.
Thank you, thought Orin.
“Good luck,” said Mike.
“He does not require it,” said Nimbus.
Torsha chuckled. “Uh, yeah he does.”
“I really do,” said Orin. He faced the park and took his leave.
◆◆◆
Imperium orbited high above Earth, and Eridani stood watching the viewscreen. “I’ve never seen so many starships,” she said. Swiping through the ship registry, she admired the sleek curves and lines of the ocelini vessels, the Aztec esthetic of the Falcon flotilla, the sturdy brutishness of the sudasau fleets, and the echoes of Earth’s maritime tradition displayed so prominently throughout her star navy.
One starship caught Eridani’s attention, and she zoomed in. Covered from stem to stern in arboreal relief, the ship resembled a forest stripped of the spaces between trees. All her information showed as restricted. “What navy does this starship belong to?” asked Eridani, and she looked at Gretchen.
“I’m pretty sure it’s beocrann,” said Gretchen. “These spheres must pose an existential threat beyond the destruction of Earth, because it’s been a generation since anyone’s seen the Forest of Worlds’ armada leave its home port.”
Shaking her head, Eridani plopped down in the captain’s chair. “I’m so glad Casey left me in charge.”
“It’ll be fine,” said Grostonk. “There must be close to six thousand warships out there, and only a hundred and fifty of those spheres.”
“None of our weapons have even dented those things,” said Eridani. She swiveled to regard Grostonk directly.
He shrugged. “All they’ve been using is lasers, mass drivers, and missiles. That’s fine if you like shooting pellet guns at a tank.”
“Singularity mines, quantum spikes, and even C-beams have proven equally ineffective,” said Afshin. “If he who overcomes by force knows only half his foe, we must forge a more enlightened path when force alone avails nothing.”
“My friend, we’ve got one thing Interstellar Defense and the O-Guard don’t,” said Grostonk.
Afshin raised his brow. “Which is?”
“Quark nukes,” said Grostonk. “Strange matter nukes, specifically.”
Gretchen paled. “Don’t even joke about that. Those things were banned for a reason—strange matter nukes could destabilize Earth’s place in spacetime for decades!”
“You’d prefer the destruction of Earth?” asked Grostonk.
“No one prefers that,” said Afshin. “But we aboard Imperium have the opportunity to seek a path of intelligent exchange, even as everyone else prepares for war.”
Grostonk shrugged and regarded Eridani. “What do you think, Captain?”
“No one’s going to use quark nukes with billions of people still holed up in shelters. Afshin, you make a good point—we’re in a unique position to consider some alternatives. Let’s see if we can’t figure out a way to hail one of those spheres.”
“Aye, Captain!” said Afshin.
“People I trust say they strongly resemble the Caretakers’ ships in appearance,” said Eridani. “Unfortunately, the military regards the Caretakers as creatures of myth, despite any evidence to the contrary, and are treating this as a shock and awe assault from an unidentified aggressor. Personally, I think they are the Caretakers. So, what do we know about them?”
Eridani began to pace. “They can appear instantly, but I think that’s probably a phased matter or cloaking phenomenon, and not their method of travel. As a rule, where they appear, mass disappearances follow. When they appeared on Trionides, no one went missing, but they delivered a stack of crates to the prime minister of the Forst of Worlds. I believe the key to this puzzle lies with her—Ellylle Fenmore. What was she doing there? How long was she on Trionides before the Caretakers showed up? If we can find those answers, we can get an idea of how fast they can move.”
Afshin swiveled around and interfaced with his console. “According to public records, Fenmore arrived at the Sunset Beach starport on Trionides, December 22nd of last year. She departed on the same day the Caretakers appeared—exactly three weeks ago, on January 30th.”
“She was only there for the pickup, which means she must’ve called them when she got there,” said Eridani. “Afshin, I want you to work with Grostonk. Look for anomalous communications, starting with December 22nd. I think it’s safe to assume she was trying to remain inconspicuous—at least until her delivery arrived—so I doubt she would’ve braved corporate security forces. Let’s start with federal transceivers.”
“Aye, Captain,” said Afshin, and he waved Grostonk over.
Eridani activated the comm. “Hey Eleski.”
“Warm greetings to you,” said Eleski.
“Can you join me on the bridge? I have a feeling we’ll be needing your skills.”
◆◆◆
Lomomu paced within Big Huey’s cargo hold. A cool evening breeze blew across the tarmac, up into the shuttle. Lane lights shone in the distance. “I don’t like this,” he muttered. “Zella, I thought you said we were goin’ to be the hammer that saves Earth!”
“Actually, that was the Cap’n.” Zella crouched near a stack of crates, examining every nook and groove. “An he framed it a wee bit more fancifully, as Ah recall.” She leaned into view with her arm raised high. Using a deep and dramatic voice, she mimicked Reggie. “If that gem does what she says it does, we’ll be the hammer that cracks it open! Or somethin like that.”
“Imagine us, saving Earth,” muttered Reggie, and he shook his head. “In the end, we’re just the cowards that sold her out.” He glanced at Zella. “Good work switching the labels on those crates. You bought the people of Frossivneff some time, but Greensleeves is on to you.”
Zella wiped the sweat from her brow and folded her hands in her lap. “Oh?”
“Yup. Watched her switch everything back, this morning,” said Reggie. “She checked and double-checked. The seed she’s got is Earth’s.”
“Well, that’s it then,” said Lomomu. “We’re officially her minions, now.”
With a sly smile, Zella rose and stretched. “Dinnae lose hope. We might be too late tae stop her from re-terraformin Earth.” She leaned over and popped open one of the crates. “But we can save the rest these planets.”
“What if she sees you messing around in there?” asked Reggie. “I’ll never forgive myself if something happened to you!”
“Ah know.” Gently, Zella traced a fresh scar that ran from his hairline to his chin, and Reggie shied away from the contact. “Help me open these things.” She crossed the hold and pulled a tarp from a cylinder of liquid oxygen.
“I was wonderin’ where that came from,” said Lomomu. “Big Huey’s nitrogen-cooled. What do we need liquid oxygen for?”
“Because liquid nitrogen is nae goin tae get the job done.” She grunted quietly as she loaded the canister onto a dolly and wheeled it toward the crates. “Get the weldin torch, will ye?”
“What are you planning?” asked Reggie.
Zella unloaded the cylinder. “Ma mass spectrometry app cannae make heads or tails of whit’s inside, but the shells are diamonds.”
“You’re not plannin’ to hawk these things, are you?” asked Lomomu.
Zella chuckled dryly. “Definitely not.”
“Wait,” said Reggie. “I think I understand—diamonds are made of carbon.”
“Aye, an ye know whit carbon is particularly fond of, don’t ye?” With an impish smile, she patted the oxygen canister.
◆◆◆
Orin walked along the paths that bordered Queensbridge Park. Moonlight glimmered upon the river behind him. Connecting with his nightmare body, he searched the nearby
trees. There you are, he thought. Just beyond the reach of lamplight, he found a set of unusual roots and approached. “I thought that was you.”
Ellylle’s branches softly creaked, her blooms well hidden behind curtains of leaves. [My dear Orinoco. I watched you strolling. If I’d known you were seeking me, I’d have waved you over.] Her leaves rustled in waves. [But that’s neither here nor there, I suppose. What matters is the connection we share. Of course, you sensed my presence.]
Orin sat down on a cold, wrought iron bench, positioned directly across from her. “What are you doing here?”
[Enjoying the view. The river I mean, not the bridge.] She swooshed gently. [I’m glad to see you triumphed. Schurke deserves everything that’s coming to him.]
“You follow the news.”
[When it interests me.] Her leaves parted enough to reveal Ellylle’s smiling countenance. [You and your team must be enjoying your time in the sun.]
“It’s just ussies and autographs, all day long.” He glanced skyward. “You must be aware of the spheres. Do you know who’s controlling them?”
[No one controls them, but the Caretakers are responsible for setting their course, if that’s what you’re after,] said Ellylle.
“You mentioned them on Trionides,” said Orin. “Who are the Caretakers?”
[Wise beings as old as the galaxy,] said Ellylle. [They seek to restore the natural balance.]
“Why are their spheres converging on Earth?” asked Orin.
[Ask the Caretakers.]
“You know I can’t.” Orin stood up and walked over to stand before her. “Please help us, Ellylle. Please help us defeat them. If even one of those things hits the surface, it’ll wipe out all life on the planet.”
[Help you?] Ellylle creaked and pivoted briefly toward Queensborough Bridge before switching on her vocoder. “Why ever would I do that?”
“If it’s not to help, then why are you here?” asked Orin.
“To see firsthand the resurrection of Earth,” said Ellylle. She glanced his way with a smile. “I’d tell you they’re safe, but you won’t take comfort in my assurances.”
“What, the spheres?” asked Orin. “The spheres are safe?”
Musically, she laughed. “No, not the spheres.”
Orin fumed. “What are you getting at?”
Crimson cracks marred the edges of her face, and her blooms faded to gray. “When you realize they’re gone, you’ll demand I tell you where they are. You’ll threaten me, but you’re not yet a killer, and even if you were, killing me won’t reveal anything.”
“When I realize who are gone? What are you talking about?” asked Orin.
Something’s wrong, thought April. Something is happening to us. Orin, help—!
Very suddenly, Orin felt alone in his thoughts.
He spun around, facing the bridge, but saw no sign of his friends. “April, come in,” said Orin, and he tapped his commlink. “April, are you there? Casey? Mike? Anyone?”
“They can’t hear you,” said Ellylle.
Orin glowered at her. “What did you do to them?”
“Calm down. They’re safe.”
Blue fire flared around his forearms. “Let them go!”
Ellylle recoiled. “That would be foolish.”
His whole body erupted into churning flames. Streetlights creaked as they bowed toward him, and water swelled up from the banks of the East River. “I said let them go!”
Keeping her distance from the fire, Ellylle’s blooms flared bright red. “No!”
◆◆◆
Shona awoke flat on her back upon a bed of desert sand, engulfed in total darkness. “Hello?” she whispered, but she sounded like Torsha. Rolling onto her side, she cautiously probed her surroundings. Her hand brushed against a patch of fur. “Malmoradan, is that you?”
“No, it’s me,” said Torsha, but she sounded like Malmoradan. “What the hell? Sorry, fake me, I don’t know why I sound like this, but it’s me, Torsha.” Curling up to sit, sand rained down from her mountainous form.
“I’m Shona, not fake you. Torsha, I think I’m in your body.”
“Actually, I’m over here,” said Malmoradan. “But I sound like April, apparently.” He checked his physical form. “Possibly, I am April now.”
“Only for the time being I hope,” said April. “Nimbus, I sound rather like you do.”
Nimbus laughed, delighted. “Which means I’m inhabiting your corporeal form, Captain Cartwright!”
“I’m in a man’s body,” said Casey in Mike’s voice. “Mike, I think this is you.”
“Shona, I’m in your body,” said Mike. “Which explains why I sound like you.”
“Somehow, we’ve all switched bodies,” said Casey. “Maybe it’s a psychic emanation. April, do you know anything about this?”
“I don’t. If this is a vectored psychic event, it exceeds B-class manipulations, bordering on O-class. I don’t know of anyone who can shuffle so many minds simultaneously.”
“It almost feels like a dream,” said Mike. He climbed to his feet and cracked his skull on something overhead. With a yelp, he stumbled forward onto his forearms, spraying sand everywhere. “I guess it’s not, because that really hurt!”
“A dream… You might be on to something,” said April. “It’s possible Ellylle has the power to force us all into a shared dream state. I imagine whatever harm comes to us here, comes to us in the real world, as well.”
“Then why do we still have our stuff?” asked Shona.
“Good question,” said April.
“Does anyone have a flashlight?” asked Mike.
“Nimbus, check your gear,” said Casey. “I usually keep a shoulder lamp in my left-side vest pouch.”
“Aye-aye, Captain Cartwright,” said Nimbus, followed by a rip of Velcro. “I have successfully retrieved it!”
“Wait,” said Shona, “Don’t turn it on yet. Everyone be quiet.” The fur on her arms prickled, and through the sand at her fingertips she sensed distant movement. “Something’s coming… something big.”
“How can you tell?” asked Casey.
“I don’t know,” answered Shona. “I just can.”
“How fast is it moving?” asked Casey.
“Not that fast, but it’s bearing down on us.”
“Nimbus, switch on the lamp,” said Casey. “Let’s have a look at our visitor.”
Nimbus affixed the device to her vest’s shoulder mount. “Aye-aye, Captain Cartwright!” She turned on the light, revealing her fellow crewmates as they stood beneath a short, stone overhang. Sand reached from the grotto to the far horizon, under the cover of a starless night. Dozens of planets lingered along the skyline, like colorful watermarks.
Descending from the closest dune, a titanic, black-shelled beetle scuttled toward them, and Malmoradan shivered. “I hate bugs,” he grumbled.
“What kind of bug is that?” asked Shona.
“I believe it’s a type of mountain pine beetle, but they normally don’t get any bigger than five millimeters,” said April. “Wait, how did I know that?”
Nimbus grinned. “My encyclopedic data stores activate automatically upon any search request.”
“That’s extraordinary,” said April.
“I’ve got this crazy feeling like it’s planning to eat us,” said Malmoradan. “I swear I can sense its hunger, somehow.”
“That’s my telepathy,” said April. “You’d be wise to trust it.”
“What kills them?” asked Casey.
“In the natural world, fire and starvation,” said April.
Casey took a deep breath. “Fantastic. April and Malmoradan, hang back. The rest of you are with me. Nimbus, help me draw its attention. Be fearless about it. Torsha and Mike, flank it from behind. Shona, you have claws, now. Get on top of it and do as much damage as you can.”
“Please qualify what you mean by fearless,” said Nimbus.
“Like you aren’t afraid of it,” said Casey. “Be loud and be anima
ted. Our job is to keep it distracted.”
“While Nimbus has done well in training exercises, this is her first encounter with a live enemy,” said Malmoradan. “I ain’t too sure about encouraging a fearless level of engagement. It seems a little reckless.”
“So long as she’s in my body, she’ll be just fine,” said Casey.
Malmoradan furrowed his brow. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ll explain later,” said Casey. With a fearsome battle cry in Mike’s voice, she led the charge. Fumbling in the darkness, April and Malmoradan retreated further into the grotto.
Shona joined Mike as he bolted right, and Torsha bolted left. Casey and Nimbus met the creature head-on. They shouted and waved, stomping their feet, and the titanic beetle lunged. Nimbus spun away, and Casey dove under the giant insect. Its leg struck harmlessly against her chest, pushing her briefly into the sand before sliding away. Springing back to her feet, she dodged, kicked, and tumbled.
Mike and Torsha charged the creature’s flanks, and Shona sprang from the sand. She landed atop its back and galloped toward its head. As she dug through its shell, Torsha ripped through its armored carapace with blade-length claws and all Malmoradan’s strength.
Nimbus yelped as the creature’s palpi seized her by the midsection and drew her toward its mandibles. She struggled against its grip but couldn’t break free. “Help me! Captain Cartwright, help me, please!” Its mandibles clicked and clacked, growing louder as it pulled her in closer.
With a fearsome roar, Mike gripped the junction between the beetle’s abdomen and thorax. He pulled, and with a sickening rush of viscous fluid, separated the creature’s front half from its back. “Holy God,” he whispered as it came crashing down, and he regarded his hands. “Shona, you’re strong!”
“I’m tough, too,” she said, and she smiled proudly. Bug guts dripped from her fur, and she hopped down to the sand. Somewhat breathless, they shared grins and congratulations as they gathered round the beetle’s corpse.
“Where’s Nimbus?” asked Mike.
“She was right here,” said Casey.
“Nimbus!” shouted Mike, and he noticed a pair of boots near the beetle’s head. Dashing close, he stumbled at the sight of her. “Oh my god,” he breathed, and he wretched.
