Into the Void (Beyond Humanity Book 1)

by Kellie Sheridan

  "Hmm," was the only answer Evie could come up with.

  "I'm going to go back to my lab for a bit," Safa said, picking up the tea she'd poured for herself. Knack jumped down off the table, circling her feet.

  "Maybe try bed instead. Things will be clearer in the morning." Evie had said that last part automatically. It was something she'd told her father more times than she could count because she remembered his father saying it to both of them when he'd still been alive.

  "Maybe," Safa said, before leaving. Evie doubted she'd even consider bed, but it was hard to blame her.

  There was still so many things they didn't know. And there was still a good chance that Safa's latest theory was the wrong one.

  Had her family been taking credit for alien advancement for generations? It would explain a lot. Like how Mason had apparently come up with something incredible after a lifetime of slacking off and partying.

  But if there was a chance that Safa was right, even if it was a small one … they could come for her.

  It was still a long shot. They might never even learn what had happened to her, though she liked to believe that her dad would throw all his resources behind uncovering the truth of her disappearance.

  Unless that truth was one that could unravel everything he'd worked to build.

  Evie sighed. Her thoughts were spiraling and she knew it. There were more questions than answers, and nothing she was worrying about now would help anyone with what they had to face next.

  The rest of the galaxy was coming up quickly, and no one on board the Lexiconis could pretend as though they were ready.

  All of her questions could wait another day, maybe another lifetime.

  Tomorrow, Evie would start fresh, doing her best to become a real member of this crew, rather than just the person who had ruined everyone else's chances to grow old in their home system.

  She'd do everything she could to make up for where she'd led them, even knowing that would never really be possible.

  Hopefully things really would look clearer in the morning.

  Chapter Thirty – Oliver

  The Lexiconis was alone in a region of space that humanity had once only theorized about. The city-ship was long gone, leaving the Lexiconis with the technology they'd traded for, and only Illyrian to help make sense of any of it. They also had a copy of every single human entertainment file they'd had on board, plus any historical files they could dig up. It was the best representation of who humanity was that they had to offer. Oliver hoped some of the Rohtet would watch some of his favorite old programs and understand, thinking well of the humans for who they aspired to be. If nothing else, perhaps Illyrian would watch them to better understand his new crew.

  The young Rohtet would not have been Oliver's first choice for someone to accept as a member of his crew, especially since he had technically agreed to take the man as far as Earth if they ever made it that far. But that had been the deal. They called it a hazad—one member of their species leaving a city-ship to join another, to help spread the knowledge of their species as far as possible.

  And Oliver could admit, having someone else on board who was familiar with how things worked out here on the edges of the galaxy, could only be helpful.

  But it meant one more person he needed to keep alive.

  His ship was getting a makeover the likes of which any of his buddies back home would have been beyond envious of. Their new engines would get them between systems in the span of hours instead of decades. The computer upgrades were game changing too, opening up communications between the new species they'd meet, and giving them access to datahubs with enough information to keep Safa busy for years.

  But even though he knew everything they'd gained was only scratching the surface of what this region of space had to offer, all Oliver wanted was to trade all of it for the chance to get back home.

  His office seemed so small now, so insignificant. But at least one thing hadn't changed. It was still the best place to come and think through his problems.

  Not that he expected to find any solutions, at least not easy ones. Even with three aliens on board, four counting Knack, easy was a thing of the past.

  He had spent years dreaming about what it would be like to lead a crew like this one across the galaxy in endless adventures. So far, the reality had been far more difficult than any of the programs he'd watched growing up. Those had been a fantasy—where humanity was prepared for what was ahead, where humanity was the best of the best.

  Instead, they were lost, practically children. Everyone else was back in their home system, completely oblivious to what else was out there, ready to swallow them whole.

  It was yet another reason for Oliver to give everything he had to making sure his crew got home. Not just for him, and for Sprocket, even for Evie now. But so that they could warn all the people they'd left behind, and make sure everyone understood the gravity of what they could come face to face with at any minute.

  How long would it be before a different Rohtet city-ship found their way to the human system? Or another race altogether?

  Humanity had gone this long without encountering anyone, but there were no guarantees. No guarantees. That was almost the only thing Oliver felt sure of anymore. That and his crew.

  They were the best, not just at what they did, but as people. They deserved better than him, better than the situation he'd gotten them into. And he had to find a way to get them home. If they'd found this much in the past few weeks since encountering the anomaly that brought them here, he had to believe there was more out there. A technology, or a race, with the ability to get them home. Wormholes, hypergates, inter-dimensional travel. He'd take whatever he could find.

  It was going to be a long road, but there was nowhere to go but forward.

  The journey of the Lexiconis continues in Beyond Humanity, Book Two. Get your copy today!

  Click here to get a free copy of The Casseract Legacy, the prequel to Into the Void, and be the first to hear about new releases from Kellie Sheridan!

  If you enjoyed Into the Void, please consider leaving a review.

  If you're looking for your next read and love fantasy as much as science fiction, I've got you covered there too! Check out the first chapter of Magic in my Bones below, or get your copy today!

  Chapter 1

  For a Tuesday night, the bar was packed, but that's tourist season for you. Since the bar my roommate had chosen for the night was right off Eyre Square, it was easy for drunk college kids to find for their next round between the city's handful of dance clubs.

  Lucky for me, drunk college boys, Americans in particular love to buy drinks for girls with Irish accents.

  The tall guy I'd been talking to for the last few minutes righted himself from leaning against the same wall I was. "Can I get you anything?" He'd been brooding in the corner not five minutes ago, but after a little accidental eye contact and a smile—what, he was cute—he'd come over to say hello.

  And if he wanted to buy me a pint, who was I to stop him.

  "Bulmers." I offered him my biggest smile. "A cider," I amended when his only answer was to stare at me, excess alcohol practically bubbling behind his eyes.

  "On it." I couldn't quite place where in the States he was from, the midwest, maybe. But more than likely, I'd never see him again after tonight, and it didn't really matter.

  Around me, the pub was filled with people only slightly older than the drinking age. I was a few years older than most of the people here, but there wasn't enough of an age difference to have me feeling completely out of place, especially since I was here with my barely nineteen-year-old roommate, but was currently pressed into corner, limbs intertwined with those of a Scottish guy we'd met earlier in the night. He was in town for his Granny's funeral, but Taya seemed more than happy to help him take his mind off his troubles.

  As it happened, my roommate was a witch, although not a very powerful one. It was something I'd known about her since the day we met, thou
gh we'd never talked about it. I stayed far away from that world, and Taya didn’t know her secret was more out in the open than she realized.

  We all have things that we're more comfortable with other people not knowing, and who am I to judge?

  I certainly had secrets of my own.

  Neither one of us was seeing anyone, and while more often than not we stayed in, I always looked forward to our night's out as a way to mix things up, dance, and maybe get a few free drinks.

  "What's a pretty girl like you doing standing all alone in the corner of the bar?" Another, more Southern, American voice took me by surprise.

  As I turned to see who had managed to sneak up on me, I did my best not to visibly cringe at the pickup line.

  A new guy had taken the place of the last, standing a few inches more than 6 foot tall, and looming over me. He had dark, floppy hair that hung down almost to his eyebrows, and a toothy smile. He leaned in a little closer, not threatening per se, but still overwhelming as he passed into my personal space.

  "I'm just waiting on my friend to get back," I said, turning away again like I was looking for someone. And I was. Anyone who could help get me out of this conversation. I'd been around the pub scene long enough to know who was going to be more trouble than they were worth. The guy had good looks that hinted at him not being used to taking no for an answer.

  "Then let me keep you company until they get back," the guy said, maybe calling my bluff. "I'm Jeremy."

  "Melanie." There was no harm in giving out my name, and being rude was only going to get me into a situation that could ruin my evening. But I also had no intention of encouraging him.

  Taya was still on the other side of the pub, whispering something into her companion's ear, and not bothering to spare me even a glance. And there was no sign of the guy who had gone to get drinks, but by the look of the bar, he could be a while.

  Jeremy was still staring at me expectantly. "What brings you to the city?" I asked on autopilot. I'd had this same conversation a thousand times. This guy looked a little too old to be part of the college crowd, maybe in his mid to late twenties. So far, he hadn't actually done anything wrong. And usually, I like getting to know random strangers in the pub, especially if they were from somewhere else. I could play along for a few more minutes. If I had to.

  "Work," was the only explanation he offered. "Are you from Galway originally?" He shoved one hand in his pocket, shifting his body at the same time so he was now standing between me and the rest of the bar.

  "More or less." Yeah, that was putting it simply.

  "I knew it," Jeremy said with a seemingly happy laugh. His smile barely reached his eyes. "You look like such a typical Galway girl. Black hair, blue eyes. You're like something out of that song."

  I smiled again, almost amused. I'd heard that line a thousand times before. I still wasn't sure whether these guys thought I'd never heard the song before, or that I wasn't aware of what I look like, but so far no one had really managed to blow my mind with the comparison.

  "Maybe you could show me around the city sometime," Jeremy said without waiting for my response. "I'm going to be here for a few weeks and haven't really gotten the lay of the land yet. I'd love the perspective of a local, to learn all of Galway's hidden places." He said. The last part with what I figured was probably supposed to be a seductive hush to his voice.

  "I'm actually going out of town soon. Visiting friends in London, so I'm not going to be around much." I wasn't going anywhere, but he didn't need to know that.

  "Oh, come on. It'll be fun. I'm a good time, I promise."

  "I'm sure you are," I said, forcing a smile. "But I'm really pretty busy."

  "I'll tell you what, give me your number. I'll shoot you a text sometime, and if I'm lucky, you decide to give me a chance."

  I shook my head again. "Maybe some other time."

  "Don't be like that, hun. There won't be another time if I can't get ahold of you when I want to."

  Well, with an invitation like that, how could any girl refuse?

  "No, thank you. I'm seeing someone."

  Ugh. I hated having to go this route, almost as much as the fact that I hated how often it worked, like knowing I already belonged to some other man was the only thing that could get the more aggressive guys to back off.

  "I'm better."

  Fuck.

  Jeremy pulled his phone out of his pocket, and shoved it toward me. "Give me your number. You won't regret it, I swear."

  With a sigh, I took the phone, doing my best to force a giggle out of my mouth. Gone was any chance to play this as me being merely disinterested. If he thought I'd been playing hard to get this whole time rather than merely unattracted to him, he might lay off.

  I punched in the Galway area code and then a random string of numbers, and then handed the phone back, locking my eyes on his as our fingers brushed.

  Two could play at this game.

  "I'll just send you a message now so you've got my number too. In case you ever get lonely." He smiled, only breaking eye contact to look down at his screen. Double fuck. This asshole was testing me and we both knew it.

  There was no way in hell I was ever going out with this guy, but he was still blocking my view of Taya or anyone else. And as things were, there was no way his message was actually going to make it to my phone.

  Thankfully, I had a trick or two available to me that would blow his tiny chauvinistic mind.

  I reached over, placing my hand against one of his. The contact made me feel all kinds of gross, but it got me where I needed to go—my hand making contact with his iPhone.

  I cracked through his security features without missing a beat, working my magic. Literally.

  All of the traditional branches of witchcraft were far beyond my capabilities. I'd tried every spell under the sun and gotten nowhere. I couldn't track people, translate languages, predict the future, none of it.

  But I could make technology do what I wanted it to. All I needed was the will, and contact with the device I needed to interface with.

  And that night, all I needed to do was change the number I'd given him to my actual number within the next few seconds.

  "Done," he said. "Check your phone. Make sure you got it." I held on for a few seconds longer. There was one more thing I wanted to do, but this spell took a little more concentration. I forced a smile, but it probably came out as more of a wince as I laid the groundwork for my revenge.

  Finally, I let go of his hand, taking a deep breath to steady myself again.

  Done.

  "Well?" Jeremy prompted, moving in so close to me that I could feel the warmth of his skin against my own.

  I grabbed my own phone, opened my newest message and turned the screen to face him without bothering to read it.

  Jeremy loosed a giant smile, wide and genuine. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought it was charming.

  He wouldn't be smiling the next morning when my spell kicked in and any woman he tried to text would automatically be redirected to his mother's number. No matter how he tried to fix his new problem, he'd never be able to work around it. Eventually, he'd need to get a new one. But by then I'd have lost him for good

  I pocketed my phone again, starting to lose patience. "I should probably go check on my roommate," I said, trying to angle myself out from behind him. "She met some random guy tonight and I just want to make sure she's okay."

  Jeremy nodded solemnly and moved out of my way, surprising me a little. "She should be careful. Some guys are real creeps."

  Yeah, thanks for the tip.

  Not willing to risk my escape route, I turned quickly and stepped around Jeremy's broad body. Before I'd gotten out of his orbit, he grabbed my wrist, not hard, but enough that I couldn't shake free on my own. I turned back, cocking my head to the side in question. I'd lost the will to bother faking smiles.

  "I'll talk to you soon?" He asked, hopeful.

  "Of course. I can't wait."

  Say hi to your
mom for me.

  He let me go, letting me slip away into the crowd.

  Right away, I could breathe more easily.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket as soon as I reached the bar. This asshole really couldn't take a hint. I shuddered at the thought that he was probably still watching me walk away.

  Just a few more hours and I could forget all about him

  “Hello?” I said, barely keeping the note of annoyance out of my voice. I’d break this guy’s phone beyond repair if I had to.

  But the voice that answered back was deep with a hint of a grumble, and one-hundred-percent Irish. “Is this Sinclair Services? I saw your poster.”

  Oh. A job. That was way better than having to battle off a predatory drunk dude. Assuming whoever this was would be able to hear me over the clamor of the pub. I slipped down into the bathroom hallway and hoped it would be enough.

  I worked for myself, taking on whatever work I could find. Mostly I ended up doing repair work around people’s houses--plumbing, garden work, repairs. I knew my way around a toolbox, and there was usually enough work to help me keep my head above water without having to answer to anyone else. I was essentially a handyman. Handywoman? I'd never loved either term and preferred to just call myself a fixer of problems.

  “This is Melanie Sinclair. How can I help you?” I braced myself for whatever household disaster I was about to be faced with. It had to be something good to warrant a phone call after midnight.

  “Our internet has gone done. I suspect it’s the router.”

  My specialty. This would be an easy fix, and I could charge a little extra for technological work even though it came more easily to me than anything else. “I can be there first thing in the morning.” I responded with a smile, hoping the expression would translate to my voice and help secure the job.

  “No. It has to be now. We can’t afford to be without it for the evening.”

  Evening was a bit of a stretch. The sky had been dark for hours.

  "That'll cost extra," I said.

  "Not a problem."