by Craig Gaydas
Embeth closed the door, leaving Kedge alone with his decision. He vowed he would never become another Ales. He would never sit idly by while innocents were murdered and brutalized before his eyes. With fists clenched he stood at the window. His monocled eye zoomed in and out rapidly as he focused on the emptiness of space.
Never again.
An Old Friend
“What?” Meta roared. The Tyrian crew member that stood before him was six inches taller than Meta, but still cowered under the murderous look etched on the High Prince's face.
“I'm sssorry, sssir,” he whimpered through his reptilian lisp. “The Proteus boarding party checked every corner of the ssship and we found no life sssigns aboard.”
Lianne stood beside him, arms crossed, with a sour look. “We detected no shuttle launches from the Cirrus,” she concurred. “We did, however, discover two shuttles missing.”
Embeth burst in the room. “Did they find the map?”
Lianne turned to an officer sitting at the communication panel. “Patch me in to Captain Muriel.”
When the image of the captain appeared on the screen, the little hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. His stout frame filled the screen and his hard, black eyes peered down at us perched above a dull-gray beak. He reminded me of a toucan and I discovered later that he was actually from the planet Atrora. A leathery, clawed hand wiped away a thin film of spittle from his toothy maw.
“It's nice to see you again, Lianne.” He screeched. His voice sounded like fingernails scraping across a chalkboard. I touched my ears to make sure they weren't bleeding.
“Hello my old friend,” Lianne said warmly. “You probably know what I am about to ask.”
Muriel nodded. “Why hasn't anyone been located aboard the Cirrus?” he asked on her behalf. “I am as confused as you are. There were no signs of shuttles launching from the Cirrus. Our conclusion is the ship launched from Earth without a crew.”
“Is that possible?” I asked. I felt stupid asking the question but I was no starship engineer.
The captain turned to me. “It is.”
“Any sign of the map?” Lianne asked.
He held his clawed hand up to the screen. A collective sigh of relief came from the room. He held the disk which contained the map.
Lianne smiled, clearly relieved. “Thank you, my friend.”
I felt Embeth's hand on my shoulder. “We should reunite you two and locate that time hole.”
“What about those on Earth?” I looked at him, filled with concern. His hand fell away when he understood the implication.
Everyone turned when Satou barged in, holding a silver beaker in his hands. “Meta, the President is conscious.”
“What is that?” Meta asked indicating the object in Satou's hands.
“Hark-Kalech assisted me with synthesizing what I believe is an effective cure for the curse afflicting the President.” He sounded confident but there was traces of doubt in his words.
“So what's wrong?” Meta asked, sensing the concern.
Satou frowned. “Well unfortunately I do not have a test subject and we are short on time. I fear we will have to administer it untested.”
“We need to make it quick,” I urged. “We have to return to Earth because Calypso is there with more of the infected.”
“Yes,” agreed Embeth. “I shall accompany you, Nathan. We must eliminate Calypso while we still have the opportunity.”
Lianne disagreed. “You can't do anything in your condition, Embeth. You would be more of a hindrance than a help.”
“Bah, what condition is that?” he bellowed. “I can take care of myself.”
“I will take his place,” a voice called from the door.
Kedge stood in the doorway. His fierce look of resolve dissuaded anyone from offering a counter proposal.
“I will go as well,” offered Lianne.
“As will I,” Satou added.
Meta shook his head. “No, Satou. I need you here to continue your efforts in working toward a cure. We will need more than that beaker.”
Satou attempted to argue but Meta held up his hand.
“Don't worry yourself, I will send someone in your place.” He turned to a nearby communication panel. “You will need someone who is an effective negotiator in case of human interference.”
He pressed the button on the intercom. “Kale, I need you to report to the bridge.”
“Oh no, not that dude. He hates me.” I recalled our last unpleasant conversation aboard the Argus.
Meta turned to Satou. “Can you please show Nathan to the room I have prepared? It is on Deck Nine next to the visitor's lounge.”
Satou nodded. “Come on, Nathan, you need some rest before your big homecoming.”
*
I was back on Earth inside my own home in New Mexico. I don't remember when or how I got there. The house was still a mess and I frowned at the tower of dishes that came dangerously close to crashing to the floor.
“Mom? Dad?” Only silence responded to my calls.
I climbed the stairs toward their bedroom. At the top of the stairs a large cobweb tickled my face, forming a thin veil across my eyes. What the hell? I brushed it aside and spit out the remains. My hand fell on the doorknob to their bedroom.
“Mom?” I called out and placed my ear against the door. It was as silent on the inside as it was on the outside. “Dad?” Nothing. After several moments of continued silence I turned the knob.
The door swung open slowly. When it swung open completely it revealed the scene inside. I felt a sinking feeling in my gut and I had to hold onto the door for support. My parents hung upside down from the ceiling fan in the middle of the room. Thick hemp cords were wrapped around their ankles and their throats had been sliced open from ear to ear, creating macabre throat smiles. Blood collected on the floor forming gelatinous red pools on the carpet. In one darkened corner of the room the shadow of a man stirred. Moonlight from the nearby window barely illuminated him. When he stepped forward the moonlight caught his eyes, offering a faint glimpse of lavender. Those eyes were unlike any I had ever seen. The hair on the back of my neck stood tall. A burgundy hood covered his head, but his eyes pierced the darkness.
“Welcome, Cartographer,” he purred in such a low voice that I could barely hear him. “It is unfortunate we have to meet like this.”
“You killed my parents.” It was a statement more than a question.
The stranger glided across the floor toward me. Despite the ill look in his eyes, his words had a soothing aspect to them. “It's not what I did, Cartographer, it's what you did.” He stood before me, towering over me with his six-foot frame.
My mouth dried. It felt like someone had dumped a bag of sand down my throat. “Who are you?” I croaked.
He grinned. It was the grin of a demon wrapped in an angel's skin. His teeth were too white, his lips too perfect. “My name is Solomon Corvus.” The smile widened, revealing more pearl-white perfection. His smile distracted me and I missed his hand sliding into his robe.
“What are you?” My question was barely a whisper.
He leaned in closer. “The future,” he whispered in return. He produced a knife from his robe but I never felt the weapon in my stomach. He smiled even when he disemboweled me.
I heard my guts fall to the floor, but it didn't matter. His eyes had me in locked in their captivating embrace. “You are the past. I am the future, Cartographer. Your friends will abandon you. All will abandon you. Your cause is hopeless.”
I fell to my knees in a pile of my own gore. My parents continued to swing from the ceiling fan above while the last of my lifeblood ebbed from me. Before I lost consciousness, I saw my dead father yelling at me.
“Wake up, Nathan!”
My head hit something hard. It felt like a long, smooth piece of wood. I opened my eyes to see Kedge standing over me, his face a mask of worry. He bopped me on the head with his staff again.
“Ouch!” I cried. �
�Stop doing that, I'm awake!”
“Sorry.” Kedge frowned. “You were screaming in your sleep. I had to snap you out of it.”
I rubbed my eyes. “I just had one hell of a dream.”
Kedge straightened and put his staff away. “Dreams are portals into our subconscious. They can be a valuable resource.”
“My parents were dead and I was murdered,” I grumbled. “Remind me to thank my brain for its 'resources'.”
His monocled eye adjusted, locked onto me and studied my face. “Death is easy,” he responded.
“Excuse me?” I cocked an eyebrow.
“Death is easy, Nathan. It's life that's hard.”
“Thanks, Buddha. What the hell does that mean?”
He slid into a chair. “Once death happens it is over and done with. Life is what's hard, Nathan. Life is filled with depression, pain and difficult decisions. Life is an eternal maze, with no exit.”
“Aren't you just a big bag of sunshine this morning?” I quipped. “Life is also filled with wonders, love and happiness.”
“I guess it depends on your perspective.” He shrugged and studied my face. “It seems there might be more to this dream than you're telling me.”
You got that right. I wasn't sure I wanted to reveal the details. Its violent brutality still haunted me. After several moments I closed my eyes and eventually relented. “Well…no.”
Kedge leaned forward with his elbows propped on his knees. “Go ahead.”
“Well, there was a person in the room with me. He seemed human except for his eyes. They were a color I had never before seen, sort of like lilacs. He told me his name was Solomon Corvus before he stabbed me in the stomach.”
“Corvus?” Kedge mused and looked past me, as if the name alone held some hidden meaning.
“What do you think it means?” I asked.
He folded his hands underneath his chin, deep in thought. “I'm not sure. It could mean nothing or it could mean everything.”
“Wow, are you always so full of answers?” I retorted.
He narrowed his good eye and shrugged. “There is a reason for my visit today, and it's not to provide answers to riddles. I'm here to warn you.”
“Warn me?”
He lowered his voice to a whisper, as if the walls would hear what he had to say. “I do not trust Meta.”
“Why is that?”
Before he could answer a knock came from the door. He looked at me with concern and I hurried over to the viewport.
Wraith stood outside with a box in his hands. He seemed to struggle with breath, as if he had just completed a marathon. I opened the door to see his normally pale cheeks flushed.
“Sorry for bothering you, but Satou insisted I bring this to you immediately,” he said breathlessly before shoving the box in my hands. “I have to get back to the weapons locker before Lianne and Embeth take everything not welded to the floor,” he grumbled before leaving.
“Hey wait a minute,” I started, but he was gone.
I sat on the bed and turned the box over in my hands. Kedge watched me with only mild interest when I opened it. Inside sat a four-inch wide, black metal bracelet with an octagon-shaped socket embedded on the top. Embedded in the socket lay a familiar object—the disk containing the Universal Map. I yanked it from the box, knocking loose a note which had been attached. My hand shook a little when I opened it, fearing the worst.
Nathan, sorry I couldn't give this to you personally. I designed a mobile computing device that will attach to your wrist and allow you to bring up the map anytime as a three dimensional holographic image. The metal is flexible and should slide over your hand and conform to your wrist. To activate the map, flip the switch along the side.
-Satou.
I tossed the note in the box and examined the bracelet. To the right of the socket I found a tiny green lever. After slipping the bracelet on, I flipped the switch. Suddenly the room was bathed in green light as the map sprang to life three inches above my wrist. It was no bigger than a laptop screen but I could still read the locations and designations clearly. I guided the screen past planets, stars and galaxies with the tip of my finger as if the holographic image was an actual computer screen.
“Well, that's interesting,” Kedge mused. In my excitement I almost forgot he was in the room.
I flipped the switch again and the map vanished. “Yeah I suppose it is.” I leaned back in the bed and fingered the bracelet. “Why don't you trust Meta?”
His look of curiosity vanished. “His decision to invoke Helios Protocol came a bit too quickly I suppose.”
I sat up. “What do you mean?”
“Although the Consortium had been my enemy for centuries, I never underestimated their intelligence. Their wisdom seemed to always put them one step ahead of the Lumagom. I may be no Erudite, but I do realize a more reasonable solution could have been reached,” he explained.
“I thought we were working on it?” I countered.
Kedge frowned. “He still resists the idea. His precognition leads me to believe he is holding something back. I have been around a long time, Nathan. Too much war and too much death have prevented me from trusting so easily,” he lamented.
I narrowed my eyes. “So what are you getting at?”
“He has seen something. Something he does not want us to know.”
“That is all well and good, but I am about to travel to Earth with a member of the Council to try to find Calypso and prevent a war. Why would he send us there if he is focused on destroying it?”
Kedge looked away. His monocled eye made a hushed buzzing sound as he focused it on the far wall. “I don't know.”
“Maybe we should tell someone? Someone like Lianne or Satou,” I offered.
Kedge shook his head. “I'm afraid my confidence in your friends isn't as high as yours. They are all part of the same organization, one that has already been torn by treachery. I don't trust them. They are ripe for more treachery.”
“Why come to me then? I'm one of them now.” His accusations didn't sit well with me.
He stared at me for a long time. His eyes peeled away my clothes, skin, and bones. It was as if he peeled everything away to stare into my soul.
“Not yet,” he muttered ominously. “You are too new to have been infected with the corruption. It has been something that has been festering for some time.”
“I don't believe it. I would trust some of them with my life. Satou, Lianne, Wraith…,” my voice trailed off.
“You are still young, Nathan.” He reached up and picked mindlessly at the metal plate in his throat. “I am not saying they are all victims of the same corruption that poisoned Calypso.” He paused before adding, “Just be careful who you trust.”
He started toward the door but I grabbed his arm. “What about you, Kedge?”
“Excuse me?”
“Can I trust you?” I narrowed my eyes with suspicion. I found it hard to believe a centuries old killer who once led the Lumagom did not have some sort of hidden agenda. The irony would almost be comical if the situation hadn't been so dire.
He stood up and made his way to the door. The question lingered in the air and he paused briefly as if to answer it before opening the door and walking out. The question fell to the ground unanswered. His statement, however, continued to linger.
Just be careful who you trust.
The Prince and the Pauper
“The President is awake.”
Lianne stood in the doorway with a grim look chiseled on her face. She was dressed in the familiar golden armor of the Defense Fleet. My heart sank when I realized she was prepared for battle.
“Just a security precaution.” She noticed my concern and comforted me with a smile. “I don't want to take any chances.”
With a nod I followed her to the Medical Lab. While we strolled the cavernous halls I chose to keep my thoughts to myself. Kedge's words haunted me. A guy I didn't fully trust telling me to be careful who to trust—the irony would ha
ve been comical had it not been for the seriousness of the situation. We stopped in front of the lab and Lianne turned to me. Judging by the look on her face she seemed to sense my angst.
“So, are you going to tell me or do I have to assume you have a bad case of gas?” She folded her arms with a frown.
Be careful who you trust. Her feline facial features crinkled and the fine whiskers above her lip hugged her cheeks and she studied me. I found it hard to distrust her. She was a starship captain who saved my life.
“I'm just worried about Calypso and our trip to Earth,” I lied.
Her doubtful expression made me shift uncomfortably but she eventually relented and entered the medical lab. As one of the few people in the Explorer's League I could consider a friend it made me sick to lie to her.
I stepped into the lab to find the President sitting on the end of bed fumbling with a translator headset. Several armed Defense Fleet guards stood nearby, watching him intently. Meta stood next to him with his hands on his hips, looking irritated.
“So, run this by me again,” the President said. “Everything Calypso told us was a lie?”
“I promise we have no plans to invade Earth,” Meta assured before moving next to Satou who was too preoccupied with the screen in front of him to notice. Attached to the screen was a flexible strap which connected to the President's wrist.
“Well,” Meta asked.
“It seems to be working,” Satou replied. “I cannot locate any trace of the curse in his bloodstream.”
“Mister President—,” Meta started but the President held up a hand.
“Please, call me Tom.”
“It appears you were infected by a synthesized parasite, Tom,” Meta explained.
The color drained from the President's face. “A parasite? What did you people do to me?”
“We people did nothing,” Meta replied with mild irritation. “It was your new friend Calypso and his allies who did this to you.” He circled the bed. “Do not fret. We have engineered a cure.”
The President breathed an audible sigh of relief, but concern remained etched on his face. “How was I infected? Is the country in danger?”
