by JN Chaney
We reached the bottom, but it was difficult to see. “Hold a second,” said the doctor, and he took out a small device. With the press of a button, the little machine emitted a light so bright, it brought most of the darkened cave to life. Suddenly, I could see everything around us—dozens of buried machines, inoperable and long-decayed. Above us, a covering of stone and stalactites. Whatever this place used to be, the world had taken it back, merging stone and metal.
“Come down, everyone,” said Hitchens.
Lex, Abigail, and Fred descended the rock, being careful to watch their footing.
“How long before we get there?” asked Lex.
“It’s not far now,” said Hitchens. “Just beyond here.”
We followed the doctor’s lead as he passed by the various machines, ignoring them. Whatever he was after, it was clearly more important than any of this.
As we crept further into the cavern, I began to see the remains of several animal nests. They were comprised of twigs, wires, and metal. Several pieces of broken eggshell lay scattered across the nests, covered in dust.
We made our way through two long corridors, and to my surprise, I began to see lights along the walls and inside machines. Somehow, the technology here was still active and operational, though I couldn’t say what it did, if anything.
“This way,” said Hitchens, motioning for us to enter another opening. The door to this room was laying on the ground nearby, cracked and half-sunk. It was thick and made of metal, too big to move.
The doctor shined his device on the center of the room, revealing a table and what I gleaned to be a star map—a half-circular device with a grid on the top. A small light blinked on its side. Beside it, I saw a reclining chair, attached to the machine. “What the hell is this place?” I muttered.
“We call it the Cartographer,” said Hitchens.
He turned to the nearby console, which was covered in dust, but still operational. He retrieved a small card from his satchel, then placed it on the machine’s surface.
I watched as the blinking light went solid, going from blue to emerald green. The circular grid at the center of the table flickered before finally solidifying and lighting up. “Here we are,” said the good doctor.
We stared at the machine as it came to life. A hologram of the galaxy manifested before our eyes, two hundred billion stars blinking into existence within mere seconds.
I bent my neck back to see the full span of the image. “You came all this way for a map of the galaxy?”
“Hardly,” said Abigail.
Hitchens motioned for Lex to come closer. “My dear, if you would please take a seat right here.”
Lex nodded and went to the ancient, reclined chair. She climbed into it so that her feet dangled off the edge, then leaned back and stared up into the rock ceiling.
“Fantastic,” said Hitchens.
Abigail went to the girl’s side and held her hand. “Everything will be fine. You’re doing a wonderful job.”
Lex smiled. “Okay.”
Hitchens entered a command into the console, and I heard a clicking sound, as though something had just turned on. “Command acknowledged,” said a female voice I didn’t recognize.
“The hell was that?” I asked, yanking out my blaster.
“Easy,” said Abigail. “It’s just the computer.”
“Oh,” I said, holstering my weapon.
“She’s not as sophisticated as your typical AIs,” said Hitchens. He typed something into the console. “Let’s see if we can just—”
“Command acknowledged,” said the voice.
“Ah, there we are,” said the doctor, smiling. He twisted in his seat to look at Lex. “Stay perfectly still, dear.”
“Okay,” said Lex.
A light emitted from beneath the chair, and I watched as it moved from her head to her feet, then back again, finally stopped at the point just below her neck.
“Fiducial recognized,” said the voice. “Initiating data retrieval.”
Lex looked at Abigail, who continued to hold her hand. “Almost done,” said the nun.
The hologram display blinked, disappearing briefly, as though it were resetting, and then returned. Suddenly, a string of stars changed from white to red, forming a single line, beginning at our present location and stretching halfway across the galaxy.
The light faded from beneath Lex, and I saw her face relax. “Process complete,” said the voice.
Everyone stared up at the star chart before us. “We have it!” exclaimed Fred. He clapped his hands. “After all this time, there it is!”
“It seems the wait was well worth it,” remarked Hitchens.
I looked at each of them. “Can someone tell me what the fuck just happened? What is this thing?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” asked Octavia Brie, who had been rather silent before now. “It’s a map.”
“You came all this way for a map?”
“Captain Hughes, I beg your pardon,” said Doctor Hitchens, a genuinely happy look on his face. “But this isn’t just any map, my friend. Far from it.”
“Okay, so what’s the deal? What could possibly be so important that you needed a map in an old cave to show you where to go?” I paused for a second. “And why the hell did that kid just sit in that chair?”
“So now you want to know?” asked Abigail. “I thought you didn’t care about our mission.”
Fred walked over to me. “Mr. Hughes, do you know what the Church of the Homeworld is?”
A cult, I thought, but didn’t say it. “A religious group. I don’t know.”
Fred shook his head. “We’re not a religion. We’re—”
“Hey!” snapped Abigail, staring at the young man.
“It’s okay. We owe it to him for taking us this far,” said Fred. He looked back at me. “The Church of the Homeworld is more than just a fringe sect, Mr. Hughes. We’re a scientific organization devoted to a singular goal.”
“Which is?” I asked.
“The eventual discovery of the origin point of all Mankind,” said Fred. “The mythical lost world known as Earth.”
* * *
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing as we stood in the decaying cavern of a lost civilization. “Earth,” I muttered, trying not to take any of this seriously. “You’re looking for Earth.”
“That’s right,” said Doctor Hitchens.
“The fairytale planet that no one has ever seen. The one where people used to fight dragons and use magic. That Earth.”
“We don’t believe in those parts,” remarked Fred. “But much like other myths, we believe the seed of this one to have some truth to it.”
“So you think Earth is real and this—” I motioned at the hologram above my head. “—thing, this map, is going to show you how to get there?”
“Correct,” said Hitchens. “In fact, today confirms it.”
“How are you so confident?” I asked.
He paused and looked at Lex, then again at me. “We have our reasons. Perhaps if you—”
A scream filled the cave, forcing me to shield my ears. “What the fuck!” I shouted.
The cry continued, coming from somewhere near the entrance. “I think it’s an animal,” said Fred, pulling out his scanner. “I can’t read anything from here.”
“What do we do?” asked Hitchens.
I drew my pistol, taking aim at the open doorway. “Stay behind me,” I told them.
Abigail came to my side, taking out her own weapon—an eight-shooter Artesian handgun, by the look of it. I wanted to snap at her for bringing a pistol onboard my ship, but decided against it. I’d yell at her later when we weren’t under attack by a pack of wild animals. “I hope your aim is good,” I said.
“Better than yours,” she returned.
I heard another howl, this time closer. A shadow moved from beyond the opening, and I squeezed the trigger tight.
* * *
The monsters rushed into the room, their snarling
jaws full of foam, and raging.
I turned one into a corpse with a single shot to the skull. Three more appeared instantly, charging at our group.
Abigail hit the first in the leg and chest, staggering it a moment before the final bullet plunged into the animal’s snout, sending chunks of its brains into the nearby wall.
I set my sights on the other two, firing without hesitation. Seven shots left the barrel of my gun, each with a distinct purpose, each one piercing flesh.
The beasts collapsed, almost simultaneously, sliding into one another. I continued firing with precision, hitting every living member of the pack as it came.
A pile of bodies formed a meter in front of the entrance, blocking our view. I saw one of the beasts leap over its fallen brothers, a hunger in its eyes. It came down on Abigail, its jaw ready to snap her in two, but she raised her gun and fired into it.
The beast fell on her, knocking her back, and for the first time I saw how truly massive the animals were. This one covered most of her body. I could barely see Abigail.
She rolled the animal off of her, revealing spots of blood from where the bullets had pierced its gut. I helped her to her feet, and she wiped her forehead. Her hands were shaking, but her face was calm. Not bad for a nun, I thought.
I gave her a slight nod, then returned my gaze to the entryway, raising my pistol, and waiting.
But there was nothing after that. Only the silent dead.
Nine
We waited for Hitchens to download the map to his device before we left. Hardly anyone spoke a word until we were out of the cave.
No doubt, with the exception of myself and Abigail, I doubted any of the others had any real combat experience. Seeing their expressions, full of confusion and fear, reminded me that not everyone had the skill to survive out here. Not on their own.
Abigail, who still had stains of animal blood on her clothes, walked alongside Lex. The girl’s composure continued to impress me. She never cried, never showed an ounce of panic. I couldn’t help but wonder why.
We reached the woods soon enough, finally free of the confines of the cave, and I told the group to rest. It would take us two full hours to make it back to The Star, and it was clear some of them needed the break.
“I appreciate it,” wheezed Hitchens, trying to catch his breath. He sat beneath a large tree, fanning himself with his hat.
Octavia took out a canteen of water and passed it to him. “Here you are, sir,” she said.
He gulped it down, spilling some on his shirt. “Thank you, my dear.”
I looked at Fred, waving him over.
“Yes, sir?” said the young scientist.
“Don’t think I forgot what you told me back there,” I said, motioning in the direction of the cave. “That story about Earth? The nonsense with the map? I still want to know what the deal with this kid is, too.”
“O-Of course,” stuttered Fred.
“There’s more to all this,” I said, raising my brow. “A lot more.”
“Well,” he began, a look of hesitation on his face. “I can’t exactly tell you everything. I think that’s up to the council.”
“Oh?” I asked.
He held his hands up. “But they will, I’m sure. Don’t worry. You saved all our lives. You’re a hero, Mr. Hughes.”
“I’m a hired gun,” I corrected.
He nodded. “R-Right, of course. My point is just that you were vital to our success today. The council will see that, and they’ll likely ask you for further assistance.”
I tilted my head. “Further assistance?”
“That’s right. We’ll need help if we’re to pursue those coordinates. You saw where the trail went, didn’t you? It’s on the other side of ravager territory. We’ll need your cloak to make it.”
“Hold on a sec, kid. I never agreed to anything besides this one job. I’ve got things I need to do.”
“Even if the money is there?” he asked.
“We’ll see how I feel about the offer when they make it,” I answered.
“Typical Renegade,” said Abigail.
Fred and I turned to see her standing a few meters away.
“You’re only out for yourself. Didn’t you hear what the doctor said?” asked the nun.
“You mean about Earth?” I asked, smirking. “The make-believe planet that doesn’t exist?”
“It does exist. You saw the map. Open your eyes.”
“All I saw was a standard galactic star chart with a few blinking lights. Nothing special. Definitely nothing that told me one of them was Earth.”
“Give him time,” said Fred. “He hasn’t seen what you’ve seen, Sister.”
“That’s right, Sister,” I said, winking. “Quit picking on me.”
“You’re hopeless,” she said, dismissively, and then walked back over to where Lex was sitting.
“That nun sure is something else,” I said.
“She is,” Fred agreed. “Wait until you really make her mad. I heard she killed six men when she rescued Lex.”
“Now that I can believe.”
* * *
“Strap in and hold on tight,” I said over the com, sitting in the cockpit of The Renegade Star. “Siggy, take us up and out.”
“Right away, sir,” said the A.I.
The engines primed and I felt my seat tremble. The ship began to lift off, and I watched the green field fade into a distant blur. We withdrew into the sky, finally, and I leaned back in my seat, thrilled be done with this place.
The orange horizon turned purple and then black as we entered the thermosphere. A few moments later, we broke orbit.
“Take us to Arcadia, Siggy,” I said.
“Inputting coordinates,” he said, and I watched as the star chart transformed to reflect our route.
A short while later, the opening of a slip tunnel formed before me. As we entered the swirling mass of blue and green slipspace, I suddenly felt exhausted.
I looked down at my hands. They were dirty, covered in grime and, to my surprise, a bit of blood. I need a shower, I thought, then pushed myself out of the chair. “Siggy, call me if there’s an emergency.”
“Yes, sir,” he responded.
In the lounge, several of my guests had convened, with only Abigail and Lex absent from the group.
“Ah, Captain,” said Hitchens, waving at me.
“Talk to Sigmond if you need anything,” I said, dismissively. “I need to sleep.”
“I was hoping to talk with you about—”
“Sleep,” I said, holding my hand up.
He sat there with his mouth partially open, then shut it, nodding.
I went straight into my tiny room and stripped, ready to wash this stench off and pass the fuck out.
* * *
I woke up drooling, coming out of a deep sleep. It felt like I’d been dead, my body was so stiff and tense.
“Siggy, how long was I out?” My throat was dry, so I took a drink from my water jug.
“Ten and a half hours, sir,” said the A.I.
“Holy shit,” I muttered. “Guess I needed that.”
“It seems so,” said Sigmond.
I slipped on my pants and left the bed as it was, the blankets tossed and partially on the floor. I didn’t bother putting on a shirt.
The lounge was empty, save for Fred, who sat alone, sipping tea. “Good morning,” he said with a genuine smile.
“Piss off,” I answered. “Pour me a cup of that, would you?”
“Of course,” he said.
I sat in my favorite chair and rubbed my eyes. “Everyone else asleep?”
“It’s early,” he said, placing a cup on the table.
I took it, but didn’t drink any. Instead, I took a long sniff and inhaled the aroma, waiting for it to cool. The coffee on my ship wasn’t the best, but it smelled like a drug.
Fred sat across from me, sipping on his own, and continued to read his pad.
“Any news in the Union?” I asked. “You k
now it’s all propaganda.”
“Oh, I agree. These are just notes. I’ve been researching slipspace technology and theoretical applications for it. There’s some promising papers in circulation.”
I groaned, finally taking a drink. “Let me get my head on straight before you get into all that.”
“Sorry,” he said.
“It’s fine.” I took another drink, and let out a relaxed sigh. “God, this is good.”
“You should try the stuff we have on Arcadia. I’ve never had coffee so good.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked, suddenly interested.
“They bring it in once a month, along with a bunch of other supplies. All high-grade products from Din.”
I knew the name immediately. Din was home to a merchant organization known as the Dinesian Trading Company. They specialized in consumables, specifically across Union space, but like every other major corporate entity, they had an underbelly. The DTC had its hands in smuggling exotic goods—a business tactic the Union wasn’t keen on. Still, that didn’t stop them, and they outsourced the job to guys like me who were happy to accept the credits. “That’s gotta cost you a pretty credit or two.”
He nodded. “It does, indeed.”
“Let me ask you this, Fred,” I said, taking another sip. “How’s a weird little cult like yours get so much money? Did you trick a few old ladies into emptying their purses?”
Fred laughed. “Have you heard of a man named Darius Clare?”
I said that I didn’t.
“He was a Union archaeologist about a century ago,” said Fred. “He worked for a special department within the government. Their mission was to investigate reports of unknown relics and fantastic oddities, wherever they were found.”
“And?” I said, unimpressed.
“Well, he and his team operated all over known space, traveling to nearly sixty planets in pursuit of knowledge. They uncovered many fascinating antiques that couldn’t be explained. Most were catalogued by the Union, stuffed in storage, and never seen again. A few—” He paused, giving me a sly grin. “—went missing.”
“Is this going somewhere?” I asked, taking another drink, but realizing the cup was empty. I frowned. “I’m not a big history buff.”
