Three other men shook clenched fists in the air. The atmosphere swelled with resentment, fear and fury.
Sherise maintained her calm. She well knew that grief fuelled their actions.
The Adams weren’t the only ones desperate to be with their loved ones or all that was left of their families. Others just wanted to go home.
‘Due to the speed it was travelling and the erratic energy forces emitted by the Vortex, we were unable to track the wreckage until it was too late. Unfortunately, the first impact took out our sensors and caused an explosion in one of the rear thrusters.’ Sherise sighed. ‘But it was the second impact that inflicted the major damage to our ship.’
‘Can’t we go back?’ Maureen Adams waved her hands madly in the air as if demonstrating her point. ‘You know, go back into the Vortex and re-try?’
Sherise shook her head. ‘The ship is too damaged. We would not make it out alive.’
‘We’re stuck here.’ All colour left Dick Adams face. He turned to his wife and pulled her close, but not before Sherise saw the sheen of tears glistening in his eyes. ‘They’re all dead and gone, Maureen. Our kids. All gone before us.’
His wife began to weep and Sherise’s throat tightened. Bree’s hand found hers and gripped hard. They exchanged a taut glance before Sherise found her voice again. ‘There is always hope. This is a Darkon ship, there is no greater vessel in all the Seven Galaxies.’
‘Yer not home now, lass,’ Dick Adams said wryly, looking over at her.
‘This is true. Where we are is your home. Not the one we had hoped for but your home nevertheless.’ Sherise’s voice gained strength. ‘We have arrived in your future. Who knows what technology we will find? There is a chance we can repair the Quinnie, return to the Vortex and, if the goddess Cercis decrees, perhaps we can all find a way to return to our own time.’
‘Yer right, lass. What do yer need us to do?’
Thank the stars for Dick Adams. She smiled encouragingly. ‘Nothing as yet, but your help may well be needed in the future.’
The engineer swept a fierce gaze around the room and the muttering wilted before its blaze.
‘Well then, yer have it,’ Dick said gruffly and his wife nodded even as she leaned against him, as if unable to stand beneath the weight of her grief.
‘I thank you. We have begun to transmit messages to your planet and, when we receive a response, we will advise you of the content. If you have any concerns, please contact me. I will apprise you when we are within viewing range of your planet. You may wish to watch our approach from the observation deck.’
Sherise gave a tight smile and headed for the hatch. As soon as her feet hit the corridor floor, she quickened her pace, almost running.
‘I noticed you didn’t elaborate on how damaged the Quinnie is,’ Bree said, jogging every now and then to keep up with Sherise’s longer stride.
‘I saw no need.’
‘Then it really wasn’t total disclosure, more like a ‘pacify the masses’ exercise.’
‘Lord Barid is correct in that we must maintain calm.’
Bree snorted. ‘He’s old school. All for clinging onto a military dictatorship.’
‘In this case, he happens to be right. Panic is something we cannot afford.’
‘I guess. They’re hurt, angry, disappointed and most probably haven’t fully realised the reality of our situation,’ Bree said bluntly. ‘They’re not the only ones. Shit, Sherise, will you slow down?’
‘I am sorry.’ Biting her lip, she ceased her headlong flight and shot her friend a searching glance, noting the haunted expression in Bree’s eyes. ‘I know how much you wanted to see your parents and brothers again. I would give anything to change what has happened.’
‘I know.’ Bree cleared her throat. ‘What’s the rush for anyway?’
‘I want to ensure I am there when a response is received from your planet. Our counter reply must be carefully worded.’
Bree caught her by the arm, bringing Sherise to a stop. She frowned. ‘You expect trouble?’
‘Bree, three hundred of your years is a long time. We do not know what reception we will be given.’
‘You sound like you’re going to war.’ Accusation rang shrill in Bree’s voice.
Sherise looked at her grimly. ‘By Cercis’s hem, let us pray it will not come to that, for with the Quinnie so damaged, we have little with which to protect ourselves.’
***
Inside the cleansing tube tucked into the corner of her compact cabin, Sherise stared into the mirror and instead of her own, remembered the face of a dead woman. A woman with blank hazel eyes, who lay sprawled like a pile of discarded rags, her lifeblood soaking into the dirt while Sherise gripped her hand, powerless to staunch the flow.
Generous, kind Rachel, who had worked tirelessly by her side helping the sick and old and who had died so far from her home. Another innocent victim dead before her time, while Sherise still breathed.
And, now here she was again, an instrument of death.
Murderer.
For a secton, her shoulders slumped while she choked back the despair twisting her essence. Ever since Rachel had perished on Gazood the thought of the son she’d left behind with his father on Earth had preyed on Sherise’s mind. She had often envisaged him crying in the night, longing for the mother who would never return. She’d become consumed with the need to offer him love and safety, for with that one promise he had become as much her child as Rachel’s.
Now she would never know what had become of him.
Had he lived a long, happy life? Had he wondered what had happened to his mother and why she never came back for him?
Sherise had hoped so much to give him his mother’s last words of love. Indeed, she’d hoped to be able to pass on all the messages she carried with her in data cubes from the Earth people who had chosen to remain in the Seven Galaxies. She’d considered this a vital part of her mission, one that was close to her heart. She’d experienced firsthand what it felt like to be abandoned and forgotten, clinging to the images of the faces of those she believed she’d never again see in this world.
With shaking hands, she smoothed the soft drape of her plum-coloured tunic over her hips then tweaked the sleeves over her wrists, sealing the past behind blast-proof walls inside her mind. Although the recent events had dramatically changed their mission—her mission—there were others on board who needed whatever guidance or comfort she could offer. They had lost so much and the uncertainty of their future loomed large in everyone’s mind. Her mission may have changed but the safety of everyone on the Quinnie must always be her paramount concern.
She took a deep breath and recited a short prayer mantra; the familiar words giving a small measure of peace to her troubled heart.
Time to deal with the present. She ducked her head and slammed the hatch as she exited the cleansing tube.
The cabin door whooshed open and in strolled Bree, hands shoved in pockets. ‘Cool dress. But I don’t know why you bother. Are you trying to impress someone?’
Sherise raised her eyebrows at the snap behind the words and sneaked a glance at her friend’s shabby clothing. ‘Wearing this gives me confidence. You should try it sometime.’
Bree snorted and flung herself onto the bunk, and rolled over onto her belly, propping her chin in her hands. At around twenty-nine or so cycles, a similar age to herself, they couldn’t have been more different. Whereas Sherise loved accentuating her womanhood, Bree did all she could to hide it. And after her friend’s experience on the research planet, Isla, Sherise couldn’t blame her.
‘This gown is exactly what I need, feminine and regal,’ Sherise said, patting the soft material and ignoring her friend’s eye rolling. Slit to mid-thigh on both sides, allowing freedom of movement and revealing the skin-coloured body suit she wore beneath, her shin-length tunic was also practical and warm. A necessity considering the ship’s climate control had yet to be fully repaired and was, at the moment, icily cold.
Sherise hugged herself briefly, thinking of the news she had yet to impart to her best friend. She had intended to wait and inform the other Earth people all at the same time. But now she knew she had to tell Bree straight away. ‘I am going to the Command Centre. Will you join me?’
‘I guess. I reckon it’s Kondo you have in your sights.’
‘What did you say?’ Startled, Sherise narrowed her eyes. ‘You know my path lies in a life of prayer and reflection. I had intended on my return to be initiated into our temple.’
‘Then why did you agree for him to come with us?’
‘I admit my brother had hoped for a union between us. It will forge a solid alliance between our two races. At the time, I had no wish to disappoint Tarak so I said nothing.’ A quick glance around the immaculate space and Sherise located her boots beside her bunk. She marched across the room and sat on the bunk to tug her boots over her bare feet. A tingling sensation prickled her skin through the figure-moulding beige pants she wore beneath her gown as the nano technology melded with her body.
She added, ‘As for Kondo, I have little knowledge of what goes on in his mind. Perhaps this was his intention also even though his brother now holds the seat of power in his world. Why not ask him yourself?’
‘I’d rather be eaten alive by a draptile than have anything to do with that moron.’
Sherise quickly suppressed her amusement. Whatever Kondo’s intentions had been when he’d agreed to her brother’s request to be her bodyguard, she rather suspected he’d had a change of heart soon after. But whether he would be swayed from whatever path he’d mapped out for himself was hard to determine. He was haunted by his past, like many on board the Quinnie.
She shot a glance over her shoulder and noticed Bree’s scowl. She decided to stop teasing Bree and return to the original subject of their conversation. ‘The state of mind of our passengers worries me. I will be broadcasting a vid shortly and want to present an image of someone calm and in control.’
‘You still haven’t told the others everything that happened.’
What lay behind her friend’s shuttered expression? Was Bree repelled with Sherise’s decision to disconnect the compartment bay?
Since their disastrous exit from the Vortex, Sherise had hardly slept, re-enacting that moment in the Command Centre over and over. But no matter how many times she wished away the horrific outcome, the consequences of her order could not be changed.
There had been no other option.
Now, was the one person who she cared for as much as blood kin questioning her motives?
And if her friend was repulsed with her actions? Then Sherise had lost the only one who shared her past and did not blame her. The only one who understood her need for redemption for what she’d done on Gazood.
‘Sorry. I know the last thing you need at the moment is me being snarky.’ Bree sighed and ducked her head. ‘Every morning I wake, thinking that it was all a bad dream and then I remember. I want to pretend my family are down there, waiting for me. Ever since I was taken, nothing but crap has happened.’
‘Oh, Bree.’ Giddy with relief, Sherise reached over and touched her arm. How shallow I am, focusing on my problems. I should never have doubted her friendship. ‘I know I have given you little support these past aons.’
Bree sat up, hugged her knees and gave a rueful grin. ‘Hey, you’ve got lots of people to look after, not only me. Forget it, pity session is now closed. How’s the rest of the gang?’
‘Everyone on the ship is on edge,’ Sherise admitted. She rose and crossed the small space to an inbuilt cupboard. Despite the many bracing speeches she had given recently, she feared her words had failed to ease their despair.
What use were words of encouragement when faced with such horrifying events? But it was her duty to give them hope, to motivate, to find a solution.
And only a few sectons previous, her prayers had been answered. She smiled. No, she couldn’t wait any longer. She had to share her news.
‘We have received a communica from your planet.’ Sherise hooked a belt about her waist and looped metal bracelets about her wrists. The feel of cold metal fused against the inner skin of her forearms. The knowledge she was armed with Darkon technology filled her with a sense of safety.
A false illusion, but she knew she would need every bit of confidence she could dredge up to deal with the precarious situation they now faced. She gathered her hair into a thick tail, swept the curling tendrils over her shoulders and positioned her belt, ensuring the clasp was dead centre.
Realising Bree had not responded, she stopped fiddling with her belt and glanced across the room.
Eyes wide, mouth open, Bree had tilted her head to the side. ‘Seriously?’ she croaked.
Sherise grinned.
Bree bounded off the bunk and rushed over to shake her arm. ‘I can’t believe we’ve received a message from Earth.’
‘Yes. A ruling entity called the Corporation transmitted on a signal we were able to intercept. They welcome us and offer both sanctuary and assistance.’
‘Our government used to be called the United Earth Corporation. I guess it’s possible they’re connected. After three hundred odd years, nothing will be the same.’ Bree released her arm. ‘Still, this is good news.’
‘We have been invited to meet with their Board, which I assume is similar to our Council, to discuss our situation.’
‘Ah hah, another reason for your outfit?’ Bree grinned.
Sherise nodded. ‘I can’t attend looking like a refugee, now can I? Are you coming with me?’
‘Hell, yeah.’
Arm in arm, they hurried to the Command Centre.
As soon as Sherise stepped over the threshold she crossed to the forward vid-screen well away from the group of officers conferring in a huddle over data streams. She sucked in a sharp breath at the sight—darkness lit by twinkling stars, a bright golden sun in the distance and ahead a dark, round mass that was growing steadily larger.
‘Where are we now?’ Bree said.
‘The Quinnie is about to reach orbital velocity above your planet,’ murmured Sherise. ‘Look towards the horizon.’
The first shards of sunlight flickered along the curvature of Earth. A brilliant thin blue light, blue Earthshine, flared to life and glowed towards them like a beacon of hope.
Awed, she waited and watched the blue light brighten into daybreak. Sunlight spread over the planet revealing the distinctive blue and green patterns of land and water.
‘It is beautiful.’ Loneliness stabbed at her, twisting her belly into tight, heavy rocks of misery. She touched the plasma of the screen with a hand that shook.
What if this planet is to be my home?
So far from the Darkon system and the realm of the Seven Galaxies.
So far from what remained of her family.
A bittersweet memory surfaced of her brother standing in the cargo hold of the Quinnie, supervising the loading of vast stocks of food. Hands on hips, he had barked out an exhausting list of instructions and orders in relation to her welfare.
She remembered how he had tramped past with his arms full of her favourite delicacies, all labelled with her name. The brief moment of happiness shrivelled into cold, lifeless ashes.
I miss him so.
It hadn’t been easy to convince him she could fulfil the role of Peace Emissary. She’d known he’d wanted to keep her by his side, protected and safe. But she hadn’t dared enlighten him to the truth. What would he say if he knew it was remorse for what she’d done that drove her? Not to mention the vow she’d made to a dead woman. He would have insisted on knowing the reason why and she could not bear it if he turned from her in disgust. To watch the love in his eyes chill to condemnation.
‘I don’t recognise these land masses. Everything looks so different. What do you think has happened?’ Bree wailed in a voice thick with tears.
Sherise swallowed over a throat swollen tight and hesitated for three beats. I
t would do no good to hide the truth. In a husky voice, she relayed the information they had received earlier that rising. ‘The unstable weather patterns triggered by drastic climate changes caused the sea levels to rise in many areas and in a few sections, actually fall. This has resulted in different land formations.’
‘What else did they tell you?’
‘Not good news I am afraid, Bree. There was a war that decimated your planet’s resources and which lasted for many of your Earth years. The vast majority of your planet is now wastelands.’
‘Damn. I knew things were bad when we left Earth after our government was sucked in by those slimy traders. But this …’ Bree gulped a shuddering breath. ‘I want to be on the first shuttle. I want you to set me down somewhere near my home.’
‘Unacceptable, Bree. Its diplomatic relations time and that means we must meet with the ruling authority and establish a connection. We must ensure there is a safe environment on the surface for those who wish to remain. And of course, we need these people to help us repair the Quinnie.’
‘And then what? Return to Darkos? You’ll never make it back to the same place, the same time.’
Sherise noted the word ‘you’ll’. So her friend intended to stay behind when they left. If they left. ‘That is a possibility, but our scientists are working on a solution.’
‘I know you’re thinking of attempting to get everyone back to the correct time line. But, seriously? You know damn well there’s not a snowflakes chance in hell that’s going to happen.’
‘I disagree,’ Sherise kept her voice calm, aware several crew members listened to their conversation. She hoped that, despite their translator collars, their lack of familiarity with the Earth people’s idioms had cloaked the harsh truth behind Bree’s words. Morale had to be maintained. ‘However, until the Quinnie is repaired we will continue on our present plan of action.’
‘Yeah, well, whatever. You do what you have to do, but your brother promised we’d go home, so home is where I intend to go.’
‘You will remain on the ship and do as you are bid,’ Kondo interrupted.
Sherise sighed inwardly. Her bodyguard had left the others and crossed the room while they’d been speaking and he stood close by, arms folded over his chest. A quick glance beyond his imposing form revealed the Commander hard on his heels.
Quest For Earth Page 4
