I had lived on the run for long enough to know how to cook and eat rats to survive. It seemed that wherever there were people you could find small rodents feasting on their leftovers. They were not the tastiest of creatures, but I needed to get my strength back if I was to get out of this grave. After a small meal of rat-meat, I fell asleep for a few hours.
When I awoke again, I ate more rats and then began my climb out of the grave. It was slow going, but my strength was returning. Eventually I climbed out of the pit and found myself in a large, unlit room. Gravity, temperature, and atmosphere were all consistent with my being on a planet, but deep underground.
I set my armor’s communication system to passively auto-scan, looking for communications from anyone, but nothing came up. Wherever I was, I must have been a very great distance from any civilization not to find any broadcasts at all.
I wandered for a full day until I found a supply of water. It was a large lake in a room that appeared to be carved out specifically to store water. I risked setting up an emergency lamp to give me enough light to remove my armor, clean its filters, rinse my heavily soiled clothes, and replenish its fresh water supply from the lake. I knew it would not be the cleanest water, but I was not in a position to be choosy. I would need to find a source of power soon to recharge the armor.
A mass grave, and a room to store water. Someone must have made this place, so there must be a way out, I said to myself. Using the emergency light, I looked around for signs that people had come through and eventually found what appeared to be a well-worn path. Using the gyroscope in my armor I determined which way was uphill and headed in that direction.
Sleep, food, and water had gone a long way to restoring my strength and clarity of thought. I had to assume I was not in a safe place, so broadcasting a cry for help would not be advisable, but I desperately wanted to know if Crivreen and the others had made it. I could only presume we had lost the station.
After several hours of walking, I was finally on the surface of the planet. Judging by the sun, it was near midday when I emerged. The mouth of the cave was in the side of a mountain, at the end of a trail that led into a forest. “First order of business: hunt, make camp, and deploy the solar cells to recharge my armor,” I mumbled to myself.
Once again, using mage bolts, I was able to kill some small creatures and eat. I found a secluded clearing off the beaten trail and made a camp. I took off my armor, set it to recharge and decided to spend the day there.
For two days I traveled down the road before finding anyone. Eventually I came upon a small outpost. As I approached, an old man came out and said, “Howdy, stranger.”
“Hello!” I said. “I appear to be lost. Can you tell me where I am?”
“This is Outpost Thirteen. Where were you trying to get to?” he asked.
“I am not sure. What planet is this?” I asked.
“You really are lost. Come inside, and we can talk over a good, stiff drink,” he said.
There were several other men and women in the outpost. All of them appeared to be scientists or researchers of some kind. They allowed me to, or more correctly insisted that I should, go into a bathroom to wash and change into the clean clothes they provided. Once that was done, I left my armor with their robotic cleaning crew and joined them for dinner. Again the question came up that I did not want to answer.
“Where were you trying to get to?” they asked.
“Well, I am not sure; my memory is a little fuzzy. I was on a space station, something hit me, and then I woke up in a cave near here,” I said. I hoped that was enough information to stop them from prying further. “I would really like to get back. Where is the nearest spaceport?”
The elderly man who had originally greeted me was named Symon, and he appeared to be their leader. “In a few days a supply ship will stop by and you can hitch a ride with them, but until then you are stuck here,” said Symon.
“There has not been a ship out this way in a month,” said an older female, who went by the name of Sarah. “How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know, but I only woke up three days ago,” I said. “Look, I really don’t know where I am or how I got here. Can you tell me where we are?”
Sarah looked very skeptical, but Symon pulled up a star chart and said, “You are here. This is a remote laboratory where we test things that cannot be tested on inhabited planets.”
“That is a long way from home,” I said quietly.
“We are a long way from everywhere,” said Sarah.
“If you are going to stay with us, there is work to do. I don’t expect you will have any useful training, but … ” he started.
“Actually,” I said, cutting him off, “I noticed that some of your robotic equipment needs attention. I can take care of that for you.”
“Really?” asked Symon, who was obviously surprised.
“Yes, I have level three training,” I said. There were five levels of training, but as a civilian level three was as high as I could get.
“Excellent, then you can at least earn your keep,” said Sarah.
For three days I put in fourteen-hour shifts working on their equipment. It really did need a lot of work. Apparently no one with any training had ever come to the outpost to work on the equipment. I did not recognize most of their gear, and had no idea what they were working on, but fortunately their equipment followed the typical pattern closely enough for me to figure out what to do.
When the day came for me to hitch a ride on their supply hauler, Sarah said, “Well, I still don’t think you can be trusted, but we will miss your skill around here,” and then she left.
Symon laughed. “Pay her no heed. Good luck, and may the Emperor bless your travels!”
“Thanks. I don’t expect I will ever be out this way again, but if I am I might drop in and fix a few more things,” I said.
“Well, officially we do not exist, and you were never here,” he said.
“Understood,” I said.
After I got on the hauler, one of the guards stopped me and said, “I don’t recognize you.”
I showed him the ID that the government had issued me with on our last mission. “I think you will find that in order.”
He scanned the ID and said, “Special Agent Felix? Who did you upset badly enough to get sent out here?”
“I have been out here a long time, and I am looking forward to getting home. I am sure you understand,” I said.
“Yeah, fine. There are some spare bunks below the galley. It will be a few days before we reach any place you can get a lift from, so make yourself comfortable,” he said.
I was stuck on that hauler another five days, which seemed more like a hundred and five. My ID listed me as a special agent, but I did not have a good history to back up the ID. I was sure if I spent some time reviewing my file I could learn it, but I did not want to risk getting caught. The last thing I needed was for them to question my ID when I was so far from help.
Once I was safely off the ship, I headed to a secure terminal and pulled up my record. I was surprised to find my special agent ID was tied to my real identity. After some more digging, I saw that I had been assigned with Zah’rak, Crivreen, and a Ragnar to something called a delta force under one Special Agent Byron. That meant that Zah’rak and Crivreen were all right.
Now, the question I needed to answer was: do I rush back to rejoin the team, or fade away? The road they were on was very dangerous, far more dangerous than I was comfortable with. I shut down the terminal and made sure it erased all traces of my query. Then I went for a drink; this would take some thought.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Zah’rak, what should we do?” asked Crivreen.
“Still no answer from the station?” I asked.
“No, Zah’rak. It is completely dead,” said Agent Byron.
“Why do I get the feeling this is a trap?” I asked.
“It well may be, but our f
emale magus is on that station. I am sure of it,” said Ragnar.
I looked at the screens and wondered. I knew that Narcion had left me in charge, but I did not feel at all ready to lead this group. They were waiting on me to tell them our next move, so I had to think of something. I decided I needed to buy more time to think. “Byron, have we got anything back from your team yet?”
“I’m not sure. Let me check,” he said and went off.
“Ragnar, is there anything to be gained by boarding that hauler?” I asked.
“With respect to our current mission? No,” he said.
“But there could be supplies there, and other things that we could use or sell,” said Crivreen.
“We have plenty of money and can always get Byron to buy us supplies in a pinch,” I said. “Does she know we are here?”
“I can’t say. I can only barely detect her at this distance. I doubt if she has the power to detect us, but whoever is helping her may well be able to,” said Ragnar.
“Crivreen, fly us close to the station, but keep as low a profile as you can. Get in as near as possible, but watch for any automated defenses,” I said.
“For what purpose?” asked Agent Byron as he came back up onto the bridge.
“I can’t see unless we get closer,” I said. “Did you find anything?”
“Yes. Two days ago, Felix used his ID to hitch a ride on a supply ship, clear across the sector,” said Agent Byron.
“Felix?” yelled Crivreen. “He is all right?”
“It appears so,” said Agent Byron.
“Oh, man! That’s great!” exclaimed Crivreen.
“What about Narcion?” I asked.
“Felix is traveling alone right now,” said Byron.
“Can we reach him?” I asked.
“No, we will have to wait until he gets to a station, but I have sent some agents to pick him up,” said Byron.
“Oh, he won’t like that,” said Crivreen.
“Well, he will either go with them of his own free will or turn in his ID. I do not intend to arrest him, if that is your concern,” said Agent Byron.
“He will head to ground if he thinks there is legal trouble,” said Crivreen.
“That might cost us a lead on Narcion,” said Ragnar.
“Can you tail him without him knowing?” I asked.
“Yes, but if he slips away, it could be a while before we catch him again,” said Agent Byron.
“It’s less risky than spooking him right now. After we are finished here, we can go after him,” I said.
“Okay, I will tell my men to hold back for now,” he said.
We were finally close enough to the station for me to start sensing things. “Any signs of automated defenses yet?”
“No, nothing. The station is still completely dead,” said Crivreen.
“Keep us as close as you can, then, and orbit the station,” I said as I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. Reaching out with Sight, I was able to see into the station. Everywhere I looked I saw corpses of men and women lying where they had fallen in combat. Some of them were behind barriers, others were in the open, but they all had weapons drawn and had taken some serious injuries before dying.
As I swept through the station I saw something odd. It was deep in the station, just about out of my visual field. “Something is alive over there,” I said. “Crivreen, bring us as close as you can to the center of mass.”
“Okay,” he said.
“What is it?” asked Agent Byron.
“Everyone on the station that I can see is dead, but there is fighting near the heart of the station. I cannot quite make out what is happening,” I said, as I opened my eyes and brought my senses back into the ship.
“If pressed, the station’s troops would fall back to the central core and lock it down. They will be enveloped in many layers of shields and have enough power and supplies to last a long time in there,” said Agent Byron.
“I would wager, whatever that magus wants, she could expect to find it in that core,” said Ragnar.
“Agreed, but that is a good sign. There are no ships in the region, and she is actively fighting here. That means we can trap her,” said Agent Byron.
“What about the hauler?” I asked.
“Once we get onto the station, we can use the weapons there to destroy it,” said Agent Byron.
“What are you proposing?” I asked.
“The four of us board the station. You three provide a distraction by going after the magus, and I will take control of the station’s defenses. Once I have that control I can send the sentries to help you, destroy that hauler, and communicate with the core,” he said.
“It is awfully dangerous for you to try it alone,” I said.
“One man can slip by unseen where four would be easily noticed. Remember, I am not human; I have other means of entry and movement. It is unlikely that whoever is behind these attacks knows I am working with you; they would only expect the three of you to act. When they see all of you, they will not be looking for me. Besides, I will be safe in your fancy armor,” he said.
What would Narcion do? I wondered to myself. He often split up teams, but would he send this agent off alone? “Ragnar, Crivreen: any suggestions?”
After they had indicated they had no better ideas, I said, “All right, we will try it your way; but if you get in trouble, bail out. We can pick you up as long as you keep the armor with you for us to track,” I said. “Crivreen, can you hide this ship?”
“Yeah, we can land the Night Wisp on the outside of the station and use the magnetic clamps to hold it in place. Once there and powered down, it will be virtually undetectable. We can just float over to a window and teleport in.”
Agent Byron gathered his armor and swords into a pack and then headed to the airlock. We followed him down and before I could speak, he said, “Once I am safely on board I will contact you. Until then, good luck!” He entered the airlock without donning a space suit of any kind and hit the cycle button.
We watched through the window as his body twisted and changed shape. His skin shifted to an iridescent black, and two large wings extended from his back. By the time the outer door opened he looked very much like a gigantic black butterfly. The interior lighting from the airlock showed a multicolored sheen through the skin on his back, but soon he was outside the door and faded from our sight.
“I would have never guessed how beautiful those creatures are,” said Crivreen.
“I would venture we are among the very few who have seen one with our own eyes,” I said. “Crivreen, dock us as you suggested and then let’s suit up and head over.”
As Crivreen returned to the bridge, I looked out the airlock and wondered what it would be like to fly free like that. What did space feel like? I wondered. Was there wind? Were there sounds we could not hear? How did they talk to each other? How did they find each other in the vastness that was outer space?
A slight jolt in the craft jarred me from my musings as Crivreen attached the Night Wisp to the station. I donned my armor, gathered my weapons and said to Ragnar, “Well, can you do any neat butterfly transformations?”
He chuckled. “I’m afraid not. It’s a shame, as it would be quite useful just now.” He checked his own equipment and, as Crivreen approached, he said, “There is a problem with Crivreen’s plan.”
“What’s that?” asked Crivreen.
“I can’t teleport,” said Ragnar.
“But you’re a magus!” said Crivreen.
“Yes, but not all magi can teleport,” said Ragnar.
“Of course they can!” said Crivreen.
“Look, we can deal with that debate later. For the present, Crivreen and I will teleport on board, and Crivreen will get one of the airlocks working and let you on,” I said.
“Sure, that will work. And once we get back, I’ll teach you how to teleport; it’s easy!” said Crivreen.
Ragnar ju
st shook his head and looked outside. “So there is really no air out there at all?”
“None. Think about climbing a mountain; the air gets thinner as you go up, right?” asked Crivreen.
“Yes. I suppose we are pretty high up, then,” he said.
“That is one way of looking at it. The armor you wear has plenty of air, and even a small jetpack in case you drift away from the station, but we will use a tether so you don’t have to worry about that,” said Crivreen.
“Oh, he probably has not experienced microgravity yet, either,” I said.
“Well, I have a little. Crivreen simulated lower gravity in the cargo bay so that I could start to learn to operate in it. I think I will be very grateful for the tether,” he said.
“Once we are on the station, the artificial gravity will take over and things will be more normal. At least as normal as it gets for us,” said Crivreen.
We all made one final check of our gear and moved into the airlock. Once inside I linked a tether between the three of us. Normally we would not bother, but as this was Ragnar’s first trip outside it seemed prudent.
As we exited the airlock and floated down to the station below us, I said, “How are you doing, Ragnar?”
“Exiting that airlock was a bit disorientating, and I feel a little queasy, but I think I will be all right,” he said.
“Crivreen, find us an airlock,” I said.
Finding an airlock proved to be harder than expected, as all the ones we came across had their windows covered. Without line-of-sight we could not teleport. “Now what?” I asked.
“We’ll have to get in the old-fashioned way,” said Crivreen. He then moved over to the most recent airlock we had found and began to disassemble the exterior control panel. “Get comfortable; this is a military-grade lock, so it might take a while to get in.”
“How are you getting on, Ragnar?” I asked again.
“Well, it helps if keep my eyes on the, um, ground? Station?” he said.
The Sac'a'rith Page 26
