by Jay Toney
"Your nuts! I'll be flying back with one of your wives. The blond one, she looks safe enough."
I couldn't wait to tell Jewel that Nugget thought she was a safe pilot. She is as crazy as I am when behind the controls of a Marauder. Jewel was going to scare the hell out of him. I opened the Marauders rear hatch and exited with Persephone and Nugget. A group of Antares regulars met us and took us to their command center.
It was an old courthouse, recently occupied by Alliance militia. Soldiers were gathering everything that was used by the Alliance occupation and bringing the relics outside where a bonfire was already burning.
Doc was already there talking to an older gentleman who seemed to be in charge. He motioned for us to come closer. "Young man, we have you to thank for our freedom today. This is the second time we have been liberated from the Alliance by your family. Doc Roberts freed us many years ago. Now we have been freed again by his son. We welcome you back and once again offer our hospitality,"
"Our ships are going to be in need of repairs and ammunition. Our crew could use some shore leave while we are here."
"We will have our ships tending to your needs shortly. What else may I offer you to show our thanks?"
"Well, I seem to recall a certain hot spring nearby, I presume its services are still available?" Doc asked.
A hot soak in a mineral bath was always on the top of Doc's list. "Nathaniel, I seem to recall you also took an interest in the water. I believe it was Loretta who showed you the hot spring and its pleasures."
It was. I had forgotten her name, but not the experience we shared. I was a young pilot, squadron commander, and still naive when it came to the wiles of women. Loretta saw me as prime husband material, someone who would advance quickly in rank and status. She used all of her charms to hook me, and it worked.
She was my first love. Doc rescued me by taking me off planet and giving me time to come to my senses. He told me that if I still wanted to marry Loretta after 30 days, he would give his blessing. While I was away, she found another pilot and married him. The experience left me with a broken heart for years to come. It may have contributed to my sleeping around in every spaceport, and never getting involved in a serious relationship until I met Amber. Amber and Jewel together was everything I could ever want in a woman. Since I married Amber, I had kept myself true to her and Jewel,
"I'll pass this time Doc, my last experience soaking in a hot spring wasn't so good."
"I see... It gave you time to get close to Persephone, and knock her up though. I'm surprised Amber and Jewel forgave you so easily. They must really love you to let you share your bed with Persephone."
"He did not knock me up."
"Then how do you explain that bulge in your belly? Did you swallow a pumpkin or something."
"It's not that big. Our mating was unintentional."
"As was Amber's, Jewels, and Beverly's. They all had one thing in common... Nathaniel."
"None of them were my fault."
"Do you deny being the father?"
"No, but... ."
"They couldn't have gotten pregnant on their own. Maybe this time you will learn not to mess around. It's past time that you take responsibility for your actions."
I got all of the blame and had none of the fun. Sex was something I have been missing out on since Persephone was invited to stay, by Amber and Jewel.
"Perhaps there is something else I can offer?" the old man asked.
"We are looking for artifacts from the first settlers that may help us find the Star Bridge, and return to Earth."
"I'm afraid that there is nothing in the archives that would be of any help to you. However, I recall that the first ships to arrive left a trail of some sort. Maybe beacons, or satellites of some kind. Not everyone had hyperspace back then. Sleeper ships and generation ships were commonly used. A trail with navigation data must have been left for them to follow."
I told him about the sleeper ship we encountered, and the people we rescued from it. "You're lucky to get away with your lives. You are not the first to have encountered the Mary Celeste. That she let you leave is surprising. She has claimed the lives of many of those who were foolish enough to board her. That she let you take her passengers is miraculous."
"It was almost as if she wanted us to take them. She gave us an invitation to board her, helped us find her surviving passengers, then allowed us to leave before vanishing."
"Maybe you and your crew were who she has been waiting for all this time."
Over the next few weeks, all traces of the Alliance occupation was eradicated. The survivors and sympathizers were rounded up and imprisoned on the smallest moon. Our ships were serviced and resupplied. I spent most of my time with my wives, trying to celebrate.
The things I use to take for granted while having fun lost their appeal. Alcohol no longer had an intoxicating effect on me. I continued to enjoy the flavors of the beverages, but couldn't get drunk, no matter how much I drank. Being around drunk people lost its fun and appeal, not being able to join them. My wives and I went flying on the second moon of Antares IV. The cybernetic enhancements improved my flying skills. The controls of my wings were much more responsive, but it was like flying on autopilot. I was more like a passenger along for the ride. I didn't feel the joy of flying like I did when I was plugged into my Marauder.
Virtual reality took on a whole new meaning. It was lifelike to me. I experienced things that its programmers never intended for anyone to experience. When I was plugged into the simulation it became a whole new reality. I found that if I didn't like something, or thought I could improve on the experience, it was easy to do so. I never liked VR gaming until now.
With all good things, comes the bad. Once a month Doc made me drink a concoction he mixed in the med lab. It consisted of different metals, salts, and protein concentrates. He explained that the way I was going through nanites, I needed to replenish the building blocks for their production. The trace elements in the food I ate were not enough.
Doc got his inspiration from the sludge that Persephone made to keep me alive. The shake Doc made would help me to continue living. It was something I could replicate if needed, but Doc wanted to make sure I drank it. It tasted awful. Persephone was able to help with that. She somehow managed to change its flavor and appearance, like she did in the ore processing facility.
Word had gotten out about our search for a way back to our home planet. We had nearly a 100,000 volunteers, wanting to join us, and only enough room to accommodate 1,800. Even with the news that it wasn't going to be a luxury cruise, and the passengers would be expected to work.
The people we rescued from the ghost ship had enough with space travel. Every one of them opted to remain here on Antares. They all left Earth in hopes of finding a better life on a new world. None of them wanted to return to Earth.
Persephone was able to help refine the list. She broke the volunteers down into groups, separated by their skill sets, moving the healthiest and most skilled people to the top of the list. She shortened her list to just 10,000. It was still too long. I suggested that we maintain a 50:50 ratio of men and women, and keep families together. Initially, her list lengthened, before she was able to shorten it again. In the end, our list was reduced down to 2000 people.
It was still too many people, but the excess volunteers could be used to fill vacancies aboard the Sequoia. Persephone was able to select those by sending Mike those volunteers that had agricultural experience and training. Lauren would be busy for the next few days. One of the stipulations for taking on volunteers was that they would need to work for their passage. It wasn't going to be a free ride.
That was something that both Nugget and I agreed about. If people were left to themselves
without purpose, they would grow bored quickly, and end up causing all kinds of problems. That meant fewer hours and work for nearly everyone after dividing up what needed to be done. Most of the labor would go into preparing meals, cleaning, and laundry.
The Persephone would be maintained, looking like new. On the last day of our stay, Hades caught up to me. We were in the country, walking across a meadow. Persephone frequently stopped to admire, and sometimes pick wildflowers to add to the bouquet she was carrying. A chariot pulled by a team of four black steeds appeared from out nowhere, racing towards us. The driver reached out with his arm to grab Persephone. I managed to get there first, pulling the driver from the chariot.
I recognized the driver immediately, it was Hades. I could feel the anger radiating from him. We regained our feet after tumbling across the field. He brushed himself off facing me.
"It is my lucky day," he said, pulling his sword from its scabbard.
"Harm Nathaniel, and I will never speak to you again!" Persephone screamed.
I pulled my energy sword from its belt, activating it. Its blade glowed with a blue hue, humming. I was ready to meet Hades.
"Hades, let us at least make the fight fair," Ares' voice thundered. "Allow me to give Nathaniel the use of my sword. It will make your fight more interesting, at the very least."
Ares pulled his sword from its scabbard and offered its hilt to me. I deactivated my energy sword, clipping it to my belt. I grabbed the hilt. The sword was heavy, heavier than anything I had ever tried lifting.
"The sword bears the weight of every battle I have fought."
Recently, I have had my own share of battles and bore the weight of the decisions I made. The destruction of Avalon came to mind. Hades laughed, "No mortal can carry the weight of Ares sword."
I pulled energy from my past battles. My memory of Avalon opened up a deep well of power. I drank from it. Power flowed into my arms. The sword lifted. I raised it to the guard position and faced Hades. He attacked, his sword was impossibly fast. I blocked his blow and followed it with my own attack. I slashed at his head and thrust towards his chest. He blocked my slash and jumped back to avoid the thrust.
"Impossible!" he yelled.
I continued hacking and slashing at him. Sparks flew from our swords. Ares laughed. I pressed on with my attack, the sword growing lighter, and my attacks faster. Hades was able to defend himself but unable to bring an attack of own. Sweat covered his forehead, and he struggled to parry my blows. He jumped back, yielding to me. He couldn't defeat me. His loss would have been only a matter of time.
"Mortal, I can wait to have my revenge. In time you will come to me. I have created a special place for you in Tartarus. You will spend eternity, having your limbs torn from your body. I shall relish in your suffering. Persephone, come to me!"
"I will not. I am bound to Nathaniel and his ship. It is here that I will gladly remain."
"I can free you from this binding"
"Even free, this is where I choose to stay. I have friends and my own followers here."
Hades and his chariot vanished. I handed the sword back to Ares. "Thank you, for the use of your sword."
He took his sword and placed it back into his scabbard. "There is more to you than meets the eye. You are no longer entirely human, but neither are you a God. I will continue to watch you." Ares vanished leaving the four of us alone.
We returned to the Persephone. Nugget sat in the copilot's seat of Jewels Marauder. So far, she was keeping her flying easy. I was sure Nugget was enjoying himself. Jewel and Amber flew past the Persephone, circling around her. I made my landing, and got out of my ship, to watch their landing.
I was sure they would do something spectacular. I wasn't disappointed. Amber and Jewel entered the shuttle bay side by side. Their ships were inverted. I could imagine Nuggets screams. They both rolled their ships two and a half times before touching down and reversing their engines. The ground crew scrambled for cover. The Vorg pilots cheered and rushed towards them. They always appreciated a good show. Doc wasn't happy with their performance though, "Amber and Jewel, you are both needed in my office now!"
It was an hour before they joined Persephone and I, in our suite.
"What happened?"
Jewel answered, "We are grounded for the next month, no flying. We each got a good paddling. Amber got off easy though. Doc broke his paddle on her, and had to finish with his bare hands."
"It still hurts"
"I can help." Persephone placed her hands on their shoulders. A golden glow surrounded Amber and Jewel. A look of surprise came over Persephone. "I know what you two are having. Amber, you are gifted with twin girls, both very healthy and beautiful. Jewel, you have been gifted with boys, also healthy. They will grow to be handsome like their father."
"No! I was supposed to have the girls."
"I told you I wasn't having boys,"
"Nathaniel is going to have to do it again. The next time, he has to get the order right."
"What about you?" Amber asked.
"I am going to have a beautiful daughter," Persephone answered.
Star Bridge
Amber and Jewel were standing next to their workstations. Nugget gloated over both of them. "Serves you two right, for your crazy antics. You both fly as bad as Nathaniel. Doc told me about how he broke his paddle on you two. He said neither of you would be sitting for a week."
"It could be we just want to stand." Both Amber and Jewel took their seats, without wincing. There wasn't even the slightest hint of pain. Either they had touches of steel, or Doc had taken it easy on them.
I had no clue as to which direction to head and begin our search. I didn't know where to even start. We headed out of the system, using our sublight engines. Our fleet was cruising at .2c. Amber and Persephone were both using the ships long range sensors to search for any anomalous object, that might be a clue.
Wherever our ancestors appeared from, it was far enough away that Antares's sun looked like a single star. That could have been as little as four or five light years away. The hyperdrives of that era were little better than jump drives, capable of jumping only a little more than a light year before the ships computer's had to calculate for the next jump. I would have to start with that, making a series of small jumps while searching. The jumps that the refugees made were probably smaller than a that, maybe as little as half a light year. It would still be much faster than the sleeper ships and generation ships that followed them traveled.
The sensors of the slower ships would be limited to light hours, searching for beacons placed by the faster ships, giving them a path to follow. It was this trail of bread crumbs that we were searching for. If we could find the trail, we could follow it to its beginning.
We made our first jump into the void. I chose a distance of a half light year to start our search from. Antares's binary suns could be seen clearly from this distance with our naked eyes. Amber and Persephone both stared at the long range sensor screens, hoping for anything. There was nothing. I had hoped that we would at least be able to find a beacon or two.
We were just about to make another jump. Amber screamed, "It's back!" she redirected her sensor data to the main viewscreen. There was a ship ahead of us, at the edge of our visual scans. It was too far away to identify, but I had a suspicion that Amber was right. I didn't know how it managed to travel this far, this fast. I was sure it was the Mary Celeste, retracing her voyage.
"Persephone, follow that ship." Our course changed, and we chased after the ghost ship, closing at flank speed. The ship took no notice of us, and we continued to gain on it. It vanished, but we had its course. We could still follow the ghost ship. Persephone took us back into hyperspace.
It was a small jump, only half a light year. It was impossible, the Mary Celeste was ahead of us again. It was a sleeper ship and had no hyperspace capability, but here it was. We were much closer and could make out the ships details now.
The ship was without a doubt our ghost ship. What was it doing here? The ship vanished a third time. We made another one half light year jump in hyperspace.
This time we came out in an uncharted star system. The system was long dead. Its once yellow sun had run out of fuel, in its dying days, it expanded into a red giant, then shrank to a white dwarf. With its fuel depleted the sun went dim, leaving a black dwarf and the remains of the nebula gasses it shed.
The Mary Celeste was here. It made a course change, and we continued to follow it. When we were directly behind it, it vanished. We continued our chase, jumping into hyperspace. When we reentered normal space the ghost ship was gone.
Amber and Persephone both shouted, "We've found it." Persephone split our viewscreen; the left pane showed our visual information, on the right was our tactical display. Our fleet was represented by green icons, and a string of yellow icons showed us our trail,
The beacons sensing our presence activated, after a long dormancy, broadcasting their information. The beacons were evenly spaced in 100 light minute intervals. Our long range sensors could detect up to ten beacons in the string. From what we could tell, the beacons followed a straight line. We could follow the beacons flying parallel to them in 15 light hour jumps. That would keep the last beacon on our sensor screen always in range, in case there was a change in their course.
With the way the beacons were deployed, in close proximity to each other, I didn't think our goal was very far away. It could be as close as a few light years from us. We could still spend years following the beacons to their point of origin if we traveled at sublight speeds. Other than the beacons, this area of space was devoid of anything.
For now, I let Persephone fly on autopilot. Jewel and Amber were both mad. They had gone to see Doc for a checkup. When they left to have the examination done they were in a good mood, especially Amber. She had finally gotten over her morning sickness.
