Starbounders #2

by Adam Jay Epstein

  Zachary kept his cool. He knew that they made these trips a thousand times a day. Surely they would have outrun a boulder whale before. But when Zachary looked back, he hardly had time to wonder if maybe he was wrong before the creature had expanded its jaw and swallowed the submersible whole.

  The screams inside the vessel escalated into panic. As the whale’s maw closed shut, everything went completely black. Zachary quickly came up with a game plan in his head. He’d arm himself with Skold’s sonic crossbow and use his warp glove to blast a hole through the soft underbelly of the beast. But before he could act, there was a series of blinding flashes and then the whale opened its mouth and deposited the submersible into the entrance of an entire underwater city.

  “Welcome to Sea Floor,” the voice said above Zachary’s ear, “the hub to all of Subquatica’s destinations. If you’d like a commemorative photo from your trip inside that boulder whale, please pick one up at the gift shop.”

  Zachary suddenly realized that the entire incident with the whale had been a setup. The passengers around him were making the same realization, laughing to themselves. But there was one person who did not seem amused: Kaylee.

  “You know how close I was to stabbing this ionic dagger through that whale’s eye socket?” she asked. “Way too close.”

  “I suppose I could have warned you,” Skold said. “But then I wouldn’t have been able to watch you squirm.”

  Their vessel pulled into a tube at the front of the domed underwater city and came to a stop. The glass door of the submersible opened and all the passengers exited onto the platform. Several headed for the nearby gift shop, where pictures from the whale scare were popping up with each newly arriving vehicle.

  Zachary looked out at the tall buildings stretching to the top of the dome. Treelined streets were populated with local Subquaticans manning storefronts and kiosks, hawking souvenirs to anyone who would stop. They wore colorful shirts with slits in the back for their dorsal fins and Bermuda shorts that their tails poked through. Small electric vehicles silently pulled up to the curb, picking up and dropping off tourists.

  “Looks like there are security cameras covering all the exits and entrances,” Quee said. “We know when the dreadnought arrived. I’ll scan the footage and see if I can’t find where the Basqalich went from here.”

  She led the group to a circuit box at the base of one of the cameras. With the others acting as cover, she knelt down and slid her cryptocard between some wires. It wasn’t long before she was back on her feet, moving to a more discreet location to go to work. She accessed the feed from the time that had been stamped on the ship engine’s memory bank and watched as footage played on the edge of the cryptocard. A few minutes passed quickly, then Quee paused the frame and rewound the footage.

  “I think that’s him,” she said. “He looks a little different alive, though.”

  Skold came over to confirm it. “That’s him, all right.”

  They continued to watch as the Basqalich waved down one of the electric cars at the curb. It had a green circle on the passenger door.

  “Zoom in on the vehicle’s identification number,” Skold said. Quee froze the frame and enlarged the image. There on the back of the car was a seven-digit number. “It’s a Green Dot, one of the cab companies duking it out down here. We’ll pay them a visit and find out where our friend got dropped off.”

  The five hurried to the curb and flagged down the next available ride, a slick six-seater. A Subquatican spun his head around as the group climbed in, the gill-like folds on his temples making soft flapping noises as he breathed in and out.

  “Where to?” he asked.

  “Green Dot Cab Company,” Skold replied.

  “Of all the sights to see, it wouldn’t have been my first recommendation. But the meter’s running either way.”

  The cab zipped off, smoothly moving into the flow of traffic. Zachary looked up through the open sunroof and saw fish swimming above the ceiling of the dome. It reminded him of when he’d lie in his backyard, watching birds fly overhead, and he wondered if kids growing up here would find that sight as strange as he found this one.

  Each time the car stopped at an intersection, a different Subquatican would run up to the windows, flashing digital postcards and key chains in the shape of boulder whales.

  “First time visiting?” the cab driver asked.

  “For most of us,” Zachary replied.

  “Name’s Sy. You got any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. And don’t hesitate to tip.” He gave a friendly laugh. “Subquatica was built over two hundred years ago, for the tourists, of course. It’s also become a hub of scientific research. There are only a few places in the outerverse where you can simulate the conditions we have naturally down here.”

  “Where did your species live before the dome went up?” Kaylee asked.

  “Same place they still do. Out there, at the foot of the Coral Mountains.” Sy pointed past the edge of the glass bubble. Zachary could see small underwater cottages. Outside of them, Subquatican children played and swam.

  Suddenly the cab was slowing to a crawl. Cars were backed up for a mile. Up ahead, traffic was being detoured down a side alley.

  “Looks like the Changing Tide parade started early today,” Sy said. “I was hoping we’d beat it.”

  Up ahead floats with colorful streamers were spraying water into the adoring crowd of tourists lining the streets, as symphony music was pumped out from nearby speakers.

  “They do this four times a day,” Sy explained. “It’s a celebration of our ever-shifting sea.”

  “More like another opportunity to separate these poor saps from their serendibite,” Kaylee said, watching vendors pushing carts overflowing with trinkets and tchotchkes up and down the street.

  The car turned down the alley and soon pulled up in front of a large outdoor lot filled with parked Green Dot cabs. There was a dispatch office out front. Zachary and Skold exited the car, while the others waited inside.

  “We won’t be long,” Skold said to Sy.

  Zachary and Skold entered the office and found an overweight Subquatican manning the front desk. He looked up and saw the odd pair standing before him.

  “You know, most of our customers just call for a cab,” he said.

  “Actually, we need some information about where one of your cars took a passenger a few weeks ago,” Zachary said.

  “Can’t help you,” the Subquatican said. “That’s confidential—” Skold had his sonic crossbow pressed into the creature’s throat before he got out the last syllable. “Of course, everything’s negotiable. Date and time?”

  Zachary slid over a piece of paper with the vehicle’s seven-digit ID number written on it, along with the approximate time of the fare. The Subquatican began tapping away at the keyboard of his handheld log.

  “Here it is. The cab made a stop at the Research Quad, High-Pressure Center.”

  Skold dropped a cube of serendibite on the front desk.

  “Keep this between us,” he said.

  “Not a problem.”

  Zachary and Skold shuffled out the door and climbed into the car.

  “Research Quad, High-Pressure Center,” Skold said to Sy.

  “Something tells me you’re not here on a sightseeing tour,” he replied.

  “Just drive,” Skold said.

  It was only a short trip to the four long, flat buildings, which hugged a portion of the dome. The cab came to a stop in the circular driveway outside. Skold and the young Starbounders exited.

  “Wait here,” Skold instructed Sy.

  They headed for the closest building, which conveniently had a metallic sign hanging above its entrance that read HIGH-PRESSURE CENTER. The group walked inside, expecting to find many small laboratories, but instead there was just a single one that took up the entirety of the huge room. A handful of scientists, each a different species, was at work. One of them, a tall figure with long arms that reached down to her feet, approached
Zachary and his companions.

  “Are you the visiting scientists from the Milky Way?” she asked. “We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow. And we thought you’d be a little . . . older.”

  “No, we’re with the IPDL,” Zachary said. “We were hoping you might remember someone who came here a few weeks ago.”

  Quee walked up and flashed an image of the Basqalich on her wrist tablet. The figure took a long look, then shook her head.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t recognize him.” She turned to one of the other researchers, a short, peculiar creature wearing protective gloves and safety goggles. “Hoff, come look at this.”

  The creature walked over and removed his goggles, revealing beady little eyes. Quee showed him the picture.

  “Yes, of course,” Hoff said in a lilting, almost musical voice. “I arranged to give him a magnitude modulator in exchange for a very generous grant.”

  “A magnitude modulator,” Kaylee repeated. “What exactly does that do?”

  “It’s like a dimmer on a light switch, except it works on any power source,” Hoff replied. “I was told it was going to be used for a planetary irrigation system, to make sure the appropriate amount of water got to each vegetative area.”

  “Well, I think you might have been deceived,” Zachary said. “We have reason to believe that the modulator you provided is an integral piece of a star-killing device that was used to destroy the suns of Protos and Clu 5.”

  Hoff took a moment to consider the severity of what Zachary was suggesting.

  “If someone were to combine a kinetic force sink, a perpetual energy generator, and a magnitude modulator, would they be capable of doing something like that?” Zachary asked.

  “Yes, I suppose they would,” Hoff said. “But only stars of a very specific size would be vulnerable. Too big a star, and the device wouldn’t be able to absorb all the energy. Too small a star, and the device would have to get too close to the surface and risk melting. Take the suns of Protos and Clu 5. They’re almost the exact same diameter and temperature.”

  “How many other suns are the same size and temperature as those?” Ryic asked.

  “There’s a simple way to find out,” Hoff answered. He led the group to a computer set up at one of the lab’s work stations and began typing. “In the known outerverse, only four: Arbez, Lemeck, R-21, and Opus Verdana.”

  Ryic was pale to begin with, but he turned positively cold. “Opus Verdana? That’s Klenarog’s sun.”

  “You’re sure?” Zachary asked Hoff.

  “Yes,” the creature replied. “Every one of those suns—”

  Suddenly one of the large windows behind them shattered and Hoff collapsed, a spray of sonic fire cutting him down. Skold and the Starbounders instantly dived to the floor, taking cover. Zachary couldn’t see where the attack was coming from outside, but knew he and the others would be next if they didn’t move fast.

  A second volley of blasts tore through the lab as the scientists ducked under their desks and worktables. All around Zachary, laboratory equipment was being shot to pieces.

  “They must have been watching the Quad,” Zachary said. “Waiting for someone like us to come asking questions.”

  “Well, we’re sitting ducks in here,” Skold replied, crawling toward the exit.

  The others followed behind as more bursts came hailing overhead. Once they made it to the door, Skold held up a hand and stopped them. He reached into the utility compartment built into his carapace and pulled out four sticky spheres, which he used to scan Zachary, Ryic, Kaylee, and Quee. With four flicks of his wrist, he scattered them outside.

  “Explosives?” Kaylee asked.

  “No,” Skold answered. “Doppelform projectors.”

  He pressed a button on a handheld device and holographic doppelgangers of Zachary, Ryic, Kaylee, and Quee ran out of the High-Pressure Center. Immediately an assault rained down from the window of one of the neighboring buildings, but the sonic fire shot straight through the doppelforms, leaving the dirt ground covered in holes.

  Zachary looked to the circular driveway, but the cab was gone.

  “On my signal, we run for that grove of trees,” Skold said. “Now!”

  The five sprinted, Skold running backward and shooting his sonic crossbow at the source of the sniper fire. He hit a figure in the window, sending it falling three stories. But it wasn’t alone. Another shower of sonic bolts blew past the young Starbounders. They were halfway to the trees when Sy’s electric car zipped out from between two of the Quad’s other buildings, squealing to a stop in front of them. Zachary and his companions quickly piled in, and the cab was moving before the doors were even shut. More beams ricocheted off the outside of the car as it sped off.

  “You stayed?” Zachary asked.

  “I never leave a fare behind,” Sy replied. The Subquatican seemed to be enjoying himself. “Anyone want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “We’re still trying to figure that out ourselves,” Kaylee replied.

  “Get us back to the shuttle station as fast as you can,” Skold said.

  Zachary looked over his shoulder to see that they were now being pursued by a silver car, its windows tinted with blacked-out panes. Sy was weaving around cars, blowing through intersections, and nearly running down any pedestrian or street peddler in his way.

  Skold took one window and Zachary the other, each reaching their arms out and firing in unison. Sonic blasts and electrically charged ammo hit the front window of the silver car but bounced right off without even making a dent. Zachary watched as a debris cannon emerged from the car’s roof, launching a steel brick at them. It hit the cab’s fender, sending everyone inside tumbling. Sy kept a firm grip on the wheel.

  “Ten years I’ve been driving this cab,” he said. “Never had a scratch on it!”

  He made a sharp turn, cutting across four lanes of traffic and onto a pedestrian walkway. The silver car barreled after them. Zachary looked back once more, and while he couldn’t see past the blackened windshield, it wouldn’t matter for what he was about to do. He opened up a hole with his warp glove and reached into it. When his hand came out the other side, it was in the silver car. He blindly flailed around until his fingers found the wheel. Once he grabbed ahold, he gave a tug, sending the pursuing vehicle spinning into a guardrail. Zachary jerked his hand back just in time. The cab sped away, leaving the silver car in a smoking heap. Sy turned off the walkway and back onto the street.

  “We need to go back and see who was chasing us,” Zachary said.

  “Are you crazy?” Ryic asked. “We need to get to a lang-link and contact the IPDL. Klenarog’s sun could be next!”

  “Even if we warn them, what can they really do?” Zachary asked. “We have the best chance of protecting Klenarog by stopping whoever’s behind all this.”

  “That’s my home planet in danger!” Ryic shouted back.

  “The entire outerverse is in danger,” Zachary countered. “You have to trust me.”

  “Hey, not to interrupt, but what do you want me to do here?” Sy asked.

  “Turn around,” Zachary said.

  But that wasn’t going to be necessary. The silver car had already recovered from the crash and was accelerating toward them.

  “Maybe I should pull that warp glove trick again,” Zachary said.

  “You’re not going to have time,” Sy replied. “I’m afraid your ride ends here.”

  Ahead, the Changing Tides parade had brought traffic to a standstill, and there were no alleyways to turn down. For a mile to the left, right, and behind, cars were backed up. Skold handed Sy a handful of serendibite cubes, and he and the Starbounders jumped out and began running between cars toward the colorful floats.

  They tried to blend in with the throngs of Subquatican peddlers and eager tourists. Zachary didn’t have to look back to know that they were being followed on foot. The sound of people screaming was a dead giveaway.

  Zachary glanced over his shoulder to see the
crowd parting. Parade-goers were either running out of the way or being pushed. Once the mass had cleared, their pursuers came into view. But the figures weren’t human or alien. In fact, they weren’t living at all.

  They were robots.

  There were two of them. Each was eight feet tall and solid metal, with two arms and two legs. Their faces had no mouths or noses, just a row of eyes down the center. Both held weapons in hand and stomped methodically forward.

  “Robots?” Zachary questioned.

  “From the Binary Colonies, by the looks of them,” Skold said.

  Blending in wasn’t going so well. The pair of robots had already spotted them. So the group picked up the pace and started to run.

  “That’s what the ones and zeroes must have been referring to,” Quee said. “Binary robots. They were on that dreadnought.”

  The group pushed and shoved its way through, but the robots were marching speedily right behind them.

  “Why are we running away?” Kaylee asked. “We’ve been searching the outerverse looking for who’s responsible and now we’ve found them. This is our chance to finally get some answers.”

  “How?” Zachary asked. “They don’t look like the cooperative types.”

  “And they don’t crack under interrogation,” Skold added. “They have no emotions. They feel no pain. Not a lot of leverage to work with.”

  “But they have memory cards,” Quee said. “They can be hacked, just like anything else made of wires and circuits.”

  “That would mean we’d need to disable one of them first,” Ryic said.

  Zachary got an idea. He eyed the parade floats and paid special attention to one designed in the shape of a whale, sending sprays of water from its blowhole. He spied a costumed Subquatican manning the float’s portable hose and broke away from the others, hurrying toward it.

  “Zachary, where are you going?” Kaylee called out.

  “Cover me,” he shouted back.