Life Across the Cosmos

by N E Riggs

  Tain’s hand moved suddenly. He’d been hanging limply when he abruptly reached around and grabbed Tenin’s right arm. A golden glow appeared, and Tenin cried out, ripping his arm away. Tain dropped to the ground, and a faint hum filled the air as Bellon shot Tenin.

  He only got a glancing shot as Tenin staggered to the side. He held his arm to his chest, and David stared at it in wonder. Wrinkles dotted his arm, and liver spots. It looked like the arm belonged to an old man, weak and feeble. He wasn’t able to look for very long; Bellon took another shot. Tenin flung himself backwards, towards the gateway.

  “Running away, you fucker?” Alosh shot the manipulator. The gateway snapped out of existence just as Tenin’s foot cleared it. He’d gotten away. “Damn it!” Alosh snarled.

  Bellon put his agitator away and helped Tain to his feet. “Are you okay?”

  “Just bruised,” Tain said, sounding shaken. He carefully touched the back of his head. Then he placed his hand there and concentrated. A moment later, the gold glow vanished, and his shoulders slumped. “I’m fine.” He looked around the little village. “I should see to them.”

  “I’ll help,” David said quickly. He’d been useless against Tenin – he had to do something to help. Tain nodded, and they slowly made their way through the village. Tain checked each and every person. Most he put back down, his face bleak. David tried not to stare too hard at the corpses and wished he could have done something to save them. He especially tried not to look too long at the dead children. Three of the Lipsipans lived, if barely, as did Lugh. Tain healed them even though he looked like he could fall over any moment. When he finished with Lugh, David helped him sit down and gave him a ration bar. “What did you do to Tenin?” he asked.

  Tain chewed silently for a few moments. “Something I normally wouldn’t do. It goes against every vow I made as a Heart Priest.” He winced. “I almost hope he was a Nephil. Then I’d be justified.”

  “But what did you do?” David asked again. “It looked like you made him older, or at least his arm.”

  “A Heart Priest’s gift speeds up the body’s natural healing processes. I can only work with something that can be healed. Basically, I speed up time for certain parts of the body.” Tain shook his head. “For Tenin, I sped up time on his arm.”

  David stood up and tried not to shiver. He’d never known a Heart Priest could do something like that. He wondered if their vows included not doing that, except maybe against Nephilim. He hoped so.

  The rest of the sixth division soon reached the village. They helped Kemi and Keri and the other Lipsipans see to their dead, saying Eternist prayers over the bodies. Rolan listened grimly to Bellon and Alosh’s report while Hue fiddled with the gateway manipulator. “Was Tenin a Nephil?” Rolan asked.

  “I don’t know, sir,” Alosh said. “He didn’t say one way or another.”

  Bellon glared. “He can’t have been. He feared my agitator. A agitator wouldn’t hurt a real Nephil.”

  “Unless he was just acting afraid,” Alosh said. “Anyway, I think he was hiding more from David’s Bramira than from you.”

  Rolan ran a hand across his face, looking tired. “We need to report this right away. Hue, can the manipulator be fixed?”

  “Maybe,” Hue said. He’d opened the side panel to expose a baffling amount of circuitry. “If I had more tools. I’ll try, but our gateway might appear first.”

  “Do what you can. We must get back to Bantong as soon as possible. Even if Tenin was only a Nephil collaborator, the Cardinals and Bishops need to know.” Rolan scowled. “He’s probably left his hideout by now, but if he was in a hurry maybe he left clues behind. We must hope he did. For now, help the villagers as much as you can.”

  The Lipsipans buried their dead a short distance away from the village, near the hills. Kemi and Keri moved silently, their eyes blank, and David wished he knew how to comfort them. He wondered if they would continue to believe in Aeons even after this. He didn’t ask.

  By evening, the village had been cleaned up. The mood was solemn, and the remaining Lipsipans sat clustered tightly together. David went to sit beside Alosh, but Rolan called him over. His back stiffened, and he walked slowly to where Rolan sat beside Hue, who continued to work on the manipulator.

  “Sit down,” Rolan said softly. David obeyed quickly, avoiding Rolan’s gaze. “You met Kemi and Keri months ago in Kumarkan and told them where to find weapons.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes, sir,” David said anyway.

  Rolan sighed. “I know you’re still inexperienced and were new to Bantong yourself at the time, but David, you can’t go telling people things like that.”

  He hunched his shoulders. “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m going to have to include this in my report. You will likely receive a punishment from the Law Priests in the near future. For now, I am taking you off active duty. You may continue to use your quarters, but you will not join us for missions. Your pay will be docked until further notice. At some point, the people of this world will also stand before a Law Priest. You will likely be part of that hearing as well. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” David whispered, so quietly even he could barely hear. He stood up, still looking away. “Thank you, sir.”

  “Wait,” Rolan said before he could leave. “Bellon said Tenin knew your name. How did he know?”

  David wondered just how much more trouble he could get in. “I watched over him last night, sir. He asked my name.”

  “And you just told him?” Hue asked, looking up from the manipulator.

  Rolan held up a hand. “I’m not trying to punish you, David, but we need to know. What did Tenin tell you last night? If he is a Nephil, any information, no matter how obscure, might help.”

  David stared at his feet. “He said I was unnatural, sir. He said he knew all about unnatural things.” He looked up in time to see Rolan and Hue share a look. He wanted to ask if they knew what Tenin had meant, but he feared the answer. Nephilim were unnatural – if he was unnatural too, would they think he was associated with the Nephilim? And what if he really was associated in some way with the Nephilim? He didn’t think he was, but he wasn’t sure he knew anything anymore.

  Neither Rolan nor Hue asked him anything else, so David slunk back to where Alosh sat. Alosh, bless him, just patted him on the back and split a ration bar with him. He didn’t say anything, but David felt better knowing he had a friend to sit beside. He’d messed everything else up, but he still had Alosh. So he couldn’t be that much of a screw up.

  Over the next day, Hue was unable to fix the manipulator, so they had to wait for their gateway to appear. When it finally did, Rolan had Kemi and Keri take their people through first – David wondered when they’d stand trial for killing their neighbors and whether it would be before or after his own trial. He gave Kemi and Keri a weak smile before shutting himself up in his room. He flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering how much longer he’d be a Sword Priest.

  10

  Calling Earth

  The first piece of Bantonan mail David received looked worryingly official. The cream colored paper was heavy, and the corner of the envelope bore a picture of a chain – the Law seal. He held it for a long time, just staring at it. Can’t put it off forever. He sighed and opened the envelope. The piece of paper inside was also adorned with the Law seal and made of the same material that reminded David of resume paper. It read,

  Sword Priest David Kemp,

  You will report to the Mitra Judiciary Building in Jod on the nineteenth of Quintilius at 10:30.

  Law Vicar Diket Varun

  “Awfully short,” he muttered, trying to decide whether that was good or bad. He pulled up the calendar on his com pad since he still couldn’t remember the names of the Bantonan months – when he’d figured out the Earth equivalents, he’d put those dates on top of the Bantonan ones. The nineteenth of Quintilius was July eighth, two days away. “Oh, God, that’s too soon.” He’d
been cooped up in his room for two days now and had been eager for an excuse to leave. Now he thought he could happily stay here for weeks.

  Two days till he lost everything. He chewed his bottom lip and hunched over on his bed. He might not receive a horrible punishment at the trial, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe that. He just knew he’d be kicked out of the Sword Priests. Distantly, he wondered when he’d get the summons for Kemi and Keri’s trial. Or maybe they’d be at the same time.

  Groaning, he put the letter on the desk. He couldn’t look at it any longer. He twitched, wanting to get up and move around, but what was the point of that? Exercise wouldn’t make him forget his mistakes. What he really needed was someone to talk to. Unfortunately, the sixth division was off on a mission somewhere on Bantong, not due back in Valal till tomorrow. Hopefully the mission wouldn’t run longer. He needed to talk to Alosh before the trial.

  His com pad rang. David jumped and fumbled with it for a moment. He grinned when he saw Brigid’s name on the screen. “You have no idea how happy I am to talk to you right now,” he said in lieu of hello.

  Her laughter on the other side soothed him. “Well, I’m about to make you happier still. I just got news of a gateway to Earth late tonight.”

  David sat up straight, keeping perfectly still. “My Earth?” he asked, barely believing.

  “World 5297, I doubled checked. Unfortunately, the gateway will appear in a country called Norway, far in the north. According to the computer records, that’s a pretty deserted area. And the gateway itself will only be open for five minutes.”

  The hand holding the com pad was shaking, David noticed. He gripped it tighter in both hands, afraid of dropping it. “Yeah, I don’t think there’s much in northern Norway.” He’d be close to the Arctic circle, probably. “Where do I find it?”

  Brigid was silent for a moment then said, “Near Mount Kulun. Meet me at my office tonight, and I’ll take you there.” She hung up.

  Very slowly, David put his com pad down. He stared at it for a long time then pinched his arm. “Ow. No, not a dream.” He felt a massive grin stretch his face. “I can go home.” His hands shook again, but this time he didn’t try to stop them. “Oh, God, I can go home!”

  He leapt from the bed and flew into action. He threw his clothes into a bag, his few other possessions on top. Nine months in Bantong, and his entire life still fit in only one bag. He laughed, not caring. He didn’t care that he’d be freezing in Norway either. He could wear his heavy coat. He pulled out his cell phone. Months ago, when he first came here, Brigid had found a way to keep it charged for him that didn’t involve plugging it in. So even though it had been nine months, it still had juice. It would still work in Norway so he could call for help. He’d have the mother of all roaming bills, but so what. It might take a day or two for people to find him, but he could wait. He’d be back home on Earth – he could wait weeks in the cold if he had to.

  “Goodbye forever,” he told his empty room as he shouldered his bag. Once outside in the hallway, he stopped. Alosh’s room sat just a few doors down from his. He’d been a good friend, David’s only real friend here. He wished he could say goodbye for real, but Alosh wouldn’t be back till tomorrow.

  David put his bag down and dug out a piece of paper and pencil. A note would have to do.

  Alosh,

  A gateway back to my home world appeared. I’m taking it, and I’m not coming back. I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye in person. Thank you for everything. You’ve been a great friend. I’ll miss you.

  David

  He shoved the note in the gap under Alosh’s door then repacked his bag. He noticed that he’d packed one of his Sword Priest uniforms along with everything else. Shrugging, he left it in the bag. Maybe it’d be enough to convince people back home that he really had gone to another world. If it didn’t, his agitator and Bramira certainly should.

  Bramira. He looked down at where it hung from his belt. He should probably leave Bramira here. It was a legendary weapon and a great treasure, belonging to the Eternist priests and Aeons. He scowled. Cethon had given him Bramira. He still didn’t know why, but it was his. It lit up only at his touch. No way was he leaving it behind. The Eternist priests had done little to help him. He didn’t need to give them Bramira.

  As he walked through Valal, he thought of his trial in two days. He’d miss it now. The gateway couldn’t have appeared at a better time. He couldn’t help the giggle at that thought. He hadn’t brought his letter with him. He didn’t need it now. “Thank you, God,” he said softly. Then he laughed. “Thank you, Aeons.”

  Checking his watch, he realized he had hours yet before he had to meet Brigid. He stood before the elevator and considered how to spend his time. He thought again of the trial letter. He would miss the trial, but he’d spent the last two days with his stomach tied in knots over it. “Fuck you, Bantong,” he called out. He stepped away from the elevator and found the armory for the sixth division. The armory stood just beside Hue’s office, and the door was never locked. Sword Priests often needed new equipment, after all. On top of his possessions he packed five agitators, an extra coat and blanket, ration bars, and a canteen. “They’ll never even miss it,” he told himself as he zipped the bag closed. “I might be stuck in northern Norway for days. I’ll need lots of stuff.” There might be wolves and polar bears in Norway; he might need to protect himself. The extra agitators he could give to some scientists, to show as more proof of where he’d been.

  Besides, even if someone realized he’d taken all this stuff, he wouldn’t be able to collect his wages on Earth. He was sure his Bantonan money could easily cover what he’d taken, so it wasn’t really stealing.

  His bag bulged at the sides now, weighing him down. Didn’t matter; he wasn’t going far. He left Valal and reached the Hagen Administration Building in Kumarkan, still hours early. After checking the index, David found the level with the restaurants. He settled down at a restaurant Brigid had taken him to when he’d first arrived at Bantong. Sitting, he ordered rafren, which he liked, and targo, which he’d never had before. The targo tasted okay, but David ate the rafren slowly, savoring it. He almost asked the waiter how it was made so he could eat it again when he got home, but he wasn’t much of a cook. He watched the television for awhile, but Bantonan soaps where just as stupid as Earth soaps, and he quickly grew bored.

  He fished out The Traveler’s Guide to Bantong from his bag and thumbed through it absently. He could read it, but it wasn’t actually in English, he remembered. How long would his translator continue to work once he got home? One day, would he no longer be able to read the book? Maybe he should copy it over while he could. Sighing, he put the book away. He couldn’t possibly sit still long enough for that now. It’d have to wait till he got home. It’d be something to do while he waited for rescue in Norway.

  It was still mid-afternoon when he found himself sitting outside Brigid’s office. He saw no sign of her and wondered if she was out helping some other traveler. He tried to sit still but couldn’t. Eventually he started pacing up and down the length of the hallway. When Brigid returned to her office around six in the evening, he’d nearly walked a rut into the carpet. “Impatient?” she asked, hands on hips.

  “A little.” He shrugged then grinned broadly. “I get to go home. Hey, my cell phone will still work when I get back, right?” It had a charge, but constantly read ‘no service.’

  Brigid led him inside her office and sat down behind her desk. “Give me a few minutes. I need to write a report, then I can look it up.” She took his cell phone from him.

  David sat across from her as she typed and swiped through screens. His leg twitched incessantly as Brigid worked. He’d have to make sure his cell phone worked before the gateway closed, even if Brigid thought it would work. He didn’t want to be stuck in Norway with no way of contacting anyone. Bantong was better than freezing to death.

  After about a half hour when David was sure he couldn’t sit still f
or another minute, Brigid hooked his cell phone up to her com pad. She spoke without looking up from. “You know, it’s too bad you couldn’t contact Seth Walker. He’s from your Earth too, and he’d have made your first few days easier.” She shook her head and hit a few more keys. “There. That should do it.” Brigid handed his phone back.

  The screen still read ‘no service.’ David took it as a good sign anyway. “Thank you for everything,” he said, blinking back sudden tears. “I’d have been lost without you.” Brigid stayed silent for a moment, and David saw her staring at his bag. He waved a hand, catching her attention. “I said thanks.”

  “Oh, right, of course. It’s my pleasure.” She blinked, focusing on him. “What’s the bag for?”

  He stared at her blankly. “It’s my stuff, obviously. Or do I have to leave the clothes you gave me behind on Bantong?” The supplies he had no intention of leaving behind. He wouldn’t be too bothered about leaving the clothes behind. He’d brought them as a convenience, mostly. He’d been away from home for nine months. He’d definitely lost his apartment in that time, and probably most of his possessions. He hoped John had saved some of his things, like his old photo albums, but John probably hadn’t saved his clothes.

  Brigid sat behind her desk, very still. “I told you, the gateway isn’t anywhere near your home.”

  “Norway isn’t a problem.” David waved a hand. “You can get cell phone reception anywhere. It might take a day or two, but someone’ll come get me. I don’t mind waiting.”

  “I see,” Brigid said softly. She stood, moving slowly and mechanically. “I heard you have a trial before the Law Priests the day after tomorrow.”

  David grinned. “Not anymore I don’t. Honestly, this gateway has such good timing, I could almost believe in Aeons.”

  Her mouth thinned. “I see,” she said again. “You should call your friend – John, was it?” He nodded. “You should call John as soon as you step through the gateway.”