by Frank Carey
Savannah ripped the box open and extracted a long, red cylinder with an arrow painted on one end. She slammed the arrow end into Gus's neck. A loud hiss sounded, indicating something was happening. Gus's body went limp which caused Minnie to run a scanner over him.
"Is he dead?" Savannah asked, a look of horror spreading across her face.
"No. His biosigns are odd..." she stopped to reach down to retrieve the red box. "Emergency Nanorobot Repair Kit. Damn, you injected him with nanorobots."
"Did I kill him?"
"No. You saved his miserable life. I've tried to find out what happened to him for ten years. No wonder he won't talk about it."
"But he's OK, right."
She looked at the scanner. "Yeah, he should be fine..."
The ship rocked.
"But we may not. Someone is firing on us."
A worried Matt came over the intercom. "Y'all better get up here."
The ladies strapped Gus to the table before heading to the bridge.
###
"What do we have?" Savannah asked as she and Minnie stepped onto the ship's bridge.
"Three military-grade attack shuttles are closing from aft at high speed," Matt explained.
"And they're not in a good mood," Morty added.
"Open a comm channel," Minnie requested.
"Channel open," Matt said.
"Horus, where hell are you?"
As if to answer, one of the shuttles took heavy fire before exploding. The Furball appeared as its stealth field collapsed while it shifted targeting to the second shuttle. "Gate activation in thirty seconds," a deep voice said as the second shuttle veered off, one of its drives exploding in the process.
"How long, Buddy?"
"You have one minute to enter the gate."
Two more shuttles appeared, strafing the Furball with high-energy plasma fire. The Furball launched missiles while raining blaster fire on the third shuttle, destroying both of its engines. Ahead of them the gate opened, a large, sun-like sphere big enough to fit a battle wagon appearing before them. "Full throttle!" Vanny ordered.
"Aye, aye, Captain. Throttles read full power. Twenty seconds to gate."
"Horus, get the hell out of there!" Minnie screamed as the Furball turned to put itself between the two remaining shuttles and the Yosho. The turn was slow, too slow. Before it could finish, the shuttles launched a phalanx of missiles which turned the Furball into a miniature sun. Suddenly, a League Cruiser appeared, strafing both shuttles with hypervelocity railgun fire, turning both shuttles into clouds of incandescent debris. At that moment, the Yosho entered the gate, disappearing in a flash of light.
"Horus?" Minnie said quietly.
Alarms sounded. "Intruder alert. One new life sign." Matt reported.
"Location?" Vanny demanded.
"The Dispensary."
Minnie was already out the door. She ran into the Dispensary and found Horus in Horus form, gently checking Gus's pulse with two fingers and a thumb. Minnie ran up to the being and cuffed him on a massive bicep before embracing him in a hug that would crush a normal mortal. Behind her, Vanny ran into the room followed by Morty. Both nearly tripped at the sight of a two meter tall bodybuilder with a hawk's head. Minnie ignored them.
"I thought you were dead," she said. "I couldn't lose both of you, dammit."
"I rode the winds of the InterWeb just as the ship exploded. Now, they think Gus dead."
"What the hell are you?" Vanny asked, her gun pointed at the two immortals. Morty reached around her and gently took the gun from her. "He's an immortal, like me."
"Yes, just like you. I am known by many names, but I prefer Horus."
"What is this InterWeb?" Morty asked.
"A communications network which connects ships, planets, space stations, and the people of the League," Minnie explained. "We immortals have learned to use it as a transportation network."
"I have a question," Vanny said as she put her pistol back into its holster.
"Shoot."
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE?" she yelled.
Minnie explained.
Vanny sat down on a stool and stared at the immortal.
"Gus meeting up with his past and getting shot was not part of the plan. Normally, he would have planted a tracer on Glant, but the big Storen pulled a weapon."
Vanny walked over and took Gus's hand from Horus and held it. "He... You all have risked everything just to help us? Why?"
"He'd probably say 'Just because,' and leave it like that."
"Minnie, the Alyson news feeds are filling with news of the fire fight," Horus informed them. "I think one of Glant's crew may have posted a vid of Gus getting shot on the InterWeb. A cursory viewing of the footage would suggest that Glant killed Gus in cold blood."
"OK, that's not good," Minnie said as she opened one of Gus's oversized eyes to check for pupil response. Satisfied, she let it close.
"What? What's not good?" Vanny asked.
"Gus dying like that. Gus has hundreds of friends who he's helped over the years. They are going to be very upset when they hear he was killed by a gun runner while helping a poor merchant get his stolen ship back."
"I had not thought of that," Horus said. "I pity the Negis Corporation."
"Well, we can't worry about that now. Vanny, where were you heading?"
"Back to the Cepheid variable stare we were found orbiting. From there, back to my universe. I assume we're heading to the Arctillus gate?"
"No," Horus said. I set the destination to a gate several light-years away from Arctillus just in case there was a problem with the obvious one."
"Yes, obvious to anyone who thought you depended on the gate database found in a freighter's data bank. There are dozens more, including one close to Charlene," Minnie continued. "We had planned to follow you through the gate in the Furball as if we were chasing you, then reroute you anywhere you wanted to go. Lug, here, is convinced your cause is righteous even though he has no idea what it is. Like I said, he has spells."
"What's a Charlene?"
"Minnie's name for the star you were orbiting when you were found."
Minnie smiled. "I like the name."
"So, what do we do now?"
"We use a gateway control from one of the stolen drives to jump between the Arctillus gate and the gate close to Charlene," Gus said as he slowly sat up on the bed. "I assume the wombat won the match?"
"It was a draw," Minnie said as she and Vanny grabbed opposite arms and helped Gus remain upright.
"Welcome back from the after world," Horus said.
"Anubis was out, or I would have said hello for you." He looked around. "Why aren't I in the Furball's medbed?" He looked at Horus who suddenly saw something interesting at his taloned feet.
"How bad?" Gus asked.
Horus picked up a scrap of paper off the floor and handed it to the Storen. "I think that's all that's left of the Furball. May she rest in peace."
"Right. We're in the Yosho. Did anyone kill that bastard?"
"No, though Matt tried," Minnie replied.
"Glant must have a Katalan ancestor. I swear he has nine lives." He stood up, then immediately sat down. "Too fast."
Minnie hurried over to the fridge and returned with a can of energy drink. "Drink this."
"Thanks." He popped the top and drank half the can before speaking again. "OK, we need to unship one of the drive controls and connect it to the Yosho's computer system."
"Matt and I have already done that," Morty said.
"Wow. Then I need to do some reprogramming. The gate will take about two hours to recharge after we emerge."
"Two hours and thirty-five minutes to be exact," Minnie corrected."
"I bow to your wisdom, oh Goddess of Knowledge," Gus said before taking another slug of the drink. "Anyone got an aspirin?"
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
R-Sec Director Neta Tavish looked at the pile of reports sitting in front of her and wondered if she would ever get through
them all. Though head of Ventos Prime's Office of Royal Security, she felt that some tasks couldn't be delegated to her staff and priority reports were one of those tasks. On top of the pile was the latest report from Gus. She sat there and stared at the report while wondering if she should have listened to him rather than dismissing his suggestion outright. A knock at her door interrupted her musings.
"Yes?" she said, though her mind was elsewhere.
It was her secretary. "Director, it's Queen Losira."
Neta got up and straightened her jacket. "Joanie, please see her in."
Joanie bowed as she opened the door, then stepped aside to allow the Queen to pass. Once Her Highness was inside, Joanie curtsied, then closed the door to give the two women privacy.
"Yes, My Queen?" Neta asked.
"Sit. I have news."
Neta sat, concerned about the Queen’s worried demeanor. "What's wrong, Losi?"
"Do you know Gustav Curran, a Storen finder?"
"Yes. He's currently working on tracking down Savannah Hardy and the ship she stole."
"Yes... Were you two close?"
"What? My Queen, Mr. Curran and I have a very professional relationship..."
Losira took her hand. "We think he died in a firefight above Alyson. His ship—the Furball—took on five, heavily armed, battle shuttles which were attacking the Yosho Maru. He got three of the bastards before the Furball was destroyed by missile fire. The Septar tried to stop them, but she arrived too late."
"And the two remaining shuttles?"
"Destroyed by railgun fire. Look, if it’s any consolation, Alex is fit to be tied. He's got teams tracking down the remaining forces of the Negis Corporation. They're..."
Neta stared off into the distance, her eyes vacant with shock. "Gus is dead? Are you sure? I just talked to him..."
"It was definitely the Furball that was destroyed. Septar is running searches of the area, but Captain Restack isn't hopeful..."
"Gus dead?"
Losira stabbed the intercom button. "Joanie, call Grendel Tavish and get her in here, stat!"
"Yes, My Queen."
Losira reached into her handbag and pulled out a spray hypodermic. "Neta, this is a sedative," she explained as she pressed the device against the woman's arm. Immediately, Neta's tail went from question mark to a relaxed sway as the drug took hold. Just then, Grendel walked in.
"Yes, My Queen... What's wrong with Auntie?"
Losira explained. "She needs to be watched for a few hours. Losing Mr. Curran is hitting her hard, and I don't want her to be alone until the sedative wears off."
"I'll take her to my place."
"Won't Nels mind?" Losira asked, referring to her brother who was also Grendel's husband.
"He's off helping your sister, Jewel, with a delivery, but he wouldn't mind anyway."
"Good. I'll have Joanie clear her schedule and yours."
"Thank you, Your Highness. Auntie, you're coming home with me, OK?"
Neta just nodded. Grendel took her by the arm and led her out the door, grabbing her purse on the way out.
###
Sorka, the new CEO of Negis Corporation hurried down the hallway to her office, anxious to get to the ship idling on the roof before the authorities arrived to shut the company down. "Damn you, Glant," she muttered as she placed her palm against the lock pad to open the armored door leading to where she kept the backup data storage modules for the company. "You had to open your big mouth. How stupid do you have to be to brag about killing someone's family while surrounded by witnesses?" The door opened as the locking field neutralized. She stopped when she saw a Katalan female and an elf female leaning against her desk, each holding one of the backup drives. She recognized the elf. Her heart sank.
"Hey, Sorka, what's happening?"
"Bryn, I hear you married a human."
"Yep. I hear you married a moron."
Sorka bristled at Bryntanna calling her husband a moron. Yes, he was a moron, but only she could call him that.
"I assume you have a warrant."
Bryn threw her an envelope. She opened it and removed the contents.
"Yep, you have a warrant. Is there any way I can persuade you to let me and several members of my family leave unscathed? I promise to let you know if I hear from Glant."
"Normally, as a matter of professional courtesy, I would, but you killed a friend of my family, an act that doesn't endear you with them."
"A low-life Storen finder is a friend of..."
The Katalan was on her like a cat on a mouse. "My name is Felicity Zarn and Gustav Curran is—or was—my husband's cousin. More importantly, he was a merchant spacer, one, come to find out, whose family was killed by a bunch of low-life pirates who were a blot on the Storen people. We just broke into your database and guess what we found? The whole story behind the deaths of the Curran family under orders from your father. Insult Gus one more time and I will swear a vengeance on you that will wipe out every family member in the League. You understand me?"
At this point, the much larger Goranthi woman's feet were several inches off the floor as the enraged Katalan lifted her one-handed by the front of her shirt.
"Felicity, you can let her down now," Bryn said quietly. "If you cut her throat, you'll just have to have your nails redone."
Fel dropped the Goranthi to the ground, then stormed out of the room as a team of guards walked in. They handcuffed Sorka and led her out the door as Brynn watched. As the door closed behind them, Brynn's communicator beeped. "Go for Bryntanna. What do you mean there are no remains in the debris field? He might not be dead? Really. I better go tell Felicity. Brynn out. Damn! May we live in interesting times is truly a curse after all," she muttered as she grabbed the storage units and ran out the door after her friend.
###
Neta neither saw or heard the movie unfolding in front of her. Instead, she reviewed her life choices as they related to one Storen finder who happened to have a crush on her. "What the hell was I thinking? Why did I keep brushing-off his advances? Hell, why did he keep coming back for more abuse?" She shook her head. "Now, he's dead, and I never even got a chance to say goodbye... Or tell him how I really felt about him." Her pity-fest was interrupted by a knock at the door. She ignored it, thinking Gren would get it.
There was another knock. "Dammit," she muttered when she remembered Gren had gone out to get some food for the two of them. She got up and opened the door. Standing outside were Losira, Alex, and a very large, very gray Storen. She ushered them inside.
"Sorry to stop by unannounced, but you need to see this," Losira said. "By the way, I would like you to meet Kayleth Rennick, Gus's grandfather.
"Ms. Tavish. A pleasure to meet you." He engulfed her hand in his and gave it a gentle shake.
"Forgive me for being blunt, but what the hell's going on?"
"Dir. Tavish, there has been a development in the investigation of the destruction of the Furball," Alex said as he walked over to the view screen and inserted a data drive into one of its ports.
"What kind of development?" She asked as she got hot drinks for her guests—it was a cold night—and bid them to take seats around the viewer.
"Thanks," Losi said. "First, we found a video recording from the weapons buy that Savannah Hardy was involved in. Run it, please, Alex."
Using the remote, Alex killed the movie and replaced it with the recording. A look of shock washed over Neta's face as Glant and Gus faced off. "My God, I didn't know... Wait, did Gus get shot?"
"No one knew," Alex explained. "Gus never knew what I did for a living, but he did some jobs for me none the less. I consider him a friend, yet I knew nothing about his family."
"None of us did," Losira said. "I contacted Lucien, and he did a quick search of the database. He thinks all records of the Curran family were purged years ago."
"Except for those found in the Negis Corporation's data banks," Alex added.
Neta took the remote and rewound the part involving the sh
ooting. "Gus was hit by a glancing blow. It was severe, but not immediately fatal... He's alive?"
"We're not sure," Losira said. "What we're sure of is this: He wasn't flying the Furball when it was destroyed."
Neta's head snapped around. "What did you say?"
"The orbital firefight occurred in the middle of heavy ship traffic. Several crew members ran video of the event. This one, in particular, caught our attention." He took the remote and cued-up the second video file. This one showed a close-up of the Furball's bridge and pilot.
"What the hell is that?" she whispered as a large being with the head of a hawk and body of a humanoid weightlifter appeared.
"We weren't sure, so we called Clio, Kellen Hardy's immortal companion. She should be here..." Losira started to say.
There was a flash of light and Clio was in the room. "My Queen, Director, Governor, Mr. Rennick. My Queen, I got your message. What'cha need?"
The three pointed at the screen.
"Well I'll be. That's Horus. He played god for the ancient Egyptians on Earth and the Sandaarans. I heard he was hanging with Minnie as her owl..."
"Minnie..."
"Minerva, Earth's ancient Roman's name for her. Yeah, and Horus spends most of his time as an owl. He says he finds it relaxing."
"Can he use the InterWeb for transportation?" Neta asked.
"Sure, all the immortals can. It's our thing."
"He's alive!"
"Neta, we don't know that for sure," Losira reminded her. "That wound looks pretty severe..."
"Who's wounded?"
Alex brought up a still showing Vanny picking up a wounded Storen while a humanoid woman and a Logash male laid down cover fire. Clio walked up and tapped on the image of the woman. "That's Minnie." She shifted to Vanny. "Heavens! Is that Kel's daughter from another universe?"
Neta joined her. "Yep. Her name is Savannah."
"That is so creepy, especially considering there's a two-year-old Samantha Hardy playing with her father not too far from here. Hmmm, who's driving the bus?"
"What do you mean," Losira asked as she and Alex joined them.
"Clio's right, someone is driving the freighter." Neta noted. "The engines are powering up, getting ready to take off the moment the crew is aboard. See these lights?" she said while pointing to a set of four yellow lights above the ramp. "Those are status annunciators. They're only yellow when the bridge is manned and the ship is prepping for takeoff."
