Raven's Sphere

by Melissa Koberlein

  But before the runner can lay one finger on my suit, the dimly lit room turns into blinding, white light, and a loud buzzing reverberates in my ears. I squeeze my eyes shut, wondering if I’ll still be able to see when I open them next.

  Then the screaming starts, loud, guttural, and all around me. Glass shatters, and shards rain down on top of me, pelting my arms and legs. Suddenly, my limbs are free. I move into a fetal position, covering my head with my arms. Whatever this is, I want no part of its destruction. A moment passes, and something coats my head and hands, the sound dying out.

  I open one eye, peering out. The bright light is gone, and instead, I’m enveloped in a hazy cloud of gray dust. I sputter and cough, trying to find my way out of the haze. I stand and brush off my battle suit, swatting at my powder-coated hair.

  Loud moans and more screams.

  Emery.

  I glance at the table where he was sitting, but he’s not there anymore. My breath leaves my lungs as I search for him. He’s standing in front of the table holding the sphere in his bare hand, illuminated and whirling in silver glory. I scan the rest of the joint as the dust settles to the ground. The bar is completely decimated, and dancers and restaurant patrons are either unconscious or hiding under tables scattered around the large room. But what’s more concerning is that the cargo runners and soldiers who attacked me are simply gone.

  I look back at the sphere in Emery’s outreached hand, my heart pounding.

  10

  Escape from Cadmar

  Covered in the remains of the cargo runners and soldiers, I rush to Emery’s side. I grab the bag from his belt and hold it open for him to place the sphere back inside. His eyes are unfocused, as if in a trance.

  “Emery, it’s me, Raven. Time to put away the sphere. No one is going to harm you.”

  He doesn’t respond, the sphere floating and rotating in his palm. Damn, that ball of light is sexy.

  I lift his chin, trying to force him to look at me. The sphere twitches as if alerted by a threat. Whoa, calm down. I mean him no harm. “Emery, please put the sphere away. You’re safe now.”

  His eyes come back into focus. “Raven? Are you all right?”

  My jaw drops. He’s worried about me?

  “I’m fine. Now, please put the sphere back in the pouch.” I glance around at the bystanders. When the shock of the event wears off, the patrons will fixate on the cause. We have to get out of here—now.

  Emery deposits the sphere into the bag and cinches it closed, hooking it back to his belt. Then he pulls the glove back on his hand.

  I sigh, relieved. “Let’s move.”

  He nods.

  I look around on the ground and find a set of keycards with a military insignia chain. A Versacraft! The Cadmarian military operates multipurpose vehicles that can hover on dry land and navigate water both above and below the surface. Everyone calls them VCs, and I’ve always wanted to test one out. I grab the keys and clasp Emery’s hand in mine. We can escape out the back.

  Adrenaline flowing, we make our way through the kitchen, knocking into counters, tipping overhanging pots and pans along the way. Some Cadmarian cooks and service droids stare at us in confusion.

  “What happened?”

  “What went on out there?”

  Ignoring them, I slam my shoulder into the back door, while tapping the lock. We surge out into the heat and sun. I raise my arm over my head, shielding my eyes from the brightness. “Come on, we need to find the soldier’s VC.”

  Squinting, I see a row of parked vehicles fifty paces away. The third one in line is a bona fide Cadmarian military-grade Versacraft. Wow, she’s a sexy beast. Please let these be the keys to her. I run, pulling Emery along beside me.

  The first shot rings out just above our heads. I drop to the ground, pulling Emery down with me, my arm covering his back. I glance up. We’re ten paces away from the VC. I put my head back down and growl. We won’t make it.

  “Get up slowly,” I whisper to Emery, taking is hand. I raise my artificial hand and stand to turn around. Emery follows suit.

  “I warned you, Raven, no funny business.” Dillandra waves her plasma rifle dramatically. Five of her guards stand behind her in formation, their guns trained on Emery and me.

  Emery lets go of my hand to take his glove off.

  “No,” I whisper. “Let me handle this.”

  I look back at our enemies. “Dillandra, please let us go. You saw what happened in there. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

  I already know it’s not going to work, but it’s worth a shot.

  “I think the only people getting hurt here will be you and this boy. You’ve got a lot of nerve coming into my place and destroying it like you did. You’ll have to pay for it. I think I’ll start with your other arm.”

  Okay, she’s going to kill us. Starfire! Why can’t anything be easy these days? I look down at Emery and nod curtly. “On my mark.”

  I reach out my hands in a gesture of submission and move in front of Emery so he’s out of their line of sight. “Whoa, whoa, let’s not be hasty here. The kid has a valuable item you might consider taking as payment.”

  “I’ll take whatever you have as a bonus after I take your lives as payment. Who’s first?” Dillandra snarls.

  “Now would be a good time, Emery,” I whisper out of the side of my mouth.

  The silver glowing sphere rushes in front of me and hovers midair just out of reach. I gasp, mesmerized by how something so beautiful could also be so deadly. The same draw to touch the sphere is present again. But now I know better.

  Dillandra and her guards stare at the sphere, their mouths agape. Slowly, at first, the sphere rotates, then spins faster and faster. Dillandra forms the words, “What’s that?” as the sphere moves toward them, getting larger and brighter until finally, it’s too bright and I have to shield my eyes.

  Screams echo across the lot, and I know what’s happening now. As quickly as the encounter started, it’s over.

  Silence.

  I open my eyes and look to where Dillandra and her guards were standing. All that remains is one guard, with his hands covering his face, standing in a lowering cloud of dust, urine running down his leg. Dillandra and four of her guards are gone.

  I turn around. The sphere hovers and whirls above Emery’s hand, seeming agitated.

  Before I can do or say anything, Emery moves around me and says to the guard, “Let this be a warning. Those who intend to harm me, or my companion, will suffer the same fate as your friends. You live because you didn’t share their desire to harm us. But that doesn’t mean I don’t see you as a threat.”

  My jaw drops. What happened to ‘we don’t kill’? Who the fuck are you, and what did you do with the kid?

  The guard turns and runs back into Dillandra’s establishment. Well, I guess it won’t be called Dillandra’s much longer, given that she was just disintegrated.

  “Put that away,” I say, heading to the VC.

  Emery stows the sphere and follows me. I place the keycard in the slot, and the VC controls turn on. Yes!

  He climbs into the passenger seat. I punch it, and we speed out of the parking lot and into the waterway headed back to our ship on the coast. We have to get off Cadmar before the military is alerted about the incident. I glance over at Emery, my heart going out to him as I try to gauge his demeanor. He just killed some people, and I’m sure it was his first time. I know how that feels. What’s worse is he did it to protect me, just like…

  No, I can’t bring myself to think about Bren. Not now. Instead, I focus on Emery. He never asked for any of this. He was supposed to lead a peaceful life on his planet.

  Keeping both hands on the wheel, I tilt my head toward him and whisper, “Are you okay?”

  Emery, looking quite calm, turns to me. “I should be asking you that question, Raven. You’re the one who was injured, not me.”

  “Me?” I chuckle. “I’m fine. I’ve taken plenty of punches in my life. What t
hat runner did to me was nothing.”

  “It was not nothing. No harm will come to you if I’m by your side.” He grazes my arm with his hand. “We’re a team now.”

  I don’t flinch under his touch—something new for me. I glance down at his hand and back to the road a lump forming in the back of my throat. I haven’t allowed anyone besides Teagan to get this close for a long time. Why does he want to stick by a liar and a cheat like me?

  Get a grip.

  “It’s you I’m worried about. You killed those people back there, and you said your people were peaceful. I think I may be a bad influence on you or the sphere’s done something to you.”

  Emery moves his hand from my arm and looks out the side window. “The sphere and I are linked now. That can’t be changed. And I don’t have a people anymore. I make my own decisions now, and I choose you. Besides, I didn’t kill them. They took their own lives when they chose to harm another.”

  I choose you? What does that mean? “No offense or anything, but I kinda do that all the time.”

  Emery sighs and glances down at his satchel and then back at me. “You only hurt people out of a sense of survival because of the life you’ve chosen. You believe that each time you’re punched, kicked, cut, or shot, it’s atonement for your family’s death. You think you deserve it. But you don’t. There is good in you, Raven. I’ve seen it through your actions.” He leans closer. “Maybe I’m a good influence on you.”

  The VC hits sand. I’ve veered off the waterway, my heart thrumming like a satellite beacon in deep space. He’s so much like Bren. I can’t deny it any longer. Plus, he knows what I’ve done, the people I’ve hurt, and yet, he’s on my side.

  I open my mouth to retort something sarcastic to put the wall back up, but no words come. Instead, I turn the wheel and steer back into the waterway.

  The docking station by the coast is as calm as the Cadmarian shallows. No one seems panicked or looking for us, at least not yet. We have time.

  I look at Emery. “Promise me you won’t pull out the sphere. I don’t want you to have to kill again. I think it’s addling your brain or something.”

  He frowns and shakes his head.

  I shake mine right back at him. “I’m serious. I can handle this.” I grasp his arm firmly and glare into his eyes. “And this time, I mean it. I’ll have us back on our ship in five minutes. Trust me.”

  Emery grasps my hand. “Of course I trust you. Let’s go.”

  Okay, well, that’s at least something. I squeeze his hand. For the first time in a long time, it feels good to not be alone. And honestly, he’s not a bad sidekick, considering his weapon of choice. I approach the guard at the check-in station, my nose in the air as if I know what it’s like to be Cadmarian.

  A guard in a Cadmarian uniform, albeit snug from a bit of overindulgence on his part, leans over the speaker. “Receipt, please?”

  I reach into my side thigh pocket, produce our receipt, and hand it to the guard.

  He scans the receipt as I scan our surroundings. So far, so good.

  The guard frowns. “Oh, I’m sorry, your ship is next in line for the requested recharge. It will be another thirty minutes or so. I apologize for the wait. It’s been a busy day.”

  He smiles, trying his best to be accommodating. But we need the charge. We’ll run out before we can get to another charging station, making us space bait.

  “Okay, please hurry. We have a sick relative we need to get to,” I lie with a sincerity that makes Emery glance at me. I wink and smile.

  The guard apologizes again and asks that we have a seat in the waiting area. I can’t stop watching the guard and the road. It’s only a matter of time for word to spread about what happened at Dillandra’s. Speaking of Dillandra, a small part of me mourns her death. Or I should say, mourns the Dillandra I thought she was. For me, she was as much of a friend as I could have expected, being a thief. I was wrong. She was going to lop off my remaining arm and snuff the kid and me out. It’s a shame, but there was no other way out of the situation.

  Emery leans against me, his head resting against my shoulder. He’s tired. On instinct, I put my arm around him. I rest my head on top of his, and it feels good. Like the weight I stacked around my heart is lifting. He saved me twice today, and I was only half kidding about my comment about the sphere messing with his head. It clearly takes a lot of energy out of him. We sit there for about ten minutes in silence as I contemplate our next move. But a convoy of military VCs approaching from the north interrupts my thoughts. I sit up and nudge Emery as a shiver runs down my spine.

  They know.

  We need to get out of here now. I head toward the guard’s station again. We don’t have time for a recharge.

  “Sir, we really can’t wait any longer. We will take our ship now,” I say, trying to hide any desperation in my voice.

  “Okay, well, they are charging your ship as we speak. It will be just another five minutes or so. I promise it won’t be much longer.”

  Well, at least we’ll have some power. “No, I’m sorry, but we have to get going. Have the droids stop the charge.”

  The guard comm beeps from inside his booth. He answers, his eyes darting from mine to Emery’s. It’s the military. The guard replies into the comm, “I understand.” Calmly, he looks at us. “Would you and the boy please have a seat? I can’t release your ship at this time.”

  I’m out of ideas. He controls the recharging field barrier from inside his booth. I can’t get my ship unless he releases it. I shift uncomfortably back and forth. Think, Raven, think!

  Before I can consider a secondary plan, another familiar man in guard gear approaches the door on the left side of the booth. He knocks, and the guard inside opens the door. Big mistake. The man on the outside punches the guard in the booth, knocking him to the ground. A skirmish ensues out of my line of sight on the floor of the booth until finally, one of the guards rises. The next thing I know, I’m looking at the one man I never expected to see this soon again.

  Cole.

  “What are you doing here? I told you I didn’t need your help.”

  “Looks like you do,” he replies, smiling. He fumbles around at the controls. “There, you’re free. Mind if I tag along? I hitched a ride here.”

  “Well, I guess we owe you.” I take off toward the recharging field with Emery in tow. Our ship is being unplugged from the nuclear generator by some fueling droids. I’ll have us out of the Cadmar atmosphere in less than five minutes.

  I reach the ship first and punch in the security code. As soon as the door opens, shots streak past us. Starfire! The military is out of the waterway and has already converted their crafts to land navigation. I cover Emery and pull my pistol, taking out two soldiers riding on the top of a VC. Cole joins in and takes out two more soldiers on the ground. We’ve got to get on board and get the shields up.

  I push Emery through the door and tell Cole, “Hold them off until I can get the shields up.”

  He winks at me and takes aim again. “I got this, babe.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t call me babe!” I rush onboard and into the cockpit. “SANDY, all shields powered up.”

  “Shields engaged,” SANDY calmly responds.

  I press the door comm. “Cole, get your ass onboard. We’ve got to go!”

  I watch the monitor by the door. Cole dives inside, and I raise the ramp. I pull back on the controls and lift off. I jolt as blasts hit the surface of the ship. Thankfully, the shields are holding.

  Again, I press the comm. “You two better strap in back there.”

  I lift off and head away from the fueling station. Well, it’s now or never. I surrender to the ship’s power core and pull as much energy as I can for maximum velocity. This is the only chance we’ve got to get out of here, and if we run out of power in space, so be it.

  My body slams back against the captain’s chair from the g-force as we shoot up and away from Cadmar’s surface.

  “SANDY, engage a
nti-artillery.” If they get off any long-distance nukes, I want to make sure they don’t connect with us.

  “Confirmed.”

  My whole body vibrates as we climb further into the atmosphere. She’s handling the rapid launch beautifully. Just a bit longer. You can do it.

  The ship’s hull buffets, fighting against the atmospheric barrier until, finally, we break into space. I exhale and check my instruments and radar. So far, so good. No pursuit yet. Next, I check our fuel levels and oxygen capacities.

  Shit. We can’t jump. I fall back against the seat and sigh. Well, that leaves only one option before they come after us.

  “SANDY, get us offline. I don’t want anyone to detect us.” At least one of my upgrades will come in handy.

  “Acknowledge. Engaging cloaking device.”

  “Take control and move us into deep space.”

  “Captain Raven, I recommend we turn around and land back on Cadmar.”

  “I say again, take control and move us into deep space.”

  “Acknowledge. I must warn you, we will run out of fuel.”

  I get up. “I know.”

  11

  Space Bait

  By the time I finally work up the courage to tell Emery the bad news, I find him sitting on the floor in the living quarters with his legs crossed, hands calmly resting on his knees. His eyes are closed, and I can tell he’s a million miles away.

  I don’t want to disturb his peaceful respite, but we have things to discuss. “Emery?”

  He looks up at me and smiles. “Sorry, I was centering my soul. You should try it with me sometime. It’s very calming.” He stands to face me. “We are safe, then?”

  I tilt my head at him. Centering my soul? Um, I don’t think I have one of those. “For now. We’re hiding in deep space. But we do have a problem. We didn’t get powered up enough to make it to another safe recharging station.” Then, as I recall that we’re not alone on the ship, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. “Where is Cole?”