by Paul Barrett
Red had contacted Kasta, and a price was agreed upon. There had been some concern from Kasta that the rendezvous and docking would be noticed by anyone at UCT looking over the Ship’s flight computer. Hawk had quickly assured the former pirate that Ship was more than up to the task of altering the carrier’s recorder and manifest.
As Red’s men worked on Ship’s new paint job and the crew attended to other duties, Hawk sat on the bridge and plotted the course to the rendezvous with the freighter. They were meeting in-system so a ripspace jump would not be required. Hawk agreed to do the calculations required for their trip so Gerard could contact his Order and let them know about recent events.
The sound of footsteps entering the bridge made Hawk turn. Laura walked in.
“How is he?” Hawk asked.
“He’ll be okay. I’ve sealed and bandaged the wound. He’ll sleep for a while.”
“Should we drop him at a hospital when we get to Karalos?”
“I can treat him here on Ship. The kataverin destroyed his nerve ends so thoroughly there’s no way to regenerate the arm. We’ll have to find someone to give him a cybernetic.”
Hawk took a moment to study Laura. Bloodshot eyes, drawn face, brown hair in disarray, she looked like a person who hadn’t slept for several days.
“How are you?”
“I’ll be okay.” She rubbed her eyes and pushed hair off her forehead. “I’ve already done the mom thing and cried about it.”
“Nothing wrong with that. It’s been a rough couple of weeks, especially for him.”
Laura walked over to the padded navigation chair and leaned back in it. “It’s times like this when I wonder if I shouldn’t have left him on Kel.”
Hawk leaned against the console in front of her. “If you think about that a moment, you’ll realize you're too hard on yourself.”
“I know. But he’s so vulnerable. I don’t want to fail him like I did Timothy.”
Hawk took her hand. “Now you’re shortchanging both of you. Remember how he was eight months ago. You could barely get near him without him running into a corner and whimpering in fear. Today, he put himself at risk to save your life. I think he would have done the same for any of us, even grumpy old me. You haven’t failed him.”
Laura’s eyes glistened. “He could have died today. He could have died on Meta Brévé. He’s not safe with us.” She paused. “I think we should let him live with someone else. Maybe Red.” Tears ran down her face.
Hawk walked around the console, knelt, and gently lifted Laura’s head until he could stare into her soft brown eyes. “We’re in a dangerous profession. Trey will be in danger as long as he stays with us. We can leave him with Red if you want. Do you think that would be any better?”
“He’d be safe.”
“But what kind of life would he have? Since he’s come aboard Ship, he’s been to fifteen different planets, he’s gone a long way toward recovery from serious emotional problems, and he’s gained respect and trust from all of us. What do you think it would do to him if we suddenly said, ‘You can’t stay with us anymore, we can’t trust you to care for yourself.’?”
“That’s not fair.” Laura’s eyes flared behind the film of tears.
“That’s what you’d be telling him, isn’t it? He doesn’t have to grow up overnight, but he does have to grow up. He’s eager to be treated like an adult. Gerard showed me that. If we sent him to Red’s, I don’t think he would ever trust anyone again.”
“At least he’d be alive.”
“Would he be living?”
A new voice spoke up. “What’s makes you think sending him to Red’s would make him any safer?”
Hawk and Laura turned. Tasha stood in the hatchway. “Yoseph and Patishi should have been safe at home,” she reminded them in her silky voice. “You can only do so much to protect them. Even if you do everything you can, it’s not always enough.” A tear fell on her arm, darkening her brown fur. “Think about it, Laura. Are the people who go to Red’s the type you would want Trey around? Some are okay, but plenty wouldn’t think twice about kidnapping Trey for their own use.”
“Red would protect him,” Laura insisted.
“The only way he could completely protect him would be to lock him in the cabin. As Hawk said, what kind of life would that be?”
Laura stared at the ceiling and said nothing for several minutes. Tasha walked into the room and sat down, while Hawk remained kneeling in front of Laura. They both waited without speaking, allowing Laura to sort out her emotions.
Laura wiped her eyes. “You’re both right. I’m upset and not thinking straight.”
“Have you thought about talking this over with the person it affects the most?” Tasha said.
“Trey? Not yet. Part of me hopes he’ll ask to be somewhere safer; another part of me is afraid that’s exactly what he’ll ask.”
“You know he’s as safe with us as he is with anyone,” Hawk said, “and I honestly think you’d have to pry him off Ship to get him to leave you. If it’s any consolation, the only place he’s going to be when we go to UCT is right here on Ship, far away from any danger.”
“I think Hawk’s right,” Tasha said in her soothing tone. “I don’t know Trey. I do know children.” She paused a moment. “On the whole, they’re very loyal to the people they care about. Talk to him. If you feel strongly enough he should be somewhere else, he’ll go to please you.”
“He doesn’t need to go anywhere else. I was being fatuous.”
“No, you were being concerned,” Tasha told her. “Like any good guardian. But concern can also be smothering. You have to learn when one has crossed into the other. Trey’s a bright child. He’ll decide what’s best for him.”
“You’re right, but I’m going to wait until I’m a little more level-headed about it.” She gave Tasha a sharp look. “Have you ever thought about being a parent? I think you’d be very good at it.”
Tasha’s tail twitched in surprised. “I thought you knew. I have four grown children and two grandchildren.”
“No, I didn’t know,” Laura said. “Tell me about them.”
Hawk stood up. “That’s my cue to leave. I’ll be in the workout room if you need me.”
Several hours later, Laura walked into the wardroom, where the rest of the crew, except the still sedated Trey, had gathered. “Moran’s sadism constantly amazes me.”
“What do you mean?” Hawk asked, looking up from the Go board that sat between him and Ashron.
“I finished analyzing the virus that killed the assassin. It’s exactly what Gerard said it was. It consumes any flesh at a rapid rate and then consumes itself until only a few cells are left, and they die in the air.”
“So it’s an organically harmful version of the bug that eats the degradable labs?” Hawk asked.
“Exactly. As long as it has sufficient oxygen, it will continue to feed.” She shuttered and looked at Hawk. “If you hadn’t cut Trey’s arm off, he would have been dead in less than forty-five seconds.”
Hawk gave a low whistle. “How did it get Madrin, though? It wasn’t in the room, or at least one of us would have gotten it.”
“It’s not an airborne virus,” Laura said. “There was residual Geber Fluid in the virus.”
“What’s that?” Ashron asked.
“A fairly rare elixir,” Gerard answered. “It’s essentially aether suspended in our plane. It allows…magic potions, I guess you would call them. The liquid can be worked to duplicate a specific manipulation. The creation of such things is its own sub-science of manipulation.”
Gerard looked at Laura. “She drank a potion that took her into ripspace. That’s how she got in the cabin without setting off the door or window alarms. And the liquid also acted as a time release for the virus.”
“That was my hypothesis,” Laura agreed.
“So the assassin kills us and then dies herself,” Hawk said. He shook his head. “And to think Moran used to be my friend.”
; The next morning, Hawk stood back and admired Ship’s new paint job, gleaming under electric lights strung through the cavern. It shone a dazzling red and yellow, loud and almost obscenely bright. Hawk hated covering up her crystal blue, but her scheme was too well known to pass undetected once they landed on Unicybertronic’s home planet.
Red joined him, and they walked in silence across the landing pad. Once they reached the gangplank, Hawk turned and offered his hand. “Good-bye, my friend. Sorry to leave in such a hurry.”
“We won’t even mention the mess,” Red said, a smile breaking through his crimson beard. He clasped his friend’s hand and slapped him on the back. His voice took on a more serious note. “Kasta is at the rendezvous and expecting you in a few hours. Be careful and take care of the young one.”
“We will. Tell Nora not to worry. We’ll be back for the anniversary celebration,” Hawk said, referring to the yearly gathering Red and his wife had celebrating the founding of Red’s Place.
“I will. By the way, I think she left you all a present in the galley.”
“Yes, she did,” Ashron said, walking up with his nose in the air. “I can smell the three egg cake from here.” He shook Red’s hand. “Good to see you again, you must excuse me. I have pressing business inside.” He started up the steep ramp.
“Hold it,” Wolf’s voice rumbled from near Ship’s aft.
Ashron’s eyes narrowed, and his tongue flicked. “What?”
“I need some help getting to one of these thrusters.”
Ashron glanced at the airlock, then down at Wolf, then back to the airlock.
“We’re leaving soon,” Hawk said. “You can be inside Ship or strapped to her.”
With a dramatic sigh, Ashron moved back down the ramp.
After a last pat on Hawk’s back, Red turned and stomped back toward the colony.
Hawk called to Wolf. “How long?”
“Fifteen minutes.”
“Good. We leave in twenty.” Hawk walked up the gangway and headed for the bridge.
Six hours later, Hawk watched the monitor as a crew of robots finished sealing up the compartment where Ship anchored. Thought compartment seemed a strange word for something so large, it was the only thing that came to Hawk’s mind. The Mazil Daqim appeared almost the size of a small planet. Ship was simply one of a multitude of assorted craft bound for Kalatos Three and other destinations.
“Ship, what’s our ETA to Kalatos?”
“According to the freighter’s computer, approximately sixty-eight hours. Once we’ve entered ripspace, I’ll get a more accurate reading.”
“Moran’s there, waiting for either his assassin or us to show up. Do you think we’ll finally be able to put an end to this?”
“I think so, Sean,” Ship said, her voice soft. “I just hope it ends the way we want it to.”
Hawk didn’t say anything for a moment. “Well, I think now is as good a time as any for the Knights to be reborn in full form.”
“Long overdue,” Ship said.
“Perhaps,” he said thoughtfully. “However, it may be a short rebirth.” Hawk stood and headed for his cabin.
Gerard walked into Trey’s room with a food tray and found him propped against the back of his bed with his knees up. A blank stare revealed that he gazed at something far beyond the wall of his room. A large bandage covered the stump of his severed arm. He looked over as Gerard entered.
“Hi,” Trey said, giving Gerard a weak smile.
“How are you feeling?” Gerard asked as he dropped the tray’s legs and set it on the bed.
Trey’s smile disappeared. “Not good. I can still feel my arm. It itches, and I can’t scratch it.”
“That’s called phantom pain. It’s your nerves not yet realizing your arm is no longer there. It never completely goes away, though it gets less severe. How’s the cut?”
“Laura says it’s clean and will heal okay. It hurts like hell.” Picking up the cup of tea awkwardly with his left hand, he took a small sip.
“The pain will go away too. I knew you’d be fine physically. You’re a tough person and Laura is a good doctor. But how are you feeling?”
Trey didn’t say anything as he picked up the spoon, hand wrapped around it like a baby’s fist, and ate some soup. A large part of it ended up on his chin, so he set the spoon into the bowl and wiped his sleeve across his face. “I was mad at first, but I’m okay now.”
“Mad? At whom?”
Trey’s eyes turned to the soup. “At Laura,” he said in a low voice. “At Hawk. At all of you.”
“Why?” Gerard asked gently.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I guess because I thought it was your fault I was there. I was being stupid, because if you had made me stay on Ship or back in my room, I would have been mad at you and begged to come along, just like I did on Meta Brévé. So I’m not mad anymore.”
“How do you feel about your hand being gone?”
Trey looked back up at Gerard. “I was mad about that, and sad too. Then I thought about all the people I knew―” he stopped again, “—back home. I thought about Yoseph. Compared to them, I’m lucky. I thought about that woman, too.” Trey’s voice choked. “I know she wanted to kill Hawk, but no one should die like that.”
“I agree. Anytime you want to discuss things, you know you can talk to us. Any of us.”
“I know,” Trey leaned back and stared at the wall.
Gerard examined the boy a moment. The invitation was there; Trey didn’t take it. Gerard frowned. The boy seemed to be accepting things too calmly. Gerard didn’t expect him to be throwing fits or rolling around with insane laughter. He had expected more than this composed discussion, as if they spoke about nothing more than a bad night’s sleep.
Maybe he needs more time, Gerard thought. Or perhaps you aren’t the person he wants to talk to. He wasn’t going to force the issue. He also wasn’t going to let Trey brood over things. “Since you’re going to be stuck on Ship for a while, now would be a good time to start your reading.”
“Reading?” Trey asked, his eyes coming back into focus.
“Yes, there are seven books you’re going to have to read.”
“Seven? That should be easy,” Trey said. He seemed happy to be discussing something other than current events, exactly the reaction Gerard had hoped for.
“I’m glad you’re optimistic,” Gerard said. “However, not only do you have to read them, you have to understand the concepts. Some of this may be tough going. However, when you get stuck, I can help you.”
“Okay,” Trey said. He picked up his spoon again. “Where do I start?”
“The first book is The Fundamental Order of Aether Explained by Zargot of Meladosta. Ship has already downloaded it to your reader.”
“Okay. Is that the same Zargot that’s in your order?”
“It is,” Gerard said with a smile.
A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” Trey said.
The door slid open, and Laura walked in.
“Well, I have some things to do,” Gerard stood. “Get to work on that book as soon as you can.”
“Okay,” Trey set down his spoon. He went to wipe his mouth on his sleeve. Seeing Laura, he grabbed the napkin from the tray instead.
Gerard walked out. Laura took his place on the edge of the bed. Her heart almost broke as she watched Trey struggle to flip open his napkin with his off hand. She gently took it from him, opened it, and handed it back. “Been a rough couple of weeks, huh?” she said, trying her best to keep her tone light.
After wiping his mouth, Trey said, “I saw a lot worse on Kel.”
“But you’ve never had anything this bad happen to you.”
Something passed through his mind at her words. She saw it in his loss of focus, the distant gaze of remembrance. He took a deep breath and then locked her with his deep hazel eyes. “I would rather lose both arms than fail someone I love again.”
Laura didn’t speak as her eyes blinked and she wip
ed at them. She wanted to ask him what he meant about failing, but she had to know something else first. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I was wondering if you felt like maybe you weren’t safe with us. Would…would you feel better if we let you live with Red or someone else, where you weren’t always in such danger?”
Trey’s face turned serious, and Laura got a glimpse of how he would look as an adult: handsome and possessing that indefinable quality of leadership she saw in Hawk. People would someday turn to Trey for guidance, knowing they could trust his wisdom.
When he spoke, he sounded much like an adult also. “I haven’t felt really safe since…I left my parents. But I would rather die tomorrow knowing I had the time with you I did than go somewhere and live a long life knowing I wouldn’t be with you. I love all of you. I would do anything for you. Please don’t make me leave.” His chin quivered as his eyes pleaded his case.
“We won’t make you.” Laura leaned over and hugged him tight as the tears cascaded down her face. “I just wanted you to know you had a choice,” she said in a raspy voice.
“I know,” Trey hugged her back as best he could.
Neither spoke for a long time. Trey suddenly leaned back, his face lit with a laser bright smile. “However, you don’t have a choice. You’re stuck with me whether you want me or not.”
Laura laughed. “I could have been stuck with worse.”
Hawk’s voice spoke over Ship’s intercom. “I need everyone in the wardroom right now.”
“Trey’s finishing up lunch,” Laura said.
“It can wait. This is important, and I think Trey will want to be here.”
“Do you feel up to it?” Laura asked Trey.
“Yes, if you’ll help me get out of bed.”
When they had all gathered in the wardroom, Ashron flicked his tongue and turned to Gerard. “So, what’s going on? Everyone’s here except the person who called the meeting.”
