by Trevor Scott
Ju-Long looked at the grated metal floor and remarked, “Ju-Long waffles. Yuck. Now what were you saying about Aether?”
Nix cocked his head. Even children knew about Aether. It was at the very core of their system’s knowledge of the universe. Ju-Long bore a truly puzzled look that couldn’t have been faked for the sake of a joke. He really didn’t know.
“You’ve seen the purple energy on Planet Surya, as well as running along the conduits in this ship. That is Aether. It powers most technologies in this system.”
“But what is it?”
Nix didn’t entirely understand the question, so he repeated, “It is Aether. It is derived from the planets and every creature on them.”
“Like Qi.”
“I do not know this word. We view it as the life force of the departed. Do you see now why The Garuda runs on Aether?”
Ju-Long furrowed his brow and thought hard. Finally, he replied, “So, this ship really is just a ship, but it’s powered by the life force of the Garuda of legend? The souls of the dead?”
“Elegant, isn’t it?”
“But she acts like a living thing sometimes.”
Nix shook his head and motioned for Ju-Long to be quiet. He said, “Careful what you say, she’s sensitive. I would argue she’s more alive than any number of creatures I’m aware of. The Aether has reanimated the creature’s consciousness. She is completely aware of her surroundings, even this conversation.”
Ju-Long looked around the room, a little agitated, and said softly, “Ghosts in the machine.”
Ju-Long’s small brown eyes darted back and forth as though expecting an apparition to appear. The human’s small curved nose had a single bead of sweat dripping down it, which made him snap out of it and wipe the perspiration from his face. Nix never could get over how small and unpronounced their features were. Humans were a funny species. Nix confirmed, “An odd phrase, but not inaccurate.”
Ju-Long continued to examine the insides of the generator, feeling around the different modules. While he worked, he asked, “So, every one of the Corsairs had this Aether running through them?”
“Every one. While the average ship in the Ansaran fleet may also run off Aether, not every life force is equal. It is why only the most feared creatures’ power was harnessed for the purpose of creating the Corsair fleet.”
Ju-Long stopped fiddling with the modules and looked up at Nix, who floated above him and slightly off-kilter. He asked the question Nix was rather not fond of answering.
“How is the Aether harnessed?”
“In time, friend,” Nix hedged. “I can give you a history lesson after we repair the gravity field. Topics such as this require a good meal, and I can’t eat Leguma in a weightless environment.”
Ju-Long frowned and looked back to the generator. He let go of the laser cutter and it floated next to him. He pointed at the machine and said, “This technology is foreign to me, but I’ll do my best. Hand me that power meter and we’ll see if the module is totally drained.”
Nix handed Ju-Long an ergonomic rounded device with probes that extended out from the bottom. Ju-Long began attaching the leads while Nix drifted off in his mind to another place. He was thinking of Astrid. No, not Astrid, but someone who looked remarkably like her. In the spire they called her “The Heiress.” She was the daughter of the Caretaker on Ansara and next in line to lead their House. The Heiress put on a fantastic show, but she was far worse than Ragnar or Toras ever were.
One day, Nix was cleaning the Caretaker’s office with several other Dinari, when The Heiress showed up on a diplomatic mission. He’d seen her a few times before, but only ever briefly during her limited stays in the spire. She’d had a way with Ragnar that left him speechless. No, it was more than that. He was physically incapable of speech. A few of the Dinari heard her exchange with Ragnar and watched as The Heiress made him sign some documents, seemingly against his will. Nix hid behind one of the many columns in the Caretaker’s office, more out of instinct than anything else. If Zega had taught him one thing, it’s to never get involved in matters of diplomacy if he intended to remain alive.
He waited for several minutes without hearing a sound, until finally several thuds echoed throughout the chamber. The sound of three Dinari bodies hitting the cold stone floor. Nix waited for The Heiress to leave and then came out from behind the pillar. There was no blood on the ground, but the three Dinari lay dead, expressions of lust and contentment burned into their scaled faces.
Ragnar sat back in his chair in a daze, but very much alive. Nix examined him more closely, making direct eye contact with the drooling man. He had this feeling that behind those eyes he was aware of everything that had happened. Nix backed away slowly, and then turned and broke into a run, exiting the chamber. He was absent from the spire a week before Zega convinced him to go back and continue his mission. Nix had been flogged once for every day he’d been gone, and Ragnar never looked at him the same way. It had occurred to Nix that Ragnar might have remembered everything, including him.
The Heiress was the first Ansaran female he’d ever seen. From the rumors, most never left Ansara. Whatever strange power they held was enough for Nix to distrust Astrid. When he’d heard Astrid was from House Ansara, the connection was clear. That would make Astrid at least a cousin to The Heiress, and certainly capable of the same evils. Blood never lied.
Ju-Long broke him out of his reverie. “Looks like there’s a bit of juice left in the module, but if it’s anything like an engine on Earth, we’re going to have to give it a jump so it can recharge itself. Do these power modules need to be replaced like dead batteries?”
Nix shook his head and responded, “What? Oh, any replacement parts would have to be fabricated by us back on Surya at Zega’s shop. A jump should work until we can replace it.”
“If the main supply is too much, maybe we can use one of our energy weapons?”
Nix nodded absentmindedly and said, “It could work.”
Astrid was inside his head again, smiling jovially and laughing at his incompetence. He’d had his chance to kill her. With Liam and Ju-Long swept away with her ruse it would be increasingly difficult to carry out his tasks and remain a part of the crew. Nix breathed out a big gust of air. Everyone had their burdens to bear.
26
“They’ve got our scent and they’re not going to stop until we’re dead.”
Liam held on to a metal crossbeam while floating on the ceiling of the cockpit, considering Saturn. She’d been trying unsuccessfully to convince him to go after the remaining Reapers and his patience was fading. The Garuda was still being patched up and they couldn’t risk an open space battle with the Kurazon. It was like she had a death wish.
“It’s decided, Saturn. When repairs are complete, we’re headed back to Surya. We can stop by Narra on the way if need be.”
“Oh, good, we can drop off some baggage on the way.”
“That’s enough. Think what you want about her, but she’s willing to help us. We don’t have so many friends on this side of the galaxy that we get to be choosy.”
Saturn stifled a laugh and broke his gaze. After a moment, she said viciously, “No, apparently that honor is left for the Captain.”
Saturn pushed off from her chair and floated away down the bent passageway, leaving Liam wondering what had just happened. His wonder spiraled down into scorn.
Liam’s grip tightened on the support beam until his knuckles were white. She infuriated him to no end with each of her colorful statements and her incessantly contemptuous tone. Liam’s thoughts were dashed by a sinking feeling in his stomach. Soon his arms had to flex to keep him in place and he became aware of his weight hanging from the beam. Liam let go and fell to the grated floor below. He stood and brushed himself off, still steaming inside as he looked down the empty hallway.
It didn’t take long for Ju-Long and Nix to appear in the cockpit, giddy with their successful repair of the artificial gravity generator. Ju-Long knelt down
and kissed the metal grates below. He exclaimed, “It worked! God I missed this.”
“Good work,” Liam said with a level voice, hiding his residual anger. “Let’s get our bearings and get the hell out of here.”
•
“There’s no sign of them,” Ju-Long said, examining the co-pilot’s console. “Their last energy signature was seen near the farthest moon, on the other side of Taleris.”
Liam nodded and took hold of the control handle, simultaneously releasing the hooks holding them down. He gave a short burst from the thrusters and The Garuda rose up several feet from the asteroid. Liam folded back the landing gear and began a slow departure from the debris field. Without the Reapers chasing them, navigating the spinning rocks at low speed hardly posed a challenge.
At the edge of the debris field, Nix asked him, “Are you sure about this, Liam?”
“As sure as I can be. The Reapers would have waited us out until our supplies were gone. It’s what I would have done. This way we have an advantage.”
Nix eyed him suspiciously and asked, “You expect them to follow us?”
“I expect them to try. We both know we haven’t pushed this ship to its limit.”
Nix made a noise like he was about to object, but instead he simply said, “Even if we can outrun them, they’ll still be out there.”
“Don’t worry, Nix. I always have a plan.”
Liam gripped the control handle tighter and moved the ship through the center of two pock-marked rocks. Nix worried too much. Despite his faith in The Garuda, when it came to the Kurazon he was always gun-shy. Maybe it was his upbringing or the multitude of stories about these particular ships that was making him wary. Either way, they were going to make it through, no matter what.
Nix looked to his bandaged arm and said sardonically, “Your plans usually end with one of us getting hurt.”
“This time will be different. If we time it right, we’ll have the element of surprise. Besides, Nix, usually Ju-Long’s the one getting hurt.”
Nix chuckled while Ju-Long made an offended face and defended, “Keep laughing, but someone needs to get things done around here.”
Through the reflection in the cockpit window, Liam saw Nix shake his head and gaze out at the stars with a faint smile still burned on his face. It might not seem like it to his crew, but Liam had actually done some planning this time. That didn’t mean it was going to be easy, but The Garuda did have something the Reapers didn’t, and it had nothing to do with firepower.
Astrid entered the cockpit and took the seat behind Ju-Long, strapping in, perhaps out of caution after the last time she’d been in the cockpit. She said, “I see we’re on our way. Where exactly are we going?”
“Narra,” Ju-Long said.
Astrid appeared discouraged. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.”
“If you like, we can drop you off and it will be like none of this ever happened,” Nix seethed.
Astrid regarded Nix and frowned. She held a hand over her shoulder as though protecting her body and turned away from the Dinari. Liam could tell keeping her on the ship was going to be a Herculean task. He announced to the cabin, “Narra is a strategic play, nothing more. No one’s kicking anyone off this ship. Are we clear?”
“Perfectly,” Nix said, darkness creeping into his voice.
Ju-Long made a groan and brought up a holographic image of the moons surrounding Taleris. Two long figures appeared briefly, their courses matching their own. Ju-Long stated, “We’ve got company.”
“As expected,” Liam remarked.
Liam moved the throttle forward with his left hand, pushing the ship toward its top rate of acceleration. He could hear the engines groan below them as though they were shaking off a century of rust and grime. The cockpit began to shake and the holographic image of Taleris flickered and started to show new images of empty space. Taleris had passed the edge of their scanner range.
Ju-Long commented, “The Reapers are pursuing, but they either can’t match our velocity or they’re not trying to.”
Liam continued to push the accelerator forward and replied, “They’ll try to see if we can keep it up. If we can’t we’ll be dead in space and they’ll have their golden opportunity.”
“Isn’t that risky?” Astrid asked.
Liam turned and saw an anxious Astrid out of the corner of his eye. Her hands were clenched together and her toe tapping rapidly on the ground. She was frightened. Finally, something her and Nix had in common, though Liam doubted they’d see the humor in it.
“This ship can take it,” Liam told her. “If I were the Kurazon, I would keep my distance until I knew exactly what I was dealing with. We already took out one of their ships. They’re likely to be wary of another encounter but can’t risk letting us go.”
“And here I thought the Kurazon valued a fair fight,” Ju-Long mused.
Liam shook his head. The Kurazon Nix had heard about in his stories didn’t match up to the ones he’d met. Honor appeared to be a show for them, a game of sorts. If they started to lose that game, they’d flip the board or do what it took to win. These Reapers, however, were notorious for shirking whatever code of honor the Kurazon claimed to live by. He told Ju-Long, “These ones are different. Their new leader, the blue-faced Kurazon, his tactics are cruel. He only cares about honor when others are watching.”
“Which makes the Reapers a perfect tool for unsavory jobs,” Nix said.
Liam nodded. The blue-faced Kurazon was quick to kill Crius for a dishonorable fight, but in turn he quite literally stabbed him in the back. The irony was not lost on Liam. The new Kurazon leader had bided his time until an opportunity arose to seize power. He knew the blue-faced warrior’s rise was partly Liam’s own doing, but did that make him responsible for every person the Reapers murdered? Before his fight with Crius, the Reapers were only a legend, a remnant from another time, spoken of only in whispers.
He tried to remember what Astrid had told him. The Reapers were only one of their problems. Still, they wouldn’t be able to search for the Quantum Trigger or even think about undermining Vesta Corporation until this imminent threat was resolved. They couldn’t go traipsing around the Ansara System with these Kurazon hounds on their tail. It had to end now.
Liam locked in a course for Narra and released the control handle, removing his arm from the copper circle. The throttle was pushed to full but it would take more time for the engines to reach peak acceleration. He examined the holographic projection of the surrounding space. It continued to update and showed the two Reapers matching their course and rate of acceleration, hanging back more than a million miles.
“At our present rate, we’ll get there in about two days,” Ju-Long said, amazed. “Why weren’t we traveling this fast the whole time?”
“Because we’re not meant to,” Nix replied. “The ship is powerful but the engines can’t sustain this rate of acceleration. We’ll be lucky to make it to Narra in one piece.”
The cockpit’s shaking had begun to subside as The Garuda became more accustomed to the engine’s power output. The engines beneath them whirred and hummed up through the gridded metal floor. It became a low drone that was ever-present in the background but became less noticeable with time.
Nix unstrapped himself and stood. He said to Ju-Long, “I’m going to keep an eye on the engines to make sure we don’t become space dust. Care to join me?”
Ju-Long got up from the co-pilot’s seat and rested a hand against the cracked leather headrest. He leaned down to Astrid and said, “If you need anything, you know where to find me. Maybe a tour of the ship? I hear my quarters is quite nice.”
Astrid held her hand over her mouth and suppressed a giggle. Ju-Long smiled and continued to the back of the cockpit, following Nix toward the engine room. It hadn’t taken long, but Astrid had gone from repulsion to laughing at Ju-Long’s advances. It wouldn’t be long before she found his words endearing. He had that effect on people.
Liam didn’
t care. He couldn’t care. Then why did he feel a tug at his heart? It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Astrid watched Ju-Long go and then turned her gaze to Liam, smiling softly in the low light of the cockpit. She asked him, “Do those words ever work for him?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Liam responded casually. “He was pretty popular with the Dinari girls on Surya.”
“Is that so?” Astrid asked with a flat voice.
What was he doing? Ju-Long was his friend. He needed to say something to make it right.
“Then again, it was probably because he beat the hell out of a Dinari fighter in the ring.”
“He fought in the tournament?” Astrid beamed. “I used to watch the fights on Taleris as a girl. Surya is one of the last planets that still allows them. How did a human gain entrance?”
Liam shrugged and said, “We know a guy.”
The smile on Astrid’s face was deeply ingrained. Her slightly pointed teeth came together perfectly so there was hardly a gap between them. Liam looked back to his control console, pretending to fiddle with some minor adjustments. One day, Ju-Long better thank him for that. The pain in Liam’s chest began to subside. Perhaps knowing that he’d helped a friend alleviated some of the nagging feelings inside him. Liam looked out at the slowly moving stars. He hoped that’s what it was.
27
Liam moved his face as close as he dared to the glowing turbine, the heat from the engine cascading over his skin and caused his long hair to become wet with steam. He backed up and examined the purple light pouring out of the vents, its monosyllabic hum droning deeply and reverberating through his chest. It had been more than a day since they left the debris field and there were still no major problems with the ship.
“How’s she holding up?” he asked Ju-Long.
“Considering what she’s been through, about as well as one could hope.”
