by M. K. Gibson
Dmitrius hung his head. “You are . . . the Shadow Master.”
I flicked the lit cigarette butt in his face. “Goddamn right I am.”
I boarded the Zenith Umbra and sat next to Sophia by the flight control.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Chapter Eighteen
Where We Reach Our Destination, I Stand Up for Gender Roles, and I Exploit Bad Cyber Security
The Zenith Umbra came out of hyper velocity through the . . . slip stream . . . warp field? The Fold? Hyper . . . jump?
Gods above and below, I didn’t know. And frankly, I didn’t care. It seemed that each of these damn dimensions used a different way to bypass the physics of endless space and immeasurable distances to get from place to place. Some dimensions’ mechanics allowed for leaping through jump gates, while others folded space around the ship. Others took a direct path through faster-than-light travel, all the while thumbing their nose at the very principles of relativity.
All I knew is that Al gave us coordinates, Sophia put them into the ship’s nav-computer, Dmitrius supplied the juice, and blam, there we were. Before us was . . . nothing, nothing at all.
No stars, no planets, nothing.
I turned in my chair and stared at the elfin Plyomar.
“You have about six seconds to explain yourself, or else I let Lydia get very creative with how she will violate your body.”
“This is the spot, I swear!”
“Hon,” I said, looking past the scared alien at my wife, “how creative are you feeling?”
“No, really!” Al pleaded. “This was the system the captain brought us to.”
“Well, I guess you just don’t enjoy your testicles,” I sighed.
“No!” Al screamed. “This is the place!”
“Wait,” Myst interjected.
She was staring at a monitor from her workstation, then turned towards us. My shape-shifting minion’s form was of a dark-haired female with a short, bowl-style hair cut and widow’s peak bangs. Her ears were pointed. She raised an eyebrow.
“Boss, this is fascinating.”
“What is it?”
“I’m getting nothing on my scanners.”
“How is that interesting?”
“Fascinating,” she corrected.
“Whatever.”
“What I mean is that in other parts of space, there is a constant barrage of EM energy, radiation, photons, anomalies, you name it. But here, there’s nothing. Like there is a big empty hole where space should be.”
Hmm. I rubbed at my chin, deep in thought. I turned to look at my communications officer.
“Wraith Knight, what do you have?”
Under Wraith Knight’s incredible bulk, his chair squealed as it swiveled. He wasn’t wearing his helmet, and instead of looking at me, he stared at the deck.
“I feel ridiculous.”
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, gesturing at the form-fitting red miniskirt uniform that he wore over his armor. “Look at me. This . . . this isn’t right.”
“You forgetting something?” I asked.
Wraith Knight sighed. He put the gold plastic visor over his eyes and the cylindrical earpiece in his left ear.
“That’s better. You were saying?”
“Is this because you want to make fun of me, or because I’m the only black person on the crew?”
“Both?” I shrugged.
“Uncool, boss,” Wraith Knight said, shaking his head. “And why does Myst get to be the Vulcan? Why can’t she be Uhura?”
“Are you saying that because she’s a woman, she should play the part of a woman? That she should conform to a gender type? Come on WK, you’re better than that. Be progressive. Besides, who ever heard of a black Vulcan?”
“Tuvok,” Wraith Knight said without skipping a beat. “Tim Russ played a black Vulcan on Star Trek: Voyager. Also, there was a knockoff version of Black Lighting called Black Vulcan on the old Superfriends cartoon.”
“And you wonder why I make fun of you,” I said, shaking my head.
“Gods above and below,” Lydia snapped, “can we please focus? Is this where Evie was brought, or do I have to remove this alien’s kneecaps?”
“I swear this is the place!” Al reiterated. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and opened my innate godly power. Reaching outwards, I felt for the fabric of this universe. I sensed something. Something . . . big. I opened my eyes.
“WK, open a comm line,” I said. Wraith Knight did as instructed and I clicked on my chair’s comm mic. “This is Jackson Blackwell, the Shadow Master. I am here for my daughter, Evelyn Blackwell. Under the right of the Blessing of The One, I seek entrance. If you do not comply, then I will direct the full force of my godly being upon this universe and erase all memory of you.”
We sat there, waiting. But . . . nothing.
“I liked it, sir,” Sophia said. “Dignified yet frightening.”
“Thank you, Sophia,” I said. “But it appears my hunch was wrong. There is something out there, something powerful. I assumed it was divine in nature.”
Wraith Knight touched his earpiece in alarm. “Holy shit.”
“What?” I asked.
“There’s a signal. A message.”
“What’s it say?”
“It . . . it’s asking for a password.”
“Try Shadow Master.”
Wraith Knight sent the password and . . . nothing.
Hmm. “Jackson?”
Again, my minion sent the code, but there was no outward reaction.
“Blackwell?” Lydia offered.
“Julian?” Sophia said.
“Shadow underscore Master?” Myst said. “Or maybe use the @ symbol for the ‘A’s’?”
“Asshole?” Dmitrius’s voice echoed through the ship’s hull.
“Everyone shut up!” I barked, then rubbed at my face. “We can guess until the stars burn out. But that’s all it is, guessing.”
I lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs. “Al,” I called to the Plyomar. “Your captain, I assume she had some password?”
“I guess?” the alien said. “She dismissed us from the bridge when we got here. All I remember her saying was that in this place was an ancient sector of space. A place old and powerful. She said that this was a forgotten place, forged by powerful progenitors, and that the legends say that all the universe was routed through this one place. The next thing we all knew, we were landing on the planet where we took your kid.”
A thought crossed my mind.
Could it be that simple?
“Move,” I told Wraith Knight, dismissing him from his seat.
I stood over his comm panel and typed out a single word. A moment passed and a single message blinked on the screen.
*Accepted*
From the viewport, a single beam of light shone though the blackness of space. From our point of view, it was nothing but a speck. But considering the endless void of darkness, that speck was a beacon.
Then, slowly, bit by bit, more lights appeared. As they did, the formless space took on the shape of an incredibly massive sphere.
“Oh shit,” Wraith Knight whispered. “A Dyson sphere.”
“A what?” Lydia asked.
“Ma’am,” Wraith Knight said with a slight bow of his head. “A Dyson sphere is a theoretical megastructure that completely encompasses a star.”
“So?”
“Well, the theory of a Dyson sphere explains how a spacefaring civilization would meet its energy requirements. By building a structure that encircled a star, a civilization could harness nearly limitless energy. From the outside, there would be no light whatsoever as the structure harvested every last photon.”
I just shook my head at my minion.
“What?” Wraith Knight said, sounding perplexed. “Astronomy is cool.”
“Gods above and below, I want to steal your lunch money so badly right now.”<
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“Sir, look around. If this is a Dyson sphere, someone built it, right? But this entire sector of space has no other stars. No planets. Nothing.”
“What’s your point?” I asked.
“This spot could be the source of this universe’s Big Bang! Blasting all the matter outward, leaving this spot bare. Except there is one star and likely one planet. Like a hydrogen atom. This is amazing.”
When none of us reacted, Wraith Knight hung his head. Myst reached over and patted the big man on the knee. “I think it’s cool.”
“Thank you.”
Myst turned towards me and gave her head a slight “no it isn’t” shake.
I smiled. “Okay Sophia, take us in.”
“You got it, sir,” Sophia complied.
The Zenith Umbra’s engines powered up and we flew towards the colossal object. As we approached, we saw an opening in the sphere and we flew through. As we did, we saw the bizarre architecture. Billions if not trillions of triangular pieces of unknown metal created the sphere’s shape. Once we were through the opening, we saw a single star burning a dull red in the distance. And orbiting that dying sun was a lone Earth-like planet.
“This is amazing,” Wraith Knight said. “All this was created by a race so advanced, to us, it would seem like magic. I am . . . in true awe of this.”
“Well, for an advanced race, they have about as much cyber-security prowess as a grandmother who sends money to Nigerian princes,” I said.
“Boss?”
I chuckled. “While I don’t share your passion for space, I also deduced that this location was the origin of this universe. Perks of being a god and all. As this place was a router for all other matter in the universe, the answer was simple.”
“No,” Wraith Knight said, shaking his head as he read his screen. “I don’t believe it.”
“Yup.” I smiled. “The password was ‘password’.”
Chapter Nineteen
Where Sophia and I Have a Chat, Plan a Parade in My Honor, and Establish a Pecking Order
The Zenith Umbra’s landing hatch opened and the ramp extended down to the alien planet. Lydia shoved Al down the ramp. The metal collar he wore connected to a leash in her hand.
“Lead the way,” she commanded the alien, who lowered his head and did as instructed.
Myst and Wraith Knight followed Lydia, keeping guard.
I just stood there a moment, watching them leave. Instead of following, I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out an old-fashioned pocket watch that was connected to a golden chain.
“How much time’s left, sir?” Sophia asked from behind me.
“A little over two days,” I said, noting the time.
“It’s lucky your time doesn’t count as long as you’re on the ship.”
“Not lucky for Evie,” I muttered.
“We’ll find her, sir.”
“I know,” I said, closing the watch and putting it back in my coat. “But finding her isn’t concerning me.”
Sophia gave me an odd look. “Sir?”
I shook my head slightly. “Of course I’m concerned with finding her. But what I mean to say is, why did they take her? Who are they? What is this for? These questions trouble me. That we have no answers or leads yet plagues me. I pride myself on being several steps ahead of my enemies. That someone did this right under my nose means that not only do I have a new enemy, but also that they could be better than me. They orchestrated a bold move against me, and I didn’t even know of their existence?”
Sophia crossed her arms and scowled at me. “So you’re only slightly bothered that someone took your child, but you’re really upset that someone moved against you and dared to punch you in your hubris? Is that what I’m hearing?”
I turned around fast, my hand crackling with unrestrained power. Grabbing Sophia by the lapel of her leather jacket, I slammed her against the bulkhead of the Zenith Umbra. More of my power flowed through me as my eyes crackled with black energy.
“Sah’Afi’a de’Friit, Deadly Rose of The Garden, do NOT presume to know my mind. You are my SERVANT,” I roared.
Upon hearing her true name, Sophia’s face shifted, revealing the face of the djinn. All four of her cat-like eyes stared back at me with malevolent intent. Sophia’s smile widened, revealing many rows of needle-like teeth.
“Hit a nerve, did I?” Sophia cackled, then added, “Julian.”
My own true name stung. But like all stings, it was only an annoyance. To the enraged, each sting was simply one more reason to close your fist and eliminate your obstruction. To destroy that which bars you from your objective. To lash out in bestial fury.
But that was how animals acted. Like primates. Like the poor, the dumb, and people who think Firefly was ever good. It wasn’t.
No, the Shadow Master was better than that.
Slowly, I released Sophia. She in turn straightened her jacket and reverted to her normal human appearance.
“Well, this is awkward,” she said.
Lighting a cigarette, I leaned against one of the nearby panels. “It isn’t about my hubris,” I said after a moment. “Although that is a factor.”
“Then what is it, Jackson?” Sophia asked, referring to me with my preferred name.
“Look at where we’re at. We’re here because I’m the Shadow Master. Because I do what I do, someone has targeted not only me, but also my family. Let them take Wraith Knight. Let them take Myst. Gods above and below, I’ll give them Paige. But not Evie. Not Lydia. And of course, not you. But they will keep coming. Coming for everything I have, everything I am, and of course, everything I hold close to me, because I had to be the fucking Shadow Master.”
“So, when we find her, are you going to quit?” Sophia asked, her voice affecting a soft but concerned tone.
I puffed my smoke in contemplation.
Then I laughed.
“Genie, please,” I said with a smirk. “I’m going to find them, rip their goddamn head off, and hold a parade in my own honor. I’ll carry that skull around the multiverse on a blinged-out standard so audacious that modern hip-hop artists will say ‘Dude, isn’t that a little much?’ And when I’m done, I’ll place that head alongside my Grimskull ashtray and get ready for the next chump who thinks they can take from me. Only the next time, I won’t be all chuckles, introspection, and dick jokes.”
“That’s all I needed to hear, sir,” Sophia said, coming over to give me a hug.
I returned the hug, holding my oldest friend. That was when I heard someone clear their throat.
“Ahem,” Lydia said from the ship’s exit ramp. Behind her, Wraith Knight, Myst, and Al stood watching. “If you two are done your little emotional aside, I’d like to go and get my daughter back.”
I smiled and saw that despite her tone, Lydia was smiling as well.
Myst and Wraith Knight were not.
“You’d really sacrifice us?” Wraith Knight asked.
“Yes,” I said without missing a beat. “And I wouldn’t lose a moment of sleep over it.”
“Well, at least he’s honest,” Myst said with a roll of her eyes. “But if you had to save one of us, who--”
“Myst,” I said, again without hesitation.
Wraith Knight threw his massive arms in the air. “Aw, come on!”
“Am I wrong?” I asked, looking around at the group.
“No,” Sophia said.
“That’s what I’d do,” Lydia agreed.
“I don’t even really know you all, but I’d pick her,” Al added.
“You guys suck,” Wraith Knight said. “One day, blerds will rule the world.”
“Maybe,” I said, having been at BlerdCon the last couple of years and finding it delightful. “But it isn’t today. Today, we go and get my daughter back. Al, lead the way.”
********
My crew and I tromped through the jungle-like alien landscape. Al took point, with Wraith Knight holding his leash. Despite the ribbing we gave him, WK was ready to y
ank hard and snap the alien’s neck the moment anyone sensed a double cross.
Lydia’s fantasy realm training in the ranging and roguish arts allowed her to move with ease. Her eyes scanned back and forth, looking for any sign of trouble. Myst, having shifted into a simian-like alien form, moved in the treetops above us. From her vantage point, she was able to see further ahead and message us about any potential trouble.
As we moved across the primordial land, I marveled that despite being in a space opera universe, the trek was reminiscent of traditional fantasy adventures. The planet seemed to be devoid of any modern construction or sentient life. However, ancient stone ruins peeked out through the lush overgrowth. Each broken column or weathered, rune-inscribed section of wall gave hints of a society that had fallen long ago.
Sad to admit, I was intrigued. Perhaps I was being too harsh on space opera? Maybe there was more to this subgenre than starships, pew-pew laser fights, and paper-thin ripoffs of European history?
Nah.
Besides, if I were to admit I was wrong, that could lead to—gasp!—the possibility of being wrong on other subjects. And we couldn’t have that, now could we?
“Boss,” Myst said into my comm device.
“Go ahead.”
“There’s something up ahead.”
“What?”
“It looks like a temple.”
“WK, you hearing this?” I asked, switching my comm-link to the open channel.
“Yeah boss. Al said that is where we have to go.”
Nodding, I continued through the jungle until the path opened up to a small valley. Amid the clearing I saw an ancient triangle-shaped edifice carved into the side of a mountain. Sunken, vaguely gold stone led upward into the silent structure.
“Okay people, let’s do this,” I said aloud. But inside, I simply said, Hang on sweetie, Daddy’s coming.
Chapter Twenty
Where I Threaten an Alien, Repress My Emotions, and Ponder the Perineal Area