Firstly, there was wreckage. An awful lot of wreckage. A massive battle must have taken place, or possibly a massacre. Then there was the fleet. It was heading in the opposite direction to the Wanderer, and it was immense.
“Look at the size of it,” he said. “It’s at least ten times the size of the two fleets we saw fighting. Whichever side it’s on is going to be unstoppable when it arrives.”
“I seriously doubt it will be the Empire,” Dash said. “There are almost no military ships in that fleet. The Empire just doesn’t work that way. Teaching civilian ships how powerful they can become if they band together is guaranteed to lead to trouble, sooner or later.”
“So the Imperial defence is going to be swept aside?”
“Not necessarily. This fleet is large, but very few of those ships will have anyone with serious combat experience aboard. Fighting off a few pirates is one thing, marshalling a fleet of that size is completely different. If they can’t focus the firepower then the Imperial fleet will take them apart piece by piece.”
“Maybe. That’s still a lot of ships, though. Eventually sheer weight of numbers must tell.”
“You’re both missing the most important point,” Ali said.
Jess glanced at her and tried to think what he was missing. He came up blank.
“What?” he asked finally.
“Why is that fleet in real space? There’s no tar pit here, is there? What’s stopping them from hitting jump space?”
Good point! Jess sent to Ali. I should have spotted that.
He allowed his feelings to overlay the message, a mixture of his love for her and how impressed he was. The response nearly knocked him out of his chair. A burning desire to be underway, to reach their destination, mixed with frustration at the slow pace. It cut off almost as soon as it started, leaving a cold emptiness.
Jess, are you OK? Ali sent. Did you feel that? What was it?
I’m OK. I don’t know what it was. Let me try to find out.
It hadn’t been Ali, then. He should have known. How could something so powerful, so alien, have come from her? It had affected her as badly as it did him. Another indication of the dangers she faced while her implants remained active.
Jess queried the Wanderer, but it could offer no explanation. It hadn’t been aware of the blast, and was unable to identify the cause.
“Maybe they don’t know,” Sal said.
“Sorry, what?” Jess asked, mind still on what had just happened.
“Them. The fleet. Maybe they don’t know the tar pit has been destroyed.”
Jess struggled to change track, his mind still full of worry for Ali.
“That could be it,” Dash said. “If they're relying on charts showing where the tar pits should be. Yes, that would fit.”
Jess finally caught up with the conversation. “Surely the wreckage gives it away,” he said.
“Apparently not,” Dash replied.
“Do we need to worry about them?” Sal asked.
“I don’t see why we should. They haven’t got a tar pit and they’re heading in the opposite direction. We should be past them soon enough.”
Jess wasn’t so sure. He felt like he was missing something, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. Something didn’t make sense, but he was too distracted by whatever had happened to him and Ali to give it his full attention. Silence fell over the flight deck.
* * *
The Wanderer had to nudge Jess several times to catch his attention. He wasn’t asleep, but he was bone tired. They had passed four more defensive layers which were nothing but wrecked ships, but they hadn’t spotted any more fleets. Now the long hours awake were catching up with Jess, though the others seemed in better spirits, almost happy. Jess put it down to the rest they had all managed to grab.
Finally, Jess responded to the Wanderer’s message. Information streamed into his mind, driving all tiredness away.
“We did it!” he said. “We made it. We’re clear of the Quarantine Zone. We’re not stuck in the narrow jump space tunnel anymore.”
The others took a few seconds to absorb the new information, then grins exploded on their faces and they cheered.
“Damn, I never thought we’d actually make it,” Dash said. “I hoped we would, but it was such a long shot.”
“So are we safe?” Ali asked.
“Well, we still have those troopers in the main hold, and the fleet that’s been able to find us wherever we go,” Jess said. “But yeah… right now things are looking good.”
His reminder of the problems they faced didn’t dampen the enthusiastic mood. Ali released her straps and stood up, leaning over the back of Jess’s chair and kissing him, upside down from his point of view. He responded enthusiastically.
“Remember to breathe!” Sal called out. “And warn us if we should leave…”
Jess felt himself turning bright red. Ali just laughed, though she did pull away.
“Head rush,” she explained.
“Have you changed course?” Dash asked.
“Yes. As soon as we could,” Jess replied, annoyed at being distracted.
“How are the troopers getting on?”
“Still trying to break through,” Ali said. “It’s very slow going, though. They have to brace themselves carefully before planting any explosives, otherwise they get hurt when the ship triggers the explosion right under their hand. And the walls are much tougher with the changes Jess made. They’re maybe halfway through creating a hole now. Give it another five or six hours and they should be through.”
“They won’t get far, though,” Jess said, feeling smug. “I know where they're breaking through and the ship has had time to reinforce the walls around that area. They won’t be getting anywhere fast.”
Dash opened his mouth to speak.
Here comes the gloomy warning, Jess thought.
“They’ll be working on something else,” Dash said. “They probably won’t use it yet, but once they find what you’ve done they’ll try to find ways to move more quickly.”
And there it is, Jess thought.
“We’ll deal with that when it happens,” Ali said firmly. “Jess, you look exhausted. You need to rest. Come on. I insist.”
Her expression told Jess that rest would probably be coming later, she had something else in mind first. He grinned at her, trying to ignore the snort from Dash.
Could he leave? He was sorely tempted, and not just by the thought of sex, the thought of getting some sleep afterwards was just as powerful an incentive. The Wanderer should be safe enough in jump space. The troopers were under control, for the moment at least, and the Wanderer would warn him if they suddenly broke out. There was no reason not to go.
“I think you’re right,” he told Ali. “I really, really need to… rest.”
“I’m going to take a break too,” Sal said, surprising Jess. He’d expected another joke or comment at his expense. “Dash, are you coming?”
“Definitely. I learnt long ago to grab a rest whenever I could. You never know what’s around the corner.”
The two of them were unbuckled and leaving the flight deck before Jess had finished climbing out of his seat.
“Do you think they are going to…” he started to say to Ali.
Ali grinned back and shrugged her shoulders, then nodded.
“Don’t you worry about what they're going to be doing,” she said. “You just need to worry about what I’m going to do to you.”
Jess grinned back, swallowing hard. Ali grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, not that he needed any encouragement.
* * *
As soon as the door to Ali’s room shut behind them they were pulling each other’s clothes off. Jess still marvelled at the situation, at the feel of Ali’s skin against his. Sometimes he worried over his feelings for Ali. His upbringing as a slave had taught him no relationship was forever, or even for very long. Adjusting to the idea they wouldn’t be torn apart at someone else’s whim was difficult.<
br />
Soon their clothes littered the floor. Jess pulled back slightly, taking the chance to run his eyes over Ali’s naked body. She grinned at his attention, then turned and ran to the bed. Jess laughed and chased after her.
He tried to grab her, but with a twisting move she turned the tables, throwing him onto the bed. He landed on his back and she pounced immediately, straddling him and holding him down with her hands on his chest.
“What are you going to do now?” Jess asked.
“You’ll find out,” she replied, grinding against him.
Jess groaned, rocking his head back. She paused and he managed to look into her face. He found himself drawn into her eyes once again. They were sparkling, gleaming. Jess felt wrapped in warmth, safe and secure. He felt his self pouring into Ali. He felt closer to her than ever before.
Something changed. Something started to flow back from Ali, but it wasn’t any part of her. It was something dark; something heavy and constricting. Something that started to dig into Jess’s mind, embedding itself.
Jess panicked but found he couldn’t move. Couldn’t break the connection. In desperation he reached out for the Wanderer. Time slowed. He felt more able to concentrate, though he still couldn’t break free of Ali’s gaze. At least now he had time to understand what was happening, and if necessary he could use the Wanderer to intervene.
He briefly wondered whether the problem was with his and Ali’s implants, but he knew deep in his gut it wasn’t. Whatever was happening was coming from Ali.
The Wanderer pulsed an alarm into his mind. It was so powerful it caused a spike of pain. It carried a sense of fear, of panic. From the ship. The message chilled Jess to the bone. Something was attacking the Wanderer through Ali’s implants. And it was winning.
It couldn’t be coincidence. Whatever had happened to Ali, whatever had sunk its dark hooks into her, was trying to do the same to both Jess and the ship at the same time. Jess’s mind flashed back to the first time he’d felt this way, when he’d thought it was his implants causing the problem. Now he viewed it differently. Whatever was controlling Ali had tried to attack him then, but had been thwarted by his link to the ship. This time it was attacking on both fronts.
Jess checked the status of the Wanderer. It had already lost control of many systems. He sensed the ship dropping out of jump space as the jump drives were taken over. The Wanderer was fighting back, but it was losing. Step by step, layer by layer, it was being stripped away.
It could probably have withstood the assault with help from Jess, but everything he had was going into resisting Ali and he was still losing ground fast. Even linked to the Wanderer it was getting harder to think clearly, to fight back. And soon the attack on the Wanderer would impact his ability to resist. Jess kept fighting as best he could. He wouldn’t give up. It wasn’t going to make any difference in the long run, but he would fight it until his strength ran out.
* * *
Someone knocked on the door. Ben froze, eyes darting towards Teeko. The young boy hadn’t really started grieving for his mother yet. The idea that he would never see her again didn’t feel real. She'd left a large gap in his life, though, one the strange alien had managed to fill. Ben didn’t even think of Teeko as being unusual now. It was just Ben’s friend.
“Friend Ben calm,” Teeko rumbled. “No danger is. Friends outside is.”
Ben nodded and ran across to Teeko, jumping on the alien’s back as it moved to the door. It slid open to reveal two of the ship’s crew. Sal and Dash. They looked worried.
“Teeko, Ben… are you alright?” Sal asked. “The troopers have managed to release some sort of chemical agent. It attacks through the eyes. Jess says it could be deadly. Here… let us check your eyes.”
Before Ben or Teeko could say anything the two had pushed into the room. Ben found himself staring into Sal’s eyes. He was vaguely aware of Dash staring into Teeko’s.
Within moments Ben was frozen in place, his gaze locked to Sal’s. She lifted him from Teeko’s back but that was fine. Being with her was fine. A warmth started to fill Ben. He smiled as he realised it wasn’t Sal standing before him, it was his mother! She’d found her way back to him!
Then something changed. A cloying darkness poured back through the link, overwhelming Ben. He tried to ask his mother why she was doing this, but he couldn’t talk. He tried to shout to Teeko for help but nothing came out. He was vaguely aware that Teeko was standing with his primary eyes locked to those of Dash.
Terror filled Ben as he realised Teeko was suffering the same fate he was, that Teeko wouldn’t be able to save him. He would have cried, if he was able. Instead he felt his soul being crushed by the force attacking him.
Chapter 41
The pressure was becoming unbearable. Jess was fighting it but he knew he’d soon lose. He was battling on two fronts, directly against Ali and through the Wanderer. It felt as if he and the ship were standing back to back, fighting off an attacking army.
The situation was terrible, and only made worse by the identity of their attacker. What had happened to Ali? And when? How long had she been carrying this darkness? Jess didn’t have the time to work it out. In fact he didn’t have any time. The pressure on his mind was unbearable and there was no letup.
In desperation Jess tried throwing everything he had back against Ali, abandoning his support of the Wanderer and trying to force a chink in her attack. She didn’t even seem to notice it, and the Wanderer lost ground rapidly. Jess tried to help the ship again but it was too little, too late. It was all over.
The sense of being back to back with the ship intensified. It felt as if something warm and alive was pressing against his back, but that made no sense. He was still laying on his bed with Ali atop him. Was this the end? Were even his perceptions being distorted?
Two flexible arms wrapped around him, crossing over his chest. He felt himself being gripped firmly. Jess tried to struggle but he still couldn’t move. Something changed in Ali’s expression. She looked surprised. Shocked even.
Then the universe seemed to spin around Jess, the room whirling rapidly around him and pulsing as it did so. Everything went black and for a moment he thought he’d passed out, then he realised he was still thinking.
Light and warmth returned. Jess stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. He drew in a shuddering breath and blinked, exulting at the feeling of freedom. Whatever had been attacking him had been left behind. His mind was free.
The Wanderer wasn’t so lucky. Jess sensed the assault against it intensify. Now, though, he was free to aid the ship without distractions. It made a difference immediately. The Wanderer was able to halt the attack, stop from losing any more ground.
Something moved under Jess. He felt himself pushed up into a sitting position, then the two arms uncurled themselves.
“Jess friend himself is?” Teeko rumbled.
Jess stood up, turning to face Teeko with a relieved smile. Teeko had saved him and the ship. The question Teeko asked puzzled him for a moment, then he understood. Teeko was asking whether he had fallen to the attack.
“Yes, Teeko. Only just, though. Thank you.”
“Thank Teeko not. Save Ben did not. Too slow Teeko was. Too long Teeko took. Nearly taken Teeko was.”
“Wait… you were attacked too? In the same way?”
“Yes friend Jess. Attacked Ben was. Attacked Teeko was.”
“By who?”
Jess was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he had to know for certain.
“Sal attacker was. Dash attacker was. Ben lost was.”
Sal and Dash. And Ali. And now Ben, apparently. That only left Teeko and Jess free. And the Wanderer, to the extent it still was.
He glanced around the unfamiliar room. Where were they? The Wanderer answered. Jess and Teeko were in the hold. Teeko must have used his strange ability to transport them there. Jess guessed the alien had used the same technique it had used to retrieve Ben from the same area.
Wait… If the Wand
erer could pinpoint their location then so could Ali. The Wanderer pulsed back a reassuring message. It had managed to isolate most of the hold’s sensors from the attack. The attacking force had considered them a low priority item, a diversion maybe, leaving the Wanderer free to consolidate its control. Ali and the others would soon figure out where Jess and Teeko were, but they wouldn’t be able to pin them down.
“They attacked you too,” Jess said. “How did you get away?”
“Words Teeko can’t find. Fight hard was. Fight losing Teeko was. Fight Teeko won. Teeko secret had. Teeko power had. Attack power triggered. Teeko mind free was.”
Jess tried to absorb what Teeko was telling him.
“You’re saying that something inside you fought back against them? That it let you get free?”
“Correct that is. Know Teeko did not. Surprise was. Defence against Tainted had.”
“Tainted? What’s that? Is Ali Tainted? Are Dash and Sal?”
“Tainted they are. Tainted Teeko does not know. Name Teeko knows. Tainted. Taint. Surprised Teeko was.”
“This was buried inside you? You didn’t know about it until they attacked?” Jess guessed.
“Jess friend correct is.”
Jess paced back and forth restlessly as he tried to understand what had happened. He was aware of the Wanderer fighting against Ali. Fighting against the Taint. The name seemed apt. Whatever had poured from Ali into Jess had definitely felt like a dark stain.
Teeko had somehow resisted. It seemed the alien had been prepared for such an attack, though not consciously. Had it faced the Tainted before? Or was the defence inbuilt in some way? Unless Teeko had suddenly remembered more of its past there would be no way to tell.
The Wanderer, relying heavily on Jess’s almost subconscious help, was managing to keep the Taint at bay for the moment. It wasn’t able to recover control of the key systems, though. Critically, the jump engines were still out of action. They were stuck in normal space going nowhere fast.
Wanderer's Odyssey - Books 1 to 3: The Epic Space Opera Series Begins Page 80