“It is. Would you care for the honors?” he asked me, pointing to a round icon on the screen. It pulsed slowly, and I couldn’t believe we’d managed to create this in time. I really hoped it worked; otherwise, we were destroying this world for no reason. It held a lot of bad memories, and the evil energy of the dead Iskios, so I didn’t think it would be missed by many.
I stepped to the console and peered at Suma, who gave me the slightest of nods. I scratched at my chin, my fingers rubbing the stubble. This was it. I took a breath, and before I exhaled, I touched the screen, turning the giant nullifier on.
A clock countdown began in alien digits, and our equivalent appeared, telling me there were five minutes and eleven seconds before it was done.
Suma walked over, describing what was happening. “The device is utilizing the power of the world, sucking the energy from the core. Once we’ve ascertained that the many worlds have merged, we’ll detonate the explosives. They’re not something to be trifled with.”
“Where did you get them?” I asked, and Slate answered.
“The Empress was kind enough to donate them to our cause,” he told me.
“She has the power to destroy planets so easily?” I asked, not liking that one bit.
“We already knew that,” he reminded me.
Suma activated a screen on the wall, which now showcased Lainna from our current position. It was quite the vision from here, the colors merging and cascading into wave-like patterns below. It didn’t seem real.
The timer counted down, and I grew more nervous with each tick of the clock. When it reached ten seconds, I was dripping sweat. The others shifted on their feet, fidgeting with their hands, no one speaking.
When the timer chimed, the planet shook, and it became blurry. “That is the merging. It is complete,” Hanrion informed us. I gaped at it, seeing countless versions of the same world from multiple dimensions.
“Do it,” I ordered, and Suma hit the next icon.
The screen turned red, flashing as the pre-set explosives began to detonate. The surface bombs hit first, breaking the crust apart, and a moment later, beams of orange shone from the axis as the core exploded, sending a shockwave over the planet.
“Are we out of harm’s way?” Fontem asked, and a moment later, the ship shook violently. We were tossed around the space, and I bashed into the wall, hitting the floor right beside Dean. By the time we’d composed ourselves, I thought something was wrong with the screen.
“Is it done?” I asked, and Slate used the console to zoom in. There was nothing there but billions of fragments of clear crystal, the stones devoid of color now.
Lainna was gone, and with it, Lom’s hope of creating his destructive tool.
____________
“Your dad’s home!” Mary shouted from the hallway. Jules heard the pitter-patter of Maggie’s claws rushing for the door, but she remained seated on her bed. She felt terrible for keeping this from them, but there was no way they’d agree to it. The mere fact that she’d messaged through the device to the real Lom of Pleva felt wrong.
It was concealed in her room, and she wished there was a better place to hide it. She’d never given her parents a reason to snoop through her stuff, and she wasn’t about to now. She left it under some books in her desk’s bottom right drawer and wiped her sweating palms over her jeans.
Jules caught her reflection in the mirror and wished this was over before it began. That she had never heard of the Zan’ra, the Deities, or Lom of Pleva. There were people out there living their lives, hanging with friends on Haven, going to the lake to swim on weekends, not concerned about the fate of the universe. It was all too much. She stared at herself, wondering if she could be one of them someday.
“Jules?” Papa’s voice carried through her door, and she opened it wide. He must have seen the emotions on her face, because he grabbed her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. “Honey bear, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I worried about you two,” she said, which wasn’t a lie.
“We’re fine.” He looked tired, his eyes puffy, his skin sallow.
“Is it done?” Mary asked, and Jules followed her dad into the living room.
He fell to the couch, still in his dirty jumpsuit. “Lainna is no more.” The words held power, and Jules felt her knees weaken.
“Lom is going to be furious,” Mary said, taking a seat beside Papa.
“Good.”
Tears of relief flooded her mom’s face, and Jules rushed over, squishing in. They hugged on the couch. “I hated that place,” her mom said.
“I know. So did I,” Papa added.
“Do you think Lom’s done, then?” Jules asked.
Her dad nodded. “He won’t be able to hurt us.”
Jules went rigid. “He’s waiting out there. He can meet you in the portals. Do you really think that someone like Lom will let this go, just because he can’t make this nullifier?”
Papa frowned at her while clenching his jaw. “What do you propose?”
Jules’ heart pounded, and she shook her head in an exasperated gesture. “I’m not proposing anything. I’m saying he’s not dealt with. You’ve only managed to create a roadblock for him.”
“She’s not wrong, Dean,” Mary said.
“We’ll figure it out. One thing at a time. We’ll be at Techeron tomorrow, and then we can finish this mission and regroup. Does that sound fair?” he asked them, and Jules had no choice but to agree. There was no way she was missing out on Fontem’s secret stash. Not after all the hype.
“Will the Zan’ra be fine for now?” Her dad jumped to his feet, heading for the kitchen.
Jules joined him, sitting at the island while he started to make coffee. “They said they’d stay low-key for a while. I asked them to wait for me.”
“Do they think you’re going to join with them after this?” Mary asked, taking the stool next to Jules.
“I haven’t said as much.”
“And what do you suppose will happen?” Papa asked.
Jules had to be sure first, so she left it open. “We’ll see. One way or another, I’m bringing Patty home, that much is certain.”
“And the other two?” Her mom was trying to pull more information out of her, and Jules didn’t want it to seem like she was hiding her own secrets.
“If I can negate their powers, I will.”
“How could you do that? Are you strong enough?” Papa asked as the machine sent water over the ground beans, sending a wonderful aroma into the kitchen. Jules was already hooked.
“I will be if I’m a Deity,” she told them quietly.
“Do you think that’s possible? I mean, I understand these ancient gods tricking people. The Iskios did it with us, but if you’re one of them, wouldn’t you know it?” Papa asked.
“No. From what I gather, they covered my true powers with the fake layer to match the Zan’ra, who were likely created in their own image. Strip that away, and I might have some other abilities hidden within,” Jules said. “I may wake one.”
Her dad turned toward her, stopping what he was doing. “Jules, you can’t be serious.”
“It’s the sole option,” she told him. As long as they were distracted by the whole Deity thing, they weren’t going to think she was dwelling on anything else.
“We’ll talk about this later. Dean said he’d like to speak with you. He’ll be at the diner in twenty minutes,” her dad said, changing the subject like he always did when he didn’t want to discuss a topic any further.
“Thanks.” Jules sauntered off, hearing her parents argue in hushed tones. She glanced at her door as she passed it in the hall, thinking about Lom and wondering if he’d replied yet.
Instead of checking, she departed their suite, walking past Dean’s door and continuing to the restaurant where they’d once shared fries and talked as if they were more than friends. It felt like so long ago.
He was inside, and the place was busy at the moment. She waved at Walo
, who sat across from Sergo, his back to her.
Considering he’d arrived at the same time as her dad, he looked far fresher than she’d expected, one of many advantages of youth. He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling slightly. His hair was nicely styled, and for some reason, seeing him made Jules more nervous than if she’d been meeting Lom of Pleva for a burger.
“Hey, Ju,” he said.
“I heard the trip went well.” She sat beside him on the bench, instead of on the opposite side, and he turned slightly to face her. He was trapped but didn’t look too upset about it.
“It was intense. I’ll tell you one thing. Time travel and multiple dimensions aren’t something I want to think about for too long,” Dean told her.
“Have you ordered?”
“I did. Got you the usual,” he said.
She was a fully independent woman and wanted to stay that way, but there was something special about Dean taking charge and presuming what she wanted to eat. He was right, though. She was suddenly ravenous, and the thought of a juicy burger made her stomach rumble softly.
“Listen, I have something to say,” she told him.
He rubbed his forehead, breaking eye contact. “No. I don’t want to hear it. I can tell from your expression it’s going to be heavy, and I’ll have to keep a secret, and lie to cover it up, and then your dad will hate me, and…”
“I’m going to kill him,” she whispered.
Dean stopped talking, turning to face her again. “Kill who?”
“Lom. I’m going to kill Lom of Pleva.”
The serving robot arrived, setting two plates on the table. “Order up.”
The burger had a single cake candle burning in the center of the bun, and Dean smiled at her, despite the dire subject matter of their conversation.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“I missed your birthday. A girl’s sixteenth is important.” He reached below the table and brought a box up, sliding it toward her.
“You didn’t have to do this.” But it felt great that he had. Her entire body felt warm, euphoric, and loved. Thoughts of Lom and Zan’ra vanished from her mind as she accepted the small gift-wrapped box.
“I did. You’d better blow out that candle before it ruins your dinner.” He grinned at her, and Jules puffed her lips, sending a gust of breath over the flickering flame. It snuffed instantly, casting the familiar scent of birthdays from years gone by.
“What’s this?” she asked, rotating the present in her hand.
“You’ll have to open it to find out,” he told her.
It was wrapped in pink paper, a tiny silver bow on the top. She dug into it, finding a wooden box below the covering. It separated on hinges, and she stared at the earrings.
She removed one, dangling it in a tight grip. “They’re beautiful.” The jewelry was shaped like stars, shiny white-gold in color. Each was set with a diamond inside, and she returned the earring, clutching the box to her chest. “Thank you, Dean.”
“Happy birthday.”
Twenty
Techeron was a busier hub than most. Considering the population density of this quadrant was far less than any Alliance member sectors, this place had a lot of traffic through it. It was one of the only major trading hubs within a month’s travel, making it everyone’s primary destination.
“It was a dive last time I was here,” Fontem told me. He sounded worried.
“No big deal,” I assured him. “We’ll let the crew have a few days on the surface, and Mary’s going to talk to the locals about joining the Alliance. It’s the perfect cover. No one will ever know our true purpose for taking the eight-month trek.”
“Thanks, Dean. I hope my stash remains untouched,” Fontem said.
The bridge was full of our primary crew members, and Mary took her seat to my left, with Slate to my right. Jules and Dean were on the secondary helm consoles behind Rivo and Suma, with Walo, Sergo, and Loweck rounding out the team.
Everyone here understood our real mission and had explicit instructions to act natural on Techeron. I’d intended to keep our team small when we traveled on the Kraski ship, but Dean was asking to come and I didn’t want to leave him behind, not after the year he’d had. With Karo and Fontem, along with Slate, that made our group a solid six. Suma was glad to be staying here, especially after the countless hours she’d put in on Lainna with Hanrion. We’d already delivered the scientist home, and he’d seemed ecstatic to return to his usual work.
“Entering their range, sir,” Sergo told me.
There were two space stations here, each as significant as Udoon, and I counted at least forty ships of various shapes and sizes docked or waiting to dock in patient lines.
“We’re not sticking around. Sergo, get clearance for the surface, and we’ll disappear before you enter the atmosphere,” I ordered, and the Padlog buzzed his acknowledgement.
Mary turned to me and forced a smile. “I hope this is worth the trip,” she said.
“Good luck with the locals. This could be a big win for the Alliance. A hub like this would give us more credibility and increase our trade routes substantially,” I said.
“I’ll do my best.” She leaned in, kissing me on the lips before moving aside while I rose from the captain’s chair.
“Anyone coming with us, it’s time to go,” I told them, and everyone joining us rose.
“Suma, you’re in charge here while the others are on the surface protecting my wife,” I reminded her, and she nodded.
“Be careful,” she called as we exited the bridge.
In a few minutes, we were walking through the hangar past a Padlog vessel, an Inlorian ship, and to my Kraski vessel. It was outfitted with the same cloaking tech we’d used in New Mexico, but this version was modified, cleaner and more effective.
I waited while the others boarded: Karo, then Fontem, followed by Jules and Slate. Dean stopped at the ramp, glancing at me. “Mr. Parker… I mean, Captain Parker, thank you for letting me join you.”
He reminded me so much of his father at that moment that it broke my heart. I could picture the man he’d become in twenty years and smiled at him. “I’m glad you wanted to. Now let’s hurry, before they leave without us.”
Slate took the pilot’s seat and activated the cloaking device. We didn’t want to alert anyone that a Kraski vessel had been at Techeron, and we sure as hell didn’t want someone following us. Six people on a ship this size was a little crowded, but there were enough beds to sleep two, with an extra cot. We’d take two shifts, with Slate teaming up with the kids, and me with the Theos and Terellion.
Techeron continued to be abuzz with activity, and I watched as Light was ushered forward in a lineup to orbit the planet of commerce, where Mary would take a shuttle to the surface to have a meeting with their government. It could be a good opportunity for the Alliance, but all I wanted to do was visit Fontem’s secret destination.
After travelling for a while, I finally asked, although I wasn’t confident he’d give me a firm answer. Fontem stood behind Slate, hands on the headrest, and stared into the blank space through the screen. “Now will you tell us where we’re going?” I asked him.
Fontem smiled, his tanned skin crinkling at the eyes. “Slate, there’s a system called Tutep. Set course for the fourth planet from the star. It’s named Cubus.”
Slate keyed something into the computer and glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t see any Cubus.”
“Then it’s been preserved. Good. Make for Tutep. Fourth planet.”
Slate entered the matching coordinates, and I saw our ETA appear on his console. “We’ll be there in three and a half days, Boss.”
“Good.” I patted Fontem on the back and hoped we were about to find something useful to assist us.
____________
“Are you certain you should do this?” Dean asked Jules. They were in the kitchen, sitting across from one another at the table. Jules peered toward the door, checking for the tenth time if anyone was up and
about. Slate was on the bridge, and the other three were all sleeping, so there were no prying ears.
Jules sipped the coffee, wishing Dean would be more supportive of her decision. “It’s my only choice.”
“And what happens if you can’t get home? Lom hasn’t been able to.” He had a good point, but Jules wasn’t going to let that stop her.
“I’ll figure it out,” she assured him.
“And if you don’t?”
“Then the universe will be safe, and I’ll be gone,” she told him.
Dean averted his gaze, gripping his empty cup. “This sucks.”
“Agreed, but he’s not going to stop until he’s dead.” Jules was tired of arguing, so she brightened and changed topics. “We’re arriving tomorrow. This could be fun.”
“Fun? You have the strangest idea of a good time, you know that?” Dean asked, finally breaking his solemn mood.
“Maybe you should remember that when this is done and you take me on a date,” she told him.
“A date? Okay, if you manage to go ahead in time, kill Lom of Pleva, get Patty home, and settle the Deities, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” Dean said quietly, and she jutted her hand out, nearly knocking her cup over.
“What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Shake it. We’re making a pact.”
He took her offered hand, mechanically pumping it three times. “Fine. It’s a date.”
It was a shame Jules might leave in a few days and never see him again. He seemed to notice a shift in her mood, and he stood, crossing the table to lean over and kiss her softly. “Come on. Let’s see what Slate’s up to.”
“If I know Uncle Zeke, he’s flying on autopilot, and we’re cruising into an asteroid field while he sleeps.” Jules darted through the hall, amped up on caffeine, and found Slate sitting straight up. “Maybe he’s not asleep.”
“You think so little of me?” Slate asked with a laugh. “I woke up five minutes ago.”
Jules grinned at his joke and took a seat beside him, staring at the visuals outside their ship. A bright purple and yellow nebula was directly in front of them: far away, but close enough to see the beauty of it.
Old Secrets (The Survivors Book Thirteen) Page 19