Kodon

by Chris Mills

  Chapter Five

  The shuttle finally slowed. Herald leaned forward. Where was it? He pulled a screen from across the dash. A simple hand movement made it grow. This manual piloting stuff, he had left for Howard. How had he missed any sign of that betrayal coming? All this for a possible fortune? Howard was the newest to his team, but he had excellent recommendations. Darren would be angry the moment he learned of any of this.

  Ah. Herald pulled back his helm control. A joystick would work better, like the ones he used to play old-style video games with. He brought the right thrust. The tear approached. This small section of space barely fit this shuttle. Space mirrored itself here. He held his breath. The shuttle shook lightly. Odd light took to the windows. Lights flickered. The very dash had gone dark when they came through last time, and for a moment, he had feared them being stranded.

  But exhale Herald did. Life returned to the shuttle. He gulped lightly at the vessels that dwarfed them. He was but an ant to one of them. Here in old Gamarinian Space, the Galatian Empire kept good patrols and investigated the dangers that remained, as well as protected this tear from wherever it may lead. A tone quickly sounded.

  “Zumerkrin, here,” he was quick to answer.

  “We thought you may not make it,” a woman’s voice came through. “You’re lucky. We were only thirty seconds away.” Herald let out a sigh of relief on that.

  “I’ll be on my way to the Explorer C.”

  “I’m puzzled by my scans onboard your shuttle.”

  “That’s for the Councilman Wallace to deal with.”

  “I understand. Head now. Your time is done in this space.”

  The shuttle’s engine fired. Past the cruisers they went. Another massive one waited. Herald took them underneath and up. Here was the Explorer C. It compared little to the rest in the area. It was older and the crew measured fewer than sixty. It needed only a skeleton crew and those who had been chosen for his team. While not much to look at, it had been his home for years in his search for his godson and Kodon - and finally paid off.

  Herald rubbed his face. He rounded the Explorer C. A blue field covered his entry. The shuttle breached it and hovered a little before taking down to a place a shuttle bay officer waved him to with a baton. He wasn’t alone, the chief of security waited close by in her uniform. Her gun hopefully would not leave her belt after all this.

  This wasn’t the homecoming he wanted nor envisioned. Coming empty-handed had been most of them. He tapped and started to shut down the shuttle. He ran his hand along the dash, clearing most of the windows. Only one remained open. Butterflies fluttered inside his stomach. His finger came close. Tap. A hiss erupted from the side. Herald hoped Darren would be close. His best friend would hate what happened.

  “You really, meant it,” the girl spoke. All this time had been silence. Herald spun his chair around and rose. “Please, take us back.”

  “What about ‘one minute’ did you not get?” Herald questioned.

  Those three had ample time to depart. It wasn’t fair, but there hadn’t been any time to explain. She, like the two men, had remained. One had a reason. He couldn’t see his way out - not in that state. Herald shook his head.

  “This isn’t real,” Gabe said. “This can’t be.”

  “We’re onboard a starship,” Stephen said. A smile rose and faded quickly. The door finally slid along the shuttle into place.

  A head peaked in. The chief of security was a lovely female Telicion. Her skin was a dark blue and very smooth. Her hair was white. Two antennae protruded from the top of her head with small bulbs on the end. Her eyes several times scanned over the guests and finally to the body on the ground.

  “I’m sure there’s an explanation at hand,” she said. The others stared at her. “Do I need to call for backup, Herald?” The confusion brought the other’s attention to Herald. They had no idea what she was saying - they hadn’t any way.

  “No,” Herald said. “We need a conference room and the captain. I need to get a hold of -”

  A voice rose outside. Someone soon stepped back onto the shuttle, eyes fixed at Howard. Herald sighed. “Crap,” he said. “What the heck happened, Herald?”

  “It’s very interesting.”

  “And who are they?”

  “Uh, they are his friends.”

  Darren’s eyes focused on the wounded. “Ian Porter?” he questioned. Herald nodded.

  “Who?” Stephen questioned.

  “Your birth name,” Herald explained.

  “I’ll get the captain and security,” the chief said. “Sorry, Herald. This is too much to come to this vessel.”

  Darren stepped into the shuttle. He was younger than Herald and in better shape. The muscle tone to his arms could easily catch interest. His hair was short and curled up in the front. His green eyes piqued with interest at the sight of Stephen.

  “I take it, you three are an accident?” Darren said.

  “You can say that,” Gabe said. “I demand we go back.”

  “That’s not for me to decide,” Herald said calmly. “Councilman Wallace will need to be informed. It was he who granted us permission to enter the tear. I apologize for the circumstance that brought.”

  “Cut the shit,” Gabe said. “I -” He quickly held his face.

  “Not another foul word from your mouth, Gabriel,” the girl warned. “It does not help this. Let’s figure this out together.”

  “But,”

  “I don’t like it either! At least I know when to stop.”

  In Herald’s research, he had never come across this girl. Gabriel Heartfield and Andy Miller had a history with Stephen. Herald had gotten profiles on the others in case, but nothing revealed a relationship between Gabe or Andy and this girl. He needed to understand who she was. Of course now, any data besides what was on his handheld was gone. The moment they left, they disappeared from history and most likely, the advanced record to come on them.

  “I’m sorry,” Darren said with much sincerity. “Please, let’s wait for security and I promise, we will get this sorted out.” His eyes locked with Herald. “What happened with Howard?”

  “Greed,” Herald said with such disgust.

  “Really?” Darren questioned. He shook his head. “Damn it. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How did he expect to get away with this?”

  “He had some plan.”

  “Selling Kodon?” Darren said and let out a short sigh. “I thought he knew better.”

  “What is Kodon?” Stephen questioned.

  “That will come in time. Now, we follow them.”

  “What?”

  Five security officers had joined the chief outside.

  **

  Captain Adel could be described in many different words, Stephen thought. It would be plain wrong to come out and refer to him as a cat-man. It fit for a first look though. He had a human-like body, yet it was covered in dark orange fur. His arms had some black stripes to them. A long tail curled behind him, and he had a set of cat ears. His face even appeared a bit catlike with the nose, but his mouth opened more naturally like a human.

  Somehow, Herald spoke to the captain in English, along with others, yet they didn’t speak it back. How did he understand them and they him? Stephen kept trying to keep up with the conversation. Captain Adel didn’t help with his changes to English only to address Stephen and his friends, which was rough enough that Herald had to further explain.

  The conference room aboard the Explorer C was small. A single long window revealed streaking stars. It reminded Stephen of some sci-fi movies. He felt nothing, and this ship still went a speed unthought of. This only brought more silence to Kim.

  Gabe’s face had finally gotten a bit less red. Stephen wished he could help Andy understand what was around him. This sucked for them. They had a chance and they didn’t take it. Here they were, stuck. If only they’d have listened to Herald. There had been no second chance. He took off at the time he had told them.

  “Captai
n, I went by Councilman Wallace’s word,” Herald said. “He gave an option for the Porters’ child to come.” Again, Herald seemed to repeat himself, but in a different defense.

  The captain’s speech didn’t sound weird, only foreign. He circled the table, scratching the back of his fury ear.

  “I know we didn’t expect it, but Howard acted.”

  Captain Adel asked only Stephen and Gabe to explain briefly what happened in the confrontation with Howard. The theory of him being provoked fell flat. It seemed like Howard hadn’t been thought suspicious in any way. It had been a shock to Darren, a good friend of Herald’s, possibly the best from how he talked of Darren while they waited for the captain. Sadly, Darren hadn’t a chance to learn any more than he did.

  One final word had been spoken. Captain Adel headed out. The door slid closed, leaving an uneasy calm in the room. Herald rose from his chair and approached the window.

  “We are going to Galat II,” Herald said. “We’ll meet with Councilman Wallace about getting you home.”

  “Why can’t we go back now?” Kim questioned. “If we explained -”

  “Do you not think I’d try if I knew it were possible? That space has been highly monitored after the war. We can’t go back without permission. It was a luxury for me to be in it.”

  “And I take it you found the pod back there,” Stephen said. Herald nodded. “Why did they bring you?”

  “It was exactly to detail of what your mother sent me,” Herald said. “Councilman Wallace granted me a great honor by requesting us there and allowing travel into the tear. I never thought I’d be able to go into the past.”

  “Isn’t there a machine we can use?” Gabe questioned.

  “This isn’t fiction,” Herald said.

  “I’m sorry,” Kim said. “I need to wake up. None of this should be real. Stephen’s parents weren’t from the future.”

  “You never met them or learned anything till now,” Stephen said. “Why doubt it? Look around you.”

  “I don’t want to. I want to go back home. I’m getting married in three weeks.”

  “With any luck, you may still,” Herald said. “We should be at Galat II tomorrow evening.”

  “Does this councilman have that much power?” Andy questioned.

  “Yes,” Herald said with a strong nod. “He’s part of the Galatian Council, which controls the empire.”

  “Isn’t an empire a bad thing normally?” Stephen questioned. He thought of dozens of real and fictional empires that never led to good in the end. Herald’s chuckle was short and soft.

  “Not this one,” Herald said. “The Galatian Empire is the largest alliance in the known galaxy with nothing measuring close. Almost all alien races who have reached advance space faring are part of it, including humans. Councilman Wallace is a human as well.”

  “And this council rules it?”

  “They govern it. Rule is a strong word, Stephen. They ensure the right choices are made. When things are tough, sometimes the best course of action isn’t the easiest.”

  “Can their final say be overturned?”

  “No, that is why we are an empire. Do not worry, we’ll meet him, and he is very knowledgeable and understanding.”

  “You better hope so,” Gabe said. “For your sake.”

  “I didn’t mean any harm, nor did I cause it personally.”

  “You had to bring him on the shuttle for this stupid Kodor thing.”

  “Kodon,” Herald corrected.

  “Who cares about the name?! You endangered our lives!”

  “Stop shouting,” Kim said. She kept hold of her face. “I need to lie down. Maybe I can wake up from this.”

  “I wish it was simple,” Herald said.

  “I don’t think there is much of a choice,” Andy said. “Sounds like this empire has all the control back there.”

  For a first time in space, Stephen had thought he’d be overjoyed. It faded the moment he saw such a force that could send them all into oblivion. Here he was on a starship - a real starship. His heart seemed to have more life when he thought on that, than his friends.

  “I need to get Stephen to the infirmary and see Darren,” Herald said. “The captain said he’ll have guest quarters readied for you. The officers outside will take you.”

  “I’d prefer him stay with us,” Gabe said.

  “I’m not a child,” Stephen said. It felt since the accident that he had become a burden to people that needed taken care of - a helpless infant who would starve and die without someone to hold him. Oh, it got old. “Herald, take me to the infirmary.”

  The chair had nothing to touch the ground. A small panel at the back let Herald adjust the height and assist in moving Stephen. Back he went. Gabe’s eyes kept locked for a bit. “I’ll make sure he is taken care of,” Herald assured. “You need time to rest. The quarters here are nice.”

  “It doesn’t seem like I have a choice at all now,” Gabe huffed.

  The hall outside was long and ran a little under the length of the vessel from how it appeared. Three officers waited to tend to the others. Their uniforms were black with dark orange to their top. Specials guns were holstered at their waists. Kim was the first to emerge. It seemed to calm her a little that the man to greet her was human, unlike the rest.

  “They’ll be fine,” Stephen assured.

  “You do realize that this is your fault too,” Herald said. “I warned about the complex situation that would come.”

  “You expected me to hand over this Kodon thing without any hesitation or questions.”

  “Fair,” Herald said. “I do apologize for all this.”

  “Why is Kodon so important?”

  “There is a time to explain this. We need you checked out.”

  “Do you think they can heal me?”

  “I took scans of you and read before of what they did to you,” Herald said. “It’s not a simple fix, Stephen. Let the doctor look at you.”

  Herald tapped his foot. It quickened. He hit the panel by a set of doors once more. The doors slid, sticking at times. A man jumped back. Stephen’s eyes widened. The alien’s skin was blue and matched that of the alien Stephen had seen earlier. He spoke quickly in a language Stephen did not understand. Herald laughed and pushed Stephen in. The small room curved partially inside and reminded him of an elevator with the panel.

  “Galat II will be good this time,” Herald told the man. “I bet she’ll contact you.” It took little to understand the ‘yeah right’ expression.

  The screen inside had a touch interface. They only went down a single level. The door opened to another plain hallway. A sign, resembling possibly a medical flask with a cross, took their attention. They didn’t need to go far. A set of doors awaited them. They slid to reveal a large, very clean and mostly white room. Three beds were pressed against the wall, two tables appeared to be for examinations, a long counter had glass cabinets revealing thin bottles, beakers, racks of medical tools, and what may be blankets or towels, and an office was in the corner with a door next to it. A light above might be indicating an operation or examination was taking place inside.

  A lone woman waited inside. She wore a white uniform. A blue symbol spread across her chest; the same symbol from the hall. It had a light blue glow to it. She appeared human as she smiled.

  “Welcome to the infirmary,” the woman cheerfully said. “How can I help you?” The cheer in her voice was a bit much for nothing going on. Did they get a lot of people in here besides checkups?

  “I’m here for the doctor,” Herald said.

  “I will inform him.”

  Stephen stared, a bit puzzled. The woman took a place by one of the examination tables. “Don’t worry about her,” Herald said.

  “That’s a bit rude,” Stephen whispered.

  “She’s an android. She’s programmed for care here. Unless she’s programmed to get offended, don’t worry about it.”

  “She looks real.”

  “Real enough to d
o what is needed.”

  “Are there a lot of androids?”

  “It depends where you go,” Herald said. A memory spiked in Stephen’s head of a movie he saw once where androids started to consider themselves real and tried to take over the human race. It brought a chill that perhaps something like that had almost come.

  A right old cough escaped the office. An older woman emerged with dark skin. She had an odd bone formation that ran down the center of her face and pressed out the skin. It stopped at the tip of the nose. Her mouth opened and yet again, Stephen was lost to what she said. The doctor motioned to the examination table by the android.

  “Careful with him,” Herald said. The doctor nodded. Stephen’s eyes widened a little. The chair rose higher, and the android’s hands came close. Her smile brought little ease.

  “Are you comfortable?” the android questioned.

  “Sure,” Stephen said. Slight warmth came beneath him. The doctor waved the android away, speaking her tongue. The android barely made it to the counter when the doctor spoke loudly about something. A cough followed.

  “You don’t sound good,” Herald said. The doctor laughed. “You need to stick to better snacks, doctor.” Herald seem to look a little curiously at the doctor when her gaze faded, as if checking her out, not unlike how a guy would eye a fine woman.

  The android returned holding something black. An earpiece like this looked a bit similar to the Bluetooth headset he had with his old phone. It didn’t appear to have a microphone piece. The doctor snatched it right from the android’s hand. Jeez. He tried not to struggle as the piece slid into his ear. An odd tone echoed from it.

  “There, better?” the doctor questioned.

  “Uh, yeah,” Stephen said.

  “Good,” the doctor said. She dismissed the android away with little care. How could it smile after that? She took her place near the door, in possibly the same exact spot she had been in when they arrived.

  “Don’t mind her,” the doctor said, snapping his attention. “She’s a big help when I need her. Herald informs me you were attacked. He also states that these injuries aren’t from today. What crude healing methods.”