by Chris Mills
“Evening?” Andy asked. “Is that space time?”
“It’s the universal used.”
“Compared to here?” Stephen asked.
“An hour behind.”
“So, we leave at seven?”
“No, eight this time.”
The idea of changing time zones bothered Kim a little. She lived in the Eastern Time Zone and never went anywhere, besides two vacations that changed time. An hour wasn’t that bad. Today they had seen a three-hour jump in little time when they visited the war memorial. She’d leave it to Herald to tell her when to go for now. People born today must be used to the ever-changing time.
“Gabe, why don’t you and Kim head up to the room,” Herald said. “There’s fresh towels. I’m not sure what our travel will be like till we arrive at Galat II. We don’t have any more clothes, but at least you can feel some relief tonight.”
“I’m fine,” Kim assured. “I think Stephen may need it.”
Stephen’s shirt lay on the table. His accident hadn’t taken away a certain appeal as she tried to keep her eyes elsewhere. Gabe had only lost weight and become fit because his friend kicked his ass into doing it. Looks weren’t everything, but that didn’t mean she didn’t stare when she watched Gabe workout at home.
“My foot’s feeling better,” Stephen said. “I think I can stand.”
“Let’s wait for that scan,” Herald urged.
“It’s not the first time I’ve kicked someone in the face.”
“What?”
“It’s a long story,” Gabe chuckled. “Give it a rest till she comes over.”
Jared groaned lightly. This injector, Kim had seen before, retreated from Jared’s shoulder. The server said something that didn’t come off that polite before sticking it back in the kit. The servers here were all humans that Kim had seen, the dancers were a mix, and the guards were all these lizard fellows called Salzmenian. Kim’s eyes hadn’t gone wide anymore when another race came close. The server soon approached.
“He’s fine,” the server spoke. She packed up the nifty handheld. “Please, do come back. There are others who deserve a nice place on the floor.”
“I’ll think about it,” Stephen said. The girl grinned.
**
Damn. Stephen set on the edge of the tub, feet in lukewarm water. Kim’s thumbs pressed upon the back of his neck. The hotel room had been a lot more quiet of late. Andy had passed out not long after they got back here, claiming he wanted to rest his eyes. For a first day with them, he had a lot happen - more than Stephen would have wanted.
Herald muttered at times. The room had two double beds, a couch, and a chair. He had the sole tool he carried with him for small things out with his handheld and some tools he borrowed from Fluge. The curses that came at times hadn’t gotten better. He could pull his data off it, but it had no use now. Stephen wanted some of that data gone. He knew Herald had data on him and his friends from what he found before. That no longer existed in this future. Herald was the only one who knew, and Stephen doubted Herald would speak of it, but still the information was there.
“Does that help?” Kim asked. Stephen nodded. Her hands were soft on his back. She could bring the right pressure with her thumbs.
Kim’s mother, Harriet, was a trained massage therapist. It had been an early job of hers that she used to support Kim when she was a baby, and while she struggled to go to school. Her ass of a father never cared and came for money when Harriet started to do better. Kim came to Lexville in high school when her mother finally got that dream job as an accountant. That didn’t mean she had forgotten or stopped in this line of work for some extra money. Kim had learned well.
“You can lie down,” Kim said. “It will be easier.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Stephen said.
“I can feel a lot of tension.”
“I did flip a man over my back today in an armored suit.”
“Oh. Gabe will move.”
“Fine.”
Stephen tapped the small button above the faucet. A whirlpool came to life in the corner of the tube. Fluge certainly kept his rooms in good shape. The towels were fresh along with the linens. Not a single hole was in the carpet or wall. Stephen wiped his feet on a towel and followed the orders. Gabe didn’t seem to care. He hopped on the other bed. A single eye briefly opened.
Tension came to Stephen’s back. His groan faded to a smile. “Damn, dude,” Gabe said softly. “You need to take it easy from now on.”
“I’m not fighting him again,” Stephen said. Herald looked up from his handheld. The back or maybe it was the front was off. This dark glass had more inside it and wasn’t that clear anymore. Something very thin would bend and snap back to its tiny shape as he released it. An incredibly tiny, odd yellow disk was attached to it. What had he set down on the table? The tiny glow of what may be a chip died. He soon brought a tool back to what he told them was the main board. His tongue kept to the side of his mouth.
“Relax,” Kim said.
“Don’t go down too far,” Gabe joked.
“Very funny,” Kim said.
It would be a lie if Stephen were to say Kim didn’t attract him. She may have a really slender build that some guys would find lacking in areas - but not him. She really was beautiful. She styled her hair, kept with fashion, and could make herself stand out if she wanted. Gabe was very fortunate that stunts he had pulled never pushed her away. She had a nice personality, but one that never seemed to connect deeply with Stephen’s. He wanted to find someone he could lose himself to in conversation.
“Much better,” Stephen soon said. “You should get paid for this.”
“No,” Kim said. “I am too afraid to work on people I don’t know. My mom could jump right in.”
Harriet was something else with how she carried herself. She liked challenges, and Gabe had spoken before about being nervous to ask her for the hand of her daughter, since Kim’s father wasn’t worth it. She could be one of the guys when needed, which was both cool and odd. Sadly, Harriet’s last relationship had ended this summer when he refused to take a step toward marriage.
“Lie here for a bit,” Kim said. “I think I may take that shower.”
“We leave in eight hours,” Herald said. “Try to get some rest soon, all of you.”
“What about you?” Stephen asked.
“I don’t need much. I hope I can get this to boot into a safe mode a least. This is getting to be beyond me.”
“You’re missing a corner of it.”
“Is that what this is?” Herald said tossing something into the air. His tone had some humor to it. “I’m going to see if I can buy something cheap at our next stop. This had been mine, not standard order Galatian Empire.”
“You get a free one?” Gabe asked.
“Yes. Basic and nice.”
“A free computer,” Gabe said. He sighed. “If only that had been the same. I’m still paying off loans. It would be nice to have something free from them.”
“You have a job,” Kim reminded. The door shut to the bathroom. Gabe chuckled as the shower ran inside.
“Yeah a job,” Gabe said. “Herald, do you have loans?”
“No,” Herald said. “I serve for the empire and am past my agreement. I could leave without debt.”
“You serve to pay? It’s not free or what?”
“The academy can be comparable to a university you studied at,” Herald said. He tossed a tool aside for another. “There are a lot of courses and fields to take. You must serve the empire based on an agreement. If you choose not to, you must pay fees. Some do that. There are plenty of places you can go to study. I chose the academy because I wanted a life in the empire and to advance myself.”
“But my father didn’t go,” Stephen said.
“No, he went after your mother to the Talon Federation’s growing academy. He would have been with me if they had not met. I ended up with Ron as a roommate. He is a professor now at a university. He ended u
p there after his agreement was up.”
“Things are different here,” Gabe said. “Well, I’m getting some sleep. Stephen, mind moving?”
“After that?” Stephen questioned. It felt like he had molded to the bed. His eyes wanted to shut. An explosion echoed in his mind. What a day.
Chapter Thirteen
A cool wind came through the upper city. It looked a little better in the morning than at night. Trash still littered parts, shops appeared a little shady with darkened windows, and some out and about may not have been the best. An odd man with white pale skin spoke to a short fellow in a slim, red coat. Every so often a snake-like tongue would flick from his mouth. His dark red eyes met Stephen’s only once before he spat black tobacco from his mouth.
Stephen kept his hands in his pockets. Surprisingly, he felt well rested after the night before. Gabe seemed to slouch a bit more than usual this morning. Their pace didn’t break. Herald had a napkin of all things he used to write information Jared gave. His handheld was in pieces in a bag that he bought off one of Fluge’s security this morning.
“Here,” Herald said. A bridge arched over the gap with cars moving fast enough to tear a person apart. A ship rose from a large complex ahead and took to the sky. Stephen couldn’t help but smile.
The morning sun peaked, letting a glorious glimmer upon the outside walls. It revealed some missing panels. Stephen only needed to look up to see things in better shape. It beat looking down off the bridge. That land was far from what he knew before.
A gust of warm air swarmed them. Holographic numbers and English letters floated in the large lobby. A few desks awaited, but only one with a lone Geletoid working was available. One of its tentacles rose and tapped upon a large screen at its desk. Herald quickly pointed to a hall. Their time this morning had run a little later than what Herald hoped. No one had been at the front counter until a security guard came out of the back.
Large glass windows revealed the hangers within. ‘Fair shape’ might have been an overstatement for some of these vessels. One had a large piece held up by a machine with a human working on it. Pieces were piled in a bin. Stephen bumped right into Herald. The window revealed something quite different than what they’d passed.
Two rectangle sections looked as if they have been pressed together with the notch that ran down the top. Engines rested on the back. They gave off a slight blue glow. A ramp extended from the back leading up into a lit room. Herald pressed the panel at the door. They shook at the very creak. The door tugged once more before it came free.
Curses rose. A hammer slammed something again. A familiar chuckle caught their ears. Pieces of the hull were a bit darker than the others. A pair of turrets were at the rounded front. Black windows curved with it. The ship reminded Stephen of something he saw before in his time. All those movies, shows, and books could easily flood his mind with images.
Bang. A creeper floated out from under the ship. Jared hopped up, face covered in crud like his clothes. He pulled up his goggles and smiled. “Ah, you made it,” he said. “We’re ready to go on my end.”
“What was wrong?” Herald asked.
“Routine maintenance,” Jared assured. “Come on.”
“You seem cheerful.”
“I’m a morning person. Don’t fret. I don’t hold a grudge. Last night had been a good surprise.”
Jared waved them on. The ramp led up into nice living area. A sectional rested against the wall in front of a large holo-table. A screen floated above it. It flipped to a woman in a yellow suit with black trim at a desk. Headlines rolled below. Stephen spotted a note on the bombing investigation.
There didn’t appear to a matching theme here. Jared’s other furniture pieces were of different colors and styles. A chair had some age to it with the wear on the upholstery. Jared showed them to their room. Stacked slots lined the wall. Beds rested within with clean sheets. He spoke of this being a company vessel once. The bathroom offered a large tub with two shower heads. For a personal ship, Jared had a lot of space. Stephen nodded his head.
“Don’t touch,” Jared warned. A door had a red panel. “I did maintenance recently. Make yourselves at home. We’ll stop for dinner at four. I have some small business to take care of. Nelespinster has plenty to choose from.”
“What?” Herald questioned.
“A space station. You’ll find good food.”
“Thank you,” Herald said. Who would have guessed this man was the same guy from yesterday? Jared headed into the bathroom. A faucet soon sprayed. “Get comfortable. It’s going to be a long trip.”
Stephen sunk in the corner of the sectional. Wow. He bounced lightly and sighed. He hoped he could take a nap later. That luxury never came easy for him until his accident. He closed his eyes back then, hoping to wake for meals or to where he had movement back. He cringed suddenly at the thought of those scars hiding his hardware.
Stephen rubbed over his arms. It sucked a little that his childhood scars were gone from them. Some had come on trips with his father. No vacation had ever been complete without a little bloodshed.
“I’ll be on the bridge,” Jared said. The others, like Stephen had to blink. Jared raced by in a red shirt with a short sleeve, black jacket. Not a sign of grease remained, and he managed to slick his hair back.
Stephen leaned forward and hopped up. He had to pass through a small hall to get to the bridge. “What’s the name of this ship?” he asked.
“The Harbinger,” Jared said. “It used to be my uncle’s. He and his friends fixed it up. It’ll get us there. It makes Warp 7 at cruise.”
“Wow,” Stephen said, trying to sound surprised.
“Stephen,” Andy called from the back. “The Enterprise is faster.” Gabe broke out into laughs with him.
“What’s he talking about?” Jared questioned. “This is fast enough.”
“Don’t mind him,” Stephen said. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
Warp meant the speed of light. Warp factors related to a formula that when plugged gave an accurate speed. Warp 7 wasn’t seven times the speed, but much greater. A theory existed in the past of a speed that would be everywhere at once. He loved Star Trek and the science it could bring - yet too much was too much.
“How’s your jaw?” Stephen asked.
“Much better,” Jared assured. “You have talent. Where did you learn to fight?”
“Spar,” Stephen corrected.
“Spar?”
“I took karate and really love it.”
“Oh, it’s that old-world martial arts. What made you choose that?”
“My dad thought it would help after my mom died. It did.”
“I’m sorry to hear about that.”
“It was a long time ago.”
The Harbinger’s bridge was much different than those before. Different screens were fixed on it. Their resolution was crisp, and all that Stephen would need. Each screen could be changed and had no holo-look to it. These were screens found in Stephen’s time. It felt sadly after his time here - plain.
Up the Harbinger rose with little issue. Jared commanded the landing gear to retract. Stephen placed his hand upon the wall, feeling foolish quickly. This ship had little feel to the movement that happened outside. They took to the sky fast, passing much. The upper city fell behind. Fire burned brightly upon the windows.
How could it be this simple? Stephen had watched live launches of NASA rockets. Off the Harbinger went to the beyond in time that looked pitiful to this. There were no people standing by to help them, no sequences to eject the initial help, only a ship reaching space.
The space traffic around Earth hadn’t changed. Jared took them through it fast. A large cruiser came over them and passed. No one would pull a stunt around here. Had the war ever come to Earth? Seran’s fall still puzzled Stephen. How could a planet be destroyed when a force defended it?
The Harbinger’s engine lit rapidly. They sped fast away from it all, taking to the edge of the solar system. Jared
brought up his navigation. A list appeared of favorites. Nelespinster Space Station had a red outline to it. A simple tap placed the coordinates in the computer. His finger tapped once more. A large star map appeared of the area. Engage.
The Harbinger turned and lined with its destination. Stephen smiled as light took to the window. Balls of light soon sped by. If he could wave back, he would. Earth had changed and reminded him more of a place he’d never call home.
“Where are you from?” Jared asked.
“Earth,” Stephen said. “It never feels like home anymore.”
“I know the feelings. I grew up with my uncle. The places I called home with him aren’t the same.”
“Where is home now?”
“Far from here,” Jared said. “I don’t visit often. I say a home is where you find peace. I guess I have many still. One is gone, sadly.”
“A ship?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
“A long time ago,” Jared reminded. “I like to travel a lot. This is one of my favorite ships to take out. Good old Fluge’s is a great stop.”
“He doesn’t seem to like you that much.”
“Ah, we go back and forth,” Jared said and laughed. “He’s never thrown me out yet. His drinks are cheap, and he’s always kept that place running.”
“He seemed pretty nice,” Stephen agreed. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “His house beer is interesting.”
“It’s what a lot order around there. Good old Fluge’s.”
Jared yawned loudly. “You’re a lot different than I expected,” Stephen said.
“You’ll learn everyone has a different side,” Jared said with a small chuckle. “Those I like get this. You showed me something last night. I always felt you learned what kind of person is when in situations like that.” Stephen hadn’t really known more than a person’s skill when sparring in the past. Some had attitude, which he guessed spoke.
The others had taken rest in the back it looked. Gabe had his head back, eyes closed by Kim. They could breathe easy when in warp.