A distance indicator on the scanners told him that they had about five thousand clicks before they hit Nai’s atmosphere. A short time later, Matthew noticed a blip on his navigational screen which appeared around the edge of the planet. He stared at it for some time, waiting for the venator’s scanners to tell him what it was. The way it was moving made him cautiously optimistic. It didn’t seem to be in any fixed orbit, it seemed to be moving on its own.
And then the most wonderful words he could have imagined sounded over the venator’s audio system.
“Ship identified. Derringer class attack ship with interstellar capabilities.”
Matthew took in a sharp breath. “What? But that’s impossible,” he muttered.
“What is it?” came Gavin’s startled voice.
“It’s a—” Matthew began, but the in-ship audio cut him off.
“Incoming transmission from the derringer. Do you wish to accept?”
“Yes, yes!” he shouted. “Venator EC-2, open up the channel and broadcast it to the module,” he instructed. “Gavin, we’ve made contact with one of the Delegation ships. One of them must have survived!” he exclaimed. “We’re not going to die. We’re going to make it after all.”
Emotion overcame him. All he could do was sit and listen to the incoming message as tears streaked down his quivering cheeks.
Forty
The Radix
The incoming message was breathtakingly clear, the voice on the other end pointed and direct.
“Venator EC-2 this is the derringer Radix, please respond with your status and identify yourself.”
Matthew blanked for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Then he remembered that this was a Delegation ship and that he was actually still a part of their army. Giving a straightforward answer seemed the best option.
“This is escalon Matthew Yin, sidereal scout class. I have a jettisoned module from the Nebula in tow with approximately thirty survivors and life support is running extremely low. Request permission to approach the Radix and board.”
A long pause followed. Matthew wondered if they were double checking his identity or simply debating whether or not to agree to his request.
“Sentinel Yin, this is Commander Farin of the Radix,” came back a different voice. It sounded much more pleasant than the first. “Forgive the delay in our reply, but we thought you were dead, sir. No one has heard from you in over seven years.”
Sentinel Yin? Matthew wondered if he had heard that right, but he thought it best not to question it for now. Perhaps Farin had simply misspoken.
“Yes, well, it’s been a bit of a rough ride. But right now, I need to get back to the fleet. These people I’ve got out here don’t have much time left.”
More hesitation followed. “…Understood. You’re cleared to approach, Sentinel.”
There it was again: sentinel.
“Excellent.” Matthew said calmly, though inside his mind was spinning. He adjusted the course of the venator to head for the derringer. “We owe you one.”
“You should expect nothing less,” Farin replied. “Remnant takes care of its own.”
Remnant? Now Matthew was doubly confused. The scanner identified the Radix as a Delegation ship. Who was Remnant? And now that he thought about it, how had this ship even survived the paroxysm? A hundred questions crowded his mind, but he didn’t want to act too confused and give Farin cause for alarm.
“Commander, about the Delegation, what is the status on the rest of the fleet?” Matthew asked.
“We are free, Sentinel Yin. Our Delegation oppressors have been eliminated.” Farin’s voice swelled with pride.
Matthew sat there staring at his scanner as the full significance of that sentence set in. Whoever Remnant was, apparently they were not part of the Delegation, but had somehow come into possession of one of their ships.
The words of the eidos came back to him again. “Seek out the remnant destined to survive and do whatever is in your power to lead them to safety.” The remnant. Could these words have been referring to the people on this ship? If so, it didn’t seem like they were the ones who needed to be led to safety, but Matthew himself.
“I understand you have not been apprised of the changes in our strategy, Sentinel, due to your long absence,” Farin continued. “But it became clear that forcing Orin into an agreement was no longer a viable option.”
“I see,” Matthew said, still trying to puzzle things together in his mind. “That explains what happened with the omniclast.”
“Well, it does and it doesn’t,” Farin replied. “Kelm’s team was not supposed to fire it at full power. We never intended to leave this world uninhabitable as well. Were you onboard the Nebula? Do you know what happened?”
With each new bit of information, the mystery began to unravel for Matthew. Kelm had not boarded the Nebula alone. He had said others were working with him, but until now Matthew had no idea who those others might be. The rest of Kelm’s team must have died in the fight for the secondary bridge. If Kelm and Farin were both a part of this Remnant faction, it seemed probable that the same sort of betrayal might have happened aboard the Radix as well. If Farin’s men had successfully taken over one of the Delegation’s ship that would explain why they had been able to escape the omniclast attack. Knowing what was coming, they would have sent the ship out of range before the omniclast fired.
But all of these suppositions left Matthew with a much larger question: what role had he played in all of this? If he had really been a part of this Remnant faction as Farin seemed to think, was he responsible in some way for the ever growing blight consuming the planet below?
“Sentinel?” Farin spoke up after a long silence.
“Yes, sorry,” Matthew said. “It’s just…it’s a lot to take in.”
“I completely understand.” The audio went silent yet again and when Farin came back his voice sounded a bit more anxious. “Sentinel Yin, much has changed since you left on your mission. I’ve talked things over with some of the other officers and we think it might be best if we gave you some time before resuming your duties, at least for now.”
Matthew had no interest in leading anyone so this development meant little to him, but he wondered what effect it might have on his situation going forward. For now, though, he thought it best to simply go along with whatever the commander said.
“Of course, Commander Farin,” Matthew said. “I’m in no condition to resume my duties anyhow.”
“We can discuss your situation further once you get onboard. For now, I am going to turn you over to Crew Chief Tulloc. He’ll direct your ship to the cargo bay while I organize a team to meet you.”
“Sounds good. Thank you again, Commander. We owe you our lives,” Matthew said.
“This is a great day, Sentinel Yin,” Farin said, his voice swelling with confidence. “Not only have we avenged ourselves on Deliverance and liberated the Remnant out from under the oppressive Delegation, but you are alive beyond what anyone ever hoped or dreamed.”
Matthew raised himself up out of the venator’s cockpit and threw his legs over the side of the ship. Dozens of other ships crowded the long cargo bay, all of unfamiliar designs, but Matthew had no time to take them in. Farin, the commander of the derringer Radix, stood a few paces away, waiting to greet him. A dozen Delegation soldiers flanked him on either side, though none of them wore helmets as they had onboard the Nebula, and the silver stars on their chests had been removed. They were a mixture of hair colors and skin tones in marked contrast to the people who formed the Collective. The commander was a short man who had reddish hair and a light complexion.
Matthew slid off the fuselage and stood before him.
“Commander Farin,” Matthew saluted the smaller man.
“Sentinel Yin,” Farin said, returning the salute.
“It’s good to see you.” Matthew felt awkward in front of these soldiers. They regarded him with expectant looks, but he had no idea who they were.
Near
the outer hatch of the storage compartment, a team of medical personnel were positioning a mobile ramp.
“Welcome aboard the Radix,” Farin continued. “You need not worry about the survivors. Our men will see that they are properly taken care of.”
Farin’s words were friendly enough, but Matthew sensed a tension between them. He wondered what his relationship with this man had been, and if Matthew’s reappearance now, after all this time, might not pose some sort of complication for Farin or the faction he represented.
“I’m sure you will do everything you can for them,” Matthew said.
“Of course. While they’re being taken care of, I’d like you to come with me and fill us in on what happened to you during the years you were on your mission—if you’re feeling up to it.” Farin gestured towards the exit located in the large alcove at the other end of the bay.
“I’d be happy to, but before I do, I’d like to talk with one of the survivors in particular if that’s all right.” Matthew not only wanted to see Gavin to make sure he was all right, but he was anxious to find out just what was in that vial of remin fluid he had.
Farin’s gaze shifted from side to side. Perhaps his suggestion had been more important to him than the he had let on.
“Crew Chief Tulloc said they were all in cryo-sleep. Are you sure this person will be in any condition to talk to you?” Farin asked.
“One of them stayed awake during the module’s ejection. He was trying to give me some important information back on the Nebula. If we wait for him, it might help answer some of your questions.”
Farin pulled on the edges of his sleeves as if straightening them were a part of his cognitive process. Once the wrinkles had been smoothed, he gave Matthew a curt nod.
“Very well. If you think this man has valuable information, of course we will wait for him. What is a slight delay after all these years?”
Farin and Matthew made their way to the storage module on the other side of the venator. The soldiers followed.
The medical team had already released the outer hatch and a frigid mist billowed around the opening. They watched as the first of the Radix personnel, men and women in dark blue plastic suits, entered the craft via a portable metal ramp.
“So was this…information the reason you went out in the venator to rescue these people? Or were you just fleeing the Nebula and happened upon them?” Farin asked as they waited for the survivors to emerge.
Matthew stared off into space, trying to decide how to explain what had led him to go after Gavin and the others. He doubted Farin would understand or believe him if he told him about the eidos.
“Sentinel Orin cast them adrift. They would have been caught in the paroxysm if I didn’t go after them.”
“But they were part of Deliverance weren’t they? Why go to all the trouble to save them?”
“Actually, I don’t think they were.” Something told Matthew that this was more than just a hunch, but he couldn’t say how he knew this.
At that moment the first of the survivors emerged from the vault. A man with blue skin and frost covered hair tottered forward, his eyes taking in and searching the crowd of ships. But his near brush with death had not diminished the brightness in his eyes and Matthew recognized Gavin despite his bizarre appearance.
The medical team attempted to load him onto a floating black gurney, but when Gavin saw Matthew, he shoved them aside and hobbled down the ramp. The medics easily pulled him back, weak as he was, but Gavin continued to resist.
“It’s all right. Let him through, let him through,” Farin ordered. The medics acquiesced, letting Gavin stumble half-frozen down the ramp towards his rescuer.
Gavin embraced Matthew. “Thank you, my friend,” he whispered. His skin was ice cold, but Matthew grew warm inside at those words. Up until now he had known that saving them was the right thing, but it had been an abstract understanding. The frigid chattering of Gavin’s teeth on his shoulder sent the full weight of what Matthew had done pressing down on him. He had saved this man’s life. Whatever else he did from here on out, he would always have that.
“I’m just glad you’re alive,” Matthew said.
“I know you do not remember it, but this is not the first time you have saved my life.”
“I would gladly do it again if I had to.”
Commander Farin coughed and adjusted his collar, reminding Matthew of his presence and his desire to speak with him privately.
“I have something for you,” Gavin said. He tried inserting his hand into his tunic, but the cloth was too stiff and stuck to his skin. It quickly became apparent that he would not be able to retrieve what he was looking for until he had warmed up. “Well, it’s probably frozen anyway.”
Farin gave Matthew an impatient, questioning look.
“Would it be okay if Gavin came with us to our meeting?” Matthew asked. Farin’s face stiffened so that it looked almost as frozen as Gavin’s. “He was an important member of Deliverance, but he defected from them once he realized what they were doing. I think you will find the information he has to offer just as vital, if not more so, than what I have to say.”
Farin raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I’m sure what Sentinel Yin says is accurate,” he said, addressing Gavin, “but you’re half-frozen. I don’t think sitting through a long interview would be the most helpful thing for you at this moment. I’m eager to learn what you know, but for now it would be best if—”
A voice sounded right next to the commander, interrupting him. It took Matthew a moment to realize that it came from an audio piece embedded in Farin’s collar.
“Sir, we’ve spotted another ship coming out of the planet’s atmosphere. It looks like they are fleeing the paroxysm. They are attempting to make contact with us.” said the voice.
“What type of ship?” Farin asked.
“A praxis cruiser, sir, a part of the Deliverance fleet.”
Farin’s brow knit together. “But the Delegation destroyed them all, how is that possible?”
“It must have escaped somehow,” the man on the other end conjectured.
Gavin lurched forward and placed his hand on Farin’s shoulder. “Commander, if I may—” he started to say before the soldiers yanked him violently back.
Farin huffed and swatted away the soldiers swarming in to protect him.
“Let the man speak. Can’t you see he isn’t any threat?”
Gavin was allowed to stand on his own again as he addressed the commander.
“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I believe I know who is on that ship. It is being piloted by the rest of the defectors from the Collective,” Gavin declared. “They call themselves the Sentients.”
“And you know this how?” Farin asked.
“Because I was the commander of that ship.”
Farin cast a sharp glance towards Matthew. “Is this true, Sentinel?” he asked.
“I don’t have any reason to doubt what Gavin says,” Matthew said.
Farin drew himself up until he had nearly risen to the level of Gavin’s shoulders, as if he would be able to size Gavin up better if the two of them were closer in height. Everyone around Farin, Gavin especially, stared at him, waiting to hear how the commander would respond.
Farin took an unusually long amount of time to consider his reply. With each passing moment the suspicion that he might order an attack on the ship grew stronger in Matthew’s mind.
At last the commander ventured a reply. “Are we within firing range yet?” he asked.
The question sent a chill as cold as Gavin’s skin down Matthew’s back.
“No, sir, but they will be soon,” answered the voice over the audio.
The little color Gavin’s face had begun to gain quickly vanished.
“They would be foolish to attack a ship of this size,” Farin said. “Although they have a fair amount of firepower, we far outclass them in size and range. They would never penetrate our shields. Send their audio through straight to me, b
ut give word to prepare the fleet for launch.”
“Commander Farin, what are you doing?” Matthew asked, unable to restrain himself any longer.
Farin’s expression was enigmatic. “Assessing the situation,” he said. The response wasn’t exactly cold, but neither was it friendly. Matthew sensed that pressing him on the issue would only make matters worse so he forced himself to hold his tongue.
A nervous voice came over the audio channel. “Greetings. My name is Nance and I am in command of the praxis Maven,”
“This is Commander Farin of the derringer Radix. You realize that you are flying directly into our sovereign zone. What are your intentions?” he asked. “I assure you that we are a fully functioning assault ship.”
“Yes, we came across the remains of the Collective fleet you destroyed. Our intentions are entirely peaceful, I can assure you. But the paroxysm…” Nance’s voice strained to hold back the emotion. “The planet is no longer safe and our vessel is not equipped for long term survival in space.”
“Clearly.” Farin was unmoved by Nance’s plea. “So what is it that you seek?”
“We seek refuge on your ship. We cast ourselves on your mercy and place our ship at your disposal, if only you will grant us safe harbor. Please, we have nowhere else to turn.”
Again Farin paused, considering. Each hesitation on the commander’s part strained Matthew’s nerves closer to the breaking point. Surely Farin wouldn’t just abandon them to their deaths!
“How many passengers and crew are aboard your ship?”
“Over six hundred, including many women and children,” Nance said.
“I see,” Farin said, still pondering. “You realize that you are asking me to take on a significant burden, Commander Nance. The Radix’s resources are not unlimited.”
The Chronotrace Sequence- The Complete Box Set Page 101