by Frank Carey
"That's when the work begins," Milo commented. "My team and I have months of work ahead of us before presenting our findings to the Historical Society."
"Tannith and her people are acting like kids in a candy store," Jarrus said, referring to Dr. Tannith Aymar-Scott, Society Chairwoman.
"And why not? The Society is being funded by the League of Planetary Systems, The Confederation of Planets, and Arctillus. Expansion is in the air, but it's waiting for people like us to make sure we're not trampling the past."
"Thank the Creator for that small favor. Remember the good old days when we had less than a week to survey a site before the earth movers tore it to shreds?"
Milo shook his head. "I remember all too well. Times have changed, thankfully."
As the two scholars talked, the handlers loaded the last crate into the shuttle’s hold. Finally, the captain walked over. "Doctors, we're ready to go."
With a final look around the landing area, the three survey team members boarded the ship. As it took off, no one aboard noticed the figure watching them from a nearby copse of trees.
Once the shuttle and its occupants were out of sight, the figure stepped out into the sunlight before taking a device out of its clothing. "Danyr, this is Nero. They're gone, Boss," he said into the radio. He was tall, thin, with a long face and ears to match. He was dark in color with pale blue eyes and three pony tails. He looked bored.
"Are they coming back?"
"They plan to. Something about months. They have to present their findings to something called the Historical Society. What the hell is a historical society anyway?"
"A bunch of people interested in the past. We, on the other hand, are interested in the Tegan future. Set a perimeter sensor and get back to the ship. We have a lot to do before our friends from the League of planetary systems return to pillage this place."
"But Boss, I thought we were here to retrieve a weapon."
"We are, Nero, but it never hurts to kill two fliers with one bullet. Now, get your ass back here. We have work to do."
"Yes, Danyr. As you command." He placed the radio back in his vest before heading back through the ancient streets to where the ship was hidden.
He arrived at a clearing in a large copse of trees which had taken over part of the ancient city. There were no life sounds—no birds, no insects, no life—except for the wind which made its way through forest. Nero hated it here. He preferred someplace a little less dead. Using his radio once more, he made his arrival known. "Liberty, this is Nero. I need a door, please."
A hatch and a ramp leading up to it appeared near the middle of the clearing as the stealth field surrounding the ship was adjusted. With a last look around, Nero entered the ship.
"Welcome back, Nero," the second in command said as the hatch closed behind the scout. "You've got about ten minutes before Boss Lady's briefing."
"Thank you, sir," Nero said as he headed to the mess for a bite and a cup of brew. He didn't realize how hungry he was until the aroma from the mess hit his nostrils. Being an insurrectionist wasn't an easy life, but the grub was fantastic.
A chime sounded as he sat down with a hand meal and brew. "Attention. This is Danyr. The leaguers have departed, so we can begin our search for the weapon. Somewhere on this planet are the remains of a ship and a weapon system of indescribable power. You have been briefed on what we are looking for. You will be assigned to search teams until further notice. The fate of the Tegan race is in our hands, so failure is not an option. Danyr out."
Nero wolfed down his meal before getting seconds. The search looked to be a long one and he didn't need to be slowed down by hunger.
###
Three months of searching turned up nothing. What started as a quick in-and-out mission, turned into a long, drawn-out quest, and Danyr was not happy about it.
"How hard can finding a wrecked ship on a dead planet be?" she yelled as she threw her stylus down on the table.
"Ma'am, part of our problem is the material these buildings are made of. It interferes with our scans," the first officer explained. "This has slowed us down considerably. We only know that a ship carrying the weapon had a problem and the survivors landed on this planet and were never heard from again. It's a big planet and its mostly covered by ruins containing a high concentration of a material that blocks scanning."
Nero hurried in. "Ma'am?"
"Yes, Nero, what is it?"
"The captain just got word that a ship carrying a League archaeological expedition is on its way here from Arctillus. ETA is two days."
"A full expedition?"
"That's what he says, ma'am."
She looked at her first officer. "Quinto, what do you know of the League?"
"A collection of over forty planets with species as varied as snowflakes in a storm. Hell, some of them fly and at least one breathes fire. Their tech is about three decades ahead of ours, especially space drives and instrumentation."
"Their scanners?"
"I'd kill to get my hands on one. I hear they can even tell if something isn't from this universe."
"Excuse me?"
"They've proven the multiverse theory and have had dealings with beings from one of the nearby verses. All their current scanner models can detect energy signatures from other verses."
"And they ask permission to visit our planets?"
"Boss, no offense, but not everyone is a conquering barbarian. How the hell do you think they got so many planets to join their League?"
"I'll believe it when I see it," she said. "My experiences leave me jaded. So, do you think these archaeologists have these scanners?"
"Oh, I'd bet a week's pay they have them and other tools we can only dream of. Considering the fees they've been paying the Tegan government just to land here, those scholars probably have iridium-plated faucets in the ship's heads."
Danyr tugged at one of her ponytails—due to her highborn status, she had four of them, all with gold rings tying their ends. "I've got an idea."
"Yes, mistress?"
"Archaeologists find things, right?"
"That's a little simplistic, but yes, they find things..."
"We're heavily armed, right?"
"Ma'am, we can't shoot them!"
"We're not going to shoot them. We'll just convince them to find the ship for us."
"And when they're finished?"
"Maroon them here while we get the hell out of town with the weapon. A rescue ship will be sent the minute they're declared overdue. Meanwhile, we go on to phase two of our project before the Tegan government is the wiser."
"Boss... Danyr, we can't shoot these scholars. They have nothing to do with our problems. They've come here to learn, then share that learning with us."
"Why do you think I'm going to shoot them?"
"Why are you the only female on this planet? Why is it only Nero and I make it a point to interact with you? The men love you like a mother and will die for you in a heartbeat, but you scare the shit out of them. You're a Tegan female, the fiercest of all warriors. It is expedient for you to kill every one of those scholars, so why wouldn't you?"
"For now, at least, it suits my purposes, Brother. Maybe all those tutors father hired to teach me civilized manners got through to me. Besides, what threat could a bunch of scholars be to a group of armed insurrectionists led by a mad Tegan female?"
"What are your orders, mistress?"
"I want you and Nero to come up with a plan to convince our scholarly friends to help us with our cause. Use as many of the boys as you see fit. You got that, Nephew?"
"Yes, mistress!" Nero said while bringing her tea.
"Nero, are you afraid of me?"
Nero looked at Quinto, who shrugged a reply. "Yes, ma'am, but no more than I love you as my aunt."
"Good. Now, both of you, get to work."
"Yes, mistress," they said in unison before leaving her to formulate a plan."
"Males!" she noted as she sipped her tea.
CHAPTER THREE
Sheila woke to the smell of breakfast as the light of the breaking dawn peaked through the bedroom window. "Kiddo, I hope you like to eat," she said while rubbing her growing baby bump, "because your dad loves to cook."
After a brief stop at the loo, Sheila made her way downstairs. Stopping in the living room, she flipped on the League News Network where Madge Renfrew was reporting on the latest archaeological finds in the Large Magellanic Cloud. "Love the bow, Madge," Sheila quipped. Madge, the League’s most popular newscaster, was known for wearing colored bows around one or more of her three eye stalks. Today, the young Alturan had chosen a lovely coral-hued ribbon for her center stalk.
Sheila made her way to the kitchen where she found her husband, Dr. Kellen Matu Hardy, dressed in a ruffled apron and bunny slippers. She stopped and just stared at him.
"What?" he asked while dishing up a plate of food for her. Around him were plates of cooked meats, eggs, pancakes, waffles, fruit, a carafe of juice, and a pot of coffee.
"I can't get past the sight of a two-meter-tall, winged dragon wearing an apron and bunny slippers. Are you trying to make me fat?" she asked while she surveyed the banquet.
A timer chimed. Kel bent down, then reappeared with a pan filled with fresh-baked scones. "Yes. Sokuhl ladies are notorious for not eating properly during pregnancy. I want to make sure both you and our child are healthy and remain that way.”
Shaking her head at her husband’s doting, she grabbed a scone, singeing her fingers in the process. "Don't you use oven mitts?" she asked, noticing that he held the pan with a bare hand.
"Naw. Being a fire-breathing Basili has its advantages. Marmalade?"
"Yes, please," she replied while taking the jar from him. "We really need to thank the Earth ambassador for his planet inventing these things." She bit into one and purred.
"Did I tell you one of my recipes is being featured at Lucien's Bake Shop at the Cube?"
"Congrats! I'm not surprised. It's like you and the prince are having a yumminess competition with the rest of us benefiting." He handed her a plate of food which she took out to the table on the balcony. He joined her moments later with a plate for him and cups of hot coffee. Below them, the inhabitants of the Ventosian capital were slowly starting their workday.
"My parents called," Sheila said between bites.
"How are they doing?" Kel asked as he read the Sokuhl news on his datapad.
"Good, good. Um, they are planning a visit."
"Really? When?"
"This afternoon. They apologize for the short notice..."
"Do they still think I'm going to eat their daughter for lunch?"
"Stop it! They never thought you were going to eat me or any other Sokuhl. They were confused when they saw you after your wings came in."
Kel gave his wife the hairy eyeball. "I see. Is your brother coming with them?"
"Yes."
"Will I have to light his pipe from across the room like the last time we met?"
"Stop it! Kren was just funnin with you."
"Hmmm. Well, you are carrying their grandchild..."
"So, it's OK?"
He leaned over and kissed her. "It's fine and I promise to behave. Maybe I'll invite the Basili ambassadorial contingent from Nest over for drinks."
Right, a dozen winged, fire-breathing dragons getting drunk with my family. "Behave. Baby steps. Let's start with baby steps."
"Yes, dear," he replied with a mischievous smile.
"Ummmm, yummy," a voice said from the kitchen. Moments later, Clio walked out and joined them with a plate piled with food. She looked at her two friends, "You don't mind, do you?"
"No, there's plenty to go around," Sheila replied. "How can you maintain that bitchin figure while eating like that?"
"I'm a muse. We immortals have high metabolisms to maintain." She peered at Sheila's tummy. "How's junior doing?"
"She's fine," Sheila replied. "Everything is on track."
"The first Basili-Sokuhl child to be born on the home world outside Nest in ten thousand years," Clio mused. "Do you think she'll have wings?"
"According to Scarlett, she will have Sheila's good looks and my flying equipment," Kel said, referring to the demigod mayor of Arctillus, the Basili-Sokuhl-Malroth planet in the Large Magellanic Cloud. "And she should know, considering she's the last person to see a Basili-Sokuhl hybrid."
"She will be beautiful," Sheila said. "How is Scarlett doing these days?"
"Sis is doing great. Arctillus is a hub of activity since the Erdexi moved their transgalactic gateway to an orbit around the planet."
"No more 'Orb Generator?"
"New product line. They're still trying to find the damn thing's limits," Clio noted between chews of food. "This is delicious! What is it?"
"Beast hash with potatoes and turnips," Kel replied.
"Yum." Clio said between mouthfuls.
Sheila's comm unit bleeped. "Excuse me," she said as she got up and walked back into the house only to return a few moments later.
"Something up?" Kel asked when she sat down.
"I don't know. I've been summoned to the castle for a meeting with Tannith, Prince Lucien, and Jarrus Miln, Leader of the upcoming Cerberus expedition.”
“Cerberus expedition?"
"One of the LMC expeditions funded by the Historical Society. Cerberus is a planet four light-years out from Arctillus. It has some very exciting ruins that the Historical Society has deemed worthy of further exploration."
"Why aren't you exploring it?" Clio asked.
"I am. Remember all those crates that are sitting in my lab at the university? The ones you're supposed to be helping me with?"
"Oh! Those artifacts. You know how much I love artifacts."
Kel turned his attention back to Sheila. "Any idea what this meeting is about?"
She shook her head. "Not a clue. I assume you two are going to be in the lab?"
Kel nodded. "The work of the historian is never done."
She looked at Clio.
"Neither is that of a muse," the muse explained. "I'm helping Kel."
"Excellent. Then I’m off to the shower." She got up, kissed Kel, then headed upstairs to get ready for her meeting. Meanwhile, Clio went for seconds.
###
Sheila got out of the transport, and after paying the driver, she headed up the stairs into the castle. Once inside, she walked over to a large mirror to check her outfit before making her way to the reception desk.
"Can I help you?" a young elf security officer asked from behind the desk.
"Yes. Dr. Sheila Minty. I have an appointment."
The guard checked his clipboard, then handed her a badge. "Take the elevators to the fourth floor, then check-in at the desk. Have a good day, Dr. Minty."
"Thanks," she replied before heading to the lifts. She arrived at the meeting room a few minutes later.
Sheila walked into the room and was immediately greeted by Dr. Tannith Aymar-Scott, the elf Chairwoman of the League Historical Society and sister to Prince Lucien, Ventos Prime Ambassador at Large. "Sheila! You look radiant. How are you feeling?"
"Damn good, Tanni, how's Penny?" she asked, referring to Tannith's spouse, Captain Penelope Scott.
"Penny is good. She's making regular runs between Ventos and Arctillus, ferrying diplomats and scholars. Ah, the rest of the meeting has arrived."
Sheila looked and saw Lucien and Jarrus walk in. After a short round of pleasantries, they sat down at the table. "Sheila, are you familiar with the Cerberus Expedition?" Jarrus asked.
"Vaguely. Kel told me it has to do with a planet near Arctillus in the LMC." Tannith and Kel knew each other for years, but only by voice. It was only recently that Tannith actually met Kel face to face.
"Yes, it was discovered by a survey probesat. The planet is covered with the remains of an ancient civilization," Tannith explained. "A more detailed survey was made by Jarrus and his team after the data from the probe was analyzed."
/> "The place is incredible," Jarrus said as he took up the narrative. "In all my years as a scholar, I have never seen a site as artifact rich as Cerberus. We think the entire planet was covered with thousands of cities and billions of beings. It will take us centuries to sift through all the data. We've decided to send in a full xeno expedition to map-out one of the more extensive sites."
"This is where you come in, Dr. Minty," Lucien said as his tail slowly moved from left, to right, then back again. Like all elves, Lucien's emotional state was telegraphed by his tail. "We find ourselves in need of a pilot and the expedition has requested you."
"What? What happened to your regular pilot?"
"He fell ill. The flight surgeon thinks he'll be laid-up for two weeks, and we leave tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? How long will we be gone?"
"You'll be gone one, no more than two weeks. The team will return in the main expedition ship a year from now."
"Two weeks? Sure, I can do that. I do have a question, though."
"Shoot," Lucien said.
"Why me?"
"You have an excellent flight record and all the members of the team wanted to meet you," Lucien explained. "Something to do with your recent visit to Arctillus. You, Dr. Hardy, and Clio have impressed a number of people. As I understand it, Kel and Clio are up to their armpits cataloging the artifacts brought back by the survey team."
"I wonder if they realize the original purpose of my visit? Oh well. What ship will we be taking?"
"The Nelly Bly, a Nash-Rambler 117 supplied by the Historical Society," Tannith explained.
"A 117. Good space frame with almost no safety-related incidents."
"An Erdexi transgalactic gateway has been set up in orbit around Cerberus, so the transit time will be minimal," Jarrus explained. You'll get the team on-planet then leave when they're settled."
"Easy-peasy, just the way I like it. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow at 1400 hours. The ship will be waiting for you in Hangar 18 at the spaceport. Your checkout is scheduled for 1200 hours," Lucien replied.
"Great. I shall be there. And thank you all for the opportunity."
"Thank you for helping us," Jarrus said.
With that, the meeting broke up as the participants headed out to deal with other pressing matters.