Garret drove his truck along the rows of garages until he reach the one he had rented. He reached into his pocket, removed an oval key and depressed the button on it. The security panel on the cubicle caught the identifying signal and the garage door rose. Garret exited his truck and stepped through the opening. He flicked the light switch, pressed another button to close the entrance and concealed himself inside.
He smiled with satisfaction as he surveyed his accumulated bounty.
Within a short time he heard the sound of a vehicle arriving and peered out a small window. A military truck idled outside.
Right on time.
Garret opened the garage door.
"Major Moros?" one of the enlisted men asked as he examined Garret’s civilian attire.
Another soldier lowered the ramp on the back of the vehicle, hopped in and steered a motorized, hand tow from it. Garret indicated the crates inside of the storage compartement
"Where to, Major?"
"IASA, dock four. Do not load them. One of the passengers will be expecting them and will take care of that. Here are the authorization papers to transport this cargo."
Garret handed the illicitly obtained documents to the soldier. He leaned against the wall, folded his arms across his chest and watched the two enlisted men load the four crates onto the military truck.
Bribery was such child’s play.
Mars settlement shuttles departed two at a time, twenty-four hours apart, once per month. Their mission was to transport supplies, equipment and any passengers that might be going to the planet. The first shuttle for the month was scheduled to leave in twelve hours. Major Clay Jackson’s shuttle would be the second one after that.
The biospheres on Mars proved to be relatively safe and at present over two thousand people, mostly military personnel, lived within their walls. The wage and benefits for working and living on the planet was extremely generous. Despite this, many people were still apprehensive about a project that was relatively in its early stages, and the government was reluctant to implement enforced commitments off planet. To that end, the Mars settlements were in desperate need of well-trained employees to work within its atmosphere. Research specialists were among the neediest, and Clay assured Sera that he could pull some strings and have a transfer for her approved before his flight departed. He would then schedule her as a passenger on his shuttle.
There were a few minor details to consider. First, the Major did not want to involve his co-pilot and friend in a scandal, or risk his life should something go wrong. That problem was easily remedied when Sera produced her bottle of sedatives. Clay took them from her saying he would take care of it. Second, they needed the brain wave coordinates used during the POSSUM. The information was classified and if Sera was caught trying to remove the data from the lab she could be detained, discharged, or worse yet, be convicted for tampering with government property. In fact, she might already be locked out of the lab if anyone found out she had copied some of the information, even though it was only the record of her pregnancy.
Sera stood in front of her apartment door and punched the security number into the panel on the wall. Her heart was racing and she was shaking with both trepidation and elation.
She was stealing a shuttle!
If she and Clay were caught it could mean a court martial and life in a military prison, but if it would take her back to Jerad, Sera was more than willing to risk it. The Edict was true. She was the Ptino asteri. The only mystery that remained was how she was going to save his world, and from what?
The door slid open. Sera was so consumed with her thoughts, she did not see Garret standing in the doorway. Startled, Sera let out a shriek and jumped back.
"Geez Garret, you scared the hell out of me."
"I knew you could do it, Sera." He grabbed her and hugged her.
"Do what?" Sera pulled away from him.
He laughed heartily, then turned and walked into his bedroom. Sera curiously followed him.
Garret opened the lid to a wooden box that sat on top of his dresser. He removed an old-fashioned key. "Do you know who Moros is, Sera?"
Sera blankly stared at him.
Garret continued. "Moros aligns with Doom. He is the begat of Nyx, who is one of the most feared Origins in the universe. Nyx was the sovereign who ruled the First Kingdom. Moros is the name given to all first-born males in her lineage. I am Moros, fifteenth generation in the bloodline of Nyx. I am the true ruler of the Fourth Zone and soon all of the Zones will be mine."
Sera forced a cool demeanor, but she was far from feeling at ease. Garret was truly frightening her with his declaration.
She started backing up toward the door. "I know you have a library full of mythological literature, Garret, but don’t you think you’re taking it a little too far."
"Am I?" Garret moved forward and grabbed her wrist. He turned her palm up and place the key in her hand. He indicated a trunk at the foot of his bed. "Open it."
Sera’s instincts told her to run, but her questioning mind was overriding any rational thought. She inserted the key into the trunk and popped open the lid. Inside, she found a sword with a star-etched bezel, gauntlet styled gloves and an old pair of boots. Her mouth fell open as she lifted out a worn, brown tunic. A red star pierced with a silver dagger was embroidered in the upper left corner.
Sera angled her head up to look at Garret.
His lips thinned into a smile. "I received my badge at an early age."
"Where did you get this?" Sera asked with dismay. It was impossible for him to have had it made in such a short time.
"I was wearing it when we arrived. There’s more, Sera. Take a look."
Sera examined the other items in the trunk, listening as Garret delivered his tale.
"I went to Eskaf that rise, some twenty term cycles ago." He spoke to Sera in Greek. "I was ordered to go there through a vision I received in a dream. A woman waited for me there. She was carrying a babe. She hugged her child gently and handed it to me. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could form any words, an odd vibration surged through my body and the land around me vanished. The mountains turned to stone. I didn’t know it then, but I was suddenly sitting, with you in my arms, at the base of the Great Pyramids in Egypt."
Sera rose to her feet and faced Garret. "With…me?"
Garret smirked and moved to stand in front of her. He looked down at the cloth she was holding. "You were wrapped in that. Of course I did not know your name and had to give you a new one."
Sera studied the thin coverlet she held in her hands, small enough to wrap only a tiny baby in. It was made of a soft woven material. A blue feather patch was sewn in its center. There were hundreds of markings dyed into the material, covering it on both the front and the back. They looked like symbols, letters perhaps, but it was nothing she recognized.
"There’s something else." Garret bent toward the trunk and removed a scroll. He handed it to Sera. She set the baby blanket--her baby blanket aside and slowly unrolled the piece of paper. It was the Edict of Oneroi. Sera read it aloud.
"By these teachings we unveil the prophecy which will come to pass…Be not caught unaware for a great warrior through the line of Nyx will come to claim the kingdom that was stolen…One will be called the Ptino Asteri…and will forge a bond with the ruler of the great kingdom. This will be a joining so inherently seamless it will cross the boundaries…"
Sera lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes at Garret. "This is wrong. It’s not what the Edict says."
Garret smiled gleefully and planted a very unbrotherly kiss on her lips. Sera stepped back from him and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"It is the correct version, love. And as you can see, you, the Ptino asteri was delivered to me. You are mine, you will be my wife, and together we will rule Protogio."
Be his wife? Yuck. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t really her brother. She still thought of him that way.
"You’re forgetting something, Ga
rret. I am already married."
Garret’s expression turned angry. "You won’t be, once I execute him!"
He spun on his heels, and stalked away from her. Sera jumped when he slammed his fist down on the dresser. "It sickens me that he touched you, when all of these years I kept you pure for my touch only!"
Garret circled around until he was behind Sera. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against him. He kissed the side of her neck. Sera grimaced with disgust.
"Don’t worry, my Starbird. I forgive you."
"Don’t call me that." Sera tensed. Starbird had become Jerad’s endearment for her. She did not like the sound of it coming from Garret’s mouth one bit.
Garret pushed her and roughly twisted her around. "I will call you what I wish. I am your king and you will obey me!"
Sera stared at him defiantly. "Why did you keep all of this from me?"
"Would you have believed me? And suppose you told someone. I was already having enough trouble keeping you in my care with the social department constantly breathing down my neck. It was good that I learned early on the importance of aligning myself with powerful people."
He lifted his hand and stroked his knuckles against her cheek. "Now we will return home and I will make you my queen."
"And how do you suppose we will do that? We can’t stay linked to the POSSUM for the rest of our lives." Sera folded her arms across her chest and flashed him a scathing look.
Garret smirked. "You are going to take me with you when you leave."
"What do you mean?" she asked apprehensively. He couldn’t possibly know of her plan.
Garret reached into his pocket and removed an object. "You wouldn’t make a very good spy, Sera. You really should secure your private affairs. I had little difficulty ascertaining the number you called, and from that was able to surmise where you were heading."
Sera’s face fell when she saw her palm device in Garret’s hand. She patted her jacket pocket realizing at the same time that she had left her palm pad in the POSSUM lab. He gave the notepad to Sera and she opened it. Her email activated. It was a message from the IASA and instructions for her departure. Sera’s transfer was approved.
"I followed you. I heard it all, every last word of exchange between you and Major Jackson as you devised your plot."
"How do you expect me to get you onto a Mars shuttle?"
Garret snorted. "You’re going to smuggle me on board."
"You’re crazy." Sera rubbed her forehead and stalked out to the living room. Garret followed her.
"Nai. It is a brilliant plan. Even now, four crates with your name on them are being delivered to the shuttle launch. One of them is nearly empty. I will come to wish my dear sister goodbye and you will smuggle me into the crate before it is loaded. I would request a transfer to the Mars settlement myself if it would get me aboard the shuttle. Unfortunately, there is little need for a combat specialist on Mars, at least at this time."
"And what if I refuse?" Sera bit the tip of her thumbnail and nervously paced across the room. Defying Garret was something she was not used to doing.
"You won’t. One phone call from me, and you, and your accomplice will be arrested."
"For what reason?" Sera looked at him crossly.
"Treason, tampering with government property, any number of things."
"Why would they believe you?"
Garret inhaled deeply and blew out a gust of air. "They only need to open those crates, although I much prefer to use what is inside to reclaim my land."
Sera’s blood ran cold. What had he done? "What-is-inside-of those crates?"
"Contraband…" Garret snickered. "… of the terrorist kind."
"But how did you…"
"Corruption, blackmail, bribery you name it! I have many connections, Sera, legal and illegal. Such weak governments this planet has. There are many who will turn a coat for a quick buck, or to save their mighty reputations."
"You’re lying!" Sera cried out. Would he actually ruin her life on purpose? How could he be so malicious?
Garret plopped down in the center of the couch and spread his arms along the length of the back. He casually stretched out his leg and crossed them at the ankle.
"Test me." A slanted smile tugged one corner of his lips.
Sera straightened against the cramping in her belly that was growing worse by the hour. She considered Garret for a long moment. Finally she relented.
What choice did she have? She would worry about the weapons he was planning to use against the Zones, later.
"Fine, Garret. I will try to get you on board."
Garret smiled smugly. "Go do what you need to do, Sera. I have a few details to attend to myself. I will see you at the launch."
Less than a half-hour later, Sera entered the POSSUM lab. She had stopped on her way to grab a bite to eat at the base mess hall, not that she felt much like eating, but she had her child’s health to think of.
A child she might lose if this didn’t work, Sera thought sadly.
Melissa was sitting at the KNOE.
Damn, Sera would have to wait for Melissa to leave.
"Hi, Sera. How are you feeling?"
"Wonderful," Sera said dully. "You’re working late."
Melissa blew out a gust of air. "Yah, I have to make sure everything is correctly calibrated. You and Garret are scheduled to link again soon. We have to keep you two safe, right?"
"Whatever," Sera shrugged. She walked over to a cot, sat down and yawned. She was so tired.
I’ll just close my eyes and rest them. Sera reclined on the cot. The last thing she saw was the white recessed lights in the ceiling. She remembered waking up during the POSSUM experiment. Right after Sondra had slashed her. Had the medics really been the ones to save her life?
Sera’s eyes fluttered opened. She had been dreaming, or linking. She really wasn’t sure. This time she stood at the top of Eksaf, watching a horrid battle taking place across the plain. Sera searched frantically for Jerad amid the warriors below. She knew he was down there, she could feel his presence, but she could not locate him.
Sera sat up and stretched. Her eyes darted to the empty chair in front of the computer panel. Melissa was gone at least. Her gaze wandered to the clock on the wall. It was seven o’clock--in the morning!
Oh god! Sera flew from the cot. She had slept through the night. Sera moved quickly to the KNOE and sat down. It would only take a few minutes to retrieve the data she needed. She slid her palm pad into the slot, but was startled by the hand that reached over her shoulder and pulled it out. Sera swiveled around in her chair and stiffened when she discovered her commander peering down at her.
"What are you doing lieutenant?"
Damn! Busted! She never heard him enter the room.
"I… uh… Well, sir, I’ve been so exhausted lately. I was just going to download some of the information and work on my report from home."
Her commander handed her palm computer back to her and frowned. "You know this information is classified lieutenant. It can’t be removed from the lab."
"Uh, yes sir. I don’t know what I was thinking."
Her phone rang.
"Don’t let it happen again." The commander sat down next to her and started sifting through the data. "And have your report on my desk this afternoon."
"Yes sir."
She hit the receive button on her phone. "Hello, Lieutenant Moros speaking."
"Yes, Lieutenant Moros," the voice on the other end spoke. "This is Sergeant Lewis at the IASA. Major Jackson had me put a call in to you. The first shuttle launch was grounded due to mechanical problems. The Major’s departure time has been moved up. You need to be here within three hours or you’ll have to wait until next month."
Shit!
Sera did not have that much time. "I’ll be there."
Panic bubbled up inside of Sera as she shut off the phone. What was she going to do? Maybe Clay could hack into the POSSUM and retrieve the information. It was ho
ping beyond hope. Security protecting government computers was nearly impenetrable, but they could try. One thing was certain, she could not wait another month. It would be certain death for her unborn child and perhaps for herself, as well.
Sera went back to her apartment and was grateful to discover that Garret wasn’t home. Another thought occurred to her. There was a good chance that Garret did not know the shuttle departure time had been changed. She could leave without him. A twinge of guilt poked at her, but she brushed it away.
Sera packed a small bag and hurried toward the monorail. She racked her brain throughout the ride to Cape Canaveral. There had to be something they could do about the coordinates they needed. After all, she was the Starbird of the Edict, sent to unlock the mystery of the Key to Orion’s belt. Somewhere, locked inside her head was the answer.
Then, it came to her.
"I got caught, but I think I know what to do."
Sera explained her thoughts as she and Clay headed toward the launching dock. She paused to watch Garret’s crates being loaded into the cargo bay. As Garret assured her, Sera’s name was on them. To her relief, Garret was nowhere in sight.
"I hope you are right with your assumption, Sera. This may be our only chance to open the temporal fold. But I guess we don’t have much of a choice do we?"
"Not unless we wait another month. I might have another opportunity to retrieve the coordinates."
"It may be too late by then. We have to do this now."
Clay looked as nervous as Sera felt.
She had to be right--for the sake of their baby, for Jerad, and for whatever purpose the Edict intended for her.
Sera’s heart wrenched. She was going home.
"Your personal effects are on the shuttle, ma’am."
Sera turned to face the airman who spoke. He was referring to the crates. "Uh… yes. Thanks."
A wave of great destruction the likes of which have never witnessed before.
The weapons--Garret’s sole intent all of these years had been to gather an arsenal large enough to destroy and control Protogio. But he would not be delivering those weapons. She would be, and she would have to figure out how to keep them out of enemy hands. Sera shuddered and the enormity of her task.
The Third Corridor Page 29