Renegade Star Origins Box Set

by J. N. Chaney

  “It’ll have to do,” I told her.

  “We’ll stay with you,” she said firmly. Then she nudged Don, who nodded.

  “Sure. Run toward the guns and wolves, no problem,” he said sarcastically.

  I didn’t bother to respond, just turned and did exactly what he’d said.

  A few minutes later, the three of us stopped in a large room that looked like a receiving area. Our compound had something similar, but it was used for storage.

  The fighting had stopped before we got there, but the slap of boots on the metallic flooring signaled someone’s approach. I disabled the light after motioning Jennifer and Don to hide behind a large pillar.

  I looked out from behind my own and watched as a trio of bobbing lights came toward us. As they got closer, I could see that they were mounted flashlights on rifles.

  My nerves jangled at the view because, as Jennifer had said, none of our people had weapons when we separated. If these were Mario's men, we were virtually at their mercy. That thought hadn’t occurred to me when I’d decided to run headfirst at the danger. Maybe there was something to Don’s cowardice after all. It made him more cautious, that was for sure.

  “We need to find Jennifer and Don,” someone said as the group passed by my pillar.

  “What about Lucia?” asked a familiar voice. It was Nell.

  “There’s no way she survived that,” came the weary reply, who I recognized as Mark.

  “About that,” I said, stepping out.

  The three of them whirled around, bringing the rifles up.

  “Gods, Lucia, what is wrong with you?!” yelped Mark. “We almost shot you.”

  “I’m not sure if there was any way to show myself without causing some kind of reaction,” I said. “That’s why I waited until you passed. I’ve got Jennifer and Don.”

  The pair came out from behind their pillar and gave a little wave.

  “Is there another separated group?” I asked, noting that it was only Nell, Prime Lambert, and Mark who remained.

  “No,” said Prime Lambert sadly. “The wolves took them when we got separated.

  “How did you get out?” wondered Nell, staring at me in awe.

  “Long story,” I replied. “There is something I have to tell you though. But first, Mark, I need to get the staff working again. Can I have the pad?”

  He winced, then kicked at something on the ground and my heart sank. “It kind of broke when we got into that last fight. I had it in my hand looking for the way out and dropped it. Sorry,” he said.

  I tried not to let my disappointment show and smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it. I can fix it when we get home. Though I don’t suppose you have any more of those rifles?” I asked hopefully.

  “Nope, fresh out. We found them in a security room with the door wide open. The wolves were right behind us, so we only grabbed a few things then took off again.”

  “You can have mine,” Nell said, moving to unclip the strap.

  “No, you keep it,” I said, waving a hand at her. “My staff is still pretty deadly, even without the firepower. So, Mark, how about a way out of here?”

  “That I can help with,” he said with a grin.

  19

  “We’re nearly there. This used to be the main entrance to the laboratories. The emergency exit should be right over there.” Mark pointed with his flashlight.

  The beam landed on a pile of broken pillar. To the right of it, the auto doors were shut, but I didn’t see any sign of the emergency exit he was talking about.

  “If we can get to it,” muttered Jennifer.

  A sudden scratching came from down the hall and we all turned to stare in that direction. The baying of more approaching wolves finally snapped us out of our stupor and had us running where Mark directed.

  We came around another pillar and skidded to a stop. There in front of us stood the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on. The exit. A few beams of light tearing through the cracks told me this was the way out. I felt a swell of joy in my chest at the sight of it.

  “Let’s get out of here!” I yelled. “Come on!”

  I grasped the handle and pulled. The door didn’t budge.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Nell.

  “Dammit,” I cursed, then kicked the door in anger. It nosed open an inch and I froze, then cleared my throat.

  “Push, don’t pull,” commented Nell.

  “Let’s just go,” I said, throwing my weight against the door. This time, it opened easily, beset by the outside light.

  We exited into a kind of courtyard, squinting at the bright sky above us.

  “If we just go straight, we’ll find the ingress to the main cave system,” Mark said, stepping forward. “Then we’re almost home.”

  “Everybody ready?” I asked.

  They all nodded back. Even Don had relaxed, the perpetual look of fear plastered on his face these last few hours gone, replaced by an expression that could even be called a smile.

  The courtyard itself didn’t look too bad, though there was still the occasional dropped item. A piece of twisted metal rose out of the ground in the middle with a short wall around the bottom, creating a kind of basin. It didn’t look like any of the other wreckage. Its smooth construction was too perfect, and I wondered at its purpose. When we walked by, I saw that water had collected inside the base.

  “It’s called a fountain,” Jennifer told me, noticing my puzzled expression. “Water would have come out from it, landed in the pool, then been recycled in a constant loop. I’ve seen similar designs in the fauna facility.”

  “Seems kind of useless to me,” I said.

  Yet another example of the Eternals’ opulence. Shaking my head, I moved on. We were through the rest of the courtyard in under a minute and facing more glass doors that led to the outer cave system. I didn’t hesitate this time, though I did give the handle a little jiggle to check which way it opened.

  Then we were out of the fusion core facility and back inside the main cave system. A wave a fresh air hit me, and I breathed deeply. It wasn’t the same as being out on a hunt, but after being in a radioactive compound for the last few hours it felt pretty damn close.

  “Grrr.”

  “What?” I looked back at the others, but they looked confused as to who had made the noise.

  The grrr came again and was soon joined by more. A lot more. At least a dozen wolves lay on the ground. I hadn’t seen them because in the dark they’d just looked like large rocks or more piles of debris.

  One by one they began to stir, rising from sleeping positions and giving a little stretch before standing on all six legs and eyeing us hungrily.

  “Back up, slowly,” I said out of the side of my mouth. “Let’s go back in.”

  I kept my eyes on the creatures. Now that they were fully awake, they turned their attention to us. A few had already begun to stalk forward, mouths open and venomous tongues lolling.

  One of them whined, eliciting a few excited squeals from the others. A tiny yip sounded from behind her, and a pup teetered into view on uncooperative legs. It was almost cute, except for the sucker sticking out of its mouth.

  Prime Lambert opened the courtyard door but quickly shut it again. “No good,” he said, a slight tremor in his voice. “There are more out there.”

  Right about then I really wished I hadn’t put the power cap on my staff.

  “How much ammo do you guys have?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the now advancing wolves.

  “Not enough,” Mark replied. “I’m an idiot. This was one of the spots Janus warned us about.”

  “Anyone got a bright idea? Because now’s the time,” I said.

  The corridor beyond the wolves spanned left and right, but if we tried to make a break for it the wolves would no doubt be on us in seconds.

  The wolves suddenly stopped moving and pricked their ears, all turning to face the same direction. A deep rumble sounded, louder than the wolves’ growls and squea
ls, and I flicked my gaze back and forth, trying to find the source.

  The ground shifted beneath our feet, smaller pieces of stone and debris bouncing slightly as the thumping came closer.

  THOM.

  THOM.

  THOM.

  If I hadn’t been so petrified, I might have laughed. The whole situation had either just gotten a lot worse or some kind of miracle was in the works.

  “Is that what I think it is?” hissed Jennifer, glancing at the rest of us.

  “I‘m pretty sure it is,” I answered.

  The cave walls trembled and the ceiling groaned in protest as the Boneclaws advanced, so near now that I could hear their clicking.

  The wolves slunk back, emitting keening noises low in their throats. The one with the pup picked it up gently in her jaws and carried it away.

  The rest of the wolves followed suit when Tiberius burst into view—a frenzy of white fur and heavy limbs the size of tree trunks.

  Tiberius slowed to a stop in the middle of the passageway as he stared at me.

  Mario, Nero, and a few dozen rebels came in moments later from the opposite direction, all heavily armed.

  “Put down your weapons,” Mario ordered, moving closer.

  I nodded at Mark, Nell, and Prime Lambert to tell them it was okay. Slowly and cautiously, after some hesitation, they laid down their guns.

  “You too, Visaro,” Costas said, motioning at my staff. “Don’t do anything stupid this time. My men will kill you before you can get a shot off.”

  I almost spoke without thinking but remembered that he had no idea the staff was nothing more than a glorified flashlight at the moment. “Fine,” I said.

  Resisting the urge to smile, I tossed it to him.

  Mario caught it in one hand and dropped the rifle, letting it hang around his shoulder. Shock, then calculating glee registered on his face when it glowed blue in his grasp.

  Come on, I thought. Do it.

  For the first time, Mario did not disappoint me. The fool immediately turned the weapon on Tiberius.

  “What are you doing?” the creature asked, fixing a piercing gaze on Mario.

  “Taking control,” the man replied, aiming the staff at the Boneclaw. “Once I kill you, I’ll be lauded as a hero.”

  The staff glowed and the tip lit, emitting nothing more than a few useless sparks. He stared down at it and I knew he was trying to figure out what was wrong.

  I stepped forward. “He told me he planned to betray you. I modified the staff for a different purpose. It can’t hurt anyone. Now you know just how untrustworthy he is.”

  Tiberius grabbed Mario with his massive hand before the rebel leader could even raise his rifle. “Your people are no better,” he growled.

  The staff clattered to the ground, but I didn’t pick it up. I wanted to show Tiberius I meant no harm.

  “You might be right,” I said, spreading my hands in an open gesture. “Still, I mean you no ill will today. I have to talk to you about Othello.”

  Tiberius showed his fangs at the mention of his son. “What have you done?”

  “Nothing, though he is injured and needs help. I can tell you where he is.”

  “In exchange for what?” he snarled.

  “Nothing,” I said, maintaining my calm. “I would prefer to live after this, but that’s up to you. I’m not demanding anything.”

  I could tell the Boneclaw didn’t know what to make of me. In a show of good faith, I told him everything about my encounter with Othello.

  A moment later, once I had finished, he gave a simple grunt. “Very well,” he said. “What of this one?” Tiberius glared at Mario. “You would prefer he live as well?”

  “Not really, but I don’t want any more blood on my hands. You have my word he will pay for his crimes. We will no longer attack your people, so long as you don’t attack ours.”

  “You cannot ensure such a thing. This one is merely the leader of some of your kind. You are not the leader of any,” the Boneclaw replied.

  “She will be,” Prime Lambert said, edging forward. “Nero should never have been chosen, and the Primes involved will answer as well. I bear witness to her promise and she has my blessing.”

  Tiberius did not answer right away but was instead silent. I could sense his mind working through it, taking all of this into account. He was, as far as I could tell, wiser than most men, and it would not do us well to keep him as an enemy.

  Perhaps he felt the same of us. I hoped that was true, anyway. The last thing we needed was a war between two species, with one vying for the death of the other, a never-ending conflict that went on for generations, until only half of us remained. What would be the point of so much loss? What could any of it bring?

  I prayed the Boneclaw saw what I saw. I hoped his dealings with humanity had not broken him yet.

  Finally, the old beast’s eyes fell back on me, and he blinked and took a heavy breath. “Very well,” Tiberius decided. “Break faith with my people again and it will be the end of all of you.” He tensed his heavy fists and narrowed his eyes on me. “I swear it now, to each of you. I will wipe this land clean of Man should you betray your word today. Do not test me, now or tomorrow.”

  I nodded my acknowledgement and stepped back. “You have my word.”

  The Boneclaw dropped Mario. “Very well, Lucia Visaro.”

  I helped the others to relieve Mario's men of their weapons. With their lack of Boneclaw support, the coup stood no chance of success. These people knew that. They understood it was over, and now things could get back to normal.

  No, not normal. We were far beyond that now. Whatever came next would be something new.

  Better, I hoped.

  “I must go now,” informed Tiberius. “Othello waits for me, but you and I will have much to talk about in the coming days.”

  “Yes,” I agreed.

  I watched the creature leave, each step shaking the very ground beneath my feet.

  “Lucia!” a voice called out. I watched as Josef threaded through the mill of people to reach me.

  I motioned at him as he approached. “I’m sorry, but we didn’t find the stolen cores.”

  “What?” he asked, confused.

  “The fusion cores we were sent to retrieve,” I reminded him.

  “Oh, I’m not worried about those.” He waved the thought away then produced a datapad from his jumpsuit. “I’m just glad you’re alright. Mark told me your staff needs to be fixed?”

  “Yes, please,” I said gratefully, holding it out.

  We made quick work at bringing the staff back to full function and I felt more at ease for it. I told Josef all I had learned, with Mark and the others filling in the occasional gaps.

  “This is disturbing,” Josef said when we had finished. “Something like this should not have been allowed to happen.”

  “There will need to be new Primes brought forth, after the current apprentices have been investigated,” Prime Lambert said, then looked apologetically at Josef. “Not that I don’t trust you, Apprentice Braid, but after this disaster we must be sure.”

  Josef nodded. “It is necessary. I know where my loyalties lie.”

  “We’ll have to do a check of all our people,” I said abruptly. “I have a feeling Mario has more men we haven’t found.”

  Lambert sighed. “You’re very likely right, Prospus Visaro. It will no doubt take quite a long time for the community to recover from this devastation. We must do our best to set things back to normal sooner rather than later. The people will not do well if things are dragged out.”

  “You said she will be the next Director?” asked Mark, looking hopeful.

  “Yes, Prospus Nagata,” Lambert replied. “She would have been chosen if not for the corruption that befell the ceremony.”

  “Good, I have to confess that I don’t feel up to the task anymore. Working with computers is more my pace,” Mark said.

  Everyone chuckled at his relief.

  20
r />   As much as I wanted to fall into bed and sleep for a week, some things could not be left waiting.

  Prime Lambert and I met with Cyril and my mother to debrief on the events in Mario's stronghold and the fusion core facility.

  Mario had been locked in a room alone until his fate could be decided. We didn’t know what to do with him, but the fact was that he was a traitor, and we couldn’t let that go unpunished.

  Most of his men were released, however, to show mercy and hopefully return things to normal. They were pawns in this, it was decided, and most would not move against the colony again. If they did, then we would deal with them in a decisive and justified manner.

  Besides, our colony was small. There were only a few hundred of us, which meant every loss of life took its toll on the greater whole. Less people meant a smaller genetic pool. It meant less viable parents. Fewer children to keep us going.

  By the time everything was settled and the day was spent, my entire body ached, shouting at me to rest. I would in time, but not yet.

  There was still one last thing I needed to do.

  “No. I won’t allow it,” my father said from his bed in the medbay.

  “Dad, I have to do this. I made a promise,” I countered. “You taught me to keep my word, and that’s what I gave him.”

  “Send someone else,” he said firmly.

  I exchanged a glance with my mother.

  She gave me a nod before turning to my father. “Cyril,” she began. “Think about it: if she doesn’t fulfill her promise, this Tiberius creature will consider that a betrayal. It puts the colony at risk. Again.”

  He harrumphed, but his forehead creased in thought.

  “Alright,” he relented after nearly two minutes of silence. “But you’ll take a few other hunters with you. Between the wolves and Boneclaws roaming around, it would be madness for you to go alone. More than a few of our people have yet to be accounted for, and I can only imagine what has happened to them.”

  “I’ll be back soon,” I said, embracing them both with a hug. “I’m glad you’re still not a fool.”