Condemner held up his hands. “Stop. Change your perspective, like I suggested. Star, do you recall any time when your father appeared or disappeared in a non-conventional way? Like he popped in and out from nowhere?”
Star bowed her head and tried to remember, but it was too many years and too many horrific incidents ago. She shook her head. “No. But as I told you earlier, I was so young. I didn’t pay any attention to much back then.”
A grid suddenly appeared overhead, glowing faintly in the overhead ceiling light. Deceiver adjust his mental blocks to include all the information they already had. Lifting his hand, he deftly flicked his fingers to move some items around, until a detailed pattern of events took shape.
Animator pointed to an obvious hole in the picture. “I think that’s where we need to focus.”
Deceiver nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
Star stared at the grid and the gap within it. The gap next to her name. The gap labeled Origin?
Deceiver continued. “I believe Condemner is right. I think we need to stop trying to argue logic and look at this from a different viewpoint.” With the exception of Hunter and Star, he pointed to everyone in the apartment. “Let’s look at how and why we have our special abilities. Other than you two, the rest of us are native Synarians. Because of your venture through the wormhole into this world’s past, we now know for a fact that a comet passed over this world eons ago, and the resulting radiation poisoning and such affected our people genetically. Within one generation, we were seeing people born with unique skills, most of which were weak and not extremely effective. But others discovered they could do impressive feats with little or no effort. That’s where our powers originated. From our parents.” He pointed directly at Hunter. “And that’s where you got your power. From your parents.”
Hunter sighed. “Dad was affected during one of his missions in space. I was created after he was released from the medical lab and returned home. At least, that’s how we believe I got my powers in the first place. But we could never understand why my younger brother never showed any extraordinary skills.”
“Probably for the same reason my younger sibling never had any,” Condemner replied.
“Or our older brother,” Seeker chimed in.
“It’s in the genes,” Deceiver continued. “Just like your eye color, your hair color and texture, your build, your facial features, everything. It’s the luck of the draw. Not every child may have an ability. Some may, some may not. None may. Or all may.” He waved in Seeker’s direction. “They’re twins, but fraternal, which could explain why both Sender and Seeker have powers, but different kinds. It’s very possible that if they had been maternal twins, not only would they have ended up looking identical, but they could also have shared identical powers. Or a power that would need the both of them together to generate.”
“Like a co-dependency?” Sender asked.
“Exactly.” Pointing a finger at Star, Deceiver remarked. “It’s very possible one or both of your parents have a power you never knew about. If they did, that could and would explain why you were born with your uniqueness.”
“Are you saying DiMackerlyn could have a special ability?” Bruiser clarified.
“It’s a possibility,” the Guardian leader admitted.
“I have another suggestion, ” Time Merchant spoke up. “What if DiMackerlyn doesn’t have any powers? What if he comes from a race with an inherent ability?”
“You mean a race of humanoids who can walk through walls and such?” Bruiser clarified.
Rather than reply, Star suddenly rose from the bed and walked over to the comm. Condemner quickly got out of her way as she reached to access the data banks.
“Computer, do an identity search. Subject, intergalactic species. What creatures have the ability to be invisible, transparent, or to move through solid objects without detection?”
The board hummed softly as a yellow light flashed separately, indicating an incoming call. Star hit the display.
“It’s for you, Devorah. It’s from the Space Station on Gregis Minor.”
The physician jumped up from the bed to answer it, flipping the switch so that the audio could be heard by all.
“To Doctor Perlakian of Guardian Command. This is Primary Physician Obar F’toolen of the Space Station Gregis Minor. We received you credentials and request. However, there is no, nor has there ever been a patient in our clinics by the name of Bellit DiMackerlyn. If you have any further questions, you may contact us again. We are here to help. F’toolen out.”
Several seconds passed as the import of what they’d heard sunk in. It was Blender who finally spoke aloud for them all.
“Son of a creeg hauling slut! DiMackerlyn lied to us!”
“But for what purpose?” Animator whispered. “Why?”
Slamming her fist on the board, Star grimly voiced, “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. And if he’s taken my baby, I will kill him. I give you my word, I will kill the man, and be rid of him once and for all.”
Chapter Sixteen
Origin
Star’s words hung in the air like a red cloud. Every person present knew she meant what she said. If her father was responsible for kidnapping her baby, and by all this time they were left with no other recourse than to believe he had, then the man had done more than break the law.
He’d sealed his own death.
The comm board blinked green, indicating it had finished scanning its files, as well as the files of the Stellar Police Force, to which it had access. Hunter slid a chair over to her so she could sit and scan the readout on the monitor. Deceiver leaned over her shoulder to read along.
“There are five known species with that kind of ability,” she told the others.
“Yes, but the Fajuries are a methane-breathing species,” Deceiver pointed out. “Computer, delete non-humanoid data.”
The comm dinged, leaving two possibilities. Both Star and Deceiver sighed and shook their heads.
“What? Something wrong?” Animator asked, noting their dejected expressions.
“Dead end,” Deceiver replied. “One species can make themselves invisible, but they still retain a physical presence.”
“Meaning?” Sender urged.
Hunter answered her. “Meaning they have to physically move things in order to go from one place to another.”
“So if they touched something, it would react?”
Deceiver bobbed his head. “Exactly. If DiMackerlyn was a Vutalite, we would have seen the bathroom door open and close as though a draft had caught it. And when he touched the incubator, it would have sent out an alert.”
“What’s the other species that doesn’t fit?” Seeker asked.
“A Ga Illit. They can disburse their molecules to enable them to penetrate dense objects,” Star read aloud.
“Sounds like a possible to me,” Condemner said. “Why is it a no vote for you?”
“Because a Ga Illit continues to retain its initial shape and form,” Deceiver told him. “We’d see him, but not as a solid figure. Some cultures call them ghosts or wraiths.”
“Have you checked in with Provoker and the others lately?” The soft question came from the woman standing at the back of the room.
Star turned to look at the woman, then over at the Guardian leader. Destiny’s silent implication was clear. Provoker might know. The man may be a weeping blister in everyone’s book with the way he always managed to irritate and aggravate, but he also had absolute knowledge of every intelligent species in the known galaxies. The contents of his mental files often astonished them.
Deceiver reached for the speaker when the board lit up with another incoming message. This time, however, the light was blue, meaning it was from one of the transport ships. He hit the button to play the audio file.
“Hello, base. Provoker here.” The man’s lazy drawl would have easily identified him, even if he hadn’t given his name. “We’re here on Tur De Me Fa. Corona is blaz
ing like a small sun, and Fire is working triage to save those who have already fallen. It would be a safe bet to say we have enough light here to rival that bitch star you have on Abernath, Hunter. As for casualties, we’re estimating around nineteen percent, but it could reach as high as twenty-five percent, given how long the Me Fads were without light. The cause of the blackout is an iron-enriched cloud of small meteoroids. That cloud is the size of a small galaxy floating between the planet and its sun. Sure could have used Star’s help in disbursing it. But since the little lady isn’t available, Challenger is helping Wooly with a project to punch a tunnel through the cloud and allow direct sunlight to flow through. How long that’ll take, we have no idea. But Challenger figured the cloud could take nearly a spacial month to flow by. And by that time, this planet would be completely devoid of life. Well, that’s my report. Will await your reply. Guardian Transport Three out.”
Star beat Deceiver to the respond button. “Provoker, copy your transmission. We need immediate information. We need to know of any humanoid species who can invisibly access buildings. We’re already aware of the Ga Illit and the Vutalites. This is a Code Red One request.” Closing the link, she looked at Time Merchant.
“Six minutes,” the man responded, knowing her unspoken question.
“In the interim, I suggest we move to the main hall and await his answer there,” Deceiver said. Pointing to the physician, he added, “You, too.” He hurried out of the apartment before Perlakian had the chance to ask him why she had to attend.
Pulling her personal comm link from her pocket, she deftly thumbed a code into it, then held it to her ear. “We’re returning to the meeting room,” she told her husband as she hurried to keep up with the others.
*
Hunter felt like his heart had been wrenched from his chest. Yet, as horrible as he felt, he knew StarLight suffered more. Somehow she was managing to keep her fear and worry hidden behind her anger. But inside, she was a churning mess of unshed tears. And beneath that, her anger seethed like a bottled volcano.
Despite his wife’s threat to kill DiMackerlyn, and Guardian Law prohibited the taking of life, he vowed to back her one hundred percent. If she wasn’t able to do it, he would have no qualms about taking the responsibility out of her hands.
He believed the man had Callaura. Believed it beyond any doubt. What he hadn’t told Star, but knew she was already somewhat aware of the fact, was that Hunter had formed an attachment to the infant. A mental and physical attachment. As if a tiny cord had developed between the baby and himself the moment her umbilical was cut, separating her from her mother. How or why it came to be, he didn’t have a clue. Perhaps it was because she shared his genes. Or maybe it was another extension of his powers just now come to light. Regardless, he cherished the newfound link between himself and his daughter.
Which was why he knew, beyond any doubt, that the baby was no longer at Guardian Command, or even on the planet. Although his connection to her was firm, it felt distant. Tenuous yet concrete. It was a link he realized would only be severed by death.
He followed Star into the meeting room and remained standing by her chair, too agitated to sit in his own. The other Guardians had barely taken their own seats when Deceiver made a decision.
“We’re shackled to base, unable to respond to any calls other than what is right here on Synaria. We have to get Two travel-worthy as soon as possible, and that will be our top priority starting right now. Seeker, Sender, you and Condemner grab the portable sensors and do a thorough sweep of the outer hull. Be especially critical around the seams. Report your findings to Disaster and Hunter. You two…” The Guardian leader locked eyes with the men he’d named. “Start setting the seals on the hull. Double seal if you feel it necessary. No sense in taking any risks.”
“What about the inner hull?” Animator asked.
“You and StarLight have Two’s computer run the sweeps from inside the ship. Report what you find to Time Merchant and Blender, so we can get the cabin space ready. Blender, I’ll relieve you of comm duty. Destiny? You and Doctor Perlakian do inventory on supplies. Get the ship back to status.” “What do you need me to do?” Bruiser inquired.
Deceiver started to reply when the comm board lit up with an incoming call. Blender opened it up for all to hear.
“Guardian Command, this is Provoker. There’s two more humanoid races that I know of with the type of abilities you requested. There’s the M’golif species from the M’andrif Two star cluster, over in the Trehebres system. And the Aglatures from Benecia Chollo. The Aglatures don’t make themselves invisible. They surround themselves with an aura that makes them appear invisible to the humanoid eye. Similar to what Hunter’s capable of doing, except in their case they can’t maintain it for more than a few seconds. The M’golifi, however, can’t turn invisible, but they can move at an incredibly fast rate. So fast, they’re undetectable. Reports have shown they’re able to vibrate their bodies at the cellular level, thus allowing them to disappear from sight. And because they’re able to move like that, it’s believed, although this hasn’t been verified, it’s believed they can pass through solid objects. That’s all I can give you at the moment, but if I think of anything else, I’ll pass it along. Guardian Transport Three out.”
Blender closed the communication as Commander entered the meeting room with the incubator. Placing the ovoid container on the table, he looked directly at Hunter and Star.
“The security system is functioning. There’s nothing wrong with it. I tested it four times, four different ways, and every time the sensors were tripped. I don’t know how the baby was taken from it, but the incubator is in no way defective.”
“We believe you,” Hunter replied, speaking for himself and Star, who had reached up to grasp his hands resting on her shoulders. “Thank you for checking. But we’re thinking now the problem is not a safety glitch. We believe we’re dealing with a humanoid race with a special ability.”
Commander’s brows lowered. “What do you mean?”
Deceiver quickly told the man what they had discovered, adding, “If a person created an invisible shield around themselves, would they trip the alarm?”
“If the shield only blocks the visual stimuli to the brain, no. The safety checks would recognize any type of force used to open the pod.”
“What about if they were able to vibrate themselves at the cellular level?” Star inquired.
Commander paused to think, giving Hunter a chance to voice an additional question. “If a person is able to vibrate themselves to the point where they could walk through solid objects, would they also be able to do the same to an object they encountered?”
Perlakian picked up the thought. “You’re talking about the baby. Paol, if a person had that ability, would it be possible for him to make the baby’s cellular structure vibrate at the same speed, and enable him to remove the child from the pod without tripping the alarm?”
“I never took that into consideration,” the Guardian admitted.
“Why would you?” Disaster commented. “We’ve just heard about this species not five minutes ago.”
“But would it be possible?” Perlakian insisted.
“The person would have to have his cells moving at an incredible rate. It would also generate tremendous heat in the process.”
“Wouldn’t that seriously injure the baby?” the doctor asked, concerned.
Disaster gave a slight nod. “It would…unless he knew for certain the child was of his blood. His direct descendant. Star? It’s very possible that, if your father is an M’golifian, if he has this ability, there’s every chance you could have it as well and didn’t know it. It would also explain your own powers. They could be an offshoot or a mutation of his, or of both your parents, since we don’t know her origins.”
“Could Callie have the ability?” she asked softly.
“Maybe. Maybe not. Sorry I can’t be more specific. Genetics are a very tricky field. Just ask Doctor Perlakian. One thin
g, though, is very clear. We still don’t know for certain DiMackerlyn has her, but we should be able to find out soon.”
“Deceiver!” Blender’s voice crackled with excitement. “One’s transmitter just went green! It’s exited hyperspace, and we got a lock on its location!”
Chapter Seventeen
Decisions
A dozen pairs of eyes focused on the three dimensional hologram Blender opened above the onyx table. It was a small yellow star surrounded by four planets. A space station orbited around the sun between the third and fourth worlds like a miniature planetoid.
“Is that Carnesium?” Time Merchant inquired, recognizing the distinctive red rings which crisscrossed the first planet with a stellar X.
“Yep. Star Base Carnesium,” Blender announced.
“Any idea how far it might be from the Trehebres system?” Condemner asked.
A few keystrokes, and a small galaxy shaped like a helix appeared in the far corner of the holo. Blender adjusted for the distance, until a thin white line connected the star base to it.
“They’re barely a parsec apart,” Hunter muttered.
“It wouldn’t matter if they were on opposite ends of the universe,” Bruiser growled. “We’re stuck here until Three returns.”
“I’m not. I can go,” Hunter commented. At the others’ surprised looks, he nodded. Beneath his hands, he felt Star’s consternation increase. “I’ll find DiMackerlyn. Confront him. See if he’ll cooperate and come back with me. If I have to, I’ll trounce his mind, but either way I’ll load him back into One and return him to base.” He paused, then added, “And I’ll find out what he knows about my daughter.”
“May I say something?” Animator raised her hand for attention. “There’s something that’s been nagging me, and I’ve just figured it out. How in the blue blazes did DiMackerlyn find out about the baby in the first place? He was kept to the touring area, and there’s nothing as far as I can remember in there about Star’s pregnancy…is there?”
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