by Dean Kutzler
LEARNING THE ROPES
THE small, ancient neutron star burned dimly, as it slowly spun just outside the Nexus Galaxy. It had once been the core of a massive star which had brought life to many planets eons ago before it collapsed; taking all of the life with it. The little star, no longer capable of generating heat, had started its long crawl toward death for many years. It remained, all alone, slowly burning out as a testament to the fact how life could change at a moment’s notice.
Genesis, beaten and battle-scarred, drifted out from behind the neutron star. On its side, the ship circled closely in the star’s orbit. Parts of the hull were charred black, wings glowing red-hot and lights flickering on and off.
Saren awoke, coughing. “Status report!”
No answer.
She looked across the smoky bridge. Her crew was unconscious, and she prayed nothing else was wrong with them. Daxton and Ensign Brody lay slumped over their stations, and Grôk was lying against the wall with his eyes closed. The ship’s lighting flickered, and electricity sounds were snapping across a few of the monitors; temperature sweltering.
She rose from the chair and fell to the bridge’s deck.
Whatever had happened, left her drained.
She struggled to get up, and the air started clearing on the bridge.
“Sorry I couldn’t answer right away, Commander. I needed to vent the impurities off the ship. All systems critical and I diverted power to life support. If this neutron star had been any younger, Genesis would not have survived.”
“Any signs of the dragons?” she asked, clutching the arm of her chair.
“Negative.”
“Can the ship repair itself in this state, Atmos?”
“Yes, Genesis has self-repairing capabilities. Repairs are already underway. It would be beneficial if Genesis broke orbit from the star. While the heat and radiation would be at acceptable levels if systems were one hundred percent, but at this rate, completion of repairs is estimated at five days, four hours, fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds. Half a day at most, if the ship were out of the star’s orbit.”
“I’m workin’ on it, Atmos. Is everyone all right?”
“They have merely lost consciousness from the sensory overload of the event that just occurred. Genesis constantly monitors everyone onboard. You, however, are in need of rest. The nutrient levels in your mitochondria are low, impeding the tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain supporting your metabolic process.”
“Tell me about it,” she said, rolling her eyes at his explanation and running a hand through her hair, sitting back down.
“I am administering the necessary nutrient cocktail to jumpstart the process directly into the air surrounding you. You should feel better in a moment.”
“Thank you, Atmos. What did just happen—by the way?”
“The moment Genesis entered into the neutron star, an unidentifiable energy signature began building inside you, increasing rapidly and filling the bridge until the surge of power entered into the ship’s hull. Then—I cannot explain it, but, Genesis was no longer inside the star.”
“What is your best guess, Atmos? Is this what Genesis’ database is referring to about my capabilities to do things it cannot?”
“For lack of a better term, Commander Thorn, I think what we just witnessed was magic.”
An incredulous look rippled across her face, and she started to look him in the face, and said, “I really wish you had a form we could see. Magic? Like, in the tales of ancient old-Earth?”
“I have no other explanation, Commander, except for the facts. The power emanating from you was identifiably unique to your DNA until it was let loose and absorbed into the ship. So, to answer your question with the best knowledge available to me, yes, magic.”
“Well, it certainly fits with why I think the Dragon Gods are trying to destroy us. I think they are afraid of Genesis, and as hard as it is to believe—me.”
“Oh! My—head! And I didn’t even have any fun,” Daxton said, rubbing his temples and sitting up in his station. “Did I just hear you right? You’re a magic-wielding commander, and the dragons are afraid of you?”
“Yes, I think Dahl-Rem tricked us. I think only his form was reverted to normal, leaving his mind in the psychotic mess eons of captivity would do to anyone—God or not.”
“Why give us this hella-awesome ship that can survive droppin’ outta Void Stream and into a freakin’ star?”
“He needed to remove one of those building blocks of life from the planet for it to collapse and release them. Since he couldn’t escape the planet, what better way of doing that than by giving us a starship? He underestimated us. I just don’t think he thought we’d give him any competition.”
“Damn straight!”
“What be straight? The ship—the star—“ Ensign Brody woke, sitting up in haste and falling from the helm chair.
“Whoa! Easy there, partner! Everything’s okay,” Daxton said helping him up, easing him back in the chair. “We gotta magic-wielding commander who can slay us some dragons!”
He turned to look at Saren who just shrugged, not knowing what to say. It was a little much to take in, and she was still wrapping her head around the idea.
Grôk stirred on the floor. Saren carefully stood, walking over and helping him to his feet.
“We still alive?” he asked.
“Yes, here, sit down, and rest, Grôk. We’re out of danger for the moment, and the feeling will wear off in a second.”
Seated in the chair, Grôk was still taller than Saren. He looked down at her and said, “I so sorry, Commander. I—“
“Hey! None of that. I gave the command knowing it was a long shot. If anyone is sorry, it’s me. You, all of you,” she said facing Daxton and Ensign Brody, “have done an excellent job. Without any one of us, none of us would’ve made it this far.”
Grôk didn’t agree with her assessment of his abilities. He felt he should’ve anticipated the ship would be drawn to the most dense mass once it dropped out. In his mind, he wouldn’t let her take the blame, but out of the respect he held for her, he kept his mouth shut as she returned to her chair.
“Take a moment, guys, and relax but not too long. Genesis is repairing itself, but at its current rate, we won’t be able to intercept the UFWA ship heading to destroy AARU. I won’t let that happen until I know where my daughter and crew are, which I’m suspecting is on that planet.
“First thing we need to do is get out of this dying star’s orbit. So Genesis can focus on repairs. Then the next priority is figuring out how to stop those dragons from tracking us.”
“Commander Thorn,” Atmos said. “May I suggest you try recreating what you were doing the moment before we exited the star? Basing the assumption that that chain of events caused the magic which transported us here, it is possible you could do much more.”
“You mean like casting a spell and hiding us from the dragons? After what just happened?” she laughed.
“Yes.”
“He be right commander—no risk, no reward. My granny once told me the ancients could do amazin’ things that have been lost to the ages. A time when they dinnae keep records, just tellin’ and teachin’ each family member. Just how she told me that story.”
“I’m not sure what shocks me more, the fact magic exists or that I’m be able to use it. I guess this ship is the magic wand. I just have to learn how to use it. But, why me? I’ve never felt any different—well, that’s not true, at least not until I boarded Genesis, have I ever felt anything but a normal human being.
“Although after all we’ve seen and been through, I cannot deny the possibility. I mean, really, why me? Why not Grôk or Daxton?”
“Whatever the case, you’re suited for the job,” Daxton said.
“Ensign Brody, what’s the status of engine repair?”
“The ship is diverting most of the power to the shields. I think if I can skim about fifteen percent from her, we should be fine.
Then I might be able to pull her away from the star.”
“Make it happen, Mr. Brody.”
A groan sounded somewhere deep within the ship as the temperature grew a little hotter on the bridge.
The groaning then grew louder, and Ensign Brody said, “I’m easin’ her out orbit. It’s working, Commander.”
“Good job, Mr. Brody, steady as she goes. Grôk, are you ready to monitor the shielding,” she said, glancing over at him. His hands were already moving over the science station.
“Shields holding. Regeneration percentage is rising. Confirmed. It is working.”
“Hey,” Daxton said to Ensign Brody in a low voice. “How do you do it?”
His brow wrinkled as he asked, “Do what?”
“That—” He nodded at the helm.
“Fly the ship? I thought ye be a space pirate? What pirate never flew a ship?”
“No, I know how to—I mean, you’re so calm. Whenever the commander asks you a question, you got the answer and the next two she’s gonna ask. I just—I just don’t want to let her down, like before with the alert thingy.”
His brow rose, wrinkle straightening as a modest smile spread across his face. “I’ll be. Somethin’ I’m better’n ye at. Well, I be trained for starters—six years in academy.
“But, just an observation…ye should be more focused at your station than crackin’ jokes. While ye be makin’ funny ha-has, I’m always working, monitorin’ the ship’s vitals. Checking for irregularities with the sensor array and pickin’ out singularities. I’m just doin’ me job. I cannae be best at what I do if I ain’t always doin’ it.”
“Yeah, but it’s more than that. You’re confident at it—don’t get me wrong. I’m confident in other ways,” he said, huffing on his fingernails and buffing them on his vest. “But you…your face is stone, determined—you know what you’re doing.”
“See, that’s what I’m sayin’. Ye always be crackin’ jokes. I’m trained for this—I do know what I’m doin’. But, I can tell ye this. When we be in a situation, you gotta think for yourself. Anticipate what you’d be askin’ and doin’ if’n ye were sittin’ in the commander’s chair. That’s the key—that, and following orders no matter how ye might feel about ‘em. You gotta remember, she’s in charge. She’s gotta plan in her head, and if’n you dinnae follow orders, ye may be screwin’ it up.”
“You know what? You’re all right, Brody,” he said, nodding. “Thank you.”
The ensign gave him a look and said, “Now, don’t ye think it’s time ye put on a shirt? Ye room has a replicator, ya know?”
Daxton looked down at his bare chest. He shook his head and said, “Nah,” then smiled and went back to monitoring tactical, just like his new buddy advised.
“Ensign Brody, have we figured out where we are yet?”
“No, ma'am. According to the ship, this is an uncharted part of space.”
“Wow,” she said. “Dropping out of Void Stream really is unpredictable. You know how far out we’d have to be to reach uncharted space? There’s nothing the scanners are picking up where we can trace a path?”
“Sorry, nothin’, ma'am. I’ll keep trying.”
“How long until we can jump back into the Stream?”
“Not until final repairs are complete. Half a day tops, maybe a lil less.”
Saren thought about what Atmos said regarding what she was feeling right before the event happened. She’d been feeling intense rage over losing the chance to save her daughter and crew. She remembered that was when the burning feeling started within her. She hoped rage wasn't the trigger. That only came when she honestly felt it—not like flipping a switch. It was like looking through the eyes of a lunatic who’s about ready to explode. She’d always been that way—just her nature. But there had been something more besides the rage.
“Commander—“ Ensign Brody said, pulling her from her thoughts.
“A dragon has emerged from the star,” Daxton said, finishing Ensign Brody’s statement, giving him a wink.
“Competition, Aye? I like it,” he said, winking back.
“Get a room later, boys—focus. Ensign, evasive maneuvers?”
“No, ma'am,” he said, making a gun with his fingers and tapping it on Daxton’s comm. Daxton quickly looked down and started calculating. “It wouldn’t get us far until reserves were shot, ma'am.”
“Commander Thorn, have you thought about what caused you to trigger the magic event?”
“I’m thinking, Atmos, I’m thinking. It isn’t helping that we’re sitting ducks. That didn’t take them long to find us. I have to figure this out. This time I don’t think we’ll be able to withstand a single hit.”
“Confirmed,” Grôk said.
Saren blocked everything out and concentrated on getting angry. She thought about the Scarab and how they took everything away, especially her daughter. The thought made her want to spit fire, but the burning sensation wouldn’t come.
Rage wasn’t it.
What else?
Come on! Think!
She looked over the bridge. Ensign Brody and Daxton were saying something to her, but she couldn’t hear them.
On the viewscreen, the silver dragon was quickly approaching.
What happened last time?
Genesis was just about to be incinerated, and the first thing that popped into her head was how she’d never see Elyria again.
No! Not quite right!
She wanted another chance to save her daughter, but the feeling, it was stronger—the strongest feeling she’d ever had.
Desire.
She desired a second chance!
She desired for the ship to get out of the star, so she’d get that chance!
Desire was stronger than rage.
Feral rage lasted only minutes at best, but desire—desire got people through lifetimes; pushing and pulling them toward their goals, and it would get her through this.
The burning sensation tickled her deep inside, spinning and welling up until she could feel the hair on her arms under the armor rise.
This is it!
It’s working!
Get us out of here!
The dragon had almost reached the ship. Its mouth was open and a fireball formed. It spat the fire, and the ball grew larger on the viewscreen.
Genesis started bucking and shaking, then disappeared.
The dragon’s mouth snapped down on the fireball, extinguishing it. It reared its head back, balling its claws into fists and shaking them. It turned toward the neutron star bellowing so loudly the star trembled from the vibration of sound. The dragon opened its mouth and spat a new fireball into its claw, and hurled it at the star, destroying it instantly.
DIMENSION WHAAA?
GENESIS reappeared before a massive star with many planets circling its orbit. The ship, still regenerating and half-charred, looked like a sunspot on the giant gaseous mass. Red-alerts flashed all over the viewscreen.
“Shields holding, Commander, but not for long if’n we stay this close to the star.”
“Get us to a safe distance, Ensign. Grôk, where are we?”
“That—shift—felt different this time,” Daxton mentioned, “no nighty-nite.”
“Definitely different, Grôk? Where did we go? Grôk?” she said, looking toward his station.
Grôk was laying on the floor, convulsing.
“Commander Thorn,” Atmos said. “We are experiencing high levels of neutrinos. While the shielding is protecting the rest of you, Kractorian physiology differs from yours. His cranial casing is drawing the neutrinos instead of repelling them. It is interfering with his brainwave patterns. I have adjusted the frequency of the shields to block the influx of neutrinos. He should return to normal momentarily, with no adverse effects.”
“Quick thinking Atmos, poor guy’s been through enough. Where did I take us?”
“I am manually recalibrating the system. Something is wrong, which should be an impossibility, even with the damage Genesis
has endured. It will take three more seconds. I do not understand, but we are in the same location of uncharted space as before. I have checked, double checked and triple checked the systems. It is correct.”
“Whaaaaa?” Daxton said. “I would say impossible, but, you know…”
“I am confirming that now, Commander. I dunno how it be, but we are in the same location according to the ship’s calculations, which jives with me own calculations based on the mapping I did before,” Ensign Brody said, giving Daxton a wink.
“Confirmed,” Grôk said, rubbing his head.
Something was bothering Saren about those neutrinos. She couldn’t place what it was, but she’d been commanding ships long enough to know never just to dismiss the feeling.
“What the galaxy-roaming hell? Those planets, correct me if I’m wrong, but, they weren’t there before, right?”
“That is correct, Commander Thorn.”
“How about life?”
“They be crawling with it, Commander,” Ensign Brody said. “Each planet hosts a population of at least three billion a piece.”
“Why don’t I see any ships? All this life, and no space-legs?”
“Sensors indicate this civilization be in the Pre-Industrial Era of their existence.”
“There’s gotta be a dozen planets, if not more,” Daxton said. “Maybe they were cloaked before?”
“That wouldn’t explain why the neutron star is now a giant star.”
“Did we travel back in time? Explains both the planets and why the star isn’t a dying neutron star.” Daxton said, shrugging.
“According to the ship’s systems, no,” Atmos said. “If Genesis traveled in either direction of time, the measure of universal expansion would differ in the readings. It remains the same.”
“Wait a minute,” Saren said. “Faelar mentioned something about a gift, one of the Gods gave humanity, going sour. Yes—yes, it’s the very thing driving them mad. He said our gift of free will creates new dimensions each time one of us changes our mind, creating more and more souls screaming in their heads. Is that what happened here? How can we check if we entered a different dimension?”