Eternity's End

by Jeffrey Carver

  That Ivan interloper was hurt—it was obvious from the way she was maneuvering. Once the captain gave the word, they would put the final stake through its heart—but first they needed to complete this pass on the second ship that had come out. Find out who the hell it was.

  A heartbeat later, Hyutu's voice sounded through the net like a klaxon, and a curse: The ship is the snark. It's Impris.

  A murmur of dismay filled the net, led by Jakus. Their lure had been pulled out by Ivan!

  We'll find out how they did it later, Hyutu growled. Leave it here for now. Rigger Bark, bring us around to finish off that Ivan!

  Jakus signaled his fellow riggers to come around for another attack dive. He heard a cry, echoing across the Flux—a shout of rage and defiance from the enemy. He grinned broadly at the outrage—and then, with astonishment, recognized the voice. It couldn't be! Legroeder? Jakus gasped. Legroeder—here?

  Stunned, he called to Hyutu, Captain! Captain, you aren't going to believe this...

  * * *

  Right about now, Legroeder thought, they could have used some Free Kyber riggers in the net, to help them contend with these insane KM/C pirates. The net was straining with every maneuver. The Ivan riggers knew the ship better from a tactical standpoint, and knew the enemy, too. But there was no time to switch riggers. Palagren had Phoenix in the shape of a dashing, speeding fish, and they were fighting to make the ship live up to its image. But with the damage to their net slowing them down, Hunter had drawn inexorably closer, until their only means of evasion was to keep changing directions, twisting through clouds in hopes of shaking the enemy off.

  Captain—any chance of getting a shot off soon? Legroeder called anxiously.

  Launchers are still down, Glenswarg answered tightly. You've got to keep us out of their reach—or if you can't do that, get us close enough for the neutrasers.

  Legroeder acknowledged; they were spinning and turning, reaching the limits of what their net could do, but also forcing Hunter to maneuver tightly to follow. Ker'sell spotted an opening—and at his shout, they turned, and with several fast directional changes, shot perilously close to the enemy— exchanging neutraser fire as they flew past. Phoenix trembled, taking several hits; but it kept going. As the KM/C ship came around, Legroeder looked for damage, but saw little sign that their efforts against Hunter were having any effect.

  He heard something—what was that?—his name echoing across the Flux: Rigger Legroeder... so good to see you again...

  For a moment, Legroeder was speechless. It was Hyutu... calling out across the Flux to gloat. Legroeder bit his tongue to keep silent. Keep silent. But he couldn't. Hyutu, you bloodsucking traitor!

  Hyutu's answer was a laugh—but Legroeder had no time to answer, because Palagren and Ker'sell had just dumped them into a spinning dive, away from Hunter, and Legroeder helped them by instinct alone. Glenswarg was snapping orders—among them, telling Legroeder to shut the hell up. But another new voice filled the net from the remoteness of the Flux, and again it was a voice that Legroeder recognized. Jakus Bark!

  —really fallen into it this time, Legroeder. What did you think you were doing? There's no way you're going to get out of this one! Bark's voice was utterly scornful.

  You bastard! I thought you were dead! Legroeder whispered.

  Did you think we were going to lie down and die? Bark said, and then burst into a roar of laughter. Well, guess who's going to do the dying!

  At that moment, the KM/C ship seemed to find a favorable new current, because it came overhead in a loop far too fast for Phoenix to follow and bore down directly down on the Ivan ship, like a hawk swooping on its prey. Legroeder and the others strained to maneuver out of its path, but they couldn't fight the natural movements of the Flux, and this time the winds were against them. All they could do was fire their neutrasers futilely, and wait for the volley of torpedoes.

  (Impris, get clear!) Legroeder called, his inner voice desperate, filled with despair at the thought of being killed by his traitorous old shipmates—and at the thought that they had brought Impris out only to be killed, too.

  Bark's laughter echoed. So long, Legroeder, baby-y-y...

  Before Legroeder could think of a word to say, he felt a sudden shudder through the Flux and heard, K-B-BOOM-M-M!

  And he heard Agamem cry from the bridge, Flux torpedoes—but they're not coming at us!

  K-B-BOOM-M-M!

  There was a second explosion, and Legroeder kicked the stern of Phoenix around for a better look. He was astonished to see the KM/C raider targeted by a cluster of bursting flux torpedoes. Where the hell had they come from? Surely not from Impris. Then where?

  The next voice was Jakus's again—howling in a splutter of confusion and rage. The KM/C ship was taking a beating. But from whom? It was turning with evident difficulty—attempting, for the first time, its own evasive maneuvers. Hyutu's voice screamed, WHO IS THAT ATTACKING US? COME OUT AND IDENTIFY YOURSELVES! Streams of neutraser fire radiated from Hyutu's ship, seemingly aimed at random.

  The only response was the glow of a converging swarm of new, incoming torpedoes.

  * * *

  Jakus blinked as he heard the warning cry from the other side of the net. The flickering glare of the torpedoes was almost hypnotic; there were so many of them, from several directions, but all converging on the same point.

  On Hunter.

  How could this be?

  Captain Hyutu, what now? he whispered. His implants were savagely stoking his blood lust, but they couldn't change reality. Hunter was pinned, trapped; nowhere to turn. His fury had nowhere to turn, either, except inward, on himself and his captain. You stupid bastard captain...

  EVASIVE ACTION, YOU MORONS! EVASIVE ACTION! Hyutu screamed. COUNTERMEASURES AWAY! NEUTRASERS SHOOT! SHOO-O-O-OT—!

  The captain's voice shook with rage, and the riggers wrenched the ship into wild gyrations trying to shake the torpedoes. But it was hopeless; Jakus Bark knew it was hopeless even as his augments drove him onward, trying to save the ship.

  The first wave of torpedoes loomed, their sparkle glaring against the Flux. Jakus let go of the net with a loud cry, heedless of his captain screaming, TURN, YOU IDIOTS, TURRRRNNN—! and Jakus felt a sudden terror and then an utterly insane release as he grinned out into the Flux, directly into the dazzling glare of the exploding warheads.

  * * *

  As the rigger-crew of Phoenix watched dumbfounded, the torpedoes converged on the KM/C ship and flashed with great pulses of light. Hunter's net blazed like a torch, and a heartbeat later the entire raider ship crumpled inward, then exploded.

  The BOO-O-OM-M-M reverberated with ghostly echoes from the clouds.

  No one in the Phoenix net spoke. They could hear mutters of amazement from the bridge, as though Glenswarg were holding the com open, intending to speak, but too stunned to know what to say. Legroeder's heart was pounding so hard, he could scarcely hear himself think.

  What the hell was that? he whispered finally. Who was—?

  Phoenix! called a voice, distant but strong across the Flux. This is Kyber-Ivan Freedom. Are you all right? A silver ship slipped out of the clouds high above the expanding debris field that had been Hunter. Had it been there all along?

  My left nut, I'm glad to see you! Captain Glenswarg boomed. How the hell did you find us? Where were you?

  Two other ships appeared—one from beyond and one from beneath the debris field. It was the escort squadron. They'd had Hunter bracketed; the bastard hadn't stood a chance. The same voice answered, and there was laughter in it this time. Where were you is my question! We lost you halfway to the destination point. Did you change course?

  Yes!—yes!—didn't you get our transmission? Glenswarg's voice was shaking with relief.

  Got no transmission, said the other captain. We kept going and hoped we'd find you here. The next time we picked you up, it looked like you'd popped out of some kind of Flux anomaly—and then KM/C came out of nowhere and started shooting
at you. It took us a few minutes to get in close enough to help.

  Rings! muttered Glenswarg, seemingly at a loss for words. Finally he sighed, Thank you. Your timing couldn't have been better.

  You're welcome, said Freedom. Now, did we or did we not see a ship that looked like Impris? I think it disappeared into those clouds.

  Yes, where did they go? Legroeder thought, peering around dizzily. They'd been so busy staying alive, he'd become totally disoriented. He queried his implants; but the comlink was still down.

  We're here, called a new voice, breaking the momentary silence. We've been wondering if we should come out. Captain Glenswarg? It was Friedman of Impris.

  Legroeder let out a great cry of relief.

  Please come out now, answered Glenswarg. Let's group up this fleet.

  As Legroeder and his crew slowly brought their ship around toward the escort fleet, the long, stately shape of Impris emerged from a dense layer of cloud beneath them and rose to join the group. Legroeder felt the implant connection coming back to life. (Freem'n!) he cried silently. (Are you there?)

  (We're here. We're here,) came the reply, like a whisper down the length of an acoustically perfect auditorium.

  (Can you still fly? Are you in one piece?)

  (Just barely, and more or less,) said Deutsch. (I don't know how, and I don't know why, but somehow we came through the quantum flaw on your coattails. How did you do that, Legroeder?)

  (I just thought like a rigger, Freem'n. I just thought like a rigger.)

  At that, Deutsch began chuckling, softly at first and then louder, until the inside of Legroeder's head echoed with his friend's laughter.

  * * *

  The squadron formed up quickly around Phoenix and Impris, and the order was given to set course for Outpost Ivan.

  Has it occurred to anyone that we're all exhausted, and we need time for repairs? Legroeder asked Glenswarg, as he and the Narseil strained to bring the ship into formation.

  Sure, answered the captain. We'll do something about that just as soon as we get the hell out of here. Our friend the Hunter might have buddies, you know.

  Ah, Legroeder said, not arguing. But oh, how he wanted some sleep!

  The squadron, like a naval armada from some long-ago holodrama, rose slowly through the colored mists until the clouds scattered and cleared, and the smooth waters of a mystical, ethereal ocean stretched before them. The two ships in the middle, Phoenix and Impris, wobbled but held their positions. And as a grand, if battered fleet, they set sail for Outpost Ivan.

  PART FOUR

  Eternity waits at the crossway of the stars.

  —Jorge Luis Borges

  Prologue

  Awakening

  The Kyber agent turned from the briefcase console to peer at the comatose young woman lying in the bed. "Is she okay?"

  "How the hell should I know?" his partner snapped, glancing down to check her sidearm. "I've got to go make sure the perimeter's safe."

  The man scowled at his partner and squinted at the medical monitors attached to the captive woman. "I'm sure the perimeter's fine. I need you here right now."

  "How do you know the perimeter's fine?"

  "Look, just trust the security system for five minutes, will you? The woman's no good to us dead. This is a tricky operation, and I need you to monitor her condition. All right?"

  It was not all right, his partner's expression made clear. But she grunted and stepped close to the monitors. "She's still alive."

  The Kyber nodded. He frowned at the captive's skin color, which was pale, and checked her pulse. It seemed a little weak, but what did he know; he was no doctor. "All right," he said. "Hang in there, Miss O'Hare. With any luck, this won't kill you."

  He made a final check of the electrodes attached to the back of the woman's neck, then returned to the console and, with one last hesitation, initiated the program. The data-collecting subroutines began running; it all looked good so far. But then, he wasn't an implant programmer, either. For all he knew, he could be killing her.

  Contacting implant, opening command kernel...

  He watched, hands clenched, as the program moved through several increasingly invasive stages to the critical one.

  Disabling autonomic intervention routines...

  He held his breath.

  Deleting command kernel...

  He let his breath out slowly as the program completed its cycle and terminated. He checked the monitors. "All right, I guess we can let her sleep." He had done what he could. Only time would tell if he had succeeded.

  * * *

  Voices jabbering. The hissing crackle of neutraser fire. Shouting billowing urgency, dragon's breath of plasma, run run, no time. Struggling for breath, consciousness slipping away. A baby crying... why... mother, are you there? Is baby Jessica there?

  Mother? Mother's not here. She died ten years ago. And Jessica... a hundred light-years away.

  Golen Space, fleeing Golen Space. What happened?

  Sunlight pouring through a curtained window. Wood framework around the window. Wood?

  Alien sun.

  Any sun was an alien sun.

  Her eyes blinked several times, then opened. Stayed open. Peering at the curtains.

  Why curtains—?

  Remembered running for her life. Leaning on Legroeder. Why Legroeder? They were fleeing... pirates in pursuit.

  Maris groaned softly. She tried to sit up, and failed. Her head was on a pillow. She turned it slightly to look around. Where am I? she wanted to ask, but swallowed the words. Don't talk yet; don't know where you are. She remembered excruciating pain—and footsteps, pounding. Pursuit. Must hide. But where? Nowhere to hide.

  She wondered if she could move now; maybe just a hand. Slowly, forcing every inch of movement, she dragged her left hand across her chest and brought it to touch the hurt on her right shoulder and neck. What was it? Neutraser fire... there was shooting... Probing under the loose fabric, she felt a spray-on bandage; and under the bandage, the ridges and bumps of a wound. At first there was no sensation from the touch of her fingers; then the fire flashed up her neck. She rasped in a sharp, agonized breath and lay trembling, clutching her arms together.

  A wooden door to her right burst open.

  She blinked, trying to focus. A man and a woman stood in the doorway, staring at her in astonishment. "You're awake!" the woman said.

  Maris struggled to find her voice. She couldn't; couldn't even swallow. Her throat was dry and cracked.

  "Here, now," said the man, pushing past the woman. "Don't try to sit up, you're not ready for that." He stepped to Maris's side and bent to peer at a medical monitor.

  She tried to move her right arm and felt a new pain. She was tied to a monitor and a set of IV's. Was she in a hospital?

  The man urged her to lie still, and she didn't argue; she was dizzy anyway. But not too dizzy to wonder, Who are these people? Had she made it away with Legroeder? Where was she? And where was Legroeder?

  She tried once more to swallow, then heard the man send the woman for a glass of water. Good. Good. The water arrived, and the man lifted her head as she tried to drink. She sipped greedily, water splashing down her chin, soaking her neck. With a gasp, she sank back as the woman dabbed at her with a towel. "Take it easy, now," the man was saying. "You've had a tough time of it."

  Tough time of it...

  The woman was muttering something she couldn't quite make out, and the man replied, "We really should get her seen by a doctor."

  "No doctor!" the woman said sharply.

  "Look at her, Lydia. You can see she needs help."

  No doctors. Not a hospital, then. Maris listened with growing alarm. Where am I? What's happened to Legroeder?

  "What's she saying?"

  "Legroeder," the woman said. "She's calling for Legroeder. Her boyfriend. The one who skipped bail."

  Had she spoken out loud? No—you have it wrong. What do you mean, he skipped bail?

  "Watch what you s
ay, now she's awake," the man murmured. He leaned in closer. "Miss O'Hare—can you hear me?"

  Maris drew a breath, and with an almost superhuman effort, shouted: "Where—am—I—?"

  "She said something," said the woman. "What'd she say?"

  "I'm not sure," said the man. "Miss O'Hare?"

  She grunted in frustration and tried again, harder. This time words came out. "Where... am... I?" Her voice sounded harsh and unnatural.

  "I think she said, 'Where am I?' "

  "Huh," said the woman. "Don't worry about—"

  "Wait," said the man, cutting her off. He moved around the bed, to where Maris could see him more easily. "Miss O'Hare, you've been in a coma for weeks. We finally managed to deactivate your implants—"

  Implants. Of course, the pirates had put them in the back of her neck. How had she been able to escape? There'd been a plasma leak...

  "—which were keeping you unconscious."

  She tried to focus. The pirates had told her that escape was impossible; the programming in her implants was like a knife at her throat.

  "Damn near killed you, as far as I could tell. But I guess they were rigged to incapacitate, rather than kill."

  Maris strained. "Where—?"

  "You're in the North Country. Away from the city."

  Maris shook her head weakly.

  The man finally seemed to catch on. "On Faber Eridani."

  Maris's breath caught. "Faber—" She'd made it out, then. Made it back to civilization. Or had she? She squinted at the man and woman, and thought with a shiver, Why won't they let me see a doctor?