The Survivors (Book 12): New Discovery

by Hystad, Nathan

  “Dean, stop for a moment.” She grabbed my arm, spinning me around. “We’ll figure this out.”

  I gave her a clipped nod. “We just lost our friends’ daughter, the same girl we were tasked with caring for on our ‘simple and safe’ mission.” My strength seeped from my body, and I leaned against the wall. “What are we going to tell them?”

  “The truth. I’ll be there with you. Come on. Jules and Dean are probably waiting for us.” Mary urged me forward, and I joined her, dreading the upcoming conversation for many reasons.

  ____________

  “Once we see your parents, we’ll have a plan, okay?” Jules set a hand on Dean’s chest, the touch a little more intimate than their normal contact. His gaze was settled on the floor, his eyes puffy and red. Dean was used to being the strong hero, being at the top of everything he did, but she understood how helpless he felt at this moment, because it was the exact same thing she was going through.

  “How could she do this?” Dean asked.

  “We’re going to find out. For all we know, Lan’i tricked her, used his powers to manipulate her,” Jules suggested.

  “Is that what you do?” His question felt innocuous enough, but there was an edge to it, and she staggered away from him as if he’d cut her.

  “I… No, Dean, I don’t use my abilities to alter people’s perceptions. Can you stop taking his actions out on me?” She shoved him hard, and he didn’t even retaliate. To her surprise, he pulled her in, hugging her closely. Her head burrowed into his shoulder, and he kissed the top of her hair. She didn’t move, didn’t breathe, scared to break the spell he was under.

  “Jules!” Papa’s voice called, and she felt Dean’s strong arms release her quickly as he stepped back, clearing his throat.

  “Papa, Mom.” She flung herself at them, squeezing each of them tightly.

  “Dean, we’re so sorry about Patty. We will find her, I promise you,” Papa told the young man, and he appeared to perk up at Captain Dean Parker’s assurance.

  “Where are we going?” Dean asked, glancing at the portal’s entrance down the corridor.

  “To see your parents. We found something out about their mission, and we need to discuss Patty with them,” her mom stated.

  “We’re wasting time. Patty’s getting farther away from us,” Dean pleaded, but Jules could tell Papa wasn’t in the mood to argue his directives. She’d seen that look a thousand times.

  “They’re hidden from our sensors. The best thing we can do is track her steps from this week and see what we can learn. Jules and Regnig will meet and see what they can decipher about the Zan’ra people. And there’s also the symbol… I’m thinking that if you have a compulsion to visit that planet, Lan’i might as well. The Deity…”

  “What the hell are you guys talking about? Zan’ra, Deities, some planet? I feel like I need a translator!” Dean was pacing in front of the portal room, the guards shifting nervously on their feet.

  “There are some things we haven’t told you, but only because we’re just scratching the surface of understanding them. You have to understand, Jules is …” Papa started to say, but Dean only nodded along.

  “I know. Jules is important. So is my sister, Captain. This is all my fault.” He stopped pacing, clenching his jaw tight.

  “It’s no one’s fault, Dean. We’re Gatekeepers, and we have to let the emotions of this mission go. We need to focus on the problem and use strategic thinking to develop a solution. Then we’ll go through the steps to locate and rescue your sister, okay?” Jules’ mom said.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry, Ju. I’ve been such a jerk.” Dean stared at her.

  “I totally understand.”

  Papa whispered something to the two guards, and they stepped aside. The moment Jules saw the portal stone, her instincts kicked in, and she was drawn to it… to that planet…

  “Jules, are you coming?” Papa broke the spell, and she slowly stepped past the barrier, into the circle around the table.

  When the four of them were inside, Jules watched her father find Horizon’s symbol. The crystal glowed a bright and hot green, energy emanating from it in waves. Jules was connected to the crystals, and she felt the same rush entering her body. Papa pressed the icon, and she closed her eyes, waiting to be transported, but when she opened them, they were still on Light.

  “What’s the matter? Did you do it right?” Mary asked.

  “Do it right? Have I ever screwed up pressing an icon?” her dad asked, and shrugged. “Maybe I did. Let’s try this again.”

  Nothing.

  Dean’s face paled, and Jules joined her dad on the other side of the stone. She set a hand on the crystal below the clear glass table and let her powers course from her core into her fingertips and beyond. She’d been a little girl when she’d fixed the crystals, allowing them to be used without the sacrificed life of the Theos inside. Before the Theos, the portals had been dormant for centuries, likely millennia, but Jules had managed to remedy that.

  With her strength, they’d changed from the blue color to green, the color of her eyes. The blue… the color of Lan’i’s eyes. It all became clear. He’d been the one to activate the system last, before her. She wondered if the stones had ever been colored purple or orange, like the other two of the four remaining Zan’ra.

  Jules heard the others in the room asking questions, but she ignored them, searching for the one symbol that mattered at the moment: Horizon’s.

  “It’s gone.” She didn’t even realize she’d spoken out loud until she heard Dean’s young voice, thick with emotion.

  “What do you mean, gone?”

  “I can’t find it.”

  “Horizon is gone?” Dean asked, and Jules lifted her palm from the crystal, breaking the connection.

  “That’s not certain, but the portal has been deactivated,” she told them.

  Papa’s eyes were wide as he stared at Mary. Her mom’s color had drained as well.

  “The Arnap,” her dad said.

  “Don’t jump to conclusions. We know nothing,” Mary told them.

  Jules stood still, unsure what to do. There were too many mysteries, too many things that had gone wrong at the same moment, and three of the people she cared about most in the universe were in the room with her. She was suddenly grateful that Hugo was safely stowed away with Karo on Haven.

  “Captain, don’t you have the communicator? The one my father has the other side of?” Dean asked.

  “Yeah, Papa. We can retrieve it,” Jules said. “We’re already here. We can jump to Earth and grab the communicator.”

  Papa shook his head. “I don’t know. We haven’t used that in years. I’d have to find out if he still has it.”

  Dean nodded. “He does. It’s in their room, on the desk. He’s always keeping an eye on it in case you need him.”

  Jules’ heart sank. Her father and Magnus were so close, and she imagined him going missing was an ache like Dean felt for Patty.

  “What do we do?” Papa asked his wife.

  Her mother stared at him, her mind clearly racing beneath her calm demeanor. “You stay here, talk to Fontem. Learn what he was doing on that ship, and see what else he can tell you. He has to be keeping something from us. I’ll take the kids to Earth and get the communicator.”

  Her dad peered over at Jules and waved her over. He whispered in her ear, “The device that Professor Thompson used. You know the one?”

  Jules nodded, remembered only too clearly the crystal band strapped to the man’s arm that had sucked her powers from her. “Yes.”

  “Bring it back with you. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.” Her dad hugged her again, then her mother, and lastly Dean. He held the embrace with the boy who’d been named after him when Uncle Magnus and Auntie Natalia had thought Mary and Dean were dead. He patted the younger man on the shoulder and headed for the door.

  “Be careful and return straight away. We have a lot to discuss with the crew when you return.” Papa g
ave them one last tired smile and left the room.

  Her mom found the icon for Earth, and pressed it.

  Nineteen

  Fontem was in a private room tucked at the rear of the medical bay. The Shimmali doctor admitted me without question, and a Molariun nurse sneaked by me as I entered Fontem’s temporary quarters. He appeared to be sleeping, but as the door shut, I noticed his eyes blink open.

  “Dean?” he asked, trying to sit up.

  “Don’t strain yourself.” I stood by the bed, peering over the man, trying to see where his injuries were. His leg was sticking out of the blanket; a fresh pink scar ran along his left shin where the doctor had sealed the wound. He’d hit his head hard, and another scar ran across his forehead, but with modern technology, I suspected any visible markings would be healed within a couple of days.

  “Did they stop him?” Fontem asked. “No one’s telling me anything. They just shoved me in here and won’t answer my questions.”

  “That’s because you were injured. And no, we didn’t catch him. What were you doing on the ship?” I saw a chair near the wall and slid it over, the feet dragging loudly across the tile.

  “Brik and I had spoken about the robots, and he’d been unable to activate any of them. You were curious as to their programming functions, so I brought a tool with me… something that would spark them to life.” Fontem grinned, but it quickly turned to a grimace as he shifted up in the bed to speak with me.

  I leaned in, getting closer. “Where did you find this tool?”

  He must have noticed his slip, because he tried to backpedal. “It was nothing special. I made it.”

  “Are you telling me you made some special robot revival device on board my ship?” If Fontem did have access to his other artifact cache, I wanted to find out how, but I’d save the inquisition for later.

  “Sure. I’ve always been good with my hands.”

  “And did it work?”

  “Yes. I found a way to power up one of the bots, but only had a chance to plug into it with the diagnostic tablet before that young man entered the freighter and tossed me to the side like a piece of trash.” Fontem’s voice grew thicker, deeper, and I saw anger burning in his eyes.

  “Wait. You plugged one into it?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “Where’s the tablet?” I asked.

  He shrugged.

  “Is it on the ship?”

  “It was in my pocket.”

  I burst from the room, finding the nurse. “Was there anything on the patient when he arrived?”

  “Just his clothes. We put them…” She pointed to a bin near the exit, and I ran to it, grabbing the jumpsuit Fontem had been wearing in the image. One pant leg was torn, and blood crusted the cloth, but I found the hard-plastic tablet inside the jumpsuit’s front pouch. I slid it free and tapped it, the backlight flashing on. The screen was cracked but still operational.

  I returned to his room, sitting firmly in the chair, and his gaze registered what I was trying to do. “You can track the other end of the diagnostic plug.”

  “That’s what I’m intending.” My fingers soared over the screen, finding the proper menu, before it appeared as a dot on a massive star map. I used my thumb and two fingers to expand the view, zooming in. It also showed our location, a bright green pin on the map. The freighter was moving away from us, closer and closer to our final destination of the wormhole. “They’re heading for the same place we are.”

  Fontem grabbed at the tablet, looking for himself. “What are you not sharing with me, Dean?”

  “Have you heard of the Arnap?” I asked, hoping he hadn’t, wishing they were nothing but a bad dream, someone long gone from the universe, but he nodded.

  “I know of them.”

  “What are they like?” I drummed my fingers on my knee like I’d consumed too much coffee.

  “Bad. They’re ruthless.”

  “Can you expand on that?”

  Fontem asked for some water, and I went to the wall, filling a plastic cup, and passed it to him. He drank deeply before setting it on the table beside him, and he smacked his lips. “That’s better.”

  “The Arnap?” I urged him.

  “Right. They’ve been a thorn in many races’ sides for a long time. I’m surprised to hear no one’s wiped them out yet,” he told me. “Why haven’t you brought them up before? You told me about the Kraski, then the Bhlat, but… I didn’t even think to mention the Arnap to you. I only assumed one of those other powerhouses did away with them.”

  “I know next to nothing about them, to be honest. Only that Magnus and Natalia were heading for a world they were rumored to have visited, and now we’ve lost contact with them.”

  From the look on Fontem’s face, this wasn’t a good thing. “The Arnap never lose a battle,” he told me in a hushed whisper.

  “The Ritair of Sterona stopped them. They lost their own world in the process, but they fended off the Arnap ships before leaving.” I clasped my hands in my lap and waited for him to reply.

  His lips were pursed, and he rubbed the healing line on his forehead. “I mean it. They never lose.”

  “I think you’re wrong, and when we find the Ritair and drop Brik off, I’ll show you.”

  “I hope you’re right, and for your friends’ sakes, I truly hope the Arnap were gone when Horizon arrived, and that the reason you’ve lost contact is for another reason. What of this boy and the stolen Pleva Corp vessel?” Fontem turned the tablet toward me.

  “We follow them toward the wormhole. He’s one of them, isn’t he? The Zan’ra we’ve been speaking of?”

  Fontem nodded. “I would have to agree.”

  “Meaning my Jules is as well.”

  “That’s correct.”

  “There are two others. Do we risk finding them? Should I stop them in order to protect my daughter?” I stared at Fontem, and he didn’t respond right away.

  “I can’t say for sure, Dean. But if there’s a Deity on the planet with the Zan’ra symbol, I would suggest preventing it from being awoken at all costs,” he warned.

  “What would happen?”

  “From what I’ve read… the end of the universe as we know it.”

  “Great. Nothing like a little ominous pressure to motivate us.” I rose, patting Fontem on his good leg. “Thanks for the information. If you have anything else that would assist us, give me a call… and heal up.”

  “Thank you, Dean. You’re a good friend.” He paused, looking like he had something else to say, but his lips pressed together and he shifted further in the bed, turning his head away from me.

  I left, his words echoing in my mind.

  The end of the universe.

  ____________

  They hadn’t expected to be stopped as they entered Giza from the pyramid’s exit. The sun was high and bright, the air dry and hot. Jules swallowed hard as the Bhlat forces stalked toward them, guns in hands.

  Behind them, a human guard stood, unarmed and shaking her head.

  Mary stepped in front of the two newly-appointed Gatekeepers and crossed her arms. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  The Bhlat soldiers were massive, their chests broad, their clothing a mixture of tanned leather and metal armor. These two had long hair braided in tight rows. The lead male lowered his weapon, speaking in rough English.

  “The Empress wishes words with you.” The other’s gun remained lifted, but not aiming at any of them. Dean stepped forward, as if he was going to confront them, but Jules grabbed his wrist, holding him back.

  “We don’t have time for this. We need to get to the communicator,” Dean muttered.

  Mary turned to face Jules, and her face relayed the potential danger here. Jules was prepared for battle, if it came to that.

  “Where is she?” Mary asked, glancing around the promenade. The other massive pyramids flanked them, the Sphinx proud in its resting position in the distance, and Jules admired the magnificent sites, even while scanning for the
Empress’ retinue.

  The lead soldier pointed to the floating base the Bhlat had left on Earth when they’d all but vacated the planet, returning it to Jules’ father and the rest of humanity. It had been a nice gesture, but the fact that they still felt the need to return and show force on occasion left Jules feeling uneasy about the transaction.

  “Fine, but this has to be quick.” Mary pushed between the soldiers, and Jules trailed after her mom, amazed to see this strong and daunting side of her mother. She was being a real badass, and Jules liked this side of her.

  Dean caught up, his bootsteps kicking up dirt and sand from the hard-packed ground. Jules knew the guy just wanted to reach out to his father, but they’d arrive soon enough, one way or another. She told him as much, and he gave her a little smile, telling her he was going to be okay.

  The floating structure had a hover-lift on the ground, and two more soldiers waited by it, opening the rail as the three Gatekeepers approached. They were in uniform, but not the armored EVA, and Jules had a moment, wondering if they’d been remiss to enter the portal without wearing protection.

  It was Earth, and they were only traveling to her parents’ house, but there were always lurking dangers. Her mother did have a pulse pistol, and Jules had access to her powers, so that set her at ease as the lift rose from the ground quickly, the air rushing against her face, until it stopped jarringly fast and another soldier opened the rail, allowing them to step onto the metal platform.

  From here, they could see the entire landscape. The businesses set up outside the pyramids were long vacated, most demolished by the Bhlat when they’d first taken over the area years before Jules was born. Everything held a tinge of a muted brown tone, and she tried to spot a single tree or patch of grass, but couldn’t.

  The others were already walking away from her, and Jules rushed to reach them as they approached the palace. It had an immense round glass dome on top, and Jules glanced up at the tall arched doorway as they entered.