by Adair Hart
“What’s on the roof?” asked Jane.
Dr. Snowden stood. “You have to see it to believe it.”
Jane gulped. “Okay …”
Dr. Snowden bent over a bit and extended his arm toward the elevator. “After you.”
“Thanks,” said Jane, shooting Dr. Snowden a smile.
Dr. Snowden watched Jane reach the elevator. He was startled when Emily walked by and tapped his arm.
“Focus,” said Emily.
“What?”
Emily raised an eyebrow at Dr. Snowden.
Dr. Snowden’s face turned a slight shade of red. He followed Emily to the roof. Once he got there, he saw V behind the pop-up console he had grown accustomed to seeing when they traveled on the roof. He still did not understand how it rose out of what he thought was a glass-like floor.
The Torvatta lifted off and streaked toward space.
Evaran stood at the front light-blue shielding that acted as a guardrail. To his right was Jane, while Emily was on the other side.
Dr. Snowden joined Jane on her right. “I think you’ll like this.”
“I’ll admit, it’s a little strange to be on the roof as we approach low orbit,” said Jane.
Evaran pointed around. “There is a shield around the Torvatta.”
“I figured that but … did not expect it would hold breathable air,” said Jane.
After a few more minutes, they were in space.
Jane gasped as everything faded out, then eased back in. “Was … that time travel?”
Dr. Snowden smiled. “Yep. It was pretty neat, huh?”
“I’d say so,” said Jane with widened eyes.
Dr. Snowden remembered the first time he saw time travel from the roof. It made the hairs on his neck raise to think that everything went away then came back. Evaran had mentioned that it was merely the perspective from the Torvatta. Anyone outside would see the Torvatta fade away with a noise. He figured Jane maybe would not believe it completely until they went back down.
“You are officially a time traveler now,” said Evaran.
Jane chuckled. “I guess I am.”
The Torvatta returned to the remote alleyway in Hillti.
Jane stepped back from the guardrail. “Karus said that everyone that is going to see Warlord Okon will need to come with me.”
“That is fine,” said Evaran. “V, I will need you to stay behind in case we need a fast escape.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Dr. Snowden, I would suggest you put on your survival suit.”
Dr. Snowden nodded as he hustled past Evaran to the research lab. He decided to keep his helmet down for this. After getting the suit on, he did a final check to make sure everything was working, then headed back to the Torvatta main area.
Everyone except V exited the Torvatta and assembled in the alleyway.
Dr. Snowden looked back at the Torvatta and could barely see the light fluctuations that indicated it was in stealthed mode. He wondered if there were those with augments who could detect it like he could.
A large Kalesh with body armor and a weapon slung over his shoulder approached them.
Dr. Snowden noted there were no disguises and double backs like Karus did. This was walk in and all business.
Jane whispered to Dr. Snowden. “We really did travel in time.”
“Yep,” said Dr. Snowden. He wondered what must be going through her mind.
The Kalesh paused as he looked them over. “I’m Jaklur. Who am I talking to?”
Evaran stepped forward. “I am Evaran, and with me is Dr. Albert Snowden, Emily Snowden, and Jane Trellis. We are here to meet Warlord Okon.”
“Warlord Okon would normally charge you for a meeting, but you have piqued his interest,” said Jaklur. “Are you ready to go?”
“I thought we were going to get coordinates?” asked Jane.
Jaklur smirked. “So United Planets or whoever else can find and attack us? I don’t think so. You’ll be transported in one of our ships, which should be … arriving … about now.”
Dr. Snowden put a hand on his forehead as dust swirled around from a ship landing near the forest. The foul smell it kicked up assaulted his nose. He thought the ship looked like a van with boosters on the bottom and back. The only windows he could see were in the front. He jumped a bit as one of the side doors slid back, revealing a dimly lit compartment.
Jaklur walked up to the side and gestured inward. “Let’s go.”
Once everyone had entered the compartment, Jaklur poked his head in. “It’s a four-hour flight.” He closed the side door.
Dr. Snowden looked around the compartment. It had benches on all sides except the doorway. “It’s a bit cramped in here, and smells kinda bad too. I think it’s time to raise the helmet.”
Evaran scanned the interior with his ring. “This compartment has surveillance.”
Dr. Snowden sighed as he leaned back against the stiff wall. This was going to be a long flight.
Four hours later, the craft landed. Dr. Snowden leaned forward and cracked his back. He chuckled at the thought that cushions must be in short supply on Roeth. The craft’s movement made it hard to relax. He surveyed the others. Jane and Emily were stretching while Evaran sat motionless like he had all flight. Dr. Snowden wondered what Evaran thought about. His attention focused on the side door as it slid open. He shielded his eyes as the waning sun filtered into the compartment.
“Okay. Out,” said Jaklur.
Dr. Snowden gestured forward.
Emily and Jane exited the compartment first, followed by Dr. Snowden and Evaran.
Dr. Snowden lowered his helmet and took in the fresh air. Studying the surroundings showed they were deep in a forest. Around the base of the trees were scattered makeshift buildings made of thin metal with rigid poles. They looked like they could be dismantled and moved in a hurry if need be. Immediately around him was a large clearing, big enough to fit several Torvattas. It was the mass of heavily armed Kalesh scattered around that drew his attention. They had weapons that looked like assault rifles and wore varying types of light and heavy armor. Some had on helmets, others had goggles. Uniformity was not a key design ingredient here.
Jaklur signaled to some of the other Kalesh.
The Kalesh advanced forward with a small cylinder. One of the Kalesh bent down and began to fidget with a control panel built into the side.
“You’ll be talking via holo presence,” said Jaklur.
Jane jerked her head back. “We could’ve done that in Hillti. Why’d we have to fly four hours for that?”
“You’ll have to ask Warlord Okon that.”
Jane glanced at Evaran. “I’m not liking this …”
Evaran extended a hand. “Let us hear what Warlord Okon has to say.”
Dr. Snowden grimaced. They were out in the middle of nowhere in the center of a pack of heavily armed Kalesh who hated aliens. And now the person they were supposed to meet was not even there. The feeling that this was a setup pervaded Dr. Snowden. It was not the first time they had walked into a trap. The only reassuring thought was that if he was thinking of this now, then Evaran had probably planned for this already.
The Kalesh who worked on the cylinder nodded at Jaklur.
With a flip of a switch, the cylinder shot up a projection of a heavyset male Kalesh. His fur was brown with streaks of gray, and his armor seemed more decorated than those in the camp. Around him were several female Kalesh in advanced heavy armor. The Kalesh spoke. “I’m Warlord Okon, and welcome to my territory.”
Evaran narrowed his eyes. “Why are we not talking in person?”
Warlord Okon focused on Evaran. “Ahh … so you’re what everyone is talking about.” He moved his head from side to side as he inspected Evaran. “You’re not much to look at. It seems you’ve attracted a lot of attention. More attention than Roeth needs.”
“Elaborate.”
Warlord Okon laughed. “It was hard to find any information on you. Where’d
you come from?”
“Far away from here.”
Warlord Okon smirked. “You should’ve stayed there. Roeth was rebuilding fine until you aliens showed up and brought all your damn galactic drama with you. Is it any wonder Follisat, once the jewel of Roeth, is now a cesspool of crime?”
“From what we saw, the only crimes committed were attacks on me and my friends by your group.”
Warlord Okon uttered a low growl. After a moment, he spoke. “I heard about Jimus. I’ll deal with him later for not finishing the job. I have to give you credit for coming out here. Not many would willingly seek out the leader of the group that attacked them.”
“I have some questions that,” said Evaran, gesturing at Jane, “she believed you could answer.”
“Really … ,” said Warlord Okon, eying Jane. “A United Planets agent with questions. Imagine that. And what questions would that be then?”
“Less of a question and more of a confirmation about the illegal augment trade,” said Jane. “I think they’re coming from the space habitats that Advanced Dynamics built. Once they get planetside, they get sold on the black market, and … crimes happen.”
Warlord Okon rubbed his hands for a moment. “I’m aware of that filth being brought in from the space habitats. I even brought it to the authorities’ attention. Their response? They tried to assassinate me.”
“I have a hard time believing that the Kalesh government would try to silence you,” said Jane.
“The Kalesh government?”
The Kalesh watching the exchange laughed.
Warlord Okon shook his head. “You’ve never dealt with an executioner, have you?”
Jane pursed her lips. “No … I’ve never heard of them.”
“Figures. They’re a stealthy, tough, and secretive assassin robot. They took out five of my men before we took it down. Then the second one came, and so on and so on. Now here we are.”
Jane wrinkled her eyebrows. “Why didn’t you contact us?”
“The United Planets? The Kalesh didn’t have the technology for executioners … but the United Planets does. The United Planets emblem was also on the executioner’s arm.”
Jane rubbed her chin. “It could’ve been Advanced Dynamics and they framed the United Planets. I will look into it.”
“Right … Anyways, no need to look into it. I’ve made my decision already. None of you are leaving alive.”
Evaran narrowed his eyes. “I do not understand. We came to ask for information to help in shutting down the illegal augment trade. This would help your cause.”
“It might. However … there are over thirty-three verified groups coming to Roeth. Groups like the Tarmidugeon Syndicate, the Jultolik Cartel, and quite a few I haven’t even heard of. All of them want you for one reason or another. Roeth doesn’t need a second influx of power players, especially those that play in my arena, but that’s what’s happening.”
“Perhaps I can redirect them.”
“Even if you left now, they would still come now that a spotlight’s on us,” said Warlord Okon. “No … what’s needed is a deterrent. Something big.” He jabbed a finger in the air at Evaran. “Show them that if they come, they will be in for a fight. Your deaths will be a warning sign to any group that comes here that even the mighty fall.”
Evaran interacted with his ARI. “I cannot allow you to kill us.”
A wave of snickering fanned out among the Kalesh.
“You can’t allow it,” said Warlord Okon, shaking while laughing. “Maybe I should keep you around for a good laugh.” He exhaled from his mouth. “Nonetheless, you have your answer. Yes, the space habitats are the source of illegal augments. Too bad it won’t do you any good.”
“I appreciate your answer,” said Evaran. “May we have a private moment among ourselves before our deaths?”
Warlord Okon narrowed his eyes. “I’m not a savage. I will allow it.”
“It is appreciated,” said Evaran. He motioned for Dr. Snowden, Emily, and Jane to huddle. Once everyone was together, he said, “The Torvatta is hovering just above us. It will land in the open area to our left. Once the distraction occurs, run to it.”
Dr. Snowden furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s the distraction?”
“I left it up to V to decide. You will know it when you see it,” said Evaran.
Dr. Snowden glanced at Jane and Emily, who both shrugged. “That beats dying.”
After a moment, two United Planets ships appeared above them and began firing at the Kalesh. The Kalesh scattered into the trees. Jaklur fell backward to the ground as he shot upward. The cylinder that projected Warlord Okon tipped over.
“What’s going on!” said Warlord Okon. “Put me back up!
“Go!” said Evaran, pointing to the left.
Dr. Snowden could feel his nanobots kick in. Everything around him began to slow down. He took off toward the Torvatta, which he could now see due to the light fluctuations caused by its stealth mode. He noticed that Jane was not able to keep up with him and Emily. Slowing down, he waited for Jane to catch up. His attention was drawn toward Jaklur, who had rolled to his side and fired at Jane. Dr. Snowden ran toward Jane and yanked her forward, out of the way. He blocked Jaklur’s shot with his left forearm shield, then wheeled around and ran as Evaran passed by him. Once they were inside the Torvatta’s shielding and standing on the extended ramp, the ships disappeared.
A silence spread out over the camp.
Jaklur stood up and then shot at the Torvatta.
The Torvatta’s shielding lit up as fire from the other Kalesh poured in.
After a moment, a visibly shaken Jaklur raised his hand, and the firing ceased. He faced Evaran. “Nice illusion.” He righted the cylinder, showing an enraged Warlord Okon.
“We must be going,” said Evaran.
“This isn’t over,” said Warlord Okon, growling.
“Perhaps not. Nonetheless, I will see what I can do about your situation given what I know now.”
“You’ve already done enough. Your mere presence causes problems,” said Warlord Okon.
Evaran clenched and unclenched his jaw as he eyed Warlord Okon for a moment, then spun around and gestured for the others to enter the Torvatta.
When Dr. Snowden walked in, Jane hugged him.
“Thank you,” said Jane with misted eyes.
Dr. Snowden’s face turned a slight shade of red. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“I didn’t even see him firing at me in all the confusion.”
Dr. Snowden nodded.
Everyone assembled in the command area as the Torvatta lifted into the air.
“V, take us to Da Nesh and hover over the city,” said Evaran.
“Acknowledged.”
“V, your timing was impeccable,” said Dr. Snowden.
“Analysis. Evaran had me follow behind in stealth mode.”
“I figured he had something up his sleeve.”
V looked at Evaran’s sleeves.
Dr. Snowden chuckled. “Not literally.”
“Acknowledged.”
Jane glanced at Evaran. “I didn’t expect the meeting to go quite in that direction.”
“I suspected that our travel in their ship was a ruse. I informed V to follow us.”
Jane ran her hand over her right eye. “I’m glad you did. What’s the next step?”
“We can break for the night and pick up in the morning,” said Evaran. “I will continue to go over some of the data I acquired from Corunus.”
Emily exhaled from her nose. “I’m gonna get a workout in, then make it an early night. I’m not really hungry.”
Dr. Snowden glanced at Jane. “I could eat alone … unless you want to get something to eat.”
“Sure,” said Jane. “Can we eat it on the roof? The sun should be setting.”
Dr. Snowden squared his shoulders. His eyes sagged a bit, but he was not going to pass up an opportunity to eat with Jane. He glanced at Emily, who had a small grin on her face
as she passed him.
Jane wrinkled her eyebrows. “So …”
“Sure. Let’s gets dinner and a sunset.”
Dr. Snowden eased back into his chair on the Torvatta’s roof. He had V show him how to pull up the console. It could create items like the holo room could. It made him wonder if the roof was another dimensional area, with holo-room capability. A small table was to his right and Jane on the other side in her chair. The sun setting brought a smile to his face. It was no surprise Jane liked Da Nesh.
“I’ve never really seen the sun setting from this height,” said Jane as she dipped into her bowl.
Dr. Snowden peeked at her food. “It’s pretty relaxing. I have to ask … is that chocolate ice cream or something else?”
“You got it.”
“Ahh, no vitastick?”
“I usually eat a vegetable stew with a breadstick when I want something different.”
“Huh. Is meat completely phased out in the United Planets?” asked Dr. Snowden as he placed his plate with two slices of pizza and a container with soda on the small table.
“No … there is still live meat consumption, but it’s rare, and in most places, animals are protected. With replicators, there’s no need for animals. Also, it’s more efficient to store replicator elements that aren’t perishable. Sure, it requires more to store it, but it’s much more flexible in what it can do.”
“Makes sense,” said Dr. Snowden as he took a bite out of his pizza slice.
Jane placed her bowl on the table. “So I’ve been meaning to ask … How exactly did you come to travel with Evaran? Was there a selection process, or was it random?”
Dr. Snowden chuckled. “Long story short, Emily and I were abducted by an alien race. Evaran stepped in, like he always seems to do when something temporal is involved, and rescued us. He dropped us off back on Earth and said he would be back in three months. When he came, we asked to travel with him, and he said yes.”
“Your abduction must have been traumatic.”
“It was and it took me several hours to even believe we’d been abducted. The aliens had put us in a virtual simulation, and Evaran appeared in it to guide us when it shut down. He called it our awakening.”