by JB Penrose
Although Rachel knew this was something she had to do for herself, part of her wished Peter was in Delphi with her. She wished her parents were as close as a phone call. She truly wished Urica was here to explain it to her. But, at least she had one wish fulfilled; the Words of Thunder were finally in her hands.
Rachel was not trying to stall the reading; she only wanted to make sure she was ready. There was only one chance to read the Words; she had to get it right.
Urica said she would have to talk to the world; right now, she couldn’t talk to the residents of Delphi. She prayed for strength. She prayed for wisdom. Rachel prayed in gratitude for everyone and everything that brought her to this point of her destiny.
Now, she was ready.
* * *
Before it all Began. . .
The ascent winded her, but the climb up Mihrana’s Point gave Dayln a chance to clear her mind. She wasn’t angry; all the candidates were qualified, but it was hard to let go of the disappointment of not being chosen, or maybe it was harder to realize she could be stuck on Bi’atra-4 for the rest of her life.
A pair of lovers giggled their way to the top, and Dalyn rested off to the side until they passed. The steps were etched into the mountainside from years of newlyweds making their way to the top for the final blessing of their nuptials. Jumping off the mountain into the mist below was a show of faith and for those still holding hands when they reached the bottom – it meant a lifetime of togetherness.
The light gravity in the Sanatka Hills made it safe for a jump, the exact reason Mags wore a heavy pack on her back to keep her weighted to the side of the cliff. The lovers passed, and she continued her assent. She had chosen the side of the peak typically shrouded in mist so as not to be seen, and the degree of difficulty it added to her climb required more concentration. Her fingers searched for a secure hold, and her feet found the next ledge to push her further to the top.
There were worse places in the System to be stuck; at least Bi’atra-4 was a space dock. Her family’s many travels gave her the experience most navigators lacked – actually, having been to most of the planets she plotted a course to find. Her mother had been a navigator, too, and her father a captain. That’s how her parents met, and Dayln grew up living on the StarFire.
When her mother got sick, they stopped on Bi’atra-4; after she died, they stayed here. How ironic that her father would then be killed on his first voyage out in an off-world collision passing through an asteroid shower where the shields failed to protect them.
That was ten years ago, and Dalyn was getting restless. The navigator position would have been her perfect escape but alas, Bi’atra-4 was a spaceport, and the abundance of personnel hoping to find a ship to crew was very competitive. Dayln worked out her aggression against the rocks as she climbed, holding tighter than necessary; climbing more lateral than vertical just to extend her exercise.
When she was at the top, she waited in the mist below the ledge for another pair of lovers to make their jump. She tried not to listen to their heart-felt promises for lifelong devotion; it always reminded her of her parents. Dalyn wasn’t looking for love for herself, she’d lived it with her parents, but she was looking for Life – and with her own prayer for some opportunity to open and give her a chance to make something of her own talents, she let go of the ledge and fell backward.
The initial surge of freefall was exhilarating and she had to calm her breathing as she descended. The heavy pack kept her fall vertical and she extended her arms as wings to direct her position. The mist swallowed her and she kept her eyes closed on the way down, still in prayer for something to change her life.
“What would you do?” A voice from nowhere spoke in the mist. Dalyn opened her eyes, unaware that she had stopped drifting. “What would you do?” the voice repeated. Dayln couldn’t identify the source.
“I would do what was necessary,” she replied. It was like talking in a dream and every word was difficult to form. But her heart ached with desperation and depression of not being chosen for the new crew.
“I know there is an adventure out there for me,” she cried out. “I will not be stuck on this planet forever!” Her declaration seemed to clear the mist around her.
She didn’t recognize where she landed – it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She looked for the person who had spoken to her, but didn’t see anyone; she looked for the mountain from where she had jumped. Neither was visible.
Dalyn sat on a flat plain under the light of Bi’atra’s two moons, far enough from the Sanatka Hills to not even see their elevation visible in the distance. She had never heard of the fall from Mihrana’s Point transporting anyone to any place other than the base of the Hills, but it had taken her somewhere.
In the distance, she saw a faint glow of lights; at least she was within walking distance of civilization. From the position of the moons she calculated she was South of the spaceport. With a sigh, Dayln stood to dust herself off. No injuries, not even a head injury to explain the voice she’d heard. Dayln picked up her pack and headed toward the distant lights.
The sand made each step heavy, but the exercise seemed to take away all the resistance she’d felt when she was climbing. Life wasn’t so awful on Bi’atra-4; at least she had work as a navigator in the spaceport command center. Someday there would be another ship looking for a navigator.
Overhead, she watched the lights of a solar class ship begin the docking process on the distant spaceport. Every ship had a dream, and every dream needed a dreamer. Dalyn trudged on; she needed a new dream.
She didn’t realize when she had veered off course but eventually she realized she wasn’t headed toward the lights on the horizon, but toward a light slightly buried in the sands. Curiosity pushed her on even as caution slowed her step.
A roleau!
It glowed from beneath the surface, brighter as she was closer, but the treasure was unmistakable. Falling to her knees, she pushed away the sand. A roleau could only mined one place in the galaxy; the Plexis moons of Bi’atra-4. It was the prime reason for a spaceport on this planet. A roleau could upgrade a solar ship to stellar class; it was the only crystal powerful enough to focus a ship’s engines into enough energy to travel the galaxy.
There was no one around; no sign of a crashed ship, no reason for it to be here. Dayln emptied the contents of her pack and scooped her prize out of the sand. Her trip back to the spaceport moved faster than her thoughts along the way.
Music blasted from a bar on the outskirts of the port quarters, but the music is not what pulled her inside. Dayln needed a drink; something had to slow her thoughts enough to think about what had just happened! She pushed open the door and found the only open seat at the bar.
“Tanghe,” she ordered. “I’ll have two.”
She was glad her money was in her pocket and not her backpack. The prize was not something she’d want to expose in a crowd of space-jumpers like this. She slapped her money on the counter and saw it was enough for three drinks. “I’ll have another,” she told the barkeep as he placed two drinks in front of her and collected her cash.
“Celebrating or commiserating?” the man next to her asked casually.
“I think I’m celebrating,” she answered, unsure herself. The answer would have been different before her climb to Mihrana’s Point.
“I thought you might need some commiseration,” he raised his glass in a toast. “Weren’t you just passed over for the navigator position aboard the StarFire?”
“News travels fast,” she observed.
“Especially in a place like this,” he agreed. “A shame, too. Since your parents had history on the ship I would have thought that might have given you an edge.”
“History is just that,” she told him. “History.” She took a long drink, partially to calm her nerves and partly to get a better look at the stranger who seemed to know so much about her. “But since I’m celebrating,” she pushed the third drink towards him, “why don�
�t you join me?” Even in the noisy bar, Dayln had the feeling they were the only two people in the room.
“Zebede,” he said as he picked up the glass and finished the drink in a single swallow. “I’m Zebede. Barkeep – two more,” he instructed. “Let’s get a table over there and talk,” he said, picking up the two new drinks. “I might know a ship in need of an experienced navigator.”
The Orygin was a solar class ship that had been fitted with technology beyond its original manufacture. She had a few minutes to herself to look around while Zebede was talking to his brother and a couple of others she assumed to be crew.
The ship had been in port only long enough to apply fresh paint on the markings. It was a requirement of every ship that docked in any port – a way for the Union to track the registration and movement of in the galaxy. Her heart raced at the thought of adventure, in finally getting off Bi’atra-4, and beat even faster knowing the prize in her pack would have automatically assured her of the position. She preferred to earn it on her merit, and present it later as her right of passage.
Zebede waved her over to join them. “Dayln, this is my brother, Reider. He’s the Orygin’s captain.”
“Tough spot, not making it on the ship your parents used to crew. I understand you grew up on the StarFire. How do you feel about being passed over for the Navigator spot?”
She tried to appear cool in her response but her eyes kept spotting new technology in screens flashing across the consoles. She was familiar with most of it, and with some screens, she wished for a minute to investigate. “I suppose something better will come along,” she replied. “The StarFire was a great ship in my father’s time, but it’s a bit old-fashioned now.”
Dayln went to the closest console and brought up the nav-screen. “Have you accelerated the plotting map for this ship?” she asked. “You only appear to be a solar class, but your navigation seems upgraded to stellar class.”
“Very clever of you to notice. I suppose we’re just waiting for something better to come along.” One of the other crew echoed her casual reply. “I’m Pierzon,” he introduced himself. “And this is my brother, Kerroon.”
Both of them smiled and stepped away from the console with a gesture, inviting her to investigate further. She sat down and ran a few commands to get a sense of what had been done to upgrade the ship’s basic systems. It didn’t take but a minute for her to realize how valuable she could be to them, but she stopped, patiently dropping her hands into her lap.
“It’s a beautiful ship. You’ve built a lot of love into the Orygin.”
“What we’ve done is build a lot of dreams,” Zebede told her. “And the only thing that dreams need are dreamers!”
Her heart pounded in hearing the response, but she let the silence build, determined that she would not be the one to do the asking.
“So, then, Dayln,” Reider leaned over her shoulder from behind. “Are you a dreamer?”
It was hard to contain her smile and she was glad her back was turned to them. She let her fingers fly over the screens, bringing up constellations in no particular mapping order. “I like to dream,” she confirmed.
“We’ve been looking for a Navigator with your experience,” Reider told her. “We don’t have the stellar class of the StarFire,”
“Yet,” Pierzon threw into the conversation.
“Yet,” Reider continued, “but if you think you could be happy on a sweet ship like the Orygin, we’d like to offer you the position.”
Dayln could not contain her excitement but she tried not to gush forth her answer. “How do you make the split?”
“All for one and one for all,” Reider confirmed. “Everyone has something to offer, and everyone is expected to do their part. I know you are capable of flying as well as navigating; you will find that each of us are skilled at every job aboard this ship. If you’re willing to join, we’re willing to share – equally,” he promised.
She held her breath. This was the perfect answer, the perfect ship, and it seemed to be the perfect crew. Two teams of brothers, a piece of family she’d never had before – and she was sure they were as honest as she thought they looked. Dayln took a deep breath and hoped her excitement wasn’t clouding her judgment. After all, when she started the evening she was trying to contain her disappointment. Now, she could hardly contain her excitement.
“Alright,” she said. “I think you’ve got a Navigator!”
“That’s great,” she heard Kerroon say. “And you’ve got a home aboard the Orygin. Welcome aboard!”
“Welcome aboard,” Reider shook her hand when she stood up. Each of them came forth to do the same, complimented by a sincere smile. Zebede gave her a light hug, “I knew it was fate when I ran into you at that bar.”
“I’m impressed with the Orygin,” she told them. “She’s the perfect ship for me. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“We think you’ll be quite comfortable here,” Kerroon told her. “And if you think of something you need, just tell Pierzon! He’s the genius behind the upgrades – the real dreamer in my family.”
“Well,” Dayln didn’t think about it before she offered, “there is one thing I can think of.”
“Already?” Peirzon joked. “You don’t even know what she has to offer!”
“No,” Dayln fumbled for her bag. “But I do have something to offer myself – maybe you can use this.”
Their whistles began at the very opening of her bag. She didn’t even have it out before Pierzon was at her side, holding his hands under her bag to protect the precious crystal.
“Zallo’s gift!” he swore aloud. “Where did you get that?”
“And why are you carrying it around in a bag?” Reider asked.
She held it out to them. “I was hoping something great would come along, and then Zebede found me. It seemed like destiny.”
“We may have to change the name of the ship! This is truly destiny,” Reider told her. Pierzon was already examining the prize, tenderly polishing the glow and inspecting for chinks or cracks. “Are you sure you’re giving that up?” he asked her. “You know what that’s worth, right?”
“One for all and all for one,” she repeated. “Right?”
“This changes everything,” Pierzon said. “And that means a lot more to share amongst ourselves,” he confirmed.
“Then it belongs to the Orygin,” Dayln told them. “And I like the name; I feel like I’m starting a new life.”
“This will start a new life for all of us,” Pierzon said. “I’ll get to work installing it right away.” He started to walk away but Reider stopped him with a hand to his chest.
“You’re not prone to changing your mind, are you?” he looked at Dayln intently.
“Not unless you change the deal,” she confirmed. All of this had happened quickly – in just one night her life had changed, but she was sure this was the answer to her prayers, and it was an answer she had waited a long time to receive. “All for one and one for all.”
“All for one and one for all,” everyone said at the same time.
“Then let’s get busy,” she said. “We’ve got a ship to upgrade!”
Kerroon came into the cockpit, excited and breathless. Smudges of dirt crossed his forehead from the dirt on his hands wiping the sweat off his brow. He’d been gone for hours.
“I think I found the power grids we’ll need to make the upgrade complete!” He pulled his brother out from under the console by his feet and tossed him a rag. Pierzon wiped his hands and tossed back the rag to Kerroon.
“You need this more than me,” he told him.
“We won’t need anything now.” Pierzon was adamant. Reider joined them and smiled at Dayln with a brotherly tease.
“Just what have you found?” Reider asked.
“I was going around the warehouse district to find any leads on some possible power grids – you know, in case we could make the stellar upgrade complete before we launched. And wouldn’t you know it – our luck ha
s really changed.” Kerroon bounced on his toes. “I heard about a warehouse in the Pallas district was going to shut down, so I dropped by just as the surplus manager was locking up. He said today was the last day and they would be shipping the grids back to central supply, but if we bought them and got them out before nightfall he’d report everything sold and the warehouse would close without any inventory.”
“So, what did you do?” Reider asked. “We don’t have the funds to buy a warehouse full of power grids.”
“I did the next best thing,” Kerroon told them. “I made a trade.” He stopped for a deep breath. “That is – if you approve of the trade. This affects everyone.”
“What have you given away now?” Pierzon teased. “It’s not like we’ve even got an argot to spare amongst us.”
“No, but we do have a ship that needs a crew.” Kerroon stopped to let the thought sink in. “Iscar, that’s the surplus manager’s name, well, he’s without a job now that the warehouse is closed. Moreover, he’s great with the paperwork it takes to land and launch from any spaceport. He said he would pay for the grids if we gave him a position in the ship’s crew. What do you think? It would only mean a six-way split in the future – and with those power grids we are truly a stellar class ship!”
“Well,” Reider paused for thought. Everyone held their breath; the captain always had the final word. “I usually like to meet the crew that I’m flying with--”
Kerroon opened his mouth to say something but his brother kicked his foot against his shin and Kerroon held his silence.
“But if you vouch for him, Kerroon, then I’ll let the purchase of a shipfull of power grids speak for themselves!”
Everyone cheered and patted Kerroon on the back.
“This is the final score!” Pierzon said. “We can go anywhere and do anything we want now! Galaxy quest – here we come!”