“So, you are asking me to believe he was forewarned?”
“Yes, Guardian, it is the only explanation that accounts for his actions. Instead of taking him by surprise, we instead were surprised. He must have planned his response well in advance. It was all over in less than a minute. I have never seen anyone move so fast.”
Talin asked, “How could he have been warned? Who could have possibly warned him?”
Collins shook his head slowly. “I have no idea. I only know he must been; he was ready for us.”
“Perhaps it was one of your men?”
Collins shook his head gingerly, “No, Guardian. They have been together since you first notified me of your plan. They have neither had the opportunity nor the motive.
Talin frowned at the man. “Very well, if it was anyone else, I might look for another explanation. I might even suspect such a far-fetched story was concocted to cover simple incompetence.” He watched Collins pale before his words. “However,” he allowed a sigh to escape, “I know you well. Over the years of your service, you have never failed an assignment… before now. I have therefore no reason to question the validity of any of your statements.”
Collins sagged further in the chair, obviously relieved. “Thank you, Guardian.”
“Oh, do not thank me yet Captain. No, do not thank me. You did fail to complete the assignment, the single most important assignment of your career. However, I believe there remains a chance to salvage the situation. There is still sufficient time to correct your failure. As the task you were assigned is unfinished, it remains yours to complete. Do you not agree?”
“It is my responsibility, Guardian. I will not fail you a second time.”
“Yes, you certainly must succeed this time,” Talin replied grimly. “The penalty for a second failure will not allow you to draw the breath for a third.”
“I understand,” Collins voiced strongly. “I will recapture the outsider.”
The Keeper allowed a small measure of warmth in his tone, “Very well, back to the work at hand. Janus Owens cannot remain undetected for very long within the palace. Eventually, he will be sighted by someone, someone who may not be party to our endeavor. You will find him before that happens. However, to do so will require a change in my plan. Listen closely; I want to have him recaptured before six chimes.” Collins leaned forward, eager to make amends for his failure.
● ● ●
Owens said in surprise, “Your mother? You’ve never mentioned her before. If she has it, do you think she’ll be willing to give you the information?” He rubbed his chin, “You know she’s going to ask why you want it. What do you plan to tell her if she asks?”
“Owens, my mother died as a result of a transport accident when I was a small child. It was a very long time ago.”
“What? Oh, I’m sorry. Then how…”
“I know where she kept hard copies of the records and of a way to gain access to them without anyone discovering. Nevertheless, we must be quick. I am sure that a search for you has already begun. It will not be long before my quarters are investigated. Follow me.”
He had expected her to lead him out into the hallway, but was surprised when she instead headed into another room, deeper into her residence. He followed her and walked into a room with mirrored walls. At its center, was a large crystal-topped dressing table with yet another mirror attached, this one oval, with an ornate, gilded frame. Cosmetics and jewelry boxes were scattered haphazardly across the table’s surface. She stopped and turned toward him.
“This is one of my dressing rooms,” she said. “Behind these mirrors are walk-in closets.” She walked over to one of the mirrored panels. “All except one,” she tapped three times on the upper right-hand area of the mirror’s surface. She then tapped once near the center. Finally, she reached down and tapped twice in the lower left corner. With a number of muffled clicks, the mirrored panel swung inward.
Owens grinned, “I should have seen that one coming, a secret passage. Every palace should have at least one.”
Sharné turned back to him. “The Founder had these passages constructed long ago to facilitate emergency evacuations for him and members of his family. The passage connects the royal suites of the upper palace and to a lengthy corridor that leads down to a small shuttle pad near the west garden on the palace grounds.”
Owens stared at the now revealed entrance. “How many people know about this passage? I assume your father and his security people would be aware of this. How likely are they to include this as part of their search for me?”
“Actually, not very likely at all,” she answered. “It has been all but forgotten. You see, it was never needed or used. Most of the exits have been blocked over the years as the upper palace underwent repairs and renovations. If memory serves me, there are only five rooms remaining that still connect and have working entrances.”
Owens asked, “How do you know all of this, is this part of your job?”
She sighed, “No. My mother showed it to me when I was little. When my father was away, which was often, she would let me use the passage to sneak into their room and we would play silly games and talk. Sometimes I would get to sleep with her.”
Owens heard a wistful sadness in her voice. “I’m not I sure I understand. Why would you need to sneak?”
Her voice strengthened. “After the age of five, my primary care was provided by nurses and nannies. Training begins early for Golstar’s elite. I imagine that had my caretakers known, they would have told my father and the passage would have been sealed, but fortunately, they never suspected.”
He immediately saw some similarity in his own upbringing. “I understand. Loders practice similar methods of childrearing.”
She sighed quietly, making no comment. She turned and started to enter the passageway, but then suddenly stopped short. She stood still, the set of her shoulders stiffening. She turned back to face Owens, her expression now unexpectedly wary.
He asked, “Okay, what’s wrong now?”
“With my guilt for your present situation and the immediate urgency of the moment, I did not once consider the consequences of giving you aid, nor did I think to question your motive. I am very sorry Owens, but I must do so now. Why do you want the code, and exactly what are you planning to do once you have it in your possession?”
He looked into her eyes and saw the banked fire lurking behind her pointed gaze. He shrugged, “To be honest, my first and only thought was to find a safe haven, gain some time to think. With the code and my DNA, and provided I can contact this planet’s Controller before I’m recaptured, I was planning order it to transport me into the Prime facility.” He didn’t mention he was in contact with Hec who had access to the Controller. “From what your father said, Golstar can’t gain access to it without the complete key. I figured that would give me enough breathing room to decide what to do next. Frankly, I haven’t thought much beyond that.”
“I see, but can you see that such an action could have far-reaching consequences?" She said in a somber voice, “Aside from my feelings for you, what makes you believe I would willingly provide you access to the very knowledge and technology that could ultimately threaten, or destroy Golstar, even as flawed as it is?”
Great timing, he thought. Precious time was ticking away and now she wanted to debate. “Damn it Sharné, I don’t know what I can say that would convince you. Using the Controllers to gain some sort of advantage for Confederated Planets over your peoples’ best interests wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Forgive me if I seem self-centered in this, but I only thought of it as a way to escape immediate capture. It would buy me some precious time.”
“You do not have to do anything directly to harm Golstar,” she countered. “You could simply give your government access to the Primes and the result would be the same.”
His temper started to fray. “Look, I really don’t have time to debate this with you right now. I just told you I haven’t even thought beyond the point of
getting to a safe place.” Before he could stop himself, he went on, “And by the way, what are trying to protect anyway? The lives of people that are controlled by a government that deliberately engages in mind control? You’re worried about preserving that?” At his thoughtless words, her face lost all color.
He sighed heavily. “Look, what I said may not be diplomatic, but damn it, it’s still true. But as much as I may not like what your government has done to its people, I wouldn’t try to take on the responsibility of trying to change it.”
Her face remained pale.
He said, “I mean, who am I to make such a judgment, one that would affect so many people? I can only promise you I’ll try not to do anything that will hurt you… or your people.” He was beginning to sweat. Guards could begin pounding on the door in any second. “Come on Sharné, remember who I am and what I am. I didn’t ask to be here. I only came here to do to a job, a job I’m damn good at. I’m not qualified for anything else.”
She silently stared at him, carefully weighing his words. He went on doggedly, “Sharné, I’m telling you the truth. In the short time we were together, I hoped you’ve come to know I couldn’t do something like that. Believe me, I’ve never had an urge to act as god. ”
She finally spoke, “I do want to believe you. But I believed my father and he… Owens, I don’t know what to do.”
“Then just come with me,” he urged. “We can do this together. If I can gain access to the Prime, we’ll be safe. Then we can take our time to consider what to do next. With your knowledge and experience, it’s only right you provide the guidance, and as long as it doesn’t harm Confederated Planets, I’ll order the Controller to do whatever you ask. Sharné, think about it. You have a chance to make real changes, changes for the better.
He stopped talking. He had run out of things to say. Still, she did not respond, so he gave her one more option. “Or… you can simply turn me in me now. I won’t run, and I promise I won’t try to escape again. But, whatever your decision, you’d better make it quickly. We're running out of time.”
CHAPTER 54
The Grand Patriarch sat up in his bed and turned on the lamp. He rubbed his eyes. He had been tossing and turning since retiring. Earlier, that evening, he returned to his rooms to consider his next actions. It had pleased him that in spite of all the setbacks, the first phase of his plan had succeeded. Granted, the end result was nowhere near as elegant as he had envisioned, but the first critical objective had been met. He now had the precious key, the key that would reopen the door to his people’s greatness and in turn, assure his own place in history. He reckoned his legacy would be only second in stature to that of the Founder himself.
He had spent the evening going over the many detailed steps he felt were needed to reach three major goals, goals that would mark the ultimate success of his plan. Once he regained access to the Trah-tang technologies, he would immediately direct the Controllers to begin the reconstruction and repair of the long neglected technology-driven pillars of Golstar’s civilization.
The highest priority was the immediate resurrection of Golstar’s military machine. It was the foundation on which Golstar’s civilization was anchored. With it, Golstar would regain its strength, its righteous might. Without it, Golstar would continue to falter and if confronted, would surely fall to its hated enemy. As he had told Owens, he fully anticipated that Confederated Planets would be skeptical of Golstar’s explanation for Owens’ extended stay. He had always known that their patience would not last for long and he wanted Golstar fully prepared to assert its military superiority once more and demonstrate the futility of any uninvited incursion into Golstar’s territory. The time for another, more forceful object lesson was long overdue.
The next goal was the mass restoration program to address the faltering systems of Golstar’s decaying infrastructure. Golstar had long relied on the Controllers to maintain its supporting technologies and when that support was withdrawn, exacerbated by the declining population, the underpinnings of day-to-day existence had gradually weakened out of ignorance and neglect. Transportation systems, communications networks, schools and hospitals would all require a significant overhaul, if not wholesale replacement.
In turn, this would allow an appropriate interval before addressing the third goal, halting and reversing the dropping birth rate. He and his predecessors had known all along the underlying cause for the population decline, but despite that knowledge, the only cure that had been found would have undermined their civilization. Even with centuries to research the problem, the scientists were unable to arrive at a suitable solution. He knew that only by regaining direct access to the Controllers, would the problem be resolved... to his and the ruling families’ satisfaction.
He relived the feeling of excitement that he experienced with the realization that these goals were now so very close to being attained. He nodded to himself in satisfaction. He did not regret the time he had spent immersed in planning the arduous tasks ahead. The end reward would be that Golstar would regain its path back into the Light and once again flourish, all under his wisdom and guidance. Yes, soon he would foster a new renaissance, one guided by the Light of the Way.
His stomach rumbled and he smiled. His mind had been so occupied on implementation strategies, he had barely noticed when the steward had brought in his evening meal. He now glanced over, towards a chair in the far corner of his bedroom. Near it, he saw the food cart. It remained where the steward had left it, the food under silver domes untouched. The Grand Patriarch had been too engrossed, alternating between relishing his final triumph and fretting over a myriad of details to even consider eating. Instead, he had fortified himself from his room’s ample wine cabinet.
His stomach took that moment to rumble once again. He was hungry. Perhaps a full stomach would help him sleep. He considered the long-cold food on the cart for only a moment and then quickly decided to call for a freshly prepared late-night snack. Rather than calling the steward, he decided it would be quicker to send one of his guards stationed outside his door to retrieve a meal from the kitchens.
He reached over to the ancient, carved nightstand and pressed a small touch sensor on its surface. A chime would sound on the guards’ belt communicators. He waited a few seconds, but no one entered his chambers. The Grand Patriarch frowned. They were standing right outside his door. Why were they not responding? He pressed the sensor again and wondered if there was some fault in the palace’s communications system.
Finally, he got out of bed and drew on his robe. He entered the large sitting room, turning on lights as he passed. He reached and opened the door, expecting to see the two hulking sentinels standing stoically on either side of the threshold, oblivious to his summons. He could imagine their chagrin when they realized their failure. Instead, he encountered an empty hallway.
The deserted entryway was like a dash of icy cold water, shocking him to full alertness. This had never happened before and his mind immediately began to consider the ramifications. Stepping back, he quickly re-entered his rooms and engaged the heavy, manual-locking door bolts. The massive wooden doors would afford him some initial protection against any forced intrusion. “Activate defensive screens,” he called. Immediately, force-fields shimmered into life, covering the outer walls and doorways of the suite’s rooms. He then paused, considering what to do next. He needed to verify what he suspected. He went to his desk and called the head of Guardian security.
Someone should have answered immediately. Instead, there was a protracted interval of silence and then a voice finally answered. He knew everyone stationed at the security center, but was unable to place the unfamiliar speaker. He quickly severed the connection and made a decision.
He went to his closet and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. It was a plain, but beautifully finished elder-wood box. He opened it and withdrew a heavy object from its padded interior. He looked at it in appreciation.
The revolver was unadorned sav
e for its carved, ivory hand grip. It had been a gift from his father who had claimed it dated back to old Earth. He spun the cylinder and was gratified that the mechanism rotated smoothly, barely making a sound. Since boyhood, he and Talin periodically took it to the palace’s underground shooting range for practice. He loved shooting the noisy but deadly gun. No modern hand weapon matched the power he felt when firing it.
From another metal box, he withdrew handcrafted cartridges and deftly loaded the pistol. He put it aside, quickly dressed and then retrieved the gun and filled his pockets with extra ammunition. He looked around in the closet and retrieved a portable light. Turning, he walked over to a wooden wall panel and pushed a hidden switch disguised as a section of molding. A panel in the wall opened outward with a ragged squeal of a rusty hinge. He activated the light and quickly entered. The door closed behind him as he began to walk along the secret corridor.
● ● ●
Owens followed Sharné, the shocker gripped tightly in his hand. He was breathing more easily now that she had finally relented and agreed to help him. Her footsteps were sure as she led the way. The portable lamp in her hand bobbed as she walked, causing shadows to dance in the dark, narrow passageway. The smaller light she had provided him remained in his pocket.
They had only traveled a short distance when she suddenly stopped and turned to him, her light winking out. The unexpected darkness was claustrophobic. Before Owens could reach for his own light, he felt her hand on his arm. “Someone else is in the passage,” she whispered. He froze, straining to hear anything that might indicate that someone was approaching. He couldn’t hear anything, but he saw a faint yellow glow flickering against the rightward wall of the cross-passage ahead of them. They watched in silence as it brightened for a few moments and then gradually faded until they were once more surrounded by the inky blackness.
He freed her hand from his arm and drew her into a loose embrace. Nestled against each other, they waited, anxiously watching to see if the light returned while straining to hear any approaching footfalls. Seconds crawled into minutes without any further sign that there was anyone approaching their position. It seemed that they were once more alone.
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