RESURRECTION (RIBUS 7, #5)

by Shae Mills

  Chelan felt a tremor travel through her own body, the spectacle before her nearly inducing vertigo. “This is one of the main hangars. More of these enormous facilities are sprinkled throughout the ship, but this is one of the largest by far. It’s located near the periphery of the ship so that in battle situations, fast launches can occur. But it also means it’s more exposed and vulnerable to attack. So in times of war, ships here are utilized first, and the hangar is totally emptied almost as soon as an alert is sounded. Because this hangar is for military use only, there are no civilian transports or cargo ships at this location. But nearly every type of the Empire’s combat aircraft—fighters, military shuttles, and support vehicles—is represented here. Some you’ll see will remind you of Earth, others...” Chelan took a deep breath. “Well, others are quite literally out of our world.”

  Will looked up, way up, his hand darting out to Chelan’s shoulder for support as he attempted to gather it all into his one frame of reference. But the hangar was too large, and he felt his head spin. “Chel, this is beyond belief.”

  Chelan was delighted. “You may explore if you wish.”

  Just then a blast of sound like that of an air horn echoed through the hangar, startling Will nearly out of his skin. Red flashes of light shot off from unknown sources, three times, and then all was silent. Will’s eyes met Chelan’s.

  “You watch. The next reconnaissance mission is about to be launched. The ship is stationary right now, but each battleship has a constant contingency of ever-ready and armed security flanking her. They take care of small annoyances, conduct external repairs, and basically ride shotgun. It also serves as a training exercise. Come watch.”

  They moved to a small platform next to the wall. When Yanis hit a switch, impenetrable walls of transparent material surrounded them. Then, suddenly, the platform ascended rapidly, catapulting them nearly to the ceiling.

  Will took a moment to pick his stomach up out of his pelvis and to straighten his buckled knees. He looked at his sister. “I think we could have used a little of that inertial dampening just then.”

  Chelan laughed. “I actually agree, but I was braced for it. I should have warned you.”

  Then they looked back out over the blanket of obsidian power. Will watched as the entire gargantuan wall at the far end began to cleave in two, the separation revealing nothing beyond but vast, empty, starlit space. Will stared into nothingness for a moment, and then movement caught his eye. Silently, birds of prey were jettisoned from the flight decks in groups of fifty, mere seconds between departures.

  Will had no words, and neither did Chelan. Though she had witnessed the phenomenon many times before, it still rendered her awestruck. When the last of the ships had departed, the cavernous doors sealed shut and all reverted to normal.

  Will’s mouth opened and then snapped shut. His brows furrowed and he pointed. “How did they open all this up to all that? I mean, last I knew, space was a vacuum, and yet we’re still here, the flight deck crews are all here. I don’t understand.”

  Yanis spoke. “There’s a force field in a plane that parallels the eternal hangar doors. It maintains the compression in here and shields us from out there. The plane is malleable, shall I say, or flexible, similar to plasma. The fighters can sear through it from either direction, causing only a mild and very temporary distortion.”

  Will looked into Yanis’s azure eyes. “What happens if that fails?”

  “To my knowledge one never has. But should it ever, sir, I would not wish to bear witness to it.”

  Will finally felt a tremor seize him, his enthusiasm waning slightly. “Umm... Where next, sis?” he intoned, trying gallantly to gloss over his sudden bout of anxiety.

  Chelan turned toward a set of doors behind them. “Here. We can leave this way.”

  They stepped out into the large corridor and then proceeded onward. Entering another pod, Chelan spoke. “We could wander the decks for an eternity, but I think one of the most interesting places on board is our own personal Command Center.” Chelan’s mind became awash with fond memories. “The one on RIBUS 1 is identical to that on RIBUS 7, where I first met Korba. There are actually two, each one near each Bridge, but for the duration of most voyages, we operate out of only one.”

  Will smiled. “From what I’ve seen so far, I can only imagine the technology contained within the brains of the ship.”

  “You have no idea.”

  “Well then, I’m definitely looking forward to this.”

  Will had no sooner spoken than the doors to the pod opened. Chelan led him only a few meters down the hall to where several guards stood. At her approach, they parted, and Chelan ushered Will in through the Command Center doors.

  Will immediately nodded a warm greeting to Korba and Marri, but his eyes were quickly drawn upward, his attention caught by the scene displayed upon the main screen.

  Korba lifted Jason off his lap and rose. “How has your tour been thus far, William?”

  Will licked his lips, his eyes fixated. “Ah, ah...” Finally he looked down at the amused Warlord. “Beyond words, Sire. I could never begin to describe the grandeur or the awe-inspiring sights upon which my feeble eyes have feasted.”

  Korba nodded. “Then feast your eyes on one more thing.” He glanced at the screen. “This is Iceanea, your sister’s new home planet.”

  William began toward the middle of the Command Center, looking down just in time not to fall down the few steps that ringed the central area. “Iceanea...,” he whispered. He looked at Marri, the pretty warrior contentedly nursing Shanna. “You told me about your world. But it’s something else to see her.”

  Marri looked up at the slowly rotating orb. “She’s actually quite nondescript as far as planets go. ‘Ice ball’ would suffice and be quite accurate.”

  Will looked back at Chelan. “How is it, sis?”

  “Cold doesn’t begin to describe her, but the Palace is beyond your sweetest of dreams.”

  Will looked to Korba. “We call our galaxy the Milky Way. Where is Iceanea in relationship to Earth?”

  Korba turned to the console and instantly Iceanea disappeared, the planet replaced by a circling mass of stars.

  Will squinted. “That looks real.”

  “It is. We have sent long-range probes out beyond our galaxy. These are pictures being returned.” Korba made some adjustments and suddenly a small yellow dot flashed near the outer edge of one of the spiral arms. “Earth,” Korba announced. “Calley, as we call it. And then, through the hub, nearly as far as you can get, and in the heart of this thick mass of stars”—another dot flashed red—“... is Iceanea.”

  “How long to travel?”

  “Well, before the newest hyperdrive, just shy of one Earth year. Now we are down to just over three of your Earth months.”

  Will could only shake his head. “And, now, what brings you here, so far from home?”

  Chelan’s eyes flashed to Marri. “You didn’t tell him of our purpose?”

  Marri shook her head. “I thought I’d leave that pleasure to you, my Lady.”

  Will looked at Chelan expectantly.

  “Will,” she began, “Marri told you of the Empire’s fall?”

  Will nodded.

  “Did she also tell you that RIBUS 7 was destroyed?”

  “Yes.”

  Chelan straightened. “Well, she was attacked in the Balatesian system, a system near Earth. We all thought she was lost forever, but as it turns out, not only did we find her, she still has a breath of life within her, or so our engineers say. So we’ve come all this way to salvage her.”

  Will’s brows rose. “Oh my. From what I’ve seen of RIBUS 1, the breadth and scope of the technology contained within these ships, you have a daunting task ahead of you.”

  Korba nodded. “We will strive only to make her travelworthy right now. With three battleships in the vicinity, we have a dedicated crew of just over a million to right her again. The majority of the work will be done back on
Iceanea.”

  “How long to get her on her feet?”

  Korba tapped a few keys, and Chelan had to suppress a gasp at the ghostly image that formed on the main screen.

  “My god,” Will croaked.

  They all stared at the pockmarked hull before them. Every once in a while, a small flicker of light emanated from parts within her.

  Korba pointed. “What you see is our salvage crews working. Once we all arrive, she should be lit up like one of your world’s Christmas trees. Anyway, until all our engineers swarm her in her entirety, we won’t know just how long things will take. It will be dangerous work out here in space. There could be any number of setbacks.”

  “Amazing,” was all Will could say.

  Even Shanna had detached herself from Marri and was staring up at the spectacle, her little fist stuffed in her mouth.

  Jason yanked on Korba’s shroud. “She’s your ship, isn’t she, Dad,” he announced proudly.

  Korba ruffled his silver hair. “That’s right. I’ve spent most of my life on her decks.” His hands ensnared in the boy’s mane as he redirected his gaze to Chelan. “And that’s where I first met your bewitching mother.”

  Chelan blushed. “By force, he forgot to add. As I recall, I was contraband.”

  “The most beautiful contraband the galaxy has ever seen,” Korba amended softly.

  Will’s eyes landed on the ebony-clad Warlord, the foreboding devil in black transformed into a mortal man immersed in a sea of adoration for his sister. Suddenly, Will felt disoriented, almost as if he were entwined in some bizarre dream. On the one hand, here was his sister, the same old Chel he had always known; and on the other hand, the man by her side was as alien as anyone he had ever seen.

  Will took a deep breath, suddenly wondering what the man looked like beneath his military garb. Was he more man or beast? But then Will’s eyes lit on Chelan, and he saw the adoration in her eyes for Korba. Obviously, it didn’t matter. She loved the alien being unconditionally.

  Then his thoughts were interrupted as young Jason cleared his throat. “Uh, Dad, can we all go swimming?”

  Korba hesitated. “Why, I don’t know about that, my son. We have company.”

  “Oh, I know Uncle William would love to come,” Jason announced. “And Auntie Marri could have the kitchens cook up something divine. We could have a picnic.”

  Korba’s eyebrows raised as he looked at Chelan.

  She shrugged. “Sure. We could go for a dip, and then Will can dine on some of our more traditional Iceanean delicacies as part of this extraterrestrial experience.”

  Jason looked up at Will expectantly. “How about it, Uncle William?

  William beamed and squatted down beside him. “I would be delighted to join your picnic. Why don’t you show me this pool to which you refer.”

  Jason took Will by the hand and began eagerly dragging him toward the workout area, the rest following closely behind.

  Will stepped into the cavernous room, his eyes swept up by the grandeur of the pristine pool. He stopped by its edge, his hands thrust into his pockets. “My, my, Jason. Such a small one as you gets such a vast expanse of water!”

  Jason immediately began shedding his clothes. “Yup, it’s basically all mine.”

  Will smiled. “By the way, where did you learn to speak English so well?”

  “Oh, long ago my dad decreed that all people who may interact with my mom had to learn your language.”

  Will’s brows rose. “Wow. You speak it so well. It must have been a lot of work.”

  Jason smirked. “Hardly. Your language is rather simplistic, actually.”

  Will looked to Chelan, a crooked smile on his face. “You’re a linguist. I’ve never heard of the English language referred to as ‘simplistic.’ Have you?”

  “No. For us, our mother tongue with all its rules and exceptions can be a bit of a bear. But compared to the complexities of the Iceanean language, English is child’s play. Add in the Iceanean intellectual abilities and, well, for Master Jason, the full acquisition would have taken mere weeks.”

  Will’s head snapped back to Jason. “Weeks?” he whispered.

  Jason shrugged. “I don’t remember exactly. But it was simple.”

  Will watched in astonishment as the boy made short work of his boots and clothes, the conversation about language apparently over.

  Jason appeared about to dive into the water when Korba’s voice caught him up short. “You will wait for an adult, Master Jason.”

  Jason blushed and looked up at Will. “I can swim,” he affirmed confidently.

  “I bet you can,” said Will, “but your dad’s right. You must always be safe.”

  Chelan sidled up to Will and gave her brother a big squeeze. “That’s for sure. My son here, as we speak, is being honed as the next galactic ruler.”

  Will’s eyes glistened with genuine awe. “Is that so? Well, I’m honored to be in your presence.”

  Jason smiled coyly. “So, do you want to come for a swim or not?”

  Will peered about his surroundings. “I don’t know, young sir; I seem to have forgotten my trunks.”

  “Your trunks?”

  Korba folded his arms casually over his chest. “Sounds familiar,” he said with amusement.

  Chelan winked at Will as she began to slide out of her gown. “The Iceanean people pay little heed to nakedness. It has taken me the better part of two decades to get the hang of it, but I’ve finally learned for the most part.”

  Will watched with a combination of rapt awe and embarrassment as Chelan’s flawless body emerged. Then he refocused as Jason jumped in the pool with a large splash, Chelan following him in with graceful dive.

  She surfaced and flicked the water from her long lashes. “Come on, big brother, or I’ll have to climb out and throw you in.”

  Will finally let his composure slip, his face pinking slightly as he glanced at Marri.

  The warrior grinned and rocked Shanna. Then she looked at Chelan. “If you don’t mind, my Lady, I think I’ll take the wee one back to the suite for a nap.”

  Chelan nodded, and Marri winked at Will. “Enjoy your swim,” she whispered, and she turned and sauntered away, a warm smile upon her lips.

  Will’s attention shifted once again as Korba shrugged off his shroud. Will’s eyes widened in astonishment at the profusion of weapons that Korba began to shed. Then at last, the Warlord removed his uniform. Will swallowed hard, unable to quit staring. Only when Korba’s bronze body sliced into the liquid blue did Will jar back to reality.

  “Watch this,” Chelan urged.

  Will followed her gaze as she pointed toward the far end of the massive pool. Will waited and waited, waiting an impossibly long time for Korba to surface. But the Warlord remained immersed. Eventually, Will found himself holding his breath in anticipation. When Korba finally broke the surface at the far end, Will’s own breath exploded from his chest. He looked at Chelan. “How’d he do that?!”

  “Oh, come now, Will, where’s your competitive edge? Why don’t you try to best him?”

  “What? I’d burst. The bloody guy is part fish!”

  Jason scowled up at William. “Are you coming in or not?”

  Will nodded in apology. “Oh, yes, forgot myself. Be right there.”

  Chelan giggled as Will hastily discarded his clothes and then stood at the edge. “Tallyho!” he bellowed, as he cannonballed in. Then he clamored to the surface spluttering. “Shit, this is cold!”

  Chelan smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I forgot to warn you. Actually, it’s quite warm by Iceanean standards. I guess I’m just used to it.”

  Will began to backstroke. “Sorry I can’t stay to chitchat, but if I don’t get moving, I fear I’ll seize up, or worse.”

  Chelan took a full breath and started after her brother, leaving Korba and Jason to frolic. When they reached the far end, Will held onto the ledge and stared at Chelan. He lowered his voice and nodded back the way they had come. “He doesn’t
have any hair.”

  Chelan grinned. “What are you babbling about, you clot? He has the thickest bloody carpet of hair of any man I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s halfway to his waist right now!”

  Will splashed the insolent face before him. “His body, blast you. I see the damned stuff on his head!”

  “Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, interesting, isn’t it?”

  “Does he shave it all off for some reason?”

  “No. It’s genetic.”

  Will’s eyes widened. “And what of the women?”

  “Oh, you mean like Marri?”

  “Yes, like Marri. She’s a woman, isn’t she?”

  Chelan’s lip quirked. “Beautiful, isn’t she...”

  “You’re teasing.”

  “Why don’t you ask her yourself? She’s not shy.”

  Will rolled his eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”

  Chelan smiled. “Yes, well, she’s totally devoid of body hair also. So it seems are Jason and Shanna.”

  Will huddled up close to her. “What else is different?” he asked in a heated whisper.

  Chelan’s jaw dropped for a moment, and then her mouth snapped shut, a red flush climbing up her throat.

  Will stared at her. “Well?”

  Chelan glanced across the pool, but Korba remained occupied with Jason, the youngster’s shouts of glee reverberating throughout the room. “Well, like what?” she asked.

  “I don’t know—you tell me?”

  “I don’t know much about the woman.”

  Will sighed with frustration. “I figured that.”

  Chelan gasped. “Oh... You mean sexually?”

  Will nodded. “I can see the obvious. He’s built like a bloody cement truck. His skin looks like tanned neoprene. His eyes haunt, and his hair defies description.”

  “Metallic,” Chelan interjected helpfully.

  “Aye, that about sums it up. So, anything else?”

  “He’s awfully tall...”

  Will let his head sag momentarily with defeat. “And I’ll wager he’s well over three hundred pounds.”

  “That’s about right. A tad less, actually.”

  Will looked at her from the corner of his eye. “And body weight and size aside, he’s no different from any other man?”