The Voyages Of The Seven (The Star Agency Chronicles Book 2)

by R. E. Weber

  They made their way over to a large oak tree, under which dozens of acorns had fallen, and stood for a moment, glancing around to ensure that they couldn’t be overheard.

  ‘Here?’ said Francisco.

  ‘Yes, OK,’ said Jules.

  Francisco knelt down and swept a patch of ground free of acorns and leaves. Then he opened his rucksack, pulled out a towel, and in a swift, practiced movement, flicked it open and dropped it to the ground.

  ‘Thank you,’ replied Jules as she sat down.

  ‘My pleasure,’ said Francisco as he sat beside her.

  Jules folded her legs in front of her and put her arms down by her sides. Then she turned to look at Francisco and smiled.

  ‘It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, it is very beautiful, but a little cold for me.’

  ‘So I’m guessing you’re from Spain then?’

  ‘Yes. I’m from a town near Valencia called Alzira. It is still very warm over there.’

  ‘Hacer calor,’ replied Jules smiling.

  ‘Si ¿Hablas español?’

  ‘Un poco, si.’

  ‘Would you prefer to speak in English, Julia?’

  Jules didn’t have the heart to correct his pronunciation of her name. Apart from anything else, it sounded nicer the way he said it. Much nicer.

  ‘Yes, if that’s OK. I’m a little out of practice.’

  ‘That is not a problem, Julia. So, where would you like me to begin?’

  ‘W…well I guess I should get straight to the point really. Do you know where Theo is?’

  ‘This is your friend, yes – the one we discussed?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And you are certain that you wish to know?’

  ‘Well, I’ve come all this way to find out, so yeah, I wanna know.’

  ‘Julia, once I tell you, your life will be forever changed. Are you certain?’

  Jules stared at Francisco, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Could it be so life changing knowing where Theo had gone? Was it really that important?

  Jules took a deep, slow breath. Whatever it was, she needed to hear it.

  ‘Tell me,’ she replied firmly. ‘I need to know.’

  ‘Before I tell you, you must understand that I have never met your friend, so I do not know for certain that he has been where I have been. However, it is my firm belief that this is the truth.’

  ‘OK, go on.’

  Francisco turned away from Jules and stared into the distance.

  ‘Your friend is not here.’

  ‘What? Yes, I know that. I…’

  ‘No, Julia, you must allow me to finish. Your friend is not here, on this world – on this planet.’

  Jules stared back at Francisco, speechless. Then she stood up and glared back at him.

  ‘I knew it,’ she growled, ‘I knew it. All this time, I’ve been waiting to find out where he was. All this time, I thought you knew. When I first logged onto your website and read those articles, I thought you were just one of those conspiracy theory nutcases. Then we messaged each other and you changed my mind. But after all this time, getting my hopes up and letting me believe you knew something, I come here and you tell me this… this cock and bull story.’

  ‘Cock and bull? I do not…’

  ‘Cock and bull – nonsense, rubbish, lies, comprende?’

  Francisco stood up and looked back at her, his eyes heavy and sad.

  ‘I am sorry I have wasted your time,’ he replied before turning and walking back towards the observatory.

  ‘What, you’re going, just like that?’

  ‘Since you do not believe me, I have no reason to stay.’

  ‘W…wait a minute.’

  ‘Why?’ said Francisco angrily.

  ‘Please come back. I didn’t mean to offend you.’

  Francisco stopped walking and stared at the ground for a moment. Then he turned back towards Jules.

  ‘Please, let’s sit down again,’ said Jules softly.

  Francisco looked back at the towel, then at Jules. Then he made his way back to the tree and sat down, cross legged. Jules could tell by his stiff posture that he was still a little angry, so she sat beside him and gently put her hand on his back.

  ‘I’m sorry, Francisco.’

  Francisco sighed and looked back at her.

  ‘I’m sorry too, Julia.’

  ‘OK, let’s start again. Tell me what you know. I promise I’ll hear you out.’

  ‘Julia, I understand how difficult this is to hear, but I promise you that I am telling the truth. I believe that your friend is living on another world. The reason I believe this is because I have been there too. The gamma-ray bursts and the power cuts are all part of this. You knew about them and so did I. That is why we are together now and why I can tell you what I know.’

  ‘OK, so what is it then, some sort of a Government thing – a secret mission to build a base on another world? Is it Mars? Theo always said…’

  ‘No,’ interrupted Francisco, ‘not a mission and not Mars. Another world, outside this solar system. A planet around another star. Do you understand what I am saying, Julia?’

  Jules opened her mouth to speak – the words ‘I don’t believe it’ teetering on the edge of her lips. Then she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and closed her mouth. She had already doubted him once. How would he react if she did it again?

  ‘Are you OK, Julia?’

  ‘I… I don’t know,’ she stuttered clumsily, her throat suddenly dry and raspy.

  ‘Take your time. There’s no rush.’

  Jules stared across the rolling parkland towards the wide grey river in the distance, dotted with small boats and seabirds – the view barely registering on her racing mind. Then she turned back to Francisco.

  ‘So we can do that, you know, travel to other stars? We’ve got the technology?’

  ‘No, not us, Julia.’

  ‘Not us? What do you mean, not us? If not us, then…’ But before she had even finished her sentence, she realised that she already knew the answer.

  ‘I mean, not us, not the human race.’

  ‘You mean aliens?’

  ‘Yes, Julia, other intelligent civilisations in the Universe. Aliens if you like.’

  ‘So where is this place, this planet?’

  ‘It is four hundred and ninety-seven light-years from Earth. The planet is known as Polisium.’

  ‘Polisium?’

  ‘Yes. It is the centre of an alliance of worlds – of species.’

  ‘So there’s more than one species of alien out there?’

  ‘Yes, there are twelve – thirteen if you count us.’

  ‘And we’re part of this alliance?’

  ‘No, but they want us to be. That is why we were invited. They want us to live with them so they can decide if we are suitable.’

  ‘You said us. So how many of us are out there?’

  ‘I don’t know exactly. They invited twenty-five people, but I don’t think everybody responded.’

  ‘So you weren’t abducted then? You had a choice?’

  ‘As I said, we were invited.’

  Jules thought for a moment about the parcel Theo had received, followed by the emails and the trail of clues. She remembered how he’d disappeared for the weekend, then returned home as if nothing had happened. However, as soon as she’d seen him several days later, she’d seen a difference in him. Before the weekend, he’d been miserable, even depressed. But afterwards, the smile had returned to his face. He’d gotten his mojo back. Whatever he had seen had been so profound that his life had been changed forever. And from that point forwards, she’d lost him. She knew it at the time but didn’t know why. Now she knew. Despite how far-fetched the story sounded, it did make sense. It might be the truth.

  ‘So how come Theo stayed but you came back?’

  ‘I… I don’t know, Julia. It was just a feeling I had.’

  ‘What do you mean a feeling?’

  ‘I
saw so many amazing things when I went there, and I will never forget it as long as I live. But at the same time, I felt like something was wrong. I think there was something they were not telling me.’

  ‘What do you mean – like they were planning an invasion or something?’

  ‘No, nothing like that. It was just, well, I don’t know. I cannot explain it.’

  Jules stared across the park at the patchwork of autumn colour, her mind processing what she had been told. Then she turned to him and smiled.

  ‘It was intuition.’

  ‘Intuition?’ repeated Francisco, syllable by syllable.

  ‘Yes, intuition. It’s when you know something but you don’t know why you know it.’

  ‘OK, yes, I understand now.’

  ‘So you had a feeling. You felt like something was wrong. You knew for some reason you couldn’t stay there.’

  ‘Yes, exactly.’

  ‘But Theo’s still there?’

  ‘If he did not return to you, then yes, I believe he is still there.’

  ‘But what’s he doing?’

  ‘I do not know. All those who said they would stay would have been given a role – a position of some sort. Responsibilities.’

  ‘Will he come back one day?’

  ‘I do not believe so.’

  Jules turned away and stared down at the grass, a sick feeling welling up inside her. As a single tear formed in her eye, Francisco gently put his finger under her chin and lifted her face up towards him.

  ‘Such a beautiful girl as yourself should not cry.’

  Jules sniffed and blew her nose. Then she smiled weakly back at him.

  ‘OK, now I know you’re a nutcase. Nobody except my mum calls me beautiful.’

  ‘No Julia, you are, truly.’

  ‘No I’m not, I’m a plain Jane.’

  ‘I do not understand.’

  Jules smiled warmly back at him. ‘You’re a lovely bloke, Francisco, you know that?’

  ‘Oh, but of course I am. We Spanish are the best.’

  Jules dabbed away another tear – this time, a tear of happiness.

  ‘So why did you tell me all this?’

  ‘Because you need answers, Julia. As a species, we are not ready for the truth, so we need to prepare ourselves. This is the first step. Those who seek out the truth will find it. Those who prefer ignorance will remain ignorant.’

  ‘The truth is out there,’ said Jules grinning.

  ‘Indeed it is.’

  ‘You said you thought there was something they weren’t telling you. What do you think it was?’

  ‘I do not know for sure, I just know it makes no sense for us to join them. We have nothing to offer them. Their technology is far beyond ours. They said variety enriches us all and that we can learn from each other, but I do not believe it. They have been through everything we have been through. There is nothing they can learn from us except how to fight among ourselves.’

  ‘So why do you think they want us?’

  ‘I have spent a long time thinking about this and the only reason I can give is our numbers. Our planet is more heavily populated than any other in the Affinity.’

  ‘The Affinity?’

  ‘Yes, that is the name of the alliance of species.’

  ‘OK, right. Sorry, carry on.’

  ‘I do not pretend to know why our huge population is of interest to them, but that is the only reason I can think of. It is the only way we are superior.’

  ‘Being heavily populated doesn’t make us superior though, does it?’

  ‘To us, no. But to the Affinity, maybe.’

  ‘I think it’s more likely they just want to help us – you know, to guide us, so we don’t make the same mistakes they’ve made.’

  Francisco took a deep breath, then turned to Jules and smiled.

  ‘The truth is, Julia, I do not know why they need us, only that I do not believe their reasons. And if I do not believe them, I cannot trust them. In my life, I have learnt to trust my instincts. I trust them now and that is why I have returned to Earth. My instinct also says that I need to tell others about what I have seen. Most will not believe me and I understand that. But for those who seek answers, I will tell them what I have learned.’

  ‘Am I the first you’ve told?’

  ‘No, there have been others, although I cannot tell you who they are.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Jules disappointed.

  ‘…but Julia, you are the most important.’

  Then to her surprise, Francisco leant over and kissed her gently on the side of her mouth. Jules pursed her lips back, and the edges of their mouths met in a half kiss. Then he pulled away, clearly embarrassed.

  ‘Oh, I am sorry. I am being… how do you say it… too forward.’

  ‘Not at all,’ replied Jules smiling, her cheeks flushing red, ‘you kiss away.’ As she spoke, she winced inwardly. You kiss away? What the hell was she saying? What was wrong with her today?

  For several seconds, they stared deep into each other’s eyes, neither daring to repeat the embarrassing half kiss. Then Francisco looked at his watch and stood up.

  ‘I am sorry, Julia, but I must leave soon.’

  Jules’s face dropped in disappointment. Then she forced a smile.

  ‘Yeah, I suppose you’ve got to get back to your family, haven’t you? Where are you staying?’

  ‘No, Julia, I travel alone and I have a plane to catch.’

  ‘OK, so which way are you heading?’

  ‘Down the hill, back to the metro station.’

  ‘You mean the tube station?’

  ‘Ah yes, the tube station. Will you walk with me?’

  ‘Of course, Francisco. I have a bus to catch, but it’s near the tube station,’ said Jules, knowing full well that the bus stop was in completely the opposite direction.

  Slowly, almost reluctantly, they made their way through the park, weaving in and out of the trees until they found the gravel footpath that led down the hill. As they crunched the dry gravel underfoot, Jules found her hand slipping into his. Francisco seemed reluctant at first to take it, but just as she was about to yank it away, he gripped it firmly and smiled back at her.

  ‘Which airport are you going to?’

  ‘Heathrow.’

  ‘When you get back home, will you keep in touch?’

  ‘Always, beautiful girl.’

  They continued down the hill, through the park entrance, out onto the main road and made their way towards a pedestrian crossing. After crossing the road, they turned left and then right onto another main road.

  As they passed a parade of fast-food restaurants, Jules stared through the windows, each time praying that Francisco would stop and declare that he had a few minutes to spare, so would she like to stop for a coffee or a coke before heading for the airport? But as each window drifted past in silence, she found her heart sinking lower and lower. This strange but charming young man was going to be walking out of her life just as quickly as he had walked into it. And that thought saddened her greatly, even though she barely knew him. What was happening to her, taking leave of her senses over a boy?

  After passing a row of Victorian terraced houses, they arrived at the entrance to a station marked with the familiar red circle and horizontal blue line of the London underground tube network.

  ‘So, this is it, then?’

  ‘Yes, this is my station.’

  They stared at each other for several long moments, their little fingers hooked into each other. Then Francisco gently pulled his hand away.

  ‘OK, well goodbye then, Julia.’

  ‘Goodbye, Francisco.’

  Francisco leant into Jules again, kissed her on the cheek and then held his face against hers. Jules closed her eyes as she felt his warmth pressing against her. It was a feeling unlike anything she had experienced before. Then to her surprise, instead of repeating the same on her other cheek, he put his lips close to her other ear and whispered to her.

  Jules pulled
back and stared at Francisco, confused. Just as she opened her mouth to question him further, he gently placed his finger on her lips to stop her repeating what she had heard.

  ‘Remember,’ he said smiling. Then he turned, pulled his ticket out of his back pocket and made his way towards the station barrier. He slipped the ticket through the machine and the small gate swung open. He strode quickly through and made his way towards the underpass leading to the platform on the opposite side of the station. As he reached the top of the stairs, he stopped and turned to face Jules one last time. A warm smile lit up his face. Then he turned and disappeared down the stairs and out of sight.

  Her heart beating faster than it had ever done in her life, Jules stared at the empty stairway longingly. Then she turned and headed towards the bus stop with a single burning question racing through her mind. What was the meaning of the strange word he had whispered to her?

  What the hell was ‘Damocles’?

  To be continued…

  The Seven will return in

  The Tacitan Legacy

  Acknowledgements

  I would to thank everybody involved in the creation of this novel, in particular Nicola Rhead for her excellent proofreading and friendly advice. Your hard work and keen eyes have greatly improved this novel. Also, thanks once more to Debbie at The Cover Collection for your great cover art. As always, the quality of your work and professionalism is greatly appreciated.

  Thank you to the online communities of authors, bloggers and readers, who have supported and encouraged me during the creation of both books in this series. Without you, I would not be where I am today.

  A big thanks to my wife for her encouragement, patience and understanding during my all-to-frequent trips to author world – a mental state in which blank responses to anything not writing related are the norm. You are, as always, my rock, soul-mate and best friend.

  And finally, thanks to all the lovely readers out there who have not only read and enjoyed the first book in this series, but been kind enough to ask for (and in some cases demand) a sequel. Without you, this book would never have seen the light of day.

  A note from the author