Slipstream Messenger (Neutrino Book 1)

by Daltea Francis

  “So, what happened?” Lylia asked.

  “Between Kalya and me, nothing. She was already in love with Mynophales, and I cared too much about him to try and break them up. I’m sure I would have just ruined two friendships instead. And after her accident, she was severely depressed; Myno was the only thing that kept her sane. He somehow managed to make Kalya forget, and he gave her a reason to keep going.

  “When they were nineteen, Mynophales proposed and they were joined. A couple of years later and she was pregnant with you, Neutrino. Your father was so excited. I had just started my work on Nikos Speeckian and he was my liaison to Central, so I got to see him every few months. The last time I saw him was just after you were born. We hardly got any work done because he just kept going on and on about how great you were.”

  Neutrino smiled and hurt simultaneously at the father he’d never known. It was wonderful to know how much he had cared, but it bruised that much more to realize just how much Neutrino had missed out on. He was grateful to Darwyth for being able to tell him all this history that he’d missed. But there was one thing he knew he had to ask, even if the answer might not be what he wanted to hear.

  “So, he didn’t leave her…us?”

  “I don’t honestly know what happened,” sighed Darwyth. It had clearly been a long time since he had thought about all this. The pain in Darwyth’s eyes betrayed his seemingly relaxed demeanor. “Your father took off from Nikos Speeckian but he never made it home. Central initially said he’d been lost, but I didn’t believe that, he wasn’t as good a Messenger as Kalya, but he was more than capable to make a routine trip like that.

  “I went back to Venthall for a few months trying to help your mother because she had no family. I helped her take care of you, and I spent a lot of time trying to get some answers. Finally, after about three months of pushing, an underling to the Master of Operations told me in secret that your father was classified as a traitor. That he had been trading secrets with the Fulong.” Neutrino didn’t know much about the Fulong, only that they were like the Tellasians in their desire not to become part of the United Commonwealth. They differed in their approach however; Tellasians merely secluded themselves, the Fulong lashed out at those who would subdue them in the form of random acts of violence against the Central Worlds.

  “My father was helping terrorists?”

  “The Senate believed that he was and that Mynophales was now living with the enemy; that he had defected because he knew they were on to him.” Darwyth rolled his eyes.

  “But you don’t believe that?”

  “Not for a second. I knew him practically his entire life, Mynophales was not a traitor. But he disagreed with the Senate about Messengers’ rights and he wasn’t afraid to say it. A lot of people were listening to him. No, I don’t think he betrayed his people, I think they betrayed him.”

  “You think they got rid of him?” Neutrino asked and Darwyth nodded in reply. “So what did you do?”

  “What could I do? I went back to tell Kalya, but… I just couldn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “It wouldn’t have done any good. Myno disappearing…it broke something in her. She was already struggling to deal with everything and telling her my suspicions wouldn’t have made it any easier. Either she believes he betrayed everyone and left her, or she believes the Senate took him, maybe even killed him. It was better that she simply think he had been lost. I suppose I’m not much better than her when it comes to facing hard truths.

  “But…after a while I couldn’t stand not telling her. It was eating me up and I knew it was time to go, and she didn’t really want me around anymore either. When she was solid enough to care for you on her own, I returned to Nikos Speeckian and I haven’t seen or heard from her since, although I still think about her. I tried to send messages a few times but I got no reply. Eventually I just gave up.” Darwyth sighed, obviously still hurting for his lost friends, caught in that space of sadness when there are no tears left, but an empty wound that still stings when poked.

  His story having been told, the streamship cabin was still. No one spoke or even moved. All of the action was inside Neutrino’s head as it busily tried to assimilate this new information. It was hard to comprehend his cranky old mother as some kind of genius Messenger. And his father, he was a Messenger too?

  He didn’t just leave us. If Darwyth was to be believed, the Government had disposed of him.

  So many secrets. Neutrino was tired of them all.

  “Darwyth, why didn’t anyone tell me that my parents were Messengers? I’ve been at the SEMS Academy for almost two years, why didn’t I know about this?”

  “I suspect because they all still love and respect your mother. She probably asked them not to tell you. I’m guessing she’s also the reason they agreed to admit you four times, they never let people do that what with the limitations on a Messenger’s career. Two chances, that’s all anyone ever gets.” Thinking about it, Neutrino couldn’t ever remember anyone sticking around for more than two rounds. He always assumed they had just been smart enough to quit.

  “I’m actually a little surprised they sent you on this mission, there really must not have been anyone else,” Darwyth continued, “I’m sure Kalya would be fairly furious if she knew you were with me, learning the truth. Not to mention Renix, he was probably hoping I wouldn’t figure out who you were.”

  “Why would Renix care?”

  “Who do you think the assistant to the Master of Operations was back then? Renix is the one who told me about your father. I think he was just as disturbed by it as I was, they had been friends for a while.”

  Neutrino slumped down into the Pilot’s chair and put his face in his hands. Fizz scurried out of the way and attached herself around the back of his neck, almost like a small hug. His head hurt, trying to keep all of it straight. His entire life’s history had just been rewritten and he wasn’t entirely certain how to handle it.

  “Are you all right, Neutrino?” Darwyth asked. Neutrino looked up at him.

  “I just can’t believe it,” he shrugged.

  “I know it’s a lot to take in, I’m sorry to dump it all-” Darwyth stopped mid-sentence, closed his eyes and shook his head.

  “What is it?” asked Lylia.

  “His mind,” said Mathius with a smile, “It clear.”

  “You were absolutely right, my boy,” said Darwyth as he began fiddling with the ship again. “The converters, that’s the problem. Get strapped in everyone; we’ll be on our way shortly.”

  “I’ll get navigation ready,” Lylia said. She paused to glance once more at Neutrino. She gave him sympathetic look and Neutrino tried to flash her a smile but he was too inwardly distracted. It probably looked more like a snarl. Lylia turned to her station and Neutrino faced his. He had almost forgotten about the mission entirely. He didn’t want to deal with it.

  Fizz was making that purr-chirping sound again and rubbing against the back of his neck. Neutrino gave her a gentle pat and told her to go sit with Mathius. She didn’t seem inclined to, but after a moment she went.

  Preparing the controls for take-off, Neutrino was still thinking about his parents and the lies that he’d been told. He fingered the yellow handkerchief in his sleeve and tried to soothe the usual cancerous feeling that was once again churning in his stomach, but it was different this time. It came from a darker place, somewhere Neutrino had never really been before.

  He was angry.

  He was really, truly angry for the first time in his life. He had been mad before, but this wasn’t the same. Now, as Neutrino plugged himself in, all he could think about was getting home. Not because he was scared or because he wanted to quit, but because he wanted, needed to see his mother. She had a lot of explaining to do.

  29. Protector

  “Alright, let’s try this one,” Lylia said. A new set of directions began loading into the translucent screen in front of Neutrino. He sighed and began lazily following them; hopefully they w
ould be the right ones. The search for the Sun-entity was taking longer than he had patience for. Neutrino hadn’t wanted to find it before, but now he was anxious to get it over with. He was tired of being afraid.

  They entered into the Slipstream and traveled a short ways along before exiting again so that Lylia could scan the area with the sensors. Unfortunately, Darwyth didn’t have the chance to install more powerful sensors into the ship before the mission, so their range was somewhat limited.

  “I’m picking up something,” Lylia said after a few minute of searching. Neutrino’s heart began to race. “But I don’t think it’s the Sun-entity.”

  “Mathius, do you sense anything?” Darwyth asked.

  “No,” Mathius shook his head, “Is empty.”

  “That might not mean anything, if the Sun-entity isn’t telepathic that is,” said Lylia. Neutrino hadn’t really considered that possibility. What if they encountered the Sun-entity and Mathius wasn’t able to talk to it? What then?

  “Hmm,” Lylia said.

  “What?” asked Neutrino.

  “It looks like a ship, but…”

  “But what?”

  “It’s adrift.” Darwyth unbuckled himself and went to look over her shoulder at the ship on the monitor.

  “That’s the Protector,” he said, “Take us over there, let’s try and get a better look.” Lylia sent directions over to Neutrino’s screen and he followed them until the darkened outline of the Protector loomed into view. There wasn’t a single light on, and not a bit of motion in the engines. Although space may be silent, it seemed even quieter in the presence of this ghost ship.

  “I guess it wasn’t destroyed after all,” said Neutrino.

  “We shouldn’t really be surprised,” said Lylia, a hardness in her voice. “They did the same thing to Arnasi after all. It makes sense that they wouldn’t destroy the ship, just the life on it.”

  “What do you think they want?” Neutrino asked suddenly. All this planning and effort, and he had never once considered why they were here or what they wanted.

  “Who knows,” said Darwyth, “The way they are clearing worlds and ships makes me suspect that this is just a prelude to an invasion.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know, they’re just cleaning house, before the new tenants move in. Getting rid of the pests,” Darwyth sighed. “If that’s the case then I don’t think we stand much of a chance, no matter what we do.”

  “Could just be the nature of whatever weapon they’re using,” Lylia offered. “Maybe it only affects biological matter, but not intentionally.”

  “But they ripped up the Slipstream,” Neutrino noted.

  “Stupid Messengers, don’t know anything,” Lylia said, but this time without the venom, only wry amusement. “The Slipstream is held together in part by living organisms. All those twinkly orange particles you’re flying through are alive, in a very basic way. If whatever their weapon is destroys biological matter, it would have no trouble interrupting the Slipstream’s cohesion.” Darwyth tipped his head in acceptance of her point.

  “Could be anything really,” Darwyth said. “Maybe it has no consciousness whatsoever and just likes to destroy.”

  Neutrino thought a minute about it. He didn’t like the idea of becoming extinct, or of becoming one of the few survivors of a holocaust. He tried to imagine a life after the entire system had been wiped out, and his fear returned all too strongly. But what surprised Neutrino was that his anger didn’t dissipate, it only extended to include the Sun-entity and the possibility of death. He didn’t want to die. In many ways he had been indifferent towards his life, but now…he didn’t know why, but Neutrino knew he wasn’t ready for this life to be over. He wanted to live, to see what living really could be. He wanted to know how it felt to love someone like Lylia, and what it would be like to be loved in return. He wanted to take care of Fizz and introduce her to Creet and his kids.

  And he wanted to go home. He wanted to see his mother again; he had so much to ask her.

  “Darwyth, what was my mother’s call sign?” Neutrino asked unexpectedly. It was an odd thing to ask at such a time, but he suddenly needed to know.

  “What?” Darwyth asked, taken off-guard, “Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious I guess.” This might be my last chance to find out. Lylia gave him a critical look then shook her head and went back to work examining the Protector.

  “Oh, uh,” Darwyth continued. He apparently didn’t think it was so strange. “Your mother’s name was Solar Wind.”

  “And my father?”

  “Quasar.”

  Solar Wind and Quasar. Solar Wind and Quasar. He repeated them in his mind five or six times, listening to how they rolled, how they moved.

  “Good names,” he mumbled.

  “What?” asked Darwyth.

  “Nothing. We’re wasting time here,” Neutrino said, “Let’s find this stars-cursed thing already. Lylia, please tell me you have something?”

  “Actually, I am getting some strange radiation readings. It could be from the Sun-entity. If that’s the case, we might be able to follow it. Just give me another minute.” A new set of directions loaded into Neutrino’s monitor. “I’ve linked the navigational system so that it follows the radiation trail.”

  “Let’s hope it works, I guess,” Neutrino said as he began maneuvering the ship. They took another jaunt through the Slipstream and exited into another seemingly empty expanse of space. Feeling his own heart racing, Neutrino wondered what Mathius must be thinking, knowing that everything relied on him being able to communicate with the Sun-entity. He wondered if Mathius was as nervous as Neutrino had been when everyone was looking to him for help. Could Mathius sense what they were all feeling? Was it making things worse? Or was he too consumed with his own emotions to notice? Hopefully Neutrino would get the chance to ask him about it later.

  “Is something,” Mathius said suddenly, “Is something close by.” Neutrino scanned the surrounding space until he saw it, just off to the left and slightly above them. What had seemed to be just another star was getting larger by the second. It was the Sun-entity, and it was moving in on them.

  “Can you talk to them, Mathius?” Neutrino asked.

  “Don’t know, is different,” Mathius mumbled. He seemed curious, but not overly alarmed so Neutrino hoped that was a good sign.

  “Whatever you’re going to do Mathius, do it fast,” Lylia whispered as though the Sun-entity might hear her. It was bearing down on them with determined velocity until suddenly it stopped right in front of the ship.

  “Mathius? Anything?” Neutrino asked. Mathius didn’t respond. Neutrino turned to look at him but Mathius had gotten out of his seat and just stood there, staring out, separate from the rest of them. Even Fizz had jumped away from him as he stood. “Mathius?”

  “Myno,” Lylia said, “Look!” Neutrino turned in time to see one of the thousands of orbs that comprised the Sun-entity, breaking off from the rest and heading towards the ship.

  “What do I do?” Neutrino asked. Should he try to make a run for it? Could they even get far enough away? Would it make a difference? “What do I do?!”

  No one answered. No one knew what to do. They all waited helplessly and watched as the orb moved seamlessly through the viewport and into the cabin. Neutrino took a sharp breath, expecting the worst, but then the orb moved past him towards Mathius and Neutrino’s fear for himself quickly turned to concern for the boy. Moving as fast as his clumsiness would allow, Neutrino tried to remove himself from the pilot’s seat. He intended to help Mathius, but he wasn’t sure what he would be able to do. Neutrino had no idea what would happen if he attempted to grab the orb. It could quite possibly electrocute him or do something possibly worse like dissolve his arms.

  “Mathius!” Neutrino called out, finally releasing himself from the Pilot’s seat. He tried to get to Mathius before the Sun-entity, but he was too slow. The orb paused only briefly in front of Mathius before it
advanced.

  30. Brighter Than the Sun

  It was incredible. The orb was one of the most beautiful things Neutrino had ever seen. It was golden and sparkling and bright but it didn’t hurt his eyes to look at it. It was positively mesmerizing, except that it seemed to now be firmly attached to his Mathius’ forehead like some kind of out of control tumor.

  “We hear,” Mathius’ voice sounded normal, although there was little inflection in his speech. “The boy say talk. We hear him. We talk you. Now. Speak.”

  No one said anything at first. Everyone was terrified or maybe it was just that nobody knew what to say. Neutrino looked at Lylia for some kind of signal but she seemed frozen in place, staring at the orb. He looked at Darwyth, who was in turn staring back at him as if to say, ‘I’m just a scientist, you handle it.’

  “Speak,” the Mathius-entity insisted. Neutrino reluctantly stepped forward, although it didn’t seem fair. When was he elected their leader?

  “I am Neutrino…from Venthall. Who are you?”

  “No word. We are no name.”

  “Okay, um,” his first question having not gone well, he wasn’t sure exactly how to proceed. He stared into Mathius’ eyes but could see no trace of the boy within. Why hadn’t they come up with a plan before encountering the entity? It occurred to Neutrino, that likely it was because no one actually expected this to work. Neutrino decided to push that dismal thought to the side along with his lingering panic and just cut to the chase. “Why are you here?”