Space's eyes widened in shock. “Holy crap. I didn't realize just how dangerous the High Superiors' plan was. I mean, I knew it was going to cause a lot of death, but I didn't think it'd cause that much death.”
“But we can prevent all of that if we go to the Connectors and stop the terrorists before they even light the fuse,” said Alex, punching his fist into his hand. “Let's go.”
“Hold on,” said Space, raising a hand. “I just realized something. Shouldn't Annulus Security be in a position to stop the terrorists? I mean, wouldn't they notice if a bunch of terrorists were setting up explosives that will kill thousands of people?”
“We think that some of Annulus Security has High Superior sympathizers in it,” said Alex. “They might even be helping their friends set up the bombs or at least giving them access to the Connectors. In any case, I doubt we have much time, because if the terrorists have kidnapped Galaxy's dad, then that means they're probably closer to blowing up the Connectors than I thought.”
“But how can we be in two places at once?” said Space, rubbing his hands together anxiously. “All three of us can't possibly go to the east and west Connectors at once.”
“Good point,” said Alex. “I think we should split up. I'll head to the Connector at the east end and use my authority as an ADF agent to gain access to the maintenance tunnels, which is probably where the explosives are being set, while you two head to the west end and try to stop them there.”
“Wait, you're involving us?” said Galaxy in surprise. “But we aren't ADF agents.”
“Yeah, but the Annulus Defense Force Handbook says that all ADF agents have the power to grant temporary ADF membership to civilians in the event of a major crisis,” said Alex, reciting the line as if he spoke it every day. “And since this is the largest crisis the ADF has had to deal with in a while, I am going to make you two temporary agents.” He then smiled. “That means you get your own code names.”
“Code names?” said Space, rubbing his hands together eagerly. “Awesome. What's mine?”
“Santa Claus,” said Alex. He then pointed at Galaxy. “And you are Mrs. Claus.”
“Santa Claus?” Space repeated in disbelief.
“Mrs. Claus?” Galaxy repeated, equally incredulous. “Are you implying that Space and I—”
“Doesn't matter what I'm implying,” said Alex. “Since I have been an ADF agent longer than you two, that means I have authority over you, which means you have to accept the code names. Okay?”
“Okay,” said Space. “But what's yours?”
“The King, of course,” said Alex. “Anyway, we need to head out right away, because if I've learned anything from my time as an ADF agent, it's that terrorists generally don't waste time putting their plots into action, especially if they suspect that someone with the power to stop them knows about 'em.”
-
While Galaxy had seen pictures and video of the Connectors in the past (as well as studied their designs when she studied starship design back in college), she had never actually seen them in person before. This was because Galaxy had never needed to use the Connectors to travel through the Annulus. When visiting the space habitat, Galaxy and Space would simply dock the Adventure into one of the Annulus's many space ports and disembark from there onto whichever Sector they happened to be visiting.
The Connectors were massive, tunnel-like structures that had to be at least as wide as ten football fields put together side by side and twice as long as that. Thousands of people of all species—though mostly Zinarthians—either stood in long lines, waiting for Annulus Security to approve them and their belongings so they could travel to the next Sector, or were exiting from Sector Five into Sector Six. As a result, it was quite noisy and loud, although not a single individual among the thousands of travelers appeared aware of the terrorists who were likely nearby.
Thankfully, neither Galaxy nor Space had to actually go through the Connector. According to Alex, they could instead go through the maintenance tunnels, which were above the Connector tunnels that people used to travel between the Sectors. The maintenance tunnels were typically only for mechanics, ADF agents, Annulus Security, and anyone else associated with the Annulus Government to use and thus were off-limits to civilians or travelers from the UA member planets. But Alex said that, because Galaxy and Space were temporary ADF agents, that meant that they had full access to the maintenace tunnels.
After inputting the access codes that Alex had given them, Galaxy and Space entered the maintenace tunnels. They had to take an elevator, however, to rise up to the actual tunnels, during which time the two of them stood together in absolute silence, mostly due to the tenseness of the situation. Galaxy was so worried about Dad that she was in no mood to talk with Space about anything. She stroked her laser pistol—which wasn't really hers, but actually belonged to Alex, who had given Space and her some spare weapons he apparently carried with him everywhere so they could go in armed—nervously, but otherwise said nothing. She was listening hard for any sounds from above, where the High Superiors were, though so far she heard nothing except for the humming of the elevator as it rose higher and higher.
Finally, the elevator stopped with a ding and the doors opened. Galaxy and Space exchanged quick looks before stepping out of the elevator into the maintenace tunnels.
In comparison to the Connectors, the maintenace tunnels were a lot smaller. The ceiling was well above their heads, but it still made Galaxy feel slightly claustrophobic, probably because the rest of the Annulus was so huge and wide open in comparison. There were wires and piping everywhere, running along the floors, walls, and ceiling, with bright white lights illuminating everything. There was no sign of the High Superiors anywhere, however.
“See anything?” Galaxy whispered out of the corner of her mouth to Space. “Anything at all?”
“No,” said Space, shaking his head, his eyes scanning the tunnel carefully. “Nothing. You?”
“Same,” said Galaxy. “It almost seems like there aren't any terrorists here at all. But maybe they're hiding. In any case, let's stop talking. The less sound we make, the better.”
So the two friends advanced down the tunnel with their laser pistols out. They moved slowly and silently, straining their ears to hear anything, but they couldn't even hear the thousands of people moving through the Connector below them, probably due to the thickness of the metal floor between the maintenace tunnels and the Connector.
Even so, Galaxy was ready to shoot anyone who got too close. She was absolutely certain that the High Superiors were somewhere around here. Or rather, she hoped they were, because she did not want to think about what the Superiors might be doing to Dad at this moment.
Please be okay, Dad, please be okay, Galaxy thought. Please.
That was when the lights went out. Then Galaxy heard someone running up behind them. She whirled around and aimed her laser pistol, but it was too dark for her to see what she was aiming at, which caused her to hesitate, because she did not want to shoot either Space or some vital part of the maintenace tunnels.
Someone knocked her pistol out of her hand, sending it flying away into the darkness somewhere. Based on Space's shout of surprise, he must have also lost his gun, but Galaxy knew how to fight even without a gun, so she lashed out with her boot.
Unfortunately, her boot hit nothing, causing her to lose her balance and stagger forward. Then Galaxy felt a fist strike her in the chin, a blow which sent her staggering backwards. She heard Space shout, but his shout was interrupted by the sound of what might have been an energy blaster being fired. She heard Space fall to the floor nearby with a shout, causing her to turn and run, but then she felt something hot wrap around her body and legs, making her lose her balance and fall onto the floor.
The impact was painful, but Galaxy had enough sense in her mind to try to break free of the bonds around her. Unfortunately, whatever had got her was tied too tightly around her body to break free from, so she gave up pretty quickly.
Then the lights flashed back on, allowing Galaxy to see who their attackers were.
About a dozen Zinarthians—with skin colors ranging from red to green to yellow and even purple—stood around Space and her. Though they were not exactly the same in appearance, with some being more muscular than others and some being bald in contrast to the luxurious locks of their companions, one thing they all had in common was their robes. Each Zinarthian wore a platinum-colored robe with the symbol of Garth—a meteor passing through the sun—etched into their left breasts, so Galaxy had no trouble recognizing them as the High Superiors.
Then Galaxy looked to her right. Space was lying next to her, but unlike her, he was still struggling against the energy bands wrapped around his body. A quick glance downwards showed Galaxy that she, too, was trapped in similar energy bands, which felt as solid as steel chains around her body.
“Let us go,” said Space to the High Superiors standing around them. “My big brother is a member of the ADF and if he finds out what you guys have done to us—”
“Silence, human,” one of the High Superiors, a woman who looked close to Galaxy in age, snapped. She drew out a long metal pole from her robes and shook it at him. “Or I'll knock out all of your teeth one by one. I used to be a dentist, so I know how to do that, and in the most painful way possible, too.”
“Relax, Carxa,” said another High Superior, a male who had a rather laid-back voice. “It's not like anything these two say matters. All they can do is snap their little teeth and growl at us like dogs, though even a chihuahua is more of a threat to us than these puny humans.”
“Don't bring dogs into this,” said Space. “Or I'll—”
“You can't do a thing to us, human,” said the Zinarthian woman, the one named Carxa. She raised her metal pole. “Who here wants to kill these two now? I mean, I know everyone is going to die when the bombs go off, but it's been too long since I last beat the life out of a human and this one is getting on my nerves.”
Space gulped and looked at Galaxy with pleading eyes. “Galaxy, you're half-Zinarthian. Why don't you appeal to your common Zinarthian heritage with them? That's what they're always obsessing about, right?”
“The girl is half-Zinarthian?” said Carxa. Her eyes widened in anger. “That makes her even worse than you. It makes her the unnatural union between human and Zinarthian, which means that she should not exist.” She raised her pole higher, but turned her attention to Galaxy instead. “Your friend is in luck. He's going to live long enough to see you beaten to a bloody pulp, you freak of nature.”
Galaxy closed her eyes so she wouldn't see the pole coming, but then she heard a familiar voice say, “Did someone just call my daughter a 'wretched freak'?”
Galaxy opened her eyes and saw that Carxa and the other High Superiors stood frozen above Space and her. It was almost comical how still they were, at least until Galaxy noticed the looks of utter fear on the faces of all of the High Superiors.
A moment later, the High Superiors parted, allowing a familiar Zinarthian to step through. The other High Superiors looked away when he stepped through, but Galaxy could tell it wasn't because they hated looking at the newcomer. Rather, it was a common Zinarthian gesture that inferiors used to acknowledge the greatness of their superior.
But Galaxy didn't look away at the older Zinarthian standing before Space and her, his cold eyes staring at them both through his glasses. He didn't look much different from how he had a few hours ago, except for the High Superior robes he now wore, which had a neat golden trim running along their edges, a symbol of his leadership.
“Dad?” said Galaxy, though she could hardly speak the word. “Is that you?”
Dad smiled, although his smile no longer looked quite as nice as it once did. “Of course, Helena. Who else could I be?”
“Sir,” said Carxa, who still wasn't looking at Dad. “I deeply apologize for threatening to kill your daughter. I thought she was scum, pure dirt, like all of those hybrids are. I didn't realize—”
“Don't beat yourself up over it, Carxa,” said Dad in that same comforting tone he had used to comfort Galaxy whenever she, as a little girl, had been too hard on herself. “We all make mistakes. The best we can do is learn from them and move on, while vowing never to repeat these same mistakes.”
Carxa actually looked at Dad just then, a surprised look on her face. “You mean you are actually going to spare me? Oh, gracious Leader, that is—”
Carxa did not get to finish her sentence because Dad drew a laser pistol out of his robes, aimed it at her forehead, and pulled the trigger. Carxa immediately collapsed onto the pipes she had been standing on, yellow Zinarthian blood leaking out of the hole in her head where the laser had entered.
“Dying is the best way to avoid making the same mistake twice,” said Dad, lowering the gun to his side as the other Superiors stepped back in fear. “In fact, you can't make any mistakes at all when you're dead, if you think about it.”
“Dad, what the hell are you doing?” said Galaxy. “Why'd you kill her? And why are you working with the High Superiors? I thought you were trying to stop them.”
“No, no, no, Helena,” said Dad, shaking his head. “That was just a lie. I am sorry I had to lie to you, but I couldn't be sure that I could count on your support. As it turns out, I guess that I couldn't, which is a shame, really, as I was hoping you would join me in my mission to separate Garth from these disgusting humans.”
“Disgusting humans?” Galaxy repeated. “But Mom was human and you loved her, didn't you?”
“Your mother was the exception,” said Dad. “A human too good for her fellow humans. Like me, she recognized the inherent inferiority of humans to Zinarthians. Why else do you think she fell in love with me?”
Galaxy wasn't exactly sure Mom had thought of herself as being inherently inferior to Dad, but that wasn't as important at the moment as understanding the implications of this revelation. “You're saying everything you told us earlier was a lie?”
“Yes,” said Dad. He fingered the trigger of his laser pistol, but did not pull it. “The truth of the matter is, I didn't come to the Annulus in order to stop the High Superiors. I came in order to help them.”
“I … I don't understand at all,” said Galaxy, shaking her head. “I thought you hated them. This isn't like you at all, Dad.”
Dad sighed. “I am so sad to see that, despite raising you for nearly two decades of your life, that you still don't know me as well as you should. But I will tell you and your friend here about why I do what I do, because despite my intense hatred of humans, I still love you, Helena, though I am afraid I can't say the same about your friend.”
Dad fired a laser at Space. The laser struck his shoulder, causing Space to cry out as the laser left a smoking hole where it struck. None of the High Superiors looked at Space or tried to help, though Galaxy didn't expect any of them to.
“I suppose it all started thirty years ago, when your mother died,” said Dad. His tone became more wistful. “I was still a secret agent working for the government of Garth at the time. Thus, I could be away from the house for months at a time, though I never, ever forgot about you or your mother, Grace, on each mission I undertook.”
He then raised the gun and looked at it as though it was evil, though he didn't drop it. “After one of these missions, I returned home with a gift that I had bought for Grace. It was a genuine Starborn artifact, a star-shaped pendent that I thought would look lovely on her. Your mother always loved Starborn artifacts, seeing as she had studied extraterrestrial archeology in school and had even had a short career as an archeologist before giving up her career to take care of you, my daughter.”
Galaxy remembered Dad telling her that. He had even showed Galaxy Mom's degree that she had received from the University of Earth. Yet she did not say anything, because she was more interested in listening to Dad's story than talking.
“When I got home, I …” Dad almost broke down here, but then he
shook his head and continued. “I found you, alone, in your room. You were protected by our guard robot, which I later learned had been given orders by Grace to keep you safe. As for Grace herself, I found her dead in the living room, her head cut off and her blood everywhere.”
“Hold on,” said Galaxy. “That's not what you told me what happened. You told me that Mom accidentally got hit by a hover car. That's how I was told she died when I was old enough to ask.”
Dad shook his head. “I lied again. I didn't want you to grow up knowing that your mother was murdered in cold blood in our own house. I wanted you to feel safe. So I made up a lie and asked my family and friends not to tell the truth to you. I apologize for it, but it was the only way I could preserve your childhood innocence just a little while longer.”
“Then … who murdered Mom?” asked Galaxy.
Dad's face contorted in rage. “Beasts killed Mom. Degenerates who thought that they could kill the beloved wife of the best operative that the government of Garth has ever known and get away with it. Human degenerates, who I methodically tracked down and killed one by one as the months passed. It was satisfying to hear their screams for mercy as I killed them the same way they killed Grace, that is, without mercy or restraint.”
Dad sounded completely delusional now. That made Galaxy wonder how much of what he was saying was the truth and how much was simply the grief affecting his critical thought processes. Of course, he could be perfectly lucid and simply outright lying to her, as Galaxy was now not so sure that she could trust anything he said.
“Even so, there was still an emptiness in my heart about what I did,” said Dad. He clutched his heart with his free hand. “As satisfying as it was to kill the men who killed Grace, I felt like I had not accomplished much. It was only after I killed the last of those filthy degenerates that I learned that all of them had worked for the Universal Alliance. There was even evidence that they had been ordered by someone within the UA—a high-ranking official, not some mere peon—to kill my wife.”
The Spacetastic Adventures of Mr. Space and Captain Galaxy: Season Two Page 26