by Dana Kelly
Grinning, they both tugged insistently at Florin’s sportscoat.
“Send it now, Papa! I want to see him turn the lawn upside down!”
“He could smash all our cars together to make one giant car that can go in any direction!”
“I’d like to see him rearrange all the rooms! Can you imagine how loud all the help would cry? It would be wonderful!”
“I’ll tell you what,” said Orin. “You two should make a list of the kinds of things you’d like to see me do, and we can make a day of it.” A blue aura wreathed his hands. “But until then, here’s a sample.” He raised his arms slowly, lifting the boys off the ground. They hooted and cheered as he gracefully moved them here and there.
Nathaniel and Andrea exchanged worried looks. He tugged at the tips of his gloves and stared at Orin. “You be careful with them.”
“They’re not in any danger,” said Orin.
“Papa, I’m an aeroplane!” said Erwin, and he stretched out his arms.
“I’ll shoot you down,” said Othmar, and he laughed.
“That’s very good,” said Florin. “It’s time to land!” He cast Orin a baleful glare. “It’s time to land.”
Orin chuckled. “Sure, coming in for a landing.” He lowered the boys back down, and they buried their mother in chatter and hugs. Nathaniel pulled his gloves back on. “I mean, I’d hate to break the hearts of my biggest fans. Right, Lord Blösch?”
“You can send the waiver directly to me,” said Casey. “My address is on the report I sent you.”
“My driver will take you to the hotel of your choice,” said Florin. “Now, begone, all of you!”
“So, no waiver?” asked Casey.
Florin seethed. “Leave. Now!”
Casey led her team back up the tower to the sky bus. She gave the pilot the address of the first hotel that appeared in her search results, and he entered the destination into his console. As they all boarded, Casey leaned in close to April. “Did you get anything?”
April whistled quietly and nodded. “On Lord Blösch, yes. On Nathaniel, not much. Not psychically, anyway.” She passed Casey back her phone as the team settled in on the benches. “Nathaniel Knox is a freelance security consultant, once a decorated soldier with the United Planets Agile Infantry. He’s worked extensively with various leadership groups in the Alliance of Independent Worlds, specializing in counter-revolution tactics. I was right about him having a bounty on him. Unfortunately, the issuer is private, so I can’t tell you who it is, but he has both a live capture bounty and a delivery on death bounty, both of equal value.”
“That’s very strange,” said Casey, and she scrolled through Nathaniel’s profile. “Only an amateur would ever pick up a contract like that, and with Nathaniel’s training, they’d probably die trying to take him down.”
“My thoughts exactly,” said April. “As to local matters, he recently received a constableship from the Sunset Beach Patrol Authority, but there’s no record of him attending Constable Academy. Aside from those anomalies, his profile reads clean.”
Casey pocketed her phone. “What about Lord Blösch?”
“He’s in league with Admiral Schurke, although I have no idea what they’re up to,” whispered April.
“Wait—Admiral Schurke, like Admiral Anton Schurke?” asked Casey.
April shushed her and nodded.
“The hero from the Pegasi War?” whispered Casey. “That Admiral Schurke?”
“That’s right,” said April. “Florin has set aside a tower exclusively for his use, and I glimpsed several memories of staging services he’s provided for Schurke and his troops. There were few document memories however, which leads me to believe everything those two are up to is off the books. If you want details, I’ll need to do a deep dive.”
“Too risky,” said Casey. “If he caught on, he could kick us off the planet, and there’d be nothing we could do about it.”
April shook her head. “He won’t. He wants us here, because Schurke wants us here.”
Casey sank against the bench. “What the hell is going on?”
The sky bus lifted off slowly and angled toward a gap in the dome. It gradually accelerated, headed south toward the market district. The wall of smog soon parted, and hotels lit up the twilight sky.
◆◆◆
Casey lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her hotel room’s air conditioning unit rattled quietly from time to time, and the air had grown cold enough to warrant the use of a blanket, but wasn’t in her pajamas, and she wasn’t planning to don them anytime soon. “How are they connected?” she muttered. “What am I not seeing?”
Her phone rang, and Casey rolled over to answer it. The number appeared private. Clearing her throat, she sat up on the edge of her bed. “Officer Cartwright speaking.”
“Good evening, Officer Cartwright,” said Florin. “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. You were only doing your job, and neither you nor your team said nor did anything that justified my behavior. Please allow me to make it up to you.”
“What were you thinking?” asked Casey, and she began recording the call.
“Perhaps we can all get to know each other better over dinner,” said Florin. “Nathaniel swears by this quaint little pub called Jump the Moon Tavern. They’re a bit pricy for what they serve, but the regulars love it. It would be my treat.”
“Are you sure about that?” asked Casey. “You saw that I have a colossus on my team, and she can eat a lot.”
Florin chuckled. “I’ll bill it to my expense account.”
“What day, and what time?” asked Casey.
“Unfortunately, my calendar fills up quickly,” said Florin, and he took a moment to scan his appointments. “Actually, does tonight work for you? Say… eight o’clock local time?”
Casey checked her device. A little more than two hours from now, she thought. “Eight o’clock will be fine. Thank you, Lord Blösch.”
“Wonderful! I’ll see you then.” Florin hung up the phone.
Casey saved the recording and played it back, listening for anything out of the ordinary. I’m going to need April’s help with this one, she thought, and she copied the recording to her datapad. Her commlink chimed, and Casey tapped it. “Hey Krané.”
“Greetings, Captain,” said Krané. “Two messages just came in. The first is from landing control. Your shuttle has been impounded.”
“Impounded?” Casey sighed. April was right. Florin doesn’t want us to leave.
“I’ll get it cleared up,” said Krané.
“Thanks,” said Casey. “And the second one?”
“It’s bound to your gene key,” said Krané. “The point of origin is a starship designated Imperium, and it’s signed by Captain Eridani Webb.”
Casey paused. “Orin’s sister?”
“It seems so,” said Krané.
“Send it to my datapad,” said Casey. “Advanced biometric encryption, please.”
“Give me a minute to package it up,” said Krané. “How did it go with Lord Blösch? I saw you spent some time at his estate.”
She laughed dryly. “We’re supposed to meet him tonight for dinner at eight, local time, but since he’s probably the one who just impounded my shuttle, I guess we’ll see. April says he and Admiral Schurke are mixed up in some shady business together. The admiral’s got exclusive access to a transmission tower, so if Orin’s right about this place being critical to the enemy’s movements, it’s possible…” She shook her head. “I don’t even want to think it, let alone say it.”
“Admiral Anton Schurke?”
“Yes, the war hero,” said Casey.
Faint static buzzed in her ears. “That would be terrible,” said Krané. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Get my shuttle out of impound,” said Casey.
“Of course,” said Krané. “Transmitting Eridani’s message now, Captain. If… If you’re able to confirm either way regarding the admiral, please let me know. My pe
ople owe him our freedom.”
“If I can, I will,” said Casey, and she ended the call.
She unlocked Eridani’s message with a retina scan and played it. When it had finished, she put her datapad to sleep and placed it on her nightstand. Taking a deep breath, she fell backward onto the bed.
◆◆◆
Across town at the starport, within Big Huey’s cargo hold, Reggie, Lomomu, and Zella sat around a circular card table. Each of them tended a pair of face-down playing cards, and colorful stacks of chips lay close at hand. Four other cards lay face-up as Reggie dealt a fifth card.
Lomomu checked his hand and smiled. He cleared his throat and quickly sobered. Regarding him suspiciously, Zella pushed a small pile of chips. “Ah raise ye fifty.”
“All-in!” said Lomomu. He shoved all his remaining chips forward.
“Again, on the river?” barked Zella. “Ye cannae be that lucky!”
Reggie lifted his cards just enough to catch a glimpse of what faced the table. “Ah, what the hell.” He pushed his chips forward. “All-in.”
“All-in,” grumbled Zella, and she revealed her cards. Lomomu and Reggie did the same.
“A straight beats three of a kind,” said Reggie, and he laughed. “It definitely beats my pair of Jacks. Lomomu, you win again.”
“A’m out,” said Zella. Glaring at Lomomu, she shoved him her cards.
“You’re bein’ a sore loser,” said Lomomu.
“Ye played a rubbish hand an won on the river!” said Zella. “At’s three times this game alone.” Her cheeks flushed. “Ye dinnae know whit ye’re doin, an still ye win. It’s frustratin.” Groaning quietly, she stood up and stretched. “Good game, lads. A’ll see about gettin us some proper dinner delivered.”
Ellylle stepped into view at the base of the ramp and gracefully ascended. “Orinoco is here!” Her flowers blooming wildly as her small branches whooshed. “I can feel him. He’s very close by.”
“Longer than last time, I hope,” said Lomomu. He glanced up as he separated and shuffled the cards.
She stomped over and plucked the cards from his grip. Gracefully, she slid them back into their case. “Focus!”
“I was focused… on shufflin’ those!” said Lomomu.
“Focus on me,” said Ellylle.
“And why should we do that?” asked Reggie. “We’ve been holed up in this shuttle for almost a month waiting for your Caretakers to arrive. All the while, Old Siberian’s gathering dust up there!”
“Patience, Captain,” said Ellylle. “Your part in my tale is nearly finished.”
Reggie stood up and held his hand over his plasma pistol. “That sounds like a threat.”
“Where did you get that?” asked Ellylle, and she twisted her wooden visage. “No, it’s not a threat! Stop being paranoid and believe me when I say if you ever draw down on me, it will be the last thing you ever do.” She set the cards next to the stacks of chips. “We are going. All of us. Lomomu, please lock up on the way out.”
“Whaur exactly are we goin?” asked Zella.
Ellylle descended the ramp and pointed toward her taxicab. “I can sense him. We’ll trace him to wherever he is.”
◆◆◆
Within his hotel room, Orin shed his orange jacket and took off his boots. He had just started unbuckling his belt when he heard a knock on his door. “One second,” he said, and he re-buckled his belt. Turning the knob, he pulled open the door and startled to see his visitors. “Oh, hello Ellylle.” He regarded Reggie, Zella, and Lomomu as they crowded the hallway. “I never caught the names of your friends.”
Ellylle’s blooms shifted from pastel orange to vibrant pink as she gazed upon him. She quickly introduced the others and switched off her vocoder. [Hello, Orinoco,] she said with a graceful bow. [Can you understand me like this?]
“I can,” said Orin. A vision of his own name filled his mind, a portrait of his very essence. “How are you doing that?”
[There’s so much for you to learn.] Lavender morning glories grew from her limbs as she offered Orin her grip. Like velvet, they cradled his forearm as he took her hand. [You’ve walked my dreams for so long.]
“I don’t understand,” he said, and he retreated.
“Aye lad, ‘at’s her way,” said Zella.
Reggie leaned into view. “Do you mind if we come in? People are starting to notice.”
“Only if you’re okay with it, of course,” said Lomomu. “I get nervous around crowds, is all.”
“Yeah, sure,” said Orin. He ushered them inside and closed the door.
[Thank you for extending us this trust, Orinoco,] said Ellylle. Thick tendrils swarmed from her foot. [I sense your doubt, about who you are and what you’re capable of doing. You’ve always wondered if you were special, haven’t you? But you chose to bury those feelings rather than face them.]
“Actually, I’m pretty comfortable with my powers,” said Orin. “I had a pretty big awakening back on Rocksaugh, so maybe we can skip to the part where you ask me to join you and I say no. Sound good?”
Ellylle swayed and rustled as she laughed. [You’ve already sensed my intent!] A tendril coiled up around his sock and touched his shin. [I’m sorry to force this on you, but we don’t have much time, and I need you to remember.]
Memories flooded his mind’s eye: waking up many summers ago floating a hand’s breadth over his bed; pulling Eridani to safety with merely a thought. Every person connected to him stampeded through his mind. Staggering backward, he gripped the sides of his head and tripped backward onto his bed. “I remember,” said Orin. “Okay? I remember! What was the point of that?” Blue fire flared from his fingertips as he sprang to his feet, prompting Zella, Lomomu, and Reggie to step back.
[Let it fill you.] Ellylle swayed slowly. [You command such power, but you’re untrained, unfocused, and imprisoned by a labyrinth of self-doubt. You must learn to cast off personal attachments, or you’ll never realize your potential!]
“Personal attachments? You mean my friends? My family?” Orin stared into her. “April? Sorry, but I’m not about to cast off any of them. Maybe I won’t ever realize my potential.” In the depths of his pupils, stars drifted by. Nebulae swirled, and planets turned. [But maybe I will.]
[Impressive.] Ellylle straightened. [You’re in terrible danger. You can’t win against what’s coming, but you can come with me and learn to master your powers. We’re kindred beings, you and I! Cosmic, endless, and as powerful as the stars! Stand by my side as I fulfill the promises I made to the galaxy as Eternal Vanam.]
Orin crossed his arms. “I’ll never abandon my friends.”
[It’s the only way,] said Ellylle.
“With all due respect, I hardly know you,” said Orin. “It sounds like you’re out to do some good, and I respect the deep connection we seem to share, but I meant what I said. Maybe you guys could team up with us instead? We’re trying to stop an alien invasion. How about it? We could get to know each other, and if I like what you’re selling, we can always revisit this conversation.”
Ellylle cracked quietly and bristled. [Don’t insult me. Schurke wants you, not your friends. If you come with me, he’ll chase after us and leave them alone, allowing us to deal with Schurke at our leisure. They’ll have to live without you, but they’ll live!]
“Who, Admiral Schurke?” asked Orin. “The hero of the Pegasi War?”
Ellylle creaked quietly. [They haven’t told you, yet.]
“I’m losing my patience,” said Orin. “Who hasn’t told me what?”
[I should not be the one to tell you,] said Ellylle. [Unfortunately, I’m nearly out of time, and you’d never believe the news coming from me. Truly, I hope when you look back on this moment, it won’t be with the sorrow of wishing you had joined me.]
“What are you getting at?” asked Orin. “Spit it out or get out of my room!”
[Sadly, it appears it is not yet our time. Nonetheless, I will wait for you.] Ellylle curved forward, her blooms taking on a
shade of faded blue. [Please, Orinoco, take this with you.] She plucked a morning glory from her vines and placed it above his ear. [Give this to Nathaniel Knox, so he may speak true. Chaos surrounds him, and in the battle to come, chaos may yet be your ally.]
Orin grabbed the bloom. “What is this?”
Ellylle smiled kindly. [It is a gift of freedom for Nathaniel. He may not be receptive to the gesture, but perhaps he will be.]
A tendril extended from its stem, coiling around Orin’s finger. “What is it doing?”
[Don’t worry, you’re perfectly safe. She likes you.] Ellylle’s datapad buzzed softly. She glanced briefly at the screen, and her branches sagged. [I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m out of time.] She switched on her vocoder. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against Orin’s.
Cries of alarm filled the halls. People ran for the doors, while others threw open their windows. In the distance, vehicles screeched, and horns blared.
“The Caretakers are here,” whispered Ellylle. “I must not keep them waiting. I’ll see you again, my champion. I’ll be your shoulder to cry on when that time comes.”
“Who are the Caretakers?” asked Orin.
“You encountered them on Arsenal Bay,” said Ellylle. “I can sense you long to rescue those they’ve collected, and while I’m pretty sure you can, I can’t allow you to interfere.” She sprayed him with spores produced from a fungus growing deep within her wrist, and Orin collapsed, unconscious.
“Shyte!” yelped Zella.
“You’re not plannin’ on hurtin’ him, are you?” asked Lomomu.
Ellylle’s expression soured briefly. “I would no sooner harm him than allow you to harm me!” She knelt beside Orin and gently traced his hairline. “Besides, I doubt I could hurt him, even if I wanted to. The fury of the stars smolders within him. I won’t be the one to release such wrath upon this world.”