by PJ McDermott
CONTENTS
PART 1: THE ALIEN CORPS
Aquarius IV 2176 AD
The Alien Corps 2179 AD
The Mission
Planet Prosperine
Ezekan
Eye Wintesses
Imprisonment
A Murder
Dark Suns
Pharlaxians
Conspiracy
Kar-sèr-Sephiryth
Pursuit and Capture
Escape
Ultimatum
Charakai
Alone
Return to Ezekan
Rescue
War
Retribution
Return to Earth
PART 2: RISE OF THE ERLACHI
The Sword
Touchdown
Hinterlands
Erlach
Albetius V
Predators
Crodal
Journey
Avalanche
The Teacher
Decisions
Feruwe
Survival
Reunion
Rescue
The Sword of Connat
Deceiver
Epilogue
PART 3: THE SCARF
Temloki
Trouble in the Scarf
Vogel
I Hate Jungle
Into the Swamp
Something in the Water
A Meeting of Friends
Visions
A Matter of Import
Discovery
Surprise Guest
The Ark
Blue Eyes
Primitives
Cave Drawings
At Sea
Looking for Answers
The Segniori
Good News Bad News
Running out of Luck
Spilling Blood
Triple Alpha
About the Author
Other Books by PJ McDermott
P R O S P E R I N E
THE ADVENTURES OF THE SPACE HEROINE HICKORY LACE
Copyright © 2017 PJ McDermott
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 9780994554468
PART1
THE ALIEN CORPS
Extract from a manuscript discovered
near Hierapolis, Turkey, in 2095
“And Jesus said, ‘At the end of days, the Lord of Light will return to all the worlds of the universe, and in each world He will gather up the true believers and lead them to this Earth where they will be united with the righteous, both the dead and the living, and they shall dwell with the Father and His Sons for all eternity.’”
Aquarius IV 2176 AD
Hickory drew the foliage of the giant wigwam tree to one side and checked for unwelcome visitors. The local wildlife often took advantage of the plant’s weeping habit to shelter from the harsh climate of Aquarius IV, and not all of these were harmless.
Seeing nothing more dangerous than a family of field mice, she squeezed between the branches and settled on the dry leaves with her back against the tree trunk. She took the envelope from her pocket and inspected it.
It was a curious object. No one used paper these days. If they needed to write, t-mail was the medium of choice, but most people didn't even bother with that, preferring the more intimate contact of their SIM. The implant hooked into the visual, aural, and audio centers of the brain and provided almost instant communication. A letter, though, did offer the benefit of anonymity, should the writer so wish.
That was the first clue to the sender.
She brought the envelope close and sniffed. The lightest of perfumes, vaguely familiar, tickled her nose. An image of short blond hair and dark-rimmed eyes rose before her. Julia? The assistant medical officer was a strange one. She was always moping around the flight deck or sitting by herself in a far corner of the lounge. She'd given Hickory one or two dark glances over recent days, and when Hickory tried to engage the girl in conversation, Julia had looked her up and down in a way that made Hickory’s blood run cold.
She slipped one finger under the flap and carefully eased open the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper. The words were handwritten in a flowing blue script, belying their poisonous message. “Lieutenant Lace, I feel it's my duty to let you know that Jacob Switzer is a married man. He’s also the father of three gorgeous kids. I assume you aren't aware of this. Otherwise, you wouldn't be doing what you're doing. I hope for the sake of the family you'll reconsider.” It was signed, “A well-wisher.”
Her head swam from the shock. Julia, of course. Some well-wisher—more like a bitter, spiteful, little tramp. Married? He couldn't be, wouldn't have led her on the way he had, seducing her with his boyish good looks and shy smiles; his kindnesses, like bringing her coffee and making her laugh at silly things. Then, the hesitant, almost accidental brush of fingers, sweet words whispered while they sat alone in the lounge gazing at the myriad of stars. And afterward, the nights of discovery and unbridled passion in this very spot, driven by, or so she'd thought, their mutual need for friendship, for affection, for the love that had escaped them both until now. Married? No, it was a mistake. It must be a mistake. That stupid woman was obviously madly jealous.
But somehow Julia knew or had guessed the truth and Hickory's position on the team was now compromised.
She heard footsteps sloshing through mud, then the rustle of leaves as branches were drawn apart. She stood as Jacob entered.
“Hickory, I...” A sheet of notepaper, identical to the one she'd just read, trembled loosely in his hand. “Hickory, I'm so sorry.” He shook his head slowly, his eyes glistening and his brows wrinkled in pleading.
Hickory's eyes widened, and she felt her throat tighten painfully. “How could you?” she whispered. “It's true, you're married with a family?” He said nothing, and her lips pressed tightly together. She couldn't stop the bitterness pouring from her. “What was I? A little bit on the side - something to while away the tedious hours of space travel? You disgust me.”
“No, Hickory, it wasn't like that.” He bit his lip, then continued. “Yes, I'm married, and I do care for Maeve. She's a decent person and an amazing mother to the kids. But I don't love her. I...I love you.”
She scrutinized his face, then reached out with her empathic sense. She'd sworn never to use it on friends because it felt like an intrusion on their privacy, but she had to know the truth. Hickory searched for the man who loved her but found only a caricature. She felt sadness take her, cold and hollow. “Why didn't you tell me, Jacob? You led me on, made me believe we had a future together. Oh, God - I suppose everyone on the ship knows.” She took a step back, grasping her arms.
He made to reach out to her, but she slapped his hand aside. “No! I know you're a liar. You made a fool out of me, but it stops here.”
Jacob's eyes hardened. He straightened to his full height, crumpled the paper into a ball, and tossed it at her feet. “Don't kid yourself, Hickory. You were just as keen as I was to grab the chance for a roll in the hay. There's not exactly a lot of choice around here.”
Hickory felt as though she'd been doused with ice water. She leaped to her feet and struck him.
Jacob reeled backward, clutching his bleeding nose.
Hickory pushed past and ran outside. Bile filled her mouth. She couldn't stand to be in the small space with him.
Mud squelched beneath her feet as she picked her way across the flea-infested swamp. Perspiration covered her face and soaked her collar, and
tiny flies swarmed in front of her eyes every time she paused to take a breath. She batted them away frantically, but they persisted and nipped at her exposed skin. Their needle-sharp teeth carried a multitude of exotic diseases endemic to Aquarius IV, and she'd been inoculated before landing, but that didn't prevent the insects leaving a small itchy swelling with each bite. All this only made her mood, already dark, even blacker.
Her quarry had at least a three-hour start. She could sense his presence, albeit faintly. She felt thankful for sensing anything at all. Without her empathic skills, she could never hope to find him.
The Corps Commander had tried to alert her to the kidnap attempt earlier. But she'd switched off her SIM during the argument with Jacob to prevent accidentally airing their affair in public. When she reconnected afterward, the religious fanatics had already made their move. Her heart beat faster at the thought of failure. She and Jacob were finished, but their brief liaison might yet result in a permanent scar. Hickory glanced at her ex-lover running parallel to her, about twenty meters distant, and gritted her teeth.
Her best friend, the space pilot Jess Parker, loped alongside her. “Any sign of them, yet?” she asked, her eyes flicking across the terrain ahead.
“Faint images. I think they've stopped for a rest, thankfully. About ten miles north of here.” Hickory panted as she spoke. Too much Lambrusco. It had been a wild month of carousing in the bars and taverns of Aquarius IV. Besotted as she was, she didn't entirely abandon her responsibilities in the investigation of Crxtor Aliaq. She'd already concluded at their first meeting that he wasn't who they were looking for. He was a miracle worker alright, but of the sorcerer kind—party tricks and stage magic—no spiritual side to him, just fakery. Another failure for the Alien Corps to add to their long list.
The new Gospel had been discovered nearly a hundred years previously. Written by an eyewitness to the teachings of Christ, it was certified as genuine by the Prognostic Cybernetic Network -PROCYN - the latest breakthrough in man/computer intelligence systems. The most breathtaking revelation in the manuscript was a prophecy implying that many species other than mankind would inherit the kingdom of heaven. The secrets revealed in that document had shaken the world to its foundations, and resulted in a nuclear war that lasted for over ten years*.
When humanity emerged from the darkness, the Corps was re-activated, and many potential messiahs had since been discovered, but all had proven false. Crxtor Aliaq of Aquarius IV was the latest.
“I hope they stay there for a while, then. If we don't catch up to them in the next half hour, my legs are going to fall off. I don't suppose it'll matter because there won't be much left of me when these flies get done.” Jess complained, but Hickory didn't sense any lessening of effort from her, and she wasn't surprised. Jess had been her tutor at Rome University, and they’d remained firm friends ever since. She was the best pilot in the Alien Corps and often ran trips for the Intragalactic Agency, the premiere trade association for the allied group of planets.
Hickory managed a grin at her friend despite her mood and then forced her legs to move faster.
Two hours later, their mission came to an abrupt end. They found Crxtor Aliaq stripped naked, his arms and legs staked out on the ground, his eyes milky-white in death.
Jacob examined the body and raised his eyebrows at Hickory. “How do we explain this? I think we're looking at the end of our careers right here.”
*As told in Dust and Ashes, the prequel to Avanaux.
The Alien Corps 2179 AD
The alert came through on Hickory's personal hollo-channel just as she finished with her class for the day.
“Meet me in my office at seven. There's a matter of importance we need to discuss.”
She arrived a few minutes early and sat in reception, alternately cracking her knuckles and glancing at the wall clock. At seven precisely, the security door buzzed, and she strode through.
Prefect Cortherien activated the privacy mode on his console and rose from his nineteenth-century walnut writing table. He reached for Hickory's hands and held her at arm's length. “My dear, how good to see you again. You're looking well. Teaching must agree with you.”
“You would say that, Pierre. You're the one who recommended me for the job.” She raised an eyebrow and smiled pleasantly at the prefect.
He frowned at her familiarity, then turned the scowl into a smile to match her own. “I terminated your employment with the Alien Corps for your own good—I was concerned for your welfare, child.” He patted her hand.
Hickory shook her head and laughed shortly. After her break-up with Jacob three years ago, she'd spent weeks trudging through the swamps and jungles of Aquarius IV fruitlessly chasing up clues to the assassination of Crxtor Aliaq. When she returned to Earth, physically and emotionally exhausted, Cortherien had sacked her.
“My welfare? I needed your support, Pierre, not your concern.”
His smile faded, and he let her hand drop. He crossed to his desk and shuffled some papers. “Your father called in the other day. He asked me to pass on his best wishes and says he hopes to be able to spend some time with you on his next visit.”
Hickory swallowed. She opened the french doors leading to the balcony and stepped outside. Leaning over the parapet, she gazed at the vista of New Rome. After the war, the United World Government had rebuilt the city as a shining example of the new order, declaring it Earth's capital and the center for world government.
Few of the original buildings survived, but famous landmarks such as the Coliseum and the Pantheon had been restored to their original glory and were now surrounded by extensive parkland. Spiraling towers and domes, made from glass and plastiskin, changed color and shape depending on the weather and time of day. Private vehicles were banned from the city, but public transport capsules zoomed along multi-layered suspension roads that looped around the buildings and each other.
“That's nice,” she said finally. “What did he come to see you about?”
Hickory kept her back to the prefect. When her mother died giving birth to her younger brother, Michael, her father had offloaded both of them to his sister, Maddie. For ten years, the only communication she'd received was an occasional birthday card with his name printed on it. In the last five years, there'd been nothing. George Lace held the rank of flag officer in the Navy. He rarely made it back to Earth, and never so much as called her when he did.
Cortherien came to her side. “Your father does care for you, you know. As an admiral in the Intragalactic Agency, he carries enormous responsibility. Over forty known planets are at a comparable stage of development to Earth. I don't want to preach at you, Hickory, but you know not all of these are friendly, and your father is the person responsible for neutralizing potential threats. He can't just drop everything and come home, much as he might want to.” He patted her on the shoulder.
How much of his precious time would it take just to say hello? I bet he caught up with Michael. She turned away from the balustrade and sighed. “I'm amazed he knew I teach here.” She paused, struck by the truth of her own words. No way would her father have known. Something else must be going on. She met Cortherien's gaze. The prefect was hiding something from her.
Hickory was a neoteric, one of a small percentage of the population born with nascent empathic ability deep in the receptors of their brains. The condition went undiagnosed until her sixth birthday when her aunt became worried about her odd behavior and took her to see a psychiatrist. He concluded her psychosis had originated from the strong emotional bond she shared with her mother at the time of her death.
Later examinations by specialists dismissed the psychiatrist's findings and classified her increasing sensitivity as a rare mutation that had emerged during the Dark Age following World War III.
By the time Hickory turned fifteen, her spontaneous piggybacking onto other people's feelings had reached the point where she found trouble distinguishing which thoughts were her own. Her doctor arranged for her to b
e hooked up to PORO, the Proto-sentient Objective Reasoning Organism, and surgeons from around the world probed her mind via the bio-computer. They applied patches and created new gateways in her brain that allowed her to better control the intensity of her empathic responses.
Following the operation, Hickory discovered she could sense whether someone was lying or avoiding the truth simply by reaching out to them with her mind.
“That's probably enough about your family issues, Hickory. We have more to concern ourselves with than whether your father loves you or not.”
She knew the barb had been aimed to deflect her from the truth. Cortherien was well aware of her talents and adept at masking his thoughts.
“Admiral Lace brought me some interesting news from the far side of the Eridanus constellation. They've discovered a planet there—the fourth of six orbiting a main-sequence star about twenty light years from Earth. Prosperine, as it's been named, has an oxygen-based atmosphere and a dominant life form similar in body plan to humans. They call themselves Avanauri, after their homeland in the northern continent. The anthropologists tell us the species developed from an oviparous ancestry.” He walked to his desk and took a pack of cigarettes and an ashtray from the drawer. “Disgusting habit, I know,” he said, lighting up a Sobranie and inhaling deeply. “But it calms my nerves.”
Hickory's nose wrinkled at the pungent aroma. “They're descended from birds?”
Cortherien grimaced and exhaled a cloud of smoke before continuing. “To be more precise, they're warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates with genetic traits similar to Earth's extinct herbivorous dinosaurs.”
Hickory tried to imagine a cross between a feathered dinosaur and a gorilla. The idea of intelligent birds made her feel queasy. Then she realized she had tuned into the prefect's nervousness.
Cortherien continued. “No wings, but they do have opposable thumbs. Their offspring begin life in an egg.” He shrugged. “My guess is that Prosperine—unlike our own planet sixty-six million years ago—didn't have an extinction event. Instead, early dinosaur-like life forms evolved to become sapient. All part of God's great plan, I suppose.” He tapped his cigarette ash into the tray.