by Saxon Andrew
“It’s got to know he’s there.”
“Wait!”
E held his position and an hour later the ship broke orbit and accelerated away. E hit maximum speed and was at the planet in seconds. He did a quick scan of the surface and couldn’t find him. “Look for the vehicles. One of them must have been moved away from the others.”
E expanded his scan and saw Ribbon’s vehicle upside down three hours away from the others. He screamed down to the surface and Ian sensed him and began activating his senses. He came to consciousness to find Violet pulling him out of his chair and dragging him toward E’s port. He struggled out of the vehicle and stumbled in the landing bay with her. E accelerated across the planet away from the scanships former position. The small ship cleared atmosphere and accelerated out into open space as ten nebula warships arrived.
The Warships detected the Skinner Field and accelerated around the planet toward the field’s location and accelerated on the line of departure. They went to maximum speed but found nothing. E had made a turn and there were no patterns out in space beyond the Wilderness that could track their course.
Ian shook his head and said, “What are you doing here?”
E said, “She refused to leave when the others left. She insisted I would need her to pick you up. I couldn’t wait to argue with her.”
“Violet, this is too dangerous for you to be here.”
Violet said, “Ask E what would have happened if I wasn’t here.”
Ian remained silent and E said, “She made me wait. If I were here alone, I would have come in and attempted to move you.”
Violet said, “And you would have been too slow recovering to have made it to the entry port in time. You needed me here.”
Ian shook his head, “Why?”
“Because I know a place where you can hide.”
Ian looked at her and E said, “They will have patterns placed all over this section of the galaxy. There’s no way for us to move back in without being seen.”
Violet said, “I know a planet that will support us that is not on any chart in the Union or Nebula databases.”
Ian looked at her, “Where is it?”
Violet pulled a hand blaster out of the holster at her side and said, “It’s where I found this.”
Ian took the blaster from her and immediately felt something wasn’t right. He moved it around in his hand and said, “This wasn’t made to fit a human’s hand.”
Violet slowly nodded her head, “No, it wasn’t.”
Ian looked at her face with a shocked expression. E said over the loud speaker, “Where did you find it?”
“Close to Sagittarius A.”
Ian forgot about escaping. No other intelligent life had ever been discovered in the Milky Way. Now he was holding proof that there was another intelligent species in the galaxy and it made blasters. He knew he had to find out what she had discovered. “E, take us to where she wants to go.”
Violet said the coordinates of the star and E went to full speed. The giant core of the Milky Way began getting larger.
Ian looked at Violet and shook his head. She saw him and said, “What’s wrong?”
“Violet, I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to you.”
“Well, if you think about it, whatever happens to me will probably happen to you as well.”
Ian looked at her and smiled, “You make an excellent point.”
Violet looked at him and said, “Who are you, really?”
E said, “He is Prince Britain Ian Montgomery. He is the current successor to the Royal Family and will take his crown upon returning to Euclid.”
Violet looked at Ian, “Tell me he’s making that up.”
Ian looked at her and said, “I really wish I could.”
Violet said, “That means you’re a High Genetic.”
Ian nodded.
Violet smiled and said, “I knew there was something I liked about you,” and released the barrier she had held in place for many years. E and Ian saw the huge electrical activity in her brain. Ian said, “You’re a Genetic too?”
Violet nodded, “I guess it takes one to know one.”
“How have you been hiding it?”
“I’ve learned a way to impose a barrier. That barrier prevented me from seeing your mind. We’ll work on teaching you how to form the barrier on the way out right after we work on something else.”
“What is that?”
Violet proceeded to show him.
Chapter Five
Violet entered the bridge the next morning and found Ian sitting in the command chair staring at a computer display repeating words over and over. “What are you doing?”
Ian looked up, smiled, and said, “I’m trying to activate E’s weapons.”
Violet looked startled, “Do you mean to say this ship isn’t armed?”
“No, it has a weapon’s system but it’s not activated. We had to make a fast escape from Euclid and didn’t have the opportunity to turn them on. There’s a one word code that must be repeated five times in order to bring them on line.”
“That’s an impossible task. You won’t live long enough to go through all the possible words.”
Ian shrugged, “We do have information about the one that supplied the code word and that at least gives me a place to start.”
Violet shook her head, “Just let the ship’s computer do it. It should have it figured out in no time.”
E said, “I am programmed to not look for it. My builders didn’t want a ship to have that much autonomy.”
Violet thought a moment, “What are you trying?”
Ian shook his head, “I know the Lead Scientist on Euclid provided the code. I think the code is a name, at least that’s what I’d use.”
Violet nodded, “So would I.”
“I’ve looked up the Lead Scientist’s information and I’ve gone through his parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and any other relative and came up empty. I’ve now started going through the Royal Family’s names thinking he might have gone there.”
Violet looked at Ian, “Would you have gone there?”
Ian thought a moment and shook his head, “No, that would be too obvious. I’d choose a name that most people wouldn’t know about.”
“So would he. I notice you didn’t mention a wife or children.”
“He never married. I find that surprising because he was one of the warmest, kindest people I’ve ever met although he did get cranky when on task.”
“So you have to ask why he didn’t. What would cause a person that by all accounts should have married, choose not to?”
Ian stared at Violet, “I’m not sure what you’re saying.”
“If he was a loving person, he had to love someone. You find that person and you’ll find the name.”
Ian sat back in his chair, “You sound pretty certain about that.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“Not really.”
Violet did a double take, “And you wonder about me. How could that happen?”
“I’m not allowed to choose who I marry. My wife is selected by the Genetic Council.”
“Oh?”
“The intent is to produce superior children to lead the Union.”
“Has your wife been…selected?”
“Yes, but she was killed defending my parents when the Nebula attacked.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She fought with a bravery that was remarkable, Violet. She really surprised me but I didn’t know her. I think we would have found happiness but love is not used to select who I marry.”
“Then it makes sense why you would have never loved anyone.”
“Why is that?”
“You fall in love only to have to leave them for another. That kind of pain would be unbearable for you and the other.”
Ian sighed, “I know.”
Violet’s expression was subtle but Ian couldn’t tell what she was thinking. “So let’s assu
me the Lead Scientist loved someone along the way. How do we find out who it was?”
Ian thought a moment and said, “E, send me all the class photos of the Lead Scientist starting from age fourteen.”
“Why fourteen?”
“Violet, I know up until I turned fourteen, I was more interested in playing than girls. It was at that age that I started noticing them.”
Violet shrugged and Ian said, “What?”
“Nothing, you just got a late start.”
Ian shook his head and Violet came around and looked over his shoulder at the display. Violet said, “Is the Lead Scientist a Genetic?”
“He is.”
“Then look at the females in his classes that were also a Genetic.”
“They all were.”
“Get out of here.”
“He was in the most accelerated classes on Euclid. Only the High Genetics could compete in them.”
“Well, it was just an idea.”
“And a good one; I suspect that only the brightest would have attracted him.”
Violet tilted her head and pursed her lips, “That’s not always true. A woman is often attracted to a man by his heart more than his head.”
“Well the Lead Scientist had a big heart, Violet.” Ian thought a moment, “E, I want you to provide a list of the females in each class listed by their ranking.”
The picture on the display suddenly had a list appear beside it. They looked at the list and compared it to the photo. “I don’t see anything that stands out.”
Violet said, “E, if any female in any of these classes would not be allowed to marry the Lead Scientist, move her name to the top of the list.”
They watched and the list didn’t change. Ian went to the next class. They examined each picture closely and no one appeared on the list that couldn’t marry him. After four photos Ian shook his head and said, “I haven’t seen anything.”
Violet nodded, “Me either.” Ian pulled up the last photo of the Lead Scientist’s graduating class and a name appeared at the top of the list. Ian saw it and Violet saw his expression, “What?”
“Look at the picture.”
Violet looked at the Lead Scientist and saw that he had his hand on the woman’s shoulder standing in front of him. The woman had her hand on his. “Who is that, I’ve not seen her in any other photos?”
Ian said, “Ariene, Ariene, Ariene, Ariene, Ariene.”
E said, “Weapons are now activated.”
Violet looked at Ian, “Who is that?”
“That was the woman selected to marry me. She was brought in to the university from another school on Euclid. She was chosen the next year.”
Violet shook her head, “You would have never found happiness with her.”
“Why not?”
“She loved someone else.”
Ian stared at the old photo and saw their smiles. He imagined the pain they suffered when Ariene was chosen the next year. He wondered why the Lead Scientist was not at the ship’s location during the attack to activate E’s weapons. He knew that he must have left to try and save the Royal Family and the Princess he loved. “No one should have to endure that.”
Violet stared at him, “Then don’t make the same mistake.”
She turned and left the bridge. He sensed her demeanor turn cold.
“Ian, I’ve just run an inventory of my armaments and we won’t have to run from a scanship in the future.”
Ian tore his attention from the door Violet exited and said, “Why not?”
“I’ll take them out. It will take at least a squadron of the Nebula’s ships to cause us problems.”
“Good.”
“What’s wrong?”
Ian sighed, “Nothing, how long until we arrive?”
“Two more hours.”
Ian pressed the intercom, “Violet, we’ll arrive shortly. Is there anything we need to know before our arrival?”
Violet came back to the bridge and said, “We need to cut our power down to minimum and go slower than light speed from the outer planets.”
“That could increase the arrival time by hours.”
“You are going to have to do it that way or risk being killed.”
“Violet, what are you not telling me?”
Violet’s melancholy expression was clear, “There were two of us that came here. The first ship went in and had me wait. It was blasted into rubble as soon as it came close to the planet.”
“Then why for God’s sake would you have gone in?”
Violet looked at Ian, “You do that when you love someone.”
Ian felt her sorrow and things started to make sense. That was why Violet was always alone. Except she had come to save him; he looked at her and saw her staring at the display that showed the star cluster they were approaching. Ian put his hand on her face and turned it to him, “Will you tell me what happened?”
She looked at him and sat down in the second command chair. She slowly shook her head and started speaking.
• • •
“Tad, are you sure this is a good idea?”
“I’ve examined the data and it really does indicate that we’ll find what we’re looking for this close to the black hole.”
Violet looked in her display and saw the monster off in the distance. The clouds surrounding the event horizon were moving at an extreme rate around the giant singularity. “Do you honestly think that thing will have an affect here?”
“Violet, the heavier metals will be pulled toward the surface of any planet this close. We should find enough of the rare elements to make us rich.”
“We could have just purchased mining vehicles and found it on Hellhole.”
“I’m not willing to place you in that kind of danger, my love. This is the safest way. I’ll go in first and you can follow me in once I scan the planet. If it’s there, and I really think it is, you can join me.”
“Why don’t we both go?”
“I want to make sure no one’s there. Two ships would be seen.”
“Tad, no human has ever ventured this far out.”
“Are you certain about that?”
“Well…I guess I really don’t know for certain but this worries me.”
“Just keep the communicator active. I’ll let you know if my suspicions are accurate.”
Tad’s ship accelerated toward the distant fourth planet at twenty times light speed. As it passed the planet’s outer moon, a bright beam shot out and struck the small vessel. Violet’s heart went into her throat and she accelerated toward the explosion. She forced herself to gather her wits and as she passed the fifth planet she slowed to ninety percent of light speed and turned off her engines. She coasted toward the rubble of Tad’s ship and wiped her tears as she prayed he was still alive. She arrived at the site of the explosions and used her thrusters to slow. There was no hope. Tad’s small ship was little more than small pieces flying away from the location of the blaster hit. She sat in space and cried. All of their hopes and dreams ended above the planet below her.
She remembered when they had fled Euclid in their small ships to avoid the possibility of being separated by the Genetic Council. They had decided that their love was more important than any other consideration. Now that love was killed by a blaster that could hit objects moving faster than light. She sat in orbit for four days, wailing with misery.
• • •
Ian said, “What happened after that?”
Violet looked at him, “I decided that I was not going to leave without confirming Tad’s suspicions. I owed him that much. I used my ship’s optical telescope and found the blaster on the moon that had hit his ship and it was in a building that appeared to be ancient. It was marked by small meteor hits. I realized that the blaster must have been operating on automatic and was programmed to hit anything moving faster than light speed.”
“I flew into the planet’s atmosphere and began scanning the planet’s surface. There had been a war. There were buildings falling i
nto decay but the blaster burns were still visible. I confirmed that Tad’s suspicions were accurate. The planet’s surface was covered with a layer of heavy metals just below the surface. I took my ship to the surface and landed on top of a platinum deposit and filled my ship’s reservoir. I was about to leave when I saw a small craft a half mile from my location sticking up out of the soil. I went over and looked at it. There was a huge hole shot through the center of the ship. I went in and found eight beings that had been killed by the crash.”
“Violet, were they human?”
Violet looked at Ian and shook her head.
“Go ahead.”
“I found two hand blasters on the dead bodies and brought them back to my ship. You’ve seen one of them.”
“Where’s the other?”
Violet looked at him and held out her hand. Suddenly, the blaster appeared. “I don’t know how the technology works but I pressed the orange button on the handle and the blaster must have matched itself to my body. I don’t have any idea where it goes but if I think about a weapon and hold out my hand, it appears.”
E said, “I’m sorry for your loss, Violet. Have you ever fired the blaster?”
“Yes, I fired it at another ship that was crashed not far from the one I entered.”
“And?”
“From a distance of two miles it blew a hole completely through it.”
“It must be pretty powerful then.”
Violet stared at Ian, “Before I left I fired my ship’s heavy blaster at the same ship and didn’t penetrate its surface.”