Star Bridge (Space Rogue Book 4)

by Jay Toney

  I had our Gorian captives and our gamers to be rid of. I intended to be done with them before now but hadn't had the opportunity. I was making one now. The coordinates of our next system were sent to the fleet, and we made the jump to hyperspace.

  Our time in hyperspace would only be a little over an hour. That didn't leave much time for anything. So we waited patiently on the bridge. Persephone was seated with Amber and Jewel. Every once in awhile they would turn towards me and giggle. I had know idea what they were talking about, or what was so funny.

  I was glad to see that Persephone's baby bump was gone. Her joke only lasted for about a week, before she got tired of tormenting me. Jewel and Amber loved every minute of it though.

  I had to be very careful with Amber and Jewel, not letting my guard down. They were showing the first signs of baby fever. Persephone's swollen belly still had them talking about having children of their own. Soon they would be wanting them. I wanted a large family to call my own, just not right now.

  We came out of hyperspace in the Midas System. It was every bit the hell hole I remembered. The system only had four planets, the second of which was inhabited by mining colonies. The orbits of the planets were surrounded by a large asteroid field.

  I was glad to see that more trade lanes had been established since we were here last. The Navigation buoys would make it much easier to navigate through the asteroids. What I wasn't expecting or wanting to see were the series of forts orbiting Midas II.

  Their wealth made the planet a prime target for raiding. We were not the only pirates who preyed on them and their gold. The colonies had learned from their past. Any raiders would pay dearly, trying to steal their wealth.

  We were not here to raid them this time. In fact, we were here to aid them. There was always a labor shortage in their mines. The captured pilots from the Sigma Luminae System were young. They would adapt to the harsh conditions in the mines. The Gorians were strong. Little was known about their lifespans. How long they spent their lives as slavers was anybody's guess. If they were young enough to be warriors, they should live long productive lives in the mines.

  We were allowed to enter orbit. The populace had never seen a cruise line ship. They had only heard gossip about them, and of the luxurious accommodations aboard. The stories of the people who traveled the stars in luxury, and Nuggets claim of royalty was enough to convince them of our need for a military escort.

  Red and I each sent shuttles to the surface. Reds two shuttles had our Gorian captives aboard. They were in chains and leg irons. Each Gorian was also wearing a control collar. Natty was leading them, I couldn't help but notice that she was free of her collar now.

  My captives still wore their chains and leg irons. They protested wearing the collar. A few examples were all that it took for them to accept their fate. 10,000 volts of direct current electricity, flowing through their bodies was sufficient to stop their protests. They knew that it was no longer a game now. It was very real.

  We led our groups to the center of the city. People gasped when they saw the Gorian prisoners. They were no strangers to this place, having raided them in the past, for slaves. Hatred was etched on every face, in the crowd. The Gorians would bring a good price.

  The auctioneer was there to greet us. His percentage of the sales would make him a rich man today. He eyed the Gorians greedily, they would sell for a very high price.

  "What crimes have these captives committed?"

  It was a formal question always asked for legality. He already knew of the Gorians guilt, but was still required by law to ask.

  "The Gorians are guilty of piracy, the destruction of the population and ecosystem of an entire planet, and kidnapping members of that planet to be used for slavery and breeding programs. The Humans are also guilty of piracy, and of attacking our ships without provocation."

  "How were they judged?"

  "By captain's court."

  Legalities satisfied, he was ready to begin the auction. First on the block were the humans. They would not earn much. They were young but untrained. Manual labor didn't pay much, after the cost of feeding, housing, and providing medical care. It was still provided enough profit that they would sell. The auctioneer placed them on the auction block in a group. I was hoping for 200 credits apiece. That was the price most healthy criminals brought at auction. The auctioneer was good. He commented on their youth and vigor. He even made the captives show their teeth, and perform feats of strength before starting the bidding process. I was sure that they would be sold as miners, lifting rock and loading mining carts all day. The highest bid went to a lady. She was in the market for personal servants. Their youth and good looks were what she was after. Training and obedience would come easy with their collars. They sold for a surprising price of 400 credits each.

  Next on the auction block were the Gorians. He didn't bother saving much about them. The mention of their species was enough to bring out the hatred in the populace. Most of the colonists had suffered losses from their family, by the hands of Gorian Slavers.

  "Never in the history of civilization, has anyone captured and brought any living Gorian captive to justice. Today is a first. Bidding will begin at 1000 credits. They will be sold individually to the highest bidder."

  The crowd went wild, purses and money belts were loosened for this event. Everyone wanted at least one of the Gorians for themselves. Up for auction were 47 Gorian prisoners. Not nearly enough to satisfy the crowd that was bidding on them. Their small numbers and high demand would help them go for a very high price.

  The winning bid was for 7500 credits. The winner had the first choice of the lot and the number of captives he wanted. Several buyers lined up behind him, each eager to pay the price for what was left. We left the auction with nearly 360,000 credits. It wasn't much after dividing it amongst the fleet, but it was enough to ensure everyone would receive a bonus.

  Before heading back to the ship, I stopped in a jewelry store. This planet was famous for its fire opals. I bought two necklaces made with the gem, one each for Amber, and Jewel. They would make nice additions to their collection of trinkets.

  We headed back to our ships, ready to continue our quest. Our next stop would be the Aldebaran System. As soon as we were clear of the forts, we entered hyperspace.

  Over Due At The Library

  The Aldebaran System had two habitable planets orbiting its red sun. Its second planet was our objective. It housed the largest, most complete library known in human occupied space. Its records went back to our arrival in this galaxy. I hoped we would be able to find more clues here, to help us find our way back to Earth.

  "Persephone, enter standard orbit when we arrive at the second planet.

  "Aye, aye Captain."

  "Captain, shouldn't we be receiving some sort of communications? I don't have any communications signals coming from either planet," Jewel reported.

  "There should be lots of in system chatter. Both planets are highly developed."

  "I'm not receiving anything."

  "I'm not seeing any signs of system traffic either," Amber added to Jewels report.

  "I am picking up very high concentrations of radiation from both planets. We are still too far to identify a source."

  "Maintain scans, advise me when more information is available."

  "Captain, we are entering orbit. I've adjusted our orbit to a higher orbit as a precaution. I can confirm Amber's sensor readings. There are several hundred pockets of radiation. The surface damage I've compiled from our optical sensors matches the destruction patterns of high-yield nuclear weapons. I believe that there was some sort of nuclear exchange between the two planets."

  "Was it total devastation?"

 
"Negative, I still read large pockets of biological life signs. Most of their major cities have moderate damage, and their infrastructure is in ruin. Several of the smaller cities and rural areas escaped destruction, but are without power. I expect most electronic devices were destroyed by an electromagnetic pulse. The damage is consistent with a mix of ground and aerial detonations."

  "What about Emerald City?"

  "Half of the city is still intact. Radiation is still in the lethal range around the crater."

  "Is the library intact?"

  "It would seem to be. I am reading a power source below the library. It is located deep underground, far enough that it was shielded from the electromagnetic pulse."

  "Is the shielding in our power armor enough to protect us from the radiation?"

  "It will offer limited protection. I advise you to limit your stay, and stay at least 10km away from the craters."

  "Amber? Jewel?"

  "Not this time Nathaniel, library's are something we have learned to avoid. The librarians don't allow anyone to have any fun. We've had more than our fair share of getting into trouble in them."

  "Our powered armor is better than yours. I'll accompany you," Nugget offered.

  "I shall come too. The two of you need someone to watch over you. Who knows what sort of mischief the two of you would get into if left to yourselves."

  "It looks like it is just the three of us then."

  We launched from the Persephone, in my Marauder. From orbit, it was hard to see the damage. The planet looked healthy. If I didn't already know that a nuclear war happened between the two neighboring planets, I wouldn't have believed it.

  When we got lower, in altitude, the damage became more visible. The surface was pockmarked with craters surrounding large urban areas. Near the blast sites, twisted steel, and broken concrete were all that remained of the buildings. The spaceports were gone, having been primary targets. Extending outward from the blast radius the damage became less severe. Stronger, reinforced buildings still stood, but residential buildings were mostly reduced to rubble. At about 1Okm from the crater, the damage lessened, and most buildings still stood, with little damage.

  The library, which still stood, survived the attack. From the air, it looked undamaged. From what I read and heard about it, I expected to see a large tall skyscraper. What I saw was a large squat building, with only two floors. The building looked as if it was carved from a single stone.

  "Persephone, are you sure this is the right building?"

  "I am positive. Don't let its looks deceive you. Most of the library's vaults are located deep underground. My sensors are limited when it comes to sensing structures beneath the surface, but what I can detect, and retrieve from our database suggests that the library extends at least 300 meters below the surface."

  That was an impressive depth for a building. It was no wonder that its power source survived. The street in front of the library was clear of obstructions and had ample room for me to land my Marauder. I circled the area, extending my landing gear. I lined my ship up with the road and started the landing cycle. We descended, with breaking thrusters firing. When my landing gear touched down, I gave a hard burst to my breaking thrusters and applied the brakes. We came to a stop in front of the library's stone steps.

  Nugget, Persephone, and I exited the ship. I made sure that the hatch was sealed, before leaving. There were still people about, their attentions unknown. That was another reason for the power armor. The radiation was only a little higher than normal with a 200 Count per minute ICPMJ reading.

  We climbed the steps to find the library's doors standing open, and entered. The place was a wreck. Shelves were pushed over, books torn, with pages littering the floor. A bonfire was still smoldering. Ashes from a pile of books and the remains of a staircase that once lead to the second floor were nearly finished burning. Broken crystals and smashed computer terminals were scattered everywhere. Broken furniture was piled up, and graffiti covered the once ornate wood paneling of the walls.

  "It looks like we are too late, Nugget. We won't be able to find anything in this mess. Usually, reference material is kept on the upper floor. I don't expect we will find anything different there."

  "Maybe not, but wouldn't they keep their rare and valuable documents in the archives, and not open to the public? Anything that was destroyed was probably just copies of the original documents."

  "Nathaniel, I detect the presence of a hidden passage, behind the librarian's desk." Persephone pointed to a section of wall, covered with graffiti. I knocked on the wall and felt for a hidden switch that would open the panel. My knocking made a hollow thud where the passage was, but no amount of searching the wall revealed any way of opening it.

  "The passage would be used primarily by the librarian. The means of opening the door wouldn't be any place a visitor was likely to come across by accident," Nugget suggested.

  Nugget began searching through the drawers of the librarian's desk. More paper and a few books were added to the collection on the floor as he rummaged through the drawers. "I found it." He pushed a hidden button. We heard a clicking sound, followed by the ratcheting sound of gears turning. The door, hidden as wood paneling opened a few inches, enough for me to grasp it and pull it open.

  We stepped into the passageway, and the door closed behind us locking. Light flooded the hallway, and we followed it to an elevator. Its doors wouldn't open, remaining locked. "It's an electronic lock, requiring some sort of signal from a device. Probably something the librarian kept on himself," Persephone said.

  "Can you hack it?"

  "I shall try." Persephone reached into the locking mechanism with her hand and concentrated. "I can hear the lock speaking, but it doesn't make sense." She concentrated harder, searching for the signal that would unlock the seal on the door. "I've got it." The seal unlocked and the elevator opened. Persephone withdrew her hand, and we entered the elevator.

  There was only one button, I pushed it and the doors closed and we began descending. Several minutes passed before the elevator came to a stop, and its doors opened. We stepped out f the elevator, into what looked to be a museum. Historical artifacts and statues were everywhere. Portraits and landscapes hung on the walls. Holographic images of different worlds and star systems revolved above their pedestals. This room was what I expected the library to look like.

  "You're late! I must get you prepared. It is not too late for all of you yet." An array of sensors scanned our bodies. Our holographic images and biological information appeared above empty pedestals.

  "This is highly unusual." He pointed to me. "You are more machine than man. Still, we can process you. Next, he pointed to Persephone. "You have a living body, yet you are but a holographic unit, a very complex one. I'm afraid there is no way to process you." Lastly, he pointed to Nugget. "You are not human. I have made the necessary adjustments for your species. It is not known whether we can safely assimilate you, but I shall try my best. You two must hurry before it is too late. Now is the time of choosing."

  "Who are you? What do you mean by choosing."

  "I am the librarian. All worlds, anything you can ever want is ready for you, but you must make your choice soon."

  "You are but a hologram yourself. Where is the real librarian?" Persephone demanded of the librarian.

  An elderly man, dressed in white robes, and carrying a staff walked into the room. He wore a medallion around his neck, a symbol of his office.

  "Travelers, I am Jonathan. It is I that you seek. I am the librarian."

  "What has happened? We came here looking for information."

  "A tragedy. The leaders of our planets could not find a peaceful means of coexisting and chose war instead. At first,
it was just our shipping that was attacked. Then we exchanged fire, using conventional weapons. When peace could not be achieved, we turned to nuclear warfare. The war lasted but a day. After the bombs fell, neither side was able to continue fighting.

  It is for this reason that I am to prepare the two of you for your journey. I am sorry that I cannot process the lady. She is but a hologram, and will continue to exist as such."

  "What do you mean by prepare?"

  "Your body must be prepared for cryogenic preservation. Your mind will live in the simulation of your choice. It can be anything, anytime, anyplace. The choice is yours"

  "What happens when the simulation ends?"

  "It simply restarts in an endless loop, until your body is resurrected, sometime in the future, and your mind transferred back."

  "You can resurrect them?"

  "We do not possess the technology to resurrect the bodies and transfer their essence back into them. It is believed that civilization will find a way in the future."

  "Have you made your decision?"

  "We are interested in locating the Star Bridge, and a way back to Earth."

  "The archives of humanities first appearance in this galaxy are on level 77, section alpha, row 219. You would find the experience boring, spending your time as a researcher in the archives. May I suggest paradise on the moons of Gala, the tropical islands of Miranda 4, or perhaps a cruise of the Gemini System. You can spend your time in luxury traveling as a first -class passenger."

  "Who in their right minds would want to spend their lives living in a computer simulation?"

  "All of our governing body is in simulation, as well as our most successful business men, and the wealthy elite. You have made it past the security seal, surely you know this."

  "We came here to retrieve information that may help us. I am the captain of the Persephone, a cruise liner. I already travel the galaxy in comfort."