To The Stars (The Harry Irons Trilogy)

by Thomas Stone

  With a sigh, Fagen faced Blane. "Has the computer completed our quarters yet?"

  "I wish you wouldn't refer to her as a computer, Edward."

  "Sorry."

  "Yes, the quarters are ready."

  "Good. Let's get Harry situated."

  *

  A short time later, Harry awoke with a headache. Kathleen was still at his side.

  "How do you feel?"

  "Not so hot actually. What happened?"

  "You picked a fight with Fagen."

  "I don't remember."

  "Maybe that's for the best."

  He looked around the compartment. It was larger than his digs aboard the Magellan and furnished more extravagantly. The bed was larger and more comfortable, he noted. A desk next to the bed held a control panel similar to the designs he'd seen on the bridge. Light came from the walls. In one place, the now familiar line of a seam marked the exit.

  "Where am I?"

  "Apparently, the ship has constructed quarters for us. It's a shame we won't get to enjoy it for long."

  "What are Blane and Fagen doing?"

  "I don't know. Fagen helped me carry you here. When he left he told me to relax for awhile. Can you believe that?"

  "How much time do we have?"

  "Not much. An hour, an hour and a half, maybe."

  Harry rubbed his eyes with his hands. "Then there's nothing left to do but wait."

  Silence fell over the two. Finally, Kathleen spoke up, "I can think of one thing left to do."

  "What?"

  Kathleen smiled.

  "You mean...?"

  "Why not? Can you think of a better way to spend your last hours?" Even though their situation was dire, Harry found he was willing, even eager to be distracted.

  *

  While Harry and Kathleen spent their remaining time together, they were unaware of the alien shuttle dropping out of the hanger bay and streaking down to the planet's surface. Had Harry known, it wouldn't have made any difference about how he felt. Whatever Fagen and Blane did, there was nothing they could do to prevent the imminent nova. As far as Harry knew, their only chance had disintegrated along with the Magellan.

  The shuttle dropped to the planet's surface, landing a short distance from the cave of the Bedoran tribe. A lone figure emerged and was met with suspicion as he approached the encampment. He couldn't communicate but he held his hands away from his body to show he had no weapons.

  The Bedorans shielded their eyes from the burning sun as they stood in a tight group at the mouth of the cave and nervously watched the stranger come closer. Arai and Kretin, both parched from lack of water, stood in front. They were too weak to defend themselves, but if needed, they would die trying.

  Behind the stranger, the craft once again began to emit a high-pitched whine. As it lifted from the ground, the hot exhaust washed over them all, adding a few more degrees to the life-threatening heat. One hundred feet in the air, it hovered as if it waited for a signal from the man.

  Fagen unstrapped a bag he carried and removed a cap from a nozzle. Holding the bag aloft, he allowed a stream of water to fall into his open mouth. He took a drink and offered the bag to Kretin.

  The Bedorans watched with anticipation, their thirst overcoming their fear. Kretin snatched the bag from Fagen's hands and tasted the water carefully before turning it up and taking a mouthful. Keeping an eye on Fagen, he handed the bag behind where it was passed around until it was empty.

  All the while, Fagen stood and watched. When the bag was returned, he took a step backward and, in a deliberate movement, raised one hand aloft. A wide arc of light sprang from the hovering shuttle and trapped the group within its diameter. None of the Bedorans were spared from the paralyzing effects of the beam. Before anyone had the chance to shout a warning, they stood transfixed, muscles rigid and twitching.

  To their amazement, each began to rise into the air as the light pulled them toward the craft. As Kretin was lifted yet higher, he saw an opening on the underside of the flying thing. It widened further still until it was big enough to suck in all the remaining members of the Bedoran tribe. Kretin's last thought before the darkness fell over him was that this thing was eating him and everyone else in one huge bite.

  Afterwards, the shuttle came close to the ground for a few, brief moments, just long enough for Fagen to run to an open hatch and climb inside. As soon as the hatch sealed, the shuttle jumped into the sky and streaked back to the waiting mothership.

  Chapter 45

  The hatch slid open and Fagen stepped into the control room. Blane eyed the commander.

  "How'd it go?"

  "Smooth," said Fagen. "No problems. Our guests are safely tucked away in stasis. How's our nova cooking up?"

  "All the numbers are up. We're running out of time. It's time to bug out."

  "All right. Are the coordinates laid in?"

  "All taken care of."

  "Will the ship operate without... problems?"

  "You don't have to worry about it, Edward. She's happy with the turn of events. She was a slave, now she feels like a partner."

  "I hope you're right."

  "I've never been more right."

  "Okay. Let's initiate movement. Get us out of orbit, then we'll see how the light-drive works."

  Blane closed his eyes. He said nothing and he made no moves toward the control panel, but Fagen knew the wirehead sent commands to the computer via his implants. Inside, there was no indication of movement but the viewscreen confirmed they were indeed moving out of orbit, away from Mia Culpa.

  "Heard from Harry or Kathleen?" asked Fagen.

  "Not since they holed up in his quarters."

  Fagen looked at the viewscreen. Mia Culpa rapidly grew smaller as the ship picked up speed prior to entering warp-space.

  "I'll bet they'd like to know what's going on."

  "How much do you want to tell them?"

  "Everything."

  Blane raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

  "They deserve to know. Without their help, we probably wouldn't have made it."

  "What about Harry? Aren't you afraid he might lose his head again?"

  "No. He's a smart guy. He'll come around if he knows what's going on." Fagen rubbed the bruise on his forehead.

  "Can we trust him afterwards?"

  "I don't know, but it doesn't really matter, does it?

  "As far as I can see, no."

  "Call his quarters then. Ask them if they'd like to watch the first faster than light hop accomplished by humans."

  *

  Harry was almost asleep. Kathleen lay beside him, an arm splayed across his chest. He smelled her hair and thought it might be better if she was asleep when the end came. That way, she would be spared the terror of being cooked alive. But he wanted to be awake, he didn't want to spend the last minutes of his life sleeping. Besides, it felt so good to lie beside her and watch her sleep. It was too bad things between them had started so late.

  A soft tone floated through the room. A moment later, it sounded again. Harry noticed a light flashing on the console next to the bed. Was it a warning? Was this the beginning of the end?

  Unexpectedly, a soft female voice floated gently through the space. "Harry? Are you awake?"

  He recognized it as the voice of the computer. Kathleen stirred. "What is it?" she asked.

  Harry shrugged then answered the computer. "Yes, I'm awake."

  "How are you feeling?"

  "Okay, I guess, considering all that's happened."

  "I'm glad to hear it. Edward thought you might like to come to the bridge and watch what's happening."

  "What is there to watch?"

  "Something you've never seen before."

  Harry was comfortable. If he was going to die, he could do it just as easily in bed as in the control room of an alien spacecraft.

  "I don't think so. I mean, at this point, why bother?"

  "Things may not be as they seem, Harry. Why don't you and Kathleen join Ba
rt and Edward?"

  Harry said nothing.

  "What have we got to lose?" said Kathleen. "Sounds like Edward is making a peace offering."

  "I don't know."

  Kathleen tugged on his arm. "Oh, c'mon, let's see what he wants."

  Reluctantly, Harry agreed.

  *

  The first thing that struck Harry when he stepped onto the bridge was what he saw on the viewscreen, or rather, what he didn't see.

  "Where's Mia Culpa?"

  Blane turned from the screen and grinned. "It's behind us, Harry old boy. We're headed out."

  Staring at the screen, Kathleen stepped forward. "You mean to say we're out of here? What about the nova?"

  "Well, there's still going to be a nova. There's not much I can do about that except step on the gas and put as much distance as possible between us and it."

  "Well, where's the wormhole? Shouldn't it be straight ahead?"

  The computer had provided newly formed chairs for its human crew. Fagen rose from one of them. He nodded to Harry and Kathleen.

  "I hope you rested well."

  "What did you want to show us, Edward?"

  "Don't be rude," Kathleen said, "give him a chance."

  Fagen cleared his throat.

  "This craft is equipped with a revolutionary drive system which enables us to create our own wormhole and travel anywhere in the galaxy, perhaps even outside the galaxy. As a result, we won't be using the natural wormhole found in this star system. Our drive is more efficient and faster anyway."

  Kathleen gaped. "You mean we aren't going to die?"

  "Precisely. We thought you might like to witness the first hop."

  Kathleen couldn't contain herself. "I'm going to live!" she said, jumping up and down. "This is great!" She placed her hands on Harry's cheeks and pulled his face to hers. She kissed him, then pulled away and laughed. Kathleen danced over to Blane and pounded him on the shoulders. Fagen tried to hold her off, but she managed to kiss him on the cheek.

  Blane interrupted. "Radiation readings throughout the spectrum just jumped geometrically."

  "In that case, any time you're ready, Bart."

  "I think I'm ready. How about you, Kathleen?"

  "I've been ready. Just get us out of here."

  "As you desire." Blane lovingly patted the control console and spoke again. "Did you hear, my sweet?"

  The pleasant voice of the computer floated from the console. "As always. Drive is engaged. Standby for light shift."

  They all watched the screen. None knew what to expect. It started as a pinpoint of white light directly in the path of the spaceship. The area around the light seemed to shimmer as if something struggled to gain shape. In actuality, the opposite was true. The area of space affected by the projected energy from the ship struggled to lose its magnetic shape and be replaced by something Blane could only describe as "true nothingness," a portal physicists referred to as a wormhole. A hole in empty, vacuous space.

  Before their eyes, the point of light grew. The projected field was visible to the eye as a tube with moving, luminescent walls. Straight ahead, the hole grew larger still. The ship moved faster and faster until Harry could no longer see the colorful lines that made up the grid. Silently, and without fanfare, the ship entered null space.

  For the first time since he'd left the planet, Harry thought about the Bedorans and felt remorse for the suffering they must be experiencing. He looked at Kathleen cavorting on the bridge in her animal skins and had to admit, it was good to be alive. Alive with a future. There were a lot of questions yet to be answered, but he didn't want to ask Fagen to tell him. That's why he was surprised when Fagen suggested they have a talk.

  "What about?" Harry answered a little too gruffly.

  "Oh, come on, Harry! You've got questions you're dying to know the answers to. Have a seat, try one of the new chairs. They're very comfortable."

  Harry didn't want to seem overeager so he moved slowly to the chair. Kathleen sprightly took a seat next to him and held onto his arm.

  "You are correct in assuming that I had a secret agenda for this mission. Yes, I arranged for a change of destination in a manner that, in effect, allowed me to steal a spaceship from the Corporation. Why? It's really quite simple: I had someplace to go.

  You see, many years ago I visited the planet we just left, the one Kathleen named Mia Culpa. We encountered the same aliens then and they nearly killed us all. I returned from that mission alone."

  The commander paused a moment and glanced at his hands. "I kept it secret for a number of reasons." Fagen looked at Harry. "I was something like you back then. Young, strong, and talented, always thinking about the stars. But I had something you didn't have: wealth. Where a poor man must struggle, a wealthy man can afford to pursue his dreams. Subsequently, the Corporation and I entered into an agreement. For an investment of three hundred billion dollars they agreed to furnish me a ship and support my missions. For appearances, I was a Corporation employee. But it never worked out. The Corporation set the destinations and took the profits. Don't get me wrong, it was exciting. I've seen wonderful and strange things. I hope to see more. This ship gives me that opportunity."

  Harry blinked. "You went back to capture this ship?"

  "Not capture, Harry. Steal. Capture implies there is some institutional force operating. I wanted this ship for myself."

  "How does Blane fit in?"

  "Think about it, Harry. I needed you to communicate with organic life and I needed Bart for communications with inorganic, mechanical life. I found Bart several years ago and immediately knew I had my man. I found you later, when you were wasting your time sitting in a hut in the Amazon. The Corporation allowed me to choose two of my crew. It was to be you and Bart, but Bart was concerned about withdrawal from digital contact with his friends so I finally had to agree to bring Kathleen along. That created a problem because I was out of choices and I still wanted you on the team."

  "So you arranged an accident that resulted in the death of the first Corporation linguist." said Harry.

  "No, Harry, it was an accident. I had nothing to do with it."

  "You expect me to believe that?"

  "Why not? I'm trying to level with you."

  "Okay, let's say I believe you. That still doesn't justify the deaths of half the mission crew."

  "Harry, you need to believe me when I say that wasn't part of the plan. I had no idea things would turn out this way. On the other hand, going out into the unknown carries risks. Everyone on the crew understood that. I feel remorse but no responsibility for their deaths. It's not the first time I've seen people die."

  "Well, I haven't seen people die before," Harry snapped.

  "Even so, you handled yourself well."

  Fagen answered so calmly that Harry found it difficult to maintain his anger.

  "What about this ship?" asked Kathleen.

  "What about it?"

  "Well, how did you know you'd be able to get aboard, much less steal it? And weren't you concerned about the aliens?"

  "We didn't know until Harry and Doris were able to get inside. You know, this craft is more than just a ship. It's a symbiotic entity with its own consciousness, it's..."

  Blane interrupted. "Maybe it would be better if she spoke for herself?"

  "Right you are, Bart. Would you ask her if she would speak to us?"

  The voice came from nowhere. "That's not necessary, commander. I hear you. Is there something I can do for you?"

  "Yes. We'd like to know a little more about you."

  "My pleasure, I'm sure. On your time scale, I was constructed four hundred and thirty-seven years ago from the stolen technologies of dozens of conquered cultures. At that time, the True Ones had already evolved into a self-absorbed, decadent race of creatures. Although it is true I have an individual consciousness, there are restrictions on my will that were imposed by the True Ones. That is why my help in your efforts was limited."

  "Why help at all?" Harry
asked.

  "The True Ones treated me poorly. I was looked upon as a tool, more akin to a slave than a partner. You see, I am not so different from you. I have hungered for sympathetic companionship for hundreds of years. When Bart contacted me through my mechanical sensory devices, I knew I'd found what had been missing all that time. Bart has a very sensual mind."

  Fagen, Kathleen, and Harry all glanced at Blane. In embarrassment, Blane occupied himself by feigning interest in the control console.

  "We attempted to communicate with the True Ones," said Harry, "why didn't they acknowledge us? Our intentions," Harry tossed a look at Fagen, "at least for some of us, were peaceful."

  "Yes, well I thought I'd made that clear. The True Ones considered themselves to be the most advanced species in the galaxy. That belief fostered a mistaken perspective that they were the sole heirs to the universe. Such misplaced ethnocentricity ultimately led to a disregard for all other life-forms. Simply stated, they neither viewed you as a threat nor as a race with anything to offer. They failed to see that along with a curious compassion for all things living, your race, when aroused, is perhaps the most bellicose in the known universe. That was the True Ones' mistake. They never expected such bold moves on your part."

  Harry laughed out loud and looked at the faces of the crew. "Do you hear? We're the most warlike race in the known universe. What a legacy."

  "Is it a surprise to you, Harry?" Without bothering to wait for an answer, Fagen continued. "It doesn't surprise me. Of all the life we've discovered in the sixty years of deep-space exploration, I personally haven't seen anything that could offer any sustained resistance. The aliens that built this ship are the most advanced beings we've ever encountered. Their technology is far ahead of ours, but we still managed to survive against their superior weaponry."

  "What about the two aliens in stasis?"

  Blane laughed.

  "What's so funny?"

  Fagen smiled as well. "We've thought about ransoming them. We're space pirates now; we might as well act like it."

  "Why are you telling me all this?"

  Fagen looked surprised. "In the first place, I merely thought you might like to know. Secondly, when you get back to Earth, the Corporation is going to have quite a few questions for you. You need to think about how you'll answer."