The shields around the ship lit up with a sharp, greenish glow as small asteroids impacted against it.
Kalidas jumped in his seat again.
“You’re sure we’re safe?” he asked in a hushed tone.
“Probably safe. You never know...”
“Of course,” Kalidas replied, recouping his courage, “Yost said the Collective destroyed entire worlds to build Bettik. I suppose this is the debris they left behind.”
“I’m sure Jess would have an opinion.”
“Indeed. She seems very bright.”
“Smart as a whip!” Maycare said. “Keeps me on my toes, that one.”
“I’m sure she’d make an excellent wife...”
Maycare’s face turned a particularly pale shade of white.
“What now?” he stammered.
“Not that I’m suggesting—”
“No, obviously.”
“—it’s just that...”
“Look there!” Maycare said, pointing at the forward scanner. “I say, that’s an especially large asteroid!”
“Indeed. Is that our destination?”
“I should say so. Better go alert the others, counselor.”
“Certainly,” Kalidas replied and left the bridge.
When the Dahl was gone, Maycare smiled at his own cleverness.
“Nicely done, Devlin,” he said.
“What about the killbots?” Henry asked fearfully, staring down the ramp from inside the Acaz.
“Well, the good news is they probably didn’t see us coming,” Maycare replied.
“Why?”
“The asteroids would’ve hidden our approach.”
“But we’re here now...” Henry said.
“True enough,” Maycare said and walked down the ramp.
Henry gazed helplessly at Doric who merely shrugged and followed Maycare. Counselor Kalidas trailed behind her while Bentley the robot remained.
“Would you like to stay aboard with me?” the robot asked.
“Are you coming, Henry?” Doric’s voice asked from outside.
Henry’s mouth tightened into a straight line.
“Yes!” he shouted and ran down the ramp.
The Acaz lay inside a large cavern over a hundred yards long and fifty yards high. Maycare assured them that generators were providing breathable air, although he didn’t explain why robots would need air to breathe. On what Maycare had euphemistically called a landing pad, Henry stepped onto a bed of roughly hewn stone, carved out by heavy machinery. Unlike the floor, the walls and the ceiling were translucent, partially reflecting the lights from the ship.
“It’s solid ice,” Doric remarked.
“Hmm,” Kalidas murmured. “Could it have formed after the breakup of the planet?”
“I don’t think so,” she replied. “It must’ve been part of the planet’s ice cap.”
Forgetting his fear, Henry stared in awe. The asteroid was like a glacier floating in space and he was in the center of it.
He remembered his fear again.
“There’s a passage this way,” Doric said.
The group, with Henry bringing up the rear, moved from the open cavern into a narrow shaft cut through the ice. Their breath hung in the cold air, suspended against the blue of the tunnel walls.
“We haven’t seen any robots,” Kalidas said.
“They must’ve cleared out,” Maycare replied.
After a few hundred feet, the passageway widened into another cavern, smaller than the first. A structure, encased in the ice, took up one side of the cave while a second tunnel continued past it.
“Should we keep going?” Doric asked.
“There’s plenty of time for that,” Maycare replied. “Let’s see if we can get inside this building first.”
They approached and found a hatch.
“Maybe we should wait...” Kalidas began.
With a heave, Maycare pulled at the handle, opening the hatch to the inside.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Never mind,” the counselor replied.
Maycare stuck his head in.
“What do you see?” Doric asked.
“It’s dark,” he said. “Damn cold too. No power, I wager.”
Doric pulled a flashlight from her coat and stepped through the doorway past the much larger Maycare.
“Ladies first, apparently,” he said, smirking.
Maycare went in next, followed by Kalidas. The latter peered out at Henry who remained in the cavern.
“You’re not staying out there, are you?” the counselor said. “Don’t forget about the killbots.”
Henry looked around at the lonely cave.
“I’m coming,” he said.
Huddled in a darkened corridor, Doric shined her light down both directions.
“Maybe you and Counselor Kalidas could look for whatever this place uses for power?” Doric asked Maycare.
“Capital!” Maycare replied with his usual enthusiasm.
Doric watched them, illuminated by their own flashlight, recede down the passageway.
“Come on, Henry,” she said.
Going in the other direction, she noticed something on the wall.
“I think we’re on a starship,” she said.
“Why?” Henry asked.
She centered her light on a sign hanging against the bulkhead. It read TO THE BRIDGE with an arrow.
“It’s in our language,” Henry said.
“Exactly,” Doric replied. “I’m guessing it’s a human ship.”
“I wonder how it got stuck in the ice.”
“Maybe we’ll find out on the bridge,” she said.
Following the signs, they found themselves on the command deck. Empty except for a captain’s chair and a few control stations, the bridge was not as dark as the corridor thanks to windows on either side of the hull. Without power, the computer was offline, so Doric began searching through the drawers, looking for anything that might identify the vessel.
“It’s like a ghost ship,” Henry said.
“You don’t really believe in ghosts, do you?” Doric asked.
“No,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not afraid of them.”
“Well, I don’t see any bodies at least.”
“Maybe the killbots got rid of them.”
“Maybe.”
“Really?” Henry said.
“I don’t know, Henry!” she replied. “Keep looking...”
Doric found a drawer jammed shut. With a little exertion, she popped it open. Inside, she only found a pencil, some brittle rubber bands, and a pad of paper. As she thumbed through the brittle pages of the pad, something plastic fell out. Kneeling, Doric picked up a laminated card. It was some kind of ID badge with a woman’s face and a name. In large letters at the bottom of the badge was another name: Merope.
Doric exhaled, her breath fogging up the plastic.
“Oh, my god,” she whispered.
When they approached Sheba Nasri to command one of the sleeper ships, she knew it would be the greatest opportunity of her lifetime. They called them the Seven Sisters: seven identical ark ships, each named after one of the Pleiades of Greek mythology. Despite knowing she would never see her family or friends again, she accepted.
During the long journey, Nasri and other members of the crew woke periodically from their cryogenic sleep to perform maintenance and repairs when necessary. They took shifts, returning to their hibernation pods when their work was done, joining the thousands of colonists who remained asleep for the duration of the trip.
After completing her most recent shift, Nasri had nestled into her pod with the expectation of waking up again in a few years’ time. What she did not expect, however, was opening her eyes and seeing the face of a man she didn’t know.
He had dark eyes and a short, brown goatee.
“Hello,” he said. “Or should I say, Good Morning?”
Feeling the effects of her suspended animation, Nasri was bar
ely able to respond.
“Who the hell are you?” she said.
“Oh, sorry,” he said. “My name’s Oscar Skarlander and I’m afraid I have some startling news for you.”
Skarlander helped the captain from her cryogenic capsule and gave her an injection, telling her it would help stabilize the sleep sickness. He was right, too. She felt much better, much faster than the previous times she awoke. She was glad of that when, next to Skarlander, she noticed his companion. He was pale skinned with an enormous, bulbous head. Nasri didn’t know if he was even human.
“Never mind him for now,” Skarlander said. “You’ll have many more questions so don’t strain yourself just yet.”
“Where’s my crew?” she asked.
“Still in hibernation,” he replied. “The ship’s records said you were the captain so it seemed appropriate to wake you first.”
“What about the other ships? Did they make it?”
Skarlander laughed, but Nasri noticed only his mouth smiled while his eyes remained cold and fixed on her. It gave her the chills.
“They did indeed,” he said, “but first you and I, and my friend here, need to take a little walk.”
“A walk? I don’t understand.”
“We have some, let’s say, uninvited guests that I’d like you to meet,” Skarlander replied. “We mustn’t keep them waiting...”
Maycare and Kalidas rejoined Doric and Henry, finding them still on the bridge. Neither Lord Maycare nor Doric could tell their news fast enough, and ended up talking over each other.
“We found a cargo full of cryo-pods!” he said.
“This is one of the lost sleeper ships!” she said.
The two grabbed each other by the shoulders and yelled simultaneously, “I know!”
Henry, standing beside one of the windows, raised a finger.
“Umm,” he mumbled meekly, “there’s some people coming.”
Maycare and Doric looked at him, their mouths ajar.
“What?” they said in unison.
“He’s right,” Kalidas said, peering out the window.
The four left the ship, and went to greet the three figures walking toward them from the second tunnel. One was clearly a woman, with dark hair and olive skin, while one of the others looked strangely alien. As soon as the two converging groups came within fifty yards, Maycare recognized the third man.
“Skarlander!” he shouted.
Undeterred, the Warlock agent and his two companions continued advancing toward them, only stopping when they were a mere twenty yards away.
“Lord Maycare,” Skarlander said. “I can’t say seeing you is a surprise.”
“I suppose I could say the same,” Maycare replied, “And yet it’s never a pleasure.”
“Don’t be rude,” Skarlander said, pointing toward the woman. “I’ve brought you someone to meet.”
“Who’s she?” Maycare asked.
The woman, in her late forties, said nothing. Although she carried herself with an air of authority, her arms were crossed and she looked at them suspiciously.
“She’s Sheba Nasri,” Skarlander spoke finally. “Captain of the Sterope.”
“Sterope?” Doric said, shaking her head. “Don’t you mean Merope?”
The agent sneered.
“No, Miss Doric,” he replied. “I do not.”
“Are you saying both sleeper ships are here?” she said.
“Honestly, Maycare,” Skarlander said, sighing. “For an academic, your girl Friday is a bit dim.”
Doric scowled, her face compacted into a tight frown. Maycare was glad someone else was on the business end of Jessica’s dark looks this time.
Kalidas stepped forward.
“I suggest you tread carefully,” he warned.
“Ah, counselor,” Skarlander said. “I regret that you’ve been dragged into this sordid affair. Really I do.”
“What sordid affair?” Kalidas asked.
“It’s tragic, in a way,” the agent went on. “A love triangle gone terribly wrong.”
“What?” Doric said.
“Don’t play coy, Miss Doric,” Skarlander replied. “Surely you’ve noticed young Henry’s boyish advances? His eager glances at you?”
Neither Jessica nor Henry looked at each other. Maycare sensed he was a step behind in this conversation.
“Of course, then there’s Lord Maycare. So rich and handsome. It’s no wonder Henry felt jealous!”
Skarlander glanced at his counterpart, the man with the unusually large skull, who closed his eyes as if concentrating.
Maycare heard Henry groan and hunch over in pain, clutching at his head.
“Henry?” Doric said. “Are you alright?”
“And in a fit of jealousy,” Skarlander continued, “he pulled out a gun and killed you both! And you too, counselor. Sorry about that...”
Maycare wasn’t sure where Henry had gotten a weapon, but Skarlander was right. Henry was holding a small blaster in his hand. He was no longer wincing in pain. Instead, he was standing upright, his eyes wide and angry.
“Of course,” Skarlander said, “after killing everyone, he’ll turn the gun on himself. A bit clichéd, I admit, but the classics always are.”
Nasri finally spoke.
“I want no part of this,” she said and turned to walk away.
“Don’t be so sure, Captain,” the agent said. “You’re my star witness after all. When we get back, you’re going to corroborate everything I’ve said.”
Nasri stopped.
“And why should I do that?” she asked.
“Because my friend here is going to reprogram your mind to think pretty much whatever I like.”
Henry raised his gun.
“Kill them!” Skarlander commanded.
A flash lit up the cavern with a hot, radiant glow. For half a second, Maycare thought Henry had fired, but the heat he felt was on the back of his neck. Turning, he saw Kalidas with both arms spread ahead of him, flames spouting from each open palm. The fire streamed across the air in an arch, striking Skarlander’s companion.
The psionic mutant, burning alive, thrashed at the fire that was consuming him.
Skarlander produced his own blaster and fired at Kalidas, hitting him squarely in the chest. With a gasp, the counselor fell backwards, dead before he hit the ground.
Skarlander stared at his companion, but he was lying motionless in a fetal position, his body charred and smoldering.
“Henry!” Doric screamed.
Henry dropped his gun and collapsed into a heap. Doric ran to him, cradling his head in her arms.
“Stay where you are, Maycare!” Skarlander shouted, pointing his blaster at him. “This isn’t over!”
Maycare’s eyes narrowed. The Warlock agent was smiling, perhaps convinced he could finally get his revenge.
But then his expression changed. Instead of amused, Skarlander looked puzzled and then his eyes widened. At the same time, Maycare thought he saw a thin, orange line around the agent’s neck. The line disappeared and Skarlander’s head tumbled down his body, landing at his feet. The headless corpse remained standing for just a moment until falling off to the side. Where Skarlander had stood, another man rose from a crouching position. In his late thirties with a shaved head, he wore nothing but black.
“Who the blazes are you?” Maycare asked.
“I’m Magnus Black,” he replied.
“Do you work for Yost?”
Magnus shrugged.
“That’s a good question,” he replied. “I’m not really sure who I work for anymore.”
Henry, still in Doric’s arms, opened his eyes.
“This sure is a busy asteroid,” he groaned.
Chapter Twenty-Six
On the Regalis River, a pleasure boat drifted slowly with the current. In the outdoor lounge, sipping a cocktail in his deck chair, Lord Windsor Woodwick watched a news flash on a monitor by the bar.
FOLLOWING OUR CONTINUING STORY:
&nb
sp; NEWLY DISCOVERED SLEEPER SHIPS
FLYING BACK TO IMPERIAL SPACE.
STAY TUNED TO VOX NEWS!
“I say, Radford,” Woodwick said, turning to Lord Groen in the adjacent chair. “That’s a spot of bother, eh?”
“What’s that?” Groen replied, looking up from his datapad.
“Pay attention, man!”
“The boat race is starting,” he explained. “I’m placing my bet.”
“Listen here, Radford, this business with the sleeper ships is important!”
“But Lord Riley’s boat is paying 10 to 1...”
Woodwick rolled his eyes and took another sip from his cocktail.
“It’s full of potential aristocrats,” he said. “There’s no telling what that could mean.”
“Where have they been all this time?”
“Sleeping, one would assume.”
“Damn lazy if you ask me...”
“No, they’ve been in hibernation.”
“That’s no excuse for laziness!”
His walrus mustache rustling, Woodwick gestured excitedly.
“The captains and crew are considered noble born,” he said. “We might have to pay them a stipend.”
“A stipend? What for?”
“So they can live like gentlemen, obviously.”
“Well, that’s idiotic,” Groen said. “They should have to earn it like we did.”
“Didn’t you inherit your fortune?”
“And deserved every penny of it!”
“I image Big G owns every penny now...”
“Don’t be unpleasant, Winnie.”
Woodwick nearly blushed.
“Sorry, old chap,” he said. He motioned toward the serverbot who approached with a tray.
“Another round on me,” he told the robot.
“Very good, sir,” the robot replied, turning to leave.
“You there,” Woodwick stopped the machine. “What do you think of this robot revolution business?”
“Sir?”
“That kerfuffle with the Cyber Collective.”
“Oh, I’m not programmed to have an opinion, sir.”
Woodwick nodded in approval.
“Ah, well, let’s keep it that way,” he said. “Off you go...”
The robot left to order the drinks at the bar.
“These machines are getting too smart if you ask me,” Woodwick remarked. “It’ll end in tears, I’m sure.”
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