Government on Earth hadn’t changed much in that time, though there had been some effort to make the United Nations the official governing body for the solar system. Even Jack had admitted the value of having a single overseeing governing body, as long as they didn’t try to control local governance.
And once in a while John would teleport out to visit the Sirians, who seemed pleased the progress Earth had been making. They had in fact even teleported to the United Nations once for meetings as well, only to see rooms full of gawking spectators. For all the talk of aliens, it was quite another thing to see them for real. Television hadn’t been able to do it justice however, since their only form of speech was telepathy, and neutrino emissions hardly worked through an LCD display.
Alath, the leader of the Sirians on the World Ship, had been noticeably absent the last few years, and a fellow named Patel had explained that she had been assigned another urgent task. Urgent task? John didn’t like the sound of it, but the Sirians never seemed to worry about anything.
Religion was certainly in turmoil, trying very hard to adapt to a larger universe, one where the big bang hadn’t happened. The Sirians knew how old the universe was apparently, but they weren’t saying, only that it was many millions of times older than what had been theorized. No big bang, no creation event, and that pulled the lynch pin from many of the big religions. The only one seemingly immune to the new information had been Buddhism. They were adapting nicely, but for the rest there had been some significant violence from pockets of the world, where disbelievers saw the entire drama as everything from a simple lie, to the work of the devil trying to trick them.
Some would never see this new universe as anything other than evil. With Pan’s Key they were able to avoid most of the plots to maim and destroy, but some religious fanatics slipped through.
Then there was Zack. John felt for his son, and felt he hadn’t been much of a father the last few years. He tried to justify it in his mind by saying he was trying to save humanity, but he knew better. He had let his son down, he had been an absentee father. It wasn’t easy being the son of a famous wizard who had changed the sky, especially since they had not shown Zack any of their magic.
John was constantly afraid for his son, but also determined to let him become his own man. So far, he was lucky. Zack was, by all accounts, a good kid with a couple of minor problems. The day he came home with half his head shaved and a cross tattoo on his neck John could only stare. Well, at least he wasn’t robbing banks.
John had moved to Ceres permanently. He’d had enough of Earth, the beautiful pearl that had taken two wives, his two loves. He discovered he preferred the solace of space; it provided him time for thought and meditation, something he never would have imagined having an interest in, but nevertheless found it incredibly reassuring.
His job still required him to visit Earth once in a while, however, and he found it ever more comforting on his return to say those five simple words.
“Ceres,” he said over the new comm system, “Tug Jessica on approach.”
“Roger Jessica,” came the reply. Sounded like Tarik Ja, one of the newer arrivals. “Pad one is clear for you. Skies are empty. Welcome back John!” Thank God he hadn’t called him Mr. President. It was the one thing he had insisted on.
“Thanks Ceres. ETA five minutes.”
It could hardly be called flying, since the computer did all the work. All you did was select a location, and it got you there. There was a joystick for those times when you wanted to feel like you were in control; John hadn’t used it in years.
He watched in silence as Ceres grew in the window. The base took up nearly half the small moon now, with thirty landing pads of various sizes, and regolith-covered tunnels connecting everything. There was even a ten story apartment building, with concrete walls three feet thick to protect against the radiation. Even at that, the rooms were massive, just over fifteen hundred square feet. Since only half the rooms were for the hotel, they had insisted that John stay in the penthouse suite. Perk of office, they said. Jack kept trying to tell him that the view alone would be enough to entice any prospective female, but had thankfully stopped trying to set John up on dates. The views were spectacular though, he had to admit.
In moments he landed, and a tube extended to mate with the airlock on his tug. John turned off the drive, and felt the gravity slip from nine-tenth’s that of Earth to a mere fraction. Walking was going to be more difficult now, but he was used to it. “Hop on over” took on entirely new meaning in such light gravity, and Jack was always keen on using the phrase.
He grabbed his duffle bag and left the tug, securing it before he left. He trusted everyone who worked at Ceres, however he didn’t trust everyone who visited the small moon. Hell, Jack and probably half the crew had his passwords anyways.
As the airlock opened, Jack was waiting for him, his full beard starting to get out of control. “Johnny!”
John smiled at his friend, and they hugged. “Hey bud.”
“How’s the marble?” Jack always referred to Earth these days as the blue marble, though he’d taken to shortening it recently.
“Just as busy as you remember it, probably more.”
“Come on, let’s hop over to the pub. I’m starving. Actually just thirsty, but it’s a good excuse.”
“Sounds good to me. Just glad to be home.”
They made their way to the only pub, The Ship. It was actually named “God Grant me a Fast Ship”, but nobody called it that. And as far as abbreviating it, they were afraid of calling it “God”.
They sat at the bar, and two beers were quickly placed in front of them by Hel, the proprietor and resident brewmaster. John still couldn’t believe they’d grown hops and barley on Ceres, especially since they hadn’t told him they were doing it, but he was glad they did. It was one less thing they were dependent on Earth for, and frankly, it was a damn good beer. Hel was a German-born Canadian working at a brewery in Calgary. He had quickly decided that the space faring life was for him after taking a vacation on Ceres.
“Cheers,” they said. John savored the golden lager. He realized that any beer would probably taste good after going without, but it still tasted damned good. Plus it was his regular beer now; the only Earth beers that made it out were the big mass-produced variety, nobody had gotten around to shipping out the smaller micro-brewed stuff yet.
“You know what today is?”
John shook his head.
“Fifth anniversary of you dropping me off on Ceres, with nothing more than a space suit, latrine, some crappy astronaut food, and nothing but water to drink. Five short years. Can you believe it? In that time we’ve gone from a suicidal single-planet species to a solar system hopping, slightly less suicidal one. I mean, I’m sitting here in a pub, on Ceres, in the freaking asteroid belt, drinking a beer.”
He took another sip, clearing enjoying it as much as John was. “Sometimes I think it’s miraculous, a dream. I remember thinking before all this happened how lucky I was to have lived through television, the Internet, computers, cellphones, all that. But it really pales in comparison to this.”
John simply nodded. Jack knew exactly how he felt.
“Just have to keep those sociopaths out of power, and get rid of those damned Draconians.”
The Draconians. The constant threat. There were still enough around to cause problems, but they appeared to have laid low for the last few years. Every once in a while there would be a sighting, but space was still a really big place. They could hide anywhere.
John wasn’t worried about them anymore though. In a few more years the Sirians would arrive, and the world appeared ready to receive them with proverbial open arms.
“You know, the Sirians said to me once that you couldn’t call them evil, just different.”
“Hah!” Jack snorted.
John smiled at his friend. Ever the programmer, black and white, on or off, good or evil. He too was like that, once, and even though he was now agele
ss, he could see the lines in the mirror. They said the eyes were the window to the soul. His felt like gaping cavities looking into the abyss, and at times the sadness threatened to overtake him.
Jack was his one friend, the one who knew John better than anyone, including his father, and there was not much John could hide from him. They had discussed Jessica many times, and Jack knew well that the only thing that saved John from losing his grip was Zack, much as it was when he lost his first wife, Adrienne.
But now Zack was grown, on his own and making his own life. There was no time for a doting father who flitted about the solar system.
John realized that the only thing that kept him going these days was protecting his new extended family on Ceres. He didn’t care if it was as President or as a shield operator, all that mattered was-
Defend yourself, John Syker.
Someone had sent John a message, someone unknown, but somehow familiar. He instantly threw up a barrier around the small moon, glad that he had never, ever, let the Key of Power out of his reach.
The ground shook.
“Did you feel that?” Jack said peering over his beer.
***
Marcus’ anger gave him energy, but his frustration made him feel impotent.
Going back thousands of years, he had been trying to change the fortunes of the Walker family, but nothing had worked. Something...or someone...was protecting them, and that it was hidden infuriated him all the more.
A more direct approach was required.
He chose a time when he was nearly alone, on that small damned moon that they’d turned into a hotel. Even with his Key of Power, he would not be able to resist the full force Marcus was about to bring to bear. Destroying Jessica had not broken the back of this change in the timeline, it was past due to take the next step.
The three thousand Draconians still living in the Sol system had hidden themselves for the last five years, now it was time to come out into the open to show humanity the truth, show them who was truly in control.
Though the main fleet had been turned around, Marcus still had two motherships and five hundred armed scouts at his command. More than a match for that infernal crystal.
He still remembered holding the damned thing in his own hand, all those thousands of years ago. It would not recognize him, had in fact turned black in his hand and rejected him. All of them. Whoever had built the thing had made sure no Draconian would control any of the Keys.
He hardly need worry anymore though, one was gone, and the other two were separated. It was time to act.
The two motherships, small by Draconian standards, but still over a kilometer long and impressive to the humans, appeared in space near Ceres. Glowing a dull yellow as they twisted space and time, at the instant they appeared every available scout leapt from the ship, looking like nothing less than fireworks exploding.
But the fireworks were yet to come. Within five seconds every scout and mothership trained their weapons on the large asteroid and fired. In that moment enough energy to sterilize the Earth was expended on a planetoid a third the size of Earth’s moon.
Marcus watched as Ceres exploded into a shower of dust and rock, baring his teeth in ecstasy. But the funny thing about Draconians was their penchant for seeing what they wished.
***
Pan was busy with Arthur, as usual. When they weren’t trying to reform government, they would try to track down the Draconians, find where they had disappeared.
He hadn’t expected a sudden call from his son.
Uh, Dad, I could use a little help here. John had sent a picture of what he was facing, with the telepathic message.
“Holy shit,” Pan said. So that’s where they were.
***
Uula had vowed not to interfere, and it surprised her to find that she had. At the moment that the Draconians would have destroyed what they called the Key of Power, she whispered in John’s ear and gave him the suggestion to protect himself.
She did this for Jessica, who now stood beside her, watching as hundreds of Draconian craft tried to destroy the man she loved. But there was no fear.
The Draconians had believed their weapons would be enough to overpower the Key, but they had based that belief on what had happened to Jessica. With a little forewarning, there was no chance for the weapons to succeed. Yet.
Jessica was all smiles, and hugged Uula. “Thank you again.”
They turned and watched. Uula could hear Jessica start to giggle. But it was not the end of Uula’s interference. Someone else was coming to the party.
***
John couldn’t believe the amount of energy expended in that moment, and was even more surprised to find that the Key had been able to fight it off. A slight pressure wave was all that managed to get through, a tachyon burst with enough intensity to cause the ground to shake.
The attacking plasma bolts had caused a blast brighter than the sun, and though the shielding put up by John at the last moment had saved Ceres and it’s inhabitants, three people outside at the time lost their vision as the intense light coming from all directions burned straight through their visors.
In his mind he could hear the screams. He knew them, and instantly transported them to the hospital ward.
But the attack was not over yet. He turned his attention to the sky and marveled at the mass of Draconian ships targeting their weapons his direction. He could feel the the ships all recharging, and in a matter of seconds they would fire again.
He could sense them, the Draconian crews, snarling in anger, determined to wipe the stain of John Syker from existence. They hated him that much? John didn’t know how long he would be able to withstand that kind of firepower, as the Draconians drew on the same energy as the Key.
He was powerless against them.
***
Impossible! The small moon still existed!
Marcus couldn’t believe it, but wasn’t taking any chances. They might have been able to block one burst, but he knew the energy limits as well as they did, and they all curved in his favor.
He ordered another strike.
***
The funny thing about time travel was getting used to things happening out of sequence. Alath knew this, though it was something she had not done. Sometimes it was difficult to understand why favors were asked, they seemed to have no reason, since typically the time travelers were reluctant to explain their reasons.
And even when asked, would not time be undone by it’s action? She smiled at the phrase the humans had used: It was enough to give a person a headache.
Three years ago an entity named Uula had visited her, and Alath had listened. It was time for the Sirians to take a more direct action to save humanity. Correction...they were saving one person, really, one human who had asked for help. But the consequences would be widespread.
The bulk of the Draconian fleet had been turned away, forced to leave the Sol system. All that remained was what was left behind, the two motherships that had been present since before the birth of Atlantis, when the Sirians had departed all those eons ago.
It was time to return.
Alath had taken two of their own fully laden motherships from the World Ship and set them on an accelerated course into the heart of Sol. Each ship held five thousand shuttles, larger than the Draconian scouts, and while they weren’t built with armaments, they were remotely controlled and could be used as physical weapons.
The Draconians would have been able to detect her ships, had they thought to be looking for them. Their cloak was no more effective than the Draconian one, but it was effective enough since apparently in three years the Draconians failed to find them. Of course, they weren’t looking for them either.
Alath watched as the Draconian unleashed their fury on the dark asteroid named Ceres. She had never actually seen such an assault. It was spectacular and, under any other circumstances, deadly.
It was also her cue.
With a thought, she sent the command to drop the clo
ak protecting her ships. Ten thousand Sirian ships parked above Ceres suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
***
Marcus bared his teeth and growled as ten thousand new plots appeared on their tracking systems. Sirians, using a cloak he should have been smart enough to see through.
He had worked so hard, so many millennia! These humans were nothing, just food and entertainment, scum to be scraped off his boot. He knew the Sirians were coming eventually, but he believed he would be able to turn things around before they arrived, cut off their support and force them to turn back.
He knew they didn’t have weapons, they were cowards. He had the upper hand. Even outnumbered twenty to one, they would be powerless under his assault.
But those Keys...they could be a problem. And with that thought, his worst fears appeared in space between them and the Sirians.
Marcus watched his monitors as John and Pan Syker appeared, floating in space. He could see the expression on John’s face. It wasn’t that of a coward.
You know the Sirian’s won’t act against you, Marcus could hear in his head. Pan, the father. The bastard responsible for all this. But we will, and they’ve got our backs. He was even smiling, that vicious smile humans thought they knew how to do.
He did the math quickly. Each one of those Keys was easily capable of taking out a hundred of his scouts before succumbing, that put the odds in his favor. Except for the damned Sirians; if they did so much as defend against the attack, that significantly put things in the opposite direction.
Marcus didn’t like those odds, but there was a bigger problem. The Sirians weren’t supposed to arrive for another five years, so what were they doing here? Somebody else had watched him attack, and had tipped them off in the past. Somebody else was manipulating time in their favor, someone Marcus didn’t know and had never seen. That scared him.
Entropy Risen (The Syker Key Book 3) Page 6