Freedom by Fire

by C P MacDonald

  Blayne and Cadee gripped their seats in fear for their mother. The enemy shuttle opened fire on the hovercar, partially obscured by the fantail of mist launched up from behind it.

  Morgan, watching carefully, lifted the shuttle off the stronghold landing pad when the hovercar neared the other side of the lake.

  “If they can reach the woods on the other side, they may have a fighting chance,” he reassured the royals behind him. But as soon as he said the words, one of the enemy lasers hit its target, blowing an engine off the hovercar. The flying vehicle wobbled out of control, then tumbled into a roll across the water of the lake. Spinning across the water, parts flew off in every direction. Everyone in the shuttle could only watch in horror on the screen as the car came to a stop on the water with a huge splash. The enemy made a low pass over the wreckage, but it was already sinking out of sight below the surface of the water.

  “No!” shouted Cadee, who got up and tried to grab Morgan’s control stick, “We have to go help her!”

  Blayne and Gunn grabbed Cadee and gently pulled her back to her seat “You heard Mother, we can’t go back. She did this so we can escape,” Blayne said as he squeezed her shoulders lightly, fighting to keep his own anguish under control. “This was her plan, we have no choice.” He looked at Morgan and gave a small nod.

  With grief etched into his face, Morgan nodded back and pulled back on the stick to launch the shuttle into the upper atmosphere. He checked the sensors before confirming, “For what it is worth, I think it worked. It doesn’t look like they saw us.” Clenching his jaw and tightening his grip on the controls he ordered, “I suggest you all strap in, it could still get dicey if they spot us. We are not out of the woods yet.”

  Blayne carefully helped his sister strap in, her face blank in grief and shock. Blayne himself was numb, which he was thankful for. It allowed him to continue to function, but sometime soon he would need the time to process what happened and grieve.

  Chapter 10

  The view through the shuttle window shifted from the turquoise blue to the black of space, a match for Morgan’s thoughts. He ran his hands over his face, trying to rub the frustration away. He checked the report on his wristcom again, refusing to believe what his eyes had just read. Lamond was dead. He swiveled his chair to look at the back of the shuttle where Blayne and Cadee were still reeling over their mother’s death. There was no way he would tell them about their father, not now. Not when they just lost their mother, too.

  Gunn interrupted his remorse from the copilot chair, “Estimated time of arrival, fifteen minutes.”

  Morgan looked back out the window. But he wouldn’t be able to see the Flyer Federation freighter yet, even something that big. The freighters were some of the largest spaceships flying in the three systems. From what he had been told they based the Federation ships on the ship design that humanity used to travel across the galaxy to their new home here. Each ship was literally a flying independent nation of the Flyer Federation.

  He unconsciously gritted his teeth, he always hated dealing with the Flyers. They were autonomous of any Kingdom and any planet. They held absolute control over all travel between the three inhabited solar systems. From his limited experience with them, he believed the Flyers took full advantage of their unique position. Travel between the three systems was only possible through the Gateways, circular constructs the size of small moons that opened man-made wormholes under the Flyer’s control. Flying between the systems through the Gateways required unique technology that only the Flyers were allowed to possess. Throughout the systems it was forbidden to enhance the human mind through computer hardware. Every child in primary learned the history of when mankind's technology rose against them. Humans had tried to elevate their own minds by connecting to artificial intelligence. But their own creations had almost exterminated them. The machines, the A.I., believed itself to be the dominant life form and humanity the servant. The entire human race was forced flee their home planet of Earth and its solar system during the war with the A.I. A war the humans were losing. It had taken generations flying through the emptiness of space before they had lost their pursuers, before they could safely settle the three solar systems that they now called the TriadVerse.

  Flyers, the pilots of the large Federation freighters, were the only humans legally allowed to integrate their brains directly with a non-intelligent computer system. And only because there was no other way to fly through the Gateways safely. The Gateways connected the three inhabited solar systems; themselves separated by hundreds of light-years. Only a human mind, enhanced with the computational power of a complex computer system, could guide the large freighters through the man-made wormholes. Controlling a ship flying through the Gateways had been described as trying to surf on a toothpick in the middle of a hurricane.

  But, as much as Morgan and everyone else detested dealing the Flyer Federation, it was their only safe way off of Dunadd. And since the Federation was a neutral party in relation to all ruling planets and governments, it was also the closest place to seek temporary asylum.

  Blayne interrupted his thoughts by shuffling into the cockpit, his eyes bloodshot but his face composed and devoid of expression. Morgan decided he would not tell him about Lamond, not yet. The kid needed time to adjust, he thought. He watched as Blayne stared silently out the window, struggling to compose his thoughts.

  “How is Cadee?” Morgan asked softly.

  “Not doing too good, but Gunn is staying with her. I can’t… can’t deal with both my feelings and hers right now,” Blayne whispered. Looking out the window at the stars he asked quietly, “So, what’s the plan?”

  “We will lie low on the Federation freighter until they make the jump to Crorix. Then my pirate contact will smuggle us down to a sub-level of the city.”

  A frown crossed Blayne’s face, “I’ve never dealt with a Federation representative, but Father always griped about their ‘superior’ attitudes.”

  “Well, he wasn’t wrong. They can rub people the wrong way sometimes.”

  Cadee came into the cockpit, “Are we going to see a Flyer?” the young princess asked, wiping her eyes. He couldn’t blame her curiosity. Flyers were considered almost a fairy tale to the general population. They were usually reclusive and devoid of personality. If you were granted the rare chance of meeting one, the hardware protruding out of their head was enough to make anyone ill at ease. And when they spoke, they seemed disconnected and almost emotionless. Almost no one knew how the Federation society or organization was constructed. This secrecy only added to the mystique of the Flyer Federation.

  “Let’s hope not,” Blayne answered. “I’ve heard they’re grotesque.”

  “They are still people,” snapped Morgan. “They are not monsters, remember that,” he corrected him.

  Blayne’s face tightened with emotion, “That sounds like something Father would say.”

  Keeping the King’s death from Blayne was going to be difficult, Morgan diverted his eyes so Blayne wouldn’t see his sadness.

  Gunn, laid out on the seats in the back with his hands behind his head piped up, “I would like to see one.”

  Blayne retorted, “You just want to see if there are any women Flyers.”

  Gunn grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

  Cadee interrupted their banter, “Wait, didn’t Kessen say even Tyrell was using his soldiers on Crorix now?”

  “Damn, I forgot about that,” snapped Blayne. “This plan is shot to hell already.”

  Morgan held up his hand, “Wait a minute. Yes, Tyrell is using Aratan troops, but currently only on the outer edges of his solar system. Tyrell and his Zalore Empire, as he has begun to call it, have expanded their occupation and colonization throughout the Zalore solar system, which puts a strain on his military to patrol. Our Intel shows he is only using the Aratan troops for the more remote and obscure patrol points. But as for the security on the Capital planet? And I can assure you, Tyrell is only using his most loyal of troops.”<
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  “How sure are you about that?” Blayne questioned.

  “Very. You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting ‘wannabe Emperor Tyrell’. He may be a brilliant military strategist and politician, but he has a paranoid streak deeper than the oceans of Nereus.”

  Blayne scratched his head in thought, “OK, this might work. I’ve even heard rumors about the sub-city on Crorix, about how not even the Zalore patrols will go down there. As you said, it could be a place to hide.”

  “But I must emphasize, it is a dangerous place,” Morgan said. “The reason Zalore soldiers don’t go down there is because the criminals outnumber them. But we could lose ourselves in the population down there. We just need to find a safe place to stay, undetected.”

  Cadee picked her nails nervously, “It sounds dangerous.”

  Morgan snorted, “Try deadly. But there is also a small community of people from Dunadd there that may be able to help, expats.”

  “Expats? Expatriates from Dunadd? Then they won’t be too thrilled to see us,” Blayne pointed out.

  “Some of them, no. But most are people who thought going to the ‘big’ city-planet would be more exciting than farming and with more opportunities. They are not political.” Morgan raised his eyebrows, “Believe it or not, not everyone wants to be a farmer.”

  Blayne clenched his hands into tight fists, “But we are not looking for farmers. We need fighters, soldiers.”

  “Those I’m sure we will find, no doubt about that. No one survives long in the sub-levels without becoming a fighter, or at least a survivor. The question is, whose side will they be on?” Morgan asked.

  Chapter 11

  Blayne silently listened to Morgan communicate with the Flyer Federation representative over the com. For a man whose job was to soldier and defend, Blayne had to admit he was good at political maneuvering. Listening to the Knight negotiate temporary asylum for them made his head hurt. Drumming his fingers on the armrest, he resisted the urge to pace the small cabin of the shuttle. Sitting still was never a strong point of his, he would always prefer action over talking. Growing up in a Palace, surrounded by constant trade negotiations and political dealings, he was well aware that patience was a necessity in the world they lived in. But it didn’t mean he had to like it.

  As a kid, he had been notorious for skipping out on his history lessons and royal training. He and Gunn were always exploring the city, getting into trouble, and having fun. Although his current passion was skyboarding, before that it had been climbing, and before that cross-country racing. His father had accused him and Gunn, half-joking, of being adrenaline junkies. But he saw no fault in that. He preferred to be out in the real world living life than in some stuffy throne room listening to the constant barrage of butt-kissing and trade talks.

  Morgan’s baritone ended his reminiscing, “Your Highnesses, I’ve acquired temporary asylum on the freighter for us. They agreed to not list us on the passenger manifest so no one will know we are here. Luckily, Crorix is their next jump so we will not be on board very long.”

  Cadee spoke up, "If I may make a suggestion, stop calling us ‘Your Highness’. Or any other royal title, it will draw attention to us."

  Morgan nodded his head in agreement, “You are quite right, Your High… young lady.” He said with a grin. “That will be a hard habit to break.”

  Gunn stepped into the cramped cockpit and added, “A habit I look forward to breaking,” he said poking Blayne in the ribs with his elbow and a grin.

  A voice over the com filled the cabin, “We have you on approach Dunadd shuttle, please proceed to Hanger Bay A3.” Morgan gestured at his young group to fasten their safety harnesses as the shuttle rotated and the large Federation freighter came into view.

  Blayne momentarily forgot about their predicament as the sheer size of the ship overwhelmed him with amazement. As the only mode of transport between solar systems, the freighters not only carried people but cargo as well. Seventy-five percent of the ship was designated for cargo only, the rest was for passengers. He remembered from the trade deals his Father had arranged to transport Dunadd food crops to other systems. A few times a year, the turquoise skies above Dunadd were streaked with the launching and reentry flights of hundreds of cargo shuttles, taking their food stores up to the freighter in orbit.

  Already the freighter filled the viewport, the nose and tail disappearing out of view outside the window. A bright opening, lined with pulsating beacons to direct them in, appeared in the side of the rectangular ship. It was only as they approached did the size of the docking bay opening become apparent. Their shuttle, a tiny speck by comparison, flew into the monstrous bay, filled with hundreds of other shuttles on landing pads below.

  Gunn, his face pressed against the side viewport, gawked at the bay. “You could fit the entire Palace in here and still have room left!” he said with wonder.

  In the back of the shuttle, Cadee fidgeted with her necklace, a gift from her mother, her face downcast.

  Blayne wrapped his arms around his sister in a hug and said, “Don’t worry. We will get home again. But for now, I need you to be strong.” He pulled back to look her in the eye, “We are still together, right? I promise you, I will get you home. Father will help us find Mother’s hovercar, OK?”

  She used her sleeve to mop the tears from her cheeks and nodded silently. The shuttle landed smoothly on the deck and the back ramp hissed open.

  Morgan appeared behind Blayne and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Come, let’s get you two something to eat and drink. They have informed me we have quarters reserved.” Turning to Gunn he asked, “Give me a hand with these bags.”

  Cadee wiped her eyes again, stood up straighter and said, “No. You two are not our servants anymore. We must hide who we are. We will carry our own bags from now on.”

  Blayne nodded at his sister’s suggestion. “She’s right, we need to keep a low profile in public.” He grabbed his bag and tried not to consider it contained literally everything he had to his name now. A change of clothes and a travel kit. They were no longer royalty. They weren’t even servants. They had no Kingdom to their name and were on the run and in hiding. And for how long, he had no idea.

  Gunn, sensing the dire mood of the group, grabbed Blayne's arm and tugged, “Come on! Let’s check this place out! We’re on a Federation ship!”

  Blayne rolled his eyes at Gunn’s enthusiasm but reluctantly followed him down the ramp. “We will explore later if it is safe. For now, Gunn, let’s go to our quarters. We all could use some rest.”

  The Federation was kind enough to provide a guide to show them to their secured quarters that Morgan had arranged. Blayne was impressed with the security arrangements, a stateroom on a secured level guarded by Federation sentries. The guide announced before leaving, “We will approach the system Gateway soon for our jump. There is a private observation lounge down the hall that you can watch from.”

  Gunn jumped up from the couch he had collapsed on and tugged Blayne’s arm, “Come on, let’s go. I’ve never seen a jump.”

  Blayne had to admit, “Neither have I. Cadee?” he asked.

  His sister curled up in a stuffed chair and tucked her legs under her and shook her head. “I think I will wait here and take a nap. I’m exhausted.”

  Morgan waved the boys on, “Go on, I’ll wait with her. If you’ve see one jump, you’ve seen them all. But it is something to see at least once. Go.”

  Blayne looked at his sister. She gave him a quick reassuring smile in return and said, “It’s OK, I’m fine. Go see the jump.”

  “Alright. But if you change your mind, we are right down the hall,” Blayne said before he left to follow Gunn to the observation lounge. He had to assume they were the only passengers on this level since no one else was in there. Deep couches and easy chairs were scattered throughout, but all situated to look out the floor to ceiling windows that covered one wall. Outside, the stars were dashing to the left as the giant freighter flew away f
rom Dunadd toward the Evar Solar System Gateway.

  Gunn had his head pressed to the glass looking toward the nose of the ship, “Do you think we will see the Gateway before we jump?” Blayne grinned in amusement. Despite the gloom of the past day, Gunn’s enthusiasm for life could be infectious. He guessed that was one reason Gunn was his best friend.

  “Well, it’s a humongous circle a kilometer across and the ship passes through the center. So we should see the outer structure and the event horizon as the ship passes through.”

  “Cool!”

  “Yes, it is very cool indeed,” a calm voice came from behind them. Startled, they jerked around. A stranger walked through the lounge doors, his face hidden by a white hood and his arms tucked into wide sleeves in front of him. “I apologize for startling you, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be in here.”

  Blayne rested his hand on his holster, his finger touching the quick release, “And who are you, friend?”

  Slowly the stranger removed his hands from the sleeves and carefully pushed back his hood. The reason for his careful movements became obvious as computer terminals and hardware protruded from his head at all angles. Even his fingers were lined with metal, ending at caps over his fingertips.

  “A Flyer?” gasped Gunn.

  The stranger nodded, “A student Flyer, but yes.”

  Blayne remained cautious and kept his hand on his blaster, “Flyers are not known for walking around in public areas on their ships. You are notorious for your privacy.”

  “Yes, we are. For obvious reasons,” the Flyer said, gesturing to the hardware sticking out of his head. “It is to prevent being stared at, similar to what you two are doing now,” he suggested lightly.

  Blayne blinked in surprise. Removing his hand from his blaster, he lowered his head slightly, “I apologize. You took us by surprise and we’ve never seen a Flyer before.”