“You’re leaving?”
“Good luck. Don’t share what you have here. It would be too hazardous,” she said, and as silently as she had arrived, she was gone.
I sat on the edge of the bed and thought about using it right there and then. The old Dean would have done it. He was impulsive and straight to the point, but I’d put the others through so much, they had the right to know. If I attempted to use the Relocator now and it failed, they might think I was abducted from the hotel room and never know what had really befallen me. Plus, I didn’t have my EVA here with me, and there was no way I was using this thing without it on.
I thought about waking the others up and making them leave for Fortune with me immediately, but they’d all been through a lot and deserved what brief rest and relaxation they could get. I held the Relocator and climbed into bed, positive I’d never sleep another ounce in my life. A few minutes later, my eyes closed, my breathing deepened, and everything ceased to exist.
Twenty-Five
“Have you tested this thruster pack out before, Magnus?” I asked. It was strapped to my back and was of lighter weight than the old ones he and I had worn years ago, trying to stop a war with the Bhlat. He’d gone over the basic functions of it, and I was sure I’d figure it out if I was stranded in deep space with no other options.
“I’ve played around with them a few times, sure. As basic as you think. Now, do you need anything else?” Magnus asked. We were in the hangar, and the whole gang was huddled around awaiting my departure.
Slate set a hand on my shoulder and tapped on my helmet’s face mask. “Are you sure you don’t want me to test this? I don’t mind, really. You have so much more to lose,” he said quietly.
There wasn’t going to be any more discussion about it. “I’m doing it.”
“And Braylam thinks there could be a delay in returning? It has to charge?” Suma asked again.
“That’s right. I don’t know how long it’ll take, so be patient. If I don’t show up for a day or two, let’s try not to freak out.” I looked Slate in the eyes when I said that.
Karo came over to me and grabbed my in a hug, his long arms wrapping around my EVA suit and thruster pack. “Be well, my friend. We’ll see you soon.” His green eyes bore into mine, and I nodded.
“I’ll be as well as I can be,” I promised.
Natalia gave me a hug too, not meeting my gaze. “And you think it’s going to have Volim saved into it?”
“Sergo made me think as much. There’s no way for me to know, not without trying it.” I gave her a slight smile, and stepped away from the group.
The entire assembly stood in a line now, between me and our ship. W was present too, beside Ableen, who seemed confused as to what we were doing here. I assumed Karo’s translation had failed at some point.
“I’ll see you all soon,” I said before turning from them to face the exterior wall of Fortune. I didn’t want anyone to behold the look of horror on my face as I pulled the device out and hovered my finger over the icon. “I’m coming home soon, Mary and Jules. We’ll all be together. I have a few things to do first. Let’s take everyone else home.” I’d turned my earpiece off and whispered the words.
Then I closed my eyes and pressed the icon.
When I opened them, I was in total darkness. For a second, I began to panic, my breathing coming in shallow huffs, until I realized I wasn’t floating in space. My feet were planted on the ground. I flicked my EVA lights on and found myself in a run-down room, a handful of bodies on the floor. I saw the familiar golden pollen on the ant-like Padlog and let out a shout of excitement.
I was in the underground hive of Volim’s capital city, where I’d first met Sergo. This was the rear of the bar. I saw the same table we’d sat at with the sketchy character in the corner and let out another shout of joy.
“Where did you come from?” the chits and buzzes translated in my ear. I spun around to see two huge beetle-shaped Padlog stalking toward me. I reached for my rifle but figured something else might work with them.
“Sergo sent me.”
“Is that so?” The greater of the two had huge black eyes; foot-long mandibles clicked open and shut as he spoke.
“Yes. He’s setting up his penthouse on Haven and wanted me to gather a few of his things.”
“Penthouse. He really pulled that job off? He was always bragging he was going to steal from those Inlor, but none of us thought he had the skills to pull it off,” the chits translated.
“He did. I have to get going. If you guys help me reach the surface, I’ll make sure to tell Sergo how well you should be rewarded for assisting me. He’s throwing his new wealth around like a wild man,” I lied, and they both perked up.
“This way. We’ll bring you.”
That was too easy. I still couldn’t trust them, but I didn’t have much of a choice. I kept my hand on the gun at my hip, and the other clasped over the Relocator. We stepped over the fallen drugged-out Padlog on the floor and wound our way through the hive’s quiet inner corridors, eventually finding the elevator that would bring us aboveground.
They asked a few questions about Sergo’s new place and made plans to go visit him. I took their names, not even bothering to remember them. I had other things on my mind.
It had worked! The Relocator worked!
I had to transport a message to Mary. There was too much to do, and the elevator was moving far too slowly for me.
It arrived up top, and I gave thanks to my new friends, who decided they couldn’t leave my side until I made it to the embassy tower. Padlog of every variety were outside, walking and talking as they headed to and from their daily activities. Food trucks lined the open area between the sky-piercing towers, their roasting protein sending smoke into the sky. It was bustling and exciting as various insect-shaped humanoids talked and walked and lived their lives. I couldn’t have been happier. My steps were light, and everyone I passed eyed me up and down as I bounded by in a full EVA with a rifle and thrust pack strapped to me. I must have seemed like a madman.
“Thank you. Sergo will be in touch,” I said, and the two Padlog lumbered off into the crowds.
Once inside the building, I was greeted by the bright polished lobby, where possibly the same scholars from the last time we’d visited stood by a water feature, discussing topics only of interest to themselves.
I approached their small group and interrupted. “I need to speak to the Supreme.”
In all the excitement, I’d forgotten to even check the charge on the Relocator. I opened my palm and saw three glowing bars. So it hadn’t been fully drained. That was good to know.
“The Supreme is busy, I’m sure,” one of the scholars said, his wasp head tilting upward as he tried to assess what I was.
“Tell them Dean Parker is here, and I need to urgently speak with the Supreme. He’ll want to see me,” I urged.
“Doubtful.” The scholar left the group, who’d fallen silent at my arrival, and I waited at the side of the room. I couldn’t believe it had worked. My cheeks were sore from smiling, and I couldn’t stop.
Eventually, a tall green mantis-type Padlog meandered over to me and spoke. “The Supreme will see you now.”
It wasn’t long before I was in the same meeting room on the third floor. The Supreme was waiting there, his short cricket form hoisted on a small chair.
“Dean Parker again. Why am I not surprised to see you?” he asked.
We’d been in discussion with the Supreme lately, though Terrance and the other Alliance of Worlds members were his contacts, not me.
“I hear you found your mate. How very lucky for you,” he said.
“Yes. I am lucky. Look, I need your help,” I said. I removed my helmet, setting it on the floor, and slung the thrusters beside it before sitting across from him.
“Very well. Speak your piece,” the Supreme said, his small black eyes focusing on me with intensity.
I settled in to tell him my story, starting with Sergo
at the Gatekeepers’ celebration. He demanded every detail, and claimed he was going to kill the rogue Padlog if he ever got his tiny hands around his neck.
I kept talking, checking the Relocator halfway through, seeing it was up to four bars, and I felt some of the tension release from my shoulders. I told the Supreme about our chase after Magnus’ missing ship, about the waylay on the robot world, about the failing portal stones, and about our experience with the Traders. He’d personally dealt with the same woman as I had on a few occasions and was impressed I’d made off so well.
He was surprised to hear about the crashed Keppe lifeboat and applauded our ingenuity at finding the location of Fortune. His arms wavered as I mentioned the Collector, making a buzzing sound like a cricket.
“And this Collector had Padlog?” he asked.
“Apparently. I didn’t see it,” I admitted. I kept talking until my mouth was dry and my tale was spent. “Then I arrived at Sergo’s saved location inside the hive, far below the surface.”
The Supreme opened and closed his small mouth a few times before saying anything. “And how can I help you now? Can you use that to transport your people here?”
I nodded. “I believe we can, though it will take a lot of time and work. The Relocator can carry multiple people with it, but I’m not sure how many or how far. We’ll have to move in small groups, and judging by the charging time...” I pointed at the device, which was up to five bars now, an hour or so later. “This could take a few weeks to deliver the entire crew of Fortune back. I need a safe zone to bring them to, then we’re going to require ships to transfer us all to Haven. Can you help us?”
“Of course. What good is being part of this Alliance if we don’t assist others in need? I’m sure we’ll be able to negotiate a fair price, after all.” There it was: the crux of his motivation. There always was one.
“I’m sure we can. Thank you for the assistance, Supreme.” I shook his little hand, and he settled into his seat. “Is there somewhere I can use to program the Relocator to arrive?”
“I have just the spot, Dean. Come with me.”
____________
The Relocator was at nine bars, and it felt like forever waiting for a full charge. I didn’t bother with the EVA this time. It was bulky and hopefully unnecessary. The Supreme had given me full access to a huge landing pad in the middle of their ocean, a private location most of the Padlog weren’t even aware existed.
It came complete with a dozen mid-sized Padlog WASP vessels, which would give us enough space to transport everyone to Haven. From there, we’d have to use the portal stones to funnel the Keppe to Oliter, and us to New Spero.
The Supreme also sent a recording with a ship to Haven. Terrance would ensure Mary got the message. It wouldn’t get there much faster than I would, but even a couple of days meant a lot when you were at home waiting for your husband to come home to you and your daughter.
I was alone on the floating island now, and as soon as the Relocator showed ten fully-charged bars, I set the location to return us here instead of below ground in a dingy bar full of unscrupulous characters. I didn’t think they’d appreciate a full force of Keppe warriors arriving unannounced.
“Here goes nothing.” I took a deep breath and tapped the icon.
A millisecond later, I was back inside the hangar beside our Kraski ship. Slate was spread out on a cot, snoring; Suma and Rulo were playing a game at a table, and the huge Keppe warrior almost knocked the table over when she saw me. She rushed over, picking me up and squeezing my ribs.
“Let me down!” I gasped between laughs.
Slate came to and was up in a blink, breaking into a smile. “Never doubted it for a moment.”
“Where’s Magnus?” I asked.
“Right here.” He stepped off the Kraski ship and crossed his arms. “I can’t believe you did it.”
“You didn’t think I’d pull it off, did you? I told you I owed you one rescue. Now we’re even,” I said with a laugh.
“What happened?” Suma asked. She was gripping my arm tightly, as if she wasn’t able to let me go.
I told them about arriving at Volim and the deal with the Supreme.
“We have a fleet to bring us home?” Magnus asked.
“We do. Once this charges, we can start transferring the crew. And us,” I told them.
Everyone in the room cheered, pumping fists in the air and hugging each other. It felt great.
“Dean,” Rulo said, breaking the excitement, “I’m not coming with you.”
I was taken aback. “What? Why?”
She shrugged. “Kaspin asked if I’d like to stay with him, and I would. I’ve had enough of wars and adventure. My body’s tired, Dean. I could use a place like this world to live out my days, and a man like Kaspin to spoil me.”
“I can’t make you come with, but it’s your choice,” I replied, and Slate pushed me out of the way, giving her a punch on one armored arm.
“We’re going to miss you, Rulo. You’re one of a kind,” he told her, and I saw tears forming in her snake eyes. She wiped them away and cleared her throat.
“Okay, we have a lot to do to prepare. Are we sure we don’t want to extend the offer to anyone else?” Magnus asked.
I thought about what Braylam had said in the hotel room, about the pandemonium it would cause. Still, leaving them all here with no choice was going to be a tough decision.
“It’s not my choice to make. I can’t do it, Magnus,” I admitted.
“I know, Dean. I know.”
Twenty-Six
It was only a week to travel by hyperdrive from Volim to Haven, and I’d completed the trek before, but it was going excruciatingly slowly. By the time I allowed myself to leave the Padlog world, over half of the Keppe ship Fortune’s population was on Volim, occupying the borrowed insectoid vessels.
Magnus assured me he was right behind, and I left Volim, ready to be back at Haven, and from there to New Spero. I had the device that J-NAK had made us to apply to the portal stones, and told Magnus and the others not to attempt using them without it.
We’d managed to use the Relocator to move ten people at a time to Volim, from the other dimension to which the Cloud had sent us. The only issue was the six or so hours it took to charge fully between jumps.
All in all, I was overcome with happiness at being on the final leg of the trip home.
The Volim ship was larger than the Kraski ship we’d had to leave behind, and we had twenty-five Keppe on board with us. Karo and Ableen were with Slate, Suma, and me in the dining room off the galley, and we were drinking the last of the coffee we’d brought with us.
“Quite the ride, boss,” Slate said. He scratched at his thick blond beard. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure, what’s that?” I asked.
“Stay home for a while. The last few years have been hectic with everything going on. The return to Earth, starting our colonies and cities there from scratch. The Alliance of Worlds, the Gatekeepers’ Academy, and Haven’s insane expansion. But at least that stuff lets us go home at the end of the night and rest our heads on our own pillows.” Slate drained his cup.
“Deal. I think Mary would appreciate that too. We do have a serious problem to deal with,” I said.
“What’s that?” Suma asked.
“The portals. The Gatekeepers need to figure out what’s happening to them. If the Theos” – I glanced at Ableen, who wouldn’t understand me – “are disappearing from inside them, we’re going to have a lot of missing Keepers out there. We’re going to have to do a full count and find a way to bring them all home.” I leaned back, wishing that was a problem for someone else.
“I’m sure my father is working on it,” Suma assured me.
“But he won’t have a way to traverse the portals safely. We left a message with him to spread the word, but what about those already on the other sides? They’re going to be stuck.” I swirled the dark coffee in my cup and finished off the bitter brew.
“There are a lot of Gatekeepers, and many of them have a lot more experience than we do,” Slate said. “Maybe it’s time to hang up the helmet, Dean.”
He wasn’t wrong. I could hand off the Modifier device from J-NAK and settle in on New Spero, or even my parents’ old farmhouse in middle America. Thinking about the beautiful piece of land reminded me of the storm cellar beneath the home, the one only I could access, that led to the ship where I was storing the mini Kalentrek and time-travel tool I’d used to dispose of Lom of Pleva. When I got the Relocator back, I decided to hide it there too.
I changed the subject, unsure what I was going to do when I arrived. I’d have to speak with Mary first, then with Sarlun, to see how grim the situation with the stones was. “Karo, what about you two? What are your plans with Ableen?”
She’d stuck to him like glue since we’d found her, but she was coming out of her scared shell with each passing day. Under the right circumstances, I knew she would once again become that dynamic woman she used to be.
I couldn’t imagine the rollercoaster of emotions she’d been going through, language barriers aside. We didn’t have Theos in our databanks, so there was no translating it. Karo had always used English with us. She sat straighter than before now, her hands less fidgety, her eyes making contact with others. It was all quite positive so far.
Karo took a second to answer. “We’re not sure. I want her to see what we have to offer for her, and she can choose.”
“You’re going to be by her side, though, right?” Suma asked.
“Only if that’s what Ableen wants. She isn’t my property, and just because she’s a woman and I’m a man, that doesn’t mean I’m going to assume anything further than what we have so far. I’m thrilled to have found another Theos. It’s amazing,” he said, smiling at Ableen. He translated to her, and she looked happier than I’d ever seen her. She said something, and he relayed it. “She’s looking forward to seeing Haven. A world with dozens of races living in harmony, kind of like the planet we recently visited, she said.”
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