by M J Dees
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Details can be found at the end of ROCKET TO TRINCULO
Rocket to Trinculo
Mastery of the Stars, Volume 3
M J Dees
Published by M J Dees, 2019.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
ROCKET TO TRINCULO
First edition. December 6, 2019.
Copyright © 2019 M J Dees.
Written by M J Dees.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Rocket to Trinculo (Mastery of the Stars, #3)
Still not ready to leave Sevan? | Shipwrecked on Lysithea | Book Four in the Mastery of the Stars series
Want to read more? | To be released on 30th August 2020 | Pre-order now.
ALSO BY M J DEES | Living with Saci
Living with the Headless Mule
The Astonishing Anniversaries of James and David: Part One
When The Well Runs Dry
Fred & Leah
COPYRIGHT | First published in 2019 by M J Dees | E-book first published in 2019 by M J Dees | Copyright M J Dees 2019
CHAPTER 1: FIRST IMPACT
Sevan was not happy. He sat on the bridge of the freighter Mastery of the Stars and looked out at where his home planet should have been.
"How does Barnes destroy an entire plant?" said Tori, once a Republic trooper, now sitting in the weapons seat on the bridge. The same seat Sevan held before Tori arrived. Sevan is still angry that his seat on the bridge was given to Tori.
"The space station Tomorrow has enough firepower to destroy a planet and now Barnes has taken it to Daphnis," said Ay-ttho in the pilot's seat.
Sevan had no problem with Ay-ttho sitting in the pilot's seat. Sevan was no pilot, the scratched metal on the side of the Mastery of the Stars bore testimony to his attempt to get the freighter out of a hangar the first time he had attempted to escape from Barnes.
He no longer had any desire to escape. Sevan wanted to find Barnes and kill him in revenge for destroying his home planet, and he knew that Ay-ttho shared his desire.
"Even if we can get to Daphnis before he destroys it, how do you intend to stop him? He has the largest space station in the system and there are three of us in an old freighter," said Tori.
"Four if you count Ron," said Ay-ttho, referring to the ship's navigational computer.
"Thank you," said Ron.
"How could you believe Barnes' ridiculous story?" Ay-ttho complained to Sevan.
"It wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't," Sevan protested. "You heard him, he had already destroyed the Doomed Planet when we were messing around on that medical ship with your brother."
"He wasn't my brother."
"Well, if I hadn't had to rescue you I wouldn't have had to leave the planet."
"And a great job you did."
"Well how else did you expect to get off that prison planet? Do you think we could have done that without Barnes?"
"Stop fighting, you two," Tori interrupted. "None of this makes any sense. Barnes has had many opportunities to kill us and yet he keeps letting us go. Why?"
"Yeah," Ay-ttho agreed. "I don't buy this whole wanting to see us suffer deal."
"What about President Man?" asked Tori.
"What about him?" said Ay-ttho.
"Do you think he and Barnes are doing all this together?"
"How should I know?" Ay-ttho complained.
"I've just realised something," said Sevan, staring out of the observation window back to where his home planet should be. “The Giant Cup is gone.”
"You know it was never a giant cup?" asked Ay-ttho referring to the silvery moon which Sevan's people on the Doomed Planet worshipped as the giant cup of an unseen deity.
"I know, but still," Sevan felt a bond with the Giant Cup even if it wasn't actually a giant cup. He had seen it in the sky his whole life.
"I guess the Doomed Planet has lived up to its name," Tori joked, but his smile dropped when he saw Sevan's angry expression. "Sorry."
"I don't understand why Barnes would destroy his own creation. I mean, we were all created by Barnes," Sevan mused.
"What did you say BARNES meant again?" Tori asked.
"Daxu said it stood for Biological Augmentation Replicator and Nano-Emulation System," said Sevan.
"Who'd have thought Barnes was a machine?"
"Well, he's not anymore. He created the biological version of himself as an experiment before creating us."
"What do you think has happened to Daxu?"
"Barnes has probably already killed him," said Sevan.
"He wouldn't kill his own creator would he?"
"It wouldn't be the first time. Daxu went into hiding in the first place because the Corporation was trying to kill him."
"The Corporation isn't Barnes though is it?" Tori argued.
"Barnes is the Corporation these days."
"So what are we going to do?" asked Tori again.
"We will kill Barnes," Said Ay-ttho.
"But how?" said Tori. "Like I said before, the three of us are no match for the Tomorrow station."
"I have an idea," said Ay-ttho. "We might not get to Barnes but I think I might know someone who can. Ron, set a course for Pandoria."
"Pandoria? Are you sure?" Ron was surprised.
"I'm sure. Take us to Pandoria," said Ay-ttho getting out of the chair. "I'm going for a rest."
"What's at Pandoria?" Sevan asked.
"Pandoria is the region's cesspit of scum," said Ron. "We can find all the worst of the worst there. If you want to do something horrible or illegal, Pandoria is where you will find help for hire."
"How are we going to hire anyone?" Sevan wondered. "We have nothing."
"Except the ship," said Tori.
"No, not the ship," Sevan and Ron said in unison.
"Then what?" asked Tori.
"I don't know," said Sevan. "Ask Ay-ttho. It's her idea. I wouldn't wake her up though."
"Of course not," Tori laughed. "You should have seen the mess she made on Aitne when they tried to wake her before she was ready."
"I was there, remember?"
"Oh, yeah." Tori was lost in his thoughts for a moment. "Did you get the chance to ask Barnes why he made you all shades of turquoise and us shades of purple?"
"No," said Sevan, remembering the prejudice that had been shown to those with bluer shades of turquoise by those with greener shades. None of that mattered now that he had destroyed them. "Tori? Do you think the fact that you are a redder shade of purple helped you to get promotion over those with a bluer shade?"
"Of course."
"Why is that?"
"Just the way it is," said Tori.
Sevan wondered why Barnes built such a prejudice into his creations.
"If you’d like to get some rest, too," said Ron. "I'll wake you when we reach Pandoria."
"Sounds like a good idea," said Tori and they both retired to the crew's quarters.
*
Rain was falling heavily on the observation window as Ay-ttho brought the Mastery of the Stars to rest in the only freighter park they could find that had spaces.
“Is there some kind of convention going on?” Sevan asked.
“Pandoria is always popular,” said Ay-ttho.
Wind howled inside the ship as she opened the doors.
“Wear these,” she said, handing Sevan and Tori large work jackets.
; “They’re bright orange,” Sevan complained.
“Well, at least we won’t lose you. Take these.”
She handed Sevan and Tori a headset each comprising a tank with nozzles which reached to their air inlets.
“They will help you breathe in Pandoria’s atmosphere,” said Ay-ttho. “It’s not too different to the Doomed Planet but this will stop you feeling ill.”
“It doesn’t stop me from looking like I’ve lost my marbles,” Sevan complained.
As they left the ship, Sevan comforted himself with the thought that at least the headset and jacket would offer some protection from the rain which was falling steadily.
“Should I worry about the rain?” he asked.
“Relax, it’s far safer than the rain on the Concession. Pandoria is not that polluted. It is the legal industries which pollute the most.”
Ay-ttho went off to negotiate with the owner of the freighter park. It looked like a fungus with four stubby feet and at least a dozen tentacles for arms. Its eyes, of which there were several, hung from stalks which extended from a stem which came out of what Sevan imagined must be its mouth. On top of the stem sat what looked like an upside down flower which seemed to shelter it from the rain.
“Do you think we can trust it with the Mastery of the Stars?” Sevan asked Ay-ttho when she came back.
“Don’t worry, Ron can look after himself,” she said.
Sevan was less than convinced about that, given their recent experience with the Looters on Daphnis.
“How do you communicate with that thing?” Sevan pointed to the freighter park owner.
“You are full of questions today, aren’t you?” Ay-ttho complained. “Everyone understands the language of the Republic credit.”
“Where did you get credits from?”
“I don’t have any.”
“So, how are we going to pay it?”
“We can’t. We must win the credits.”
“How?”
“In a game. Goodness Sevan, you can be very slow sometimes.”
Sevan looked at Tori for support but he just shrugged.
The freighter park was on the outskirts of a settlement which comprised a collection of ramshackle constructions clustered together, separated only by a network of muddy streets.
Ay-ttho approached one of the first constructions where a teardrop shaped creature was hanging from the entrance. It was using one of its two tentacles to place small objects into holes on its side. Occasionally, a shower of debris would shoot out of one hole and litter the entrance. It became agitated as Ay-ttho approached and a flowery dish pointed towards each of them.
“Lopez?” Ay-ttho asked once she had got close.
The creature did not answer, it pointed its tentacles further down the muddy street towards the centre of the settlement.
“Who’s Lopez?” Sevan asked as he followed Ay-ttho further into the settlement.
“Sevan, if you ask me one more question, it will be the last question you ever ask.”
Sevan looked at Tori who shrugged again. They followed Ay-ttho in silence.
She passed a few constructions and then headed for another one which had a creature outside. This creature appeared to Sevan like a string of balls, some of which were opaque, others solid with colour. The opaque balls lit up in different colours. Now and then and there was an increase in activity as Ay-ttho approached.
“Lopez?” asked Ay-ttho.
Sevan watched the creature provide an intriguing light display. Satisfied, Ay-ttho continued in the direction they had been heading and then stopped. Trying to see why she had stopped, Sevan noticed she was looking at a small flying worm, it had two antennae, similar to Sevan’s but thinner and with no marbles at the end.
“Where is your mother?” Ay-ttho asked.
The worm turned and flew away towards another of the constructions. Ay-ttho followed it. Sevan and Tori followed Ay-ttho.
The flying worm led them into the construction which seem to be filled with a large pool. In the centre of the pool was a spotty island with a dozen to two dozen spikes sticking out in all directions. At one end of the pool, Sevan could just make out the tiny head of one of the flying worms, sticking out of the water then, at the other side he noticed a worm crawling out of the pool, its wings were rolled in on themselves so they looked like two sticks protruding from its back.
The flying worm, led them down a staircase to a room with a large window so they could see into the pool. Sevan realised that the island he had seen poking out of the water was the top of the head of a much larger creature. The creature was a giant wingless worm with smaller worms which appeared to be growing out of its sides some of which were feeding on debris floating in the pond. There were also holes where Sevan imagined worms used to be attached. As he was watching, one worm detached itself from the creature and joined two other worms swimming in the water.
“Lopez?” Ay-ttho asked.
The creature didn’t move but Ay-ttho seemed to be satisfied that it had communicated something to her but she did not look happy. Sevan tried to communicate to Tori, non-verbally, that he should ask Ay-ttho what is wrong, being unable to do so himself due to Ay-ttho’s previous threat. After a while, Tori got the message.
“Is it bad?” he asked.
“It’s bad,” said Ay-ttho.
CHAPTER 2: THE LAST ASSASSINS
As they followed Ay-ttho further into the settlement, Sevan nudged Tori, encouraging him to probe Ay-ttho further.
"How bad?" asked Tori.
"Lopez is missing," said Ay-ttho.
Sevan and Tori shrugged at each other.
"And that's bad?" Tori sought confirmation.
"What's wrong? Have you caught the question disease from him?" Ay-ttho snapped. "It's bad. Lopez was the best of the last true assassins. He was our best hope of getting anywhere near Barnes."
"Isn't there anyone else?" Tori asked with encouragement from Sevan.
Ay-ttho reacted as if she had just been asked an idiotic question.
"The assassins were part of an ancient order of warriors trained in the subtle arts of stealth and agility. One by one they have been disappearing until only a handful remain. You can't just walk into any old drinking establishment and find one."
Ay-ttho entered a construction in which creatures of all shapes, colours and sizes were drinking beverages of all shapes, colours and sizes.
"Ah, there's one," she said.
"Where?" asked Tori looking at the host of creatures.
Ay-ttho pointed to the opposite side of the room where Sevan could see a brownish, orange creature with a huge head, large black eyes and eight long tentacles. Sevan realised it was wearing some kind of skin suit but its actual skin was always changing colour.
"Come on," said Ay-ttho and headed toward it.
As Ay-ttho approached, it began moving its tentacles more rapidly and its skin appeared to change colour more often. Ay-ttho responded by waving her arms around in ways that Sevan had never imagined she could do.
Sevan and Tori watched Ay-ttho conversing with the creature and waited until they had finished. When she turned back to face them, they looked expectant for an explanation.
"He seems willing to help us," she said. "But there are several issues. First, he wants us to pay him, so we will have to try and win some money. The second thing is something is about to happen. They have detected several Republic and Corporation ships heading this way, more than is usual for a routine inspection. The rumours circulating are that they will not bribe themselves out of this one. To cut a long story short, if we don't get his credits soon, one of the last assassins will walk out on us."
Sevan looked as if he was about to ask a question so Ay-ttho raised a long finger in warning. Sevan turned to Tori for help.
"How do you propose we win these credits?" Tori asked.
"Follow me."
Ay-ttho walked out of the establishment which was a relief for Sevan until he followed her into the next on
e which looked much more sordid than the previous with a clientele to match.
On his left was a very hairy four limbed creature spinning on its limbs and head, and similar looking animals making noises which made Sevan feel uneasy. To the right, an armoured creature with six legs and huge pincers protruding from its head, was wrestling with a slimy, but colourful quadruped creature.
They passed two, fat scaly creatures throwing and catching a small object between each other using their long tongues. Sometimes they would bounce the object off the wall or ceiling.
Sevan almost walked into two flying creatures, which seemed to dance around each other, and was almost knocked over by two feathered creatures, which slid in one door, across the floor and exited through an opposite door. None of the other inhabitants of the room appeared to pay them much attention.
Ay-ttho was heading towards the far side of the room, towards a small black creature with a smooth black skin, big black eyes, and whiskers.
The noise when the small black creature began to speak was so hideous that Sevan worried his marbles might explode.
When it had ended, Ay-ttho began to shriek in the most hideous way.
"How does she know all this stuff?" Sevan asked Tori.
"She's been around a bit," Tori replied.
The creature responded to what Ay-ttho had communicated with a series of groans, chugs, and growls.
"I've found a way to get the credits," Ay-ttho said when she finished screeching and turned back to Sevan and Tori. "He's agreed to let me fight. If I win, we will get the credits we need."
Sevan looked around at the variety of creatures in the room.
"Which one of them are you going to need to fight?" Tori asked.
"All of them," said Ay-ttho.
"Wait," said Sevan. "It's not worth it. Forget about Barnes."
"I had friends on the Doomed Planet," said Ay-ttho. "I will get Barnes and I will win this fight."
"How?" asked Tori.
"All I need to do is find a way of getting to sleep."
"I have something that might help," said Tori, reaching into his suit. "The Republic marine corps issued these to us."