by Trevor Scott
“I’m with Liam on this one,” Ju-Long said, standing in the doorway. “Out of anyone in this system, the three of us should know what Vesta Corporation is capable of.”
Saturn let out a sigh of exasperation. “Not you too. Nix is the only sane one here. At least he isn’t lusting over the Ansaran.”
Nix made a face like he’d smelled something awful.
“I’m not lusting over her,” Liam rebutted.
Ju-Long raised his hand and said, “Well, I kind of am, but I still stand by what I said.”
Saturn crossed her arms and looked away, visibly upset. Liam had never seen her act that way before. Could she be jealous? It hardly seemed possible. Liam said firmly, “Saturn, we’ll take every precaution. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Who says I’m worried?”
Liam didn’t get a chance to answer. Numerous small crashes rocked the ship and a red warning light flashed overhead. The metal table shook against the bolts that held it down and their glasses toppled over, spilling onto the floor.
“What the hell was that?” Liam asked.
Nix rose from his seat and said, “It didn’t sound like laser blasts.”
Liam rose up from his chair and followed Nix and Ju-Long to the cockpit. He took the pilot’s seat and surveyed their surroundings. Countless tiny fragments of rock filled the space in front of them. They’d traveled right into the rings of one of Taleris’ moons. Liam took the controls and pulled up, spinning the ship to avoid a rather large piece of rock the size of the cockpit itself. Warning lights flooded the console with reds and yellows and a groan echoed throughout the ship.
After avoiding a few more collisions they pulled free of the orbiting rocks. Ahead, Liam could see a small blackened moon with volcanic activity all over the surface. Beyond the moon was a large planet, easily several times the size of the Earth, which was mostly gray in color. A number of other bodies orbited the planet, too many for Liam to count offhand.
“Welcome to Taleris,” Nix said. “Home of shipyards, foundries, and little else but darkness.”
Liam snapped out of his wonder and ordered, “Run a scan of the planet and its moons. Look for signs of Kurazon or Ansaran ships. Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
“There might be a tiny flaw in your plan,” Ju-Long said. “Won’t they be able to scan us too?”
Nix answered first. “I’ve taken care of that. When they scan us, they should only see a merchant vessel. Hardly a threat. The Ansarans shouldn’t bother.”
“Don’t the Reapers go after merchant ships?” Ju-Long asked.
Liam had to laugh at that. He told Ju-Long, “Well, you were looking for a fight, weren’t you?”
Ju-Long smirked and took the co-pilot’s seat. He used the console to run a scan of the surrounding area. When he was done, he simply said, “Huh.”
“What is it?” Liam asked.
“No Kurazon within range. There’s also very few Ansarans. There’s a spaceport of some kind that should be coming around the other side of the planet soon. They’re building something massive.”
“Do you think?” Liam began to ask to Nix.
“A ship meant for the Quantum Trigger.”
“Great,” Ju-Long murmured. “I’m never going to get back to my fight.”
Liam spoke over Ju-Long, “What else did we pick up?”
Ju-Long sighed and continued, “The surface of the planet is like one big manufacturing facility. There are only a few dozen Ansarans and they’re all located toward the northern hemisphere. The rest looks to be automated.”
Nix shook his head and said, “That doesn’t seem right. I seem to remember more people living here, Ansarans and Dinari alike.”
“I think it’s time we grabbed our friend,” Liam remarked.
“I’ll get her,” Saturn said from the cockpit’s entrance.
Liam had nearly forgotten about her. When he turned, he saw she was leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. She seemed bored when he made eye contact with her. He nodded in agreement and she disappeared down the bowed corridor. Liam stared out the window once more.
“I’m no expert in these things,” Ju-Long began, “But that cannot end well.”
Nix smiled and said, “He has a point.”
•
Saturn stood outside Liam’s quarters gripping an energy weapon in her sweaty palm. She half wanted to shoot the Ansaran and be done with it. She could say Astrid was reaching for her weapon and so she didn’t have a choice. Liam would have to believe her. Right?
She didn’t know what she was feeling inside. A fire burned in her chest whenever she saw the Ansaran, as though simply being near her was painful. Saturn wondered if a bolt of energy to Astrid’s heart would squelch the flames inside her own chest. Maybe it was too quick an end. It would be far worse to set Ju-Long on her and watch her wish she were dead.
Saturn placed a hand over the sensor pad and watched it click to green. The door slid aside and she stood there in the entryway wearing her most menacing glare. It was a glare that transcended species. Astrid stood and faced her calmly.
“So, from the crashes I take it we’ve made it to Taleris?”
Saturn stepped through the door and let it close behind her, locking firmly in place. Astrid’s expression changed to understanding and she started backing away, quickly hitting the wall of the tiny room.
“I see I’ve overstayed my welcome,” Astrid said.
Saturn took another step closer and leveled her energy weapon at the Ansaran’s chest, building up a ball of lightning at its crescent tips.
Astrid put her hands up in front of her defensively. She asked nervously, “What do you want?”
“You might have the others fooled, but I know better,” Saturn growled.
“Our deal is firm, no tricks.”
Saturn smiled. Astrid didn’t know who she was dealing with. Saturn placed her other hand on the crescent weapon so both hands were gripping the pulsing firearm. She said brazenly, “Oh, we’re going to deliver you to the surface, but before we do, you’re going to tell me everything, starting with your real name. If I think you’re lying, you’ll be delivered in pieces.”
Astrid’s swirling blue and green eyes began to glow a deep blue. It seemed to be some kind of defense mechanism, but it wouldn’t make much sense if it were. Glowing eyes hardly seemed like a superpower.
The Ansaran sputtered, “My name is Astrid, I swear.”
“Of what House?”
Astrid’s eyes shifted.
“What House?” Saturn bellowed, the ball of energy pulsating furiously at the tip of her weapon now inches from her chest.
“House Ansara,” Astrid mumbled under her breath.
Saturn squinted her eyes and said with disgust, “I knew it.”
“What are you going to do?” Astrid asked, visibly frightened.
“What I should have done from the start.”
Saturn was interrupted by the sound of the hallway door opening and Liam stepping inside. His jaw was clamped together, making his jaw seem even more broad and masculine. The rough blond stubble on his face accentuated his coarse glare. He approached her furiously and demanded, “What’s going on?”
19
Liam put a hand on Saturn’s forearms and lowered her weapon, pressing a release button on the side of the crescent-shaped weapon with his other hand. The ball of lightning dissipated into the air and the room was blanketed in silence. Astrid continued holding her breath for a moment before letting it out and collapsing to the floor, shaking feverishly.
“Care to explain?” Liam asked.
“She’s not who she says she is. Someone had to end this charade before we all wound up dead.”
Liam let out a huff of air and knelt down beside Astrid. Her eyes, which glowed a furious blue when he entered the room, had now returned to their vivid mix of blue and green, slightly larger than human but just as beautiful. Liam put a hand up to her face and wiped away a single tear
drifting down the side. Her face was smooth, with hardly any semblance of scales, and cool to the touch. He asked her, “Are you alright?”
Astrid wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in close, catching him off guard. He could hear Saturn scoff and he gently pushed away. When he did, he saw Astrid’s gaze firmly planted on Saturn. Her eyes quickly returned to his and she said, “Thank you for coming when you did.”
“Unbelievable,” Saturn said before storming out of his quarters.
Watching her go, Liam shook his head and looked back to Astrid. “What were you two talking about anyway?”
“She was right to be angry with me. I don’t belong here.”
Liam didn’t know what to say. It was true that having an Ansaran on board was off-putting to say the least, but she hadn’t caused any problems yet. He tried to think of something nice to say and eventually said, “I think she’s just wary of new people. She’s protective of what we have here.”
“And what’s that?” Astrid asked, wiping a tear from her bony cheek.
“We’re an odd bunch, but deep down we’re like family, squabbles and all.”
“I never had a family. Not a real one anyway. I envy you.”
Liam knew how she felt but he wasn’t about to express such a sentiment to a stranger. He could hardly remember his childhood, as though he was blocking as much of it out as possible. Liam told her, “You’ll be with your people soon enough. Come with me, you’re needed in the cockpit.”
•
Liam entered the cockpit with Astrid following close behind, one hand gripping the back of his tunic as though she were afraid of losing track of him. Saturn had kicked Ju-Long out of the co-pilot’s chair so he was spinning in the seat behind her. Sitting in the seat opposite Ju-Long was Nix, hardly acknowledging them as they entered.
“Saturn, bring up a map of Taleris and the surrounding region.”
She mashed a few buttons angrily and a slowly spinning holographic projection of Taleris and its moons appeared, its orange hue coloring the cockpit with its luminescence. Liam stood aside and let Astrid approach the hologram. After a few moments, she pointed at the northern hemisphere of Taleris and the image halted its spin, rippling at her touch. When she removed her finger, a yellow dot flashed where she’d pointed. Astrid stepped back to Liam, keeping within arm’s reach.
“There’s a landing pad outside a large structure there. It’s where the Caretaker of this world resides.”
Ju-Long commented, “That’s about where we saw a few dozen life signs.”
“A few dozen?” Astrid asked anxiously.
“What’s wrong?” Liam asked.
“There were thousands only months ago. How can this be?”
“I have a few suggestions,” Nix chimed in. “None of them pretty.”
Liam waved a hand at Nix for him to keep quiet. “We can be there in under an hour. Saturn, set a course.”
“Wait,” Astrid said. “I should send a message ahead of us. The Caretaker isn’t fond of guests he does not expect.”
“What would happen if we didn’t?” Saturn asked.
“It’s better if we do.”
“So you can tell them to kill us upon landing?”
Astrid’s eyes glowed furiously and she said, “If Taleris was at peak strength this vessel would have been incapacitated by now.”
“Not this ship,” Nix said with a knowing smirk.
“Let me send the message or you’ll soon know what I mean.”
Liam regarded Astrid incredulously. It was like she’d flipped a switch and had transformed into a little firecracker. Liam knew this meant she’d expected them to have been ambushed by now, but her tone suggested she had other motives. Still, he had to be sure.
“Let her send it,” Liam said.
“Thank you, Liam.”
Saturn objected, “You can’t be serious.”
“If she tries anything, I’ll kill her myself.”
Astrid regarded him with fear in her eyes.
Without breaking her gaze, Liam said, “We do what we have to for family. Nothing personal.”
Astrid nodded nervously and approached the center of the long front console. Saturn pointed to the communications link and Astrid input a frequency reflexively. When she pressed the button to talk the ship sputtered. She tried again and a deep groan emanated from deep within the vessel. The Garuda wasn’t pleased.
Nix laughed and said, “I always knew she had good taste.”
Liam walked up to the console and pressed the button, this time with better results.
Astrid spoke into the console, “Caretaker Ruen, this is Astrid. Some friends and I will be landing shortly. Please treat them with hospitality.”
Liam cut the transmission.
“It’s done,” Liam said. “One thing bugs me, though. Without communicating with Taleris since Narra, how would you know what would happen when we got here?”
“The Kurazon attacks started a few months ago. Since then any vessel carrying anyone but Ansarans has been incapacitated or destroyed. With me on board, it was likely they wouldn’t destroy the ship outright until they knew the reason for my presence here.”
“An awful big risk.”
“There was nowhere else to go. I couldn’t stay on Narra and my presence would not be heralded on Surya either. I was only trying to make the best of my lot.”
“It must be hard carrying around a burden such as yours,” Saturn chided.
Astrid looked like she was about to retort but thought better of it. She appeared dejected, truly hurt by Saturn’s words. She said gently, “You can’t know the pain a simple name can bring.”
“You’d rather be Dinari?” Nix asked glibly.
Astrid eyed the Dinari with her glowing eyes and said in a furious tone, “I’d rather be anything but a chip to be bargained.”
20
The headwinds on Taleris were whipping past The Garuda as Liam maneuvered through a storm of lightning and ash. Taleris was a dead planet, or might as well have been. The sky was as gray as the ground which made telling up from down nearly impossible without instruments or the occasional bolt of lightning to illuminate the factories below. Where one ended and another began was beyond Liam’s imagination. As he steered the ship closer to the ground, he noticed smoke rising from the factories, and not just from the tall stacks projecting into the sky. Fires fizzled in some of the buildings, sending up thick black clouds of smoldering ash.
Astrid’s face displayed her horror. The glow faded from her eyes and tears welled up, finally trickling down her smooth blue face and collecting on her chin.
Liam tried to keep a detached demeanor and simply said, “I’m sorry.”
“Taleris was never beautiful, but this...it’s as though the whole world is burning.”
Liam tried to spread The Garuda’s wings to slow their descent but the ship protested. She must not have wanted to expose herself to the foul atmosphere.
Astrid noticed the ship’s objection and commented, “It’s a fickle thing, isn’t it?”
Nix said smugly, “She knows what she wants; a rare feat for a woman, even less so for a ship.”
Liam saw Saturn cringe at their Dinari friend’s statement, though she didn’t say anything. Nix was probably going to get an earful later when the Ansaran was no longer with them. Liam focused on the fast approaching ground. He fired the reverse thrusters, boosting the undercarriage jets. The Garuda slowed to a reasonable speed and Liam released the landing gear.
He aimed the ship toward a long bridge that stood hundreds or perhaps a thousand feet above the factories on the ground and was made from a solid gray material akin to cement but with a sheen that suggested stone. At the end of the sky bridge was an ovular platform with flashing red lights to illuminate the landing zone. Several figures were making their way down the bridge toward them in small hovering vehicles, the massive structure behind them standing a number of stories taller than the platform, a sort of metal palace jutting fr
om the ground. Liam began the final landing procedures and set the ship down gently on the platform, a flawless landing despite the inclement circumstances.
Liam started powering down systems but Saturn put a hand on his arm to stop him. She said, “Let’s leave it running.”
Liam nodded and took his hand off the main power switch. The engines continued to hum along, nearly fading entirely into the background a moment later. He unstrapped himself from his seat and put a hand on Astrid’s triceps, without a word leading her to the cargo bay. The rest of the crew followed close, the dull hum of the engines still the only sound in the ship apart from their feet clanking along the grated metal flooring.
Liam passed Astrid off to Nix and began pulling out energy weapons from the storage cabinet. He handed one to Saturn and Ju-Long and strapped one to his own thigh. When he was done, he handed the final energy weapon to Nix and closed the cabinet, locking it with a heavy turn of a rusted handle.
He checked over the crew one last time before using his fist to hit the square red button that lowered the ramp. The metal creaked and lowered sluggishly on its old hydraulics. Liam led the way down the ramp and took several paces toward the approaching Ansarans. Several small vehicles drew near, each large enough for just one rider and hovering a couple feet off the ground with two glowing blue discs beneath the rider.
The six hover bikes came to a stop perhaps thirty feet from the crew. Astrid remained unbound but Nix had his hand firmly planted on her shoulder, his menacing claws daring her to attempt an escape.
Keeping his eyes on the Ansarans, Liam said to Astrid, “It’s time you paid up.”
Liam could feel Astrid’s gaze turn in his direction.
“Very well, a deal’s a deal. The trigger was taken back to the high council on Ansara until such time as a vessel is completed to use its power once again. I’m sorry, Liam. Remember what I told you. It is just one of many abominations produced by Vesta Corporation.”