‘I don’t understand,’ said Ethan, shaking his head. ‘And I have no idea how you survived the blast. You were at the central point of the explosion; you should have been vaporised, but here you are, and you only have some minor burns. What happened?’
‘That’s what I want to know,’ said Sara as she stepped into the cargo bay. ‘I saw the entire station light up. The explosion destroyed everything within a radius of five kilometres. I thought you were dead, Captain, and then a few minutes later you are on the com asking for me to come and get you. Your survival defies the laws of physics. How did you survive the explosion?’
Michael didn’t answer. He looked over to where Cynthia was sitting against the wall. She was staring directly at him, bewilderment and shock evident in her eyes.
Sara turned to Cynthia. ‘What happened, Cynthia?’
‘Even if I could say I wouldn’t know how to explain what I saw, and he told me not to tell you,’ replied Cynthia.
Sara’s eyes darted back to Michael. ‘You have to tell me what’s going on. Captain, you have to explain.’
Michael lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. ‘It’s better that you don’t know, Sara,’ he said in a low voice. ‘The only thing that’s important at this moment is that we get as far away from Herman Beta as we possibly can. When we arrive at Zeno Par and find Acacius Trifon I will explain everything.’
‘I reset the course to Zeno Par,’ said Sara.
‘I have already revealed too much, but I will tell you this much. Your minds are like beacons in the darkness of space; your thoughts are not hidden from prying eyes.’
‘What are you trying to say?’ asked Sara, raising an eyebrow. ‘There are no machines that can read thoughts directly.’
‘We have not reached that level of technological advancement yet; nevertheless, our ancient ancestors were far more advanced than us,’ said Michael. ‘They developed machines beyond any we know of. Their technological knowledge was hidden from humanity at the time of the first arrival in the Triangulum Galaxy in order to stop us ever developing such machines again.’
‘Are you saying these machines exist in the Triangulum Galaxy?’ asked Ethan.
‘You may have heard of the time before humanity arrived in this galaxy. One machine rose up and turned against humanity. The human race faced imminent extinction. We escaped our former galaxy, yet that machine has searched for us for thousands of years. It is a singular consciousness with power beyond imagining. The End Machine will not rest until it has consumed us all.’
**
An enormous swirling shadow was advancing through space at a blistering rate. It sucked out the light and energy of stars as it made its way toward Herman Beta. The shadow had detected a glimmer of light across the galactic expanse. Such light would need to be extinguished before it could grow in power and brightness.
**
They had rescued four young colonists from the vault on Herman Beta 3. Ivan and Cynthia had prepared a meal for them, as they were clearly malnourished.
‘We didn’t think anyone would ever come for us,’ said Harry, a scrawny boy with blond hair. ‘We had two rifles and three magazines. We were making plans to leave the vault and fight our way out.’
‘You wouldn’t have survived the fight,’ said Aradel. ‘I’m glad you waited to be rescued. We are all that is left of our colony, and if it wasn’t for the crew of this ship we would not have survived.’
‘What will we do now?’ asked Becker, who was a fifteen year old girl with tanned skin and cropped hair.
‘Captain Michael has agreed to take us to Zeno Par,’ said Aradel. ‘From there we will find a transport to a civilised world where we can start over. We have suffered, but soon we will be safe. I promise.’
**
The Out Drifter felt very crowded. Michael decided the sleeping pods were the only way to escape the confines of the ship and the relentless questions of the crew about the events on Herman Beta.
The End Machine was a multidimensional singular consciousness. It could read the minds of people across the dimensions of space and could examine the thoughts of billions of people at once. Michael pondered the question as to why the machine had not yet destroyed humanity. He had been aware of the presence of the End Machine ever since he had been cast out of the Epherian Empire, yet he could not understand why it was holding back. It had the power to wipe out the human race, but for some reason the machine had chosen to hide its presence and wait. He hoped Acacius had the answers. Acacius Trifon was a teacher of the Lore of the Ancients; he was the only man in the galaxy who could help Michael fight the End Machine.
**
Cynthia sat on the floor in the back corner of the cargo bay. She was staring at the wall as she tried to process what had occurred. She replayed the events in her mind over and over again but she still couldn’t make sense of what she had witnessed. She knew one thing was true; Michael was not a normal man, and it was questionable as to whether he was a man at all.
‘What’s troubling you, Cynthia?’ asked Sara. Cynthia lifted her eyes; Sara was looking down at her.
‘It’s the Captain,’ she muttered.
‘What do you think he meant when he spoke about advanced machines?’
‘I don’t know,’ replied Cynthia.
‘Cynthia, we both know what happened on Herman Beta 3 was impossible. People can’t survive an explosion like that. What did you see?’
‘I can’t say. What I saw doesn’t make sense. It wasn’t scientifically possible.’
‘What doesn’t make sense? What wasn’t possible?’ asked Sara.
‘I really can’t say,’ said Cynthia, averting her eyes.
‘Cynthia, tell me.’
Cynthia slowly lifted her eyes. ‘I think Captain Michael is not human. He has strange powers.’
‘What!’ exclaimed Sara, involuntarily stepping back. She glanced over her shoulder at Michael’s deep sleep pod.
‘You think he’s an alien?’
‘I can’t explain it, but what he did can’t be done by a normal human being.’
‘Did Michael cause the explosion?’ Cynthia nodded, and Sara’s eyes widened in shock. ‘How did he save you from the blast?’
‘He has abilities, Sara. He can do strange things. His hands were glowing like a bright star. I had to look away because the light was so intense. He caused the explosion, and he protected us from the blast.’
‘Aliens can’t cause nuclear explosions with their bare hands,’ said Sara sternly.
**
The glass cover slid off Michael’s sleeping pod and he woke instantly. Ivan was standing beside him.
‘We are approaching Zeno Par.’
‘How is the ship?’
‘Operational.’
‘That’s good to hear,’ said Michael as he sat up.
Michael and Ethan’s sleeping pods had opened at once. Ivan had left Aradel and the young colonists sleeping in their pods. Sara and Cynthia had chosen not to sleep for the duration of the journey and they gave their pods to the colonists.
Michael walked down to the control room as his body recovered from deep sleep. Sara was sitting in the pilot’s seat. An image of Zeno Par was in the centre of one of the console monitors. She glanced over her shoulder and gave a smile as he stepped through the door.
‘Did you sleep well?’
‘Yes, thanks,’ he answered in a gravelly voice as he sat down in the co-pilot seat.
She hit the holographic projector. A three-dimensional image of Zeno Par rose from the console and floated directly in front of them.
‘It’s a prime world with pristine forests and oceans full of life. The gravity is rated at 0.98. The planet was owned by the Epherian Empire up until they left the sector. The majority of the population left over the last year because of the expansion of alien controlled space. Zeno Par’s territory borders the alien battle zone. They are waiting to be invaded. There are five major cities. The population stands at two hundred milli
on; that’s a fraction of what it used to be. I don’t know how you plan to find your friend or where you want to land.’
‘I should be able to find him once we arrive,’ he said.
‘With your powers?’ she asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
‘What powers?’
‘Cynthia told me what happened on Herman Beta 3. I don’t know anyone who can cause nuclear explosions with their bare hands.’
‘Cynthia told you,’ he said, looking away.
‘I pressured her until she did. Don’t blame her, Captain. She’s a good woman.’
‘I know she is.’
‘Are you human?’ she asked nervously.
Michael leaned back in his seat and smiled warmly. ‘Of course I am.’
‘If you really are human and it’s not magic then what is it?’
He didn’t answer for a moment. ‘I can’t explain what I did, Sara.’
‘I knew you were going to say something like that.’
‘Sara, please understand me; these are important matters. The survival of the human race hangs in the balance. I will tell you everything when it is safe to do so, but first we have to find Acacius Trifon. Everything will become clear when we find him.’
Sara nodded and returned her attention to the hologram of Zeno Par.
CHAPTER NINE
The Out Drifter descended through the wispy clouds of Zeno Par’s upper atmosphere. Sara turned the ship toward Oceanside City, which was a massive metropolis set on the eastern coastline of the main continent. The city expanded inland for hundreds of miles and thousands of spires and towers rose up to heights beyond the lowest level of clouds.
Sara hit the switch for the Out Drifter’s external com.
‘Oceanside City Watchtower; this is the Out Drifter; Interworld code AMB712; mandated by the Outer World Salvage Guild. We request a class four landing dock.’
‘…Greetings, Out Drifter. This is watchtower seventy-one. You have clearance. Proceed to landing dock seven thousand, six hundred and five. The fee for a class four landing dock is set at sixty guild credits for twenty-four hours…’
‘Thank you.’
The Out Drifter’s landing navigation computer connected with the watchtower’s signal and started to guide the ship down toward the city. Before long they were flying through towering spires and skyscrapers. The sun reflected off the glimmering blue ocean which extended beyond the horizon. The flight path took the ship deep down into the lower levels of the city and guided them toward a landing dock. The lower levels of the city were shrouded in the shadows of the massive skyscrapers and were occupied by poorer residential areas and an assortment of dingy bars and clubs. The area was also where the cheapest landing docks were located.
The Out Drifter glided down and entered an area which was almost devoid of natural light. The glow of many multi-coloured neon signs cut through the thick smog and gave the city an eerie feeling. The ship entered a large opening in the side of a building. There was a wide concrete platform within the building with ten bays for ships to land. The navigation computer gently set the Out Drifter down and the engine powered off.
Michael walked back to the cargo bay. Ethan, Ivan, Cynthia and Dog-Two were standing beside the exit door. Aradel and the four colonist teenagers were standing at the other side of the room. Aradel approached as Michael entered.
‘I want to thank you and your crew for saving us, Captain Michael. You really put your lives on the line and risked so much to secure our safety.’
‘I’m glad we could help.’
‘We will be leaving your company now,’ she continued. ‘I have heard that Zeno Par is a good planet, but the open information networks are reporting that the aliens are coming, so we plan to leave as soon as we can to avoid the invasion.’
‘Where do you think you will go from here?’ asked Michael.
‘We will take the first available transport to the Green Home System.’
Michael nodded. He had heard of the Green Home System. The Green Home worlds were ruled by a benevolent government. ‘It’s a good choice. You should do well if you go in that direction, and Green Home is not in the path of the alien expansion.’
‘We may have a year or two of peace before we have to move on,’ she said.
‘I wish you all the best.’ He then turned to Ivan as Sara walked into the cargo bay. ‘Ivan, I want you to help find a transport for Aradel, Conner, Davis, Harry and Becker. You can pay for their passage from my personal account. After they’re safely away I want you to return to the ship and take Ajax to an advanced medical lab and get him back on his feet. I’ll go with Cynthia and Dog-Two to find Acacius Trifon.’
‘You don’t have to pay for our journey,’ said Aradel.
‘We didn’t risk our lives to leave you strandard on a planet in the direct path of the alien fleet. I want to be sure you get away safely.’
Aradel respectfully bowed her head. ‘Thank you once again, Captain Michael. Meeting you and your crew has been a blessing for us. We will repay you one day if ever we can.’
**
‘How do you know Acacius Trifon is here?’ asked Sara.
‘I just know,’ he answered softly.
Sara shook her head and smiled. ‘You better give me those answers you promised when we find him.’
‘I will when the time is right.’
Ethan opened the exit door. Michael stepped out onto the docking platform and the others followed him. They were immediately greeted by a service droid, which was a rectangular metal box set on tank tracks. A single large robotic arm extended from its side with an assortment of attached tools.
‘Welcome to Paradise Ship Docks,’ said a metallic male voice from its external speaker. ‘Your ship is safe with us. Full payment can be settled on your departure. We will impound your ship for five standard days if you do not have the credits to pay. After five days we can make a debt claim against your ship under Zeno Par law. Our mech-droids can provide a full basic service for only six hundred credits.’
‘My ship doesn’t need a service,’ said Michael, giving a dismissive wave. He disliked the idea of a strange droid working on his ship. He had heard stories of such droids accidently destroying crucial components, and more often than not mech-droids were used to steal valuable parts for the owners of the docks.
‘I disagree with you, Captain. The ship really needs some work,’ said Ethan as he walked along the side of the Out Drifter and closely viewed several scorch marks which had been left after the battle with the alien fighters. ‘There are a few places where the outer armour is completely breached. We also have to recharge the shield batteries and resupply the rocket launchers, and the reactor still needs to be replenished.’
Michael gave a curt nod. ‘All right, Ethan, I’ll leave it to you, but there is no way this side of Epheria Prime that I’m going to let a strange droid work on my ship.’
‘I can do most of the repairs myself,’ said Ethan as he ran his hand along the side of the ship. His fingers came away covered in black soot. ‘We’ll have to see if we can find a company that does Armostonian reactor replenishments.’
‘Do we have enough fuel to make it back to Timber 5?’ asked Michael, looking to Sara and half expecting the answer to be no.
‘Only just,’ she answered. ‘We won’t be able to make any diversions.’
‘Then see if you can find someone to replenish the reactor at a reasonable price,’ said Michael.
‘We’ll do our best, but I expect the prices will be high,’ said Ethan.
‘Just do what you can. I shouldn’t be gone for more than a day.’ Michael gave a nod and then walked past the service droid. Cynthia and Dog-Two followed him as he continued to where a group of six rental air-vehicles were waiting beside the edge of the platform. The air-vehicles were painted bright yellow and were open top convertibles; they could seat six people, three in the front and three in the back.
Aradel and the four younger colonists said goo
dbye to Ethan and Sara and then crossed the platform. There was an automated air-vehicle payment station which was a large metal console with a basic screen with a place to pay by GCTD credit transfer.
‘…Hello. Welcome to Zeno Anyday Air-Vehicle Hire. Please clearly state how many days you would like to hire an air-vehicle…’
‘One day,’ said Michael.
‘…Present your GCTD for payment of one hundred and ninety credits. Be aware that your air-vehicle will automatically return to this docking bay precisely twenty-four hours from the time of payment. The air-vehicle will give a warning five minutes before the automated return procedure begins. Please exit the air-vehicle with all your belongings before your time has expired…’
Michael lifted his GCTD and transferred the one hundred and ninety credits. Ivan then paid for a second air-vehicle from the ship’s communal GCTD, which also contained the credits put aside for everything to do with maintenance and refuelling. Aradel and the young colonists sat down in the air-vehicle and Ivan took the driver’s seat. Aradel smiled warmly at Michael one last time and he returned the smile. A moment later the air-vehicle lifted off the platform and shot away into the city. Michael watched as it disappeared into the distance.
‘Where are we going, Captain?’ asked Cynthia.
‘We are leaving Oceanside City. Acacius Trifon is in the mountains that border this city.’
‘Is he expecting our arrival?’
‘He is aware that I have arrived. We will find out how much he knows when we meet him. Please take a seat.’
Cynthia jumped into the front passenger seat and Dog-Two leapt up and lay across the entire back seat.
Michael sat down in the driver’s seat and familiarised himself with the controls. A second later they were airborne; they sped away from the landing platform. The air-vehicle was easy to fly. Michael flew upward and away from the lower region, which was where most of the city’s smog had settled. Within thirty seconds they were out of the shadows of the lower city and weaving through the buildings of the upper city. There were many other flying craft of all shapes and sizes in the upper regions, and more than once Michael had to maneuver to avoid a collision. Dog-Two would growl and bark at other air-vehicles if they came too close, and several times the other drivers veered away at the sight of him.