The Independent Worlds (The Sixteen Galaxies Book 2) Read online

  Mandy stared at him. She shook her head to clear it.

  Garth winced. “Sorry did I confuse you?”

  “Only the bit after you told me your name,” she answered.

  “What Einstein means,” Ron said, “is that Kestil’s AI is now upgraded to where it can be anywhere on the ‘net, and nobody can possibly detect it. It can pass through any security in the world instantly, change or take what it wants, and nobody can see it, let alone stop it. It means if we so much as glance at anything connected to Kestil, it will be onto us straight away. If it makes connection, even Truly will take time to block it. She’ll have to use FTL speed to cut it off. That’s probably another reason she put you down here.”

  “Yeah,” Garth said, waving a finger at Ron. “That. What he said.”

  “Right,” Mandy replied. “We need to access the ‘net, but through third parties. Do we have a portal here?”

  “We sure do,” Garth said. “It’s a new type; it operates on a-”

  Ron cut him off with an upraised hand. “Yes, we have a new type of portal that Kestil’s AI can’t backtrack, so we can send you wherever you need to go. Trouble is, the second you’re seen on a camera anywhere, you’ll be captured almost instantly.”

  “Tell her about the bracelets,” Garth said.

  “Oh, yeah,” Ron said. “They’ve got these things,” he passed her the translucent band he’d taken. “Truly and the boys have checked it out. They have very short range; no more than ten feet, but when they’re within that, they block all portal activity. Truly is busy with a design for a counter to them right now.”

  “So stay hidden,” Mandy said. “If they get within ten feet of me, there’s no escape.”

  “Pretty much,” Ron replied.

  Mandy smiled. “Truly, I’m going to need some help with makeup and clothes. Then I’ll find this base.”

  Ron frowned. “How the hell are you going to do that?”

  “Good old legwork,” she replied. “I’ll need some cell-phones that are untraceable; can we do that?” She pointed at Garth. “Don’t even think about it.”

  Ron smiled at her. “Yeah we use them all the time.”

  Garth shuffled out of the room, his face downcast. Ron watched him go. “You were pretty tough on the kid, you know. He’s a good sort.”

  Mandy sighed. “I’m just warming up for when I see Jack again, I guess. I’ll apologize to him later.”

  Garth came back into the room at a dead run. His face was white as a sheet. He took a moment to get himself together, and then he whispered, “David’s gone!”

  *****

  Kestil’s base

  Kestil looked up as one of his men raced into the room. “We’ve found the Starchild!”

  Kestil smiled widely. “That didn’t take long. I love the predictability of the Sixteen Galaxies mindset. So very convenient. Where is he?”

  “He’s in a park in DC, sir.”

  “Very well,” Kestil said, “let’s go meet him, shall we?”

  *****

  Kareetha

  Asdrin found Christine Joyce down by the lake shore. He smiled at her as he approached. “May I join you?”

  She returned the smile. “Of course.” They sat together in companionable silence for a while, each lost in contemplation of the sparkling water and the boats that hurtled by.

  Chris eventually turned to the older man beside her. “David came to see me last night. As a hologram, of course.”

  Asdrin nodded. “Yes, he said he would.”

  “He said he was about to step into danger. Those were his words, not mine.”

  “Well, he wasn’t wrong, Chris. David has a task ahead of him that could cost him his life.”

  Chris kicked at a rock with her foot. She saw several little fish race away from the edge when she did that. “I yelled at him. Told him he was a fool.”

  Asdrin chuckled. “The Starchild is many things, but a fool isn’t one of them.”

  Chris sighed. “I know, Asdrin, I know. He told me that he loves me, and he will come here when this current situation is resolved.” She laughed. “I told him not to bother. He knows I was just lashing out. I always do.”

  Asdrin patted her arm. From anyone else, it would seem condescending, but from Asdrin, it felt like it was from a father to a child. She’d slowly allowed this wise old man, with his quirky manner and his ready smile, into her life. They were as close as family, now. “Of course he knows, of course he does. He must do this now, though, Chris. Matters have come to a head on your planet, and Kestil must be reined in. Many people are about to risk their lives in this. But, we must trust the Entity. We built it to guide us, because we recognized the need for guidance from the wisest source possible. Everyone needs a little direction, Chris.”

  His face darkened. “At least, that is what we believe. Kestil, however, is another matter. He and Prestern will rain death and destruction wherever they go, and all because of their foolish pride. Unfortunately, as with most proud people and their attendant stupidity, it is not just them that will suffer.”

  Chris turned to Asdrin, her face filled with concern. “What if he does die, Asdrin? Not only will I lose my reason to live, but the Sixteen Galaxies loses the Starchild. Will Truly make more?”

  He took both her hands in his. “Perhaps she would, in time. But she won’t have to, Chris. Did David tell you nothing else?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, he said the weirdest thing, actually.” She frowned at the memory. “He said, ‘You have me within you, so I am never really gone.’ He says the strangest things, sometimes. It’s all lost on me, I’m afraid.”

  Asdrin’s eyes twinkled as he replied. “The Starchild DNA has some special properties, Chris. It laid dormant inside David for many years, until Truly activated it, is that not so?”

  She looked at him with a quizzical face. “Yeah, so?”

  Asdrin laughed with the merriment of a little boy. “Oh, my dear girl, how I do love your ways.” He sobered. “Chris, there’s no easy way to tell you this, and please don’t hit me when I tell you, okay?”

  She looked at him through narrowed eyes. “Okay…”

  “If a Starchild male impregnates a woman, Chris, the fertilized egg remains dormant until such time as the mother wills it to grow. I’m afraid no human contraceptive can prevent the will of a Starchild.”

  Chris stared at him, and tried to make her brain work. Her brain was having none of it, and remained closed for business.

  Asdrin sat back from her, a look of concern on his face. “Oh, my dear, I have shocked you. I’m so sorry, I am not very good at this kind of thing. It’s a self-defense mechanism the Entity put into the Starchild coding, you see. Because we knew the Starchild may well come under threat, along with its progeny, so the mother was given the ability to-”

  “Just…stop!” Chris cried. “Enough, okay? Just let me…I need to…” She sat back and stared at the lake again. The slight breeze ruffled the water and made the Kentiks weave as they danced at the water’s edge. “If he gets back alive,” she muttered, “I’m going to kill him.”

  *****

  Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington DC

  David sat on a bench and admired the lake, all covered in huge lilies. It was 4am in Washington, and mist shrouded the water. The tranquility was intoxicating. Such beauty, everywhere you looked on this planet. Yet, it hangs in the balance through our own foolishness, he thought. He sensed a presence behind him.

  “Nice spot for a chat, David,” Kestil said.

  “Any closer than twelve feet and I portal away,” he replied.

  Kestil maintained his distance, but moved around so that he stood within David’s field of view. He held out his hands. “No weapons, no tricks; I promise.”

  David nodded. “You will release my friends. Then I shall go with you.”

  Kestil scratched his chin. “Now, how do we do this in such a way that neither of us risks being duped?”

  David shrugged. “You can trus
t me; you know that. I will keep my word.”

  Kestil pointed a finger at him. “Ah,” he responded, “But, things have changed, haven’t they? You people are now capable of murder, it seems. A little dishonesty should be easy, after that.”

  David stretched out his legs and leaned back. He regarded Kestil with cold eyes. “The death Nuthros caused was an accident, Kestil. His weapon was to stun and incapacitate, not kill.”

  “It was a weapon, nonetheless,” Kestil replied. “Your passive philosophy has vaporized, it would seem. Who knows what other standards you people have abandoned.”

  “How about this,” David said. “You portal them to the opposite side of me from you, so that they are out of range of that portal jammer on your wrist. I will allow you to move toward me at that point. They can be extracted with a simple speed-dial on this cell-phone,” he held up a phone. “I throw them the phone, they portal out, and I go with you at that time. They can get out before you can calculate an ingress to get them with, I’m sure.”

  Kestil pondered that proposal. He nodded. “Very well, I agree.” Within a minute, Nuthros and Jack appeared.

  David tossed the phone to Jack. “Take this, and get back to base.” Nuthros went to open his mouth. “Do it now!” David commanded. The two men vanished. David nodded to Kestil and they both disappeared.

  *****

  Western Queensland

  Jack and Nuthros appeared in the base. “Oh, David,” Nuthros groaned, “what have you done?”

  Jack put an arm round the alien’s shoulders. “He’s traded himself for us, Nuthros.”

  “Truly,” Nuthros said, “why did you let him do this?”

  “The Starchild is his own person, Nuthros. He is an extension of me, that is true, but he retains his individuality.”

  “But how could he do this? Why allow himself to be captured? He’s put the entire world, let alone the Sixteen Galaxies, at risk, for the sake of two lives. If Kestil’s AI gets into David’s’ mind, that thing will be unstoppable.”

  “This event was permitted, as it is within the limits of our allowances for beneficial developments in the future,” Truly replied.

  “Which means,” Ron said as he entered the room, “they planned it this way.”

  “Hang on a sec,” Jack said. “The Starchild’s connection to Truly and the rest of the Entity can’t be broken, right?”

  “Correct,” Nuthros said. His eyes widened. “Yes, so you should be able to pinpoint his location, Truly. So that’s why you let this happen.”

  “I’m afraid my real self is currently headed toward Kareetha at faster than light speed, Nuthros.”

  “But,” Nuthros replied, “the connection to the Entity’s other parts is still secure, is it not?”

  “No,” Truly replied, “that is incorrect; it has been modified. Over a distance of more than 5 light years, the connection can be severed at will by either party. As soon as my real version went to faster than light, David was cut off. It was his wish. It cannot be reconnected until he is free.”

  “Well,” Jack said, “how do we free him when we can’t find him?”

  “That’s my problem.” They turned to see an elderly woman at the doorway. She was dressed in a frumpy old floral dress; her short grey hair was blue rinsed under a frilled hat, and she wore a pair of bright blue block-heeled shoes.

  Nuthros’ eyes narrowed. “Mandy?”

  “Don’t ask,” Ron said. “It looks crazy, I know, but it just might work.”

  Jack shifted uncomfortably. Mandy pointed at him. “Not a word, you. I’ll speak to you when I get back.” She hefted the knapsack. “Right, Truly. Go.” She disappeared.

  “I should go with her,” Jack said.

  “I can’t let you do that, Jack,” Nuthros said. “There would be twice as much risk as someone on their own.”

  “Besides,” Ron interjected, “right now, you’d be a damn sight more uncomfortable with Mandy than in Kestil’s hands, believe me. She’s angrier than a sack full of wet cats.”

  *****

  Chicago, Illinois, 2005

  He zipped up the jacket pocket with the 2 USB drives in them. Wouldn’t do to go back to the UK without them; Hilary would be incandescent. He opened the hall cupboard and placed the required ingredients at the front of the shelves. Next, he took out a pile of lightly crumpled newspaper from his tote-bag. Some of these were placed in a thick line from the adjacent power point to the underneath of the lowest shelf. The rest was stuffed under the same shelf. Next came the accelerant. Just a tiny amount of paint thinner on each ball of paper; no more than the paper could easily soak up. The paper under the shelf got a more liberal dose sprinkled over it.

  He relocated the plastic bottle of mineral turpentine on the lowest shelf; it needed good exposure to the initial flame, to provide a steady flow of fuel to the small blaze below as it melted. With the cupboard door wide open to provide ample air supply, the set was ready. He went over to the sliding glass door at the back of the house and opened it wide enough to run through. He made sure the lock was on, so the door could be slammed shut on the way out. After the tote bag was placed over the back fence, he went back in and, using a long match, lit the paper under the power outlet.

  *****

  Vincent Technologies Prototype FTL spacecraft, Present Day

  Bryant Rawlinson looked out at the beautiful blue sphere as he hurtled around it. Even after many space shuttle flights to the International Space Station, followed by a brief stint with the Dragon spacecraft, the sight just never got old. Vincent Technologies had made Bryant an offer too good to refuse. How would he like to be the first astronaut to fly a ship faster than the speed of light? The money was good, naturally, but he was here for one reason, in truth. To feel a kick in the pants that nobody, at least from Earth, had ever felt before. He knew damn well the aliens were mixed up in this; mankind was possibly centuries away from such a breakthrough. But, that only gave him confidence the project would succeed. Those guys knew what they were doing, and he was set to gain the most from their interference, as far as he was concerned.

  There’d been delays, of course. Such things were natural. Still, here he was in orbit and waiting for the green light to push that button.

  “How’s she looking up there, Bryant?” He smiled at the sound of Cindy McKellar’s voice.

  “Green across the board, Toaster.” Cindy had earned her nickname in college after she’d set fire to her room’s curtains while trying to toast bread on a purloined Bunsen burner.

  “Standby, Bryant, we’ve got apogee in sixty seconds; repeat, T minus sixty.”

  “Copy that, sixty seconds.” Bryant felt a cramp in his gut; damned nerves, he thought.

  “All systems reported clean and clear, T minus 45.”

  Bryant watched the screen in front of him. The destination was locked in, and all he had to do was wait for the countdown. He saw nothing but green on the screen; damn this thing was good. Vincent had spared no expense on this build, and some of the best in the aerospace industry had put time into this project. He looked at the button that engaged the star-drive. It all came down to that one little button.

  Cindy cut his meditation off. “T minus 20, switch clear.”

  He reached over and flipped the clear plastic cap off the button. “Switch is clear.”

  “Copy that, switch is clear and commence burn in T minus 10…9…”

  Of course, in reality there was no burn. With this star-drive you switched it on and turned it off when you wanted to stop. Or at least, the computer switched it off. But, he got to switch it on. Well, it wasn’t really him that did that, either. FTL travel required nano-metric adjustments well out of the reach of mere humans. The button just authorized the computer to initiate the navigational program that controlled the star drive.

  “3…2…1…Clear to burn.”

  “Engaged…” He pressed the button. “Here,” he yelled, “hold my beer and watch this!”

  There was no great cacop
hony of sound, no sudden blurring of stars, no magical twisting tunnel of light. The ship just…accelerated. And kept on accelerating; Bryant felt himself pushed back despite the compensator field that was part of the system and permeated the entire ship’s structure. Without it, he would be a thin, flat puddle of goo on the bulkhead behind him. The ship started to shake somewhat, but not enough to worry him. The vibration stopped, and he realized that was it. Not much to see, just star-filled void. He waited for the indicator to light up that would tell him it was safe to maneuver the ship. It lit up, and he turned the ship in a gentle 180-degree pivot about its axis.

  And there it was; the sun. Filtered through an incredible amount of protective radiation shielding, of course, but still jaw-dropping in its majesty. From here, it was still bigger than he expected. Bryant sat and drank it in; a view he may never see again. Mind you, he thought, if Vincent was to send another ship out anytime soon, he’d do it for free, if he had to. He was so absorbed in the staggering beauty of the view that he nearly missed the spaceship that suddenly appeared right next to his.

  “Quite the view, Bryant, is it not?” The voice came out of his headset, which was impossible, because he was long out of communication range with Earth.

  He sat there for a minute, before he decided to reply. “Indeed it is.” Weird as the situation was, he still had the presence of mind to notice the voice was female.

  “I am Commander Trestere, of the Independent Worlds. You may have heard of us.”

  “I have heard of the Independent Worlds, yes. I have a sneaky suspicion you may be the ones to thank for my being out here.”

  She laughed gently. “I think you may be right. Supreme Commander Kestil asked me to meet you here, but begs you to keep this meeting off the record, if you would be so kind.”

  Bryant smiled. “I don’t think anyone would believe me anyway.”