Borne On Wings of Steel (54 page)

Kyle remained frozen, never noticing their attempts at humor.

"I don't know.” Kyle shook his head, never taking his eyes off the view-screen. “I've wanted this
so bad
, for so many years. We've traveled to so many worlds ... always searching.” Kyle paused, at a loss for words. “I mean, I just can't believe it—that we
really
found others!"

"It does seem unreal,” Jaric agreed.

"Like a dream,” Elise added.

"
A dream come true
,” Minstrel reminded them.

"It's such a rare thing—dreams coming true—that it's kind of overwhelming,” Jaric admitted with a shake of his head.

Kyle continued to stare, not even seeming to breathe. Finally, he spoke. “What if they don't like us?” he said barely above a whisper.

"Of course they will!” Krinia laughed. “They'll be as glad to know there are other survivors, as you are."

"I've received a request to open communications,” Mother said. “Shall I open up a channel for you?"

Kyle and Jaric exchanged quick glances.

Beads of sweat broke out on both their foreheads as their breathing rapidly increased and their hearts pounded as if they were going into battle. Mother began cooling the room temperature as she noted the external signs of their intense emotions.

"Perhaps I should tell them that we'll talk after we land,” Mother said.

"No!” Jaric and Kyle shouted simultaneously.

"No,” Kyle said again. “We'll talk to them.” He rubbed his hands together nervously while Jaric tugged at his collar as if it were too tight.

Elise grew silent as well, a slightly fearful expression across her own face. She ran her hands through her hair several times.

"I will put them on visual,” Mother said.

The beautiful planet that filled the view-screen disappeared. Almost instantly, five smiling faces looked back at them.

"Greetings, we welcome you to Paradise."

A dark-haired young man with brown complexion bowed deeply. “I am Nouri Gupta.” As he rose, he gestured to the others with him.

"Hello, I am Sally Chen. We're so glad to meet you!” The pretty young woman smiled, her soft Asian features beaming with joy.

"It's so good to know others survived. You're the fourth ship to join our little world community since we arrived here two years ago!” The man smiled widely, his brown eyes and jet-black hair perfectly complementing his olive complexion. “Oh, I forgot.” He blushed. “My name is Julio Rodriguez. We welcome you!"

Another young man stepped forward.

"
Bon jour
, my new friends. We bid you welcome and look forward to embracing you into our little family here on Paradise. My name is Jean Fauré.” He also bowed in greeting.

"My name is Jackie Simmons.” Like the other four, she was young, somewhere in her mid-twenties. Her ebony skin and deep, brown eyes complemented her beautifully braided hair. She spoke with a lilting, happy voice full of friendliness and zest. “And we are overjoyed to meet you. We can't wait until you land and we show you this new world we are colonizing.

"Hey!” she added with a fresh smile as her brown eyes sparkled. “We're the pioneers of the new human race here.
And we're going to do it right this time
!"

The five people on the view-screen all joined in laughter as they looked back with expectant expressions.

"We're excited too,” Elise began. “It's just, well, there's only been the three of us all these years, along with our friends here.” Elise gestured to their alien friends. “We're kind of overwhelmed, suddenly knowing we're going to meet
thousands
of other humans!"

She smiled sweetly at them. “Anyway, my name is Elise. I'm so pleased to meet you all—at last."

"We too, are excited,” Sally said. “And we're just as excited to meet your alien friends. We've met only a very few alien species here at the edge of galaxy. We've been told we're a long way from any of the main commercial centers here—or any space trading routes."

"Yes,” Nouri added. “We hope your alien friends will stay with us a while too. So we can get to know them."

"We are brethren with humans,” Rok said with great sincerity. “We will stay as long as you want and need us."

"Cool,” Julio said. He looked now at Jaric. “And you?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on Jaric.

Once again, beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his eyes widened. He cleared his throat nervously. “I—I guess I'm next."

Everyone chuckled at his apparent nervousness.

"Don't be afraid, we're not going to hurt you.” Jackie laughed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just...” Jaric grinned widely as he grasped for the word he wanted.

"
Shy
. You must be shy.” Jackie laughed cheerfully.

"Yeah, that's it. Well, my name is Jaric. And it's wonderful to find others at last. We were beginning to think ... well, never mind what we were beginning to think! We're just glad to find you. And be here. And meet you!"

Everyone laughed again.

All eyes fixed on Kyle.

"Hi, my name is Kyle.” He took a deep breath. “And, I have to say—well—I just can't believe it!"

"That was a profound statement, Big K.” Jaric laughed.

Now everyone howled with laughter while Kyle looked around, shrugging his shoulders.

"I can't believe it. Really,” Kyle repeated with the deepest sincerity.

"What do you think, that we'll suddenly disappear?” Jean laughed.

"And be replaced by T'kaan?” Julio added with a rowdy chuckle.

"Well,” Kyle began thoughtfully. “I just keep expecting something to go wrong—that this can't really be happening. It's just ... too good."

"Believe, Kyle,” Minstrel said with a wave of color. “It is all true and good."

"There is nothing wrong—no problems,” Sally assured him with a bright smile.

Jaric licked his lips nervously. “Are there many ... er, I mean, are there enough...” He shook his head with embarrassment. “No, I mean..."

"What he means is, are there any eligible women?” Elise chuckled. “They're kind of wanting to meet some girls after so many years alone out in space."

Expressions of pure panic swept across both Kyle and Jaric's faces.

"No, no, that's
not exactly
what I meant,” Jaric began.

"We understand, don't worry,” Sally said with a smile. “Actually, we do have a slight problem here—women outnumber men by a fair margin."

"Hey!” Kyle said quickly with a surge of enthusiasm. “That's not really a problem! Nooo..."

"No, no. That's, that's perfectly fine!” Jaric agreed with a similar burst of energy.

"And we are arranging a nice ‘welcome party’ in your behalf. There'll be many hundreds here at our local settlement to meet and get to know,” Julio said.

He smiled warmly at Elise, their eyes locking for just an instant. “I'm sure we'll all become good friends."

Elise blushed as her heart beat faster.

"How many settlements and farms do you have?” Rok asked with interest.

"We have five permanent settlements,” Jean replied. “Four on the southern continent—it has more moderate seasons than the two northern continents. The fifth settlement is on the eastern coast of the largest island that borders this continent. There are thousands of islands that stretch into the sea from that coast."

"We have cultivated much farmland around each of them to provide for our needs,” Sally added.

"This world is rich in plant life, much of it edible. There is a rich variety of fruits and vegetables native to this world. It's great!” Jackie smiled.

"The northern continents have long, harsh winters. We have established several warm-season sites in order to study it closer for future habitation,” Nouri said.

"You said you've met some aliens?” Elise asked.

"Yes, a few.” Julio rubbed his chin in thought. “We're located here on the very edge of the galaxy, far from all the major trade routes, so the Katar told us. The Katar are the only aliens who live within this half of the sector with us here on the rim. They're the only sentient beings within twenty parsecs, in fact."

"Yes, they inhabit two planets in this remote sector. There are the Avasha too, who inhabit a few worlds in this sector, but all in the direction of the galactic core and just over twenty parsecs away. Both have been friendly, and have even traded with us.” Sally added.

"The Katar helped us a lot as we got started settling on this world—after they detected us here. They were quite happy to know they had new neighbors.” Julio paused, his eyes narrowing with remembrance. “They also warned us of the dangers out here on the galaxy's rim—next to the vast empty stretches of space between distant galaxies. But, they're not really empty."

"Dangers?” Kyle asked, his interest piqued.

"We haven't had any direct run-ins with anything from out there
—not yet
.” Jean paused for several, long seconds. “But, our sensors have detected
things
out there. Sometimes vast herds of life-signs sailing out in the darkness. And sometimes we've detected a single, huge life-sign prowling the black depths stalking them. There's a surprising amount of life out there—and some of them are predators. We've detected the floating remnants of their handiwork."

"The Katar tell us that you travel beyond rim of the galaxy only if you must—strange and terrible things live out there. Sentient beings are as rare as jewels out there—but some do travel its vast, dangerous ways, and a few have even made it their home—somehow, amid all the danger.” Sally shook her head in awe.

"Have you had any trouble here?” Kyle asked.

"Not yet,” Nouri said simply.

"You sound like you expect it though,” Kyle replied.

"Yes, we've come across signs on the planet's surface. Things have been here.” Nouri shook his head. “
Things
from the nether regions. They've taken—or eaten—what they wanted and returned to the outer reaches of space between galaxies."

"The Avasha also warned us about rogue bands of aliens—pirates if you will—looking for easy prey out here far beyond the law of the universe."

"We keep a sharp eye out, our sensors tuned to give us advance warning. We are few here, with only a handful of star fighters. The starships that brought us here are mostly fast freighters outfitted with a few blaster cannons for defense—no match for real warships."

"We live on the edge out here.” Jackie sighed.

"But your ship looks powerful enough to help us!” Jean said with appreciation.

"Yes, Mother has defeated battleships—even entire squadrons of powerful star fighters. We're here to help you now,” Kyle said with confidence.

"Good,” Julio said, a puzzled expression on his face. “That is an interesting name for a starship—
Mother
."

"But enough of that talk,” Jean interjected before Kyle could reply. “This is a day for welcoming new friends among us. Please, we're sending you landing coordinates to our settlement. We call it
New Paris
!"

"I have received them,” Mother said. “I am starting my landing procedures now."

The five young people on the screen began looking around in puzzlement—searching for the source of this new voice.

"Who was it that spoke?” Jackie finally asked.

"It wasn't the shining alien that looks like a cloud, was it?” Sally asked.

"No, it was me,” Mother said. “I am Mother."

"
Mother
?” they said together in surprise from the view-screen.

"Who is Mother?” Jean added quickly. He looked down at the console before him. “I do not detect any other life-signs aboard your starship—except you gathered there."

"I am the starship."

Jean and the others stared with total surprise etched on their features.

"How can that be?” Nouri asked.

"She is AI,” Jaric said proudly. “Without her, we would never have made it. We wouldn't even be alive."

"Tell us!” Jackie pleaded earnestly.

"It's a long story. One we'll be glad to share with you tonight over food and drink. And song!” Rok smiled widely. “It will be a great story—a great song for the ages."

"A story of courage and love,” Krinia said.

"A tale that ended the feud of three entire races and joined them as one.” The twin row of upright scales on Jysar's head glowed a deeper hue of iridescent green. “A tale of wisdom and triumph."

"Indeed,” Jean said. “I'm eager to hear it all."

"We even defeated the T'kaan!” Jaric burst out with pride.

Five faces stared with unabashed wonder back at them. A silence filled the air as everyone remembered how the T'kaan had decimated the human worlds and caused them all to become galactic refugees. They remembered the terrible, horrendous tragedies that filled their young childhood.

Julio finally whistled, breaking the thick silence.

"But tell us in one sentence, how did you survive?” Sally asked with keen interest. “There are only you three, and all so young? Even children when you first fled into space!"

"Right.” Julio looked at them from the view-screen. “It seems impossible you could travel this great, wide galaxy fraught with danger and survive. And yet, you did! You not only traversed the stars, you conquered and united entire alien races!"

"And finally managed to find other survivors, here on the rim,” Kyle said with a smile of confidence.

"How did you do it?” Nouri asked.

"How did we travel these dangerous stars?” Elise asked.

Elise paused a moment. Slowly, a wry grin formed as her blue eyes twinkled brightly. And when she spoke, they all understood perfectly.

"We were borne on wings of steel..."

[Back to Table of Contents]

FRIENDS ARE WHAT bring joy to our lives. And you can never have too many of them.

I would like to say a special hello to my mother, Dorothy. And to my Aunt Sue and Aunt Doris. My cousins Janie and Jack, and Debbie and her son VJ. My good friends and sisters—Ginger and Joy and her family—Lee, Jack, Caroline and Marie.

And to Glen of Wallasey—Agape and “special thanks.” It was your encouragement that got me going again and BoWoS back on track. Also ‘cheers’ to Carla, Callum and Kylie.