Spears of the Sun (Star Sojourner Book 3) (21 page)

I draped my arm around Shannon's shoulder as we watched the stars take form through the storeroom's small porthole. In the distant reaches of space, a type-G star emerged. Our own sun? But why had Rowdinth chosen to jump parsecs away from his target, Earth? I pointed at the sun. “That's our star, Shannon. Somewhere out there our homeworld is orbiting it.”

She gazed out the porthole. “Aye, but for how long?”

“Aye is right.” I pictured Earth, the majestic snow-peaked mountains, the awesome sweep of oceans, a planet losing species but still swarming with such a great variety of life that it's difficult to comprehend. Of Sol's eight planets and all their moons, Earth alone was a gem of life spinning in what astronomers and astrobiologists liked to call the Goldilocks Zone. Never too close to the sun or too far out in its orbit. A habitable planet all year round. Could the madman really reduce it to a burned-out cinder? He seemed to think so, and so did his rogue scientists. Unless I could sneak that table-top planet killer into the airlock and shove it into space.

We watched ole Sol grow in the porthole. I could understand Rowdinth's madness and his hatred of Terrans who helped to keep aggressive Fartherland out of the Worlds Government, with all its amenities of free trade and the exchange of technology. But how to explain two Earth scientists who would see the destruction of their homeworld for some pieces of gold?

“I'd better go an' sit by that post,” Shannon said. She went there, sat down and kept her hands behind her back.

I returned to my place behind the door and rested my head against the wall. If I managed to get the weapon into the airlock, I'd have to stay with it so that in those last seconds of remaining life, when the outer lock opened to deep space, I could roll that doomsday device-on-wheels out there.

Unless I could find a BioSuit, or even an old bulky spacesuit.

Shannon was watching me. I smiled half-heartedly. She knew the end was near for both of us, either by Rowdinth's hand, or the Alpha fleet. I reached into my pocket and took out the two candy bars Huff had given me.
Thanks, Huff,
I thought. “I'll share,” I told Shannon and tossed her one.

She picked it up and smiled.

Lisa had called her first taste of an avocado “green chocolate.” My eyes blurred as I unwrapped the candy bar. My little girl, safe on some colony planet. Did she ask about me? We had grown close during our dangerous times on Halcyon together. I wiped tears and took a bite of sweet chocolate.

For the first time, I felt no animosity toward Charles, Althea's new husband. Joe had said he treated Lisa well. What more could I ask of him? Someday, I'd be a dim memory in my daughter's mind, and hopefully, Charles would give her the support and love a girl needed from her father, from “the first man in her life,” as dads were called.

“What are ye thinking?” Shannon asked softly.

“Oh, just what might have been. You?”

“Aye.” She nodded and I realized she was also choked up.

I put down the candy bar and stood up. “Well.” I saw the fear in her eyes as she got to her feet. “I'm sorry I couldn't do more to save you, Shannon.”

She came to me and wrapped her arms around my back.

“I did the best I knew how,” I added and kissed her head.

She leaned her head against my chest. “I was hoping fer a lifetime o' holding you like this, lad. But 'twas not to be.”

I rumpled her thick red hair.

“Remember the song?” she said. “Tis you must go away an' I must bide?”

I nodded and felt tears slide down my cheeks and into her hair.

She looked up at me and her face was also tear-streaked. “Well, I'll na be biding. I'm coming to help you, whatever it is ye have in mind.”

“Shannon. You stand a better chance staying right here.”

“I know ye be trying to protect me, Jules, but we stand no chance at all that I can see, except to try to save our homeworld. The banshee be wailing fer both our names.”

I stared above her head through the porthole.
Where were we?
Maybe this jump so far from Earth was a miscalculation on Rowdinth's part.

“What the hell is
that
? Wait, Shannon.” I went to the porthole as a planet-sized wandering black hole swam into view consuming gas that swirled around it.

Shannon followed me.

I heard the ship's engines fire and felt the kick back as the ship maintained a safe distance from the hole's event horizon. Anything that ventured past it was sucked in, including light.

“It's a black hole!” Shannon said. “I've seen pictures o' them. Why are we so close, do ye think?”

“I don't…” I shook my head, at a loss for answers. “I don't know.”

The engines kicked in again, moving us away from the hole. At least the madman wasn't out to commit suicide by black hole.

“Wait a minute!” I slid to the floor with my back against it. “Wait a minute!”

She slid down beside me. “I'm waiting, lad.”

“Dark energy is a repulsive force,” I said.

“Aye. So ye have told me.”

“And primordial black holes wander the galaxy. And if an intermediate one like that one out there…” I pointed up at the porthole.

“Were to get pushed into our solar system?” she said. “Is that what ye be sayin'?

“Oh, my God! The weapon can't destroy Earth. Doctor Stone knew that. She was
right!”

“About
what
?”

I jumped up and stared out the porthole again. “Do you know what would happen if a large black hole like that one made it into our solar system?”

“Sure an' I haven't the foggiest.” Her green eyes widened. “But I think it wouldn't be a good thing.”

“Christ and Brahma!” I squeezed my forehead between hands. “First the comets from the Oort Cloud would get thrown out of orbit and start hitting the inner planets like spears!”

She leaned against the wall. “An' then?”

“And then Earth itself…”

“I'm na so certain I want to hear this.”

“Earth would be torn from its orbit by the black hole's immense gravitational field.” I pictured our homeworld ripped apart and bleeding her hot magma into space. “Then Jupiter would attract the hole and get eaten,” I whispered hoarsely. “And then…” I leaned against the wall next to her. “And then the sun itself would be torn apart and drawn into the black hole.”

“Pray heaven!” She took my hand. “Our own world an' our sun ripped apart like spears and eaten by that monster out there?”

I looked around. “I need a weapon.”

I used the serrated knife to cut the tie-downs on boxes and rooted through them. It was mostly ingredients for the sous chefs, and the necessities for a long voyage. But I found a tool bag that was used for light repairs on the ship. I took out a slim metal rod with two holes and a screw tip. It had the weight of a good weapon. I stuffed it behind my waistband, along with the knife, and covered them with my sweater. “Shannon? If anything happens to me and you can make it to the weapon –”

“I'll do me best, lad.”

“That's all either of us can do.” I kissed her forehead and went quietly into the galley.

Shannon followed.

Voices!

She backed into the storeroom as the far door swung open and two Vermakt Guards stopped in the doorway, looking shocked when they saw me.

One unholstered a stingler. I threw up my hands. “Don't shoot! I surrender.”

The Guard strode up to me, his gray forehead wrinkled around bristly hairs. “How did you find the general's ship, Terran, and how did you get past the Guards to board her?”

“The hatch.” I shrugged.

“The hatch? Smartass Terran.” He smacked me across my face.

It didn't hurt that much, but I fell against the counter and doubled over. “Don't hit me again, please,” I whined and slid the metal rod from behind my waistband.

His companion chuckled. “Terran coward. They are all alike. No honor or courage.”

Jack Cole, my spiker friend from Syl' Terria, once told me, “If you're holding a weapon on some tag, don't get too close. You give him the chance of swiping it away.”

I launched myself at the close Guard with the stingler and swiped it out of his hand. Vermakts are stronger than humans, but they're slow and bottom heavy. I struck him with the rod just behind his narrow snout. He sagged and went over like a bowling pin.

I ducked behind the table as the other Guard moved back and drew his weapon.

Uh oh!

The zap of a stingler. The Guard cried out. His shot went wild as he slumped to his knees, then kneeled over, motionless. A trickle of blood seeped from a small hole in the side of his head.

Shannon stood, legs braced, the unconscious Guard's stingler still pointed in her hands. She smiled. “I told ye, lad, tis better if I come along instead o' biding.”

We dragged the two Guards into a corner of the storeroom and I tied the unconscious tag's hands and feet. Shannon found a pair of dirty socks in the laundry basket and tied his snout shut. He'd breathe Okay through his nostrils. Like horses, the Vermakts were nose breathers.

“It won't be long,” I said, “until their friends come looking for them.”

“Then we'd best be gone from here.”

“Aye. Good idea.”

I strapped on the dead Guard's holster and checked the stingler for the hot setting. The weapon felt good in my hand. It could provide the chance we were looking for to destroy the dark-energy weapon and maybe even make our escape.

Shannon strapped on the other holster and stingler.

“Lass.” I took her by the shoulders and smiled. “If the gods, or the spirits, be with us, and we manage to destroy the dark-energy weapon with our stinglers, we might just make it to a lifeboat. There's got to be at least one on this long-voyage ship.”

She smiled. “Tis a better chance than we had a few minutes ago. But time is na on our side.”

“No. I won't lie to you. If the Alpha fleet decides to guard the Sol System instead of continuing their deep-space search for Rowdinth, and they locate this ship.” I shook my head. “They're not going to take a chance on Rowdinth getting away with the weapon.”

“Let's just take it a step at a time, lad.”

I nodded. “Let's go.”

We moved quietly through the galley and the sleeping quarters, empty now. Beyond that, we saw through a window, was the control room.

Rowdinth himself held court from the comfort of his imported A.I. leather-bound chair in the center of the room. He was naked except for the dire wool blanket wrapped around his narrow shoulders.

The communication center was manned, or I should say Vermakted by a Guard.

The older scientist, that would be George, the mastermind of the project, was tall and lean, with the highest forehead I think I've ever seen on a Terran, and a shock of black hair above it. He sat at a biocomputer and stared intently at a holo of the Sol System. He was probably directing the weapon to push the black hole into the outer reaches of Sol. The traitorous crotemunger! But where
was
the weapon? His son Lennie, shorter, thick-set, with a pale complexion and ruddy cheeks, sat next to him and leaned over to stare at the holo. They both wore white lab coats.

Ludicrous!
I thought.

The six other Guards and the captain sat at a table, talking and gesturing toward George's computer.

Rowdinth appeared agitated. His eyes darted from the Guards to the holo. He compulsively scratched a raw spot on his cheek that already had scabs. His chair, capable of learning from its controller and taking on aspects of its master's personality, slid open the armrest and raised a glass of red wine that sloshed over the rim, then retracted it. It slid open again, lifted the splashing wine and retracted it. Holos of cheering Vermakts appeared and faded on a small stage. Dancing Tahitian girls mingled with images of Terrans burning at stakes.

I heard Shannon gasp.

The chair's backrest expanded to engulf Rowdinth's shoulders in soft cushions. He struggled to extract himself. “Does anybody know how to shut off this fucking chair?” he shouted in stelspeak to include the scientists in his request.

Lennie swiveled in his chair. “Just quiet your thoughts, General, and it will shut down.”

“My thoughts
are
quiet!” he shouted.

The wine glass rose again. Rowdinth caught it and threw it at Lennie.

Wine splattered Lennie's white coat between his shoulders, like blood. He jumped up, but George snapped out a hand, clutched Lennie's arm and yanked. Lennie fell back into his chair.

“The mon's a fruitcake,” Shannon whispered.

“Yeah.”

“But where's the weapon?” she asked.

Where indeed.

Morth? Val Tir Sye Morth, are you out there?
I sent.

We have not abandoned you, Jewels,
he answered.

Thanks, Morth. Do you see the dark-energy weapon?

Yes.

I waited.
Well, where is it?

It sits upon a mount that protrudes from the outside of the craft, and is capable of turning in a multitude of directions.

The outside? Dammit.

Quite an ingenious design, Jewels. I must commend you Terrans on your science and technology.

That's just great!

You are welcome.

Jules
, Spirit sent.
Your time is running out. Rowdinth's ship is approaching the Oort Cloud.

I know.

The Alpha fleet is just parsecs away as you count space
, he added.
They may well destroy the weapon for you, along with this ship.

I looked at Shannon, who still watched the control room from a corner of the window, and felt fear at my throat for both of us.
Star Speaker? Are you near me?

Jules, my reluctant student. I am here.

I'm scared, Speaker. Not just for me and Shannon, but for all the living beings on Earth.

My student, lifebinds are fleeting, and while I respect your compassion, know that your desire to save your homeworld is what causes you fear and suffering.

I won't let Earth be destroyed, Speaker, as long as I have a breath.