Zoo E-Book

Phil Price

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

In Middle-England, a sleepy village is preparing for its annual fete. Pumpkins and scarecrows adorn the houses, and shops line the winding streets.

Meanwhile, in a far corner of the cosmos, a planetary attraction is preparing too - for its new inhabitants. Among them are the residents of a sleepy village in Middle-England.

Their new home, a replica of the village that they were abducted from, is where the Earthlings are to live their lives for the amusement of others, under glass domes that reach up towards the stars.

But nearby, a bitter war is raging, as a rebellious leader looks to destroy anything that her enemies create. Soon, their worlds come crashing together with cataclysmic results.

Leseprobe

ZOO

PHIL PRICE

CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Epilogue

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About the Author

Copyright (C) 2019 Phil Price

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2021 by Next Chapter

Published 2021 by Next Chapter

Cover art by Cover Mint

Edited by Felicity Hall

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

For my Father

Who watches down on us

From the stars

For small creatures such as we the vastness is only bearable through love…..

CARL SAGAN

PROLOGUE

EARTH

The crisp autumn sunlight bathed the landscape in a gentle yellow hue. The summer had been long and warm, its heat melding seamlessly into the latter stages of the year. Cars traversed the small village of Belbroughton, slowly heading along the country lanes as children climbed slides and laughed as their parents pushed them on swings in the communal playground. Mums sat chatting on wooden benches, coffee cups in hands as they kept an eye on the little ones who were foraging and finding adventure in the gated play area. As the morning headed into the afternoon, a stout man unlocked the front doors of his public house, the carved pumpkins that adorned his frontage a welcoming sight for the dark nights that were to follow. A young family stopped to look at the seasonal decorations, two little boys pointing and exclaiming at the macabre sight as their parents looked on adoringly. All was calm in the cosy village, with its butcher’s shop and the scattering of pubs that lined the sleepy streets. At the far end of Belbroughton, a large field stood empty, save for a few locals that had begun work on the annual fete. Two scarecrows stood motionless at the entrance to the grassy expanse, keeping watch over the comings and goings. Their eyes gazing blankly ahead, looking for trouble. Sometimes though, trouble does not appear straight ahead. Sometimes, it comes from above. From the stars.

ONE

The ship hung in a perpetual orbit, slowly circling the gas giant beneath it. Flashes of light from planetary storms crackled across the ionosphere. Far off, a dying star lit the ship’s metallic hull, its beacon casting its stark light across the ancient solar system. Inside the vessel in a low-slung room, six figures sat. The room offered no windows. No vista or daylight to distract any of them. Dust motes floated in the air as the light gently pulsed, reflecting off the shiny alloy of the figures’ suits. They were all humanoid. All male. Their pathetic, withered bodies were ridiculously emaciated, titanium shells encasing them. The metal pinched their skin, holding them firmly in place, their limbs powered by the suits. The suits, in turn, were powered by a neural link from their engorged brains. Brains that bulged against their paper-thin skulls, dark veins crisscrossing their mottled skin. They were effectively cyborgs. Machines with a humanoid core. The lights in the confined space lit the tops of their faces, obscuring features that were flat and nondescript. The figure at the head of the table gestured with a metal hand, a metallic whirr echoing off the walls. “We don’t have much time. We know what has been finalised. This chairing is just to clarify a few points.” His mouth remained shut, their communication on another level.

After an hour the humanoid at the head of the table spoke again. “The war is all but won. Just two systems remain where the rebels are holed-up. We will hunt them down and make martyrs of them all. Barajan, their leader, will have a very public execution. It will send a message to all.”

“Agreed,” a collective voice said in unison.

“Can trade recommence?” another voice said.

“Certainly. We will send out a pulse-message to all systems. It will take time for normality to return. We must recoup the costs of this skirmish.”

“How are preparations for the attraction?” another figure asked.

“On course. We have identified a thousand potential systems to plunder. Terraforming is underway. Once complete we can send them out. We hope to have the attraction up and running in one moon cycle.”

“Do we have a name?”

“Not yet. We will put our more creative thinkers on this task. They have been busy, finding outposts for us to scout. They tell me that we’ll have a very diverse attraction that will draw visitors from far and wide. This venture will be a sure-fire way to replenish our funds. I will be in touch. Safe travels back to your stations.”

TWO

BIFLUX

Half a moon cycle later two figures looked out at their binary sunset. The larger yellow star seemed to engulf the brown dwarf in front of it. The orbs seemed stuck together, although almost half a light year of space separated them. The two figures watched the giant balls of hydrogen slowly sink beneath the horizon, the spectacle holding their attention for the countless time. They looked down at the plaza and the clutch of buildings below them. Folk were dispersing after the event. A few still milled around, hoping for more excitement. Most were heading home before the storm on the horizon engulfed them.

“It all went off without incident. No rebel spies trying a last-minute rescue.” Ark Ramkle sat cross-legged with a large bottle of corn beer in his hand. He was young for a pilot. He had only recently sprouted growth on his chin. His red hair sprang out in tufts on top of his head. He had mischievous eyes that were constantly looking for something to do or something that could make him crack a joke or poke fun. His life had been one long adventure so far. Nothing critical had befallen him.

“They probably knew better. That’s if there’s any left. They are probably huddled together in a cave on Svikan, shitting themselves. All their plans for domination lie in tatters in a puddle of piss.” Torben Fraken sat next to the younger man. His eyes were heavy set, framed by a mono-brow. His hair was dark and closely cropped. He had the look of a man whose woes lay heavily on his shoulders. He too held a beer in his hand. His arms were uncovered, revealing intricate ink work from cuff to shoulder. The artwork was of star systems that wound themselves around his arms. Torben would never reveal to anyone that he’d almost blacked out from the pain. That would have been a show of weakness. Torben was not weak. He was a badass pilot. A loner, with no family. He took a swig of beer, savouring the cold aftertaste. “I’ve read about the evolution of execution Ark. From the dawn of time when people were stoned, eaten, and chopped up. Then it evolved into things like acid melt, supernova impact, black hole ingestion.” He took another swig. “All you really need is a strong arm and a sword to get the job done. Barajan is just as dead now that his head has been cut off. Forget the fancy ways. Death is death. Maybe we’ve come full circle.”

“Maybe. Or maybe our masters are running low on funds. It must cost a great deal to fire someone into a black hole. A good sharp sword costs about fifty dunars.”

“You may be right, my ugly friend.”

“Ugly! Fuck you! This face gets me laid every weekend.”

“With what. Rats from the sewers or stray dogs? No humanoid female would want a piece of that,” he pointed to the young pilot’s groin.

“You kidding? Many a female has sampled my delights. Beautiful ones. Green ones. Furry ones. You name it. Let’s hope that someone out their in the cosmos will get to try it out too.”

“Exactly where are you heading? Out of a thousand ships to be deployed, let’s hope we’re not at the bottom of the pecking order. I don’t want to end up on some forlorn rock rounding up some fluffy pack animals.”

“Me neither,” Ark said in between swigs. “I want some fun.” They both pressed a button on their wrist pilots, and a double ping indicated that a message had arrived. Two holographic images blinked into view in front of them. The setting sun’s light had diminished enough to make the star maps very clear.

“Wow!” Ark said. “Looks like we both got lucky.”

“Hmmm. You may be right, my friend.” They both rotated their own displays, looking at the systems and the surrounding voids of space.

“This is a long way from here. Not our galaxy. Not even close. Galaxy Mj486. Spiral galaxy thirteen billion lights from here.”

“Same as mine,” Torben said in wonder as he looked at his own map along with his friends. “You’re about seven hundred lights from my planet. Quite close. You could almost call in and say hi.” Both men laughed. The older pilot pulled up a page of text relating to his destination. “I’m to round up humanoids and a few indigenous creatures that live amongst them. The planet is referred to as Earth by its inhabitants. Should be relatively easy. They are a very primitive species. Not as nearly evolved as we are. How about you?”

“The planet is called Lokash. Sixty percent land, forty percent water. The dominant species is a hominid.” A picture of a large hairy mammal appeared in front of Ark’s eyes. It looked a formidable target. “Wow. These guys are three metres tall and weigh five hundred key-grams. Tackling them will be fun.” He scrolled through the rest of the text, looking at the other creatures on his itinerary. “Hmm. Humanoids are on my list too. Although they are bottom of the food chain. A large cat, reptile, and hybrid make up the list. So, humanoid must be the prey of the other four. Interesting. Very unevolved.” The two men sat pondering their missions.

The older man turned to the younger. “Ten years ago, we’d never have thought this possible. It was only our alliance with the Lomogs that led us to this.” Ark nodded, remembering how an advanced race had turned up at their planet with a proposal. Their own planet, in a far-off corner of space, was being threatened by a red giant and they needed a new place to call home. Their home planet of Biflux and the neighbouring moon offered these strange robot-like humanoids the nourishing atmosphere they so craved. In return, the Lomogs shared their technology with the Biflex people. It had started out as a perfect match. Nourishing air in return for untold advances in technology. The ability to reach beyond their own galaxy. Weaponry and medical treasures too. It had all seemed too good to be true. And it was. A splinter group opposed to such alliances was formed. Their leader Barajan waged a war on his own people, along with the Lomogs. Millions were killed. Cities decimated. It even raged away from the planet. Two orbital stations had been destroyed by nuclear weaponry, just as they were being populated. Countless thousands were sucked out into the vacuum of space. A silent crushing death for them all. The Lomogs, although weak in body, were strong in retaliation. Along with the Biflex, they’d chased and obliterated the rebels wherever they’d found them. In the end, it was Barajan’s head hitting the plaza steps that would end the war. Others would one day oppose the new alliance. But for now, exciting times lay ahead. As the war raged, the Lomogs had upgraded the Biflex’s Warp Drive spacecraft with their own advances. The new Singularity Drives were installed, with the Biflex people amazed at the results. They could leave the confines of their own galaxy. A galaxy that would normally take them years to traverse. Now they could venture to the very corners of the cosmos in days. It gave people like Ark and Torben new challenges. Like the ones that sat in their lap as the suns set on the rocky horizon.

“Let’s go to the Sars club and have a few more drinks and talk about our mission,” Ark said as a warm gust of wind ruffled his red locks.

“Why not,” Torben said as the first drops of rain started to fall from the leaden skies above.

As they walked through the doors of the bar the rains unloaded on the street outside. People of all races, creeds, and species took cover as it would rain solidly for many hours. The two pilots slid onto two barstools and waited for the tender to serve them. The tender tonight was Vrolakian. New to Biflux. They were a tall race with bright blue skin. She smiled at both men as she placed two tall glasses on the bar. The suds spilled over the rim and down over her blue fingers, making them sparkle under the down-lighters. Both men watched as she shimmied off to serve another customer.

“I bet you ten kren that I nail her tonight,” Ark said, as he wiped froth from his top lip.

“I’m not betting on you populating the cosmos, bartender by bartender. Keep your money. You may need it one day.”

“What for?”

“Duh. Your own ship. Your brains are firmly rooted in your crotch tonight, my young friend.”

The younger man made a play of smacking his ear a few times. “You’re right. My mind is firmly on intergalactic love.”

Torben looked around the bar, surveying the clientele. Some were revellers from the execution. Others were pilots, traders, and travellers. He spotted two pilots in a booth studying their respective wrist pilots. His mind returned to their mission. Torben motioned the younger man over to a quiet booth and flicked on his pilot. He scrolled through a few holographic screens, his brow knitted. “Hmm. We fly in three days. Fifty craft at a time. It looks like we’re in the third group of departures. Just after midday.” He read on for a few seconds. “Two days manned flight out to safe zone 784. Then, who knows. I can’t wait to pass through, Ark, to think that we’d be able to do this in our lifetimes.” He scanned the image. “Once on the other side it will take another two days to get to our planet.” They watched fascinated as a series of planets appeared and passed out of view. The first two were a beautiful blue. One was slightly darker with a deep blue spot on its southern hemisphere. Then came two huge gas giants. One was surrounded by stunning discs. The other’s surface looked an angry roiling collage. A solitary red planet came next. Torben noticed a deep ridge like a crooked smile, running along its surface. Space shot by for a few seconds before a blue and green planet came into view.

“Whoa!” Ark said. “She’s a beauty.”

“You’re not wrong there,” Torben said, mesmerized. They looked at oceans and land, framed by white clouds. They could almost reach out and touch it. “I can’t wait to see that for real. It’s beautiful.” He read the coordinates that would pinpoint the spot on the planet where they would make their landing. “We have a ten-hour window. Sunset to sunrise. Should be easy.”

The younger pilot leaned closer to get a better look. He smiled. “If you find any hot humanoid females, don’t forget about your old friend, Ark.”

THREE

Three days later Torben sat at the controls of his new ship, Shimmer050. It was just shy of seven hundred feet long, its dark grey exterior giving it a subdued appearance. She sat low to the ground, barely fifty feet tall, with a triangular fantail that housed the twin ion drives that was the primary propulsion system for the ship. The singularity drive was housed mid-way along its length, a fattening of the hull towards the rear the only anomaly in the cylindrically shaped hull. Torben watched through the cockpit window as figures came and went from the vessel. He had several crew members, who were making final preparations to disembark. Torben had flown with most of them several times. Some of the other staff were travelling with him for the first time. His co-pilot was a short hairy hominid called Rex. His green hair was trimmed neatly, covering his whole body, save for a hexagon on his chest. Darker green skin lurked there, dappled with raised symbols. Torben’s three landing party were all humanoid, but from a far-off planet unlike his own. They were all taller than he, with reptilian eyes and bad breath. They were called En, Ko and Shaa. They liked to be called all at once as they never left each other’s sides. He turned to Rex. “Okay, take us out.” Torben sat as the co-pilot deftly handled the ship through the cloud layers until the sky around turned dark. He could see the horizon of his world as they broke orbit. Torben could see the clear blue sea below where it kissed the sky in the distance. Ten minutes later they were nearing the planet’s only satellite.

“Okay, Rex, I’ll take over now. You’ve had enough fun for a while.”

“Okay, skipper. Do you fancy some graff from the kitchen?” Graff was a hot drink, made from the leaves of the graffa plant that grew on the mountainous slopes not far from the launch site. It was faintly herbal and would relax them both.

“Two cubes please,” Torben said as he bypassed the moon they called Lundell. Ten minutes later they were sat at their controls, sipping piping hot graff. The ship was cruising along at a steady 300,000 miles-per-hour. They barely felt the Ion-drive as it pulsed at the back of the ship, propelling them forward. Everything felt comfortable and serene. They knew that would change soon enough. Torben set his lidded mug in the holder to his left and gripped the throttle with one hand, the paddle with the other. He looked at the heads-up display in front of him and worked out the next part of the course. “Okay, we increase to eighty percent drive for forty-six hours. That should take us out to the safe zone. Rex, take over. Switch us to autopilot in two hours. I will go check in the stores. I need to make sure all inventory is accounted for and that they are behaving themselves. If not, I will jettison their hides into the void.”

“Okay, skipper.”

As Torben exited the bridge he felt the ship increase its speed. By the time he’d reached the stores, they would be travelling at a little over 5,000,000 miles-per-hour. He walked towards the room at the midpoint of the ship, his footsteps echoing down the narrow corridor that led out into a round chamber. Torben had quickly looked inside the confined space when he’d first entered the ship. However, the room had been empty. Now as he stepped off the walkway, down half a dozen steps, a small man with steel eye-glasses approached. “Captain Fraken,” he said. “Welcome to the Singularity drive.”

Torben nodded, noting the nameplate stitched into the man’s tunic. “It looks impressive, Jonas” he said, taking in the chamber around him. The walls were a dull grey, studded with oddly shaped cones that were evenly spaced from floor to ceiling. In the centre of the room, a large metal ball hung between three rotating rings, also studded with symmetrical shapes that looked like mini pyramids.

“It certainly is. Are you familiar with the workings?”

“Somewhat,” he replied carefully. “I have read up on this kind of technology. Bending space to create a dimensional gateway.”

“Yes. The singularity is, in essence a mini black hole.”

“Which is achieved by using the magnetic rings to focus a narrow beam of gravitons.”

“Which in turn allows us to fold spacetime until a Singularity is created. Once that happens, the ship will pass through the Event Horizon, coming out at another point in space. Exciting stuff.”

“It certainly is. This would have seemed impossible only a few years ago.”

“Indeed,” the smaller man said, his clammy complexion and facial tick making Torben feel slightly uneasy. “We once thought that warp drive was the be all and end all of interstellar propulsion. How wrong we were.”

“Is it safe? And will it work?”

“Absolutely. I have already been on a ship that has made the jump. We started with a minor leap, just a few light years. This thing works seamlessly. When you execute the jump, it will take only a few seconds for the ship to pass through the gateway. And by then, we’ll be on the other side of the known universe.”

“What do you know about the system that we will be travelling to?”

“Enough. The solar system is approximately 4,000,000,000 years old,” Jonas said enthusiastically. “There are eight planets, orbiting a yellow star that is known as the Sun. The first two planets closest to the stars are devoid of life, constantly blasted by the star. Then we have Earth, which lies nearly 100,000,000 miles from the host star. Beyond that, there is a red planet that we believe once harboured life, followed by two gas giants and two ice giants. This type of solar system is fairly common.”

“And the inhabitants of Earth?”

“They are an intelligent species, but young in their development. They have only recently started understanding how the universe works. Our reconnaissance drones have picked up enough information about the human species. They have visited their satellite and are now planning more ambitious expeditions. But it will take them another generation before they discover the technology and the means to take them to their closest star, which is just over four light-years from their planet.”

“Hmm. Maybe we could leave them the blueprints for that,” he said, pointing at the metal structure in the centre of the room, a dull humming drone emanating from it.

“I’m sure that they are beginning to think about this kind of technology. But they have time on their side. Their system is stable, located on the outer fringes of the galaxy. I am sure that they will begin their voyage to the stars one day, possibly soon.”

“Okay, Jonas. Thank you for taking the time to brief me, and I’m glad to have you aboard.”

“It’s my pleasure, Captain Fraken. It was nice meeting you too,” he said before Torben excused himself, needing some fresher air and familiar surroundings. He headed out of the chamber, pleased by the mood lighting that the long corridors emitted. The changing colours at the floor and ceiling seemed to slow his pulse, calming him somewhat as he headed for the next stop on his round. He checked the stores, pleased that all provisions were accounted for. Torben chatted with the crew, enjoying the feelings of trepidation and excitement they gave off. He almost showed similar excitement, reigning it in slightly, maintaining his authority. By the time he entered the technician’s lab, he was almost skipping. The dour-faced scientists took the edge off his good mood. They gave him a detailed update of the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere and topography. Torben cared not. As long as he could either breathe freely or by regulator, he was happy. He nodded sagely, pretending to listen until he made his excuses and left. He popped back to the cockpit to check on Rex. The little hominid would not move for the best part of two days. He was happiest sat at the controls and Torben trusted him implicitly. The captain made his way to his cabin along white corridors whose ceilings and floors gently pulsed in ever-changing hues. Once inside his spacious quarters, he stripped naked and took a long, hot shower. His favourite folken music was piped in through overhead speakers, making all his stresses and worries wash away down the drain. He anointed his tattooed torso with oils to make it shine. His muscled arms looked impressive to him as he dressed for dinner. He knew who he wanted to impress too. Kyra, the medical officer. The captain had not known her long. She was tall and dark like him. She was Biflex like him too. He knew the country she hailed from. It was high up in the tundra. Her voice was melodious and light and made him feel like an awkward adolescent. He sensed a mutual attraction, although as Chief Medical Officer, Kyra, would of course be too professional to show any feelings towards him. Unless I get her drunk and. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Torben nodded, the white partition opening. Oh fuck, he thought as Kyra stood uncertain in the doorway. He was still only dressed in cargos and a singlet. His feet were bare and his chest exposed. He quickly zipped up his top, snagging a few hairs in the process. He mentally swore as he tried to remain cool and collected. “Can I help you, Officer Zakx?”

“Yes, Captain Fraken. We have a medical emergency. Well, we did have a few moments ago. One of the porter staff has died.”

“Oh no! How?”

“Heart failure. Totally unexpected. His name was Elion.”

“Shit, I knew him. He lived in the same town that I did. His mother knew my mentor. Sorry for the bad language.” He looked down at the floor and blushed.

“No offence taken, Captain.”

“Please, call me Torben. This isn’t a military craft. I prefer a degree of familiarity.”

“Done. Only if you call me Kyra.”

“Deal, Kyra. Okay, could you take me to see Elion? We won’t have time now to send him home. He can stay in cold storage until our return.” Kyra waited while Torben pulled his boots on and gave himself the once over in the mirror. He caught Kyra looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Now it was her turn to blush. Torben smiled inside. He was enjoying this twist to his mission, even if one of his crew had died. They walked in silence for a few moments before Kyra, for once at a loss for words, piped up.

“So, you’re from Walvak.” Kyra said. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

“Yes. And I believe you’re from neighbouring Cantis. A beautiful place. The glaciers are stunning. I have spent many a happy time there.”

“Are you one of the adrenaline junkies who try the Cantis-Ebris challenge?”

“I am. I even came second a few years ago. That was the last time I was there.”

“Really? Where did you stay? Kyra was becoming chatty. Unusually so for her with a man.

“At Mrs Alto’s camp. We pitched next to the waterfall. It was amazing.”

“Ah. Slumming it with the rabble. I’d expect a pilot, especially a captain, to have stayed at the Fazal.”

“Not me. I’m more a rough and ready kind of guy. A bottle of suds and a hard floor are okay with me.” He suddenly regretted that last statement. He didn’t want Kyra thinking he was a lowlife. Shit.

“I’d probably join you in that view. Although occasionally a girl does like to be pampered.” He chuckled as they rounded a corner, arriving at the double doors of the med-wing. “Follow me, Torben,” Kyra said as the doors opened with barely a whisper. The med bay was like the rest of the ship. White walls were gently subdued into various colours that floated up from the recesses by the ceilings and floors. All surfaces were spotlessly clean. In the centre of the room, a large egg-shaped table lay beneath a holographic display. On it, Torben could see an X-ray of his dead porter. He suddenly felt all happiness and brevity leave him.

“Such a shame,” he said, as he followed Kyra to a single door in a far corner of the room. It too opened silently, leading them into a long narrow room with several small square doors set alongside one wall. One door had been opened and a long chrome shelf jutted out of the doorway. On it, covered in a white sheet, was Elion. His skin was a mix of grey and blue. Torben noticed that his face had already sunk somewhat. “Poor guy. He was the same age as me, there or thereabouts. So much to live for.”

“He would have felt nothing. He has a nasty lump on the back of his head. Probably from the impact after he’d died. Shame.” Kyra covered the body and ushered Torben back into the lab. “I will fill out a D.O.A report. I will brief our operations on Biflux so they can contact his family. I’m glad someone else has that job instead of me.”

“Yes, I agree,” Torben said as he stood looking around the lab.

“Would you like to join me for dinner this evening, Torben?” It was out before Kyra even had time to think about it. She looked at the pilot with a mixture of expectancy and embarrassment. Torben noticed that the woman had a lock of red hair. It was a nice contrast to her darker hair, drawing his eyes to it easily. He’d never noticed it before. She nervously tucked it behind her left ear, the overhead lights catching the colour for a split second, making it shimmer.

Torben looked into her deep brown eyes, noticing a few freckles on her nose. She was impossibly good looking. “Of course. That would be nice,” the captain said, feeling a swell of happiness and awkwardness wash over him.

“Okay, great. Shall I meet you in the foyer in an hour?”

“Yes. See you then. It should be a good choice tonight. First dinner and all.”

“I look forward to it.” Torben could see that the skin around Kyra’s neck was flushed like she’d been on a taxing run. He diverted his gaze before excusing himself. He made his way back to the bridge. Rex was sitting casually in his seat, his drink finished in the holder next to him. He turned around to see Torben. “Hey, Captain. Everything’s five-by-five.”

“Great.” Torben sat down next to the hominid, looking out at the black void around him. “One of the porters died not long after take-off. Heart attack. Completely out of the blue.”

“That’s too bad. Have you been down to see the body?”

“Yes. Kyra, I mean, Officer Zakx informed me and escorted me to the med bay.” Torben could see Rex looking at him.

“So, you’re on first name terms with Officer Zakx. You didn’t waste any time.”

“Knock it off. It’s not like that. Although she did ask me to join her for dinner later.”

Rex whistled through his shiny blue teeth. “Maybe she will invite you back to her cabin for dessert. She’s very attractive, for a humanoid.”

“I’m sure it will just be dinner. Nice and formal. I am Captain after all.”

“Well, you enjoy. I have my lunch here. That will keep me going until tomorrow.”

Torben placed his hand on Rex’s shoulder. “Thanks, Rex. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” As Torben left the bridge, Rex sat in silence as the cosmos sped past him. A serene smile framing his furry face.

FOUR

He rounded the last turn before the ship’s mess hall, spotting Kyra looking at a series of pictures adorning the wall of the foyer. They were galaxies, placed there at Torben’s request. They were as varied as they were beautiful. They were all holographic pictures. The galaxies and nebula moved slowly in each frame, captivating the viewer with the promise of far-off wonders and mysteries. He noticed she was fidgeting. She had her hands on her hips for a brief moment, before chewing on a thumb. Then back on the hips before she seemed to slap her thighs. She sensed someone was looking at her and turned to see the ship’s captain appraising her. Kyra fidgeted some more, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Torben approached her. “Nice artwork,” she said, instantly regretting how lame that sounded.

“My indulgence. I think they give an otherwise sparse ship a bit of character.” He motioned towards the mess hall, “Shall we?”

She made a slight bow of her head and walked alongside him through the doorway. A few minutes later they were seated in a far corner of the hall, away from most of the other occupants. “So, are you okay with the mission that you are about to undertake?”

Torben looked up from his plate of Makamaka, a local Biflux delicacy. Large cuts of dark meat, drizzled with sauce, served on a bed of red rice. “I think so. Why do you ask?”

“Well, we’re about to travel to a far-off corner of the universe to abduct members of another civilization.”

“Hmm. When you say it like that it does sound kinda bad. To be honest, I knew what the parameters of the mission were, but I got so excited about travelling to that far corner of space that I forgot about the actual task.” He looked at Kyra, who was pushing her food around her oval plate with a fork. “How about you? Are you okay with what we’re about to do?”

“Not totally. But I needed this mission. I needed to put some distance between myself and the wars.”

Torben could see that there was more that could be gleaned from her statement. “I don’t mean to pry, but how so?”

Kyra put down her fork, took a swig from her glass of beer and dabbed her mouth with a towel. “I lost someone. My partner, Relkon. He was a pilot.” She composed herself, trying to remain in control. “He was shot down on the eve of the last battle. His body was never found as he’d crashed down in the tundra.”

Torben nodded sadly. He knew that the tundra of Biflux was a place filled with predators. Even if Relkon had survived the crash, without weapons or rescue he would have lasted less than an hour. “I’m very sorry, Kyra.” He thought about placing his hand over hers, then dismissed the idea. That’s too much too soon. It might spook her, he thought.

Kyra regained her composure as she continued. “So I decided to take on a mission. No, I’m not totally happy about the task in hand, although under the current circumstances I can turn a blind eye to it. Does that sound heartless?”

“No. What if the people of Earth are living a horrible existence themselves? We may be giving some of them a chance of a new start.”

She smiled at him as her face softened. The smile reached her eyes and seemed to transform her already beautiful face. “I like your optimistic outlook, Torben.” She reached across the table and briefly squeezed his hand. The static in that fleeting contact was almost audible.

He smiled back. It also reached his eyes, smoothing out his serious face. “Believe me, I’m not normally that optimistic.”

Members of the crew came and went. The noise around them was enough to keep their conversation private. It also made them lean close to each other as they spoke, which they both seemed to enjoy. They were oblivious to anything or anyone. Kyra told Torben about her childhood, even adding the embarrassing moments that she’d never thought she would share with a relative stranger. She sensed a deepness within him. A sorrow that bubbled under the surface, never quite showing itself. He spoke about his childhood too. She sensed, though, that he omitted certain things from the conversation. Maybe they would come in the fullness of time, she hoped. She was attracted to him. Kyra sensed it was mutual, although her confidence had taken a battering over the last few months. She tried to play it as cool as possible. As plates were taken from them and beer glasses replenished, Kyra became aware that she was under the influence. She needed to be careful. Alcohol had a habit of letting the truth come out. She needed to come up with an excuse to head back to her quarters. The woman glowed inside when she saw a brief flash of disappointment as she tried to wrap up the evening.

“Oh,” said Torben. Shall I walk you back to your quarters?”

“That would be nice,” Kyra said, almost too eagerly. The journey only took a few minutes. They walked in silence for most of the way. Their swaying hands almost touching. Torben could almost feel the static crackle as they swished passed, to and fro. She turned and addressed him as they reached her door. “Thank you for a pleasant evening Torben. It was nice to finally get to meet you properly.”

“Yes, it was,” he said, also a little too quickly. He sensed that he sounded too keen. “I’m sure we’ll bump into each other soon.”

“I hope so.” Damn that beer, she thought. She flushed before extending her hand. He took it, matching her grip, liking the cool firm feel of her skin.

“Goodnight, Kyra,” he said.

“Have a pleasant evening, Torben,” she demurred before turning and entering her cabin. Torben stood there for a moment, lost in his thoughts. He walked back slowly to his cabin, a warm smile on his usually serious face.

FIVE

They did indeed bump into each other over the next day and a half, although they both had company when the moment arrived. They mentally swore inside, wishing that their crew would evaporate into the air so they could converse some more. Kyra liked watching him fidget like a boy when they tried to exchange pleasantries. She thought about this as she lay in her quarters, a thin blanket draped over her long body. She let warm thoughts combine with the thrum of the ion drives to send her off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Torben checked in regularly with Rex to plot their progress through the solar system. They would be slowing down in a few hours and the Hominid told his captain to retire for the evening. Tomorrow was a big day. As Torben stood in the shower, letting the hot water pepper his torso, his mind was not on what it should have been. Here he was, a pilot. A badass. On the verge of the greatest moment of his life and the lives of his people. And yet as he stood under the torrent, his thoughts were of Kyra. Thoughts of far off civilisations were hidden under the warm, fuzzy thoughts of Officer Zakx. Was he getting feelings for her? Impossible. He hardly knew her. Yet she was always in his thoughts. He mentally made his brain move her to one side as he tried to focus on tomorrow’s tasks. Torben was still trying to think of the itinerary as he lay under the silk blanket. However, he was fighting a losing battle. A tall dark beauty kept knocking his flight plans to one side. Eventually, he relented as he drifted off to sleep. The last sound he heard was the throttle of the Ions falling away. By the time he woke, they would be in position.