Star Runners: Dark Space

Chapter 5-1

5

The screen flickered, sending a flash across his dark apartment. Josh leaned toward the monitor, his stomach rolling as the connection with his boss attempted to relay his signal. He wiped his eyes and tried to look pleasant.

In the time since he returned to Earth, Josh had never requested leave. He asked his immediate superior, Captain Bryce Clark, for permission to use all his leave in one lump. Clark had approved it, but then Major Nubern requested this video chat.

The screen normalized, replaced by the Legion Flag with the four swords in each corner surrounding a blue star.

Josh held his breath, unsure why he was so nervous to speak with Nubern. After all, they’d always had a cordial relationship. Nothing like he and Austin, but friendly and professional.

Was Nubern going to try and talk him out of this trip?

His stomach continued rumbling, and he wondered if he was marching down the wrong path. Traveling across the stars on his own could be dangerous. Sure he had made the trip to Earth from the Zine System, but that happened without giving him much time to think about it. He’d had plenty of time to conjure up all the ways his little trip to Sanctum could go wrong.

As the screen normalized and Nubern's face appeared, he knew the time for questioning his actions ended.

"Lieutenant Morris," Nubern said with a tight grin, "good to see you this morning."

"Major," he said with a slight bow, “pleasure's all mine."

Nubern glanced down for a heartbeat. "Great work on your prospect report. Just gave it a quick run through and I have to say your server is once again proving quite prolific."

"Thank you, sir. I've been fortunate."

"That you have," he said, his eyes still on the report. Without looking up, he continued, “Captain Clark tells me you've requested some leave—all of it, to be precise."

"That’s correct, sir."

"Everything all right, Lieutenant?"

"Of course, sir."

Nubern looked up. "I hope I'm not prying, but does this have anything to do with you canceling your counseling sessions?”

Shaking his head, he said, ”I only did that in anticipation of taking leave, sir."

"Healing the mind never takes a vacation. I worry about you and Kadyn. Both of you’ve been through quite an ordeal. Are you sure canceling your counseling is such a good idea?"

Josh nodded and looked down at the keyboard. "I don't think it's helping, sir."

Nubern eyed him. "Perhaps you haven't given it enough time."

"Perhaps," he said through his teeth, "but I don't really think it's worth the time. Forgive me for saying so, but I need a break, sir."

Nubern pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing. "I can't imagine how hard it's been for you to go from flight training to ... your captivity."

"Yes, sir."

Nubern studied him. “Very honorable thing to do.”

“Pardon?”

“Keeping your word to those who helped you escape.” He smiled. “I just signed the order to release the ship that brought you safely back to Earth.”

The tension in his chest eased. Stetson. “Thank you, sir.”

“Are you sure about this? Would you like any company?”

“I have to do this alone, sir.”

He took a deep breath. “Permission for leave’s granted, Lieutenant. Whatever you have planned, I do hope it’s worth it."

Josh pulled the hood over his face, shielding him from the fierce wind swirling across the rooftop in downtown Atlanta as he awaited with the other passengers for the daily shrouded shuttle to Base Prime.

Traveling to Sanctum was more than just keeping his word to Waylon and Matta. He looked into the gray sky, realizing for the countless time he might be risking his life on the hope he could save Ryker.

The line of passengers moved forward. The open space above the rooftop opened, revealing a shrouded shuttle hatch lowering and a woman wearing a tight-fitting blue suit locking the railing into place. A man stepped through the hatch, stretched and continued to the roof.

"Good morning, everyone," he said like a tour guide. "Please have your IDs ready before boarding. This shuttle will depart in ten minutes."

Josh watched the man's mouth as he spoke, saw he was speaking English. Must be a local, he thought.

Thumbing through his satchel, Josh grabbed his ID.

The line moved forward.

Was this worth it? Did he need to travel across the Quadrant to ask the Barracudas for help in finding a mind-controlling technology? Would they even know what to do to help? Or would they just thank him for the ship and send him on his way? After all, what did Waylon owe him?

"Good morning!"

Josh spun around and thrust the ID forward without thinking. "Morning," he muttered, staring at the rooftop.

The man took the ID, scanned it and gestured toward the hatch. "Have a good flight."

As he walked up the hatch, Josh smiled at the other attendant welcoming him onboard. He took one last look at the morning horizon, saw the sun burning through the clouds and illuminating the Atlanta skyline in golden rays.

At that moment, he knew he'd be back before Kadyn even knew he was out of town.

Smiling, he took one last look at home before ducking into the shuttle bound for Base Prime.

The shuttle's engine whined, rumbling his seat as Atlanta fell away beneath them. Invisible to the naked eye and radar, the shuttle's engines would only be audible for a brief moment during takeoff. He wondered if the planes he heard but did not see during his childhood had been invisible Legion shuttles arriving and departing the city.

As the cityscape disappeared and they ascended into the clouds, he pressed against the window, listening to the idle chatter around him. He hadn't been in the air for a while, and he’d forgotten how it felt.

Fifteen minutes into the flight, the shuttle broke through the thick soup covering the city and soared over the blanket of clouds into the deep blue sky. Moments later, he closed his eyes and slept.

The chime in the cabin jolted him awake as the snap-pop of tray tables locking into position surrounded him. He stretched his legs, glad the seat next to him was empty as he reached out, feeling the muscles aching with fatigue.

Nothing like a power nap, he thought.

Leaning toward the window, Josh yawned as his ears popped. The brown desert ground stretched beneath him, and he realized he'd slept the entire flight. He stared at the mountains, wondering if they flew over any of the territories the Lobera School of Excellence had used for his Gauntlet training.

Grinning, he remembered his confidence during training and the absolute invincibility surging through him. He never felt anything could defeat him. Of course, that was before he arrived at Tarton's Junction and seen Star Runners killed by Tyral Pirates long before he completed his training.

Those casualties were the beginning of his realization living as a Star Runner might be different than playing one in a video game. The nagging doubt beginning to fill his mind worsened when he was captured, and his parents were told he was missing. He shivered at the thought of his mother sobbing as she grabbed him in the Legion Clinic in California. Dad had stood behind her, his eyes swollen and damp. His parents, once stable forces in his life, crumpled at his return and the lingering effects of Revelation Protocol. They had paid the price for his Legion service, suffering first the thought of losing their son only to be followed by being forced to take on different identities to ensure their safety.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a female attendant said, "we will be landing at Base Prime shortly. Please secure all personal items and leave your seatbelt securely fastened until the captain has turned off the seatbelt sign. Base Prime traffic is bustling, as usual, so please be careful when you continue your travels."

The urban sprawl appeared, filling the landscape with concrete and organized patches of perfect lawns. Craning his neck against the window, he saw the blue of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Soon, the shuttle covered the vast industrial sections along the shoreline appearing as shipping businesses to the rest of the world and Base Prime for the Galactic Legion of Planets.

The descent was uneventful, the shuttle passing through the false wall projected by powerful shrouds and coming to a stop on a row of landing pads in the colossal hangar. Foot traffic hurried in all directions as passengers rushed toward their destinations. The hatch hissed open, and his fellow passengers burst to life, grabbing their personal belongings and jamming into the aisle. He debarked from the now visible shuttle and took a deep breath as he stood on the pad, smelling the mix of humid air and jet fuel. Colorful holograms descended from the ceiling, some projecting departing flights and official news while others provided information on the "indigenous" population.

He shook his head, suddenly thinking of Kadyn. She was right about it being difficult to forget there was another world beyond what you'd been told your entire life.

Time to focus on what you're doing here, he thought. Think of Austin.

Joining the human wave flowing from the landing pads, he made his way to the vast network of transport tubes.

His ears popped and skin tingled as the tube hatch opened, the white light blinding him.

"Welcome to Atlantis," the attendant said, offering a hand. "The disorientation is normal following a tube transport."

Nodding, Josh climbed from the tube with a grunt. "Been a while," he said, clearing his throat and opening his mouth wide. "Thank you. "

"My pleasure, sir,” the man said, a toothy grin appearing between the thick black beard. "First time to Atlantis?"

“No. It’s been a while, though."

Moving away from his arrival tube, Josh shook off the effects of the accelerated travel as he surveyed the institutional white walls and polished deck of Atlantis. A dozen machines lined this arrival terminal. Passengers more accustomed to the type of travel hopped from the glistening tubes and pulled out their tablets. Staff in gray Legion uniforms attended to the machines, which filled the chamber with increasing and decreasing humming as travelers arrived.

The station showed no sign of the vicious Tyral Pirate attack, a testament to the will of the Legion to maintain its presence on dark worlds like Earth. The smooth corridors seemed reminiscent of the architecture on Tarton's Junction, making it hard to believe they were still on Earth miles below the ocean's surface.

Swinging his satchel around in front of him as he walked, Josh pulled out his cell phone and checked the vague notes Stetson had provided.

The hangars had been repaired since the attack. His destination, according to Stetson's notes, would be the secondary deep storage docks under the primary hangar used for planetary defense Tridents and Corvos.

Foot traffic increased as he strolled down the corridor toward Atlantis Command. The walls and deck were sterile white save the obsidian holographic glass boards appearing at regular intervals to display directions to a multitude of destinations. The hurrying people were dressed in an odd mix of attire, from Legion officers to standard business suits.

Rounding a busy corner, he saw the hatch ahead dilate. Beyond, he saw the vast expanse of Atlantis Command. The rows of control stations filled the area the size of an indoor arena. Deepwater jellyfish floated above like radiant, colorful constellations. Hundreds of workers monitored information feeds, most working on holographic keypads and screens. Radio chatter screeched from a dozen speakers, mixing with video feeds. Above them loomed the immense hologram of a rotating Earth covered in a thousand pinpoints of light.

Winding through enlisted personnel and officers overseeing their work, Josh hurried into the elevator leading to the hangar. Two Legion Marines marched through the doors, leaving the car empty. He moved inside and keyed for the doors to close.

A shorter man hurried behind him, turned and smiled.

Josh gasped. "Stetson!"

"The one and only.” He gazed through the doors as they closed and grinned. “It’s good to be back. I haven't been here since my operation on Oma."

"What are you doing here?"