Solar Star

The mood on the bridge was sombre and strained as they waited and Maclyn couldn’t sit still any longer, he paced up and down the circular walkway behind the workstations and this made everyone else jumpy. Black Elk moved the ship almost directly over the buildings and kept a wary eye on the troops below them and Su-min had all the outside camera’s recording and constantly scanned each one. She noted the troops didn’t seem to know what to do about them, although she was aware that the lasers, which had fired on them from the hilltop position, must now have them in their sights. Their shields were activated as Sarrin said it wouldn’t affect the device he had given Ty, but even with the shields on it wouldn’t be prudent to stay around if they opened fire. O’realian stood by Su-min’s side, and she glanced up at his kind face, now pinched into lines of worry, his hands clasped together. He glanced at her and smiled trying to reassure her, yet he had even more at stake than she did. It was his only child down there and they had no idea what had happened to her or to Ty. Sarrin sat erect and ready over his console of controls, his eyes fixed on the board waiting and hoping he’d get the signal that meant the cube had been activated. A light blinked once and he leapt almost out of his seat and began to tap in a sequence of numbers. Maclyn noticed his action and ran to his side.

‘What’s happening?’ he said.

Sarrin carried on entering the activation codes before he spoke.

‘It appears Captain Kelsey has been able to use the cube,’ he said, sounding far calmer than he felt.

‘Now what?’ Maclyn said, as he, like everyone else on the bridge didn’t know what the cube was supposed to do.

Sarrin looked at his display and nodded as it had locked on so he pressed the blue key and then turned to Maclyn.

‘Just watch that place,’ he said and pointed to the circular walkway by the doors to the bridge.

Maclyn turned with the rest of the crew and waited. A faint humming sound grew louder and then the bridge was filled with a blinding golden light, which lasted for several seconds and then it died, and in its place stood a bewildered Ty and Kassina.

For a heartbeat no-one moved or said a word and it was Magic, the cause of all the trouble who made the first sound. She let out a long loud meow of protest at the treatment she had received and glared around her, unimpressed by her new surroundings.

Maclyn blinked and breathed again and suddenly everyone started to move again. Ty smiled at his cousin and moved back to his rightful place in the Captain’s chair.

‘Report,’ he said as he sank gratefully into it.

Black Elk grinned and turned back to his console and said.

‘We’re ready to go.’

‘And you better make it soon.’ Su-min added.

‘What’s up?’ Ty asked.

‘That laser, it’s moving and coming our way.’

‘Then I think we should get the hell out of here,’ Ty said.

Black Elk needed no further telling, he turned the engines ninety degrees and changed their motion from hover to flight and slowly powered up the engines and as the dials slowly reached their correct levels, the ship was jolted and shuddered slightly before it settled again.

‘What was that?’ Maclyn said holding on to Ty’s chair.

‘Laser fire,’ Su-min reported. ‘Shields holding but they’re powering up for another blast.’

Ty nodded and said to his helmsman.

‘Now would be good time Ben.’

Black Elk carried on with his work.

‘Aye Sir.’

He paused, finally the last dial reached its mark and he pressed the engage and the ship surged forward.

‘Engines engaged Sir. Denver ETA twenty five minutes.’

They felt the forward motion and it was a relief to be moving.

They slipped away from the troops below and the once peaceful community and into the new future. O’realian put his arm around his beautiful daughter as together they watched their home quickly disappear into the distance, and he knew that whatever faced them he’d never forget the agony and fear he had felt when Kassina seemed lost to him forever. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered.

He couldn’t be mad with her; he never could as she was his one weakness.

‘You should be,’ he said as sternly as he could muster. ‘You could have been killed and however much you love Magic it was a foolish thing to do.’

She nodded, she knew he was right and it wasn’t only her life she had put at risk.

‘I know and I have no excuses except that I never intended to be late back to the ship.’

Her face was so full of remorse that he knew what she said was true; the only trouble was it wasn’t the first time her good intentions had turned out badly for someone else. He only hoped that this time she’d truly learnt her lesson and it would be the last time she did something impulsive without realising the consequences. He sighed and gave her a hug, careful not to crush the indignant cat.

‘I know, but it’s not me you need to apologise to,’ he said and looked at the man in the Captain’s chair who was telling Maclyn all about their escape.

Kassina nodded.

‘I know but he’s busy now. I’ll talk to him later.’

She knew she was making another excuse but she didn’t feel up to facing Ty at the moment.

O’realian didn’t really approve but she was a big girl now and had to be responsible for her own actions, so he said no more. They stood and watched the world pass below them before he spoke again.

‘I think we should go below and make sure everyone else is okay. We will be arriving in Denver very soon.’

She smiled up at him and felt a great wave of love flow through her and she knew she was so lucky to have a father like him. His caring and love for all had at times been hard for her to accept and she had been jealous of the time and care he gave to everyone in the community when she thought he should only love her. But over the years she began to see the goodness that was in O’realian, not just as her father, but father to them all, and realised how privileged she was to have such an example of unconditional love to emulate. She failed often in her attempts to be like him but he always picked up the pieces and encouraged her to try again. She glanced once more at Captain Kelsey before leaving the bridge with her father.

Ty didn’t notice them leaving, he was busy telling Maclyn about their brief time in the company of Colonel Nye and their escape by way of the cube. Ty still held the small lightweight gold coloured cube in his hand and showed it to Maclyn.

‘So what did it feel like?’ he asked as he took it from Ty and looked closely at it.

Ty frowned and didn’t reply immediately.

‘It’s hard to describe really,’ he said. ‘It was as if I had pins and needles all over my body. It tingled and felt cold.’

‘Did it hurt?’

‘Not really, except the light around us was very bright and you had to close your eyes.’

Mac nodded.

‘Yes, it was blinding, but how does it work?’

He held it up between two fingers and studied it closely but there were no markings of any kind on it.

Ty grinned at his friend as he studied the mysterious object, knowing he’d find nothing remarkable on it as he’d already looked, but how it worked he had no idea.

‘I think you’ll have to ask Sarrin about that,’ he said loudly and at the sound of his name Sarrin got up and joined them.

Maclyn held out the cube to Sarrin who took it back and smiled at the humans.He was learning that they responded to this and Ty smiled back, after all the Andromedian had probably saved his and Kassina’s lives, or at least prolonged them.

‘Well Sarrin, what is this cube of yours?’ Ty asked.

‘It is a transportation device and location beacon,’ he stated logically.

Maclyn sighed.

‘Yes that’s obvious,’ he said, ‘but how does it do that?’

Sarrin frowned.

‘It is a very complex procedure,’ he replied.

‘We only want the basics, not chapter and verse,’ Ty said.

Sarrin’s frown deepened.

‘Who is chapter and verse?’ he asked innocently.

Black Elk laughed at that and Ty and Maclyn had to smile.

‘Never mind them,’ Ty said, ‘just tell us in simple terms the basic principles on how I got from the ground to the bridge.’

Sarrin’s frown evaporated.

‘I can do that,’ he said brightly and they were left waiting, as he didn’t continue.

Ty sighed, he had come to the conclusion it was hard work working with aliens and hoped not all were like this.

‘Come on then Sarrin,’ he said in exasperation.

The alien blinked once then realised everyone on the bridge was waiting for his explanation.

‘Oh I see,’ he said, and then finally he told them what they wanted to know. ‘It is a matter energy conversion device. It converts an object or person into energy and then beams that energy stream to another designated location. I had the receiver here and once the co-ordinates of where the beam is to be sent to it is entered in and the transfer can take place.’

‘So you could have sent us somewhere else, not just here?’ Ty asked.

Sarrin nodded.

‘As long as you had the cube activated I could have sent you anywhere on this planet.’

‘Remarkable,’ muttered Maclyn.

‘Yes it is,’ Ty agreed.

He had another question.

‘Sarrin, is this tiny cube all you need to transport something anywhere?’

‘No you need the power source and operating device, which is incorporated into my Tan-Dalis,’ he said pointing to the silver metallic case he had brought with him.

‘That small case has the power to transport people!’ Ty exclaimed in surprise.

Sarrin paused then added,

‘Yes and no. Over short distances it is on its own powerful enough. I used extra power from the ship to transport you. It is one of my people’s most advanced technological devices.’

‘I’ll bet,’ Maclyn said.

If he hadn’t seen it work for himself, he’d never have believed it possible.

‘What else can it do?’ asked Ty.

‘Many things,’ Sarrin said being unusually vague.

Ty smiled as it seemed he had decided he’d already told them more that he should have, so he let it drop. He turned back to the more immediate and pressing matters including their imminent arrival in Denver.

‘How long before we get to Denver Ben?’ he asked his helmsman.

‘Five minutes,’ he replied.

‘Good,’ he said.

He faced Maclyn.

‘I thought you were staying in Denver to help settle the first group onto the Red Rocket?’

It was Maclyn’s turn to grin.

‘Yes well I wasn’t needed so I thought I’d see what you were up to and I guess I found out.’

Ty smarted at that, realising his cousin had been worried about him and this time it turned out he had had good reason to be.

‘So you’re saying everything will be arranged when we get there?’ he asked.

Maclyn nodded.

‘Now I know how efficient Armin is, and the two ladies he had helping him seemed to be the sort to get things done. I’m sure they’ve done a better job than I would have.’

Ty frowned.

‘Ladies?’ he queried.

Maclyn smiled.

’Two old dears who O’realian sent as co-ordinators. They know, and I quote, ‘everyone in the community’. They were last seen, Armin was arm in arm with them and heading towards the milling hoards in determined fashion.’

Ty closed his eyes for a second imagining the scene and a smile touched his lips.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I guess it’s all in hand.’

He opened his eyes and added.

‘But I’ve got a feeling we haven’t seen the last of Colonel Nye.’

‘But how’s she going to find us? We’ll be gone this evening.’

‘No doubt she’ll find us before then.’ Ty said grimly.

‘But how?’ Maclyn cried.

‘She’s a resourceful and very angry woman Mac and she’ll not let us get away that easily.’

He sighed remembering the look of triumph and satisfaction on her face when she thought she had finally got a way to get O’realian. He must ask him why Nye hates him so much.

‘No Mac, we may only have a couple of hours before she catches up with us.’

‘And then?’ Maclyn asked.

‘And then,’ Ty said pausing for a moment. ‘It could get very ugly.’

He looked around noting the worried faces of his crew, but he had no words of comfort to offer them. He hoped he was wrong, but somehow he doubted it.