The Chrysalis of Eternity

Time is the old Justice, that examines all offenders

- Shakespeare

He was tired. The chase had been across the galaxy, from one side to the other, and now the trail was cold. He’d been tracking the interloper for three standard days without a break, and Brad decided to rest here, on this planet with its sweet air, this beach and the warm sunlight, while he considered his next move. Ever since the ’loper crossed into his Sector, Brad had been on the move.

The ozone smell of an ocean always relaxed him, and he looked around appreciatively. Small surf was breaking along a rocky point off to one side of the golden sands where he lay, and he wondered idly if anyone had ever tried to ride these waves. He wondered if anyone had ever visited this particular beach – if, in fact, any human had even visited this planet.

According to his initial scan, it appeared completely devoid of technological activity or intelligent life, but ideally suited for human habitation. He wondered how long it had existed in this state – how long ago it was terraformed. There was no way it could have evolved naturally. The few small life forms were so dissimilar that there didn’t appear to be any common thread, or evidence of a prototype model or discernable root. They were primitive, and not enough of them either.

It was a world just right for colonisation, but it wasn’t recorded in his databank. He shrugged. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d discovered a terraformed planet overlooked when an early civilisation collapsed, or was a non-starter. That was probably what had happened here; there were none of the signs of a past civilisation – no ruins, landscaped terrain, old roads or any abandoned fabrications of any kind. Sometimes new colonies just never got off the ground.

GSA’s records were far from complete – after all, Soren Vinicius only initiated their cataloguing procedures in the thirtieth century. There were many unrecorded failures and forgotten backwaters in the long period prior to that date. Scattered around the galaxy, they were just waiting for repopulation. It was one of his tasks to investigate and record them into the main database on Prime. The Section Master would arrange for the relocation or introduction of species – human or otherwise.

The very fact that the network connection to this little planet was in perfect working order meant that it was more than likely inhabited once. The network controls were set to automatic, but an illegal activation not long ago was recorded, presumably as the ’loper passed through. He wondered idly what orbital period this planet had; how long its year was, or its day. It didn’t matter – Global Service Administration had standardised all their records, and his schedules were based on Earth Standard Time now.

It was one of his early recommendations they’d taken seriously. It became too confusing with the many different timeframes in use – some established inhabited planets had years equivalent to twenty Earth orbits, and at the other extreme, there was one he’d visited recently that whipped around its sun in little more than five weeks, but rotated on its axis, with a retrograde spin, only once in seven months. Their day was a lot longer than the year. Very confusing.

He removed his slim backpack and sat, grunted with relief as his body relaxed, and then lay back. After a few minutes he removed his uniform, stretching out naked in the warm sunlight. There was only one sun here, and his sensor indicated moderate UV, which was a relief after the triple sun configuration of his adopted home planet. On Misra, night was never really dark and at times the heat from the two bigger suns was enervating, to say the least, especially where he lived, right on the equator at the coast.

Squinting against the bright sun, he brushed the thick mop of blond hair from his forehead. His brown body, muscular and trim from the workouts he insisted on continuing every morning, wherever he happened to be, was still unblemished – there were no scars, folds or lines anywhere. He had the body of a thirty year old, despite being closer to four hundred.

“So, here we are again, on a golden beach under a warm sun – but no surfing, my love?”

“Lin, how do you manage to make me feel guilty so often? I’m tired – resting for a while. This occupation takes it out of one, you know.”

“I know, Brad. Don’t forget, what you feel, I feel. Beaches were always such a turn-on. Pity we can’t play some beach games, hey?” she laughed, the raucous laughter that always accompanied her lusty thoughts echoing through his mind.

He smiled broadly, chuckled, then threw his head back and laughed with her as the memories flooded back; their mutual happiness washed over him. She’d been so much a part of him for so long now that he tended to forget Linda and he had once been separate human beings, best friends, lovers, man and wife.

He lay back again, took a deep breath and closed his mind completely. Within a few seconds he was fast asleep, dreaming of riding the perfect point break on his adopted planet of Misra, and the cold, scary barrels he’d locked into at his original home break back on Earth, close on four centuries ago. He lay in the sunlight, reliving old memories until he was awoken by a deep, husky voice, rich with wry amusement.

“Goofing off, Mr Coulson? There must be a shortage of surfboards on this planet.”

A tall, gaunt figure, his face hidden in the shade of his cowl stood above him. The long, heavy cloak he wore made him look like a monk from one of the historical clips Brad had watched back in the library. The figure paused, inclined his head and smiled.

“Yes, nice to see you too, Linda,” he added, audibly acknowledging Brad’s invisible wife.

“Kahana – it’s good to see you old friend.” Brad struggled to pull on the dark one-piece jumpsuit as he got to his feet and smiled. Kahana drew back his hood and the sunlight revealed the face that Brad had come to admire and respect so much. The gaunt features with deeply recessed black pools of darkness that were his eyes, intimidating when first seen, now seemed friendly and warm. The aquiline nose and small mouth complemented the long face in a strange way – he would appear stern, even frightening to a stranger, perhaps. But to Brad, Kahana was a good friend, and his mentor during this phase of his training. He smiled again.

“I must have dozed off there – this place is so relaxing. I needed some rest. That ’loper was quick – I’ve lost his trail.”

“No matter – I’ve got a lock on him, courtesy of Prime direct link. They confirmed he’s a Category Four – potentially dangerous, so he must be returned. I have all his details downloaded. Here, take a look,” he handed Brad his tracking device.

The screen depicted a graphic plan of the whole galaxy, divided into twenty-four wedges outlined in yellow. A group of stars towards the central core of the Milky Way began to expand, until one star was selected. It grew until he could see its system of planets, the second one of which centred on his screen and the legend ‘S24;Sag-3364;G8.2’ appeared, describing the sector, star constellation location, sun type and planet designation.

“Planet got a name? And the man?” Brad asked.

“Phoenix, but it’s not in our database. Got the name from the Vorkutans. The man was born Vladimir Zhdanov but changed it in accordance with new Vorkutan law. Spanish is the official language, but hardly anyone speaks it. They began trying to erase all Russian connotations five years ago, starting with place names, then personal names and now it’s taught in schools. He opted for a new name that sounded agreeably Spanish. He’s now known as Pablo.”

“Pablo? But why go to all that trouble? What’s wrong with Russian? It was their original nationality, after all.”

“There was a revolution; the ruling People’s Congress was dissolved and a self-proclaimed monarch, the Empress Olivia, enthroned herself. She arrived from another planet, Nueva Zaragoza in Sector 04, the Iberian system of twin planets orbiting Ross 154. I suspect she has extraordinary powers of persuasion. A petite, dark-haired woman, not very impressive physically, but she’s a powerful telepath, we know that much.”

“How did she manage to move across like that, undetected?”

“It shouldn’t have happened; she slipped through our net. The Section Master himself is handling it now. She’s a classic example of what I meant when I said we were falling behind – why we need you so badly. As you know, we don’t interfere with internal politics – only if it seriously affects other worlds, like her case. And, of course, the potential dangers posed by this ’loper now on Phoenix. They’re both classified as Category Four interlopers.”

“Yeah. So he’s on Phoenix hey? I wonder who named it. The phoenix was a mythological bird that lived for centuries in the Arabian desert before being consumed by fire, and then rose from the ashes born anew. Wonder if it’s appropriate.”

Kahana smiled at him, nodding slightly. “It is, Brad. You’ll find out.” He paused, looking at Brad, and then took a deep breath.

“Brad, I think it’s time you took a side trip. Just a little educational excursion.”

“To where, Kahana?” Brad looked at the Caretaker, puzzled.

Kahana sat down on the sand, and Brad joined him. They were in perfect mental harmony, but no interchange of thoughts came his way, Brad noted. It was one-sided; Kahana was blocking him out.

After a few minutes, the Caretaker looked back at Brad and his expression was sad.

“There’s so much going wrong, my friend,” he said.

“What do you mean, Kahana?” Brad asked after a long pause.

“I want you to go out to one of the little worlds right out on the Rim. In fact, it’s a planet revolving around what might be called the frontier of our galaxy – it’s the farthest star from the core.”

“And do…?” Brad was waiting for Kahana to continue.

“There’s a Caretaker there I want you to meet. I’ve already primed him – he’ll be expecting you. His name is Kelahaan – he’s a good friend of mine, and of the rest of our group. He came from a long way in the future.” Kahana paused again, and Brad could feel his thoughts, dramatic, sad and scared at the same time.

“What is it, Kahana?” Brad could feel the Caretaker wanted to tell him more, but wasn’t going to, for some reason.

“Just go out there and speak to him, Brad. I’ll be here waiting for you, right here on this beach. I’ll programme the network settings so you’ll arrive back here one minute after you’ve left. Take your time there – I won’t have to wait at all.”

“Kahana, do you think we’ll ever know who made the network? It’s such a huge undertaking – the beings who put it together must be something special. When were they here – when was the network started?”

“So many unanswered questions, my friend. It was here long before my time, but as you know, all of us came back here from the future anyway. Maybe some day they’ll reveal themselves, if they’re not already extinct. The Section Masters are convinced there are connections to other galaxies, but none have been discovered.”

They sat for while, drinking in the peace and solitude of the place, until Brad got to his feet and smiled down at the Caretaker.

“Well, if you say go, I go Kahana. You’re the boss.”

“Not so much of the boss, Brad. But when you’ve seen Kelahaan I’ll see you here and we can sort out this ’loper on Phoenix. Go well,” he added as he pressed a pad on the side of his tracking palmtop.

A circular area of air near the green verge surmounting the beach began to shimmer and Brad walked towards it. Before he got there, it stabilised into a vertical disc of wavering air encircling a centre of total darkness. The void inside was black, a heavy, blanketing darkness that allowed no light to escape from the entrance to the tunnel it fronted.

Brad looked back at Kahana standing near the water’s edge and raised his hand briefly before stepping into the mouth of the Gateway Kahana had initiated.

The awful feeling of dropping into a bottomless pit didn’t last long – he began the headlong rush through the inky blackness completely immobilised, as always, and could do no more than stare ahead at a pinpoint of bright light, until he was suddenly deposited in the middle of a sea of silent white sand dunes.

The sky above was dimly lit by a solitary sun, warm but feeble. He looked around, and spotted a rocky ridge running in a line away to the horizon on his left. Being the only break in a featureless world, he made for it. As he approached he could see a flat, carved rock that looked like a door in a sheer cliff about ten metres high.

He stood in front of the rock for a while, trying to see any appendages that could either summon someone or open the door.

After a while he became aware of a presence behind him, and he turned to see the cloaked figure of a Caretaker approaching from the next row of dunes. He walked over to meet him as they both crested the first dune from the cliff. The Caretaker’s face was mostly hidden in the shadow of his hood, but Brad could see he had the same features as Kahana – they could have been twins. Idly, he wondered if all Caretakers looked just like the two he had now seen.

“Kelahaan? Brad-”

“Coulson. Yes. Pleased to have your company here, Brad Coulson, and that of your lovely wife. Come, I’ll make us a brew,” and Brad followed the tall figure to the cliff where a door in the rock swung silently open as they approached. He followed Kelahaan and they sat at a table inside a room carved from solid rock. Two large windows slowly cleared – the frameless panes had been the same colour as the rock, and Brad looked out onto a sea of sand that stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions.

“How do you manage here?” Brad asked, noting the complete lack of anything other than sand and rock.

“Replicator,” Kelahaan answered gruffly. “Present from the Section Master when they retired me.”

“Retired? I didn’t know-”

“There’s a lot you don’t know, Brad Coulson. And it may already be too late for you to find out,” he added cryptically, staring out at the sand.

Brad waited patiently for the Caretaker to finish making the brew, which smelled of tar and old rope. He was handed a mug of dark brown liquid which he set on the table to cool.

“You ever see any of the Section Masters, Brad Coulson?” The question was fired at him.

“Yes – a long time ago. The Section Master with Kahana was present when my wife and I were left on the planet Misra, to start a new colony there, and-”

“What did he look like, this particular Section Master?”

“Well, that’s the funny part. He appeared to be different things – people I’d known in positions of authority. My wife saw other people. It was quite disturbing, actually.”

“Figures. They’d never let you see them as they are. Same as us Caretakers. We work for them, but we have to do the same disguising tricks as they do.”

“What do you mean, Kelahaan? I can see you as clearly-”

“No you can’t.” He didn’t elaborate, and Brad sat silently, wondering why he was here in the company of this gruff, enigmatic being.

“Kahana say why he sent you to me?”

“No, actually. He just said that I-”

“He wouldn’t, of course.” The tall, gaunt figure moved to open the door and stood looking out over his desert ocean.

“Come, Brad Coulson, bring your tea with you – we’ll sit outside. More stimulating, watching the sand lying there,” he said with an ironic grin.

“Tea – that what this is? I haven’t had a cup of tea since-”

“Yes, Earth. Fifty three standard years ago. When you left that psycho rehab clinic and Linda took you back to Misra. Your colony on that lovely planet is thriving, my friend. You did well. This is Lapsang Souchong, by the way. From Earth. Wonderful flavour, don’t you think?”

“You’re remarkably well-informed, Kelahaan.”

“Remarkably.”

Brad couldn’t think of anything else to say, so he sat sipping his strongly flavoured tea at the table that had followed them out on its own. Two chairs had floated out in similar fashion, but Brad didn’t pay much attention – Kahana had showed him many such tricks with the promise that he would be able to perform even more complicated feats one day.

“What do you make of this then, my love?”

“No idea, Lin. Kahana might have a sense of humour after all.”

“No sense of humour involved here, you two,” Kelahaan enunciated slowly.

Brad felt faintly foolish and sat quietly.

After a long silence, watching the pale desert lying silent and empty in the dim light of the weak overhead sun, Kelahaan turned to Brad and spoke in a quiet voice, so softly that Brad had to strain to hear him. He tried to tune in to the mental side of the Caretaker’s speech, but was effectively blocked. His own telepathic powers were way behind this being’s, as with Kahana.

“You must go to Phoenix and meet someone who will guide you through all that must come, Brad Coulson.”

Brad waited for more, but the Caretaker was silent again.

“What’s to come, then? You sound very cryptic.”

“Cryptic? Yes, perhaps. There’s not a lot I can tell you. Things have gone too far – much too far. And for too long – the time has come for those of us with a conscience to step forward. We have to rectify a whole lot of things that should never have happened. You don’t realise it, but the fate of the whole human race will be in your hands, Brad Coulson. You’ve been groomed for this since you were identified as a child.”

“That’s the third time in my life someone has said something similar, although not including the fate of the whole human race. What the hell are you talking about, Kelahaan? Give me a clue, man.”

“Man, eh? Perhaps, perhaps not. Hard to tell now. So much mixing – so much assimilation. Wrong turns all along the way – very disturbing trends developing out along the Rim. The thirty fifth century is the time of final reckoning, Brad Coulson. Make sure you’re very well prepared.”

“And how am I to do that, if nobody will tell me what the hell is coming? And anyway, the thirty fifth century isn’t exactly around the corner, Kelahaan. I should live so long. Why don’t you explain what you mean by all this?”

“All this, eh? Too much for you at this stage, Brad Coulson. Keep your level head and your powers of deduction, and follow the advice of the one on Phoenix – that’s all I can tell you. You’ll have to do the rest on your own, but you will succeed; it is foretold. Good luck. I won’t see you again – when you succeed, this will all cease to exist. If you don’t, well, pop in for a cup of tea anytime. The Gateway is programmed, Brad Coulson. I’m expecting more visitors. Give Kahana my regards,” and with that he stood, turned and disappeared into the doorway which closed silently behind him.

Brad sat for a while, gathering his thoughts. This was the weirdest encounter he’d ever had, and he was puzzled as to why Kahana had sent him here anyway. He’d certainly learned nothing with which he could work.

“I’m as puzzled as you, love.”

With a sigh, he got to his feet and walked across the dunes to the activated Gateway, shimmering around the velvety black maw into which he stepped. What seemed like seconds later, he was standing on the golden sands of the unnamed planet looking at Kahana’s serious countenance.

“What did you think of him, then? Did he tell you anything profound?”

“Kahana, that was the strangest meeting I’ve ever had. What the hell is going on? I’m on a standard ’loper chase and you send me out to a desert planet with an unfathomable person who spoke in riddles. No, I didn’t learn too much, my friend.”

“You’ll see it more clearly later on, Brad. I’m glad you met Kelahaan. He and I have a lot in common. There’s a contingent of our group on its way here from a future time – they’ll reach him very soon, if they’re not already there.”

“Kahana, why does a Caretaker, even a retired one, live alone on a desert planet? What’s his story anyway? He seemed to be very depressed about something in the future, and he kept telling me how important I was to the future of the human race. It didn’t make any sense.”

“Brad, Kelahaan was exiled there by the Supreme Council. He was indiscreet with his views, unlike the rest of our group.”

“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned your group. Who are they?”

“You’ll find out soon enough, Brad.”

“You’re starting to sound like that hermit in the desert now.”

“I hope not. But to get back to more mundane matters – this ’loper of yours. Let’s get the procedure back on track. He’s holed up on Phoenix.”

Kahana handed his tracker to Brad, who scrutinised the little screen, shielding it from the strong overhead sunlight.

“Well, do you think he’s heading for the core?” Brad asked, his eyes squinting in the bright sunlight as he inspected the screen closely.

“Appears to be, but the network will run out for him soon. There’s nothing much closer that’s usable where he is now – too much radiation, even for a native Vorkutan. We’ve verified that’s what he is, by the way. The Section Master in Sector Twenty Three picked up his signature way back in the network soon after he activated the Gateway on Novy Moskva, next planet out from Vorkuta in the same system. He crossed into Sector Twenty Four and that’s when we alerted you.

“The man left in a hurry – he was due to be executed for murder, apparently. Allegedly killed his local neighbourhood Watchman and a passing law enforcer with an axe. Needless to say, he’s telepathic, also evidently unstable. The law enforcement agency on Vorkuta had him under surveillance for many months, but he knew it and behaved. Until this little escapade, that is.” He paused, eyeing Brad.

Brad was looking around at the beach and the sea now thundering against the rocks out along the point. The tide here was evidently coming in fast and the swell had picked up. He looked into the sky and noticed the two moons he’d seen earlier were now in line directly above them. No wonder the ocean was restless; one moon appeared relatively close. He turned his attention to Kahana again.

“We’re not policemen, Kahana. Why don’t we leave it to the Galactic Justice Department to follow up on this one?”

“Justice would call on us anyway, Brad, you know that. They don’t have the freedom to move around like us. Anyway, it shouldn’t be much of a problem – just bring him back through the network and they’ll take it from there.”

Brad was still watching the surf breaking noisily on the rocks.

“Pity you don’t have a board here, Brad. I love watching you surf, always have, ever since we tapped into your dreams while you were travelling in stasis on your way to Misra the first time. The harmony – the fluidity, it’s really stimulating. My form precludes any sort of similar activity. Makes me envious. Perhaps we should leave a cache of gear at each good break across the universe, like the sailing ships would do in the old days back on Earth,” he laughed.

“They’d leave supplies of food and warm clothing on the remote islands of the Southern Ocean for shipwrecked crews – that was when they sailed the grain and wool trade routes from Australia to Europe.”

“You know your history of Mother Earth, don’t you, Kahana?”

“I’ve been around so long I think I’ve just about absorbed the entire library on Prime,” he chuckled.

“Where is this place anyway?” Brad queried, looking around.

“It’s an interesting question, Brad. It’s in our Sector but not listed as a terraformed world. The standard galactic designation is Epsilon Indi.3, and it’s evidently been terraformed, so we’ll have to go into the database when we get back to Prime and see if there’s any trace of a record in the original manual archives, pre-Soren. Strange it’s not in the main database – it’s only eleven light years from Earth. This sun is a type G2, very similar to Sol. Looks good for settlement, doesn’t it?”

“Certainly does. Wouldn’t mind living here myself. Well, I guess I’d better get going,” Brad said, shouldering his backpack. He reattached the armpad, clipped his belt in place and pulled on his soft, tough boots.

“One thing I’m taking a bit of getting used to is being armed. You know my dislike of weapons.” He patted the small flat gun on his hip.

“Brad, for this one it’s imperative. Anyway, your army background was one of the deciding qualifications for the post, you know. It’s why we guided you there.”

“Yeah. I know it, but after all, I was only an Agri-tech in the forces – I never used my weapon on another human. Not then, anyway. Not until the fight with Ulli Koster on Misra, when we brought his empire down and closed off the Genesis Project on the planet. But that was different – I didn’t know the weapon very well. I would have set it to stun if I’d remembered how, but in the heat of things…

“I gave him a full laser blast – took him out along with the control panels for his androids, as well as half the building on the other side. What a mess,” he said, shaking his head.

“Well, hopefully you won’t have to use the weapon. Just keep it set for mindstun. It should just be a deterrent; immobilising your target is necessary sometimes. Puts them out long enough to sort out any potential problems.” They watched Kahana’s screen as it slowly expanded the central area of the galaxy.

“By the way, have you ever seen a Vorkutan?”

“No, actually. Why? Are they very different?”

“Well, the planet’s a lot closer to their sun than Earth is to Sol, and they’ve adapted quite radically to the high doses of UV radiation. The colony is over ten thousand years old – it was originally populated by primitive humans lifted from somewhere in Russia, Siberia most likely.

“The second colony in the same system, Novy Moskva, is on the third planet. It was settled by a large contingent in AD 1924, five centuries before you and Linda left Misra for the last time. They initiated a redevelopment on neighbouring Vorkuta – brought it out of the dark ages it seemed to be stuck in, although the appearance of the inhabitants scared the latter-day Russians at first.

“The original Vorkutans developed a thick, shell-like covering on their foreheads, necks and back, primarily for UV protection. Their skin is a bit leathery too. It takes some getting used to when you first see them. Just thought I’d warn you – it might come as a shock if you’re not prepared.”

They stood together while Brad activated his tracker and downloaded Kahana’s updated trace. With the network connection closed, the direct link with Prime was cut until he was mobile once more. He watched the galactic schematic expand on his screen until the destination planet in question was clearly defined.

“Looks like a hell-hole, Kahana. Hot, dry and barren. Why would he go there? And why’s the network connected to that ball of rock anyway?”

“It wasn’t always like that, Brad. It’s a very special place, in fact. It was once quite similar to Earth, but the inhabitants were destroyed more than five centuries ago – thermonuclear holocaust. The surface is still too hot for normal humans, but a Vorkutan might survive outside for a while.

“Anyway, you’d better move soon – he may be heading for Sector twenty-three. Look at his track – he’s crossed from one side of our domain to the other, and it’s swinging even closer to the line now. That close to the core the wedge is so thin he could cross two or three sectors quickly – maybe that’s what he’s planning on doing – to try to throw us off.”

“We can’t be sure of that, Kahana. OK, I’ll get going. As you say, the sooner the better. It’ll be an experience, of that type of planet if nothing else.”

Kahana stared at him for a moment, then took a deep breath and shook his head as if to clear it.

“All right then. You need anything?”

“Nah. I’ve got all the shielding and tracking equipment I need in my pack. I ate a few hours ago so no problem.” He added, “I just needed a rest.”

“Well, my friend, you’ve learned fast. You have almost two years under your belt now, so to speak, and perhaps you’re ready for a big step – that’s why I’m giving you this project. In fact, there’s very little I can teach you now Brad, but this one will be very different. It could be a real test of your faculties, my friend. Be careful.”

“Of course. I thought this would be a standard, straightforward recovery; you seem to think it’s an unusual task. Ah, but you know the outcome of everything anyway, don’t you?” he smiled.

“Yes. All the major items, that is. Sometimes events take a different course, but the end result is always the same. You don’t have to worry.”

“All very reassuring,” Brad grinned at Kahana, touching his shoulder as he passed up the beach to stop at the edge of the green vegetation lining the hot, golden sands. Concentrating, it wasn’t long before the familiar vertical, transparent spinning disc began to materialise.

“Why don’t you use the Gateway controls?” Kahana called from the shoreline. “Having problems with the remote?”

“Nah. I prefer to use telepathy – what that big Norski Viking Solveig Hansen called Navigating, back on her primitive world. Keeps me in practice – it gets easier each time. If you’d just verify that the time and distance settings I programmed are valid, please Kahana. This is a fairly long jump. I don’t want to go back in time – how many years would it be?”

“About six hundred odd, on this route,” Kahana replied, punching keys on a small pad attached to his sleeve. He looked up and nodded. “Shield activated - all set. Brad, you’re going to learn a lot more than you expect from this one. Take care, both of you.”

“Always do, as you know. Save a wave for me,” Brad called as he turned to the stabilising Gateway.

“You youngsters,” Kahana said, shaking his head.

“Yeah, almost four hundred years old youngster. Some kids, hey?” he murmured, stepping into the pitch black void that stabilised in the centre of the disc.

“Here we go again, my love. For better or worse, as the saying goes. I’m with you, of course. Be careful.”

“I’m always careful, Lin, especially since we’ve been one.”

“I know. I love you, husband.”

The familiar, paralysing rush down a long black tube began. The semi-transparent sides of the tunnel rushed by with frenetic speed while Brad was powerless to do more than stare ahead at a pinprick of bright light. Once again, he was totally unaware of the passage of time, until he was suddenly and gently deposited from the mouth of the Gateway at the other end.

After almost two years of fascinating activities that had taken him from one end of the galaxy to the other, meeting a cross-section of people and cultures as varied as the planets they inhabited, the landing on Phoenix was when life started to become really interesting.