Chapter Eleven

“My father’s dead.” Alex stared at Jeff, mentally – desperately – willing him to admit his mistake.

“No.” Jeff’s tone was one of complete helplessness. “He faked his death, even his doctors believed it. He’s here.”

A strange swirling sensation filled Alex’s head and gut, as if the room was trying to spin but just didn’t quite have enough angle yet. He had to drag his gaze from Jeff to Evan, who was still holding the man by the collar. The black eyes and dark countenance had gone completely pale, causing the delicate tattoo on the side of his neck to stand out in stark contrasting detail.

“I don’t know why, Alex. He never told me more than he wanted me to know.” Jeff shrugged under Evan’s loosening grip. “It was the only way he could leave Cryian without risking arrest. And he wanted to be here when the claim was made.”

Alex tried to shake his head in denial, but he couldn’t move. Black spots danced through his field of vision.

The implications were too far-reaching to fully comprehend.

“Paulson Carpenter . . .”

“Works for Marcase,” Jeff supplied. “Ultimately, Alex, Spencer Marcase funded this expedition. This claim will be his. He owns Carpenter’s companies.”

Alex felt his hands shaking. “Paulson works for him?”

“Always has. I told you this is more complex than you could imagine.”

“And you?” Alex stared at Jeff, seeing him for the first time. “You’ve known this for how long?”

“Alex, don’t do this. Just send the transmission and it’ll be over,” Jeff pleaded. “He’ll stay here, his people will stay here, and you’ll have the Ascalon. This is more money than even hehas ever had before. It’s that important to him.”

Suddenly bits and pieces of reality were jabbing through the fog. Alex stepped back, glaring at Evan. “You too?” He held up the hand still in possession of the silver ring. “You knew he was alive? That he was here?”

Evan couldn’t seem to speak. He finally let go of Jeff’s shirt and stood facing Alex, a look of shock in his black eyes. “Spencer is dead!” He shook his head sharply, pointing to the ring. “He’s dead! The ring would never have left his hand if he wasn’t dead. It’s not possible. It’s not physically possible.”

Alex wanted nothing more than to believe Evan. If he came out of this with only one other person, only one he could believe and trust, he wanted it to be Evan. But right now it was all too much. The room was too small to pace adequately, but he had to move. “Just tell me . . .” He turned suddenly, facing Jeff. Where is he?”

“Outside.” Jeff swallowed hard, nodding at the door he was leaning against. “That was him, paging. He’s out there, on your bridge.”

Alex blinked, staring at the closed door as if it had suddenly grown teeth and claws. “I can’t . . .” He couldn’t deal with this. It was as simple as that.

“He’s dead.” Evan’s voice was so desperate, so completely out of character, it shook Alex back to life.

He looked at the Sha’erah, ignoring Jeff. “Swear to me you didn’t know.”

“I swear I didn’t.” Evan pointed again to Alex’s ringed finger. “It can’t lie. He died!”

Jeff straightened up. “Ask him yourself, Alex, if you need answers.” He turned and opened the door, walking out when no one stopped him.

The man Alex had both feared and revered most of his life – the powerful, dangerous man who had abandoned him as a child – was on his bridge. And had been on the Ascalon all this time, controlling everything that had happened. How far did this go? Was everyone in on it?

With each question, Alex grew more cold, more distant. He opened the desk drawer and pulled out the gun he kept there, sliding it easily into his jacket. With a quiet resolve he looked at Evan. “I want answers.”

Evan looked so pale, such a contrast to his usual self, Alex didn’t know if he would follow him to the bridge or not. The ring around his finger felt tight, as if it was holding on, but the rest of his body felt so cold it was a wonder the metal didn’t slide right off.

The bridge crew had gone silent, most of them staring at three new arrivals who stood in the center of the lower-level, watching the Captain step up to the railing several feet above them.

“They tell me you haven’t sent the transmission yet.”

Alex looked down at the imposing man in the center of the bridge. The man from the photo on the night stand back in the rented apartment on Cryian II. He was a tall man, with broad shoulders and strong features, his gray hair reflected in the slight beard. Nothing of this man spoke to Alex of a childhood lost. All he saw was the paternity he’d feared, and loathed, his entire adult life.

He preferred his father dead.

“How did you get on my ship?”

Spencer Marcase’s laugh hinted at a deep, resounding voice. “Haven’t you figured it out yet, son? This is my ship. Just like it always has been.” He waved around the bridge with one arm. “It was through my doing that you won the lease on this ship all those years ago. I’ve funded every trip you’ve made, through various other companies of course, waiting for you to find something worth this much.”

Alex’s hands were shaking as he clutched the railing.

“I’m a corporation, son. I’ve been orchestrating your life since you were a teenager. But you’re an explorer, Alex. I don’t expect you to understand the complexities of my business.” His smile altered instantly into a sharp, dangerous expression. “However, you are a Marcase. I’m sure you can appreciate the bottom line.”

“Appreciate? You destroyed the Vision.”

Spencer shrugged dismissively. “It was a contest. The best man won.”

A rage welled up inside Alex, like nothing he’d ever experienced. “Eighty-six people died!”

“As did Signus Harvey.” Spencer strolled casually forward. “I had a bet. He had rules. I won. It’s that simple.” He stopped, pointing at Alex. “And you won, too. This ship is yours, bought and paid for. I made that contract you signed, and I have every intention of keeping it. This system and all it holds is enough for any man. Even a greedy one!” He laughed, and the two strangers behind him echoed the sentiment.

Alex felt sick. He stared at the railing to keep himself focused, fighting the black spots. “Harvey was on the Vision?”

“He was.” Spencer smiled proudly.

“This was nothing more than a contest between the two of you?”

“Jump down the rabbit hole, son. This was more than a contest, it was the prize of a lifetime!” He waved toward the window. “That planet holds more wealth than anyone could imagine. And since it’s my system, it’s my law. I can live out here without any worries and rule my empire accordingly.”

Alex’s head was pounding with the insanity of it all. “Why?”

Spencer’s face lost all humor as he looked up at his son.

“Why fake your death? Why hide behind Carpenter? Why kill innocent people needlessly?” Alex glared at Spencer, taking hold of the rage and using it to push out the nausea. “Why?!”

Spencer turned to one of the two strangers with him. “I suppose he’s earned some tolerance, eh?” He looked back at Alex, sparing one glance at Evan. “I made the bet. Harvey made the rules. Since he had no Sha’erah at the time, he wanted me on equal ground.” He shrugged. “By faking my death – making it legal – the ring transferred to my will. That way I could give up Evan and still have him here when I arrived.”

Alex turned to look at Evan standing beside him. The Sha’erah was staring at Spencer, his eyes seemingly as unfocused as they were when he was deep inside a computer file, oblivious to the outside world.

“You never would have accepted him otherwise, and unless I had him here, I wouldn’t have gotten him back,” Spencer continued.

Evan didn’t even blink. It was as if he was in shock.

“Harvey got wise and tried to force his hand, get Evan for himself before we left Cryian. But you outsmarted him.” The elder Marcase nodded once. “Made me proud.”

Alex looked down at his hand. The silver ring was still there, catching the light from an overhead that made it sparkle brightly.

“I had to make it legal, or at least appear legal, in order to get the ring off. That part wasn’t too hard, thanks to the latest in sleep-chamber drugs.” Spencer pointed now to the hand still clutching the rail for support. “But now I’d like it back.”

“No.” Evan spoke for the first time, but so quietly Alex didn’t think anyone else heard his whisper.

“Since I’m obviously alive, all legal claims to my will are null and void.” Spencer stood facing Alex. He held out one hand, expectantly. “The ring is mine and the Sha’erah that goes with it.”

Numbly, Alex looked at his hand, but the silver was still there.

“Give me the ring, Alex.” Spencer’s voice was as cold as his stare. “Legally, it’s still mine. It knows that.”

“Is that true?” Alex spoke only to Evan, who slowly turned his head to look at him. Alex reached for the ring but made no move to pull it off. He wanted to hear it from the Sha’erah.

Evan looked into Alex’s eyes, desperation paling the blackness. “He’s dead.”

“Evan . . .”

“Give me the ring!” Spencer’s command echoed through the silent bridge.

Alex looked at the silver band. He’d hated that thing the moment it wrapped itself around his finger and refused to budge. He’d hated what it represented and what it brought along. But as hard as it had been to get used to, he had. He’d gotten used to the ring, the implications, and Evan. It felt as natural to him now as any favorite piece of clothing. Twisting it around his finger had gone from a nervous habit to a comforting ritual. It was always there, like the Sha’erah that came with it, and he knew no matter what he did, it would always stay.

“Over my dead body!” Evan drew his gun and aimed it straight at Spencer. “You’re dead!”

Instinct drew Alex’s weapon as they spun around to face the two guns pointing up at them. The bridge crew scattered, instantly running out of the line of fire. Only Spencer remained calm and unarmed, confident in his men’s abilities.

“This isn’t going to get anyone anywhere, trust me.” Spencer’s voice held a note of amusement. “Evan can’t kill me, I’m his legal Keeper. But my men can kill you, unless he kills my men first. Either way, Alex, you won’t win.”

“Evan, put it down!” Alex kept his eyes on the two armed men. “He’s right.”

“No. The ring knows the law, that’s why he had to fake his death. If he was right, it would be on his finger now.”

Then it happened. Alex saw his father flinch.

“Evan’s right, isn’t he?”

“Give me the ring.”

It was a standoff.

“Alex, you’re a reasonable man. I have every legal right to be here and take possession of my claim. I’m even signed in as your crew, under a different name and with some alterations to my identity.”

The guns remained aimed at their targets while Spencer continued calmly.

“Nothing else that happened out here can be proven. I’m not stupid. I know what my Sha’erah is capable of, which is precisely why nothing incriminating was ever entered into your ship’s computers. He didn’t even know I was a controlling partner of other companies.” He patted a pocket on his shirt. “PDAs are a great asset.”

Alex tried not to blink as he considered all possibilities and implications.

“All you have to do is send your transmission, launch the mining facilities, and be on your way. I’ll stay here, with my people, and wait for our partners to arrive. Paulson’s name might be on the contract, but I own him. Believe me, Alex, I’ve taken great pains to plan this very carefully. Every detail has been taken into consideration. I’m sorry your friends on the other ship died, but Harvey was a dangerous man. I had to make a move sooner than expected to prevent him from doing the same. He’d already tried to slow you down. God knows what he would have done next. So you have nothing to worry about.” He stepped closer. “Do what I say, and this ship is yours, legally and finally.”

Alex realized then he was the only person in the entire universe not in on the truth. All his life had been someone else’s plan. Everything he’d done, everything he’d wanted, won or earned, was just a small part in some large puzzle someone else was slowly putting together over time. From the myth or reality of Sha’erah, to the very crew onboard his ship.

Alex shoved the gun back into his jacket and grabbed the ring.

“No!”

Evan’s plea didn’t even slow him down. He’d had it with the lot of them! Only the ring hadn’t had it with him yet.

It wouldn’t budge.

“Give me the ring!”

Alex tugged again, but the metal clamped down hard on his finger just as it had that day in VanHolt’s office, refusing to move. “I can’t.” He held up his hand as proof, feeling the first twinges of small triumph.

Spencer glared at Evan. “You are mine! That ring must obey the law!”

“It does obey the law.” Evan allowed his gun to lower slightly. “You were legally declared dead.”

“I’m alive! Doctors make mistakes.”

Alex felt so light he wanted to laugh. “You made a mistake.” He glanced at the ring, then Spencer. “With all your careful planning, you made a mistake.”

“One that can easily be reversed.” Spencer motioned to one of his men who raised his weapon slightly higher.

Alex wasn’t intimidated. Not any more. “You blew it. Take your claim and call it even.” He pointedly turned away to face the Sha’erah. “It’s no good, Evan. We kill them or they kill us, it won’t work.” He reached out and gently took the gun from his friend’s hand, then handed it back to him, waiting until he put it safely back in his pocket before turning to look at his father again. “With this money, you can buy a hundred Sha’erah.”

Spencer motioned for his men to both lower their weapons.

“I’ll send the transmission. Then you and everyone you put on my ship leaves.” Alex glanced around the bridge, wondering how many crewmen he’d have when this was all over. “You can have your turbidium, and everything that comes with it.”

Spencer smiled, his eyes narrowing. “I suppose I’ll have to concede this one point.” He nodded once. “Agreed. I get this system, you get this ship. And Evan.”

Alex glanced at Evan and smiled slightly. The ring on his finger shimmered back, as settled as ever on his finger.

“Send the transmission.” Spencer’s voice had grown cold again. “And start launching the mining crew.”

“I have to finish the claim.” He pointed to the two men standing behind his father. “Round up your people. All of them!” Without waiting for an answer, he stormed back into his office. His knees nearly buckled in relief when Evan closed the door behind them. His heart was pounding again but it didn’t seem to be moving much blood to his face.

“Get rid of him, quickly. I don’t trust him or his men.” Evan hurried to the computer and called up the mining claim.

“Hang on.” Alex moved around the desk and started typing. “This could be tricky.”

Before he could begin to explain his plan, Jeff opened the door. One of Spencer’s unnamed men was with him.

“He wants to see it first.”

Alex looked at his old friend and former partner with as much disgust as he could display. “It’s done.” He compressed the data, transferred it to a crystal, and handed it to Jeff. “Send it yourself.”

They followed both men back out to the bridge and down to the main communications terminals. Alex tried to catch Evan’s eye, but there was no way to tell him what he wanted him to do. Either way, they’d soon be rid of Spencer. And Jeff.

“Use this.” Spencer handed Jeff a PDA.

“No, it’ll have to be sent from the ship’s computers. Anything else will be questioned.”

Alex breathed a sigh of relief at Jeff’s admission. It was true, but he didn’t think any of these people cared much for the truth. And it was the only way it would work.

“Fine.” Spencer waved a hand dismissively and watched as Jeff inserted the crystal and began typing out the sequence that would send the transmission.

Alex noticed with great relief Evan had a hand on one of the computers beside him. He’ll figure it out.Whether or not he’d do it was anyone’s guess.

“Now I want you off my ship.” Alex pulled the crystal from the terminal and handed it to Spencer. “And I want all of your people gone.”

“Good doing business with you, son.”

“Carter!” Alex glanced around until he found his security chief.

“Sir!”

“Do you work for this man?” He glared at Spencer, not his chief.

“No, sir!”

“Then escort Mr. Marcase and his associates to the launching bay. Make sure they accompany the mining team and that they’re not alone.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Wait.” Evan put a hand on Alex’s arm. “We can’t be sure he’ll take them all.”

Spencer reached into a pocket and pulled out his own small PDA. “Here. Help yourself. I’ve no more use for secrets. I’m a legitimate businessman now.”

Evan accepted the machine.

“That will have all the names?” Alex was doubtful anything could be this easy any more.

“Yes.” Evan replied for his former Keeper. “I know him well enough.”

“Yes, you do.” Spencer smiled and shook his head slowly. “We were a great team, Evan. It’ll be hard to replace you.”

“We were never a team. You were my Keeper, nothing more.”

“Pity.” Spencer shrugged, then looked at Alex. “Like father, like son?”

“Carter, get this man off my bridge.”

“Yes, sir!”

Alex felt his face burn as he watched his father, Jeff, and the two other men leave the bridge. He was aware of the many eyes staring at him from the rest of the crew and wondered which of them Evan might find in the PDA. “Let’s finish this.”

They returned to the office and spent the next two hours going through the files.

“My God.” Alex stared at the list of names Evan had compiled. “That’s a quarter of my crew.” He was too emotionally drained to even feel anger any more.

“At least we know that’s all of them.” Evan was rubbing his palm while watching the names scroll by, matched up with the names now listed on the mining facility in orbit around C-4.

“But Doctor Gorman? I never would’ve thought.”

“He was new, you hardly knew him.” Evan turned off the display. “Jeff brought him on while you were gone. It stands to reason he knew.”

“I can’t absorb this.” Alex leaned back in his chair and looked at the ring as he twisted it around his finger.

“You’re in shock.”

There was a quiet knock on the door. Evan opened it to reveal a smiling face.

“Doctor Zane.” Alex stood and walked around the desk to shake the hand of his new ship’s physician. “I want to thank you again for staying.”

“No, please, thank you.” The doctor smiled widely, shaking Alex’s hand. “I’d wager it’s been a while since either of you have rested.”

“Soon, doctor, I promise.” Alex motioned toward the door, then led the way back out to the bridge. “After we pull away from this planet.”

The bridge crew had been reduced by only three, and those left behind were still dealing with the news themselves. They straightened up when Alex approached and offered up reports in their best professional demeanor.

“The mining station is hailing us, Captain.”

Alex sighed, then nodded to the comm. operator. “Put them on.” Within seconds, the large screen filled with a head-shot of Spencer Marcase.

“Just wanted to say goodbye. Been one hell of a ride!”

“I’d watch your back if I were you.” Alex found it hard to look at his father, especially so largely magnified on the bridge screen of his own ship. He noticed Evan beside him, looking down at a display rather than at his former Keeper. “You never know who you can trust these days.”

“Yes, indeed. As a matter of fact, I was –”

“Dammit!” Evan grabbed Alex’s arm, spinning him around even as he drew a gun with his other hand. “The transmission – he’s here!”

“Get down!” Alex’s shout was meant for everyone on the bridge, and in light of the recent happenings it was obeyed instantly.

“You didn’t really think I was leaving without my rightful property, did you?” The voice came from the screen behind them, but was immediately followed by the lift doors opening.

Alex saw his father step out of the lift, alone, with a weapon already firing. He tried to move, to get Evan to fall behind him, but he wasn’t fast enough to avoid the energy bolt screaming toward them both. He took the blast in the right shoulder, but even through the sudden pain he knew he hadn’t taken it full force. Part of the blast had caught Evan’s left arm, sending them both to the deck.

The rest was instinct.

As one, Alex and Evan rolled away, each drawing his own gun as he moved. Spencer was caught by a momentary indecision of which direction to aim, and that moment was all they needed. Two shots slammed into his chest from slightly different angles, driving his body back into the lift where it lay, motionless, smoking from the blasts.

Doctor Zane rushed to where Alex was kneeling.

“I’m okay.” Alex knew he’d feel the pain any second now, but for the moment he was numb. “Evan –”

“I’m right here.” Evan came around from behind the doctor. There was blood on his arm, beginning to soak his shirt sleeve, but he was on his feet.

“He’s dead.”

Alex looked up and saw a crewman standing in the doorway to the lift. He got to his feet, Evan rushing to his left side to help him up.

The man at the lift stepped inside and knelt by the body, then stood again and looked at Alex. “Mr. Marcase is dead.”

The pain in his shoulder was beginning to make itself known. Alex looked around the bridge, then at Evan and the blood staining his sleeve. “Spencer Marcase died six months ago, on Cryian II.”

__________

Surgery to repair his shoulder was minor, so the fact that he’d slept through it surprised Alex when he opened his eyes and realized it was over. He was in a bed in the medical bay, looking up at Doctor Zane’s ever-smiling face.

“There you go, Evan. I told you he’d wake up any minute.”

“How do you feel?” Evan’s face quickly joined the doctor’s in Alex’s field of vision.

He sighed, noticing how little his shoulder ached when he did. “I’m fine. Did I fall asleep?”

“I wasn’t surprised.” Doctor Zane nodded and looked at Evan. “Both of you have gone without sleep for far too long. Which is precisely why I’m ordering you to stay here until you’ve caught up.”

Alex knew there was no point in arguing. He turned to look at Evan and saw the bandages covering his left arm. “Are you okay?”

“You’ll both be fine, actually.” Doctor Zane answered for him. “Neither of you took a full blast, which would have been fatal, by the way.” He shoved both hands into the pockets of his white medical coat and leaned against an empty bed. “You were basically pushing each other out of the way when the charge hit. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was as if you’d been fighting together for years as Keeper and Sha’erah.”

Alex found the bed’s controls and managed to sit up so he could more easily see the doctor on one side of his bed and Evan, who was sitting sideways on his own bed, on the other. “How many Sha’erah have you known?”

“Oh, not all that many. During my career, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting five. Evan makes six.” He looked at Evan. “I imagine your life on Cryian kept you relatively isolated?”

“My father was wanted by the law in every other system, so they didn’t get out much.” Alex looked at Evan, realizing he’d grown used to answering for him in the company of others. That had to change.

“I don’t understand, what did Mr. Marcase come back for?” Doctor Zane looked back at Alex. “He had what he wanted, didn’t he? And he was – I thought – in orbit with the rest of the mining company.”

Alex looked at the ring on his finger. “He wanted this. He thought he’d planned it down to the last detail. But in the end, this wouldn’t come off my finger.”

The doctor looked puzzled.

“He faked his death, fooling everyone, so his will would be legally enacted.” Evan spoke up, offering an explanation for the first time. “When he came back, the ring should have transferred.” He shook his head slowly as if he still didn’t understand why it hadn’t. “If he was alive, then he was right, the will should have been null and void.”

Alex looked at him, then again at the ring. “Maybe this thing has a built-in morals clause or something? Spencer was trying to cheat the law.”

Doctor Zane tilted his head to one side and looked at Evan. “It doesn’t surprise me. I’ve never met a Sha’erah who knew the truth.”

“What truth?”

Alex looked at the doctor expectantly, as did Evan.

Doctor Zane slowly nodded his head. “You were taught from the day you were born that this ring – the symbol of your Keeper – is bound by the law. And it acts in a manner no one can yet explain, obeying the law of ownership and transferal.”

Alex glanced at Evan. “And it did.” He looked back at the doctor. “As soon as my identity was confirmed, this ring latched on and hasn’t let go.”

“Yes, exactly as you would expect,” the doctor replied, looking at Evan. “Because that’s the law and that is the rule you’ve been taught.”

“So, what are you saying, that it’s not true?” Alex looked at the ring again as if it suddenly might do something.

Doctor Zane sighed and sat back, settling in as if to tell a long, complicated story. “When I first began studying Sha’erah, that was the one thing I found to be true above all else. From birth, these people are taught the laws and rules of how they are allowed to think, how they’re allowed to behave, and how they’re allowed to be treated.”

Alex wasn’t sure if his brain could handle much more complexity so soon after having his life – again – turned upside down.

“When I got close to the truth, which I’d suspected all along, my funding was pulled and I wasn’t allowed anywhere near another Sha’erah. None of my findings were published and I was never to start up again. Which is why, you see, I found it so incredible to come upon the pair of you and you were gracious enough to let me stay.”

“Well, we don’t exactly follow the rules ourselves.”

“I have never broken any . . .”

Alex held up a hand to silence Evan’s sudden shocked denial. “Okay,Idon’t follow the rules. Go on, doctor.” He didn’t miss the look shot at him from the next bed. “What exactly is this truth you found?”

“That ring, Evan. The symbol that binds you to the one person who wears it, is not controlled by the law. It’s controlled by you.”

Alex blinked in surprised and turned to look at Evan, who stared at the doctor, dark brows creased in complete disbelief.

“It’s true.”

“It’s ridiculous.” Evan laughed shortly and pointed at the ring. “I didn’t put that ring on Spencer, or Alex.”

“Yes, you did. Subliminally of course, but you did.” Doctor Zane leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You see, you’ve had those rules and laws so deeply ingrained in your consciousness, your mind controlled the placement of the ring without question or thought. You assumed its actions, and without knowing it, performed them.”

Evan nearly laughed as he looked at Alex. “That can’t be true.”

“Why not?” Alex asked softly. He held up his hand. “Try it.”

“Yes, Evan. You have to believe it, and concentrate, but you do control that ring.”

Alex wasn’t sure if he fully understood it himself, but if it were true, he owed it to Evan to make him try. Regardless of the implications. In fact, to spite them. He was so sick and tired of implications and complications and everything in between. If he wasn’t going to get anything more out of this trip, he’d take this.

Evan shook his head, looking in utter disbelief at each man. Finally he stared at the ring of silver on Alex’s right hand. His stare soon took on the incredible intensity reserved for deeply complex concentration.

The feeling was fluid, like thick water melting. Alex watched in fascination as the ring that had held so solidly to his finger for so many months seemed to melt, then vanish.

“You see.” Doctor Zane pointed to Evan’s open palm.

The ring rested there, in solid form.

Alex’s finger felt strangely cold and almost painfully light. “It’s true, then.” He had to wait several seconds before Evan took his eyes from the ring in his hand to meet his gaze. “I told you I’d make a lousy Keeper.”

“Oh, but you’re wrong, Captain.” Doctor Zane shook his head. “The fact that your father had planned this so well, and Evan had no idea he controlled the ring, means that he wanted – on a very deep level – to keep you. Otherwise, as Spencer thought, he would have agreed it legally belonged back with his original owner and would have transferred it there without conscious thought.”

“I can’t believe this.” Evan looked at the ring, then Alex, then Doctor Zane. “I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it.” The doctor slid off the bed and waved at Evan. “Now get some rest, both of you. Doctor’s orders.”

“I don’t think I can.” Evan hadn’t moved an inch from where he sat, legs curled up under him as he faced Alex’s bed.

“You will if I have anything to say about it.” Doctor Zane pulled a hypo gun from his pocket, checked the dose, then pressed it against Alex’s neck. “Both of you.” He walked around the bed to Evan and did the same, receiving no argument.

“Thanks, Doc.” Alex rubbed absently at his bare finger and lay back in the bed. His head was spinning already, independent of the sedative. “For everything.”

“Good night.”

Before the lights were even dimmed, Alex felt himself slip into a deep and – he prayed – dreamless sleep.

__________

“We’ll need a course soon.”

“I’ll tell him.”

Alex sighed, then opened his eyes slowly, reluctantly admitting he was awake. Evan was standing next to the bed, buttoning his shirt and nodding to someone who had just walked out the door. “What’s up?”

“Navigation needs a course.” Evan finished with the last button. “Since we left C-4 we’ve just been in a wide orbit well outside range of the mining station.”

“Right.” He tested his arm and found no real discomfort preventing him from getting out of bed. As he did so, something glinted from his hand. “What’s this?” The ring had felt so familiar; he hadn’t noticed its return. Alex looked at Evan. “This is yours now, remember?”

Evan nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

“Look, I know all those years, everything this meant –”

“I want you to wear it.” Evan cut in. “I know what it meant then. And I know what it means now.” He shrugged. “You’re the Keeper. The ring is where it belongs.”

Alex looked down at the ring and spun it around slowly with his thumb. The weight felt comfortable, familiar. Solid. “I think we’ve both been screwed over pretty well for far too long.” He looked back up again, meeting Evan’s dark eyes. “Spencer Marcase kept us both.”

“But at least I knew I had a Keeper. I knew better than to trust anyone, especially around him.”

“And I was stupid enough to trust everyone.” Alex sighed. “Well, not any more.” He slid off the bed and stood in front of Evan, his right hand held out. “Partners?”

They both winced slightly as they shook hands.

Evan seemed to hesitate for a moment, then nodded.

“Now that makes it all worthwhile!” Doctor Zane came in smiling like a proud father. “All those years, all of my hard work forced out of publication.” He shook his head from side to side, still smiling widely.

“Excuse me?” Alex started pulling off the paper-thin medical gown so he could get dressed.

“This, the pair of you. I’ve always insisted Sha’erah and Keeper would make more sense if the two knew the truth about each other.” He sighed with contentment. “Don’t you agree? A partnership based on truth and a mutual understanding surely surpasses ownership and duplicity.”

“You’re preaching to the choir, Doc.” Alex found his pants and pulled them on. “You are definitely preaching to the choir.”

He finished dressing, and then invited the doctor to accompany them both to the bridge, to take one final look at C-4 and her moons before moving on. It was time he told everyone about that anomaly, now that he had every intention of navigating straight to it.

Evan brought up the scans so they were displayed on every screen in every room on the Ascalon while Alex explained to the crew what they were going after. His plan was received with enthusiasm and anticipation, and an eager request from nearly every section to turn the Ascalon toward the mysterious mass as quickly as possible. He and Evan weren’t the only ones deeply affected by the duplicity of so many crewmembers, all of whom they held accountable for the deaths of Franklin and the crew of the Vision.

“At least now this ship is yours, free and clear.” Doctor Zane patted Alex on the back as he turned to leave the bridge.

Evan cleared his throat and looked at Alex.

“Well, that’s not exactly true.” Alex grinned at the twisted irony that had become of his plan.

“What do you mean?” The doctor stopped at the door, looking back.

“Well, I reworked that claim transmission, and had Evan send the new one, not the one Jeff and Spencer were looking at.”

“Reworked it?” Doctor Zane looked from one to the other. “So, who owns the claim?”

Alex laughed shortly. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” He glanced at Evan with raised eyebrows. “I didn’t want him to win, so I changed the claim and put it through in Franklin’s name, claiming the discovery on behalf of the Vision and her crew.”

“But how can you do that?”

“The law.” Evan supplied, looking at the doctor. “Alex was able to show there were members of his crew responsible for the Vision’s destruction.”

“I certified that all parties involved were being contained and held on the mining station for arrest, then requested that ownership of the findings of C-4 and her moons be awarded to Captain Franklin’s survivors.”

“You don’t mean that man your father was in competition with, do you?”

“No,” Alex quickly reassured him. “Since a ship was destroyed and lives were lost, the families of the Captain and crew become the beneficiaries.”

“Harvey didn’t own the Vision, he’d just funded this trip.” Evan shook his head.

“Yeah, but we kinda screwed ourselves.” Alex sighed. “With Spencer dead, I could have won and kept him from winning.”

Doctor Zane nodded slowly, then stepped back into the room to look at both men. “You did the right thing. You corralled everyone involved with the deaths, saw to it the families of those victimized will be compensated, and now you’re free to go and find out what this thing is you’ve had your eye on for so long, and claim it for yourselves.”

Alex laughed a little, nodding his appreciation of such a kind interpretation of his hurried actions. “Well, when you put it that way, Doc, I guess it isn’t so bad.”

“There you go.” Doctor Zane smiled widely and patted both of them on their uninjured arms, then turned and left the bridge.

“There you go.”

“And there we go.” Evan pointed to the screen in the office as they entered the room. “You have to map a route through this mess to that thing or we’ll never get there.”

“Hey, making these things up as I go along is what I do best.”

“And looking out for your best interests is what I do best.” Evan sat down and pulled the terminal around to face him, placing his palm on the input pad. “And it’s in your best interests to get us a clear route.” He called up some data Alex hadn’t seen before. “I think Captain Franklin, in light of everything that’s happened, would have wanted you to use this.”

Alex stared in disbelief at the screen. “That’s from his probe.”

“That’s why I didn’t notice what the other probe was preparing to do.” Evan looked down, avoiding Alex’s gaze. “I was copying this probe’s data.” He looked up again. “I wanted you to be the one to see what was out there first. If I’d watched the other probe more closely, they might have had a chance.”

“We’ve been over that already.” Alex shook his head and started absently rubbing his shoulder. “There was nothing either of us could have done.” He sighed and leaned back against his desk. All this time, everything Evan had done – whether he’d wanted him to or not – had been for his benefit. Now that they knew the truth, he had to wonder if that would start to change.

“It will take a few hours to process this into the larger room display, but you’ll be able to plan a route more safely if we use his data, rather than trying to send our own probe through that mess. Unless you still feel –”

“No. With Franklin gone . . . If the situation was reversed, I’d want him to use our data.” Alex’s shoulder was starting to ache. “You don’t suppose he had any idea, do you?”

“About what?”

“Harvey, Spencer . . . everything.” Alex waved his hand.

“I don’t know.” Evan let his left hand slide away from the computer terminal as he spoke, thoughtfully contemplating the carpeted floor for a moment. “You knew him. What do you think?”

Alex laughed at the irony. “I thought I knew a lot of people. Obviously, I was wrong.” He turned around and walked to the chair, then sat and turned on the monitor in his desk. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? Everyone I knew so well, or thought I knew so well, turned out to be working for my father all this time.” And the one person I didn’t know at all turned out to be the only one I could trust.

“I should have known.” Evan shook his head and turned on the couch so he was facing Alex’s desk. “Spencer kept files on his PDA that I could never access, I knew that, but I had no idea how involved he was in so many other things.”

“Well, we’ve both been played for fools.” Alex stopped rubbing his shoulder and shook the last vestiges of self-pity from his head. “Enough wallowing. We’ve got a mystery to solve. And if this turns out to be anything we can use, we might just get this ship paid for after all.” If nothing else came of this entire escapade, at least it had removed even the slightest twinges of temptation where Evan was concerned. Even his mother would have no choice but to give up any insistence that the Sha’erah be sold to the highest bidder. Alex had made his living without holding the papers on the Ascalon this long, he could continue. Spencer may have funded each of his trips in the past, if that was true, but it wouldn’t stop him from finding other legitimate sources in the future. He’d successfully found the richest source of turbidium known to man thus far. Regardless of ownership, it would be his name listed as discoverer, putting him in a more valued position as exploration captain and ship for hire.

“The shipis paid for.”

Alex looked up from his monitor, blinking. “What?”

“The lease on the Ascalon. It was paid for as soon as that claim was received and processed. Assuming it has been by now.”

“What do you mean?” Alex tried to recall his last conversation with Doctor Zane, during which Evan had admitted sending the altered claim. “You’re not telling me you sent the first claim after all? And lied about –”

“No, I’ve never lied to you.” Evan’s face was as serious as ever, and as dark. “I did what I assumed you wanted, and sent the claim on behalf of the Vision’s survivors.”

Alex felt his face flush slightly when he realized the rudeness of his hasty accusation. He swallowed, trying to regain some composure. “So, what are you talking about?”

“Spencer Marcase was wanted in every system I know of. Each one had its own reward for his capture or death. At the time I made that transmission, you had successfully captured one of the galaxy’s most wanted criminals.” Evan paused, assuming Alex was going to catch up to his line of thinking. When he didn’t seem to, he continued. “I sent along audio, video, and the DNA sample from when he touched the crystal. That’s all the proof required for preliminary payment.”

“Payment?” Alex wasn’t catching on. He wanted to say it out loud, confirm what Evan was getting at, but he feared by doing so it would vanish into thin air.

“Several rewards,” Evan supplied. “Spencer thought having his own system would keep him free, but as a member of this crew – he said so himself – he was bound by the laws of all recognized systems.”

Alex blinked again. “My God, your mind never stops working every angle, does it?”

This time it was Evan’s turn to look confused and unsure of what to say.

“But what about, I mean, what did we do with his body?” If there really was a chance to come out of this ahead . . .

“I believe Doctor Zane took care of it.” Evan turned back to the computer and seemed to concentrate for a moment. “Yes, it’s in the morgue.”

Alex leaned back in his chair and nodded, still not too sure he believed his good fortune. “Okay. So when we get back to Scotian, we just have to confirm our story. We have proof he was killed in self-defense.”

“The rewards together are well over the lease balance. Assuming you want to apply it there.”

“Of course I do.” Alex started to smile. “And you gotta love the irony.” He looked at Evan, suddenly serious. “Listen, you don’t happen to have any more tidbits of vital information you haven’t happened to mention yet, do you?”

“Excuse me?” The Sha’erah looked very confused now. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What I’m talking about is this little habit of yours of not bothering to mention things like this.”

“I did mention it.”

“Sure, now.”

“There was no time or need to mention it earlier.” Evan shrugged, completely unconcerned with the timing of his information. “As long as I’m here to look after your best interests, you’re free to concentrate on other things.” He turned back to the computer terminal in front of him as if the topic was concluded and no longer of importance.

Alex laughed, surprised by his own ability to feel humor again after the events of the past few days. “I’m gonna have to start keeping score.”

The End

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