Chapter Eight

Evan stretched and rolled onto his back, gazing at the ceiling while he collected his fuzzy thoughts. He had a slight kink in his shoulder from sleeping on the couch, but at least he and his Keeper had managed to sleep the last few hours of the night in their own bedrooms. Now he was enjoying a slow morning to make up for the all-night session with the new probe data. Evan could sense Alex waking up, but if his habits held true, it would be another hour before he emerged from his room. That left Evan plenty of time to get cleaned up and get breakfast ordered, one of his easier routines of the day.

Since that first week, Evan had meticulously gone over every inch of the Ascalon on a regular basis. He’d quickly established a routine of scanning ship files, walking through cargo bays, examining each and every probe, and – unbeknownst to Alex – randomly checking personal computer files for any references that looked suspicious. Once he’d established a routine, he’d change it, avoiding any predictability someone might be looking for. Alex simply didn’t understand how determined someone could be if sabotage was their goal. Anyone planning to reprogram a probe or control could still do so, and if they’d kept their plans on a personal unit like his Keeper’s PDA, there would be no way Evan could detect that remotely until it was too late. So constant vigilance was necessary.

Franklin may have caught – and according to his last transmission – arrested the first perpetrator, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more.

Evan sighed and resigned himself to the fact that it was indeed morning, and he had to get out of bed. Alex’s routines afforded quite a bit of spare time to devote to his mapping and data reading, the bulk of the journey so far being a simple run through space, so Evan found himself spending most of his days either at the computer terminal here in their quarters, or comfortably ensconced on the couch in Alex’s office. His physical walk-throughs were varied, and one wasn’t needed for another couple of days, so he knew with the new scans being loaded into the three dimensional viewer, they’d be spending the entire day, if not the next several, right here. Evan found it convenient enough to scan the crew’s personal files at times like these, when most of the crew not involved in the daily running of the Ascalon were doing much the same as Alex, poring over the new data and forming their own opinions and speculations on the nebula.

After a shower and shave, Evan dressed in his usual black, now sporting Ascalon insignia in midnight blue, and padded barefoot out of the room. Alex wasn’t out yet, so he put in an order for breakfast and started some coffee. There was a time when ordering food for his Keeper without knowing exactly what he wanted bothered Evan immensely, but he’d quickly come to realize the man hardly ever took notice of what was on his plate. Eating was more of a bothersome necessity, and something he only did grudgingly, interrupting his work to get it done. A little research into the galley’s history files soon proved his theory right, so he’d relaxed where meals were concerned, and took it upon himself to decide what his Keeper needed to eat, and when. Alex seemed perfectly happy to have that taken out of his hands, and slowly developed a habit of remembering breakfast and dinner, if not lunch.

Well, one bad habit at a time.

When Evan carried his coffee to the table, he noticed the blinking message light.

“Captain, this is MIS, your probe data is loaded and ready for display.” A voice happily declared from the recording. “Let us know if you need any adjustments.”

Evan flipped off the message and walked to the table, carrying his coffee. From there he heard the shower in Alex’s room and knew he had another fifteen minutes at least. Plenty of time to make sure the display was working. He cleared the table of the plastic sheets, stacking them on the couch, then pressed his palm into the controls and called the table display to life.

For an instant, Evan didn’t know where he was. Blackness surrounded him where living quarters had been and, for several seconds, he thought his eyes must surely be closed as his mind filled with blackness. A moment later, he saw a sparkle of light, then another and another, as small points of white broke through the darkness. Within seconds, the lights had been joined by swirling colors of green and purple, occasionally darkened by the massive body of a planet or moon.

He was inside the nebula! Out of habit, he’d not only called up the display, but allowed his mind to see the data from inside. Normally he saw diagrams and mechanical specs, making it easier to find flaws or virtual back doors. There had never been a reason to look at probe data in this manner, or any other computerized file of space, before now. But that’s where he was, seeing the probe’s images from a perspective like no other.

It was amazing! Like being in space, independent of any ship, floating among the planets freely, using only his thoughts to move from one section to another. What a rush! The clouds of gas swirled and mixed as their electrons changed polarity, flickering colors that moved with the solar winds of a million suns. Why had he never thought to try this before? It was like walking into the three-dimensional display, so real and vivid he could almost touch the planets.

“Now that’s something you don’t see every day.”

“What?” Evan blinked, then pulled his hand away from the controls. Almost immediately the nebula around him faded back into the living room, changing to a smaller, less exciting display that hovered over the table. He looked up and found Alex looking at him, a strange, almost rueful grin on his face.

“You, smiling.” He nodded toward the display floating above the table. “What were you doing?”

“Nothing, I just brought up the display.” Evan waved a hand at the table. “I was looking at it from the inside, it was fantastic. I’ve never done that before with images.”

“What do you mean?” Alex sat on the arm of the couch, looking at him.

“I was inside the display.” Evan glanced at the nebula floating in three dimensions in front of them, remembering the incredible sight. “It was like being there, in space, floating around freely.” He shook his head, vaguely aware of the fact that he did indeed have a smile on his face. “It felt so . . . strange.”

Instead of a knowing nod or smile, Alex’s face was a dark shadow of confusion, then disbelief, then something completely unidentifiable. With an incredulous shake of his head, he stood and walked toward the galley.

“What’s wrong?” Evan watched his back, wondering what he could have done wrong so early in the day.

Alex shook his head again, reaching for the coffee cups. “You were inside the display?”

“Not literally.”

“But you can do that, see the nebula from inside. Like shipbuilders do when they’re planning models?” He shoved the cup under the dispenser, not looking at Evan but apparently waiting for a reply.

“Yes, like they do.”

When his cup was filled, he turned to face Evan but remained in the galley. “They can’t get three-dimensional units that large to show star systems clearly. From what I understand, that kind of walk-through display only works well with linear output.”

Evan hadn’t heard that, so he waited silently for Alex to continue. Something was obviously upsetting him, but he wasn’t saying exactly what it was.

Alex sipped his coffee, then gazed out at space through the large window. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to explore space. To see the unknown, be the first one out there, wherever there was.” He laughed shortly. “I even used to think I would be the first one to find a new life form, something we could communicate with. Not like the animals people have found, but something with technology.” He shrugged, dismissing the idea. “Not that I believe in aliens, really. It was just the idea of being the first to do something.”

“You have, and you are.” Evan didn’t understand where this train of thought was going. “You’ve been the first one to many planets, and you’ll be the first one inside this nebula.”

“My ship will, if I have anything to say about it.” Alex walked back out to the couch and sat down, looking at the display hovering over the table. “I’d give anything to go out there myself. To literally be the first one there, the first one seeing what there is to see.” He looked at Evan, eyebrows creased. “Do you know what I mean?”

It made no sense. Did he want to take a small shuttle out into the nebula alone? Surely he knew how impossible that would be. Any small ship would get lost instantly in those charged gasses. And there was no way in hell he’d ever let Alex . . . Suddenly it dawned on him what his Keeper wasn’t saying.

“You know I wasn’t really there, don’t you?” Evan leaned forward, nodding toward the display. “It’s just data, interpreted by computers. I wasn’t seeing the real planets. I wasn’t seeing anything you can’t see.”

“Maybe not, but you were seeing it in a way I can only imagine.” Alex set his cup down on the floor so as not to disturb the display on the table, then got up and walked to the window, staring out at space. “Windows like this are so impractical. It takes a lot of energy to shield them well enough. But I couldn’t resist this ship when I saw it, so many windows.” He shook his head, still looking out. “There’s something about looking out there with your own eyes, instead of seeing what the computers show you. It can’t be beat.”

Evan sat back on the couch and watched Alex. He couldn’t understand why his Keeper felt jealous of his ability to view data from another angle. That’s all it was, after all. He wasn’t really floating in space, viewing the planets themselves, or drifting through the actual nebula gasses. Even if it had felt that way.

Perhaps it was the look he’d had on his face at the time, expressing the exhilaration he was feeling, that had given away how truly fantastic the experience was. If that were the case, then better schooling of his expression was in order.

Alex found a position he wanted to view and sat on the couch, looking at the display. “Do you know how many people are looking at this very image right now? I’ve got seven geophysicists onboard, each of them going over this same probe data. Not to mention twelve planetologists, five zoologists, somewhere around ten industrial miners. And anyone else who has an inkling to have a peek.”

“But they’re looking for something else.” Evan heard the chime telling him the breakfast order was waiting in the dispenser, but he ignored it for a moment. “They’re looking for turbidium, life forms, rocks, and minerals. Each of them has his or her own agenda, so that’s what they’re seeing in this data.” He motioned toward the display. “They’re seeing the details, but not the wonder of it all.”

“So I’m a dreamer, is that it?”

“No, you’re an explorer.” Evan paused, but Alex didn’t seem to see what was plain as day. “They’re discoverers. They’re more interested in what they can find. You’re interested in what you can see.”

Alex laughed. “I’m not sure I understand your distinction.” He stood and retrieved his cup, then walked toward the galley. Halfway there, he stopped and turned around. “But I do appreciate the sentiment.” He turned and continued to the dispensers. “I’m getting good at this self-involvement crap, aren’t I?”

Evan got up and met Alex at the table, taking one of the plates from his hands.

“Oh good, you’re not disagreeing.”

“The question sounded rhetorical.”

“Yeah, well . . .” Alex let his sentence trail away as he involved himself with breakfast.

Evan took the hint and ate in silence. His Keeper could be downright irrational at times, fretting over the strangest things. But, he had to admit, he was a far cry from Spencer in that respect. Alex’s father expressed his frustration in a very physical manner, flying into a rage without much prompting. He’d always assumed it was the man’s dangerous occupation that made him so volatile and unpredictable, but when he read Spencer’s will, and learned he’d be the property of his late Keeper’s son, Evan’s first impression was a younger version of Spencer Marcase. Any man that violent would surely have spawned the same. Thankfully, Alex had proven to be the opposite in many respects. He wasn’t any easier to comprehend, or predict, and his understanding of Sha’erah was still woefully lacking. He couldn’t even seem to manage his own daily existence without constant reminders and his ever present PDA at his side. It was a wonder he’d gotten where he was today, being this absentminded.

If ever a man needed a Sha’erah, Alex Marcase was that man. Now, if he could just come to understand that himself, life would be so much easier.

“Are we working from here today?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I just want to work over this display today.” Alex nodded absently. “I’ll meet with the others this afternoon, see what they came up with.”

That meant he’d be so involved with his display he wouldn’t notice what Evan was doing at the computer. It was time to do another random sweep of the crew’s personal files. At least the ones he could get into. It still bothered him that so many people used the personal PDAs and stand-alone units they could more easily carry around on their persons. Until one was plugged into the Ascalon’s mainframe, or until Evan could get his hand on the units, he wasn’t able to scan any files held in them. Which meant someone could easily have a sabotage program ready and waiting for download at any time. Alex didn’t want to believe anyone onboard the Ascalon could be involved, since the first incident originated from the Vision. But his dealings with subterfuge were too limited to imagine half of what Evan had seen. Spencer’s enemies had been powerful people, willing and able to send assassins and suicide hit men on occasion, depending on what he’d had Evan steal. Vigilance was the only path toward protection.

Of course, Alex might call what he was doing an intrusion. He had funny ways of looking at things.

Evan took a break after four hours of scanning personal files and electronic messages sent between crew members, and retrieved more coffee. The order he’d placed for lunch earlier that morning was about to be delivered, so he filled two cups and carried one to his Keeper on the couch. The three-dimensional display of the Pendulum Nebula hovered tirelessly over the large round table, looking like a permanent decoration.

“I’ve ordered lunch.” He handed one cup to Alex and sat on the couch, gazing at the view.

“Oh, thanks.” Alex took the cup, never taking his eyes from the top section of gasses gently swirling in electronic representation in front of him. “Look at that.” He pointed to the uppermost corner where purple gasses were so thick they obscured further view. “I can’t get a clearer shot without sending a probe straight to it.”

Evan examined the area in question, sipping his coffee. “If you do, Franklin will want to see what you found.”

“Exactly.” Alex leaned back on the couch, slouching down in the cushions, but never looked away from the section that held his interest so intently. “I don’t want him going near that area.”

“It could be nothing.” Evan recalled what that section looked like when he’d seen the display from inside the machine.

“Or it could be something.”

Even from the inside, it was impossible to tell if anything was hidden within the mass of charged gas or not. It was frustrating his Keeper to be able to see an area but unable to see into it without drawing undue attention from his competitor. Alex had admitted it was doubtful there would be turbidium there, so exploring the curiosity had to take a back seat to their mission, but his desire to see what was there, and be the first to do it, was plain to see.

“Damn.” Alex rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

Evan stood. “It’s just after one o’clock. Lunch is here.” He waited for an acknowledging nod from Alex before returning to the galley to retrieve the food.

“I told Pascal I’d meet his team in the office at two.” Alex stretched, then reluctantly pulled himself off the couch and slowly made his way to the counter. “At least they’ll have had their minds on the job.”

“We have another month before reaching the outer edge.”

“And three more probes before the interference makes them useless.” Alex picked at the fruit on his plate, playing with a grape by rolling it gently between two fingers. “Franklin hasn’t even launched one yet.”

Evan nodded. He’d been tempted to reprogram those probes while he was in the Vision’s data banks, but there hadn’t been time. “That doesn’t mean he’ll find anything before you do.”

Alex shrugged pensively, still playing with the grape. Finally he popped it into his mouth. “Even if he does, he still has to get there first.”

His next question was probably still too controversial, but Evan decided it was worth a shot. “When he launches a probe, I might be able to see the data it sends back.”

The reaction was slow in developing. Alex blinked a few times, staring at Evan while the possibilities of what he was proposing took turns marching through his mind. He started to speak twice, but stopped himself each time, choosing instead to stare with crinkled eyebrows at the rest of the grapes.

“It’s only information.” Evan offered. “It’s not stealing unless you act on it.”

Alex ran a thumb over his bottom lip and stared at the table.

It occurred to Evan just then that he wasn’t sure which answer he was hoping for. The one that would put him in a position to better help secure his Keeper’s success, or the one that would be more in keeping with Alex Marcase and the man he was. Realizing that, he wished he hadn’t offered.

Finally, Alex shook his head once. “No. I appreciate why you’re offering, but I can’t become him.”

“Franklin?”

“Spencer.” Alex tossed a grape back to his plate and stood suddenly, pacing several feet away. He turned and walked to the galley to refill his coffee. “I can’t become him. Just because I can, doesn’t make it right.”

It took a second or two for Evan to realize what was going on. The subject seemed to have changed dramatically, yet they were still talking about the same idea. Finally, he thought he was catching up. “Because I’m with you now, you think you’re becoming more like him?”

“Yes.” Alex shook his head strongly. “No. No, that’s not what I meant. I . . .” He walked back to the couch but didn’t sit down. “Look, this isn’t your fault. I actually – like – having you around. Granted, it took me a while to get used to it.” He laughed shortly, raising his eyebrows.

“But I was your father’s, now I’m yours, and you’re afraid you might be more like him than you thought?”

Alex sighed heavily, then slid back onto the couch. “I know what he was. A thief, and worse. I’ve spent my life hating him and wishing I was with him. But mostly I’ve tried very hard not to be him.”

The sudden drop in his Keeper’s tone suggested this was something he felt very deeply and painfully. It wasn’t something Evan could really identify with, but he sensed he was being told things no one else had ever heard.

“It wasn’t all that hard before, I never had a talent for stealing.” Alex glanced up at Evan. “But now I have the means, and the opportunity.” He shrugged. “God knows I have the motive.”

“You don’t have the desire.”

Alex shook his head slowly back and forth, still looking down. “But I do have the temptation.”

“You’re not your father.” Evan surprised himself with his own urgent need to reassure his Keeper that his fears were unfounded. “Trust me, you’re not Spencer. You’re an entirely different person, motivated by a fairness Spencer wouldn’t even have been able to understand. It’s not in you to be any different than you are, no matter how many opportunities are handed to you.” Alex was at least looking at him now. It was impossible to fully convey the heartlessness that was Spencer Marcase, but the son was nothing like the father. Sha’erah weren’t allowed or expected to care, but he did. “I don’t believe anything can change the true nature of a man, good or bad.”

Alex laughed shortly and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

“It just is.” Evan saw the red message light blink on the wall and noticed Alex glancing at it. “They’re probably waiting for you in the office.”

“Yeah.” Alex sighed, then walked to the wall unit to acknowledge the message. “Maybe they’ve got some good news.” He searched the room for his shoes. “If they can pinpoint a promising direction, I can concentrate on mapping a route. Are you coming?”

Evan got off the couch and pointed to the spot under the desk where he’d put Alex’s shoes. An idea had hit him out of the blue when his Keeper was answering the call, and he wanted to act on it quickly, but quietly. “Actually, if you don’t need me, I need to make another sweep of the storage bays.”

Alex nodded while putting on his shoes. “Sure, whatever you want. I’ll catch up with you later.”

He still walked his Keeper to the lift, then took the service ladders to the lower levels to see if his idea was going to work. Alex seemed in lighter spirits when he left and Evan fervently hoped the geophysicists had found this turbidium somewhere already so Alex could get there and make his claim before Franklin even got close enough.

In the meantime, he was sure he’d seen the components he needed on the manifest for storage bay number twelve.

Evan walked through the service walkway until he found the first door to the large storage room he was looking for. He checked the lock out of habit, and found it had only been accessed by authorized personnel three times since the Ascalon launched several months ago. Each entry was properly documented, listing the crew members as well as the equipment they’d removed. Satisfied, he entered the room and called up the lights, then started looking for the row and crate he wanted. It took nearly an hour to locate the proper one, then use the hoist to remove the crates above it. Once he had the crate cleared, he checked the attached manifest against the one logged in the main computer files. It was identical, and contained exactly what he needed. Eight interdimensional display units. He retrieved them and made the necessary changes to the manifest, then had to repack the crate and return the others to the stack.

By the time he returned to their quarters it was three hours later. Alex was nowhere to be found. He did a quick check and found his Keeper still in his office on the bridge, deep in his meeting as the scientists evaluated the probe data they’d been studying. Good, that would give him time to begin working on his idea, without having to explain it just yet. If his theory didn’t pan out, he didn’t want Alex to be disappointed.

Long ago, high-end ship builders used a large scale version of the newly developed three dimensional displays to create virtual skeletons of their designs. Displays large enough for them to walk through and visually inspect designs for flaws or weak points. The displays were never delicate enough to properly display much more than straight lines and mathematical curves, and soon became too outdated for ship building as more intelligent computer designs were developed that could spot inconsistencies in design logic more quickly. While some builders still preferred the old-fashioned method of inspecting their work first hand, no further progress could be made in perfecting the larger display units.

Where others saw futility, Evan saw opportunity. The eight units he’d found in storage just might do the trick, if he could find what years of scientific study had missed.

He started by analyzing the output of the display unit embedded in the table, then ran a comparison of the individual replacement units he’d retrieved from storage. An hour later, he felt he knew enough about the science behind it to build a base control unit and returned to the storage bay for more parts. On his way back he stopped at a com unit and verified Alex was still in the office. No meals had been delivered, and it was apparent his Keeper was going to be there most of the evening, so Evan had dinner sent and returned to their quarters to continue his work.

Building the base control unit was harder than he expected, and took another full hour of concentrated work, but once finished it would provide the key to the rest of the display. With that done, he was ready to set the eight units around the room. Their positioning was almost as important as the programming, and took time and careful consideration. Evan marked the section of the room where walls met ceiling, then recalculated his estimates three separate times before he felt satisfied enough to begin installation. He’d gotten all but two into position when the door swung open.

“Man, I can’t believe we were at it so long.” Alex entered the room, immediately kicking off his shoes as he stumbled tiredly for the couch.

“It must have been productive, at least.” Evan set the display unit he’d been holding on the couch and causally wondered if his Keeper would notice the other six units above his head.

“Yeah, it was.” Alex practically fell onto the couch and propped his bare feet on the table, yawning. “Cummins found good potential in C-3 and the others agreed, so we’re heading in that direction.” He waved a hand, indicating a general area left of where they were now. “We’ll set another probe off in five days. Meanwhile I can at least start plotting a course through that muck.”

Evan sat down beside his Keeper, realizing just then how late it was and how tired he’d gotten. There was no sense in mentioning his project yet, not until he was able to test it out.

“The Vision’s still trailing us.” Alex sat up and reached for one of the display units on the table. He rolled it around in both hands idly, hardly noticing what it was. “He hasn’t even sent out a probe yet.”

Evan watched Alex turn the unit around in his hands as he spoke. He was so involved in his thoughts, the display unit could have been a small animal, and he wouldn’t have noticed. “He’s following you.”

Alex laughed shortly and leaned back, slouching further into the couch with the unit still in one hand. “Probably wants to save his own probes and just follow us.”

“That makes sense. His probes have a longer range, but they require more control.” Evan glanced out the window at the nebula growing larger as they approached. “The interference in there could render his expensive probes worthless if he waits too long to start using them.”

“I know.” Alex sat up again and set the unit back on the table, then stood, stretching. “My only fear is, he’s waiting to see what direction we take with our next probe. He can still get one launched from behind us and find out what C-3 has to offer before we do.”

Evan refrained from a second offer of probe-eavesdropping. “He still has to reach the planet first in order to make a legal claim, right?”

“Right.”

He stood. “Then even if he sees it before we do, we’ll just beat him to it.”

Alex laughed tiredly, then nodded. “That’s right.” He turned and headed for his room. “Oh, listen.” He stopped and turned around. “That stuff earlier today, about my father and everything. You meant that? I’m really not like him?”

“Of course I meant it.” Evan casually picked up the unit Alex had been holding and shut it off. “Spencer never forgot to eat.”

Alex laughed shortly. “That’s reassuring.” He turned and went into his room. “Good night.”

Evan turned off the other units, locked the door and did a quick security sweep before retiring to his own room for the evening. He wanted to work on the control module some more, but it was already midnight. Without a decent night’s sleep, he couldn’t guarantee waking before Alex in the morning. There was still plenty of time to work on his project, at least five days before another probe was sent. If it worked out right, he could surprise his Keeper with the new display using fresh data. The Vision would have to send a probe out sooner or later, and if it happened to drift in the proper direction . . . It wasn’t stealing unless someone acted on it.

The next week flew by in easy predictability. Alex spent hours each day poring over the display and working up a course through the maelstrom of charged gases that lay ahead, plotting the best direction toward planet C-3. Evan spent much of that time right beside his Keeper, working from the same couch on his own project while Alex took little notice of it. He stopped at periodic intervals to conduct his usual security sweeps and take the occasional walk-through of the ship while Alex took breaks in the ship’s gym to clear his head, giving him what he called a much-needed purging of frustrated energy.

It was a ritual Evan appreciated more fully when he ran into a virtual brick wall of programming he couldn’t find a way past. It wasn’t until he was on the treadmill, an hour into a long jog, that he found the answers he was looking for. Evan still didn’t want his Keeper finding out what he was up to until he knew for certain it would work, so he settled for running tests on the computer, exhausting all possible chances of failure. By midnight he was confident he’d solved the one problem no one else had been able to fix.

Around one o’clock he realized how arrogant he’d been and set about checking each and every setting, looking for the one obvious flaw he was certain he’d missed.

At two-thirty, he found himself staring at the same connection for ten minutes without blinking.

Evan forced himself to shut the computer down. He had to blink several times and rub madly at his eyes to bring his focus back to the reality of the room. Alex had gone to bed at some point, he vaguely remembered that, and some mention of their next probe launch coming up in the morning. This thing had to work. He didn’t want to think about having spent this much time on something only to fail. Out of habit, he checked the security before going to bed, then double checked the morning’s schedule, not trusting his own tired mind. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d worked so diligently on a project without Spencer demanding constant updates.

The fact that he was working this hard on something his Keeper hadn’t even requested was a puzzle he didn’t want to think about. Alex would benefit greatly from this if it worked, so it was his best interests Evan was looking out for. Alex was someone who deserved his efforts more than Spencer. Maybe he still didn’t quite understand how to put a Sha’erah to good use, and God knew he had some problems of his own, but Evan couldn’t help wishing he’d known this man sooner. He was definitely not his father.

“And he’s going to be awake in four hours whether I get any sleep or not.” Evan pressed his head into the pillow and started the meditation routine that would bring sleep. All it really brought was morning, far too quickly.

“It’s cleared.” Evan looked up from his scan of the new probe, satisfied only after three intensive searches of the programming.

Alex nodded at the young man hovering expectantly near the launching controls. “Launch when ready.”

They watched from the bridge’s main view screen as the probe launched, following the bright blue trail of exhaust until it penetrated the swirling colors of the nebula that lay before them. The Ascalon had slowed to half speed, waiting to analyze this latest probe’s data before venturing into the gas where their scans and sensors would be more violently affected and less reliable. At this speed, the Vision would reach their position in another four days, where her longer-ranging probes could reach farther and faster. So far, Franklin hadn’t bothered to probe the depths, presumably relying on his ability to follow Alex as far as he could. That bothered Evan. It reminded him too much of Spencer and he didn’t like it one bit. At the first chance he got, he intended to do some discreet checking up.

“Here it comes.” Alex slapped Evan on the shoulder, then hurried to the office to await the first of the probe’s information. “Hanson, be sure to copy this to Cummins immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

Evan was right behind him when he entered the office. Alex stood in front of the large screen expectantly while Evan went straight for the computer beside the couch. He activated it with a touch and found the probe data as it streamed into the system. Instantly he ordered the feedback split and copied to Alex’s displays both here in the office and back in their quarters, barely glancing at the information as it appeared on the screen. The constant stream of information lasted the short life of the probe, just under one hour, and when completed was even more impressive than the first.

“Look at that.” Alex pointed to a spot on the large screen, staring intently at the bland looking planet. “C-3 isn’t a planet, it’s a moon.”

Evan had to blink himself out of the computer and back into the office. The temptation to run down to their rooms and find out if his project was going to work was almost too great, but he forced it out of his mind and looked at the screen. “Orbiting what?”

Alex scanned the screen, then pointed triumphantly. “That.”

Beyond C-3, further into the mist, was a huge planet hanging amidst thick purple gases. Their new view revealed four other moons, the same size as C-3, silently circling the behemoth.

“I bet that’s the source of Cummins’ intermittent readings.”

Evan examined the planet more closely. “It isn’t very far into the nebula. Can it be this easy?”

“Too good to be true?” Alex grinned, looking at Evan for a moment. “Maybe. If it is true, and the Vision gets here any time soon, Franklin could still beat us to it.”

“What’s to keep him from finding more in here?” Evan waved a hand over the screen, and the multitude of planets indicated in the sections of gas they could see through. “If you find turbidium on C-3, or that planet, then you found it first, but he could still go further in and find it somewhere else.”

“If C-3 or its primary is it, then we lay claim to the entire system.” Alex stepped back, leaning against the front of the desk as he explained. “It’s a legal issue for those concerned, really. Carpenter has plenty of lawyers who can work that all out, so it’ll be up to Franklin’s backer whether to send him further in or not.”

“Doesn’t anyone care what’s in there, regardless?” Evan stared at the massive nebula, so close now it filled the screens entirely, hiding any number of wonders inside its purple and green gasses.

“I do.”

Evan was about to add his own confession of curiosity when he stopped himself. Did he care? Was he really curious, or just caught up in his Keeper’s desires, now that they’d been together for several months?

“Let’s head down, I want to get this on the table display.” Alex flicked off the screen and motioned to Evan as he left the office, acknowledging the enthusiasm on the bridge in receipt of the latest data.

Funny how he’d never really been too excited about Spencer’s work. Sure, he’d gotten into it completely, giving one hundred percent, but he’d never cared before. He wasn’t supposed to. Why was this different? Because it wasn’t illegal?

Those thoughts completely eradicated any notion Evan had of testing his new display until he found himself waiting for the computers to finish compiling the information for the table display. It wasn’t until Alex handed him a bottle of the beer he preferred that he remembered all his hard work.

“I have something to show you.”

“What?” Alex sat on the edge of the couch, impatiently waiting for the three dimensional display to kick in.

Evan set the bottle down and retrieved the control unit from the desk. “I didn’t want to mention this until I was sure it would work.” He flipped a switch and checked the eight units in the ceiling for their power indicator lights. “I haven’t been able to test it out in the room yet, just the simulator. But I think I have it now.”

“Yeah?” Alex was barely paying attention, but he managed to drag his eyes from the dormant table and notice – for the first time – the many black boxes affixed above his head. “What’s this?”

Evan activated the control unit when it registered the probe data’s completion, holding his breath. There was a flicker of light from each black box, then a flash of blue enveloped the room. The next instant, he was in the Pendulum Nebula.

“Oh my God.”

“It worked.” Evan breathed a sigh of relief as he looked around the room. C-3 appeared to float over the couch, obscuring his view of Alex, while nebula gases filled the room, sparkling with color and light. The monster C-3 orbited was nearly as clear, but smaller in the distance. More planets could be seen near the window and around their feet, smaller in size and still too distant for much clarity.

“What is this?” Alex was standing between the couch and his forgotten table display, turning around, shaking his head in disbelief. “How did you do this?”

“I took the ship building concept and expanded on it.” Evan almost couldn’t believe it himself. After all those hours of work, he was sure it couldn’t be this easy. Unless working himself into exhaustion was the key all those other technicians had missed. “It was just a matter of using enough components and getting the positioning down. With a little fine tuning.”

“I can’t believe this.” Alex walked around the planet floating over the couch, staring at it with wide eyes as if it was physically there. “This is what you’ve been working so hard on?”

“I didn’t want to mention it, in case it didn’t work out.”

Alex shook his head, still staring around the room. “I just assumed whatever that was wasn’t any of my business.”

Evan opened his mouth to deny any assumption of his own privacy, but Alex continued.

“I just can’t believe this. It’s fantastic!” He walked around the room, trying to take it all in. “Is this what it was like for you?”

“When I was looking at the data from inside, yes.” Evan watched his Keeper walk around the room. “This is what it looked like to me. I knew how badly you wanted to see it, and this was the only way I could think of to show you.”

Alex was still shaking his head slowly, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the illusion. “The detail is incredible!” He glanced around, trying to locate Evan. “I could map a route anywhere through here.” He turned suddenly and searched the ceiling. “What about . . .”

Evan touched the control pad and the space around them shifted. The effect was dizzying but it brought the upper left edge of the probe’s reach into view just outside Alex’s bedroom door.

“Damn.” Alex walked closer to the dense purple cloud and stared into it. “The probe didn’t get close enough.”

“C-3 is in the opposite direction.”

“I know, I know. But if that planet works out, I won’t have to waste any more probes searching for turbidium.” Alex stopped in front of the section that held his fascination and sighed. A moment later, he leaned closer. “Still, with this view I can see a little more clearly.”

They spent hours studying and debating the possibility of something being hidden within those gases, forgoing lunch for the sheer novelty of it all. Evan found himself completely caught up in the desire to explore, curious now to find out which of them was correct, and see if there was a structure hidden in that segment of space, or just dense packing of debris caught in an erratic orbit. He couldn’t help noticing how Alex fed off his questioning, even though it often contradicted his own hopes and assumptions of the mystery. Spencer would have beaten him senseless for disagreeing with him in this manner, but Alex obviously enjoyed it as much as he enjoyed their other arguments. Undoubtedly, this man was nothing like his father. And yet, with a phrase or mannerism, Evan was instantly reminded of his former Keeper. The man was his father, after all.

Neither of them could ignore the need for dinner by late evening, but they continued the examination over their meal, staring in awe at the planet now positioned directly over their table as they ate.

“Not much to look at.” Alex commented. “But I’m not the one who has to work there if we’re right.”

“I can’t picture you calling any planet home.”

Alex looked at Evan and laughed shortly. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “You seem at home here, not just the ship, but out here, in space.”

“Yeah, well,” Alex nodded at the planet hovering above them. “I never really felt like I fit anywhere else, I guess. This ship is the only thing I’ve ever really had.” He stabbed his fork back into the contents of his plate, then lifted it and gazed at the impaled meat there. “I just don’t own it. Not yet.” He slid the fork into his mouth and pulled the meat off as if it were the source of his frustrations.

“We’re closer now than we were before.” Evan glanced at the large planet C-3 was circling, willing the scientists onboard to find that damn mineral there and find it quickly. “The Vision is still two days away.”

“And I have to plot our course, in case this is the one.” He stood, finished with dinner, and walked through the nebula to find the control unit. Evan had demonstrated how to use the box to move the display to view various angles.

Alex spent the rest of the night sitting on the couch, his face inches away from the planned insertion point, stylus in hand as he marked, erased, then replotted the best route to take his ship and crew into the dangerous, sensorless world of a nebula. Evan watched, interested in seeing how his Keeper planned to manage such delicate navigation. He wasn’t sure how long he watched, or what time it was when he first dozed off, but the feeling of sleeping among the stars prevailed through his dreams, until he found himself staring up at a planet hovering inches above his face.

Startled, Evan sat up straight into the illusion. He had to move out of it in order to see the rest of the room, and Alex sleeping on the couch beside him.

“Display off.” The control box responded immediately, dropping the room back out of space and into reality. The sudden change was a little nauseating, and somewhat of a letdown. Evan eased himself off the couch without waking Alex and padded quietly to the desk to check the time. There were messages, two flashing urgent, and it was already past eight o’clock.

“Captain, it’s Cummins!” The recorded voice was bursting with excitement. “It’s the planet. I’ve got readings off the scale here. The planet!”

The message ended, then the second urgent recording kicked in.

“Captain, Cummins again, C-3 and the other moons show substantial levels, but the planet is undeniably the mother lode!”

Reluctantly, he returned to the couch and put a hand on his Keeper’s arm. “Alex, wake up.” There was no response. Evan knew full well he was sound asleep, and probably had been for only a few hours. He shouldn’t be doing this, but he felt Alex would want him to. “Wake up.”

“What?” Alex’s eyes opened, then closed again immediately. “Ah, man. Morning?”

“Yes, and you have an urgent message from Cummins.”

Alex sat up, forcing his eyes open wide.

“I think he found it.”

“Damn!” Alex grabbed a handful of Evan’s shirt and hauled himself off the couch. “Where’s the Vision?”

Evan took hold of Alex’s arm to steady him around the couch. “Should be within com range by tonight.”

“Okay, I need a shower.” Alex pushed himself toward the bedroom door, stumbling slightly as his body hurried to catch up. “Tell Cummins we’re on our way, have him meet us in the office.”

“Already done.” Evan crossed to the desk and sent messages calling for Cummins and breakfast to meet them in the bridge office in twenty minutes, then went in to his own room for a quick clean up and change of clothes. He wasn’t convinced of his Keeper’s alertness on the way to the bridge, especially after he confessed to only one hour of sleep, but when they walked into the office, there was enough excitement in the air to clear out any cobwebs.

“Captain, it was the moon blocking that primary that threw me.” Professor Cummins launched into his explanation with no more than a quick nod to them both as they entered the office. “We thought C-3 held potential due to the readings, and attributed the sporadic nature of the feedback to the nebula. But now I’m confident it’s the primary that contains the significant amount of turbidium, with C-3 and the other moons simply reflecting minor amounts of their parent’s contents.”

Professor Cummins wasn’t an old man, but even his middle age seemed to melt away with his enthusiasm. It was just the thing Alex needed to wake him up completely.

Evan called up the planet in question on the large screen, somewhat disappointed in the singular dimension after having spent so much time walking through the same space. Cummins handed him a chip that he inserted in the display, bringing up the professor’s own notations.

“You see here, at C-3, the readings are varied, but significant enough to warrant a closer inspection. But here and here, the readings are nearly off the scale.”

Alex approached the screen, squinting at the large primary still quite distant. “You’re sure?”

“I’m positive.” Cummins tapped the screen with one finger. “That planet might as well be turbidium itself. And these other moons most likely contain significant amounts as well.”

Evan felt his heart rate increase despite himself.

Alex continued to stare at the information in front of him, silently contemplating it for what seemed like an hour. Finally, he turned to Cummins. “Let’s do it.”

Without another word, Cummins gathered his sheets and hurried excitedly out of the office. Alex marched back to his desk and hit the intercom.

“Navigation.”

“Who’s this? Jessie?”

“Yes, sir. What can I do for you?”

Evan heard a quiet knock on the door and accepted the breakfast delivery.

“I’m going to download a course, I need a full evaluation and estimates as soon as possible.”

“Aye-aye, Captain.”

“A physical claim would beat anything Franklin can do from a distance, isn’t that right?” Evan set a cup in front of Alex. He knew breakfast would be ignored in the light of this news, so he hadn’t bothered with anything that could distract from it. A cup of coffee and some tasteless additives would serve for now.

“Yes, possession is still nine-tenths of the law. But we’re assuming the Vision will slow down when she gets here and send a probe. What if they’re planning to head straight in, without even slowing?”

Evan considered that for a moment. “That’s too dangerous. If he has no more probe data than he did when we all left Scotia, then he’s flying blind.” He wanted to add the fact that the last time he looked, Franklin’s maps showed no clear images, but he refrained.

“I agree, but I’ve got too much at stake here to leave anything to chance.” Alex sipped his coffee and stared at the screen. “I’ve waited too long to get this ship.”

Evan found himself too saturated with the image, so he sat down facing the desk, with his back against the far arm of the couch and his feet pressed into the opposite arm. “That’s what you see out there, isn’t it? Not turbidium or beating Franklin, but your own freedom.”

Alex looked at him, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “What?”

“That’s why you never care about the notoriety you’ve gained or the reputation you have. None of that matters to you.”

“That stuff is trivial compared to the vastness we’re exploring.”

“No, it’s more than that.” Evan felt as if he’d just stumbled upon the answer to some question he hadn’t even asked. “If exploration was your only goal, we’d be heading toward that anomaly, not away from it.”

“That anomaly won’t pay the bills.”

“Exactly.” Evan set his cup down and continued. “I know what the contract states. If you win this for Carpenter, the Ascalon will be yours, free and clear.”

“Among other things.” Alex sat back, holding the steaming cup with both hands. “I’m using up a lot of Carpenter’s money out here, this is the only way he wins that back.”

“But even if you failed, that’s his money. His gamble. If you win this, you’ll finally be free of them all. The Ascalon will be yours, as well as a hefty financial reward, and you can claim anything you find from then on out.”

“Set for life.” Alex lifted his cup in salute to the notion. “But first we have to win.”

Evan shook his head. “But then I still don’t understand.”

“What’s that?” Alex finished his coffee and sat forward again.

“You could have had all of this already. The ship, the money, and you could have gone straight to that section of the nebula without bothering with any of this.”

Alex inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly, twisting the silver ring around his finger while he looked at the band. “If I’d sold you, you mean?”

“Of course you still can, any time.” Evan knew, now more than he ever had before, that nothing was absolute. Just because he’d been with Spencer for over twenty-three years, didn’t mean Alex would want him forever.

“Can you tell me why you built that display?”

“What?”

Alex pushed his chair back but didn’t get up. “I didn’t ask you to do it. Hell, I didn’t even know you could do it.”

“I did it because I thought you’d like it. I thought it could help.” Evan swung his feet off the couch and faced Alex.

“Exactly.” He smiled, nodding once as if his point had just been made.

“What are you saying?” It was plain they were talking about two, or perhaps three different things.

“You did that for no other reason than because you thought I’d like it.” Alex stood and slowly walked around the desk. “And you were right, I do. And I’ve been so absorbed with it I haven’t thanked you yet.”

“I was doing what –”

“A friend would do.”

This was absurd! No Sha’erah would pass up an opportunity like that, to do something to please . . . Evan stopped himself from saying that out loud. That wasn’t exactly true, was it? But then again . . .

“You can’t possibly tell me you kept me out of friendship. You didn’t even know me then.” In fact, they’d hated each other.

Alex shook his head. “I’m not my father, remember? I couldn’t be him. Not even then.”

“So you kept me because you were afraid of becoming your father?”

His Keeper seemed suddenly uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. He began walking toward the door as if to end it by leaving.

“Among other things. I suppose. Yes.”

Evan stood. “Your father never sold me. I was with him from the day I was given over to the day he died.”

Both men looked at each other, each wondering how they’d managed to lose their arguments. Evan wasn’t even sure what point Alex had been trying to get to, but he felt confident he’d missed it by a wide margin.

“Okay, wait a second.” Alex held up a hand. His expression had turned pensive, as if he was still asking himself a question. “I admit, I have no idea why I didn’t sell you.” He glanced up at Evan, eyebrows knit together. “I like to think it was morally offensive – which it was – but I can’t honestly say that was the only reason.”

“So you don’t know, exactly.” It wasn’t something Spencer would ever admit, but Evan found himself hoping Alex would prove different yet again.

“No.” Alex’s eyebrows raised as if expecting a reaction he was ready to agree with. “As much as it kills me to admit about anything. I don’t know, exactly.”

Evan’s own internal reaction surprised him. It felt almost like. . . like pride. “Then you understand.”

Alex laughed shortly and opened the door. “Not one damn thing.”

“Captain, the Vision is hailing us.”

Evan instinctively looked out the window, even knowing he wouldn’t see Franklin’s ship there.

“What?” Alex walked to the edge of the short rail and looked down anxiously at the man standing in front of the main com board. “It’s too soon.” He glanced at Evan. “Could he be boosting his signal?”

Evan shrugged, then hurried around the walkway and down to the bridge level where he could access the communications terminal.

“Captain Franklin is hailing, sir. Audio only.”

“Put him through.” Alex looked at Evan as he waited.

From the com terminal, Evan could access the signal and follow it back, establishing his own link with the Vision. He refrained from intruding when he caught a warning look on his Keeper’s face, and concentrated on their position only.

“Marcase? Thought I’d find you here.” Franklin’s jovial voice echoed through the bridge.

Evan was surprised, and dismayed, to learn the Vision was much closer than they’d thought. In fact, in another thirty minutes it would be close enough to view with the naked eye, several thousand miles ‘above’ them. He’d obviously underestimated the man’s willingness to push his ship past safe limits.

“I knew you wouldn’t want to venture in there without someone to hold your hand.” Alex quipped, his voice several degrees lighter than his countenance.

Evan maintained his contact with the Vision’s mainframe and noticed two launch tubes opening. Alex had been pacing the walkway, but was now close enough to speak to quietly. “He’s launching two probes.”

Alex looked at Evan questioningly, but spoke to Franklin. “You weren’t planning on going in there blind, were you?”

“Of course not.” There was a pause during which they could hear, faintly, the captain giving an order. “Give me an hour or so, and maybe we can go in together.”

“Damn him.”

Alex’s whisper didn’t carry very far, but Evan was sure no one on the bridge could miss the dark look on his face. He watched his Keeper when they heard the navigator announce two probes passing them.

“On the screen.” Alex turned and looked at the large screen covering the window.

Two trails of white-hot exhaust snaked by their ship, screaming toward the nebula. Before they plunged into the gas, the probes split up. One headed straight toward the section C-3 and her primary occupied, while the other veered off and aimed directly at the anomaly Alex had been eyeing.

“Dammit!” Alex clutched the railing with both hands, watching the probes speed on their different courses.

“He’s going to get data back in less than twenty minutes.” Someone on the bridge warned.

Evan was sure no one else cared about the anomaly, Alex hadn’t spoken of it to anyone else all these months. But everyone on board knew where C-3 was, and what they stood to lose if the Vision beat the Ascalon there. He looked up, trying to catch Alex’s eye and get him to relent and accept what he could do for him. Almost as if he knew what Evan was thinking, Alex turned and looked him sternly in the eyes, a look bordering on desperation blazing on his face.

“No!”

He turned away again before Evan could argue. Obviously his desperate need to avoid any image of wrong doing was stronger than his need to succeed. Foolish as that was. It wasn’t stealing unless they acted on it. Evan switched his focus, pulling his connection to the Vision away and locating the probe that had deviated toward the anomaly. Alex’s attention was still on the screen, even though the probes had long since vanished into the nebula. The general atmosphere of the bridge was one of tense anticipation, so he knew no one would bother wondering what he was doing.

It was the longest twenty minutes he could remember. When the data stream finally returned, Evan was careful not to interfere with it as he diverted a copy of the burst and sent it to a file he could access later. The whole affair took seconds, so he tried to establish contact with the other probe while it was still transmitting.

“Something’s wrong.”

Alex turned away from the screen, looking down at Evan. “What?”

Out of habit, Evan copied the data stream he’d located even while he was trying to figure out just what exactly it was that had him on edge. In a flash, he scanned ahead, pushing past the data burst to locate its source. What he found didn’t make sense. “His probe just self-destructed.”

Alex stepped forward, glaring down at Evan. “I told you not to –”

There was a strangely familiar feel to the end of the transmission. “It sent a coded message to the Vision.” Evan pulled his thoughts away from the probe data and looked up at Alex. “It will send the engines to critical!”

“What?” Alex stared at him in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Just like our probe, only this is set to destroy them!” Evan could have pulled up the command on their screen as proof, but there wasn’t time. Alex blinked once, then acted, running to the communications terminal himself.

“Franklin, you’re in danger!” Alex shouted into the com.

“Nice try, Marcase.” Franklin’s face suddenly filled the screen, smiling at him from the bridge of the Vision. He laughed lightly and glanced around him at the smiling faces of his own bridge crew.

“I’m serious, dammit! That probe you launched is sending back a command data burst just like the one that sabotaged mine!”

“He doesn’t believe you.” Evan came up beside Alex. “There’s no time.”

“Get out of there! Get to your life pods!”

“Don’t be –”

Someone beside Franklin swore suddenly, then everyone heard an explosion.

“Get out of there!” Alex’s shout went unheard. On the screen, panic ensued as Captain Franklin called out orders over the din of further explosions. He turned back to the screen, staring at Alex. As his mouth opened to speak, the screen went black. Over the speakers, they heard a burst of static, then nothing. “My God.” Alex turned suddenly, shouting at his crew. “Turn us around, now! There have to be survivors, I want every sensor trained on their location looking for life pods!”

The bridge of the Ascalon became a flurry of activity as Alex’s orders were acknowledged and acted upon. Evan knew the only thing he could do was stand beside his Keeper and wait to be needed, but he felt helpless. Right now, Alex was the captain of a ship in a desperate attempt to rescue survivors. He had his command experience to lean into and use as a shield, and he was doing an admirable job of it. But sooner or later, survivors or not, the need for action would end. All Evan could do was wait.

Someone amid the ordered chaos on the bridge thought to bring up the view on the screen. Movement stopped for a moment as they all looked up, staring in morbid fascination at the bright spec of light and debris still flowering out into space.

Alex’s voice was barely a whisper, heard only by Evan as the two of them stood side by side, looking at the scene. “My God.”

Next Chapter

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