Neal stood in the bottom of the deep shaft and watched as MacHardy wrenched the new drill bits into place on the massive drill. MacHardy’s muscles were nearly as large as the steel piping of the drill press.

“Wahl, I thenk ya for the new bits, you youn’ yahoos,” said MacHardy.

He spoke in the thick dialect of the Ol Myners, the first settlers to land and begin mining in the asteroid belt. He had thick curly red hair and a face like the front of a freighter, but his blue eyes beamed with a good-naturedness that was hard to resist.

“When ya see youn’ Grummel me lad,” he said, “Tell ‘im to mind about his schoolin and if he daren’t i’ll lay a strop onsto him tonight.”

Neal winced at the thought of MacHardy laying a strap across anyone’s behind. But on the other hand, Grummel, seventeen-years old as he was, might not feel anything lesser. Hanna liked to call Grummel “the friendly giant,” a boy even more massive than his father.

But while MacHardy was graceful in his mighty movements, Grummel was bumbling and awkward. Neal remembered a time last year when Grummel had been altogether banned from eating with the others for a week because he had accidentally knocked over the dining room table (for the fourth time).

“Now get on back, ya lazy scallies,” MacHardy said, waving his greasy great hand at Neal and Hanna. “I know you’re jus tryin’ to dodge your schoolin.”

“All right,” said Hanna. “We’ll go. But that means we won’t be able to tell you about the strange forty-year old lady with red hair who landed on the aster’ today.”

“Whoa, then!” said MacHardy, turning. MacHardy was a widower of several years and besides liked a good tale. “Wait jus’ a minute!”
“No,” said Hanna, sadly shaking her black mass of curly hair. “We’ve got to go. Our “schoolin” is waiting for us and we can’t be lazy…”

MacHardy grabbed them both with his great hands, probably leaving an oily grease print on them each. “You young scallies ain’t movin’ ’til you fess up to the tale.”

Neal and Hanna retold their meeting of the stranger woman, racking their brains for every small detail that could drag out the story. MacHardy listened with an earnest and simple fascination.

“Well, I’ll be jiggered…” he would put in from time to time. When at last they had said everything they could think of to say, Neal and Hanna reluctantly said goodbye to MacHardy and remounted their komodos, who were laying on the dirt lazily soaking under a bright floodlight nearby.

Cinching the harness handles in each hand, Neal went first, hissing and clicking at his ride until it got up and waddled to the base of the mine shaft up to the surface. The lizard stood up on his hind legs, balanced on its tail, and then pushed off, floating up the long shaft, occasionally clawing the sides of the shaft to maintain its direction. At the top of the shaft it stuck both legs out to grasp the sides and clambered carefully over the edge.

Neal turned a button on the suit behind the lizards head to adjust electromagnets on the bottom of the lizards suit. When turned on, these were attracted to the iron and metal core of the asteroid, and provided the only real gravity to be had outside the base. On a low setting it gave a slight tug to the lizard that kept it near the asteroid surface but did not weigh it down unnecessarily.

For short distances humans could adjust their own magnet-boot settings and jump their own way to their destination. But the komodo dragons were favored by small independent miner groups for their agility in clinging and racing on the asteroid surface. And komodos have a very low metabolic rate and could be fed as rarely as once a month to supply their energy and growth needs.

Hanna and her lizard crawled over the side of the shaft a moment later. Hanna adjusted her lizards weight setting and gazed down the long slope.

It was seventeen miles back to the home base on the “underside” of the asteroid, nestled in a deep indented saddle of the asteroid, safer there from the meteorite strikes that occasionally slammed into Eros. The base itself, named Providence, was two hundred feet under the surface anyway, with a cavern hangar for smaller space craft and a centrifugal living area.

The living area was a large cylinder that spun underground in the near weightlessness of the asteroid, generating gravity pull to the inside walls of the cylinder. Chairs and beds were bolted to the inside wall of this large cylinder, and the fifty or so people of Eros could walk around in gravity half of Earth’s own. In this gravity, water could be poured, tables set, and bodies lay comfortably on soft beds. But further, this gravity developed the bone and muscle strength of the inhabitants of Providence to protect them from atrophying.

Some of the earliest asteroid settlers had neglected gravity arrangements, and after decades their bones and muscles had weakened so much that many died when exposed to greater gravity. A few such old timers still lived on Eros, living together in a furnished cave near the main Providence base. They weren’t able to enter the Providence cylinder when it was turned on, but occasionally the community would turn off the cylinder and welcome the fragile old-timers in for a community celebration or an evening party.

Neal tugged at his gray lock-suit and looked left at Hanna. She stared back at him, holding his gaze for several seconds. Neal felt himself tensing up like a rubber band. Suddenly they both leaned forward on their lizards and hissed like tea-kettles. Both komodos jumped forward, paddling their legs comically but effectively along the planetoid’s surface, large toes clasping rocks and claws catching on the gravel to propel forward like skittering torpedoes over the asteroid’s turning surface. Out of the corner of Neal’s eye he saw Jupiter hanging above them now. Its red eye glared down on the asteroid from a distance of only two million miles.

The 17-mile trip back to Providence on the other side of the asteroid would normally take an hour and a half — Neal figured he and Hanna would get there in thirty minutes at their reckless pace. Flashing over gravel and past boulders, Neal saw ahead a large crater probably half a mile in diameter. He looked to his left and saw Hanna skimming along towards it on her lizard.

The huge crater loomed in front of him. Stars swung overhead as Neal yanked his lizard down over the edge and to the right to run along the inside wall of the crater. On her lizard, Hanna reached the edge of the half-mile crater and simply leaped forward off the steep cliff, her lizard waving its legs pathetically as it flew high over the deep crater floor. They sank slowly into the crater despite their forward momentum. As he flew along the inside wall of the crater Neal held his breath, watching Hanna nose dive across the expanse toward the opposite wall of the crater. The jump was risky and bold and could easily break bones if they bit it. Not that that would ever stop Hanna.

“Oy va voy!” shouted Hanna over the radio. She kicked her legs down, forcing the lizards legs to drift downwards, splayed out like a frog’s. Then as the perpendicular lizard flew belly first toward the approaching crater wall, she pulled her own legs up to meet the wall. As they slammed against the wall, her legs flexed to slow the collision. A thump of dust blew out into the canyon and blocked Neal’s view.

 

(Copyright 2009, Daniel Routh)

Shortly before sunset Starman Alice Montaine walked into a small cafe with her mother and older sister. The restaurant they had chosen to dine at that evening was Freeman’s, an older establishment that was well-known for its fine cuisine. The Montaine family had been there many times over the past twenty years; the food was excellent and the establishment was only a few blocks from their apartment.

Tonight they had chosen to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful evening. The rain the weather forecaster had promised never materialized, and the evening was warm and pleasant. An Ahmanyan waitress seated the party of three and then left to get their drinks.

“So how has everything been going, Mom?” Alice asked.

“Oh, just fine, dear,” her mother replied. Isabella Montaine put her purse under her seat and then picked up her menu. “You know, I think I’ll have the shrimp scampi tonight. They do have such excellent shrimp.”

“They don’t serve shrimp here,” Amanda said. “This is Ahmanya. The only planet that has shrimp is Earth.”

“Oh, that’s right,” her mom said. “Pardon me. It’s been so long since I’ve been here that I had forgotten. We almost never go out to dinner anymore.”

“I’ve been busy,” Alice said, defending herself. “Besides, I don’t see Dad anywhere.”

Amanda kicked her sister under the table. “So, um, tell me, sis. How did your meeting go this morning?”

Her mother looked up from her menu. “You had a meeting today? How exciting! It was with one of your friends, I suppose?”

Amanda shook her head. “It was with Caedmon Starlight, mother. We talked about a planet I just discovered.”

“That’s nice, dear. I saw in the news just the other day where another one of your Starman friends discovered a planet. I think this one had rings or something. You Starmen do seem to stay pretty busy! Always way out there, far away, doing things.”

“Somebody has to do it,” Alice replied. “There are a lot of dangers out in deep space. I’d rather fight them on their home planet than let them invade Eagle City and fight them here.”

“It’s been a long time since Eagle City was invaded,” her mother pointed out. She set her menu down and looked around for their waitress. “That Zip Foster made short work of the last guy that invaded our home. He was really something.”

“You’re all really something,” Amanda said. “I for one can’t believe I have a Starman as a sister! It’s like being related to David Livingston. I imagine you hacking your way through the jungles with a machete, keeping an eye out for alien headhunters. That’s got to be amazing.”

Alice laughed. “Fortunately it’s usually not that exciting. I’m very fond of my head. I hope to keep it for many years to come.”

A minute later their waitress returned to their table and set down their drinks. After taking their orders she gathered up the menus and left.

“So tell me a little more about what you’ve been doing,” Amanda said. “You told me this morning that you discovered a lost planet of the First Races. What is the significance of that?”

Amanda sighed. “It’s kind of complicated. The short version is that I believe the planet contains the weapon that the Lucians used to defeat the First Races. I think that someone else is after that weapon and I’m trying to stop them from getting it. If that weapon falls into the wrong hands – ”

“- then we’ll be in a lot of trouble,” Amanda replied. “Man. That does sound important.”

“What did Caedmon Starlight have to say about it?” her mother asked. “Is he going to send all the king’s horses and all the king’s men to take care of it? I suppose you would feel better then, wouldn’t you, dear?”

Alice hesitated. “Well, he’s not going to do anything just yet. He thinks I should do a little more research before he asks King Izmaka for permission to use Tharsos.”

“You wanted to use Tharsos?” Amanda asked. “Wow. What did you want to use it for?”

“To battle aliens, of course,” her mom replied dismissively. “Or maybe it was ghosts. But fortunately Caedmon is a wise man. I always did like him! He’s just like his father Richard – he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He was never one to be frightened by imaginary monsters.”

Alice sighed. Please let this dinner be over soon, she muttered. This was such a mistake. I’ve got to start coming home less often.

* * * * *

Late that night Alice left the restaurant and headed back to the spaceport. This has just not been my day. But I guess there’s always tomorrow. Well, unless someone comes along and eats tomorrow for breakfast. That’s always a possibility.

After taking the subway back to the spaceport she decided to walk to her starship instead of taking one of the speedy electric vehicles. Alice loved taking long walks in the warm Ahmanyan evenings and wanted to enjoy it as long as possible. When she at last made it to her ship’s parking space, however, she was treated with a rude surprise.

“Rachel!” she screamed. “What have they done to you?”

A holographic figure materialized in front of Alice. “Is there a problem?” Rachel asked.

“A problem!” Alice shrieked. “I’ll say there’s a problem! Your hull plating has been dismantled. Your engines are lying in pieces all over the ground! What happened to you?”

“I am simply undergoing routine maintenance,” Rachel explained calmly. “My hull has received a lot of damage over the past six years and it is time for an upgrade. The plating has been removed so it can be replaced with a much stronger, more durable alloy. And I am far overdue for an engine rebuild.”

“Oh my goodness,” Alice said. “This is awful. Just awful! And what happens if it rains? Your top three decks are all exposed to the weather!”

“I am quite capable of taking care of myself. In the event of inclement weather I can simply extend a force field to keep out the precipitation. It is not a problem.”

“But where is everybody? When I left this morning there was a small army of people here! It looks like they took you apart and then went home.”

Rachel nodded. “It is quite late, Alice. They put in their day’s work and went home to be with their families. You did not request a rush job so I saw no need to request overtime. I have seen their schedule and have no doubt they will be done by the first of November as promised.”

“I guess,” Alice said sourly. “But where are the security guards? Your parts are lying everywhere! What’s to stop someone from stealing them?”

“Once again, I am quite capable of taking care of myself. My weapon systems have not been dismantled. In the event that a prowler decides to steal me or my parts he will discover that I am not as defenseless as I look. I might remind you that in the past ten years no one has successfully stolen an AI-equipped starship. We are a breed apart.”

“I just don’t like this,” Alice said. “I can’t believe how lax the spaceport’s security is! I want to see some human guards out here, Rachel. What happens if all the computers get disabled? You’ve got enough armaments to wipe out a continent and yet apparently no one sees anything wrong with leaving you unguarded. Have we all lost our minds? Have we become senile in our old age?”

“Is there a problem?” Rachel asked. “You are not your usual jovial self. Did your meeting with Caedmon not go well?”

Alice sighed. “No, it didn’t go well. In fact it was a total disaster. No one believes that there are evil things lurking in the dark places of space. Nobody thinks that we just might be in terrible danger. No one sees any need to prepare for the worst. It’s up to me to save these people from themselves and I have no idea how I’m going to do it.”

“So Caedmon Starlight did not grant you permission to use Tharsos, then,” Rachel replied.

“No, he did not,” Alice growled. “And it looks like I won’t be using you, either, for the next week. You’re in no shape to go anywhere. That is great. Just great. A perfect way to end a perfect day.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Rachel asked.

Alice looked at the Raptor in frustration. She started to say something, but then changed her mind. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know anything right now. What I really need to do is get some sleep but my living quarters are in pieces.”

“There are intact rooms on the lower decks,” Rachel pointed out.

“Forget it. They’ll probably be dismantled tomorrow anyway. I’ll just find somewhere else to stay until you get put together again. Then we’ll head out to Lemura and do whatever needs to be done.”

“Very good,” Rachel replied.

“No, it’s not very good,” Alice said. “But it’s all we’ve got right now.”

* * * * *

Alice got in touch with the Ahmanyan branch of Starlight Enterprise and explained that her ship was undergoing maintenance and she had no place to live. They provided her with an apartment in downtown Eagle City and told her that she could stay there as long as she needed. For the next two days she sat in the apartment, trying to come up with a plan. On the third day she went out, borrowed some computer equipment from Starlight Enterprise, and set up a small lab in her living room.

Two days later she was ready. Alice made her way to the capitol building in Eagle City and went up to the third floor. At precisely ten o’clock in the morning she entered mayor’s office. The secretary looked up at her as she entered the room.

“May I help you?” the young man asked.

“I have an appointment to see Mayor Seaton,” Alice explained.

“Of course. Your name, please?”

“Starman Alice Montaine.”

The young man scanned the holoscreen in front of him. “I see you are right on time, ma’am. Please go on in! The mayor is expecting you.”

Alice smiled and walked through the double-doors behind the secretary’s desk. Inside was the small, comfortable office the mayor. Starman Mark Seaton had been the mayor of Eagle City for the past ten years, and was now in his third and final term. After the fall of the Xenobots Mark had dedicated his life to working with the Ahmanyans and rebuilding their shattered home. He was highly respected by everyone that knew him and had forged close ties with the Ahmanyan people. Mark was nearly eighty years old, but he was still as sharp and alert as he had ever been. Under his leadership Eagle City had flourished.

When Alice walked into the room she saw that the mayor was not seated at his desk. The back wall of his office was a solid piece of glass, and Mark was standing in front of that window gazing down upon the city below. The mayor turned around when he heard Alice enter, and his face lit up in a warm smile when he saw her uniform.

“You must be Starman Montaine!” he said. He quickly walked over and shook her hand, and then offered her a seat. “I hope you don’t mind if I stand. I never was one to sit down when there was work that needed to be done.”

“Um, not at all, sir,” Alice said. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I know you are a busy man.”

“Not at all,” Mark said graciously. “I’ve heard a lot about you lately, Miss Montaine. Caedmon tells me you’ve been doing some first-class research! I’m quite interested in this new planet you just discovered.”

Alice’s eyes widened. “I had no idea you were familiar with my work! I’m really not well-known, sir.”

Mark laughed. “I may not explore the galaxy the way I used to, but I’m still a Starman and I try to keep tabs on what my fellow Starmen are doing. The discoveries you’ve made on Lemura are going to rewrite a lot of history books. I can only imagine what Joe’s response is going to be when he gets your report.”

Alice blushed. “Well, thank you, sir. That is partly why I wanted to see you. I’m a bit concerned about the implications of my discovery.”

“You said you wanted to see me about security,” Mark said slowly. “I’m guessing this has something to do with the Eight Treasures?”

“That’s part of it,” Alice agreed. “As you know, in the Ahmanyan Museum of Natural History are all eight of the famous Eight Treasures. Now, I understand that they are thousands of years old and are great relics of the Ahmanyan past. I also understand how generous it was for the Ahmanyans to loan them to a museum right here in Eagle City. But somebody out there is trying to break their way into that chamber on Lemura. Do you know what they could do with the knowledge hidden inside those relics?”

“You’re concerned about the Third Treasure – the sum total of all Ahmanyan scientific knowledge,” Mark said.

“Exactly. The entire wealth of Ahmanyan knowledge is contained within that small device. Do you know what kind of dangerous secrets that includes? If ever there was a tool to use to get inside that chamber that would be it. And it’s laying right out in the open.”

“You know, it has been there for more than a decade now and so far no one has even tried to take it. The Ahmanyans have put a lot of effort into guarding it. It would not be an easy thing to steal.”

“But things are different now,” Alice pointed out. “Somebody – some shadowy being that has eluded our every attempt to locate – knows what is in that chamber. Somebody is trying to find a way in. And that Third Treasure is immensely famous. It defies belief to think that he’s not going to try to steal it. It would be the perfect tool.”

“I don’t disagree,” Mark said. “You make a good case. So what are you suggesting?”

“Well,” Alice said slowly, “I don’t mean to nitpick, but security in Eagle City is not very tight. I had to hound the spaceport’s chief of security for two days before he agreed to post armed, human guards around the Raptor. He just didn’t see a need – he thought the electronic security systems were enough to protect her.”

“I heard about that,” Mark replied, grinning. “You were right, by the way. We’ve come to depend far too much on technology. It’s easy to get comfortable when there are no apparent signs of danger.”

“Exactly. So what I’d like to do is perform a security audit at the museum. I’d like to make sure that the Third Treasure really is secure. And it might also be nice to check the rest of the infrastructure in this city – the power plants, the communication centers, and so forth.”

“You believe a war is coming and that we’re not ready to fight,” Mark said.

“That’s exactly what I believe,” Alice agreed. “If a threat like the Xenobots were to invade this planet today can you honestly tell me we would be ready?”

Mark said nothing as he turned around and faced the window. He looked out over the city below. Far below he saw vehicles driving in the streets, and tiny figures going about their lives. A troubled look appeared on his face. “I’ll let the appropriate personnel know that you’re coming,” he said at last. “As a Starman you already have all the security clearance you need, but I’ll make sure you get cooperation as well. How long do you think the audit will take?”

“Give me three days, sir. On the third day I’ll come back and let you know what I have found.”

“Would you be willing to come to my house and have dinner with me that evening, maybe around seven?” Mark asked. “My wife Stenafi is an excellent cook. I think I can promise you a relaxing night of fine cuisine.”

Alice smiled. “It would be an honor, sir. Speaking of your family, how is your daughter doing?”

Mark smiled. “Dianda is doing well. Did you know that she is now a professor at Starlight Academy? She’s teaching a class on Ahmanyan culture and language.”

“She must have started teaching after I graduated!” Alice remarked. “I would have loved to have had her as a professor.”

Alice said goodbye to the mayor and left his office, feeling very satisfied. I’ve got three days, she thought to herself. I can do this!

* * * * *

That afternoon she made her way to the Ahmanyan Museum of Natural History, where she was quickly ushered into the security office. A middle-aged gentleman dressed in a neat black suit was there to greet her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mountain!” the man said. “My name is Ralph Paddington. I’m the head of security here at the museum. It’s quite a job, to be sure, but there’s nothing else like it!”

“The name is Montaine,” Alice said. “Not mountain. There’s a big difference.”

“Right – my apologies.” Ralph waved his arm around, and Alice noticed that a bewildering array of holoscreens were crowded into every nook and cranny of the room. “As you can see, our quarters here are a bit tight but we’ve spared no expense! The mayor told me you would be by to check on things, and I can assure you that you will find everything up to par! We run a tight ship here, Miss Mountain.”

“That’s Starman to you,” Alice said, slightly irritated. “Do you see the red suit? And the logo printed on the sleeve? I’m not just another random security consultant. I’m here to make sure you don’t inadvertently help someone destroy all of mankind.”

“Right,” Ralph said, nodding. “Good call. So let me explain what we’ve got going on here.”

“I have a much better idea,” Alice interrupted. “Why don’t you let me tell you what is going on.” She took a small silver disc out of her pocket, walked over to a nearby computer, and slid it inside.

“What are you doing?” Ralph asked in alarm. “Is that safe? Are you sure you should be doing that? I haven’t authorized that piece of equipment! I can’t be held liable for this.”

Alice held up a hand and motioned for the guard to be quiet. “That disc is a little piece of hardware that I put together. It is going to analyze your systems and tell me if they’re any good.”

“How can it possibly know?” Ralph asked. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Alice sighed. “You do realize that Starlight Enterprise has an entire division dedicated to artificial intelligence, don’t you? They are quite good at this sort of thing. It will take Bob just a few moments to analyze your systems and form a conclusion.”

“Who’s Bob?”

“The name of the AI subprogram I’m using, of course,” Alice explained. “Now stop fidgeting. It looks like he’s already started work.”

Alice motioned to one of the holoscreens, where a small window had appeared. As the information in the window changed Alice explained to Ralph what portion of their system the AI program was currently analyzing. After an hour’s work Alice removed the disc and placed it back into her pocket.

Ralph was enthusiastic. “I don’t know how you do it, miss, but that was fantastic! Bob proved exactly what I was telling you. Every square inch of this museum is covered! You can’t beam in, sneak in, or drive in. In particular, the security around the Third Treasure is remarkable. Just remarkable! You can’t even get near that room without setting off a half-dozen alarms. By the time you even got close you would be caught. And when it comes to trying to get it out of that case, well, you’ve got your work cut out for you! That case is made of solid, transparent atomeron. It is scientifically impossible to break that substance! You’ve got to beam it out, and no transporter can beam anything in and out of the museum grounds. We’ve got a jammer that can stop anything. Anything! I guarantee it.”

Alice sighed. “Atomeron is not completely impregnable, just difficult. But you’re missing the point. This is the same situation I found at the spaceport. Were all of you guys trained at the same school or something? Tell me. What happens if your computer systems go down?”

“Computer systems can go down?” Ralph asked in amazement. “Are you serious? When has that ever happened?”

Alice sighed. “You are using computers to monitor your hallways, your video feeds, and your alarms. You’re even using computers to call the police and immobilize the thief! If something ever happened to your computers then it’s all over. Anyone could walk in here and rob you blind and you wouldn’t know the difference.”

“But that’s impossible!” Ralph protested. “How could that happen?”

“In a million different ways,” Alice said. “They could be blown up. Or hit with some sort of electromagnetic weapon that fried their circuits. Or the power could fail. Or anything. It’s happened before, you know.”

“Huh,” Ralph said. “I never thought of that. Maybe you’ve got something there, Miss Mountain.”

“I’ll let you give it some thought,” Alice said wearily. “I’ve got three more places to audit, and I bet I know what I’ll find. I’ll be in touch.”

With that, she bade the guard goodbye and headed out the door.

* * * * *

Over the next two days Alice performed the same security audit at the Eagle City power station, the city’s primary communications center, and the city’s military installation. At each location the AI program she had written analyzed their systems and found the same basic weakness – a total dependence upon computer hardware to provide security. The only group that would not be completely defenseless in the event of a failure was the military, and even they would be operating completely blind.

Alice spent the morning of the third day writing her report. She turned it in to the mayor’s office at noon that day, and that evening she went to his residence. The Seaton family lived in a large, rambling home on the outskirts of Eagle City. The estate was a comfortable one that looked much like the others in the neighborhood. There was nothing remarkable that made it obvious a Starman lived there. As Mark personally greeted her at the door and ushered her inside she could easily believe that the house had been lived in for a generation and thoroughly enjoyed. It just feels comfortable in here, Alice thought, as she took a seat in the spacious den. A fire gently burned in the fireplace, bathing the room in a soft orange glow. Mark and Alice were soon deep in conversation. I like it here. It’s not at all stuffy. Mark really seems like just a regular guy.

“I really want to thank you for putting together that report,” Mark was saying. “I’ve done some homework of my own and can confirm that what you found is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve become very dependent upon machines for just about everything. They are our weak point.”

“Please don’t misunderstand me,” Alice said. “Technology can be a great thing. But as a society we’ve set ourselves up for some real problems. It wouldn’t take very much for someone with skill and a little knowledge to bring everything crashing down.”

“But it won’t be that way for long,” Mark promised. “I’ve already called a meeting next week. I’m going to personally see to it that we take steps to protect ourselves. History is not going to repeat itself this time.”

Stenafi Seaton, Mark’s wife, stepped into the den. She was an Ahmanyan, and had been Mark’s wife for four decades. Alice had never met the tall, graceful woman before and was immediately impressed. She has such an unusual combination of grace and strength, she thought. I can see why she would be a good match for Mark.

“Yes, my love?” Mark asked.

“Dinner is ready,” she replied simply.

“Then we won’t keep you waiting,” Mark said. He led Alice to the dining room, where the three of them sat at the table.

Alice was impressed at the array of food that was in front of her. She saw a variety of Ahmanyan vegetables, all tastefully prepared, and something she did not expect to see – freshly baked bread. Alice had learned from experience that baking good bread was almost impossible in the gravity and atmospheric conditions of Ahmanya, and was impressed that Stenafi had mastered that skill. “Excuse me, ma’am, but am I to understand that you cooked all of this yourself?”

“It is something I enjoy doing,” Stenafi said quietly.

“When she’s not battling aliens,” Mark teased. “You should see her in battle. She is quite formidable.”

Stenafi smiled at her husband. Alice had heard stories about the mayor’s wife and had no trouble believing that she could be a formidable opponent. Alice opened her mouth to say something when she suddenly heard a noise in the distance.

Mark immediately froze. “Did anyone else hear that?”

“I did,” Alice said. “It sounded like – ”

At that moment the power went out. The room became completely dark.

“- an explosion,” Stenafi finished.

A lumbering asteroid turned slowly in the light of the distant sun. Twenty miles long and eight miles wide, it floated in the great blackness of space like a lost rock. One end of it humped upwards like a thumb.

It was towards a crater on this thumb that a small spacecraft fell quietly, drifting down with perfect grace into the crater and vanishing from sight. All was silent then on this edge of the asteroid, silent as it had been for so many millenia before in the ponderous stillness of space. An hour passed, and then a figure in a red suit struggled above the edge of the crater and out to stand, panting. The person looked down the steep slope of the asteroids’ giant thumb at two distant struggling figures and stood waiting.

After a moment the figure lifted a small screen scanner to its black glass helmet and zoomed in on the approaching figures. They appeared to be two suited miners riding on the backs of two strange lizard-like shapes. The distant riders were laying forward on the backs of the lizard shapes and rushing up the slope of the asteroid in skittering charges.

* * *

“You great cheating shmuck!” shouted Hanna, clutching the side straps on her lizard’s harness as she slid sideways and down into a small crater. “By Abraham, you will pay for pushing me!” She screamed with laughter as she tumbled off her komodo dragon and lay floating on her back, holding the lizard by one strap of his harness.

The great lizard was puffing with exertion and its face plate was fogging slightly. Only its claws protruded from its red suit harness. The claws were wicked, long sharp things that were now digging into the loose gravel of the asteroid’s surface, holding it and her to the wall of the crater. The lizard stood licking out his yellow tongue in the glass bubble of his helmet and eyeing Hanna.

Pulling herself back up and onto her lizard, she looked up. On top of the crater Neal had stopped his lizard to look down at her and smirk happily. Hanna urged her lizard forward with a loud hiss between her teeth, causing the komodo dragon to skitter its powerful legs up the wall at a frantic rate. Her lizard reached over the edge of the crater and pulled itself lightly out, one claw stuck into the gravel as the rest of it gyrated slowly in the near weightlessness of the asteroid. As it pulled itself back down onto all four legs, Neal made a mocking gesture at Hanna and leaned forward on his dragon.

Laughing wildly, Hanna adjusted her grip more tightly on her dragon’s harness and hissed loudly over her radio to it. It began paddling its legs forward at an amazing rate, its claws clinging to the rocks and gravel as it surged forward, waggling its powerful tail behind it and knocking up dust, which floated up lazily into space. The large lizard seemed to sense the urgency of its rider, for it didn’t slow as it came up even with Neal on his suited komodo, but pulled itself slightly ahead. Hanna turned her head in her helmet and looked past her wild black curly hair back at Neal, who was grinning and urging his “steed” with small hisses.

Suddenly Hanna made a loud clucking sound with her tongue. Her komodo swung his head to the left in his helmet to look behind, planted its feet and snapped his tail at Neal. The thick tail caught Neal right across the chest and sent him tumbling off his dragon, head over heels above the gravel ground of the asteroid. He scrambled helplessly for a hold, but he was floating too far off the ground and only managed an awkward slow-motion somersault above the ground as he spun farther away and higher into space. After fumbling a few long moments he flipped open a box on the back of his left wrist and pushed a button on his boot electromagnets. His legs suddenly swung down towards the asteroid and his boots pulled down to the ground. He flexed his legs and landed. Then he began lifting his boots awkwardly step by step to make the long walk back towards Hanna and the two panting komodo dragons.

Hanna waved her hand at his distant figure.

“Told you!” she called. “God rewards the righteous!”

“God shows mercy to the wicked,” Neal shot back over the mic. “And that’s why I’m going to be merciful to you.”

“Merciful to me?” she said, laughing wickedly. “You can be “merciful” to me when you CATCH me.”

She turned her head forward, hissed, and shot skittering forward on her komodo up the slope and was soon out of sight over the top of the ridge.

* * *

The twenty-mile long asteroid turned slowly, unceasingly, until the great king of planets, Jupiter came into view. It was large enough to fill half the star-packed sky. Its great red spot stared like a malevolent eye up at the asteroid. The asteroid ignored the red giant and kept turning, dancing quietly to a song only it knew.

* * *

Hanna rode for several minutes, checking the screen on the back of her left wrist occasionally to measure her distance from Post 3 and adjust her course. Neal and Hanna were being sent to Post 3 to deliver spare drill bits to the team there. Hanna approached a large crater and directed her komodo to skirt around the edge. As she passed a large boulder, a figure in a red suit suddenly jumped out in front of her.

Neal heard a scream piercing his radio headset. “Hanna!” he shouted. He had just started up the steep slope, several minutes behind Hanna. His blue eyes stared up the slope in alarm, his brown hair sticking up in all directions inside his helmet as he looked right and left for a sign of her. “Hssssssssss clock clock clock!” he said to his komodo dragon, an emergency sound. The suited lizard seemed to become a mass of panicked skitters as it hurried forward across the slope, which was slowly turning toward the great red planet far below.

At Hanna’s scream her komodo had stopped in its tracks, its claws dug into the ground. For the second time that day Hanna had lost her seat, flying head over heels towards the red figure. It caught her and held her to the ground. Hanna struggled and kicked, one kick connecting squarely with the figure’s stomach and sending it flying back into a boulder. Hanna turned a graceful jump in the air that put her beside her komodo and with a quick pull she pulled herself onto it.

The figure in red came running back again from the boulder, waving its arms. Suddenly it stopped, holding its arms up as though Hanna had a gun aimed at it. Cautiously it lowered one hand to a knob below its helmet. Hanna backed the large lizard back a step. The figure’s black texaglass helmet seemed to lighten, its dark tinting dissolving into clear glasslike material. Hanna sat staring on her lizard, her mouth open.

The figure wearing bright red was a woman. Her hair was also dyed a bright red and hung limply down the sides of her head. Her face was worn with wrinkles, though she was only perhaps forty years old. But in her green eyes and the upward tilt of her lips something shone out at Hanna, a sort of powerful joy.

Hanna stared at her a moment, mesmerized, then remembered herself. She held up two fingers, then four, then one. The woman nodded and adjusted some numbers on the screen behind her left wrist.

“Roger, echo five, hello,” said Hanna. “Roger, echo five, hello.”

“Hi there!” the woman said.

“Hanna!” interjected Neal over the radio. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve got a visitor,” said Hanna. “She scared me when she stepped out.”

“She?” said Neal. The asteroid belt was known for its high male concentration.

“Yes, she,” Hanna said. “But I think you’re a little too young for her….” Hanna heard a murmur of indignation.

The woman took a step toward Hanna and her komodo.

“Amazing! I’ve never actually seen one of these komodo dragons before. I thought no one still used…those.”

Hanna patted the lizard beneath her. “Independents do. A lot cheaper than paying out the goyim prices for land scooters. And land scooters take more biofuel than a lizard eats in a lifetime.”

She studied the woman. “How did you get here?”

The woman broke into a huge beautiful smile. “I just landed, praise God, right down there in that crater. Are you Jewish?”

Hanna tugged her large lizard toward the edge of the canyon and looked down.

“Yes,” she said. Far below, a small black spacecraft sat on the floor of the crater like a quiet beetle.

“Why did you come here?” Hanna asking, turning back.

The woman stepped forward, careful not to avoid the lizards claws, and touched Hanna’s suited arm.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But God told me in a dream that I should come here. To Eros.”

“God?” said Hanna, looking more closely at the woman.

She caught a movement in the corner of her eye and saw Neal rushing around some boulders on his lizard. He pulled to a stop near them and stepped off, staring at the woman.

She looked back at him earnestly. “You are a follower of Jesus,” she said, raising her suited arms.

Neal stared at her. “Yes,” he said. “How do you know?”

“I saw you in a dream,” she replied, and turned to Hanna. “Is there anywhere I can park my ship properly? I didn’t see a base signal. So I scanned for life signs and found you two.”

“We try to keep a low profile,” said Hanna, “in case of unwelcome visitors.”

“Am I unwelcome?” the woman asked, suddenly looking tired.

Hanna took a step closer, grabbed both of the woman’s hands in hers in the way asteroid miners have, and stared the woman in the eyes. She considered a moment, searching the wrinkled face and kind eyes.

“No,” she said. “You are welcome. Fly around to the other side of Eros and I’ll radio someone to light’ your way to the base.”

“Thank you,” said the woman. She gave Hanna a clumsy hug and waved to Neal. “See you later, Neal,” she said. “Oh, hallelujah! God is sooo good!”

She turned and pushed herself off the crater ledge to float down towards her ship far below.

Neal switched his radio to private communication.

“She knew my name,” he said. “Did you tell her?”

“No,” said Hanna. She looked thoughtful. “Maybe she knows your granddad from somewhere and heard about you. Anyway, don’t be a grumpy puss. You can ask her more tonight at the Meal.”

Neal scowled. “I don’t like her,” he said.

“You don’t even know her!” Hanna said. She touched her radio button. “Providence, this is Dragon Two. I just sent a visitor your way in a small black spacecraft, a woman. Please light the way for her.”

“Dragon Two, this is Providence,” a man’s voice echoed back. “We’ll have the lights on.”

Their helmets beeped suddenly.

“This is Post 3, paging two yahoo’s,” said a voice in a thicker accent. “This is Post 3 paging two young and useless yahoo’s. Where in the comets are you two?”

“We’re on our way,” said Hanna, “There in ten minutes. At least I will be, I think Neal might be twenty.”

She gave Neal a push but failed dislodge him from his dragon.

Neal sighed and seemed to forget his mood. “Post 3, this is young and useful yahoo number one. Please be advised to have tissues ready for all the tears Yahoo Two will cry when she arrives second.”

“Roger thet, Young Yahoo One,” said the voice. “I’ll have my very own pink tissues out and ready for her.”

Neal turned to wink at Hanna but she was already gone in a cloud of dust.

Hi friends and readers of all shapes! 

My name is Daniel.  I’ve always wanted to be a writer. So I was easily goaded along by some friends (?) and my own desires to run the marathon of Nanowrimo and try writing a novel this month.  Yikes.  This is my first attempt at a novel.  I’m calling it DRAGONS AND STARS, and I’m aiming it towards Christian/Young Adult, but I hope it’s a fair enough story that anyone would enjoy reading it.

The main protagonists are two friends: a Reformed Protestant boy named Neal, and a practicing Jew named Hanna.    They are growing up on an asteroid in the asteroid belt, part of a colorful mining community.  In the story they will face danger from pirates and witness events that are hard to explain–and hard to fit into their preconceived ideas.

I appreciate what the non-profit organization sponsoring this challenge says to us writers:

“1) It’s okay to not know what you’re doing. Really. You’ve read a lot of novels, so you’re completely up to the challenge of writing one. If you feel more comfortable outlining your story ahead of time, do so. But it’s also fine to just wing it. Write every day, and a book-worthy story will appear, even if you’re not sure what that story might be right now.

“2) Do not edit as you go. Editing is for December. Think of November as an experiment in pure output. Even if it’s hard at first, leave ugly prose and poorly written passages on the page to be cleaned up later. Your inner editor will be very grumpy about this, but your inner editor is a nitpicky jerk who foolishly believes that it is possible to write a brilliant first draft if you write it slowly enough. It isn’t. Every book you’ve ever loved started out as a beautifully flawed first draft. In November, embrace imperfection and see where it takes you.”

 A special thanks to you, Jon, for  your encouragement and for offering your blog to post on.

And to the rest of you, thanks for reading, and you’re welcome to join me as I struggle to drop perfectionism and just produce the first draft of a book.

Daniel

At precisely seven o’clock Eagle City Time a gentle voice jarred Starman Alice Montaine awake. It took her a moment to realize that the female voice was actually Ahmanyan, and it took her another moment to realize it was being broadcast through the ship’s intercom system. The Raptor was still several thousand light-years from Ahmanya, but evidently the ship’s computer had been able to pick up a broadcast transmission from the planet.

“Good morning, citizens of Ahmanya! Today is October 23, 2205. The weather in Eagle City will be mostly sunny, with a slight chance of rain this afternoon. The high will be …”

Alice sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes, and yawned. “Hey, Rachel, what’s with that voice?”

“It is the morning wakeup call you requested,” the computer replied. “We are only an hour away from landing in Eagle City. You expressed a desire to be ready when I touched down but you showed no signs of waking up on your own. I therefore decided to intervene.”

“Efficient as always, I see,” Alice grumbled. “And at such an unearthly hour, too. If you ask me morning comes much too quickly these days. But how is it you happened to pick that particular station?”

“That broadcast is originating from the Eagle City Chronicle‘s primary broadcasting station. You worked there for six months before you were accepted at Starlight Academy. I thought you might enjoy the sounds of home.”

“Thanks,” Alice said appreciatively. “But I think at this hour what I’d enjoy even more is a little more sleep.”

Still grumbling, she quickly showered, put on her red Starman uniform, and then headed to the galley for a quick breakfast. Alice had been given the Raptor six years ago after she left Venus to begin her exploration of the outer reaches of the galaxy. During those six years Rachel had been her only companion, as she spent most of her time far beyond the reaches of even the most distant colony. Alice did not mind the solitude, but Rachel was constantly urging her to find someone to team up with. Her short blond hair, amber eyes, and tall stature made for an attractive picture, but Alice had always replied that she had better things to do with her time than get involved in romance. Rachel had only given up pestering her when Alice threatened to have her replaced with an electronic toaster.

Alice finally made it to the bridge a full hour after her unexpected wakeup call. She yawned as she settled into the captain’s chair and began studying the information displayed on the holoscreen.

“I’m tired,” she said.

“I am not surprised,” the computer replied. The holographic person projected by the ship’s computer looked at her and shook its head. “You have slept for only six hours over the past three days. I am surprised you can still function.”

“I didn’t have a choice!” Alice protested. “I had to get that report on my findings off to Starlight Enterprise as soon as possible. If I got there before my report did then my meeting would be pretty useless. Caedmon Starlight needs at least a little time to go over the data before I talk with him. I really should have sent it last week but I hadn’t finished my investigation yet.”

“I wish you would let me reschedule your appointment with him,” Rachel said gently. “I know he is a busy man but under the circumstances I do not think he would mind. It is not often that one of his Starmen come all the way to Luna to pay him a personal visit.”

Alice shook her head. “We don’t have the time, Rachel. You saw that third scar! Somebody else already knows what’s inside that chamber. If we don’t act now then we’re going to be in a world of hurt.”

“As you wish,” she replied.

Several minutes ticked by. Alice pulled up a task list on the holoscreen in front of her and frowned. “How are we doing on this checklist? Have you made all the necessary arrangements?”

“I believe so,” Rachel replied. The holographic figure walked over to the screen and began gesturing at the items on the list. “I have contacted Starlight Enterprise and explained that this ship is eighteen months overdue for its regularly scheduled maintenance. They have placed us at the top of their priority list. As soon as the ship lands at the David Foster Spaceport it will be handed over to a maintenance crew, which will begin the necessary repairs.”

Alice winced. “Has it really been that long?”

Rachel nodded. “They did request that we be more punctual next time, but I explained to them that exploring the unknown does not always go as planned. I have given them a complete list of all the systems that need their attention, and they promised me that they can have the ship repaired and restocked with supplies by the first of November.”

“Hmmm,” Alice muttered, frowning. She gently drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. “I mean, I know seven days is a fantastic turnaround time, but I don’t really want to wait that long to go back and take care of whatever is in that chamber. Still, I suppose it will take time to get everything together. There’s no sense in running off before we have all the supplies we need. So, all in all, I guess we can wait long enough to get fully prepared.”

“Indeed,” the computer replied.

“Did you talk to them about the transporter?” Alice asked. “Is there anything that can be done to extend its range?”

“I did mention that to Starlight Enterprise. They referred me to someone at Stryker Transportation, who promised to send a technician out to look at the unit. My hardware is still state-of-the-art but they believe that installing some new software might help cut down on the interference and extend the range.”

“I sure hope so,” Alice said fervently. “I hate making you land just so I can beam underground. I’d feel a lot better if we could do that from planetary orbit, far away from that awful city. Having you on the surface is a security risk I’d rather not take.”

Rachel looked confused. “I would like to point out that the planet is uninhabited. I have not been able to find any signs of danger.”

“Trust me on this – that planet is not safe. That’s why the next time we go back I want to bring an army with me. It never hurts to err on the side of caution.”

A moment later the Raptor dropped out of hyperspace. Alice noticed that the planet Ahmanya immediately filled the viewscreen at the front of the bridge. As tired as she was she couldn’t help smiling as she gazed at the blue and green world. It’s been too long since I’ve been home, she thought.

Fifty years ago that planet had been quite different. At that time it was still named Mars and was a a mostly dry, barren, inhospitable place. However, that began to change after the Xenobot menace was defeated. With their ancient enemy gone the planet’s original inhabitants came out of hiding and began restoring their home to its former glory. In 2170 Earth formally gave control over the planet to the Ahmanyan race. The aliens in turn gave control of the largest human settlement on the planet, Eagle City, back to mankind.

The arrangement had worked out well. Over the next thirty years the High King of Ahmanya had worked with the elected mayor of Eagle City to finish the terraformation process. Today that multi-generational project was complete. Once again vast forests and deep blue oceans dotted the planet’s surface. The once-lifeless corpse had become a vibrant jewel.

“It looks so different from that other planet,” Alice said aloud. “That place is all darkness and shadows and evil. There’s nothing the least bit warm or inviting about it.”

“When are you going to give it a name?” Rachel asked. “As its rightful discoverer you are authorized to name it.”

“That’s true,” Alice said slowly. “To be honest I have been giving it some thought. What would you think about naming it Lemura?”

“That would be from the Latin, meaning a planet of phantoms,” Rachel replied. “Given your unjustified superstitions about the desert lights you discovered I think that name would be highly appropriate. Would you like me to officially register the name?”

“If you don’t mind,” Alice said.

“Of course. But just out of curiosity, what if I did mind?”

“Then I’d make you do it anyway.”

“Oh,” Rachel replied. “Well, that is good to know.”

Alice looked out the viewscreen and watched as the Raptor left planetary orbit and flew toward Eagle City. The sprawling metropolis was located in a giant crater and was home to millions of people. From the air the city was a breathtaking sight. To Alice, however, it was much more than just another ultramodern city on another alien planet. It was her home.

It was not long before Rachel landed the Raptor in the David Foster Spaceport. After the starship had settled into its designated parking space she spoke up. “Several parties are requesting permission to come aboard.”

“I’ll go take care of it,” Alice replied. She got up out of her chair and walked over to the airlock. After opening the doors she stepped outside.

As Rachel had reported, a small group of uniformed personnel were patiently waiting for her. At the front of the group was a tall, thin man with dark hair and a ready smile. He extended his hand. “Starman Montaine, welcome back to Eagle City. My name is Donnie McGinnis. We’re from Starlight Enterprise and are here to perform the routine maintenance you requested.”

Alice smiled and shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! By all means, don’t let me get in your way. Go right ahead and do whatever you need to do. As you can see the Raptor is a little worse for wear. We’ve had a bit of excitement over the past few years.”

“So I’ve heard,” Donnie replied, grinning. “I promise we’ll take good care of your ship.” He motioned to the small army that was following him and they quickly filed into the airlock.

After they were gone Alice saw that that was still one more person left outside – a tall, red-headed person in his early 20’s. He was carrying a small black briefcase. “And you are?” Alice asked.

“My name is Farmer – Ben Farmer,” he said, approaching the Starman. He took out a holographic ID card and handed it to her. “I was sent here by Stryker Transportation to see about upgrading the software on your transporter. I’ve been told you would like to improve its performance.”

“That would be wonderful! Please go right in – Rachel will explain what’s been happening.”

“And Rachel is…?”

“Oh – sorry! She’s the ship’s computer.”

“Of course,” Ben replied. “My apologies. Not many ships have artificial intelligence. It’s a pretty expensive upgrade.”

“True, but oh is it ever useful out in deep space! I don’t know how I would get along without her.”

Ben nodded and went on inside the ship. After checking in with Rachel and making sure that everything was in order she flagged down an electric vehicle and took it to the main terminal. As she rode to the terminal she noticed that people around her were stopping what they were doing to glance in her direction. They’ve probably never seen a Starman before, she thought idly. There’s less than a thousand of us in the whole galaxy and we almost never come home.

Alice stood in the terminal for a minute while she tried to decide where to go next. When she checked the time she was surprised at how early it was. Why, it’s not even nine o’clock yet! It’s way too early to go to Amundsen City. I think I’ll go pay my sister a visit. I’ve got time.

The Starman walked downstairs and over to the nearest subway station, which she rode to the heart of Eagle City. Once there she got off at the Goddard Road station, walked back up to the surface, and briskly jogged down the street.

As the morning broadcast had predicted, today was a beautiful day. The sun shone brilliantly overhead, illuminating a deep blue sky. The streets of the city were bustling with activity. Everywhere Alice looked she could see crowds of humans and Ahmanyans going about their business. The sight brought back many memories. Alice had been born in Eagle City and spent her whole life there before going off to become a Starman. It’s so good to be back, she thought happily.

Alice briskly made her way down the street and was soon standing in front of a small building made out of smooth red bricks. A worn sign overhead proclaimed it to be the Forgotten Treasures Bookstore. Alice smiled, opened the front door, and stepped inside. Immediately she was surrounded by the sights and smells of old books. This place is just packed with old books – exactly like I remember it! The walls and floorspace were filled with bookshelves, and even more battered volumes were stacked on every piece of available furniture. Here and there were a few large, overstuffed chairs. It hasn’t changed a bit, she thought to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by excited squeal behind her. As she turned around she saw her sister Amanda running toward her. “Oh, Alice! Alice Alice Alice. It’s so good to see you! I haven’t seen my little sister in ages. Ages!”

“It’s good to see you too,” Alice replied, hugging her sister. Amanda Montaine was ten years older than Alice. She had no other siblings, and the two had been very close while growing up together.

“Say, is that gray hair I see?” Alice asked, teasing her sister.

Amanda simply shook her head. “Just you wait! I’m not the only person in this family getting old. Do you realize that you’re almost 30? And that’s a third of the way to 90! You’ll be older than Richard Starlight soon.”

Alice laughed. “Thanks for making me feel better about the passage of time. It is good to see you again, though. It really is. And I can’t believe you actually bought this bookstore! Whatever possessed you to abandon your career and sell old books for a living?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Amanda plopped down into an overstuffed chair and grinned. “I’d forgotten that the last time you were here I was still working at Applied Sciences. Well, sis, it’s really not hard to explain. After spending fifteen years mutating yeast strains for the cause of science I decided I’d had quite enough. As nifty as that was, I figured there had to be more to life than bacteria cultures. I remembered all the good times we had here as young hoodlums and decided to give it a shot.”

“I guess that’s one way to ensure you never run out of things to read,” Alice teased. She walked over to the counter and picked up a thick volume with a bookmark halfway through the book. “Is this what you’re going through now?”

Amanda nodded. “Sure is! Project Orion is the ninth volume in the series. It’s quite good. There are a lot of great stories in that series – The Children of Neptune and The Door to Yesterday are two of my favorites. With stories like these I don’t have to leave Sol to explore alien planets! I can do it all from the comfort of my own home.”

Alice glanced at the author’s name on the spine. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them.”

“They’re very old and quite hard to find,” Amanda explained. “It took me ages to track them down. I still don’t have the whole series but I’m working on it.”

“So how is your family doing?” Alice asked, as she handed the book back to her sister.

“They’re doing great! Tory and Alex are growing up so fast. Tory is going to be starting college next year and his younger brother isn’t far behind.”

“I just can’t believe it!” Alice replied. “It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. Why, it seems like it’s only been a few months since I took you guys on that trip to the Farsight colony. We spent the whole week camping in the forest.”

“That was just after you had gotten the Raptor,” Amanda replied. “Those were good times. Speaking of your starship, how is Rachel doing these days?”

“Oh, she’s fine!” Alice replied. “Efficient as always – too efficient sometimes, if you ask me. That reminds me. Are we still on for dinner tonight?”

“More or less,” Amanda replied. “I’ll definitely be there, but as I told you last week my husband is out of town. The Dodd Foundation has sent him to Tau Ceti and he won’t be back for another week. Mom will be there, but Dad had to make an unexpected trip to Ganymede. He won’t be back for three days.”

“When did that happen?” Alice asked, surprised. “I talked to Mom just two days ago. She promised me Dad would be there!”

“I guess something came up,” Amanda replied sadly. “You know how it is. He’s a consultant, so he’s at the mercy of his clients. Sometimes things happen.”

Alice sighed. “I’m just tired of it, sis. Dad has always had somewhere else he had to be. He has never been there for us and it’s always the same old story. Even when I graduated from Starlight Academy he couldn’t be bothered to show up. I’ve tried everything to please him and it’s never enough. Amanda, I just discovered a lost planet of the First Races and he still can’t find the time to have dinner with his own daughter!”

“Alice,” her sister said warningly. “C’mon. We’ve had this discussion before. Your job doesn’t let you be at home much either.”

“I guess,” she said. “Maybe I’m just not the understanding type. But anyway, I’ve got to be going. I have to be on Luna soon for a meeting and I don’t want to be late. I’ll see you this afternoon ok?”

“All right,” Amanda replied. She gave her sister a hug. “Never forget that we love you, ok?”

“I love you too,” Alice replied. She left the bookstore and headed down the street.

It was only a short walk from the bookstore to the train station. Eagle City was such a popular destination that it had several train stations, but the largest one by far was the Grand Central Terminal in the heart of downtown. The maglev terminal was named after a train station that had once existed on Park Avenue in New York City, before the Collapse came and the city was destroyed in a nuclear war. The new station was built to look exactly like its namesake, complete with vintage 20th-century art and architecture.

Alice walked up to a glowing holoscreen inside the terminal and checked the arrival and departure times. She saw that there was a high-speed maglev train departing for Amundsen City in 20 minutes. After checking the departure platform and getting her electronic ticket she headed off to wait for the train to arrive.

In the 23rd century the solar system and many of the important extrasolar colonies were linked together by a network of high-speed maglev trains. An ordinary train could never cross interplanetary distances, so a series of wormholes was used to connect the various planetary rail networks. While on a planet the trains traveled on high-speed tracks, and when they needed to jump from one planet to another they simply went through a specially-constructed wormhole to jump to the next rail line. The system was so well designed that one could travel almost anywhere in a couple hours using only trains and the local subway system. Planes still existed, but people had become accustomed to the speed and luxuriousness of modern rail travel. Besides, at a top speed of four thousand miles per hour there were few planes that could match them for speed.

Precisely on schedule the sleek maglev train pulled up to platform 9. Alice waited until its passengers disembarked and then she climbed on board. She settled down into her assigned seat and relaxed. Another ten minutes and I’ll be on Luna, she thought to herself.

Amundsen City was located on the south pole of Earth’s moon in Shackleton Crater. It was one of the oldest extraplanetary cities and until recently rivaled Eagle City for size. The sprawling metropolis was home to many of the solar system’s most important corporations.

The tallest building in Amundsen City was the Starlight Tower, the headquarters of Starlight Enterprise. At one time it was the tallest building in the solar system, but over the past fifty years it had been surpassed by structures on other planets. The enormous building was still an impressive sight, and the fact that it was almost 75 years old did nothing to dim its magnificence.

Caedmon Starlight’s office was located on the 121st floor of the Tower. At one point that office had belonged to his father Richard, but after he retired he turned it over to his son. For the past thirty years Caedmon had run his father’s company from that office, successfully managing the transition from an interplanetary business into an interstellar corporation. Under his wise leadership the company had maintained its position on the cutting edge of exploration and science.

His office was accessible only by two express elevators, and Alice approached them nervously. She had only met Caedmon twice before, and one of those occasions was in the ceremony where she officially became a Starman. While all Starmen worked for Starlight Enterprise and therefore reported directly to Caedmon, it was very unusual for them to pay him a personal visit in his private office.

After showing her credentials to the guards on the first floor they allowed her to board the elevator. She was soon speeding toward the top of the Tower. After the elevator doors opened she stepped into a small, luxurious waiting room.

In the waiting room was a beautiful wooden desk and a few ornate chairs. Pictures of distant colonies accented the walls, and the floor was covered by a plush red carpet. Behind the desk was Ellarine Starlight, Caedmon’s daughter. Ellarine acted as her father’s personal secretary and managed all of his appointments, but Alice knew that in reality she played a large role in running the company. Everyone knew that it would not be long before Caedmon retired and turned the company over to his daughter.

“Why hello, Starman Montaine,” Ellarine said brightly. “My father is expecting you. He’ll see you in just a moment.”

Alice nodded and nervously sat down in a chair to wait. I wonder how many other people have sat in this room through the years, she thought. I wonder if it’s exciting to keep the galaxy’s most important people fidgeting in your waiting room. She glanced over to a nearby table and saw the September and October issues of Swift Enterprises Monthly, a leading scientific publication. The cover story this month appeared to be about a new breed of nuclear-powered aircraft. At least they keep their subscriptions up-to-date. I hate it when I’m waiting in a doctor’s office and all they have to read are ten-year-old magazines.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ellarine. “Caedmon Starlight will see you now.”

“Thanks,” Alice said. She walked through the double-doors behind Ellarine and stepped into his office.

Alice had heard a great deal about the famous Starlight office but had never been inside it before. She was not disappointed by what she saw. The pictures just don’t do it justice, she thought. The four walls of the spacious room were made of treated glass, impervious to the constant rain of micro-meteorites. Outside she could see the landscape of the moon stretching out for miles in all directions. In the distance she could just barely see the pass that led to the Field of Obsolescence.

Caedmon’s office was far more than just a fancy suite with a big desk. The 3000 square-foot room had a modern scientific laboratory, state-of-the-art communications equipment, and a fully-stocked resource library. In one corner of the room was a huge table that appeared to be made out of mahogany but was actually constructed from an amazing artificial substance. In another part of the room were large, detailed globes of Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Why, he’s even got the globe of Mercury! Didn’t a Xenobot spy hide in that very globe once?

Alice forced her attention back to Caedmon Starlight, who was seated behind his desk. When she walked into the room the head of Starlight Enterprise stood up, walked over to her, and shook her hand. “Starman Alice Montaine! It is a pleasure to see you again. I see you’ve been quite busy! Please, have a seat.”

Alice sat down in one of the chairs opposite the desk. She noticed that a printed copy of her report was lying on the top of the desk. It looks like he’s been reading my report, she thought, as she noticed some handwritten notes jotted in the margin of the page. And he’s been taking notes!

The head of Starlight Enterprise took his seat. He looked at Alice and smiled. “So how has everything been? Has the Raptor met your expectations? I understand you’ve been exploring some very remote parts of the galaxy.”

Alice nodded. “Um, yes, that’s true. I’ve been concentrating on exploring the most distant stars in our galaxy’s spiral arms. As far as I can tell no one else has ever done a detailed search of those sectors. The starship you’ve provided me has performed admirably. The AI unit in particular has been invaluable. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

Caedmon glanced down to look at his desk. Only then did Alice realize that what she thought was a wooden desktop was actually a well-camouflaged holoscreen. Information was scrolling by in several places. From where she sat Alice couldn’t read the writing but it was clear Caedmon was keeping tabs on many projects simultaneously.

“It looks like your ship is being serviced as we speak,” he commented. “I’m glad you were able to find the time to get that done! Over the past five years you’ve done a lot of traveling. You give our hardware a good workout.”

“You could certainly say that, sir,” Alice agreed. “I’ve had a lot of ground to cover, but I think it has paid off. Lemura is exactly what I was hoping to find.”

“Ah, so you have named the planet!” Caedmon said approvingly. “I was going to ask you about that. So tell me a little bit more about this world you’ve discovered.”

Over the next half-hour Alice answered many questions about her most recent discovery. She described in detail the process she went through to find it, and what she had discovered beneath the city.

“I really believe this is the missing piece of history we’ve been looking for,” Alice concluded. “This city clearly predates the war between the Lucians and the First Races. I believe this is where the Lucians conducted their initial tests of the weapon they ultimately used to destroy their enemies.”

“Most historians would say that the First Races were victorious,” Caedmon commented, “but you make a compelling case for believing the contrary. Your theory states that while the Lucians were devastated, they ultimately won, and the reason the First Races have never returned is because they are no longer around.”

“Exactly,” Alice replied.

“So do you believe this ancient weapon still resides in that chamber?” Caedmon asked.

“Yes and no,” Alice replied slowly. “I don’t think it’s something like a gun or a missile that you just point and shoot. If the weapon was simply a piece of machinery then I think the Xenobots would have used it in their war against us. I think it’s far more likely that whatever is in that chamber is a life form of some kind. It might be a mechanical life form or it could be a biological one. But I think the Lucians built a monster to destroy their enemies – and that the monster then turned on them. Rather than destroy it, they imprisoned it in the very place where it was created.”

“That’s a very interesting theory,” Caedmon said slowly. “But haven’t you been trying to open this chamber? According to what you are telling me that sounds like a very dangerous thing to do.”

“I’ve been trying to find a way inside so I can destroy what it contains,” Alice explained. “And I’m not the only person trying to get inside, either. Someone else knows what is in there. Somebody is trying to let that monster loose.”

“The third scar,” Caedmon said quietly.

“Exactly,” Alice said. “But sir, we cannot let that happen. Whatever is locked away inside that room must never be allowed to escape. I believe that weapon destroyed the First Races at the height of their power. Imagine what it would do to a primitive civilization such as our own! We’ve got to act now, while it is still locked away.”

The head of Starlight Enterprise was quiet for a few moments. “So how do you propose we deal with this situation?”

Alice did not hesitate. “Mobilize Tharsos. It is without question the most powerful instrument of war that either us or the Ahmanyans possess. I have no doubt that it can summon enough power to vaporize the chamber. It would be a quick and simple operation.”

Caedmon smiled. “I’m afraid there is nothing quick or simple about mobilizing Tharsos, Alice. Yes, it is true that fifty years ago it was used in the war against the Xenobots. However, for decades now it has joined Phobos and Demos as moons of Ahmanya. The last time its star drive was activated was before you were born. The city within it, Olovanda, is home to almost a million people.”

The head of Starlight Enterprise paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. “If we were to reactivate Tharsos we would need to temporarily relocate all of those people. It would not be wise to put their lives in danger by moving them into a war zone. If your theory is correct there is no telling what might happen when that chamber is destroyed. Moving all those people is not a trivial task, to say nothing of the effort that would be required to make sure Tharsos can still operate as a weapon of war. I would imagine there are many systems that need to be checked and reactivated.”

As Alice opened her mouth to reply Caedmon held up his hand. “There is one more thing to consider. Tharsos belongs to Ahmanya, not Starlight Enterprise. Any request to use it – and especially a request such as this – would have to be brought before the High King of that planet. I don’t know how he would respond. King Izmaka is not as young as he used to be, and I’m not either, for that matter.”

“So what are your thoughts, sir?” Alice asked.

Caedmon was silent for a few minutes. When he finally spoke he was slow and deliberate. “I think it is clear that you have made an important discovery – perhaps the most important one we’ve made since the fall of the Xenobots. You have presented some solid evidence that the First Races lost their war with the Lucians and that the weapon they used against them may still exist. If it does, that presents a compelling case to act. We must not allow that weapon to fall into the wrong hands and be used against us.”

“Exactly,” Alice said.

“However,” Caedmon continued, “I do not think, based solely on the evidence you have provided, that I could convince the Ahmanyans to mobilize Tharsos. It is not at all clear that the contents of that chamber are hazardous. You yourself have admitted that you have only theories as to what it might contain.”

“It’s impossible to see through that white metal!” Alice protested. “The only way to see what’s inside is to break through it, and I haven’t been able to do that. It’s very well-guarded.”

“But you have only tried for three months,” Caedmon pointed out, “and on your first expedition to Lemura you did not expect to encounter this obstacle. Surely you could find a way to see what is on the other side of that wall. If you can prove that the chamber does contain something that threatens all of civilization then I believe I could justify asking King Izmaka to re-activate Tharsos.”

“But what about the third scar?” Alice asked. “Someone else is already trying to get in!”

“It is not an easy thing to ask a million people to give up their home because of a tear in a wall on a planet they have never seen,” Caedmon pointed out. “I am not trying to minimize the danger, but I believe we need a lot more evidence before we can justify moving forward. And I have no doubts that you are fully capable of obtaining that evidence.”

“Yes, sir,” Alice said softly. I should have known this would happen, she thought to herself. I understand where he is coming from, but he hasn’t been there. He hasn’t seen what I’ve seen.

“You don’t have to do this alone, you know,” Caedmon said. “There are other Starmen that would be more than happy to lend their expertise. I’ve already sent a copy of your report to Joe Taylor. He’s been researching the First Races for years now and I have no doubt that he will be extremely excited about what you’ve found.”

“You mean the Joe Taylor?” Alice asked, surprised. “I didn’t realize he was still an active Starman. Didn’t he fight with David Foster in the war against the Xenobots?”

“That is correct,” Caedmon replied. “Of course, he was much younger back then, but he’s still a very busy man. He’s been spending most of his time the past few years studying the planet Larson’s Folly.”

“I’ve heard of that place,” Alice said, shuddering. “That’s one planet I hope I never visit. It sounds even worse than Lemura.”

Caedmon stood up, signaling that the meeting was over. “Please let me know if there is anything at all that I can do. The resources of Starlight Enterprise are at your disposal. All you have to do is ask.”

“Thanks,” Alice replied. She shook his hand and then headed back to the elevator. I just hope I can find my way into that chamber before our unseen competitor, she thought, as she rode the elevator back down to the surface. If I lose this race against time then the High King won’t have to worry about inconveniencing the residents of Olovanda. There won’t be any residents left – not in Olovanda or anywhere else. The First Races fought this evil and failed. Do we really think that we can do better than they did?

So this is what fear looks like, Alice thought to herself.

Starman Alice Montaine was standing on the rooftop of a ruined skyscraper. In the distance a weak sun hovered on the horizon and gave off a tired gray light. The failing sunlight was just barely strong enough to illuminate the towering buildings that surrounded her. At one time, eons ago, the metallic blue structures must have looked majestic. Today there was nothing left of them but empty skeletons. Any glass windows or other furnishings had long since been destroyed by the slow march of endless time.

The whole planet was a vast, forlorn ruin. Alice had been exploring this uncharted world since she first discovered it three months ago and had found no signs of life whatsoever. Aside from this one city (if indeed one could still call it a city) the planet was completely empty. For thousands of miles around there was nothing but an empty desert, littered with strange bits of blue steel. At one time those bits of metal might have been important clues, but countless ages had eroded them into meaningless shards. At 28 years old Alice Montaine had been a Starman for ten years, and she had never seen or even heard of a world that looked this ancient. Even the sun looked tired, as if it barely had the strength to keep giving out light. She knew it was silly but she couldn’t shake the idea that the sun was about to go out at any moment.

Alice pressed a small button on the arm of her suit and immediately a holoscreen appeared in front of her. She knew that the screen was only a trick of light being projected into her eye and that there was nothing really there, but the illusion was quite convincing. After studying the screen for a moment she reached over and gently tapped on a portion of the imaginary screen. The information on the display changed and told her that her starship, the Raptor, was currently in a low planetary orbit. Alice watched her ship for a few moments and then pressed another button that connected her to the communication system on board her ship.

“How’s that survey going, Rachel?” Alice asked. “Are you almost done?”

“Mapping the underground levels of the city is proving to be very tedious,” the ship’s computer replied. “The alien metal is giving off a great deal of interference. I will require at least another twenty minutes before the task will be complete.”

Alice sighed. “I figured as much. Just remember that I do have a meeting with the head of Starlight Enterprise next week. I can’t be late, you know, and it’s a long trip back to Ahmanya. If I’m right about this planet then a lot of lives are at stake.”

“I am aware of your events calendar and will see to it that you arrive on time. Caedmon Starlight will not be kept waiting. Do you require anything else?”

Alice sighed. “I require a lot of things, but it’s nothing you can help with. People have just gotten too complacent. They think that just because the Xenobots are gone there are no other dangers. They’re forgetting their history! Last time they had someone there to rescue them. This time they might not be so lucky.”

“I am afraid that is more than a simple starship can tell. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Just come and get me when you’re done,” Alice replied.

The ship paused for a moment. “Might I remind you that I am quite capable of transporting you off the surface using my wormhole transporter? There is no need for me to land.”

“But you can’t beam me underground from planetary orbit,” Alice pointed out. “That blasted blue metal gives off too much interference. I just want to check out one more thing before we head back to Eagle City.”

“Very good,” the computer replied.

Alice pressed another button on her suit sleeve and the holoscreen vanished. She then made her way back inside the decrepit building and began walking down the empty stairwell. The building had a shaft for an elevator, but if there had ever been one installed it had long since disappeared. As she worked her way down to the surface she shook her head. I just can’t believe I found this place, she thought to herself. All of the home worlds of the First Races have been known for ages and none of them are located anywhere near this place. They weren’t supposed to have any lost settlements.

The early history of the galaxy had been a subject of intense debate for as long as Alice could remember. When the Xenobot race was defeated at Luxa in 2160 the galaxy was finally made safe for exploration. Over the next forty-five years much had changed. By 2205 hundreds of star systems were colonized and countless discoveries were made. In terms of scientific progress it had been a golden age.

But there was one mystery that no one had been able to solve. Before the Xenobots became an alien menace intent on destroying all other forms of life they were the Lucians – one of the very first races to ever inhabit the galaxy. This magnificent race eventually launched a war against the other First Races. Much of the details had been lost in time but history said the First Races won that war and as a result the Lucians fell and became the Xenobots. The First Races then left the galaxy to pursue a new life somewhere else. After they left a mysterious being known as the Janitor took care of their now-empty worlds in the hope that they would one day come back home.

As these worlds were explored, however, it began to look less and less likely that the First Races had simply relocated. Alice had no trouble believing that the Lucians had lost the war. The once-mighty race had clearly been devastated during the conflict, and it was a very long time before they became the half-robot, half-monster cyborgs that once again threatened the galaxy. It was also true that the thirty-four star systems the First Races left behind showed almost no signs of battle damage.

But Alice could not shake the idea that one day they had simply disappeared. All at once, without warning, in a single moment, the First Races vanished from history. It was a deeply disturbing thought. What could make an entire group of civilizations disappear in an instant – and is that force still around today? Is there really no one out there that knows what really happened? Alice knew that other Starmen had been wondering this since before she was born, but in more than four decades of searching no one had come close to an answer.

Alice at last made it to the ground floor of the empty skyscraper and left the building. Outside a cold wind gently blew down the deserted street, raising small clouds of gritty black dust. On the horizon Alice could see that the faint sun had almost set. It had taken the Starman some time to get used to the world’s 16-hour days, and even now she longed for the normal day/night cycle of home. As she walked down the street toward the edge of town she noticed that the buildings around her were starting to give off a flickering blue light. Parts of their superstructure glowed in the dark, like a candle that had been burning for too long and was about to go out.

I hate this darkness, Alice thought. I know there’s no life on this planet but I just can’t help it. I can feel something evil here. Something malignant. I can’t see it but I know it’s out there.

Alice’s suit beeped. “Yes?” she said aloud.

“The planetary survey you requested has been completed,” her starship reported. “I am now beginning my descent. I should be at your position shortly.”

“Thanks,” Alice responded.

It did not take her long to walk to the outskirts of the city. When she finally left the city limits she couldn’t resist turning around for one last look. In the shadows she could see the dying metropolis as it eerily flickered in the growing darkness. Alice shuddered. At one time the entire city probably glowed in the dark, but that was a long time ago. Now all that remains are hints of what it once was.

Alice turned her attention back to the desert and quietly waited for her starship to arrive. Even though she was standing on this world she still found it difficult to believe that it really existed. Before the war with the Lucians the First Races inhabited star systems very close to the center of the galaxy. Since that was where they once lived that was naturally where the search for clues had begun. But after an entire generation of Starmen searched that sector in vain Alice decided to take a different approach. Using the fabrication equipment on board the Raptor she built and launched thousands of small, inexpensive probes that were dispatched to look where no one else had – at the extreme outer edges of the galaxy’s spiral arms. It was the last place anyone had ever expected to find signs of a race that had once inhabited the core of the galaxy, but after five long years of intense searching that was exactly where Alice had found this planet.

She knew it wasn’t supposed to exist. Everyone had always believed that the Janitor maintained all of the original planets that once belonged to the First Races. In Starlight Academy her own history teacher had taught that the First Races never ventured this far from home. And yet here we are, Alice thought. I wonder what other critical information has been lost to the passage of time.

As the Starman quietly watched the horizon she saw her starship make its final approach. Less than two minutes later the Raptor gently set down right in front of her. The giant red starship was easily three hundred feet long, but the ship’s computer piloted it with exquisite precision.

A door in the ship’s hull slid open and Alice quickly stepped inside. As the door closed behind her she made her way down the hallways and up to the ship’s bridge. When she stepped onto the bridge a hologram of a young lady appeared in front of her. The lady had short red hair, green eyes, and wore an orange uniform, which was the standard attire assigned to the computers of all Starlight Enterprise starships.

Alice sat down in the captain’s chair and relaxed. It’s nice to leave that haunted world and be back in familiar surroundings. Aloud she said, “Thanks for coming to get me, Rachel. Now show me that survey you just completed.”

Rachel nodded and a holoscreen appeared in midair in front of Alice. She stared at it for a moment and then used her hand to manipulate the image. After navigating through several different sections of the city she was finally satisfied.

“So that chamber we discovered really is at the lowest level,” Alice said at last.

“That is correct,” Rachel replied. “The underground levels appear to be almost entirely intact. I see few signs of damage.”

Alice nodded. “It doesn’t look like there’s any way to get down there either.”

“That is also correct. It appears that the underground section was designed to be separate and distinct from the city above it. There are no connecting passages and the two are separated by more than a half-mile of solid rock. The only means of entrance is by wormhole transporter.”

“Which is exactly what we thought,” Alice said. “Curious. Have you reached any conclusions about their relative ages?”

“An exact reading is not possible, but both the city and the underground layers appear to have been built with the same technology. It is not unreasonable to conclude that they were constructed at the same time.”

“Which makes sense, I guess. My theory is that the city was built to guard whatever is being kept in that chamber. The underground section has simply fared better because it’s been sealed off. It hasn’t been eaten away by that awful atmosphere.”

“The atmosphere is not toxic,” Rachel pointed out. “It is quite amenable to human life and has minimal corrosive properties.”

“Sure, from a strictly biological standpoint,” Alice retorted. “But it’s creepy. I’m telling you there is something out there. Something is alive in those deserts. Those lights just aren’t natural.”

“That observation cannot be verified,” Rachel replied.

“I know, I know,” Alice said, sighing. “Anyway. I know we need to be going, but can you beam me to that chamber one more time?”

“I cannot transport you directly into the chamber,” Rachel replied. “All I can do is transport you to a location nearby. As you know the chamber itself is impenetrable. All of our efforts to see what is inside have failed.”

“C’mon, Rachel, you know what I mean. Just beam me down there. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to go. I won’t be long.”

“Very good,” Rachel replied. Alice stood up and was immediately enveloped in a brilliant white light. She felt a strange sensation of movement, and a moment later she found herself standing in front of a giant airlock.

Alice had spent days in this room. She was almost a mile underground, at the end of a long hallway that sloped down to the deepest part of the underground passageways. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of the same blue metal she had seen on the surface. A gentle white light filled the area, coming from no visible source. That technology was common in the cities built by the First Races, but an omnipresent light that cast no shadows still filled her with awe.

The focus of her attention was on the airlock itself. Embedded in the end of the hallway was a pair of giant doors that were almost thirty feet tall. Instead of being made of blue steel, however, they were fashioned out of an incredibly strong translucent material. Even though the white metal was partially transparent she still couldn’t quite see what was on the other side of the doors.

All of her attempts to open them had failed. The material itself was unknown and had resisted her every attempt to analyze it. Experience had taught her that it was impervious to lasers and every other tool she had with her on the Raptor. The walls on either side of the airlock doors had no obvious controls of any kind. Over the past three months she had conducted a detailed search of the underground portion of the city, and while she had found many computer systems none of them appeared to be connected to this chamber. As far as she could tell it was sealed off from the rest of the city.

The Starman turned her attention to the wall on the right side of the door. As she stared at the blue steel she caught her breath. Embedded into the wall were three long, jagged scars where the metal had been violently torn away. Beneath the metal she could see the same impenetrable white material that guarded the airlock.

Alice already knew that the entire chamber in front of her was made of the same white material. The blue metal plating on either side of the airlock was simply for decorative purposes. What chilled Alice was that when she had last been down here two days ago there were only two gashes in the wall. Today there were three.

So there is someone else down here, Alice thought. Fear clutched at her heart as she realized the implications. We can’t see them with our sensors but they’re here, and they want to release the evil that is on the other side of that door. If that happens – if it is set free – then we’re all dead. The First Races aren’t here to defeat it a second time. I’ve got to act before it’s too late!

The cover art for the upcoming Starman book Master of Shadows.

For those who don’t know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Each November writers all across the globe are challenged to write an entire 50,000 word book in the month of November. It is a tough challenge, but it is also immensely rewarding. (No, they don’t offer cash prizes. But there’s just nothing else quite like holding a finished manuscript in your hands. I highly recommend trying it!)

I have been participating in NaNoWriMo for the past two years. In 2007 I wrote the first Stryker book, ON THE EDGE OF ETERNITY. In 2008 I wrote my first attempt at Tom Swift Jr fan fiction, TOM SWIFT AND THE EXTRASOLAR PLANET. This year I am going to attempt to write a new Starman book, MASTER OF SHADOWS.

As I did in 2008, I’m going to post each chapter here on this blog as I write it. You are more than welcome to follow along! Please feel free to chime in with corrections, tips, encouragement – you name it. Once the month is over I am planning on doing two things:

* Making the book available as a free download on this blog

* Making printed copies of the book available

Since I’m getting married on December 5 these things might not happen until January (or later), but that is the plan!

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate it.

–Jon Cooper

“Look! Look at the moon!” cried Joe, his voice suddenly sharp with alarm.

The eyes of all three Starmen turned to the iron satellite, a black silhouette in the light of the yellow star behind. As they watched, unable to turn away, the moon grew an orange spot in its middle that swiftly expanded to the edges. Orange was followed by amber and white, and then the fabric of the moon itself began to unravel. It became fibrous, and then slowly vanished until nothing was left.

— The Last Command, pg205

Forty-five years ago Starman David Foster, in the final act of his short life, overloaded a power station on a moon of Luxa. The resulting energy surge destroyed the Xenobot fleet and brought a final end to an ancient menace that had plagued the galaxy for millennia.

The years that followed were peaceful years. Richard Starlight, the man that had so faithfully piloted Starlight Enterprise through the turbulent middle years of the 22nd century, retired and turned his company over to his son Caedmon. Under his leadership a new generation of Starmen arose, dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the galaxy. They were assisted by the Ahmanyan race, which was finally able to leave the Martian deserts and begin the work of restoring Ahmanya to its former glory.

As the years went by the devastation wrought by the Xenobots was slowly healed. Yet there was one act of aggression that could not be undone. Ages before, at the dawn of time, the First Races had disappeared from history after coming into conflict with the ancestors of the Xenobots. What no one realized was that the weapon the Xenobots had used against them still existed. It was simply biding its time, waiting to come into contact with another unsuspecting race…

In the “Free Books” section of this blog I have posted the complete manuscript for “Tales from Infinity, Volume I”. This is a collection of many of the short stories that have been published on this blog, all brought together into one volume. I hope you enjoy it!

Printed copies of this book are available at this link:

Tales From Infinity, Volume 1.

By the time Tom Swift Jr. finished his tale the thunderstorm had long since ceased. The sky over the Citadel was still overcast, but rain had stopped falling and the thunder had gone silent. For a while afterward Tom and Bud said nothing and simply looked out the window at the desert landscape. They watched as fresh rainwater worked its way down old streambeds and flowed off into the distance. On the horizon they could see that the sun was beginning to set. It would not be long before night set in.

Bud was the first one to speak. “Man. It seems like such a long time ago, doesn’t it? A lot has happened since you built your hyperplane.”

Tom nodded. “Irene would be amazed at all we’ve accomplished. She had hoped that one day we would reach the moon. I don’t think she ever imagined we’d reach the stars.”

“Or meet aliens,” Bud added.

“True. You know, we didn’t even receive the first message from our space friends until well after she died. The whole world has changed. I don’t think she’d recognize it.”

“But I bet she’d know who was responsible for it,” Bud replied. “And I do see what you mean about your hyperplane. Not only was it a great failure and a great success, but it led directly to the world we have today.”

Tom picked up the Project Arcturus folder, flipped through it, and took out a photograph. He handed it to Bud. “Remember this?”

Bud glanced at the photo and smiled. “The red pickup truck! Yes, I do remember that. You know, your guess back then about its origin was almost dead on.”

“It was the only explanation that fit the facts,” Tom said modestly. “Of course, at that point we didn’t know about the Negative Zone. I had no way of knowing that the person driving that truck was actually a Tom Swift from a different universe.”

“And now we know what TANC stands for – the Transformable Ambulatory Nuclear-powered Craft,” Bud added. “Which, by the way, is a terrible name. Why not just call it the Monster Machine and be done with it?”

“You and your penchant for renaming inventions,” Tom chided. “Is there anything you don’t want to rename?”

Bud thought for a moment. “You know, ‘nuclear hyperplane’ really worked for me. It had a nice ring to it. Speaking of which, did you ever find out what happened to the hyperplanes that were built for the Air Force?”

“I’m afraid not,” Tom replied. “As far as I know they still have them. Of course, the Transmittaton has kind of made them obsolete. But if they still exist they would be the fastest aircraft in the world.”

Bud handed the picture back to Tom. “So where does that leave us, skipper?”

Tom took the photograph from his friend and looked at it. He then placed it back on the folder and put the folder back on the shelf. “Well, flyboy, it looks like we now have all the pieces we need. I’ve got a Transmittaton that can beam Irene right out of the plane. The space friends have told me I can borrow their translator, which I can use to cure Irene of her radiation sickness.”

“Just like it helped us out when we were in a tight spot,” Bud added.

“If you could call death a tight spot,” Tom quipped. “And, last but not least, through the Negative Zone we have access to Tom Swift IV’s time machine. The very machine that we saw in that picture.”

“But what about the danger?” Bud asked soberly. “You remember what happened when the Black Dragon stole the time trigger. It really did almost destroy the entire universe. That’s why Tom IV had the professor destroy his notes on time travel – the only way he could save the universe was to prevent time travel from ever being invented.”

Tom smiled. “Didn’t you ever wonder how Tom IV knew about it if he prevented it from ever happening?”

Bud blinked. “Hey, that’s a good point. How is that possible?”

“Curiosity,” Tom explained. “Tom IV had a lifelong interest in time travel. After his original time travel technology was destroyed he didn’t realize he had ever invented time travel, so he continued his own research into the matter. He wasn’t able to build a time machine, but he did something almost as good – he found a way to look back in time. A chronoscope, so to speak.”

“But how did that help him?”

“Well, before he invented his chronoscope he was asked to evaluate a rock. The rocked turned out to have a fossilized imprint of his own shoe – a shoe he had only owned for a short time. Tom decided to look back in time to see how someone got his footprint and fossilized it, and that’s when he discovered what had happened. He discovered that time had been altered.”

Bud frowned. “But was he able to rebuild his time machine?”

“He hasn’t tried,” Tom explained. “After he found out what happened he dismantled his chronoscope and put it under lock and key. But I know that he’s going to recover that technology, and I know that we’re going to use it to go back in time. I have photographic proof. Plus, I remember meeting him that day.”

“So what are you going to do?”

Tom paused for a few minutes. “We are going to go on a rescue mission,” he said at last. “I’m going to recover the Challenger and bring it back to Earth, and then I’m going to ask Tom IV to join us in an expedition into the past. One way or another I am going to rescue Irene.”

“Why do you need a spaceship?” Bud asked. “I mean, when Tom IV went back in time he just used his monster machine.”

Tom smiled. “There’s no way we could fit a Transmittaton into the back of his pickup truck. Even if we could, we definitely couldn’t fit a translator on board as well. I’ll work with him to modify the technology so that the time field can encompass the entire spaceship. Then the Challenger will be capable of traveling through space and time.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Bud said. “I don’t want to be the voice of doom or anything. I’ve never objected to anything in all the years we’ve known each other. I went with you to Brungaria the day we met without voicing a single objection, and I also went with you to the extrasolar planet without a whimper – and I went along to everywhere else in-between. But time travel is serious business, Tom. Don’t you remember what Tom IV said?”

“I remember,” Tom commented. “He said it was a can of worms that you don’t want to open. That time travel will mess up your universe and you’ll never be able to put it back together again. But Bud, I have a chance to save Irene. I have all the tools I need to rescue her. And I’m going to go for it.”

“But something about it is just wrong,” Bud said. “I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t like it. What were we doing at the Tomasite plant that day anyway? Irene didn’t die until the next day. There was no need to be there at all.”

“True,” Tom said.

“And another thing. Why was your Dad there? He had clearly just found out what you had done and was hopping mad about it. But to be angry enough to go back in time himself and try to stop you – wow! Doesn’t that worry you? Something must have gone really wrong, Tom.”

“But I can save Irene,” Tom said. “I can bring her back. Don’t you see? I can show her the future we created! Can you imagine what her reaction would be?”

“You don’t know that,” Bud replied. “From what you told me your Dad never mentioned Irene. There’s no evidence that the trip worked – but it does sound like you put the whole universe in danger.” Bud paused for a moment. “Look, Tom, I’m sorry. I know you miss Irene and I know you want her back. But she’s been gone for a while now. You know the risks of time travel as well as I do. Is saving the life of one person – even if that person is Irene – really worth it?”

“The risk has already been taken,” Tom said simply. “You’ve seen the picture. We were there.”

“So you think it’s just fate? That we somehow have to go?”

Tom shrugged. “It could be.”

Bud shook his head. “I’m not buying it, Tom. I mean, I’m not a genius or anything, but I refuse to believe that you just have to go back in time. That you just can’t help it. I believe you have a choice. You always have a choice. All I’m saying is, are you sure that you’re making the right choice? Are you absolutely sure?”

Tom nodded. “I am.”

Bud sighed. “All right. Then I’ll go with you. But – I just wonder, Tom. What are we getting ourselves into?”

“I guess we’ll find out,” Tom replied. He stood up and stretched. “Are you ready to go back to Shopton?”

Bud nodded. Tom walked over to the wall and pressed a few buttons on a small panel. A moment later the room was filled with a brief burst of white light. When it cleared the young inventor and his friend were gone.

Eighteen-year-old Tom Swift Jr. was hard at work in his private office when he heard a knock on the door. The young inventor looked up from the invoices that were scattered all over his desk. “Come in!”

The door opened and the burly figure of Arvid Hanson walked into the room. The chief model-maker of Swift Enterprises was carrying a large cardboard box.

“Arv!” Tom exclaimed. He rose from the desk and walked over to greet him. “Is that…?”

Arv nodded proudly as he set the open box down onto the floor. He carefully reached inside, pulled out a model, and set it on the desk. “There she is, Tom – the Sky Queen. I would have had it done last week but we got behind.”

Tom gazed at the gleaming miniature, which was just over a foot long. As usual, the model-maker had done an outstanding job. Arv had faithfully reproduced every detail of Tom’s giant triple-decker, nuclear-powered aircraft. “You even put in the jet lifters!” Tom said approvingly. “It’s amazing. This will look great beside the other Swift inventions!”

“Thanks,” Arv said. “Your flying lab is quite an accomplishment, boss. When she’s finished she will be the largest plane in the skies.”

“And we’re almost there,” Tom added. “The staff here at Enterprises has done an amazing job assembling the plane! She should be ready in another two weeks.”

“I heard Bud wants to be the test pilot,” Arv commented.

Tom grinned. “Oh, he does, but he’s been involved in another project. I think that honor is going to go to Ripcord Hulse. He’s an ace pilot and will do a fine job.”

“Where’s Bud been, anyway?” Arv asked. “I haven’t seen him around for a while.”

“The government has had him tied up,” Tom explained. “I’m afraid I’m not allowed to go into any detail. He should be back later today, though.”

“Say no more,” Arv begged. “I don’t want to be shot at dawn for knowing too much.” As the model-maker turned to leave he suddenly noticed the stack of boxes in the corner. “Hey, skipper, you’re not moving, are you?”

“Dad and I are going to be sharing an office,” Tom explained. “I’m almost never in here, so it just made sense to combine things. I think Miss Trent is going to have everything moved tomorrow. That’s actually why I’m here – I’m trying to make sure everything is in order. I’d hate to lose something important.”

“Makes sense,” Arv agreed. “Is there anything else you need before I go?”

“There is one other thing,” Tom said. “Do you know if Chow has arrived?”

Arv thought a moment. “Is he the Texan cook that used to work at the Institute?”

“That’s right! He worked there until Dad closed it down and moved back to Shopton. I thought he was supposed to arrive this week, but I’ve been so busy I’ve lost track.”

“Does he wear painfully bright shirts?”

Tom laughed. “I take it you’ve met him?”

Arv nodded. “He’s hard to miss, boss! A real larger-than-life character. I think he’s setting up a galley not too far from your laboratory. Said something about not wanting to miss anything.”

Tom grinned. “I’ll have to stop by and see him later. Thanks, Arv.”

After the model-maker left Tom finished his work in the office. Before leaving he stopped by to see Miss Trent, the Swift’s personal secretary.

“Have you seen my father?” Tom asked. “I wanted to talk to him about my plane.”

Miss Trent checked the calendar. “I’m afraid he’s not in the office this morning, Tom. He is currently attending a meeting with Ned Newton at the Swift Construction Company. He should be back this afternoon. Shall I tell him when he returns that you are looking for him?”

“If you don’t mind,” Tom said. “I have a few arrangements I need to go over with him.”

“Of course,” Miss Trent replied. She jotted down a note.

Tom then left the office building and headed over to his laboratory. Before going inside he decided to check on Chow. A short search revealed that the cook had take up residence in a deserted laboratory and was busy converting it into a fully-stocked, ultramodern galley. The roly-poly Texan was giving orders to a construction crew when Tom walked into the room.

“Well brand my skillet, but it’s great to see you, boss!” the cook exclaimed. “I ain’t seen you in a month of Sundays.” He eagerly shook Tom’s hand.

Tom took one look at the cook’s shirt and winced. The yellow and purple shirt was one of the most garish designs he had ever seen, but the cook was wearing it proudly. Chow noticed Tom’s interest in the shirt and beamed. “This here’s quite a little number, ain’t it?”

“Boy, you said it,” Tom replied. “Say, it looks like you’ve got quite a lot going on.”

“Aw, it’s nothin’,” Chow said. “They’ve just gotta install my equipment and stuff. You got some nice rooms here, son, but they just ain’t set up for cookin’. But we’ll have that fixed in no time flat. Tomorrow mornin’ you kin expect a nice, hot breakfast, brought right to yer lab.”

Tom laughed. “You know, Chow, we do have a cafeteria here at the plant. I’m sure they’ve got plenty of room for you! There’s really no need to set up here.”

Chow shook his head. “I know you better than that, boss. There ain’t no way you’re gonna take time to leave your lab and go eat somethin’ – and I’m not gonna haul your food all the way across the plant. This here’s the only way I kin make sure you get fed.”

“Have it your way,” Tom said agreeably. “It’s good to have you on board. When you have a moment I’ll have to show you what I’ve been working on lately. I think you’ll like my latest invention!”

“I wouldn’t miss it fer all the cattle in Texas,” Chow said.

Tom bade the cook goodbye and headed over to his laboratory. As he was on his way there he ran into his friend Bud Barclay.

“Bud!” Tom replied. “Man, you have great timing. I was just about to leave.”

“I came back to New York as quickly as I could,” Bud explained as Tom unlocked the laboratory door. The two stepped inside and Tom closed the door behind them. “But you know how the government is. Everything has to take forever. They have enough red tape to sink a battleship!”

Tom nodded sympathetically. “So how did it go?”

“Not bad, really. The Air Force has built three of your hyperplanes, and I’ve flown all of them. They’re amazing! I’ve gotta hand it to you, skipper – they’re the last word in speed. Nothing else can touch them. Even the Sky Queen is a snail by comparison!”

“True, but keep in mind they’re built for different purposes. The hyperplane was designed for speed and speed alone. It just needed to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. There’s really no reason to build that kind of speed into my flying lab – all it needs to do is carry a large amount of cargo and then provide a suitable base of operations for an extended period of time. Speed really isn’t too important.”

“Speed is awfully nice though,” Bud replied. “The pilots I trained just couldn’t believe the sheer power of that jet. Even after they flew it they still had trouble believing it!”

Tom nodded. “I really wished Project Arcturus had turned out differently. It’s such a pity we won’t be able to commercialize it! That’s probably the last we’ll ever hear of my hyperplane.”

“But it wasn’t a total loss,” Bud pointed out. “Not only did the hyperplane save the world, but it’s now one of the country’s most top-secret aircraft. Plus, you were able to adapt the Sampson engine for use on board the Sky Queen. Without it you never could have powered a craft that large.”

“True,” Tom agreed. “And think of all the discoveries we’ll make! Being able to fly an entire scientific laboratory to the remotest parts of the world will prove invaluable. I can only imagine what’s out there!”

“And I’ll be right there with you,” Bud replied.

“Except when it’s my birthday,” Tom teased. “That’s when my flying ace skips town and doesn’t show up again for a whole week.”

“Hey now, that wasn’t my fault,” Bud said defensively. “The Air Force needed someone to train their pilots on your new jet, and I was the only guy handy. I tried to get them to reschedule but they weren’t interested. I promise you I will be there when you turn nineteen.”

“I’m sure you will,” Tom said, laughing. “Of course, a lot could happen between now and then!”

“I can’t begin to imagine,” Bud agreed. “Knowing you we could go to the Moon and back by then. But listen, skipper, I’m afraid I’ve got to head out. I’m scheduled to test a helicopter this afternoon and I don’t want to be late.”

Tom snapped his fingers. “Oh, that’s right! I’d almost forgotten. You’re going to test the Skeeter, aren’t you?”

“You got it,” Bud said. “Isn’t it going to be on board the Sky Queen?”

Tom nodded. “It and a small jet named the Kangaroo Kub.”

“When I get back you need to give me the official tour of your plane,” Bud begged. “I’ve missed pretty much that entire project.”

“You and Chow both,” Tom needled. “By the way, I still need to introduce you to Chow.”

“Later!” Bud said. “I’ve got to go.”

Tom bade his friend goodbye. After Bud left the young inventor walked over to his workbench and picked up three pencils, which he put in his shirt pocket. He then left his laboratory, got into his silver sports car, and drove off.

It took Tom about twenty minutes to reach his destination. After parking his car he walked through a small clump of trees and up to the top of a small, grassy knoll. Off in the distance he could see Lake Carlopa glinting in the morning sun. The trees were covered in the fresh green leaves of spring, and flowers were starting to bloom. A soft breeze gently rustled the grass.

At the top of the hill was a small, private cemetery which belonged to the Goddard family. Several generations of Goddards had been buried there. Tom located the place where Irene’s marker stood. He knew that there was nothing buried there, but there was still something about that spot that made him feel closer to her.

From his pocket he removed the red, green, and blue pencils. “I’m sorry it’s taken so long,” he apologized aloud. He thought back to the cold winter day more than a year ago when Irene first asked him to take the pencils and modernize them. He smiled as he remembered her reaction to his first attempt. “And don’t worry. I didn’t put a nuclear reactor in any of them.”

One by one he laid the pencils on her grave. “Here you are, Ace – just as I promised. The green one is a miniature radio. It can be used to both send and receive. The red one is a soldering iron that is powered by a small battery. And – as you requested – the blue one is an infrared snooperscope.”

Tom stood up and looked around. He did not realize it, but the young inventor would soon be caught up in his next adventure, Tom Swift and his Flying Lab. For the moment, however, his thoughts were on the past.

“I’ll see you later,” he said at last. With that, he started walking back down the hill toward his sports car.

Thousands of miles away, a giant rock hurtled through space toward an unsuspecting Earth. It was now only a few hours away from landing on Swift Enterprises’ grounds and changing the course of history…

Tom Swift Jr. once again found himself in his private laboratory at Swift Enterprises in Shopton, New York. It had been more than a week since Irene’s funeral, but he still could not bring himself to do anything. He just sat in his laboratory, stared out the window, and thought about the last message she had left for him.

Irene’s funeral had been attended by the largest crowd Tom had ever seen. Not only were her family and friends there, but thousands of people from all over the world came to pay their respects to the person that saved the planet from nuclear destruction. Her remains could not be found, but that did not surprise anyone. While the plane hit the ocean at a far slower speed than Mark Spring’s jet, it still completely vaporized it. An extensive search was made but very few pieces of it were ever found.

Tom was interrupted when there was a knock on his door. He hesitated, and then sighed. “Come in,” he said at last.

The door opened and his father walked into the room. He looks like he’s aged ten years, Tom thought.

His father took a seat beside him. For a few moments he didn’t say anything. “I had a feeling I’d find you here.”

“Yup,” was all Tom said.

“I just wanted to take a moment to talk with you,” his father continued. “I haven’t really had the chance to do that.”

“You’ve been out of town for the past three days,” Tom said. “I’ve been right here.”

His father winced. “I know, Son, and I apologize. I had some business to wrap up, and now that it’s all over I want to bring you up to speed.”

“Ok,” his son replied.

His father could tell that Tom was deeply depressed. He had been shaken by the loss of Irene and was far from recovering. He longed to tell his son something – anything – to make him feel better, but he knew that it would take more than words to heal his son.

“I’ve started dismantling the Swift reactor in New York,” he began. “As you know we were able to shut it down in time, but the Tomasite is still poisoned and it is a safety hazard. Even though I can fix that problem the public has decided they don’t want a nuclear plant that close to them, which I suppose I understand.”

Tom managed a faint grin. “So they’ve turned against you this time.”

His father shrugged. “It’s only natural. If there was something near my house that almost killed me I’d want to be rid of it too. The reactor should be safely dismantled by the end of the month. At some point we’ll revisit this technology but that is still a few years away. The world may not be ready for commercial nuclear power. Not yet, anyway.”

“At least we’re in the same boat,” his son said. “You can file the plans for your reactor next to my plans for Project Arcturus.”

“Not quite,” his father corrected. “It turns out that the Air Force is very interested in your hyperplane. The evidence you brought back from Brungaria proved beyond a doubt that your plane only crashed because it had been sabotaged. I’ve given them the blueprints for your jet and have every reason to believe that they’re going to start building copies of it in secret. The public will never hear about it but your hyperplane will exist and be on the front line of our nation’s defenses.”

Tom shook his head. “That isn’t quite what I had in mind, Dad. I was hoping to revolutionize the air industry, not provide the world with new weapons they can use to kill us all.”

“Building aircraft for the government is a Swift tradition,” his father pointed out. “I’ve built quite a few weapons in my day – not only aircraft but even tanks and cannons.”

“Yeah, I know,” Tom said. “I’m not going to join you. That’s not what I do.”

“What you do with your future is up to you,” his father said. “You’re a hero, Son, and you’re famous. The world knows that your hyperplane saved them all. They know it works and that it’s the product of a true genius. Everyone has heard of the famous inventor Tom Swift Jr.”

“It was Irene that saved them,” Tom said. “Not me. She’s the one that infiltrated the base while I was lying unconscious on the ground. If I’d had my way we would have left as soon as I got the evidence back. Irene is the hero of this story. In fact, the reason she died is because of my stupidity. The radiation leak was my design flaw.”

“No, Son, it wasn’t your fault,” his father said. “It was mine. This whole affair started when I overthrew the government of Haargoland years before you were born. Had I minded my own business Xanthus would not have been motivated to exact his revenge against me. It was my arrogance and foolishness that killed her.”

“So what happened to Xanthus, anyway?” Tom asked.

“The government has him in their custody,” his father said. “He nearly destroyed the entire world, and the government is not very forgiving in cases like that. I don’t think we’re ever going to hear from him again. The Brungarians are apologizing, of course. This whole episode has been a huge embarrassment to them. They’ve promised to dismantle his base and have turned over the information we needed to arrest his network of spies. I don’t think we’ll hear from the Brungarians again for a long time.”

“So what am I supposed to do now?” Tom asked bitterly. He pointed to the wall safe in his office. “I’ve still got the engagement ring I made for her, Dad. What am I supposed to do with it? Do you realize I was going to give it to her the day I tested the Eagle? I was this close to marrying her, Dad. This close! And now it’s all gone. I don’t have a future anymore. It died with her.”

Tom’s father was silent for a moment. Tears started running down his face. “I’m sorry, Son. I really am. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. But despite all this, you do have a future. You have a choice to make, and that choice will determine your future and the future of the world.”

Tom just looked at his father without saying anything, so his dad continued. “I know you are going through a lot of pain and grief right now. I am too. Mourning her loss is just something you will have to go through. There’s no way to shorten it or skip it. But grief does not last forever. And when that day comes, you will be faced with a choice. If you want, you can choose to look back and grieve over everything you’ve lost. You can focus on what you never got to have and let that despair destroy you. Or, you can look back and be thankful for all the years you did get to share with her. Then you can look ahead to a bright future that hasn’t been written yet.”

Tom’s father was quiet for a moment. “Irene saved your life so you could live it, Tom. She believed in you and what you could do.”

“She always told me that if I wanted to I could invent the future,” Tom replied.

“You can,” his father affirmed. “The hyperplane proved that. You have a marvelous talent. Whether or not you use it is up to you.”

“Thanks,” Tom said warmly. “I do have a question, though.”

“What?” Tom’s father asked.

“It’s a little strange,” Tom began. “What were you doing in California the day before you went live with your commercial reactor?”

Tom’s father looked at him in surprise. “But I wasn’t in California, Son. I was in New York – I’d been there all day.”

“Are you sure?” Tom asked. “Are you completely sure you didn’t stop over at the Tomasite plant for a few minutes that afternoon?”

His father laughed. “Son, we didn’t have your hyperplane to fly around in. It takes hours to travel across the country. Besides, I’m quite sure. Ned was with me all day. We never left New York. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” his son replied. “I was just wondering.”

“Is there anything else I can do?” his father asked.

“No, but thanks. I really appreciate it, Dad.”

His father left his son’s laboratory, leaving Tom alone with his thoughts.

* * * * *

Tom was interrupted a few hours later by another knock on the door. This time, though, it was his friend Bud Barclay.

“Bud!” Tom exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Bud pulled up a chair and sat down beside Tom. “I’m moving to Shopton, skipper. I’ve decided that this is where I want to be.”

“You are?” Tom said in surprise. “But what about your job in California?”

“Eh, they can find someone else,” Bud said confidently. “It’s not like they have any more planes to test, anyway. Besides, I have it on good authority that things are a lot more exciting here at Swift Enterprises. I have a feeling that if I really want to see adventure the best place to be is at your side.”

Tom smiled. “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into? There’s no telling what might happen! We could end up on the Moon before it’s all said and done.”

“So much the better!” Bud said enthusiastically. “Count me in.”

“Then welcome aboard,” Tom said warmly. “I’ll talk to Miss Trent later today about transferring your employment. Consider yourself hired.”

“Great!” Bud said. “So what have you been doing?”

Tom hesitated. “Honestly, I’ve spent the past few days doing nothing but listening to Irene’s last message, over and over and over.”

“She left you a message?” Bud asked.

“She did,” Tom replied. “Would you like to hear it?”

“If you don’t mind,” Bud said. “I don’t want to horn in on anything, though.”

“It’s not a problem,” Tom said. He stood up and walked over to his workbench. “After all, you were there with us in Brungaria. If it hadn’t been for you and her I would have died in the fire that night. You saved my life.”

“Don’t mention it,” Bud said. “It was nothing.”

Tom pressed a button on a large machine on his workbench. A moment later Irene’s voice filled the room.

“Hey there Tom,” she began. The girl coughed, and then she continued. “Do you remember months ago, when we had dinner by the lake? It was before you ever started the hyperplane project, right after your father perfected Tomasite. You were depressed that evening because the press made much of your father and treated you like a kid. Do you remember that?”

Irene paused. “I told you that you could prove them all wrong. That you were a genius and had the rare ability to do anything you wanted. If you wanted to build rockets and explore outer space then you could do it.”

There was silence for a moment. Irene’s voice wavered, but then she regained control. “I still believe that, Tom. I know right now you’re really upset. I know you think your life has ended, but it hasn’t. I’m sorry I won’t be there to share that future with you. I really am. It breaks my heart. But that doesn’t mean the future doesn’t have to happen. You are still surrounded by people who love you and care a great deal about you. I don’t want you to throw away all that talent and spend the rest of your life sitting there, doing nothing.”

Irene paused for a moment. Bud thought the tape had ended, but as he started to speak the voice continued again. “I love you, Tom. I’ve enjoyed spending my life with you. Thanks for being there for me. Take care of yourself.”

Tom stopped the recording machine and looked at Bud. “That’s it.”

Bud nodded slowly. “Thanks. It was good to hear her voice again. I didn’t know her for very long but I could tell she was a really special girl.”

“She was,” Tom said simply.

“There is one thing I don’t understand, though,” Bud said.

“What’s that?” Tom asked.

“That red pickup truck we saw out in California. It’s bothered me ever since. I can’t get it out of my mind.”

Tom smiled. “So it’s been bothering you too!” He took a folder off of his workbench, removed a photo, and tossed it to his friend. Bud looked at the photo in surprise. “Hey, that’s it! Where did you get this?”

“Security camera footage,” Tom explained. “Since the plant was dealing with nuclear technology the government made Ned install all kinds of cameras, and they caught the whole thing. You can see me in the picture talking to the guy in the cab.”

“So have you figured it out?” Bud asked.

“I think so,” Tom replied. “At first I couldn’t make heads or tails out of it, and then it all came together. Think about it this way. We know for a fact that Dad was not in California that day. I asked him myself this morning just to make sure, but I already had all the proof I needed. He was not anywhere near California. There is no doubt of that.”

Bud frowned. “So are you saying the guy you talked to wasn’t your Dad?”

Tom shook his head. “Oh no. He was my father, but he knew things he shouldn’t have. He wanted to talk to both of us – and I got the feeling he thought that you and I were friends. We are now, of course, but we weren’t then. Plus, Dad was shocked that I was still thinking about the hyperplane project, even though it had just failed catastrophically a few days earlier and ruined my life. To him it was old news. It wasn’t even on his mind.”

“That is weird,” Bud said. “And didn’t he say that you were putting the whole universe in danger?”

“He did,” Tom said. “Even though my Dad knew at the time that he had just canceled my project and I wasn’t working on anything at all. It was a completely bizarre thing to say. Then he realized something was wrong and he said something very interesting. He said that I would understand what was going on in time.”

“Sorry, genius boy, but I don’t get it,” Bud confessed. “Where are you going with this?”

Tom grinned. “The person I talked to in California was my Dad, but he was my Dad from the future. A future where you and I have known each other for a long time. A future where the hyperplane is old news and I’ve moved on to other things. A future where, more specifically, I have access to time travel technology.”

Bud’s eyes widened. He glanced at the photo. “And you think that this truck might be the time machine?”

Tom shrugged. “It’s entirely possible. It’s a very futuristic design that is clearly not from this era. And the license plate number doesn’t match anything registered in the state of California. In fact, the number format isn’t even right. I don’t even know what the number ‘TANC’ is supposed to mean.”

Bud whistled. “So you think that at some point in the future you’re going to go back in time to rescue Irene?”

“I don’t know,” Tom said. “That explanation makes the most sense to me. But there are some problems with it.”

“Such as?” Bud asked.

“Well, for starters, I’m not sure how I would rescue her. I could stop her from ever going to Brungaria, I guess, but that would change the timeline and put millions of lives in danger. I wouldn’t want to do that. The safest thing to do would be to somehow get her off the jet right before it crashed, but I can’t imagine how you would grab someone off of a plane while it was still in the air.”

“Maybe a little Swift magic could take care of that,” Bud quipped.

“And then there’s the radiation problem. Irene received many, many times the lethal dose of radiation. There’s no cure for radiation poisoning. If I did manage to get her off the plane she would die in a couple hours – if she lived that long.”

“But if you went back in time to get her you must have solved those problems,” Bud pointed out.

“I just don’t see how,” Tom confessed. “And I don’t know that the rescue attempt worked. The guy in the truck didn’t say anything about Irene. My father didn’t either. He was just upset with me for putting the universe in danger.”

“So time travel might be really dangerous,” Bud said.

Tom sighed. “My Dad said something about knowing the numbers as well as I did. That could have been what he was talking about. But I just don’t know.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Bud said. “You’re saying that the guy in the pickup truck was involved in this, right?”

“Well, of course,” Tom said.

“So that means you and I were introduced by a time-traveler from the future?”

Tom laughed. “I guess we were. But we would have met anyway. I would have needed someone to fly a nuclear jet to Brungaria, and you were the only person around who could have done it. The time-traveler just short-circuited the process.”

Bud shook his head. “Still, I don’t think I’m going to mention that to anyone. Ever. No one would believe us!”

“Probably not,” Tom said, grinning.

“So what are you going to do?” Bud asked.

“I guess I’ll just wait and see what happens,” Tom said slowly. “At least now I know there’s a chance I might be able to get her back. That’s something to work toward.”

“And if you ever do get the opportunity?”

“I’ll take it,” Tom said firmly.

“Even if it puts the whole universe in danger?” Bud asked.

Tom hesitated. “There’s got to be a way to mitigate the risks. But until I know what it takes I won’t be able to address that issue. Time travel isn’t going to happen tomorrow, Bud.”

“Exactly,” Bud agreed. He paused for a moment. “You know, this might not be the best time to mention this, but I don’t think Irene was the kind of girl who would want you to put your life on hold. I know you aren’t interested right now, but there are other girls out there.”

“Please tell me you’re not thinking of Phyl,” Tom pleaded.

“Now Tom, Phyl is a nice girl,” Bud protested. “She likes you, and she cares about you. And she’s intelligent, if you would give her a chance.”

“She’s a wallflower,” Tom said. “She has zero personality.”

“Look. Next week Sandy and I are going out on a date. Why – ”

“You are?” Tom said. “Seriously? You’re dating my sister?”

Bud grinned. “She’s pretty cool, Tom. But as I was saying, why don’t you and Phyl come with us? I mean, you’ve got to do something other than just sit here.”

Tom put the picture back in the folder, and placed the folder on the shelf. “All right, Bud. But I have to tell you that Irene still has my heart. Phyl is nothing like her.”

“Fair enough,” Bud agreed. “So what are we going to do now?”

Tom looked off into the distance thoughtfully. “I’ve been thinking about building a flying laboratory. Something that I could use to explore remote areas of the globe.”

“Sounds good!” Bud exclaimed. “Where do we start?”

Irene Goddard waited anxiously for the hydraulic lift to carry her nuclear hyperplane up to the ground floor of the hangar. She could feel a tense knot forming in her stomach. The girl knew that it would only be a few moments before the Brungarians realized they had been tricked, and while her plane was bulletproof it was not invincible. Even more pressing was the urgent need back home for the precious cargo that her jet was carrying. Everything depended on her reaching New York before the Swift reactor went critical and wiped out the entire city. As the elevator slowly lifted the jet to the upper level she wondered if it was already too late.

Although it seemed like an eternity it only took her a moment to taxi outside the hangar, get onto the runway, and blast into the clear blue sky. Irene ignored all pretense of caution and forced the hyperplane up to Mach 15 as quickly as possible. Just before the Brungarian outpost dropped off her radar she saw a blip begin to move away from the fortress at Mach 3. She smiled. I knew I could depend on you, Bud, she thought to herself. I’m sure you will take good care of Tom for me. He’s going to need someone like you in his life.

As Irene set a course for the Swift nuclear plant she went over what had just happened. When she found Xanthus’ notes in his office Irene immediately realized that he had not realized the engine leaked radiation. After talking to Tom’s dad the girl now knew that the madman had never cared about the nuclear jet. While he had built a copy of it to appease his Brungarian masters, his focus had been exclusively on the Swift reactor. He had simply not spent enough time testing the jet to realize the serious flaw in its design. He probably assumed that whatever Tom Swift designed would work perfectly, Irene thought wryly to herself. I wonder if it even occurred to him a Swift could be wrong. He just accepted the unfinished blueprints without question.

When Irene finally reached the hyperplane she knew she would only have a few minutes before Tom and Bud joined her, and she used that time to check the plane’s Sampson engine. Her hunch proved to be correct. Xanthus had indeed built the jet according to Tom’s original specifications. The fix required an extensive redesign of the entire engine, and it was immediately obvious that Xanthus had not done that. That was when Irene decided to take matters into her own hands and fly the jet herself.

As the plane left Brungarian airspace and headed east toward the United States she performed a few rapid calculations in her head. The cockpit did not have a Geiger counter, but since she had helped design the engine she could easily estimate the radiation dose she was receiving. At Mach 15 it would take less than 45 minutes to reach the great American city, but by then the damage would be done. By the time I get to New York I’ll have been exposed to at least 100,000 Rad, she thought to herself. I’ll have 24 hours at most. But the effects of radiation poisoning are going to set in soon and I may not be conscious long enough to land the plane. That leaves me with a problem. How can I drop the cargo if I black out?

The teenage girl tried to put all of that out of her mind and focus on the mission at hand. She was already thundering over Asia, and within a few minutes she would be over the Pacific. If I’m not going to be conscious when I reach New York I’ll have to find some automatic way to drop the cargo, she thought to herself. I can’t trust that I’ll be able to do it. There’s just too much at stake.

Irene glanced at her current position. I’ll be in radio contact of the California Tomasite plant in just a few minutes. I can use them to reach Tom’s father. But first I’ve got to arrange a timer for my package drop.

She set the plane on autopilot and walked back into the cargo area to do a little work.

* * * * *

Tom Swift Sr. was still in the reactor control room. For the past hour he had fought vainly to shut down the reaction but his efforts had been useless. Even his attempts at rewiring the control computer had come to nothing. Xanthus simply did too good a job, Tom thought to himself. He could feel the weight of the world bearing down upon him. Millions of lives were just minutes away from being vaporized by technology that he invented. The stress was incredible. He had never felt so completely helpless.

As he vainly tried to think of a solution the plant manager rushed in. “You have an urgent phone call,” Tony Markos told him. “It’s Irene Goddard! She’s on her way here – and she says she can help!”

Tom leaped out of his chair and ran over to the phone. He picked it up with a trembling hand. “Hello?”

“Tom?” a voice said a moment later on the other end of the line. “This is Irene. Can you hear me?”

“There’s a lot of static, but I can hear you,” Tom replied. Despite misgivings he started to feel a glimmer of hope. “Where are you?”

“I’ve just left Asia and am over the Pacific Ocean,” Irene said. “This message is being relayed through California. I wanted to let you know that I’m bringing you the spare parts you need to fix your reactor.”

Tom felt his pulse begin to quicken. “What kind of spare parts?”

“Xanthus built a duplicate reactor in Brungaria,” Irene explained. “He used it to figure out how to sabotage yours. I have his unsabotaged version of your electronic brain on board a jet and am flying your way. I should be there in less than half an hour.”

“Half an hour!” Tom exclaimed, surprised. “How can you possibly get here so quickly?”

“Xanthus had a hyperplane that I decided to borrow,” Irene replied. “I didn’t think he would mind. After all, I’ve heard the authorities have him tied up at the moment. He won’t be missing it.”

Tom’s heart started beating rapidly. He glanced at the controls and performed a few quick metal calculations. “If you can arrive in the next thirty minutes we may still have a chance of saving the city,” the middle-aged inventor said slowly. “I can’t promise anything, but it’s worth a try. It’s the only hope we have.”

“I’ll do my best,” Irene said.

“Are Tom and Bud with you?” he asked.

Irene hesitated. “They’re on another flight,” she said at last. “Bud found another nuclear jet in Brungaria that he decided to liberate. They’re flying a bit slower than me but they’ll get to New York safe and sound.”

Tom breathed a sigh of relief. “I still can’t believe you went to Brungaria. That was a very foolhardy thing to do, young lady.”

“Let’s save that talk for later,” Irene said. “Besides, it was your son’s idea. I’m going to go but I’ll contact you again when I’m almost there. I’m planning on performing an air drop since there’s no runway on the island.”

“We’ll have a crew standing by to receive it,” Tom promised. “I can’t thank you enough, Irene. You’re giving us hope. We had just about – ”

“Thanks,” Irene replied. She hung up.

* * * * *

Several hundred miles to the north, George Dillard, the chief radio officer at Swift Enterprises, received an urgent radio message from Irene Goddard.

“Irene!” George said, surprised. “Where are you?”

“I’m about 40,000 feet over the Pacific ocean,” she replied. “I’ve just talked with Tom Swift in New York. He should have his spare parts in time to save the day.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” George replied, with genuine relief in his voice. “You’ll have to tell me all about it someday. But what can I do for you?”

“I want to leave Tom Jr. a message,” she said.

“Sure,” George said. “Just let me get a pencil.”

“Oh no no no no,” Irene replied quickly. “I want to leave an audio message. A recording. And I want it delivered to him when he reaches the plant later today.”

“Oh,” George said, surprised.

“And it’s highly confidential,” Irene added. “Top-secret. For his ears only. Not even you have sufficient clearance to listen in. Can you help me?”

“Sure,” George said. “Just give me a moment to set up a secure recording system and patch you in. I just don’t get asked that very often.”

“Maybe one day they’ll have an easier way to do it,” Irene said. “I can see a huge future in audio messages. It could be big.”

When George came back on the line he heard Irene coughing. “Are you ok?” he asked.

“I’ll be fine in a few minutes,” Irene said weakly. “Is it ready?”

“I’m connecting you now,” George said. “And I will personally make sure that the young Tom gets it when he returns. That is, I’m assuming he is returning.”

“He is,” Irene said. “And thanks.”

After George dropped off the line Irene took a deep breath and began talking.

* * * * *

About twenty minutes later the phone rang at the Swift nuclear plant. Tom Swift Sr. immediately grabbed the phone and shouted into the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hey Dad!” Tom Swift Jr. said. “You certainly seem excited. Is everything ok?”

“Son!” he said, surprised. He calmed down a bit. “Where are you?”

“High over Asia,” Tom replied. “Bud and I have stolen a nuclear jet from Brungaria and are on our way to Shopton. We should be there in about four hours or so. Bud’s doing the flying.”

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Tom said with relief in his voice. “Irene had assured me that you were all ok but it’s good to hear your voice.”

“So you’ve been in touch with her?” his son asked.

“She called a while ago and explained what was going on,” his father said. “We’re expecting her to arrive in a few minutes. We’re not going to have much time. Everything I know about my reactor tells me that it’s just moments away from destroying itself. It could go at any time. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that we are sweating bullets here.”

“Did Irene tell you what she did?” Tom asked.

His father hesitated. “She told us that she stole a hyperplane and a computer from Brungaria and was flying here as fast as the jet could carry her. Is that what you’re talking about?”

“Did she tell you anything about the hyperplane?”

“Not really,” Tom’s father said. “The conversation was kept pretty short. Why?”

“The version of the plane that she has was based on my earliest design,” Tom said with a strained voice. “It was before I discovered the radiation problem.”

Tom’s father gasped. “Are you certain?”

“I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure,” Tom said. “When she calls back can you ask her? I mean, it is possible that Xanthus found the problem and fixed it, but I think the odds are against it.”

“I sure hope you’re wrong,” Tom’s father said. “But I’ll ask.”

“Thanks,” his son replied. He disconnected the line.

His father put the phone back on the receiver. A new fear crept over him. Oh, Irene, what have you done?

* * * * *

Irene awoke with a start. She struggled to open her eyes and glanced down at her position. The girl gasped when she realized that she was now soaring over the United States. I must have passed out, she thought to herself. The girl struggled to breathe. I feel so sick.

The early symptoms of radiation sickness were already taking their toll on her short frame. She felt severe nausea and was having trouble staying conscious. Her thoughts were erratic and she found it almost impossible to focus on flying the plane. My head is killing me. I feel so weak and disoriented.

Irene looked at the controls in her hands and forced herself to concentrate. With all of her remaining energy she corrected her course and began to cut her speed. There’s no way I can drop the package at Mach 15. I’ve got to slow way down if the computer is going to have any hope of surviving the drop. But slowing down means taking more time, and we don’t have more time.

After she made the final adjustments to her course and speed she activated the timer. The cargo bay doors would open after a set number of minutes. If she calculated everything correctly the package should drop close to the nuclear plant. I wish I could double-check my figures but I just can’t think anymore, she thought sadly. But there is one more thing I have to do.

* * * * *

Once again the phone rang in the reactor control room, and Tom Swift Sr. picked it up. “Hello?” he said in a nervous voice.

“Hey,” Irene replied. Her voice was weak and broken. Tom knew immediately that something was wrong.

“Irene? How are you feeling?”

“I’m almost there,” Irene said, ignoring his question. It took her a surprising amount of effort to talk. Her voice came out slow and slurred. “I’ve set up a timed drop. You should be able to track the package on radar after it leaves the plane. It should land near you.”

“We’ll be watching for it,” Tom replied. He hesitated. “My son called. He wanted to know if there were any problems with your hyperplane.”

“So he figured it out,” Irene said. Tom heard her cough for a minute, and then regain control. “He’s a smart kid. Yeah, the jet has some problems. I think this will be its final flight.”

“Where are you going to land?” Tom asked quietly.

There was silence for a few minutes. “I won’t be conscious that long,” Irene said quietly. “Sorry.”

“Can you eject?” Tom asked. There was no answer. He could hear the roar of the nuclear engines over the connection, but the girl did not make a sound. A few minutes later he tried again. His voice shook as he spoke. “Irene? Irene, please – ”

A voice at his elbow interrupted him. “Sir, I just picked up an object on radar! It looks like it’s our package.”

“The plane must be right over us!” another voice called out.

Still holding onto the phone, Tom rushed to the window and looked outside. Far overhead he could see the hyperplane streaking by into the distance. With a heavy heart the inventor stood there and watched as the jet rapidly lost altitude. As it approached the horizon a thunderous sonic boom shook the entire building. What am I going to tell your parents? he though to himself, as he realized what was going on. What am I going to tell my son?

Then it happened. At the far edge of his vision he saw the jet spin out of control and slam into the ocean. A huge plume of water and flame immediately shot into the air. It looked almost like an atom bomb had gone off. At the same moment the phone went dead. Seconds later the thunderous sound of an explosion reached them.

A feeling of coldness gripped him as he watched his son’s world come to an end. All hope and joy left him. He felt as if he would never care about anything again. A deep despair he never knew existed suddenly overwhelmed him.

There was silence in the control room. “The package has landed,” the plant manager told him. “It almost missed us entirely, but it set down on the extreme western edge of the shore. Men are there now picking it up.”

“Thanks,” Tom replied. He forced himself to tear his gaze away from the ocean to the business at hand. But the man could not take his mind off of that final image of the jet crashing into the ocean. It looks like you got your revenge after all, Xanthus, Tom thought bitterly.

Bud Barclay, Irene Goddard, and Tom Swift Jr. were hiding in the deserted basement of the Brungarian base. Several hours earlier they had managed to steal an unused radio transmitter from another area of the complex. Once Tom got it to work they used it to contact a Navy destroyer that was stationed off the coast of Brungaria. The trio had been waiting anxiously for news from New York City on the fate of the Swift power plant. When that news finally came they were crushed.

“I guess that’s the end of it,” Bud said sadly. “I was really hoping we would be able to reach him in time. It looks like we were just too late.”

“Not necessarily,” Tom said slowly. “Irene, tell me a little bit more about this laboratory.”

“Sure,” Irene replied. “Xanthus’ notes had quite a lot of information about this lab. It seems that when he stole your father’s reactor designs he built a duplicate here so he could study it. Once his research was completed he shut it down and the Brungarians started building a commercial-sized plant elsewhere. His test reactor still exists, but it’s been mothballed.”

“Then we might still have a chance!” Tom exclaimed. “Xanthus must have built a duplicate computer. All we need to do is fly it to New York. After all he built copies of my nuclear jets, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Irene replied. “But we don’t have much time left. Your Dad said we have less than two hours until the reactor goes critical. The Falcon-class jet could never make it in time. The Eagle-class jet could make the trip in around 45 minutes, but that doesn’t leave us very long at all to find the computer, load it on board the jet, and leave – and keep in mind we’re surrounded by hostile Brungarians. And don’t forget that the power plant in New York doesn’t have a runway! You’ll have to figure out a way to safely drop it from the air, since there won’t be time to land somewhere else and then transport it.”

“Then we’d better get started!” Tom said.

The room housing the reactor was not hard to find. Like its sister unit at the Institute, the reactor was an enormous machine that had been installed in a very spacious room. This room, however, was very clean. There were no pipes or wires anywhere, nor was there any electrical cabling to be seen. The reactor itself had been disconnected and the control equipment sat quietly along the sides of the room, covered in white sheets.

Tom removed the sheets from the units and looked them over critically. A minute later he spoke up. “Xanthus sabotaged the electronic brain that controlled the reaction itself, correct?”

“Yes,” Irene replied. “That’s the one.”

“Then I think I’ve found it!” Tom pointed to a cabinet about ten feet long and five feet high. The cabinet was studded with lights, controls, and signs written in Brungarian. “I don’t recognize the writing but I do recognize the layout. This is what we’re looking for.”

Bud’s eyes grew wide. “That looks big and heavy, skipper. How are you planning on moving that to the plane? I think someone would notice if we tried to hide it under our shirts and walk out nonchalantly.”

“But what if we build a wooden crate around it?” Tom asked. “And I bet we’ve got enough sheets here to make a good makeshift parachute so we can drop it from the sky while the plane is still in the air. All I need are some tools.”

“We should probably add some radiation symbols to the side of the box,” Irene suggested. “That would keep anyone from looking too closely.”

“What can I do?” Bud asked.

“Help Irene look around for their storage closet,” Tom ordered. “I’m hoping that when they closed this facility down they just packed everything up and put it in a room somewhere. Since all of this machinery is still here that gives me hope that other things may be here as well. While you’re doing that I’ll start dismantling this unit and getting it ready for shipping. I don’t want anything to break while it’s in transit!”

“Then let’s get started!” Irene replied. After a tense search Bud and Irene found a staircase that led to a sub-basement. Inside the room were rows and rows of wooden crates, filled with all sorts of equipment.

“Tom can use the wood to build his own shipping container,” Bud remarked. “We’ve even got packing materials to go with it! Now we just need to find some tools for him to use.”

Once the tools were located they rushed the supplies upstairs. It took several trips to carry up enough wood, but Tom at last had everything he needed. They feverishly hurried to construct the crate. The hardest part proved to be getting the computer into the box. Tom had to remove most of the computer’s internal parts before the trio was able to lift it. As he was reassembling the unit in the crate he turned to look at Irene. “Are you sure we need to bring the entire unit? Can’t we just find the one piece that Xanthus sabotaged and bring that?”

Irene shook her head. “He didn’t do it that way, Tom. Xanthus had to redesign the entire unit to make it do what he wanted. It’s not a matter of just fixing one piece.”

“And Dad never noticed?” Tom said incredulously.

“Your Dad subcontracted the construction work,” Irene pointed out. “Before he built his commercial plant he tried to establish an industrial process for making the components so he could quickly build more as orders came in. When he got the unit in I’m sure he tested it but I doubt he took it entirely apart. Your Dad had no reason to suspect that it might have been sabotaged.”

“I guess,” Tom said, sighing. “So how do we carry this to the plane?”

“Easy!” Irene replied. “We do it the same way they got it down here in the first place. The elevator is easily big enough for a forklift, and I’m sure there’s one around here somewhere. We just need to find it.”

“I haven’t seen one down here anywhere,” Tom said.

“I’ve seen one!” Bud exclaimed. “It was in the hangar. They were using a forklift to move things around while they were cleaning it. I bet it’s still up there!”

Tom snapped his fingers. “Then let’s split up. Bud, you and Irene go get the forklift. I’ll make my way to the hyperplane and get it warmed up. You can then bring the forklift back here, load up the crate, and bring it to the plane. Then we can take off and head for home.”

“I have a better idea,” Irene said. “Bud and I both know how to fly that plane, but you don’t. I’ll go get the hyperplane and you and Bud can work on moving the computer to the jet. I’ll have the plane ready by the time you get there.”

Tom looked surprised. “When did you learn how to fly the jet?”

“Back in California, when Bud and I were waiting on you to bring our weapons supply,” Irene replied. “I had to do something while I was waiting.”

“Ok!” Tom said. “Then let’s go.”

Tom, Bud, and Irene made their way to the elevator. Irene got off on the third floor. Tom and Bud needed to go up one more floor to find the forklift, so Irene bid them farewell and headed off. By now she knew the general layout of the base and had a vague idea where the hangar’s sub-floor was located.

Before she left the deserted laboratory Irene had adopted a disguise. Inside one of the crates she found a stained lab coat, which she put on and daubed with grease and dirt. As she walked out of the elevator she clutched a wrench in one hand and a box of tools in another. Both groups of people had a valid ID card – Tom’s came from the guard Bud had captured outside the base, and Irene’s came from the guard that Bud had imprisoned inside the cell. Once again Irene found herself hoping that no one would look at her too closely.

When Irene got to the hangar’s lower level she saw that it was bustling with activity. She stood still for a moment and watched as workers carried supplies around. A few guards loitered at one side of the hangar, chatting.

Of course! Irene thought to herself. With the upper level of the hangar destroyed they’re relocating what they can to the lower level. This is going to be their primary base of operations until the upper level is repaired, and that could take weeks. I should have thought of that!

Gathering all of her nerve, Irene forced herself to act calm as she walked across the hangar toward Xanthus’ copy of the Eagle. She hoped desperately that in the maze of activity around her no one would pay her any particular attention. As she drew near the jet she started thinking about how to get it out of the hangar. In the far end of the room was an elevator designed to lift jets to the upper level. To the right was a room with a bank of controls. Irene guessed that the elevator was operated from there.

This is going to be a bit tricky, she thought. I’m going to have to turn on the jet and taxi it over to the elevator, and then someone will have to operate the controls and raise it to the upper floor. At least the jet is coated with bulletproof Tomasite! It’s a sure thing they’re going to start shooting at us. Or maybe not – the plane does have a nuclear reactor on board, after all. But how am I going to get everyone out of the hangar?

And then she had an idea.

* * * * *

Tom and Bud stood in one corner of the ruined hangar. Steam was still rising from the heated metal floor, and broken girders dangled from the ceiling. The charred remains of several jets could still be seen in a few places. The entire area was in a state of chaos. Work crews were busy cleaning up the debris, but Tom could see they had their work cut out for them.

“Wow,” Bud said. “This place is a mess! At least gasoline isn’t still spraying everywhere.”

“There’s a forklift!” Tom remarked. He pointed over to one side, where a worker was using it in an attempt to lift a charred engine off the ground.

“Yeah, but it’s in use,” Bud pointed out.

“I don’t see any others,” Tom replied.

“Then we’ll take that one,” Bud said confidently. To Tom’s amazement Bud walked right over to the forklift. He shouted something at the worker and waved his gun at him, making it clear that he wanted the worker to get out of the forklift. The Brungarian looked surprised but he obeyed. Bud got inside and drove it over to Tom, who got on board. The two then maneuvered it inside the base and toward the elevator.

“Nice going back there!” Tom remarked.

Bud grinned. “It’s like Al Capone used to say. You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone!”

“I guess so!” Tom laughed. “I’m sure that guard uniform you’ve got on had nothing to do with it!”

They passed by a number of people on their way to the elevator, but no one stopped them. One glance from Bud convinced them to mind their own business! After they reached the elevator it did not take them long to load up the crate and bring it to the third floor.

“How much time do we have?” Tom asked.

Bud glanced at his watch. “About an hour.”

Tom grimaced. “That’s not good. This is taking much too long.”

To their surprise, Irene was waiting for them just outside the lower level of the hangar. Bud stopped the forklift and Irene climbed on board.

“Is the jet ready?” Tom asked.

“Kind of,” Irene replied. “There’s been a slight change of plans. Let me handle this.”

Irene took over the controls of the forklift and drove it into the hangar. When she got inside she drove over to the nearest worker and shouted at him in Spanish for a few minutes. The worker got a panicked look on his face and began screaming at everyone else in the room. The response was immediate! Within moments people streamed out of the room. The guards started to walk toward her, but Irene waved her ID at them and pointed to the exit. The room was soon empty.

“Wow!” Tom exclaimed, as Irene drove the forklift over to the jet. The plane’s cargo door was already open. “I’m impressed! What did you tell them?”

Irene smiled. “I just said that the hyperplane had been damaged in the fire and needed immediate repairs. I also told them that the crate was filled with highly radioactive materials, and they needed to leave immediately if they didn’t want to die.”

“That’ll work!” Bud said approvingly.

“But not for long,” Irene warned. She drove the forklift into the jet and parked it inside the plane’s cargo area. “When I turn this jet on they’re going to come running back to see what’s going on. And we can’t get out of here until someone works the elevator controls and lifts the plane to the upper level. Can you do that, Tom?”

“Sure,” Tom replied. “Just taxi the plane over to the elevator and I’ll raise you up. But how will I get back on board?”

“There’s a flight of stairs behind the control room,” Irene explained.

“Thanks!” Tom left, leaving Bud and Irene alone.

As Irene closed the cargo door she turned to Bud. “I hate to do this, but I need you to do me a favor. I need you to go with Tom and stop him from boarding this plane.”

Bud’s eyes widened in surprise. “Seriously?”

Irene nodded. “There’s a Falcon-class jet right over there, and like this one it is coated with Tomasite. I need you and Tom to take that jet home. The elevator can only lift one jet at a time, so you’re going to have to act fast. Do you think you can make it without getting shot?”

“I guess,” Bud said slowly. “But what do I tell Tom?”

“Tell him anything,” Irene replied. “Tell him that we can’t leave nuclear jets in the hands of Brungarians. Tell him that they owe him a jet. Make something up. But make sure he doesn’t try to board the hyperplane! I’m counting on you, Bud.”

“Consider it done,” Bud said confidently.

As he turned to leave Irene called out after him. “You’ll make sure nothing happens to him, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Bud called back. “Don’t even worry about it.”

After Bud left Irene climbed into the cockpit and fired up the Sampson nuclear engine. You can do this, Irene, she thought to herself. Just don’t think about it. You’ve got to keep it together! Millions of lives are riding on this.

* * * * *

“Bud!” Tom exclaimed in surprise, as his friend walked into the control room. “Why aren’t you on the hyperplane?”

“There’s been a change of plans,” Bud said. He pointed to another jet in the hangar. “It turns out you and I need to take that jet home.”

“Not a bad idea!” Tom said approvingly. “That’s the only other nuclear jet I see down here. I like the idea of not leaving my technology like that in their hands. Good thinking!”

A moment later the nuclear hyperplane roared to life! Irene taxied it over to the elevator. As soon as the plane was in position Tom threw the switch. The elevator began slowly rising.

“I’ll go grab the other jet,” Bud said. “Meet me upstairs, will you?”

“Sure thing!” Tom agreed. A moment later the hyperplane was out of sight. Once Tom saw that it was no longer on the elevator he lowered it so that Bud could board it.

Good luck, Irene! he thought to himself. He glanced at his watch and grimaced. I sure hope you can make it in time. We’re cutting it awfully close.

As Bud taxied the second nuclear jet into position Tom heard the sound of gunfire. He glanced out the window and saw that guards were streaming out of the doors. Several of them were firing automatic weapons at the plane, but so far no one had noticed Tom. He hit the switch to raise the elevator and ran out the back door and up the stairs. He could hear shouts from down below and the sound of pursuing footsteps, but he kept on running.

By the time he made it upstairs the jet was in position. Tom ran toward it as fast as he could. As he neared the jet he heard more gunfire. The guards were chasing him!

Tom frantically climbed on board as Bud taxied the jet onto the runway. As soon as they were outside he slammed on the throttle and the jet roared to life. The Brungarians continued to shoot at the jet, but the bullets bounced off harmlessly.

Once they were in the sky Tom breathed a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe it! I just can’t believe we did it. Nice going, Bud!”

“Thanks,” Bud replied. He quickly got the plane up to its cruising altitude and brought its speed up to Mach 3. “It looks like old Xanthus didn’t steal all of your secrets,” Bud remarked. “Evidently he didn’t get the Mach 5 blueprints.”

“No, he wouldn’t have,” Tom said thoughtfully. “That’s probably why the Brungarians wanted someone to steal our jets from the California plant. After all, the raid on the Institute happened before I even perfected the Falcon design. I hadn’t even discovered the radiation problem yet.”

Suddenly his eyes grew wide. Bud glanced at his friend. “Is something wrong?”

“You could say that,” Tom said slowly. He started to panic. “I’ll bet anything this jet is based on the early version of my Sampson engine. That version leaked radiation! I figured out how to fix it, but not before my plans were stolen. Without extensive testing Xanthus would never have known the jet had a problem.”

Bud looked frightened. “You mean this plane is leaking radiation? Should I be worried?”

Tom shook his head as fear clutched his heart. He felt like his world was coming to an end. It was all he could do to force himself to talk. He knew he was about to come unglued, and there was nothing he could do about it. “We’ll make it back to Shopton just fine. We won’t be exposed long enough for it to matter. But Irene is in a different situation. At the speed she’s going the radiation levels are going to be fatal. I don’t think she’ll even survive the trip there!”