Jeffrey Carver - Eternity's End

The first wave of torpedoes loomed, their sparkle glaring against the Flux. Jakus let go of the net with a loud cry, heedless of his captain screaming, TURN, YOU IDIOTS, TURRRRNNN—! and Jakus felt a sudden terror and then an utterly insane release as he grinned out into the Flux, directly into the dazzling glare of the exploding warheads.

As the rigger-crew of Phoenix watched dumbfounded, the torpedoes converged on the KM/C ship and flashed with great pulses of light. Hunter ’s net blazed like a torch, and a heartbeat later the entire raider ship crumpled inward, then exploded.

The BOO-O-OM-M-M reverberated with ghostly echoes from the clouds.

No one in the Phoenix net spoke. They could hear mutters of amazement from the bridge, as though Glenswarg were holding the com open, intending to speak, but too stunned to know what to say. Legroeder’s heart was pounding so hard, he could scarcely hear himself think.

What the hell was that? he whispered finally. Who was—?

Phoenix! called a voice, distant but strong across the Flux. This is Kyber-Ivan Freedom. Are you all right? A silver ship slipped out of the clouds high above the expanding debris field that had been Hunter . Had it been there all along?

My left nut, I’m glad to see you! Captain Glenswarg boomed. How the hell did you find us? Where were you?

Two other ships appeared—one from beyond and one from beneath the debris field. It was the escort squadron. They’d had Hunter bracketed; the bastard hadn’t stood a chance. The same voice answered, and there was laughter in it this time. Where were you is my question! We lost you halfway to the destination point. Did you change course?

Yes!—yes!—didn’t you get our transmission? Glenswarg’s voice was shaking with relief.

Got no transmission, said the other captain. We kept going and hoped we’d find you here. The next time we picked you up, it looked like you’d popped out of some kind of Flux anomaly—and then KM/C came out of nowhere and started shooting at you. It took us a few minutes to get in close enough to help .

Rings! muttered Glenswarg, seemingly at a loss for words. Finally he sighed, Thank you. Your timing couldn’t have been better .

You’re welcome, said Freedom. Now, did we or did we not see a ship that looked like Impris? I think it disappeared into those clouds.

Yes, where did they go? Legroeder thought, peering around dizzily. They’d been so busy staying alive, he’d become totally disoriented. He queried his implants; but the comlink was still down.

We’re here, called a new voice, breaking the momentary silence. We’ve been wondering if we should come out. Captain Glenswarg? It was Friedman of Impris.

Legroeder let out a great cry of relief.

Please come out now, answered Glenswarg. Let’s group up this fleet.

As Legroeder and his crew slowly brought their ship around toward the escort fleet, the long, stately shape of Impris emerged from a dense layer of cloud beneath them and rose to join the group. Legroeder felt the implant connection coming back to life. (Freem’n!) he cried silently. (Are you there?)

(We’re here. We’re here,) came the reply, like a whisper down the length of an acoustically perfect auditorium.

(Can you still fly? Are you in one piece?)

(Just barely, and more or less,) said Deutsch. (I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but somehow we came through the quantum flaw on your coattails. How did you do that, Legroeder?)

(I just thought like a rigger, Freem’n. I just thought like a rigger.)

At that, Deutsch began chuckling, softly at first and then louder, until the inside of Legroeder’s head echoed with his friend’s laughter.

The squadron formed up quickly around Phoenix and Impris , and the order was given to set course for Outpost Ivan.

Has it occurred to anyone that we’re all exhausted, and we need time for repairs? Legroeder asked Glenswarg, as he and the Narseil strained to bring the ship into formation.

Sure, answered the captain. We’ll do something about that just as soon as we get the hell out of here. Our friend the Hunter might have buddies, you know .

Ah, Legroeder said, not arguing. But oh, how he wanted some sleep!

The squadron, like a naval armada from some long-ago holodrama, rose slowly through the colored mists until the clouds scattered and cleared, and the smooth waters of a mystical, ethereal ocean stretched before them. The two ships in the middle, Phoenix and Impris , wobbled but held their positions. And as a grand, if battered fleet, they set sail for Outpost Ivan.

PART FOUR

Eternity waits at the crossway of the stars.

—Jorge Luis Borges

Prologue

Awakening

The Kyber agent turned from the briefcase console to peer at the comatose young woman lying in the bed. “Is she okay?”

“How the hell should I know?” his partner snapped, glancing down to check her sidearm. “I’ve got to go make sure the perimeter’s safe.”

The man scowled at his partner and squinted at the medical monitors attached to the captive woman. “I’m sure the perimeter’s fine. I need you here right now.”

“How do you know the perimeter’s fine?”

“Look, just trust the security system for five minutes, will you? The woman’s no good to us dead. This is a tricky operation, and I need you to monitor her condition. All right?”

It was not all right, his partner’s expression made clear. But she grunted and stepped close to the monitors. “She’s still alive.”

The Kyber nodded. He frowned at the captive’s skin color, which was pale, and checked her pulse. It seemed a little weak, but what did he know; he was no doctor. “All right,” he said. “Hang in there, Miss O’Hare. With any luck, this won’t kill you.”

He made a final check of the electrodes attached to the back of the woman’s neck, then returned to the console and, with one last hesitation, initiated the program. The data-collecting subroutines began running; it all looked good so far. But then, he wasn’t an implant programmer, either. For all he knew, he could be killing her.

Contacting implant, opening command kernel…

He watched, hands clenched, as the program moved through several increasingly invasive stages to the critical one.

Disabling autonomic intervention routines…

He held his breath.

Deleting command kernel…

He let his breath out slowly as the program completed its cycle and terminated. He checked the monitors. “All right, I guess we can let her sleep.” He had done what he could. Only time would tell if he had succeeded.

Voices jabbering. The hissing crackle of neutraser fire. Shouting billowing urgency, dragon’s breath of plasma, run run, no time. Struggling for breath, consciousness slipping away. A baby crying… why… mother, are you there? Is baby Jessica there?

Mother? Mother’s not here. She died ten years ago. And Jessica… a hundred light-years away.

Golen Space, fleeing Golen Space. What happened?

Sunlight pouring through a curtained window. Wood framework around the window. Wood?

Alien sun.

Any sun was an alien sun.

Her eyes blinked several times, then opened. Stayed open. Peering at the curtains.

Why curtains—?