Chestnut limped into the room. “Do we even get paid on alien planets?”

  “That’s gotta be like triple hazard pay,” Riggs intoned.

  The last thing she wanted was for the Guardians to get all worked up about money. Hunter’s ass was so tight if he stuck a lump of coal up there, a diamond would come out on his next shit. Extra money. Yeah, right. Getting back with their lives and standard hazard pay would have to be good enough.

  “You’ve got a shiny knife,” Helen chided him.

  Chestnut laughed. “Now I can retire.”

  The room in front of them exactly matched the size of the floor below. There was one difference. At the far end of the room was a console. A way to access the data. Hope flared in Helen’s chest. They still had a chance. The day was a roller coaster of emotions. Helen was ready to get off the ride. She wanted to sleep for a week and eat nothing but French fries dipped in copious amounts of ranch.

  Fucking ranch fries. With those little bacon thingies.

  Her mouth watered at the thought.

  Layani moved across the room and stopped at the console. All thoughts of food left Helen’s head. The only thing she was thinking of now was home. Helen moved to join her. She felt the weight of the moment again. Was this what they were searching for, or merely another clue?

  Layani looked at her, and Helen nodded.

  “Let’s find out together.” Helen smiled with anticipation.

  Layani beamed at her. “Together, we find strength.”

  She hit the button.

  Nomi Orcano

  The video skipped.

  “What the hell?” The footage went grainy and played like it had been shot at super speed.

  This was bad. Really bad. What if they’d missed something important? There was nothing Nomi could do in her suit to fix the files. She would need a console and some time to try to figure out the rest of the message. Hopefully, this wouldn’t be it. There had to be more. They were all counting on Helen to point them out of there.

  Talk about the weight of the moment.

  Vincent looked at Nomi. She didn’t have to see his face to know he was concerned. He was probably thinking it would have been worth it to sit through the other videos to make sure something like this didn’t happen. If he wasn’t, she was thinking it. She was also getting ready to apologize. It wasn’t her fault, but she felt responsible.

  Then, the video cut back into focus.

  It was Helen. This time, she held something in her hand. It was the canister Vincent had kicked. The one nestled in the thigh compartment of her armor. This was it. She was going to tell them something important. Nomi could feel it.

  Vincent put a hand on her shoulder. “Helen. She really survived.”

  “Oorah!” The Guardians were excited.

  Helen started speaking, and they fell silent.

  Helen Daylex

  She was looking into her helmet, which sat on a desk in front of her.

  It felt ridiculous. What kind of person sits in front of a camera to make videos of themselves? Life was about being out in the world. Having experiences. Not about videoing yourself having experiences. To truly be in the moment, a person needed to be present.

  Still, she was present right now, and her message was important.

  Helen might feel silly, but it was worth it.

  “Hey, big brother.” Helen smiled. “I know if anyone could find me, it would be you.” She looked at the canister in her hand, and her expression changed. It wasn’t sadness. Perhaps a touch of longing. “It turns out this pocket galaxy isn’t what we thought it was.” She laughed. “A planet. It’s so much more than that. The Path of Flames. The Lifespark. All of creation could be at risk.”

  Her expression was serious now, almost desperate. “I wanted to come home. I really did, but this is my mission now. I’m going to miss you, big brother.”

  She extended the canister in her hand. “On the off chance you want to keep following me, this will set you on the Path of Flames. It’s in the chamber below the waterfall. All you have to do to activate the canister is insert it and follow these steps.”

  Her picture blurred, cutting out the steps they needed to follow her.

  Helen smiled sadly like she might be saying goodbye for the last time. “If you don’t want to come, or you can’t, I have one last gift for you. A way to beat the gravity well. You can go home.”

  She stood and moved toward the camera, then ducked down. “If this is the last time I talk to you, Vincent, I want you to know I’m happy. What we are doing matters. It will give my life purpose.”

  This time, she smiled like someone she cared about had walked through an unseen door to join her. “Love you, big brother.”

  Nomi Orcano

  The video stopped, and everyone looked at Vincent.

  She felt for him. What was he going to do? He couldn’t abandon them and chase her. He couldn’t order them to go with him. It was one hell of a pickle. One that she was happy she didn’t have to decide. She’d learned that just because it looked like a person only had two options didn’t mean they did.

  “Vincent. Maybe we can recover more of the videos.” Nomi wasn’t sure she could, but she would try for him.

  This was going so wrong. She was supposed to help him save the day, then he would fall into her arms. She would get out of the slums, and the two of them would spend their lives going on grand adventures. She wasn’t supposed to be the one who let him down. Who kept him away from his sister. That wouldn’t be her.

  They would fix this.

  Vincent stood, still in total silence. His hands opened and closed. He was trying to calm himself down. She wished they were out of the combat armor so she could go to him. He looked like he needed a hug. Maybe a million of them. She knew the frustration of inevitability. Nomi had spent her entire life dealing with it. Until she met Vincent, she’d been stuck.

  She wanted to unstick him now.

  Phillips spoke. “I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m with you, Vincent. You want to go get your sister? I’m all in.”

  Every head in the room turned toward Phillips.

  He shrugged. “What? I’m good for more than farts and a healthy digestive system.”

  Stan looked at Phillips and shook his head. “If he’s in, I have to go. Wouldn’t ever live it down if people thought Phillips was braver than I was.”

  “I said it first,” Phillips chided. “I am braver. It’s just how it is.”

  “Don’t ruin the moment.” Gloria slapped him on the chest. “You were doing so well.” She tapped Vincent’s shoulder. “I’m with you. Until the end.”

  “Let’s hope that end is much, much later rather than in a few minutes.” Phillips chuckled. “Come on, guys, have a laugh. I don’t even have a bad feeling about this.”

  Ricco slapped a hand against his helmet. “Doesn’t have a bad feeling. That means the mission is going straight to shit. I couldn’t leave you all hanging. I love it when the odds are stacked against us.” He strutted around the room. “I mean, what would you do without my pretty face?”

  “I was more worried about losing your gun.” Gloria knew Ricco was the second-best shot on the team.

  Ricco faced her. “That’s what they all say.” Then he ran to Phillips and gave him a high-five.

  “Gentlemen,” Sandra snapped. “Let’s show a little respect for the moment.”

  They hung their heads.

  “I haven’t heard a single fart out of Phillips in hours.” Sandra couldn’t even finish without bursting into laughter.

  Phillips pouted. “You know Vincent likes us to keep the channel open.”

  “The mute button has appropriate uses,” Vincent added to the conversation.

  Everyone stopped to look at him. “It’s true.”

  Sandra tapped her chest. “Needless to say, I’m with you, boss. Let’s go get your sister.”

  Vincent looked at Ralph. “How about you? Don’t just say yes because Nomi is going to.”

  “How do you know I’m going to?” Nomi sounded as pouty as Phillips. She couldn’t help it. Vincent didn’t know her half as well as he thought he did.

  “Gut feeling,” Vincent retorted.

  Of course, he was right. She wanted to go, though she didn’t like how it felt like he was making the decision for her. She made her own choices. It was her choice to go, and that was final. At least, it would be when she told him about it.

  Ralph took his time. Nomi didn’t think he was really considering his options. He couldn’t be left alone on this planet, and his heart was too damn big to not help Vincent. He was the kind of guy who didn’t speak until he was ready, though. Not when it came to the big stuff.

  “I’m coming, but only because I’m hungry, and Sandra convinced me I can’t eat any of you.” Ralph had jokes.

  “The man is a monster.” Phillips clapped Ralph’s shoulder. “Glad you’re on our side.”

  Stan turned to look at Nomi. “And then there was one.”

  “I was thinking I might stay here and watch the rest of the videos.”

  “Nomi!”

  She started giggling. “Okay, okay. Let’s try to figure out how this thing works. I don’t know about you guys, but I want to see if Phillips can be the first guy to fart in three galaxies.”

  “We’re all champions at something,” Phillips claimed. Stan and Ricco smashed his shoulder guards with affection.

  Vincent was right there with them, but he still hadn’t made the decision yet. Nomi knew he was weighing up what had happened against his desires. People wanted to go now, but that didn’t mean they would be happy when things got tough. There was no doubt in her mind things would get harder from here. In her books, everything always stayed topsy-turvy until the end. Then, there was a bit of naughty time.

  The kind of thing to give a woman good dreams.

  “All right.” Vincent sounded shocked when he said it. “Let’s find Helen.”

  He looked around the room, then back at her. “Nomi, how exactly are we going to activate the system?”

  She beamed with pride. The fact that he’d asked her before putting his own opinion out there meant something. Vincent knew he could count on her. For anything. Hopefully, there weren’t some secret words they had to know to activate the system. She wanted it to be easier than that. She was starting to think this was a railway of sorts. One of those funny feelings she had, like when she figured out the hologram in the mountain.

  All they needed was the key.

  Nomi tapped her thigh. “Little help?”

  “I’ve got you.” Vincent tapped his wrist.

  The holding container on her thigh opened, and Nomi grabbed the canister. Everyone watched her. None of them knew she was carrying it, but they’d watched the last video together. They knew this was what Helen showed them.

  “That’s one hell of a magic trick.” Ricco was in total awe.

  Nomi held out the shiny copper canister to Vincent. “You’re the one who found it.”

  He moved forward and closed his hand around hers, pushing the item back to her chest. “You’re the one who got us this far. Take it all the way.”

  “That’s exactly what I want to do.” With the canister in her hand, Nomi moved to the silent hologram. “Excuse me, can you help me with this?”

  The being looked down at her. Something was stenciled on its chest. The word “Curator.” What did it mean? She didn’t understand. What did an ancient alien hologram curate?

  “Oh, that is a rare one.” The hologram plucked the canister from her hand and floated across the room. “Almost identical to a traveler who left this location recently.”

  Nomi frowned. “Close to?”

  “Of course.” The curator moved around the room, completing some unseen task. “No two world stones are alike.”

  She turned on her private channel with Vincent. “World stones?”

  Nomi had never heard of such a thing. Vincent might have been more shooty than book-smart, but he was worldly. If anyone in their group had heard of something like world stones, it would be him. It seemed like Vincent’s job took him to every concern of their galaxy.

  “I’ve never heard of them.” Vincent sounded puzzled as he turned to the Curator and dropped their private line. “Exactly how close are we going to get?”

  The Curator floated off. “Same system.” He whizzed in the other direction. “Different part of the planet.”

  The Curator paused, tapping a finger against its holographic lip. “Odd. I can’t ever recall a planet with two gates.”

  He started zipping around again. “Oh, well. The world stone you have provided is sending out a rather strong signal. Are you ready to travel?”

  Vincent shook his head. “What happens when we travel?”

  The curator looked at Vincent like he was a simpleton. “You start here. You go there.”

  Yes, that was how travel worked. Nomi snickered.

  “But how exactly?” Vincent persisted.

  Looking rather smug, the Curator smiled. “If I showed you the data, would you even be able to comprehend it?”

  “Probably not,” Phillips replied.

  Sandra hit him in the stomach. “Not the time.”

  Nomi wasn’t sure what was happening. This wasn’t like the hologram in the hallway. It was a much more advanced program. An AI of some kind. One that had developed its own distinctive personality over time. The Curator might have been the most advanced thing she’d ever laid eyes on. A computer with its own personality. Who would have thought it was possible? An amazing development.

  As long as you could keep the program in a helpful mood.

  “It must take a lot of skill to move us from one place to another,” Nomi stated to the Curator.

  He nodded. “Skill, time, patience. So many of you have questions. It’s all very interesting but draining on the resources.” He moved to the center of the room and set the canister on the floor. “Next time we meet, maybe you can tell me something interesting about yourselves.”

  “The next time we meet?” Vincent held up a hand. “What do you mean?”

  The Curator laughed. “You’ve chosen to travel by world stone. Your location is set. Please prepare for departure.”

  “Now I’ve got a bad feeling,” Phillips mumbled.

  Stan laughed. “It’s too late for that. You already tricked us into going.”

  “If we all die, it’s your fault.” Ricco laughed. “So don’t die.”

  Phillips shook his head. “That doesn’t even make any sense.”

  “At least you aren’t thinking about what’s about to happen.” Ricco nudged him.

  Phillips shook him off. “I am now.”

  “You are the most interesting guests I’ve had in some time.” The Curator’s image started to fritz. “It’s almost a shame to let you go.”

  The ground shifted under Nomi’s feet. She didn’t look down. She didn’t want to know. It was like standing on top of a building. The view was awesome until she looked down, then it was scary. Part of her was afraid if she looked down, there wouldn’t be anything there. She was scared. Really scared. They probably all were. This was a brand-new experience for them. None of them knew where they were going.

  Only that it was on another adventure.

  Vincent took one of Nomi’s hands in his. “Thank you, Nomi.”

  “This has been the best two months of my life.” Nomi felt like, from this point forward, her life would continue to get better.

  Ralph looked down at her. “Whatever happens, I’ve got you.” He clasped her other hand.

  Sandra took Ralph’s hand. Then Stan’s. They went on, forming a circle that linked them together. Nomi closed her eyes. She felt a pulling in her stomach. Then, it felt like someone tried to yank her feet through her mouth. It was the most unpleasant sensation she’d ever experienced.

  In her mind, she was cursing Helen out. Who could do this to another person? It was the worst pain in her life. She imagined it was worse than childbirth. God, Nomi wanted it to be over. When she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, the sensation came to a complete and total halt. Not only that, but it was like nothing ever happened.

  Her mind was still trying to catch up with her body. It was saying throw up. She didn’t want to. Nomi was afraid her feet might actually come out of her mouth. What in the hell did the Curator do to them?

  They were still holding hands. She looked around. The room they were in appeared like an exact copy of the one they left. Did they even go anywhere? One by one, they started to drop their grip on each other. Each of them tested their limbs like a newborn foal. Everything felt right, but she couldn’t shake the sensation.

  The Curator flickered to life. “Oh, good. You made it.”

  He almost sounded surprised. Nomi was worried about that. How safe was the system, anyway? Could they travel again and disappear forever? Before she took this ride a second time, Nomi wanted some answers.

  “Tell me.” He grinned. “Was the hand-holding thing something you planned?”

  Nomi tried not to sound upset. “It just happened.”

  “Terrific.” The Curator waved a hand, and a set of doors opened. “You have reached your destination.” He flew toward Nomi and placed the canister in her hand. “Hold onto this. You’ll be stuck here without it,” he announced as he buzzed away.

  Then, the Curator disappeared.

  The AI didn’t fill her with a lot of confidence. She motioned for Vincent to open the storage on her thigh so she could lock the world stone inside. They would need it to get out of there. Hopefully, after they listened to the rest of Helen’s message, they would know what the hell a world stone was.

  “What in the fuck?” Vincent really was starting to say it a lot.

  Nomi looked at him. “Fuck if I know.”

  “Guys, you’re going to want to see this.” Stan stood at the door.

  They rushed over.

  Nomi was stunned. “The grass is purple.”

  They weren’t even inside a cavern.

  “We’re not in Kansas anymore,” Phillips deadpanned.

  Ricco laughed. “Good one.”

  They really were about to start a brave new adventure.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22