Shackleton's Folly (The Lost Wonder Book 1) (19 page)

The media bots swirled about to take in the scene from many different angles. The two racers walked together, one using the other for support, back to the judges. Alec was doing the majority of the supporting.

The judges talked it over; then, as a group, they faced Alec and Turlmin. “We have not seen such a great competition in ages. They will be talking about this one for a long time,” said the Head Judge. “But there must be a winner, and we have a grand one today — not only a skilled competitor but a sportsman.” The media bots closed in on the group. “We declare
Piece of Pie
the winner of today’s unlimited class race.”

Alec bowed his head for the award. The judge placed a wreath of what looked like laurel on Alec’s head. Turlmin’s race support staff surrounded the two competitors. Turlmin nodded to Alec and then was taken away for medical examination.

The award in place, the judge stood back and saluted Alec with great pomp and circumstance. Alec reciprocated with a bow to the judge and then to the rest of the judges. He turned to find 33 media bots that processed still pictures and took video of him. Alec returned to his seat in the
Pie
, strapped himself back in, and rowed slowly back to the dock.

Dancer and Electra were among the excited spectators. The video screen showed Alec’s progress back to the dock. Alec brought the
Pie
in slowly in his approach to the dock. Alec looked a little better than he had when he had received the award. His strong rowing style allowed him to swing the
Pie
in close with only a few strokes. Alec let the shell coast as he dug in the oars and brought the shell to a stop. The claw from under the dock reached out to Alec’s boat. Dancer grabbed hold of Alec’s oar and maneuvered the boat into the correct position for the claws to close and transport the
Pie
to the dock. Dancer hit the button for the claw system to close the mechanics and settle down the shell to its landing position.

Race fans and well-wishers descended on Alec and the
Pie
. Dancer ran interference for Alec. “Thank you, thank you, for your well wishes. I am sure my friend sincerely wants to thank you all for your kind regards, but he is very tired after such a long ordeal.” Dancer managed the crowd and media reporters, giving the two as much space as possible on the dock.

Electra went to Alec and helped him free himself from the shell. She was about to support him as he got out of the shell. “I can do it,” he said. He got out by himself and was able to stretch out his back and shoulders.

“Alec, you’re hurt,” she said anxiously as she saw his scorched shirt.

“Yes, but nothing major.” He saw real concern in her face. He wanted to grab hold of her and thank her properly but held back. The media bots were afloat in the distance.

“Come over here.” Electra indicated a bench nearby. Alec managed to walk to the bench without falling to the ground. The low gravity of this section made this bearable. Alec sat down as Electra had asked him to. Electra found the medical kit and brought it over. She rummaged through the bag and found what she needed to clean him up. She tore open cleaning pads and went to work on Alec’s head, arms, and legs. He watched her closely as she not only cleaned his wounded rib but bandaged it, too, with a healpad. She fussed over every little scrape. “Alec, how do you feel?”

“Something for the pain.” He caught her eye as she started to dig into the medical kit.

Electra stopped her search and realized what he was asking. “It might be too much for your current condition.”

“So be it.”

Electra put the medical kit aside and moved close to Alec. Her hand reached out and smoothed back his hair from his face. Her hand came down the back of his head and traced back down his jaw line, ending at his chin. Electra held her fingertips there, as Alec closed his eyes. She ran her fingers over his cheek, nose, and opposite cheek, tracing the contours of his face. The finger delicately went to his forehead to brush his hair back on the opposite side and then back out to trace his jaw line, ending at his chin. Electra slowly, deliberately, leaned into him. She nuzzled his ear so softly. Her breathing quickened with anticipation. Their breaths intermingled as she drew back, each taking in the other. Electra giggled as a voice behind them broke the moment.

Dancer cleared his throat and said, “You do know that they do not have a kiss cam here — right?” He pointed over his shoulder at the media bots behind him and their likenesses on the video screen across the way. “It would be better that we get what we were promised by O and leave the planet.”

Alec took in the crowd around them. The crowd had increased noticeably. “Alec, I think we should get going.”

His hold on her loosened as she stood up. Electra had not let go of him entirely and helped him to his feet. Dancer, meanwhile, recovered Alec’s oars, put them back in their case, and secured them.

“Do you want to change?” asked Electra.

That raised an eyebrow. Alec replied, “No, if we need to get out of here, then no more stops than necessary until we get back to the
Quest
.” Alec was mobile and started back with Electra, who carried his sports bag and medical kit slung over her shoulders. Dancer brought up the rear of the procession with the oar case.

They made their way out of Nowhere Downs and grabbed a taxi — their destination: O’s Shop of Curiosities.

*

The taxi screeched to a stop outside O’s shop. They took everything they had with them into the shop. Electra stored the medical kit in the sports bag, zipped it up, and handed it to Dancer, who slung it over his shoulder. Alec put out his hand, and Electra grabbed it. He led the way through the shelves to the store’s back. O was behind the counter.

Electra took a seat on a chair near one wall. Dancer stood by a collection of musical instruments. Alec’s racing gear seemed heavy on his frame as he walked up to the counter and tapped its top with his finger. “Now, O.”

“What do you want, Alec?” said O.

He picked up a piece of statuary from an alien world with his right hand. Alec said in a fairly even tone, “Where is my inscription piece, O?” He looked closely at the statue. He put it under a lamp on the corner of the counter and looked even closer. “Twentieth century before The Coming?”

O said with some surprise, “You still have a very good eye.” She turned to Electra. “Now tell me more about your people, dearie.”

Electra answered, “My ancestors’ lives were ideal. They were relocated by the Empire and became part of it. My people lost track of their home world.”

Alec put down the artifact and closed in on O. Alec’s voice waxed harsher. “I want it now, O.”

O said, “Hush now — you’re interrupting her. Go on, dear.”

Electra thought back. “This is the history we were taught. When the Empire fell, my people were left alone on our new home world. Factions grew until they found a way to leave. When they left, they took property with them as a guarantee no one would follow them.”

“How interesting?” said O.

Alec placed himself between O and Electra. O had to peek around Alec to see Electra.

Electra reminisced, “All of this happened thousands of cycles ago. We never sought out other worlds until now. Mine will end if we can’t find those who left us and return what they have taken.”

O asked seriously, “But what can save a world, my child?”

Electra said simply, “He can.” She pointed to Alec, “I would never have believed the prophecy until I came to know him as I do.”

A howling belly laugh came from O. “The future of your world rests upon
him
?” said O incredulously. Alec’s and O’s eyes met; an even larger belly laugh came from O. “I hope you have a small world to save.” Her laughter was cut short as she was distracted by an incoming call.

O took the call. “O’s House of Curiosities. Yes, Yuri — you shall settle today, or I’ll report you to the guild.”

Alec walked to the front of the shop. Worrell and Gino were across the street. Alec observed them, “O, you’re testing my patience. My inscription piece, if you please.” Alec moved quickly back to where Electra and Dancer were waiting. He motioned them to follow him, and they did. They arrived at the front of the shop, where Alec motioned Electra over to where he was standing. Alec pointed out Worrell and Gino.

“We need to leave now,” said Alec. “Dancer, mind keeping an eye out?”

“Not a problem,” responded Dancer.

Alec and Electra headed back to O. They found O, who, even then, was keying in commands. O said happily, “I have transferred your winnings to my account in payment.” O sorted through dusty boxes and bins of junk. She then brightened up and went to the trunk and took out a smaller staff weapon.

O held out the wrist bracer with the feminine floral inlay. “Dearie, I have your staff.”

Electra took the staff from O and squeezed the middle. The staff appeared at full extension and then disappeared just as quickly. Electra tried it a couple more times to get a feel for the trigger and then put it on.

O reached under the counter and brought out an odd-shaped box. Alec grabbed it from her. It was far too light to be a piece of the inscription. He ripped open the box and sent a data crystal sailing through the air. Alec managed to grab the data crystal one-handed. Alec held up the crystal. “What’s this!?” Alec examined the crystal.

O replied, “Where you can find a piece of your inscription.”

Alec tried to grab O across the counter. Alec cried, “You said you had it!” Alec grabbed for O again, getting a momentary hold, only to have her easily slip through his fingers.

O confessed, “I did, didn’t I? Well, I sold you all I have. Information.”

Alec took a swing at O. He missed cleanly. Alec stated matter-of-factly, “If I didn’t have to get out of here, I’d fry you myself. I’ll be back.” He called up front. “Dancer, time we used the back door.”

“Sounds like a plan,” came Dancer’s reply. As he made his way quickly to the back of the store, a few things got knocked off their shelves.

O responded, “I do not have a back entrance.” Alec gave her an unfriendly glare.

Alec opened the short door in the counter for Dancer and Electra and followed them through to the back of the store. Alec went to where he had estimated the entrance to be. The camouflage was good, but Dancer’s sensors had been tuned just for such emergencies. He scanned the wall and then made a grab for a small globe on the third shelf up, third over. Part of the wall recessed inward and then moved aside, giving them access to a fibrous, walled tunnel that went through the air conduit closest to the wall and connected to the rock wall. Once they reached the cavern wall, the tunnel’s walls changed to that of stone.

There was only one way to go, so they ran. Doors appeared every so often, but, from their looks, they had not been accessed in generations. O must have found an abandoned access tunnel and used it for her getaway tunnel. They must have gone close to half a kilometer, and Alec was tapped out. The race had taken a lot out of him, and now he was running. They came to a stop at a smaller door, but this one showed that it had been used recently. Alec opened the door slowly and peeked out first. He took advantage of the lack of anyone’s attention and stepped out the door. They had ended up close to the train platform going to the docking bays. The door they had come out of blended into the wall as it closed itself. A minute later, it was next to impossible to see the door any longer.

Alec shepherded Electra, Dancer, and their equipment to the train platform. The next train to depart to the landing bays was ready to leave as they approached it. Alec found two open seats quickly and had Dancer and Electra board. “Take her to the
Quest
. I hold you responsible,” Alec said to Dancer. Electra tried to protest. “No arguments. You are going with Dancer. I’ll find a seat in the next car, but when you get to the
Quest
, get her warmed up.” He gave Dancer a look. “See you soon.” Alec shut the door on the train car and searched each car, moving to the back of the train before finding a spot between two large creatures in the last car. It was obvious that the reason the seat had remained open was that no one was willing to maintain such close quarters with these two. They were an unfamiliar species, so it was not much of a surprise to Alec. He saw Worrell and Gino wading through the crowd outside the station. Alec joined the two creatures — like it or not.

Alec asked, “This seat taken?” He did not wait for a response; he entered the open car and closed the door behind him. He seated himself so that one of the two creatures blocked anyone from the station entrance from seeing him. The train started out of the station slowly as Gino and Worrell made their way onto the platform.

The trip was uneventful. Alec observed the two creatures during the trip, and they were not what one would call “lively.” Alec tried not to look for Electra and Dancer in the cars ahead of them. He had ordered Dancer to get Electra off planet if he didn’t make it — not in as many words, but Dancer knew what he meant. She was the salvation for the survivors of Earth’s destruction. Electra said Alec’s arrival had been prophesied and that he would save her people from some world-ending disaster.
Let’s say it’s true, for the sake of argument,
Alec thought
. I know that she’s human
. Maybe his saving her people had brought the rest of the survivors to her world and Earth’s destruction was the world-ending event in the prophecy. He’d buy it. It was what he told himself as the train came into the station where he needed to get off.

Dancer and Electra moved from the car ahead quickly and entered the corridor to their landing bay. Alec jumped up and exited the car. He looked at the two creatures, who still had not moved. He closed the door behind him and ran to the corridor. A crash of metal on metal abruptly came from the car he just exited. A second train had arrived without braking and slammed into the car, crushing the two creatures in twisted metal. Alec turned quickly and recognized the driver of the new train as Worrell — with him was Gino. The crash didn’t seem to affect them much because they saw Alec and leapt from the train in his pursuit. Alec took the better part of valor and left the platform quickly.