The Outer Worlds: Book One of the Epherian Chronicles (23 page)

‘
Good to see you too, Carlson.’

Carlson
scanned the rest of the crew. His eyes lingered on Ajax, who was
taller and musclier. A hint of jealously flashed across his
face.

‘
Who are your friends, Ethan?’

‘
This is Captain Michael Cornelius of the Out Drifter and his
crew. They’re a salvage crew and belong to the Outer World Salvage
Guild.’

‘
Salvors, why did you bring them here?’

‘
Business of course,’ said Ethan. ‘They want to be smuggled
across the Epherian frontier. Do the Tunnel Makers still smuggle
people into the empire?’

‘
We do, but the price is very high. I hope you can afford the
trip.’

‘
How much does it cost?’ asked Michael.

‘
That’s up to Tyr,’ answered Carlson. ‘He makes all the big
financial decisions these days. Ethan, you can take two of your
friends into the base; the others can wait on board their ship, and
no one is permitted to take weapons inside. Leave your guns here
and collect them as you leave.’

‘
I guess it’s me and you, Captain. Who else should we take?’
asked Ethan.

‘
Ivan, you’re coming with us,’ said Michael. ‘Everyone else can
go back to the ship. It shouldn’t take long to complete the
negotiations.’

Carlson
collected their pistols and the others returned to the Out Drifter.
The second door slid open and revealed a dimly lit tunnel which cut
deeper into the mountainside. Carlson and another smuggler led them
onward.

They arrived
at the far side where a third reinforced security door blocked
their way. The door opened and a large domed area was revealed. At
the far side of the area was an elevated podium with what looked
like a throne made entirely of gold. Seated on the throne was a man
clothed in black silk with a very lined face and a shiny bald head.
He had a somewhat mischievous grin affixed to his lips. There were
dozens of smugglers in the domed area, which seemed to be the
central hub of the base. They all looked up as the newcomers
entered the room.

Carlson led
them over to the podium, and some of the men acknowledged Ethan as
they walked by.

‘
Ethan, the ugly duckling has returned,’ said the man on the
throne with a half-smile and half sneer.

‘
Hello again, Tyr,’ said Ethan coolly.

‘
Take off your glasses so I can see your eyes.’

‘
I can’t see anything without my glasses.’

‘
Oh, you lost your sight, what a pity,’ said Tyr coldly. ‘You
know I’m the leader now, Ethan, and if you still think of yourself
as a Tunnel Maker you should address me as the boss. As far as I
know you haven’t resigned yet.’

‘
Let me say now: I resign from the Tunnel Makers,’ said Ethan
loudly so everyone in the dome could hear.

‘
I always thought you were too weak to be a Tunnel Maker!’
growled Tyr. ‘I’m sure this isn’t a courtesy visit. What do you
want?’

‘
We are here to do business.’

The corners of
Tyr’s lips turned upward. ‘Tell me; what business?’ he asked,
leaning forward in anticipation.

‘
We want our ship smuggled into the Epherian
Empire.’

Tyr threw
himself back and laughed menacingly. His laughing continued for at
least half a minute.

‘
We can smuggle you across the frontier, but it will cost you
eight million credits.’

‘
What? That’s ridiculous!’ said Ethan, raising his
voice.

‘
That’s the discounted price because you were a Tunnel Maker.
Either you pay or you leave, and if you choose to go don’t ever
come back.’

‘
We can’t afford your price,’ said Michael.

‘
Then we can’t do business. You can go now; get out of my
sight,’ said Tyr, waving dismissively.

‘
Is there another way?’ asked Michael.

‘
I hate salvors; your kind never gives up,’ scoffed Tyr,
snarling down at Michael with piercing eyes.

‘
Not giving up is a good quality,’ said Michael.

Tyr sneered
and gritted his teeth. ‘Yes, it can be a good quality, but not when
you are committing your energy to foolish endeavours.’ He
scrutinized Michael for a long moment, and his eyes suddenly lit up
as if he was struck by a bright idea. ‘There is only one other way
you can pay for the service.’

‘
Tell us.’

‘
We have had a request to smuggle some EPHX lenses to Moros
Gamma.’

‘
Moros Gamma,’ repeated Ethan. ‘But Moros Gamma is deep inside
alien controlled space.’

‘
Exactly. The Morosians have requested the delivery of fourteen
EPHX cannon lenses. They’ve held back an alien siege for years
because they have mounted EPHX cannons on satellites protecting
their planet. The cannon lenses have a limited lifespan, and they
need to be replaced very soon. Moros Gamma is cut off; no trade
gets in or out. All the other systems in that region have fallen to
the aliens. Moros Gamma will also fall if the lenses don’t arrive
in time. They have agreed to pay us one billion credits if we can
deliver the lenses, but unfortunately the Tunnel Maker pilots don’t
want to take the job. Naturally, no one wants to fly so deep into
alien controlled space. All you have to do is make the delivery and
bring a GCTD with the one billion credits back to us. Then we will
repay you by smuggling you into the Epherian Empire. It’s really
simple.’

‘
You know there is no way we would be able to make it as far as
the Moros Gamma,’ said Ethan. ‘It’s utter madness.’

‘
I disagree,’ said Michael. ‘We will take the job.’

Ethan winced
and shook his head. ‘Captain, taking this job is crazy.’

‘
There is no other way,’ said Michael. ‘We need to cross the
Epherian frontier.’

‘
But we won’t be crossing the Epherian frontier if we take this
job, never! The aliens will kill us.’

‘
The statistical probability of succeeding is exceptionally
low,’ said Ivan.

‘
I think we can make it,’ said Michael. ‘We need to know that
the Tunnel Makers will keep their side of the deal.’

Tyr clapped
and laughed. ‘You are working for a bold captain, Ethan. I like
him.’ His mouth twisted into a grin. ‘If you can bring me a GCTD
with a billion credits I will smuggle the whole salvage guild into
the Epherian Empire for you.’

‘
You have a deal.’

‘
Good. I will have my men load the cargo onto your
ship.’

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

‘
What!’ yelled Sara. ‘Have you lost your mind?’ she screamed as
she stormed into the cargo bay.

Men from the
Tunnel Makers were loading large steel boxes containing the lenses
into the cargo bay.

‘
What’s going on?’ asked Ajax, looking from Michael to
Sara.

‘
Don’t worry, Sara; we will be fine. Trust me.’

‘
Trust! Captain, this job, if you can call it a job, is like
trying to walk through a den full of starving lions; we will be
eaten alive. I don’t think we can even make it to Moros Gamma.
Alien controlled space is self-explanatory: it means the space is
controlled by aliens!’

‘
Don’t be so pessimistic,’ said Michael with a confident smile.
‘We have a good ship, plenty of fuel, and Ivan thinks it’s
statistically possible.’

‘
It’s not pessimism, Captain, and it may be statistically
possible, but the chances of success are slim…very
slim.’

‘
I actually said
the statistical
probability of succeeding is exceptionally low,’ said Ivan in dry
monotone.

‘
Which means it’s actually statistically possible,’ argued
Michael. ‘What do you think, Acacius?’

‘
The path we walk is a result of cause and effect on a cosmic
scale,’ answered Acacius. ‘If this is our only option then we must
go to Moros Gamma. You were right to do what you did. We must find
a way to Epheria Prime and we must save the Magnifier. The path has
been presented to us. We will walk the path.’

‘
But you’re not the one who has to fly the ship,’ said
Sara.

‘
As I have previously said; no one has to come on this
mission,’ said Michael. ‘Anyone who wants to leave is welcome to
leave. I’ll fly the ship myself if I have to. Everyone is here by
choice.’

Sara averted
her eyes and shook her head. ‘I’m not leaving, Captain, but I will
definitely say when I think you are making a mistake.’

**

The Out
Drifter lifted off and rapidly ascended toward the sky. They passed
through the thick dark clouds in the upper atmosphere and within
minutes they were back in space. Michael was sitting in the
co-pilot seat beside Sara. He watched the bright stars in the
distance.

‘
No matter what I do I can never escape the aliens,’ she said.
‘You know there are no aliens inside the Epherian Empire. I was
hoping we would cross the border and leave the war behind, and now
we are about to set a course for the most dangerous alien infested
place in the galaxy.’

Michael
nodded. ‘You should know, Sara, the End Machine rules the Epherian
Empire, and the End Machine synthesized the alien race. The machine
controls the aliens and the minds of the government ministers on
Epheria Prime. The real enemy is the End Machine. When we destroy
the machine we will destroy the aliens.’

‘
What about the Epherian Emperor?’ asked Sara. ‘Nearly everyone
in the Outer Worlds blames the Emperor. He sold us out to the
aliens when he agreed to the Epherian Pact. Does the End Machine
control the mind of the Epherian Emperor?’

‘
No,’ said Michael. A few silent moments passed. ‘Have you ever
seen an image of the Epherian Emperor?’ he asked.

‘
Never.’

Michael looked
over his shoulder and saw Cynthia standing at the door.

‘
I know what the Epherian Emperor looks like,’ she said
boldly.

‘
That’s impossible,’ said Sara. ‘He never shows his face.’ She
continued to adjust the reactor power levels on the console. ‘There
hasn’t been a circulated image of him since he was little more than
a boy.’

‘
You might find you know much more about the Emperor than you
think you do,’ said Cynthia as she turned to leave and walked back
toward the cargo bay.

‘
What did she mean by that?’ asked Sara, glancing curiously
across at Michael.

‘
I’m not entirely sure,’ he replied.

‘
I think you know more than you are prepared to say,’ she said,
her eyes narrowing. ‘What has the Epherian Emperor got to do with
our mission to save the Magnifier? Tell me; where does the Emperor
fit in?’

‘
The reason the Emperor doesn’t show his face in public is
because he was sent into exile when the End Machine attacked
Epheria Prime.’

‘
Obviously you are planning to rescue him from
exile.’

Michael smiled
warmly. ‘No, it’s not necessary because he is actually planning to
save the Magnifier from Epheria Prime. He has a good crew and a
solid ship. He just has to complete one last mission to Moros
Gamma. I think he’s in with a good chance.’ He glanced at Sara to
see her reaction. Her face became stony and pale. The Out Drifter
suddenly veered to the left. Michael nearly fell out of his seat as
the ship spiralled out of control. Sara took a few moments to
regain focus and retake control of the ship.

‘
What!’ she yelled, her unblinking eyes staring intensely at
him. ‘It’s you, Captain. You must be joking!’

‘
I’m not joking,’ he said calmly.

‘
Why haven’t you ever mentioned this?’

‘
There was never a need to say a word about my past, and it was
dangerous to tell anyone. I have been in hiding for many years. I
kept my origins secret from everyone so I could remain hidden. You
have to understand that the End Machine has been searching for me
since I was very young. It is only necessary to tell you now
because you have agreed to help save the galaxy. I have to return
to the Epheria Prime. The minds of my people have been enslaved by
the End Machine. Once we destroy the End Machine I will take
control of the Epherian fleet and banish the aliens from the
Triangulum Galaxy forever.’

Sara leaned
back in her seat. She lifted her eyes and stared at the ceiling. ‘I
can’t believe I work for the Epherian Emperor. I hate the Epherian
Emperor; everyone in the Outer Worlds hates him.’

‘
That’s even more reason to keep my identity secret, and to be
clear, they don’t hate me; they hate the fact that the Epherian
Empire hasn’t helped fight the aliens.’

‘
I think this will change the way I see you.’

‘
I’m exactly the same man you know.’

Sara raised an
eyebrow and smiled.

**

Ajax groaned
as he looked down at the sleeping pod containing Gopher. ‘We forgot
to drop the thief off on Bodach Delta,’ he grumbled. ‘What the hell
are we going to do with him now?’

Michael walked
over. ‘We’ll have to let him out of the sleeping pod.’

‘
It’s not a good idea, Cap. I think we should just leave him in
there and let him off on Moros Gamma.’

‘
Leaving him in the middle of the war wouldn’t be very nice. He
won’t like that.’