Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Subject Real
by M. Keaton
A Subtle Thing
by Marshall Payne
Issue 08
October 15, 2006
“The Fleet,” by Euka
Pg.
Table of Contents
Overlord’s Lair: What Space Opera Looks Like:
E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman series 3
Subject Real, by M. Keaton 6
A Subtle Thing, by Marshall Payne 15
The Friar of Briar IslandPart 2 of 3, The Adventures of the Sky Pirate
by Johne Cook 20
Featured Artist: Euka 26
Memory Wipe, Chapter 4, Dark Streets,
by Sean T. M. Stiennon 27
The Jolly RGR 39
Overlords (Founders and Editors): L. S. King, Paul Christian Glenn, Johne Cook
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All content copyright 2006 by Double-edged Publishing,
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Rev: 20061015c
Overlord’s Lair:
What Space Opera Looks Like: E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman series
cannot do by mental power alone, and they decide to wear it. Shortly after the owner’s death, the
that much time is needed (during which Eddore lens sublimates and vanishes into nothingness.
must be kept ignorant of their plans), and new Thus equipped, Virgil Samms visits races in
races must be developed which will better be able other star systems, recruiting the best of them to
to breach the Eddorian’s mental powers than they become Lensmen, thus making the Galactic Patrol
are. The new races, having done so, will naturally truly galactic in scope. The Galactic Patrol, as it
be superior guardians of civilization than they emerges, maintains a service academy on several
can be, and so their role in the universe will be planets. It accepts only the top few percent of
ended. Triplanetary incorporates the early history applicants. Of millions of initial entrants, only a
of that breeding program on Earth, illustrated hundred or so at the top of a planet’s graduating
with the lives of several warriors and soldiers, class are ever sent to Arisia.
from ancient times through to the discovery of
the first interstellar space drive. It adds an addi- The Arisians fit Lenses only to the most
tional short novel (originally published with the deserving of those individuals. The qualities
Triplanetary name) which is transitional to the required of Lensmen include intelligence, utter
novel First Lensman. incorruptibility, a high drive to succeed, and
the highest drive to fight evil. Others who try to
The second book, First Lensman, concerns the obtain Lenses simply never return from Arisia.
formation of the Galactic Patrol, and the first The Arisians otherwise maintain a highly distant
Lens, given to First Lensman Virgil Samms on profile and refuse to talk to other beings, stating
“Tellus” (Earth). The Arisians, through the scientist that they have given civilization the tool it needs
Bergenholm, make it known that if Samms, the to bring about a good future, and that people
head of the Triplanetary Service which adminis- should otherwise not have reason to contact
ters law enforcement to Tellus, Mars, and Venus, them.
visits their planetary system, he will be given the
tool he needs to build the patrol he dreams of. The first woman sent to Arisia is returned
That tool is the Lens. The Arisians further promise without a Lens, being told “Women’s minds and
him that no entity unworthy of the Lens will ever Lenses don’t fit. There’s a sex-based incompat-
be permitted to wear it, but that he will have to ibility.” She is also told only one woman will ever
discover for himself most of its abilities. become a Lensman.
The Lens is a form of “pseudo-life,” created by A significant subplot is usurpation of normal
the Arisians who understand life and life-force in political processes by Lensmen. The Lensmen are
a way no other race yet does. It gives its wearer totally honest, honorable, uncompromising, and
a variety of mental capabilities, including those can read minds. Given the nature of the Lens and
needed to enforce the law on alien planets and to the Lensmen, dishonest politicians hate and fear
bridge the communication gap between different them.
life forms. Thus it can provide mind-reading and The rest of the series is a series of revelations.
telepathic abilities while connected (directly or Although initially believed to be mere interstellar
indirectly) to the skin of its user. A mind-reading pirates (“Boskonians”) and criminals smuggling
device, it allows its owner to perceive inner motives, weapons and drugs (“Zwilniks”), the enemy prove
to recognize lies, and to communicate perfectly in to be organized into a rival civilization based on
any language to any living being, however low its selfish and ruthless struggles for power.
native intelligence may be. A continuing multigenerational war is required
The Lens is described as an ellipsoidal assembly to trace the Boskonian leaders and subject races
of small cloudy jewels, imbued with a shifting to ever-higher echelons of what Lensmen and
polychromatic light. It is “fitted” on Arisia, and their followers continue to call “Boskone.” Other
cannot be worn by anyone other than its owner. than the Arisians, only a few individuals will ever
In the event that an entity to whom the Lens is know the real nature of the war being covertly
not fitted tries to wear one, the Lens’ pseudo-life fought, and even then only a handful, the so-
properties will interfere so strongly with the other called “Children of the Lens,” will ever eventually
being’s life that it will quickly kill the being trying come to know of Eddore.
Centuries pass, and eventually the final gen- and to develop their own techniques and abilities
erations of the breeding program are born. A “about which we [the Arisians] know nothing.” The
single individual is born, on each of four planets, key discovery comes when they try mind-merging,
who realises the limits of his initial training, and which they have not tried since before their
perceives the need to return to Arisia to seek various third stage trainings, and discover that
more. Through “second stage” training, these this is completely changed. No longer are they
four Lensmen gain additional powers such as the simply five beings in mental contact as before.
ability to slay by mental force alone; the “sense Now they discover they can merge their minds
of perception”, similar to a superior version of into a hive-mind, to effectively form one mental
the stereotypical “X-ray vision”, an ability to entity, a being with incalculable abilities called
“perceive” without light, through solid objects, The Unit. The Arisians call this the “most nearly
and at great distances; to control minds unde- perfect creation the universe has ever seen,” and
tectably; to perfectly split attention in order to state that they, who created it, are themselves
perform multiple tasks with simultaneous focus almost entirely ignorant of almost all its higher
on each; and to better integrate their minds for powers.
superior thinking. The Children of the Lens, with the mental power
The series contains some of the largest-scale of unknown billions of Lensmen of the Galactic
space battles ever written. Entire worlds are Patrol (around a hundred a year from each planet,
destroyed (see “Super-Science Weapons”, below), billions of planets, decades of graduates), turn
whilst weapons are powerful enough to warp out to constitute the Arisians’ intended means
space itself. Huge fleets of spaceships fight bloody to destroy Eddore and make the universe safe
wars of attrition. Alien races of two galaxies for their progeny species. The Galactic Patrol,
sort themselves into the allied, Lens-bearing summoned to work together in this way for the
adherents of “Civilization” and the enemy races first time in its existence, contains billions of beings
of “Boskone.” who in total can generate immense mental force.
As the breeding program reaches its ultimate The Children of the Lens add not only their own
conclusion, Kimball Kinnison, the brown-haired, immense mental force to this (as do the Arisians),
gray-eyed second-stage Lensman of Earth, but as The Unit gather and focus all this power
finally marries the most advanced product of onto one tiny point of the Eddorians’ shields.
the complementary breeding program, Clarissa Thus attacked with this incalculable strength and
MacDougal, a beautiful, curvaceous red-haired precision, the Eddorians’ strongest shields are
nurse, who eventually becomes the first human finally, after billions of years, destroyed, and the
female to receive her own Lens. Their children, Eddorians with them.
a boy and two pairs of twin sisters, grow up to The Arisians, with their child races successful
be the five Children of the Lens. In their breeding, and safe, remove themselves to “the next plane
“almost every strain of weakness in humanity is of existence” in order to leave the Children of
finally removed.” They are born already possess- the Lens uninhibited in their future as the new
ing the powers taught to second stage Lensmen, guardians of Civilization. Although to human
with mental abilities from birth hard to imagine. eyes the Children of the Lens age and die, they
They are the only beings of Civilization ever to in fact will live immense lifetimes (as the Arisians
see Arisia as it truly is, and the only individu- themselves did) and, it is foreseen, be successful
als developed over all the existence of billions in their role.
of years able finally to penetrate the Eddorian’s Space opera has grown with the passage of
defense screens. time, however, many of the tropes and venerable
Undergoing advanced training, they are conventions of space opera started with Doc
described as “third stage” Lensmen, transcend- Smith. You can’t go wrong tracking down his
ing humanity with mental scope and perceptions works if you have an interest in writing space
impossible for any normal person to begin to opera in the present day .
comprehend. Although newly adult, they are now
expected to be more competent than the Arisians,
Subject Real
by M. Keaton
“F ive to you.”
The mezzanine of the Orion was quiet,
relatively. Only a few dozen drinkers in what
“Birds don’t change feathers,” he muttered to
himself as three men entered, trailing behind the
main crowd. Two were obviously hired muscle:
passed for the early morning, ship’s time. The low brows, stiff walks, nervous eyes. He mentally
stack of chips hit the glass tabletop with a snap. dismissed them and stepped to intercept the
In the hollow vaults of glass and steel a metallic third.
voice was chanting. “Please have identification “Cayce Martin!” Ivan said in a voice just under
and travel papers prepared for—” a shout. “In accord with the Stone Hunting Act
“Hey, you playing?” of—dammit.” While the hired goons were staring
Steponovich folded his cards and tossed them around in confusion, Cayce was already running.
face down toward the table’s center. Steponovich sprinted through the mezzanine
“Right. Bid’s to you, Max.” after him. Behind him, Cayce’s men groped for
“Hell, if Ivan’s out, I’ll call.” their guns—guns that had already been confis-
“All baggage may be subjected to search. Con- cated by Orion customs.
traband items will be confiscated. Possession of Cayce was almost halfway through the room
items in violation of the Ak-Hemet Act is—” when he collapsed in a cyclone of arms and legs,
“Ivan, new deal. Ante up.” folding over himself as he was slammed to the
Steponovich flicked a plastic chip across the floor. Even with the shouts of confusion from the
table and kept his gaze fixed on the entrance tourists, the mezzanine still seemed eerily quiet.
from the Arrival Bays. Cards shot across the glass Ivan stood deliberately still as the automated
and only the dealer’s accuracy kept them from security turrets swiveled back to their normal
continuing onto the floor. position and whined down into passive mode.
“—welcome you to the Orion and wish you a “Thanks Dell,” he said at last.
pleasant stay. Station maps are available—” The dealer ignored him, pressing a finger
“Max raises fifty to you, Ivan.” against his earpiece. “House wants to see you in
“Call.” his office.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. You could Ivan nodded and released a slow breath.
at least look at your hole cards.” “Thought he might.”
“Sure, Max.” Steponovich curled the edge of
his cards upward and flicked his gaze from door #
to table and back again. “Yep. Call.” The Orion began its life as a mobile refueling
“Flop comes Diamond Two, Diamond Eight, station. Two years and a bankruptcy later, a
Club Eight. The bet is to Max—” smuggler turned pirateer bought it for a fifth of
“Fold and cash me out,” Steponovich inter- gin and a carton of cigarettes. In six years, the
rupted. “Sorry, Dell, time for work.” pirateer had transformed the Orion into the
“No wonder they call you Crazy Ivan. Worst premiere tourist liner and gambling center in sta-
card playing I’ve ever seen,” groused Max as Ste- bilized space.
ponovich stood and walked from the table. As the station grew, so did its owner. House
The automatic doors sighed open and had always been tall but the matching width was
disgorged a wave of new arrivals—overweight a late addition. “Sit. Have a drink. Real scotch.”
tourists, gambling wannabes, curious aliens. Ivan An angry House Ivan had expected. A happy
put his back against a support beam disguised as one was much more frightening. “Thanks, I’ll
a marble column and let them sift past. stand.”
“No, you won’t. We could be here a while.” “Also kills everyone in the breeched section.
Ivan relented. “Light on the scotch, heavy on Explosive decompression.” Ivan thumbed through
the water. It’s morning somewhere.” the folder. “Drift time and distance leaves a
“Technically, it’s morning here. Congratula- helluva lot of space to cover.”
tions on your bounty, by the way. I think it’s great “It’s bloody business. I’d be involved even if
when friends can exchange favors.” the Orion didn’t cover the Nevreno-Fargone run.”
“So that’s how we’re going to play it.” A light flickered on his desk. “Pell’s on his way in.”
“How else? If someone were to use my station “Where do I come into this? And why is Pell
and place my clientele and employees at risk involved?”
for their own purposes, why, that would be a House drained the last of his scotch. “There
dangerous precedent. It would undermine my was a survivor. A kid was inside the cycling
authority and cause a whole host of problems. chamber of an airlock. The locks won’t cycle while
I might have to shoot someone or at least ban the bulkheads are down so she had to have been
them from the station.” House paused to drink. hidden there after the slo-po was towed in and
“No, much better to trade favors with a friend. stripped. It’s not great but there’s a chance she
Why did you want this guy so bad anyway?” saw someone or something. Even if all she can
“Long list. Call it personal and let it drop.” give us is which side of the ship was hit first, we’ll
“Fair enough...but I’m keeping your bounty have something to work from.”
money.” “And?”
Ivan shrugged, unsurprised. “What’s my, um, “And she’s catatonic. Post-trauma shock or
return favor?” such-like. The Orion was the nearest medical
“A rescue. Retrieval actually. Hardly work for a facility that could handle her.”
man of your talents.” House stabbed a button on “You mean with the right equipment for Pell
his desk. “Send up Doctor Pell.” to go poking into her brain.”
Ivan arched an eyebrow. “Pell?” “Hardly,” a baritone voice boomed behind Ivan.
“The circumstances are a bit unusual...” “House treats the brat like she’s his own kid. No,
“No. Confiscate my pay. Ban me from the better—like she’s his own money.” Pell dropped
station. Do whatever you have to but I don’t do the base of his pear shape into a chair alongside
the psycho work. Anyone dumb enough to get Steponovich. The doctor’s face was too wide and
stuck in a hologram or virtual reality or any of had the hair on upside down—bald with a brush
that swill is on their own and deserves whatever fire beard.
they get.” “She is my money,” snapped House. “Even if
House held up a hand. “Simmer down. they don’t endanger the stations, pirates cut the
Normally, I’d agree with you. This is an exception.” bottom line—supplies lost, labor costs go up, fat,
He pulled a folder from a drawer in the desk and dumb tourists afraid to travel...”
passed it to Steponovich. “Forty-seven days ago, “Always the humanitarian,” interjected Ivan.
standard, a slow transport shipped out of Nevrio. “Point is, she’s too important to use blunt tools.
Seven hundred eighty-one souls, three hundred Pell, tell Step what you’ve done so far.”
tons of supplies, mostly medical, all bound for “She’s a Jane Doe, unlisted on the ship’s
the colony on Webster. Never made its refuel at manifest. Most colony brats aren’t. It keeps the
Fargone. Last contact was the usual check twenty- official tonnage down so the shippers pay less
one days out. Eight days ago, a patrol in Hedge fuel tax. Apparent age is around fourteen years
space picked up part of the slo-po’s passenger standard. We treated her first for exposure,
compartment.” abrasions, malnutrition, and all the other usual
“Pirates.” you’d expect given the situation. Psychologically,
“Obviously. Brutal ones at that. Looks like they she’s completely disassociative. Delta waves are
cut the ship apart with combat lasers and used high and she responds to a minimum of survival
tugs to move the sections—drag it in and strip it, stimuli—she’ll eat if you put food in her hand—
no need for transports. It’s efficient. When the but most high order cognition is disengaged.
lasers breech the hull, bulkheads seal on either “We simulated her neural patterns, did the
side, links of sausage.” same for one of my best assistants, calibrated the
clicks augmented by an implant. The vibrations Dog, much to Ivan’s relief. As far as the Cillian was
resembled speech. “Three men killed. Not by Red concerned, if it shot at you, it was real. The rest of
Dog. Fool human there blames alien. Too lazy to the discussion was a waste of his time.
investigate.” “Ivan!” Max’s voice cut across the darkness of
Ivan turned back to the sheriff. “You heard the the medical lab from the intercom. “We’re almost
man—he didn’t do it. Let him out. He’s got work ready to insert. How’re you two?”
to do.” “Bored,” Red buzzed back.
“Paying?” buzzed Red Dog. “Same here,” Ivan added. “We’re ready when
“Orion. Working for House.” you are.”
“Good rate. House pays for quality. Hey! Fool “Right. Last check on the feedback loops now.
human! Unlock door. No more play.” Ivan, I’m reading the body armor in your duster
The lawman surged to his feet. “This thing and your laser but I’m having trouble with the
killed three men—” slug thrower.”
“Not if he says he didn’t. Cillians can’t lie.” “It’s a .45 custom. How about Red?”
“What’s a Cill—” “Looks good. The shotgun and stick bombs
“His race. You mean to tell me you lock up an were easy. The charge on his laser is still pushing
alien and don’t even check its racial profile?” the red line on the meters but I should be able to
“How I do my job is none of your business!” handle it...Okay, I’m green on the .45. That’s a full
“It is when it keeps me from doing mine. Let panel. Good hunting, kids. Inserting now.”
him out.” The first sign of change was a rise in the level
“Fool human thinks Red Dog fool too,” inter- of ambient light. As his eyes adjusted, Ivan made
jected the alien. out the familiar lines of the inside of an airlock.
“What’s it talking about?” “Red?”
Ivan shrugged. “Explain it to him, Red.” “Did he warn us,” asked the alien beside him.
“Listen to Red Dog. Red Dog hates men. Kill “You said you were bored. Can you get this
as many men as possible. For this, must stay in lock open?”
law. Red Dog smart, must be more in law not out. “Stronger than human.” Red Dog gripped the
Others like Red Dog go out law, killed quick. Red manual release crank and began to turn. The lock
Dog in law, hard to kill. Red Dog hunts bounties. surrendered with a squeal of metal and a hiss of
Kill many men in law. Do math, fool human. Most equalizing pressure.
kills possible in law! Red Dog does not need “Must be the airlock where the kid was
murder or ambush. No human can beat Red Dog stashed.” Ivan stepped out of the airlock, eyes
in fight. Red Dog mighty.” and gun muzzle sweeping the area beyond. Red
“The desire for mass murder with a healthy Dog followed, shotgun ready.
dose of pride naturally leads to a very law-abiding “Cargo hold,” noted the alien. “Stripped.”
citizen. The defense rests,” Ivan drawled. “Sheriff, Nothing remained in the four-hundred-yard
we’re leaving now. What you do with your local metal hemisphere. According to the information
problems is your own business.” Ivan started to House provided them, when the slo-po shipped
turn back toward the door then hesitated. “By the out it had been packed top to bottom with
way, pull that gun you’ve got your hand on and supplies for the colony on Webster. New colonists
there’s going to be a job opening in this office.” had jammed the corridor in the center.
While Ivan spoke, Red Dog grasped the door Red Dog rapped on the bulkhead behind them
to the cell and casually twisted the door from its and Ivan glanced back to see the alien pointing to
hinges, bending the iron bars and snapping the long gouges in the metal around the airlock.
lock. The sheriff drew a long breath and slowly “Emergency lockdown. Had to pry it open to
sat back down into his chair. put the kid in.” Ivan started walking the length of
the barren hold. “Let’s go.”
# “Where?”
“You got the same briefing as I did.”
After the fourth attempt, Max gave up trying Red Dog made a loud, untranslated, chatter-
to explain the concept of neural overlay to Red ing noise, then added, “Real, not real, subject
real. Nobody know what. I stopped listening. This with a partner that jabbers like a magpie. How you
is real. Gun real, Red Dog real—everything else, I can talk in an alien language through a mechani-
let you figure out.” cal implant and still never shut up, I have never
“Then stop asking questions and follow.” understood.”
The hold ended in an unbroken wall of steel, “Red Dog no fool. Red Dog practices this. Talk
an emergency bulkhead that had slammed down make men upset. When men get upset, make bad
when the hull ruptured. Ivan waited at a respect- decisions. Easier to kill. Maybe, some even start
ful distance as Red Dog burned through it, using fight, then Red Dog can kill.”
his laser pistol as a cutting torch. Satisfied at “You want to draw on me, Red?” Ivan
last, the alien primed a pair of his stick bombs, snapped.
effectively glorified grenades on short handles “No. Not fight Ivan. No man can kill Red Dog in
for throwing, dropped them at the foot of the fight. Red Dog is mighty. Ivan too smart—shoot
bulkhead, and scurried back to join Ivan. Their Red Dog in back.”
explosion left a ragged arch punched through the Ivan didn’t argue; the Cillian was right. He
steel. Beyond was a landscape of red sand and sighed. “Tell me why you might have done this
shattered soapstone beneath a smoke-blackened for free.”
sky. “Ivan apologizes—Red Dog is flattered.”
“This you did not expect,” deadpanned Red “Don’t push it. What’s your sudden interest
Dog. in subjective reality that’s more important than
Ivan nodded slowly. “This, I did not expect.” money?”
“Red Dog live in object real. Now in subject
# real. Max say subject real also object real for Ivan
and Red Dog now.”
Red Dog’s shotgun broke the silence of “I follow that, almost. And so?”
their destination-less trek across the sweltering “If Red Dog kill man in object real of subject
landscape. “Snake. Maybe.” real, object real man still alive. After this, House
Ivan didn’t respond. It was not the first time will send Red Dog after same man in object real.
the Cillian had fired at some vague motion in Yes?”
the red sand. His wide-set eyes gave him great “Hadn’t thought about it but, yes, if Pell gets
peripheral vision but cost his race dearly in depth the information he thinks he will from the girl,
perception and visual clarity. House will probably send someone out.”
“Ivan, what you do with bounty for this job?” “Good. This means Red Dog has chance to kill
Steponovich stopped, wiping his face with a same man twice. Very special chance for Red Dog.
rag to clear the sweat. “I’m not getting paid. This Never done before.”
one’s a favor for House.” Ivan almost laughed aloud. The logic was
“No pay? No wonder call you Crazy Ivan.” It impeccable and eminently Red Dog. “I’m happy
wasn’t, but it was better than the real reason. for you. First we have to find...something. This
“Red Dog buy more guns, more explosives, play empty wasteland doesn’t make any sense.”
poker with rest.” “Subject real. Makes sense to someone.” Red
“Do you ever buy anything else?” Ivan asked Dog’s shotgun spoke again.
sarcastically, wishing again they had thought to “Snake?”
bring water. “Bored.” They walked on in silence for several
“Keep some for bail money. Maybe, Red Dog do minutes before Red Dog spoke up again. “Why
this job for free too. Been thinking about subject did Ivan tell fool man sheriff Red Dog cannot lie?”
real—” Red Dog interrupted himself as Ivan “Fastest way to get you out.”
began to walk again. “Why we walk? Nowhere to “How does Ivan know Red Dog did not kill
go. Maybe we wait for trouble come to us.” those men?”
“Maybe. It seems to make more sense to me “I’ve played too much poker with you. Hold up,
to walk. Wait here if you want to.” something’s coming. And it’s no snake—don’t
“Fine. We walk. Grumpy Ivan.” shoot it.”
“Yes, grumpy! I’m hot, I’m tired, and I’m stuck “Coming fast. Looks human.” Red Dog was right
on both counts. Their visitor was a twin of the “Good to know,” hummed Red Dog. The
sandy-haired child they had last seen lying in the Cillian worked to fold his legs underneath himself,
Orion’s medical facilities. She closed the distance lowering his head to only a few feet above the
from the horizon with unnatural speed. Ivan girl’s head. He recapped the canteen and held it
barely had time to note she wore tan buckskins out. The girl took it without looking.
rather than the frayed muslin of her ‘real’ coun- “I’ve never met a talking monster before. You
terpart before she stood in front of him, fists on trust it,” she asked, fixing Ivan with a piercing
hips. gaze.
“Come with me, quickly—we can’t talk here,” “Enough. I’m Ivan. He’s Red Dog.”
she snapped with authority belying her age and “All right, Ivan. Why don’t you tell me why the
turned on her heel, leaving as fast as she had two of you are in Hell.”
come. “Tough grub,” quipped Red Dog. “As rude as
“Shut up, Red,” Ivan said preemptively, and set you.”
out jogging after the child. Ivan ignored him, speaking directly to the girl.
The alien ignored him, speaking as he trotted “We’re here to get you out.” He paused. “You’ve
effortlessly alongside. “Perspective. This world done pretty well on your own.”
hers, revolve around her. We join her, we all move “My folks would’ve done better. They were
fast.” hunt guides before we...moved planets. You’re
“I thought you were the one who wasn’t going the rescue mission, then.”
to worry about the details,” Ivan muttered. Red Ivan took the statement as a question. “We
Dog pretended not to hear him. are.”
“In here,” ordered the girl, gesturing to a large “Let’s hope you’re better than the last one.”
outcropping of rock. A low opening darkened the “Woman? A doctor in her early twenties?”
leeward side. Ivan hesitated, then, at an angry The girl nodded. “The Devil’s got her now.
glare from the girl, ducked inside. The interior He’ll keep her for a while as bait for me. I can’t
of the hideout was taller, allowing him to stand escape but he can’t catch me if I’m careful and
upright. Red Dog lumbered behind him, barely stay hidden. That’s what Da told me before he...”
able to fit through the entrance. “Put you in the airlock,” Ivan offered.
The girl knelt at the opening and shouted to “Before the world went to hell,” she growled
them. “Stay here. I’m going to lay a false trail. I’ll instead.
be right back.” He nodded. “You know this area?”
“Tough grub,” rattled Red Dog. “Like the back of my hand.”
Ivan surveyed the interior of the crude “And the Devil?”
redoubt, impressed at what he saw—a pile of “I’ve scouted his compound. I know what
blankets that looked to serve as a bed, a scatter- you’re thinking and the answer is no. There’s no
ing of primitive tools including a sharpened bone way to rescue your doctor and no way to escape.
knife, and a sling-staff fashioned with some kind The Devil sees everything that moves out there—
of animal gut, even a banked fire in spite of the you’re lucky I reached you first. Even if you could
heat. “Tough indeed. Not too surprising though. work around him, he’s got at least thirty demons
She’s a colony brat. They grow up fast. Have to.” disguised as men guarding his place.”
The girl backed into the hideout, dragging “What about you? Why don’t you get out?”
brush behind her to block the entry. She sat “Don’t you listen? No one can escape the
cross-legged on the floor, and held out a dented Devil!”
aluminum canteen toward Ivan. He accepted it, “Then we kill him,” interjected Red Dog.
unscrewed the cap, and drank deep. The water “Can’t,” the girl replied. “I saw when he came,
tasted metallic, but it was a welcome relief. He when he came into the transport. He can’t be
passed the canteen to Red Dog and lowered killed. Can’t be!”
himself to the ground facing the girl. Ivan sighed and dabbed sweat from his
“Dig in the shadow of the larger stones,” she forehead. “Can’t stay. Can’t go. Maybe the two
said without preamble. “Water’s usually about of us can—”
three feet down. Make a pit and let it collect.” “Three,” the girl interrupted softly. “I’m not
naive enough to think there’ll be another rescue Ivan rolled onto his back, letting the scrub
mission. If I’m going to make a move, it needs to shield his movements, and unwrapped his pistols.
be now. May as well be with you. Besides, I’ve He had bundled them in strips of Kylee’s blankets
never had a talking monster on my side before.” to prevent the telltale clank of metal and keep
Ivan held her gaze, then nodded. “If I told you the mechanisms free of the red sand that ground
it wasn’t safe, you’d tell me where to get off and itself into every gap in his clothing. He let the guns
follow along anyway. All right, kid, you’re in. Got rest on his stomach and pulled down the cloth
a name?” keeping the grit out of his mouth and nose. Ivan
“Kylee.” gulped air until he felt lightheaded. Now came
“Kelly?” buzzed Red Dog. the waiting.
“Ky-Lee.” He didn’t have to wait long. As usual, Red Dog
“Kelly?” repeated Red Dog. started early. The air split with the roar of explo-
“Ky! Lee!” she shouted in frustration. When sions, one after another, until they merged into
she did, the room seemed to bend and the air a rolling drumbeat like peals of thunder, and the
shivered. Ivan smiled to himself. They might just sky flashed with red lightning as gouts of flame
have a chance. reflected from the smoke-black clouds. Red Dog’s
“K’eye-lee,” pronounced Red Dog at last. instructions had been simple: level the shanty
“Tough grub.” town and kill anything that moves, the noisier
“Well Miss Kylee,” imposed Ivan, “we’re going the better. With four throwing arms and as many
to need more water, some food, some sleep, and stick bombs as he could carry, it was a task the
an awful lot of planning.” alien set to with efficient relish. Ivan grasped a
Red Dog tilted his head toward Ivan. “What is pistol in each hand and, holding them straight
plan?” above his head, rolled from behind his screen.
Ivan shrugged. “We storm the gates of Hell.” The two door guards cast worried glances toward
the disturbance but refused to join the shouting
# crowd rushing to investigate. If Kylee’s count was
correct, that left Red Dog outnumbered twenty-
The Devil’s lair was about what Ivan had eight to one. Ivan considered the odds slightly in
expected, a mixture of gothic cathedral and the alien’s favor.
extended manor house—a central building sur- Act Two began several minutes into Red
rounded by a waist-high stone wall, bordered on Dog’s party as an explosion gutted the first of the
one side by a cluster of squat storage buildings. A storage huts. Red had surrendered a half-dozen
short distance away, the Devil’s men spent their of his precious bombs and the girl was putting
off-duty time in a crude shanty town of a half- them to good use. Two more found their mark,
dozen bars and bunkhouses. Presumably, the then a third. A series of firecracker blasts ripped
Devil and his prisoner were inside the building apart a hut as flames reached munitions stored
Kylee had named the Chapel. there.
As he studied the building now, Ivan found her It was finally enough for the door guards, and
designation disturbingly accurate. The building they ran towards the new conflagration. Ivan rose
had a T-shaped footprint about ninety feet long. to one knee and burned down the slower of the
The trunk of the T was a good thirty feet across, two men from behind, the laser effectively silent
leaving the ends of the crossbar to bump out an amidst the chaos. The other man never looked
extra ten feet like blunted horns. back. He was Kylee’s problem now. With a spray
Worming his way forward across the sand, Ivan of sand, Ivan was up and running for the doors of
watched the two men standing guard on either the chapel.
side of the double doors to the nave and silently He hit the doors with a shoulder, staggering as
cursed them for their seeming invulnerability to they gave inward. Twisting to regain his balance,
the suffocating heat. He crawled to a cluster of he fired two slugs over his head on principle.
rocks and scrub, deciding he was as close as he Inside, the building truly was a chapel, wooden
could safely get. Several hundred feet of open pews lining a wide central aisle, vaulted ceiling
ground remained. above. In the apse, where an altar should have
been, stood the Devil, one hand on the shoulder knees scrambling for his dropped .45. Found it,
of Pell’s wild-eyed assistant. staggered upright.
In her mind’s eye, Kylee had painted the The Devil staggered back, giving ground under
original pirate into something larger but still the punches of Red Dog’s shotgun, hit the wall,
basically human. The Devil was big, almost seven sagged against it. Ivan saw the Devil grin.
foot, and broad. His clothing Kylee translated into “Dog!” he yelled, too late. The Devil raised his
a kind of gothic vestment, but Ivan recognized arm and fired point-blank into the Cillian. The
the blurred lines of servo-assist body armor. The super-heated blast enveloped the alien, igniting
Devil’s face was hazy, deliberately unclear with the explosives remaining in his bandolier. The
features popping from it—black hair, black eyes, blast swallowed them both and threw Ivan onto
the cruel twist of a grinning mouth. his back. He tried to rise, failed, cradled the pistol
Ivan let his guns drift downward, holding his in his good hand waiting. He heard a muffled
arms away from his body. “Let her go.” The Devil gasp, felt Kylee’s hands on his shoulders, pulling,
shrugged and threw the woman, one-handed, wondered when she had arrived.
to crash several rows deep into the pews. As he The Devil strode out of the blood-red mist of
did, Ivan fired, the ruby splash of his laser flaring smoke and flame, grinning. Ivan tried to lift the
across the Devil’s chest, ineffectual. The Devil .45, staring up as the Devil lifted his arm.
snapped an arm up and Ivan dove to the floor Behind the Devil, the smoke swarmed. The
as a stream of white-hot plasma ripped into the droning of a thousand frenzied beehives shook
wall above him. He hit, rolling forward under the the building. A pew slammed into the Devil,
pews. He slapped the overload lever on the laser, swatting him aside. A giant darkness moved in
surged to his feet, threw the gun overhand like a front of Ivan, lifted the pew, brought it down on
grenade. The pew in front of him disintegrated in the Devil’s prone form. The heavy wooden bench
a blast of energy and he fell backward. As fast as disintegrated with the force of the impact. Red
he went down, Ivan was up, running, zigzagging Dog’s exoskeleton was seared charcoal, cracked
forward, vaulting for cover again. and smoking, and the Cillian’s entire body shook
The laser overloaded, exploded, pitched the with the intensity of his bombilating roar. The
Devil forward to his knees. Ivan fired, both hands alien lifted the Devil, shook him, drove the
on the .45, running down the aisle. Slugs ripped twisted wreckage of the shotgun through the
into the Devil, and Ivan kept firing until he was Devil’s chest.
at point-blank range, until the hammer fell on an
empty chamber. #
The Devil looked up, grinning, uninjured. “Final boarding for Fahrnam now open to all
Ivan struck him across the face with the pistol, seating—”
snapping the Devil’s head back. Ivan reversed his “New deal. Step, you in?”
momentum, bringing the backhand swing from “Take the blind off my stack.” Even without any
the floor, throwing the whip of his legs and back physical damage, it still hurt Ivan to move his arm.
into the blow. The Devil caught the swing and He could only guess how Red Dog felt.
Ivan’s shoulder wrenched in its socket, muscles Alongside him, Beta Max slid in his chips.
screaming. The Devil stood, forcing the arm up. “Nice to have you back. All I could do was watch
Bones ground and Ivan’s vision exploded with the gauges and hope.”
pinpricks of light. “’S Okay. We won.”
“Son of a—” Ivan drove a boot heel at the “Where’s Red?” asked Dell, spitting cards. “I
Devil’s knee, missed off-balance, raked his shin expected to have half his check by now.”
instead. The Devil shoved, inhuman strength “Still down in the medical lab with Kylee. Last
driving Ivan’s arm back into the socket. Ivan fell, I saw, he was arguing with House. Trying to claim
bile clawing at the back of his throat. the girl as part of his payment.” Ivan looked at his
Somewhere, at the edge of a spinning world, hold cards: pocket aces. “Raise fifty.”
came buzzing. “Hello! Cavalry!” A shotgun belched, Max looked down and nodded. “Call. He’s not
cracked, roared again. “Kiss Red Dog!” Another serious is he?”
crash of thunder and another. Ivan rolled to his
A Subtle Thing
by Marshall Payne
thing right by your standards. You act like we were ence. It was in a little lounge in the basement of
an item or something, instead of just friends.” the hotel where they were staying, which featured
Gary just sat there and looked at her. How could quickshot shuffle (an admixture of rapid dancing
he explain it? She’d think he was crazy. And all he and simulated target practice), a comprehensive
could do was warn, and sometimes intervene. He selection of libation, and low-lighting. They were
couldn’t tell the world the truth. They’d all think sitting at the bar.
he was crazy. But he knew her ordering the won “Haven’t you learned yet not to doubt me?”
ton wasn’t right. He wasn’t sure yet just how, but Garyon said jovially.
he definitely knew. Uncannily, it was so much like “Yes, but how can you be so sure there’ll be
a pivotal incident from a long time ago. He sipped a subspace maelstrom between Rol and Piir IV
his ice water and reflected. during that particular relativistic period?” D’bon
# adjusted his breathing apparatus on his right gill
that allowed his people to join the starfaring races
of the other sixteen systems. He was an Ocoram
Although Garyon was working on his fifth who had been genetically engineered to live out
anatomical manifestation (the term body wasn’t of his native ocean.
quite accurate), he still remembered the original
as if it were yesterday. Around the time that Garyon shrugged. “I just have a feeling.”
Mozart was composing his Symphony in D Minor, “Well, I am learning never to doubt your
he was 523 light-years away living a completely feelings.” D’bon signaled the bartender for
different life. He had yet to understand this another round of ale. The bartender, who was
talent that he possessed, but he was aware of its a native of Nine World, appeared genuine (syn-
presence. Even in its inchoate stages, it gave him dactylic fingers and dark skin that looked melted
many advantages. as if from plasma burns, though it was natural)
After completing school, he had joined the but one could never tell. Hard to believe they’d
Interstellar Express Corps as a low-level dis- put a non-ersatz model there to perform such an
patcher, routing shipments from world to world elementary task. If he were real, it was probably a
in the seventeen-system circuit that made up promotional stunt to impress the visiting offworld
known stellar civilization. Those who worked dignitaries. Yes, our people are willing to serve
around him were soon commenting on his path- you no matter how menial the task.
ological pragmatism, his always changing route Garyon’s feelings about the outcome of things
schedules according to some arbitrary plan to had always held him in good stead. And as of late
expedite their arrival. But it seemed to work. He they were becoming even more vivid. He could see
had become adept at avoiding skirmishes in the a potential outcome from something as simple as
outlying colonies, freak stellar bombardments, a typo on a cargo manifest to a casual comment
and other unforeseen calamities, which saved from a subordinate. The probabilities of certain
the companies that hired the Corps’ courier things occurring would lay themselves out like a
service precious time and money. And conse- rich tapestry of hypothetical situations, potential
quently he rose in the ranks quickly. By the time outcomes, one glowing brighter than the others.
he was twenty-three standard he had reach the As if the luminous one was saying, “Pick me! Pick
important position of Chief Coordinator for Beta me! I’m the advent of certainty.” Sometimes it
Quadrant of the entire circuit. Unfortunately, his was spooky, the way he could foretell the future
quadrant was the one best known for pirating, among an inventory of possible futures. And then
terrorism, and the like. He had his work cut out sometimes it was as routine as getting up in the
for him. morning.
One night when he was visiting Nine World The bar was beginning to fill up, offworlders
(they had other names for the despot-controlled from the conference drifting in. Several of them,
outpost, none of them very endearing), Garyon in addition to ordering drinks, were strapping
and his administrative assistant D’bon were on dance gear: low-powered laser pistols and
having a drink after a strenuous all-day confer- scoring badges. Garyon was tired and didn’t have
the energy for such foolishness. World. Somewhere in his twenties, he had a vile
Then Dray Everi came in with his entourage. look in his spectrum-enhancing oculars. Dressed
Dray was the youngest son of Tulbort Everi, in a three-piece suit that hugged his massive
the mining baron and comsat czar from Piir frame, it looked out of place on his scaly, melted-
IV. Garyon wondered why Everi had sent the skinned body. He towered over everyone in the
young scion to negotiate such an important lounge by a good foot and a half. Usually Niners,
trade agreement, one that was obviously worth as denizens of Nine World were called, wore
billions to their family and the tri-planetary star nothing but a loin cloth and bandoleer. Roskin
system they controlled. Why not one of the older didn’t appear too happy to be out of his native
siblings, or Tulbort himself? Dray was a lavender- garb, but this was the Annual Conference of
skinned young man with frosted hair, and by Worlds. “The usual for me,” he grunted to the
the way he pranced into the bar you could tell bartender, “and ale for my crew.”
he had muscular leg implants, which were the The bartender reached upon the top shelf and
new craze these days. Good for dancing, among pulled down a near-empty bottle of liqueur, and
other things. Also, he had one eye covered with a poured a shot. It was a dark green, and the minty,
face-in module; tachyoned with his homeworld, medicinal smell was so powerful that, even from
he was in constant contact with the family’s syn- a half dozen feet away, it made Garyon’s stomach
thellect. He strutted up to the bar, his augmented turn.
retinue beside and behind him, and sat down “Might I inquire as to what you are drinking?”
next to Garyon. Dray Everi said to the tall Niner.
“Hullo,” he said turning to his left. “I’m Dray “Crombeigh,” he muttered, giving the young
Everi. And who might I be drinking next to?” His scion a caustic glance.
voice was high-pitched and squeaky, but cordial.
Dray said to the bartender, “I’d like to try one
“Garyon Trau—Beta Quadrant Coordinator of what that gentleman is having. It looks like
of the Express Corps. And this is my assistant there’s a shot left in the bottle.”
D’bon.”
Roskin looked at the bottle, then to the
Dray nodded amiably. He didn’t bother to bartender. “You better have another bottle on
introduce his retinue behind him, an odd mixture hand if you’re going to serve that offworlder the
of dark to translucent humanoids and mechanical last shot.”
marvels that all had one thing in common: none
of them appeared as if he wanted to be there. But The bartender nodded. “I always keep an
wherever scion Dray went, they obviously had to extra in the back room for you, sir.”
attend. They seemed to run the gamut between Roskin grunted again and shot his mint liqueur.
bodyguards to personal secretaries/advisors. The “Then get me another.”
two mechs (one on his right, the other directly Garyon was suddenly swept with a sense of
behind him and Garyon) were definitely designed dark foreboding. He could easily see that Dray
to be high-tech killing machines. Not a bad thing Everi, son of Tulbort Everi or not, should not order
to have on-staff nowadays. Especially on Nine that particular drink. He couldn’t see yet how
World. “Allow me to buy the next round,” Dray the purchase of this one drink would effect the
said. course of future events, but he knew the results
“Thanks,” Garyon said. He was tired and had would be staggering. But what was he supposed
had enough to drink, but didn’t want to insult the to say to the young heir from Piir IV? Don’t drink
young scion’s hospitality. Besides, he was here on that! Nothing good will come of it. Please, trust
official Corps business, and developing a relation- me. Dray would laugh at him. So he didn’t say
ship with the young heir wasn’t a bad idea. anything. He just sat there and nursed his ale.
They sat there drinking ale for a while, and Dray sat with the shot of crombeigh in hand,
then Roskin Torbset came in with his depraved- running it under his nose, sniffing its aroma. An
looking cronies. Roskin was the eldest son of aroma that burned Garyon’s eyes, even from
Governor Torbset, the tyrannical ruler of Nine
two feet away. Then the bartender returned and liqueur. And for Garyon it meant the end of life as
said to Roskin Torbset, “I’m sorry, sir, but I was he knew it, and the beginning of one on the lam.
mistaken. That was the last bottle.” From quadrant coordinator to lowly librarian on
Roskin’s eyes became inflamed. He turned to a backwater world.
Dray. “Did you hear that, offworlder? That was #
the last bottle of crombeigh. And since this is my
planet, I want that drink.” Mr. Wong returned to the table with an apolo-
Dray gave a dismissive wave. “Order something getic look on his face. “Miss Nancy, I’m afraid that
else. This is my drink. I paid for it, and I intend to we are out of won ton soup. I’ll personally make
drink it.” another batch, if you don’t mind waiting.”
At that point, Garyon knew that he should try As Nancy Sue sat there contemplating, Gary
to persuade Dray to give the drink to the Niner. saw exactly what would happen. Since he’d been
He should reason with him, say that they were living incognito on Earth, his talent had achieved
guests on their world, and that there were many a clarity that it hadn’t had that portentous day on
other beverages to chose from. Let the Niner Nine World. And it was all too clear to him now.
have his drink. But again he didn’t. Even though True, later on that day Mr. Wong would make more
the outcome of this pivotal event was becoming of the soup, but those few hours would be critical.
quite clear to him, repercussions that would be He ordered from the supply house once a week,
felt in all seventeen systems. He could easily see and if the order for more won ton went in today
how this one drink could have a catastrophic instead of next week, a data entry mistake on the
effect of the lives of trillions. But, like a craven, all manifest would accidentally credit the restaurant
he did was sip his ale. with an extra $98.47. The Wongs, thinking they
Then Dray Everi shot the liqueur, said, “Ahhh,” were showing more of a profit than they actually
and sat the glass down. He apparently had the were, would buy a handful of lottery tickets, one
stomach for it. of which would bring them a ten thousand dollar
prize. With this money they would arrange for
“Why you sniveling little. . .” Roskin, his crew Tu Wong to come to America. Yes, the nephew
behind him, approached Dray and his entourage. would eventually come to the land of opportu-
That was when Garyon grabbed D’bon and they nity, but now was not the time. If he wasn’t in
left. Canton six weeks from now, then he wouldn’t be
“Don’t you want to see what happens?” D’bon able to save a young man in a street accident who
asked. would go on to father a son who would assassi-
“No.” nate a communist dictator thirty years hence. The
dictator would then be allowed to start a nuclear
As they were headed for the elevator just skirmish that would quickly escalate into World
outside the lounge they could hear weapons War III. Gary wasn’t exactly sure what the death
fire, the sound of screams, hollering, chairs and toll would be, but he estimated it at close to a
tables being tossed. Garyon didn’t need to see billion.
it; he would hear all about it on the newsnet
the next day. Fourteen dead, including Dray Nancy Sue glared at Gary. “I really want won
Everi and Roskin Torbset. It was hard to believe ton soup today,” she said.
at first that one incident could be responsible Now that he had all the facts, Gary knew he
for the complete breakdown of civilization in had to play it carefully. He couldn’t mess this one
all seventeen systems. Of course, Dray’s father up. “Yes, won ton soup is good. If you really want
sought revenge on the Niners, and Roskin’s father it, you should have it. If you don’t mind waiting,
retaliated against the Piirs. Soon everyone became that is.” He looked at his watch, furrowed his
involved. Allegiances that had taken centuries to brow, then looked back up at her and smiled.
build were dissolved overnight. It lead to death, “Go ahead, we can be a little late getting back to
destruction, and the dispossession of trillions of work, can’t we?”
beings. All over one lousy glass of green, minty
Marshall Payne
Marshall Payne has led a colorful life. He
has worked as a touring musician, music
producer, sound technician, a salesman,
and a waiter. In 1999 he committed himself
to speculative fiction and has never looked
back. He has written over sixty short
stories and seven novels, the last three he’s
looking to publish. (The first four were
merely for practice.) When not writing, he
likes to watch Spurs basketball with his cat
C.C. and eat popcorn.
F lynn awoke the first time to a loud, rhythmic He passed the café, wincing in the light of day
pounding. He thought it was the pounding and the clear blue sky, when he noticed the Friar
of a storm, but as he blearily looked around, he sitting in the same chair as the day before. He had
identified it as the gentle rocking of his boat, his feet up, whittling, and was humming some
magnified by the roaring in his head. What a dif- tuneless ditty. If Flynn was hurting, the Friar was
ference a day makes. as gregarious as ever, perhaps more so.
He squinted at the empty rum bottle clanking “Another country heard from,” bellowed the
around in the bottom of the boat and fumbled to captain, causing Flynn to wince. He attempted to
pick it up. He stood up too fast, banged his head paste a smile on his face, sensed it was ineffec-
on the lower yardarm, and collapsed to the deck tive, and abandoned the effort. “Fin of the fish?”
where he held his head with his free hand. inquired the Friar, and pantomimed topping off
a glass of what he was drinking. Flynn waved his
Ow, thought Flynn, and then he winced. The hand in the universal “no, thank-you” gesture,
act of thinking hurt too much, he decided, and was seized by internal volcanic forces beyond his
resolved to go easy on that for awhile. Then he control, and handed off the empty bottle to the
realized he was thinking about not thinking, and bemused captain as he rushed to the bamboo
that only hurt his head all the more. railing in time to throw up onto the greenery.
He gingerly climbed off onto the dock—a “Maybe some water, then?” observed the
process that took a good ten minutes, what with captain cheerfully from somewhere behind him.
avoiding the yard arm and all—stopped, remem-
bered he was missing his money bag, set the I am not as ready for civilization as I thought.
bottle down, and carefully returned to the boat, “I’m trying to piece together what happened last
another ten minute trip. night,” said Flynn groggily, wiping off his chin and
taking a chair beside the Friar. “I don’t remember
He moved slowly at first, looking deliberately how I got back to my boat.”
around the small cabin, but became more frantic.
Finally, he ducked under the yardarm—barely— “What do you remember?”
and hopped over toward the dock. He caught his “I remember tying up yesterday, the mob
toe on the railing and sprawled heavily forward, of boys, the slowboy...” Flynn looked around,
landing face first on the dock. his brows furrowed. “Where is the slowboy,
anyway?” “‘He’?”
The Friar shrugged. “The last time I saw him, “The slowboy from yesterday.”
Cleric Hoster and you walked into the bar and The Friar tsked quietly and produced a pipe
then the slowboy went out back. You stayed in that he started to fill with tobacco. “You didn’t
the bar when the Cleric left.” happen to bump into Degore in there by any
Flynn put his hands to his head in pain. He chance?”
played back the memory in his head; the Cleric “Big guy, doesn’t talk much, fists like stone?”
collected the slowboy and took him to the
doorway, then returned by himself. Flynn pushed The Friar nodded, his eyes twinkling.
himself out of his chair, staggered to the pub, “We met,” said Flynn dryly.
brushed the door open, and stumbled right into “Degore’s on my crew. He doesn’t like being
a large crewman, spilling his ale. “Sorry, mate,” touched.”
Flynn said, and pushed past to the back.
“He doesn’t seem shy about touching people
“Good morning, Flynn,” said Revena, drying a back,” said Flynn, working his jaw. “You haven’t
mug with a towel. He nodded to her grimly and answered my question.”
pointed at the door where he’d seen the cleric
disappear with the slowboy. “You haven’t asked a question,” said the Friar,
snorting. “However, I have a question of my own
“Where does that go?” that may relate. Have you heard the legend of
She jerked her head to indicate he was free to the monster of Briar Island?”
open it, so he did. Instead of revealing a place of Flynn shook his head.
comfort where the slowboy might be reclining,
being ministered to by kindly old women, the “According to the story, there are no mother-
door opened to reveal some crude wood steps less sons here on Parrot Island. Whenever a child is
and a nice view of the jungle behind the tavern left without parents around here, they disappear
leading to a vacant hillside dotted with volcanic that same night, a tender morsel for the raving
caves. Flynn looked quickly around—the slowboy monster of Briar Island. Expeditions have been
was nowhere to be seen. mounted to the island, but those who go never
return, and our curiosity has been tempered by
I am a fool, he decided blackly. He turned in practicality. The story says that if you value your
time to see a very large fist, and then his face life, you stay well clear of Briar Island.” The Friar
exploded. took a puff from his pipe. “I have a secret,” said
# the Friar. “I’ve been to Briar Island.”
Flynn leaned forward despite himself.
Flynn awoke for the third time that day The Friar said, “The truth is, nothing’s there
thinking he’d rather die than wake up feeling this but the best collection of brambles this side of
bad again. He felt like just resting where he was for Sylva itself. If there’s a monster there, he didn’t
about two days until he felt better and staring up show himself to me, and he can have that
at the sky through the lazy palm trees. However, overgrown rock.”
the image in his head of the slowboy lying on the
ground somewhere, bleeding, was enough to Flynn’s eyebrows furrowed. “What about the
prompt him to roll over and drag himself back up missing children?”
the crude steps into the tavern. The Friar waved that off. “I think you can look
The Friar was still out in front when Flynn closer to home for the answer,” he said. “Whether
returned, groggy and bleeding. “You look they are sold into slavery aboard Sylvan freight-
worse coming out than you did going in—what ers, are killed outright to avoid an extra mouth to
happened?” feed, or wander off and fall prey to sharp rocks
and undertow, the people around here don’t
“He’s gone,” said Flynn, dabbing at this mouth mourn the lack of unattached children underfoot.
with a rag. It’s hard enough this far out to feed those who do
have gainful families, much less those who don’t.” ing glass for the first time that day. Hoster is far
He took a drink and wiped his mouth on the back too calm, which means he’s not calm at all. Flynn
of his sleeve before leaning forward in confidence. put his palms together and fought to control his
“Then again, it may be that you rescued him from thoughts. Where is who? The Friar? He was right
the lizard and delivered him over to the dragon,” behind me when Hoster walked up, so it’s not
he said. “Be careful whom you trust.” him. The slowboy? He must be referring to the
Flynn cocked his eyebrow. “‘Whom’?” slowboy. But that makes no sense on the surface
because Hoster was the one who stashed him
“You weren’t the only one to be raised around somewhere right under my yardarm. So someone
books,” laughed the Friar, his eyes following else removed him from where Hoster stashed him
Revena’s daytime serving wench as she passed by and Hoster thinks it was me. The selfish suspect
on her way to the pub. He caught Flynn watching everyone but themselves.
him and bent forward to clap him on the knee.
“I’m the Friar, not the Eunuch,” he said with a Flynn thought back to the view behind the
wink. tavern and suddenly seized on the image of the
caves away on the volcanic hillside: an ideal place
He stood and Flynn followed him out front to temporarily hide a hostage. Hoster doesn’t
and down the path. “Don’t worry,” said the Friar. know where the slowboy is now and thinks I’ve got
“Your slowboy will turn up, I’m sure of it. There him. Therefore, somebody else knew where the
is only so far one can stray before running out of slowboy had spent the night and had kidnapped
island.” him from the kidnapper, somebody unafraid of
Flynn’s expression was unchanged. “That the Qantiin. But that meant there was at least one
leaves me with the original matter on my mind— other player in this little drama, someone with
my missing money pouch. My entire inheritance enough confidence to pull off a double-cross and
was in there.” make it look easy. Who could it be?
The Friar opened his mouth to speak, but the Flynn knew he needed to buy some time. He
voice that spoke next wasn’t his. “Perhaps your smiled broadly at Hoster. If there was one thing
missing money has become more alms for the he was good at, it was creating unnecessary
poor. You never know when the lost will become confusion.
found.” The voice behind Flynn was familiar, yet He turned his back on Hoster and started
different. “Ah, I see you took my advice about pacing. “Do you think you are the only one inter-
wearing your sword.” ested?” he said. “Do you think I just happened
Flynn whirled around, his hand on his sword. to show up here in time to rescue that particular
“Cleric Hoster,” he said, and the words were out slowboy as my first action on this Cyl-forsaken
of his mouth before he noticed the man was parrot-dropping of an island?” He turned
no longer clad in the robes of a cleric, wearing, and looked at Hoster from underneath black,
instead, the functional but elegant breeches of scheming eyes.
a weapons master, the effect enhanced by the A thoughtful look crossed Hoster’s face. He
sword strapped to his waist. turned and walked away ten paces. He stopped
“I think we both know that’s not quite and stood there with his back to Flynn. He turned
accurate,” said Hoster smoothly. his head and asked again over his shoulder.
“Where is he?”
“Qantiin!” said Flynn, stepping back. He
glanced over his shoulder, looking to The Friar for Flynn smiled, thinking a great deal, saying
support. nothing.
The Friar was gone. Hoster followed all this without blinking. He
carefully approached until his face was a scant
# six inches from the side of Flynn’s right ear. Very
quietly, Hoster breathed “Where. Is. He.”
“Where is he” said Hoster by way of preamble, Flynn cocked his head confidentially. “Guess,”
and Flynn’s nimble mind focused like a magnify-
over the flat of Hoster’s cutlass, ripping it out I could create a little unrest in my unseen enemy...
of Hoster’s hand and slamming the hilt to the wait. What was it Hoster said, something about
ground. Flynn continued rolling forward in one a throne? If that’s the language they understand,
fluid motion and drove his own blade up, driving speak to them in the guise of spiritual conflict.
his blade straight through Hoster’s heart, the On a whim, he returned to the desk, tore off a
stroke killing Hoster while he was reveling in his comparably sized scrap of parchment and wrote
monologue. a short note on it: “Cyl remains on the Intangible
“...Cyl!” he said with a convulsive gasp, that Throne. He regards the Imposter with His steely
one word serving to finish one sentence and gaze and plots the end of Qan, two crows crushed
linger on as a curse. He then toppled forward in his strong right fist. Beware the Interloper.”
onto Flynn, pinning him to the ground. Flynn brought the black dove out of the pen,
# wrapped the parchment around its leg, and tied
the note there with the string from the desk.
Limping outside, he threw the bird up, under-
Well, at least I didn’t lose consciousness this handed. The dove got its wings out quickly and
time, thought Flynn, and he started to laugh, flapped away, turning and heading southwest.
perhaps a little longer and louder than the
situation warranted, especially for one trapped Flynn watched it fly away, envious of the bird
under a corpse. All things considered, however, for one crazy moment. You have a home to return
Flynn suddenly felt better than he had all to, he thought. The pain of that revelation cut him
morning. to the quick, inexplicably wounding him deeper
than the edge of any sword.
Then he threw up.
It took some time for Flynn to push the body #
of the imposter cleric off of him, a process com-
plicated by Flynn’s injuries. Flynn was surprised Flynn started walking back toward the tavern
to discover he was bleeding from more places when a shadow slithered around the corner of the
than he remembered. church in front of him. Wrebi appeared and he
He got up on one knee, ripped cloth from and Flynn noticed each other at the same time.
Hoster’s shirt and started tying off his various After the initial shock, Wrebi’s face broke out
injuries. He lurched to his feet, sheathed his own with a wolfish grin of pure pack cunning. He sees
sword, collected Hoster’s sword, and staggered my wounds, my weakness, thought Flynn. Wrebi
back to the small church the assassin had ironi- bent his knees and picked up a large rock with
cally called ‘home.’ Let’s see how an undercover one hand by feel, his eyes never leaving Flynn’s.
Qantiin lives, he thought. “Your timing is impeccable,” observed Flynn
Holding Hoster’s sword, he entered the church coolly, thinking furiously. He was in no shape to
and found the cleric’s chambers behind a curtain win a second sword fight.
in back. Taking one of the burning candles from “Missing something?” asked Wrebi.
the sanctuary, Flynn brushed aside the heavy felt It all fell into place for Flynn in that moment.
curtain and stepped in. The first thing he saw was The Friar had said he’d been the one to carry Flynn
his own money pouch on Hoster’s desk. How did to The Lone Wolf, but Flynn’s money pouch had
the cleric get my pouch? It was with me and the gone missing somewhere between the tavern
Friar on the table in the pub the last time I saw and the ship. If the Friar didn’t have it, somebody
it. else did. What if the Friar needed to be elsewhere
He saw the dove cage and the scrap of paper while Flynn was carried back to his boat? How
on the table by the cage. The note was in some might he persuade Flynn’s enemy to do him what
kind of code. He tucked it into his pocket, quickly appeared to be a kindness? Pay him with Flynn’s
searched the room, and turned to go. own money pouch. But how did Hoster get the
Two Qantiin down, but how many to go? If only pouch? Unless Wrebi had gone to Hoster’s...
Flynn thought back to the prior day and how the mug. “As the Scroll says, ‘everything in mod-
the barest gesture sent Wrebi away with his tail eration,’ I suppose. Ahh, that is good,” he said.
between his legs, and it seemed clear enough— “Have you seen the Friar recently? I lost track of
Wrebi was an apprentice of some sort to the him just before I, uh, fell down.”
Qantiin, giving him his first-fruits, in this case, “I thought he was with you,” she said, wiping
Flynn’s pouch. a rag along the top of the counter. “Rather, I
Flynn looked at Wrebi, smiled broadly, and thought you were with him.”
then looked around him over Wrebi’s shoulder. He took another sip. “Why?”
“Cleric Hoster, I didn’t expect to see you here,”
he said. “I was on my way back from the market not
long ago when I saw him sailing out of the harbor
Wrebi tensed up and turned around to look, in your boat. I thought you were onboard as
giving Flynn the opening he was looking for. He well.”
stepped forward, pulling his sword free of his sash.
Wrebi heard the silken sound and started to face “What?!” Eyes wide, Flynn slammed his mug
Flynn just in time for Flynn to bring the bottom of down and ran out of the pub and down to the
his hilt down, hard, on Wrebi’s forehead. slip as fast as his wounded leg would allow. He
rounded a corner and stared.
Wrebi dropped to the ground for the second
time in two days and lay there, groaning, holding The Lone Wolf was gone.
his head.
Flynn stood over him. “I wondered how my
pouch got into Cleric Hoster’s hands. It was you,
wasn’t it, Wrebi? Perhaps being the hapless secret
apprentice made you look around for somebody The Adventures of The Sky Pirate
to make you feel better. How does it feel now? to be continued next month in
I leave you to think that over as you bury your
Qantiin mentor.” Part Three of The Friar of Briar Island
And then Flynn hobbled away, leaving Wrebi
to consider his choices.
Up next:
# Cooper Flynn chases the Friar of Briar Island
looking for his boat, his slowboy, and his
Flynn limped back to the pub and looked up vengeance. What he finds will change his life.
Revena. “Some water, please,” he said.
She took one look at him and quickly brought
the water. “What happened to you?”
He sighed with pleasure as he gulped down
the water and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of
his shirt. He thought of all the things he could say
but ultimately settled for a cagey “I fell down.” Johne Cook
Revena arched her eyebrows looking at
the rents in his bloody clothes. “Ah,” she said, Johne became aware of his Adult ADD two years
nodding. She looked him up and down in silent ago and uses it to his advantage in his writing. In
appraisal, then pulled down a mug. He started to
protest, but she waved it off. “A slug will take the addition...
sting off,” she said. “Just don’t overdo it and you’ll
be fine.” Sorry, what was the question?
He groaned. “Unlike last night?” She winked.
He sketched a tired grin in return and accepted Johne is an Overlord here at Ray Gun Revival.
Featured Artist:
Euka
Name: Just call me Euka
Age: 24
Hobbies: Plenty! From videogames to
movies, reading, building 3d scenes,
and overall, music—I’m a huge music
listener.
Favorite Book / Author: Plenty too,
especially the Hubert Selby book Last
Exit to Brooklyn. I also love the Voyage
au bout de la nuit, by Celine.
When did you start creating art?
Though I won’t call my works art, I’ve
started making scenes four years ago.
What media do you work in? Mainly my
computer.
Where your work has been featured?
http://onelittlecell.deviantart.com/
http://www.3dvf.com/
How did you become an artist? I have been interested in pictural art since I was a kid, but I think the main
influence is my father, who was a really great painter, may he rest in peace.
What were your early influences? Mostly those 70-80’s teenage movies like Star Wars, the Indiana Jones
series, the Goonies, E.T., D.A.R.Y.L., early videogames from the same period, and modern figurative painting.
What were your current influences? A lot of artists, painters, musicians, filmmakers; Francis Bacon, the band
Tool, Stanley Kubrick, Tim Burton, and so on.
What inspired the art for the cover? Star Wars, of course, but also games like X2, X3, and Wing Commander.
How would you describe your work? I had the idea of a fleet going to an important battle, and grouping
before teleporting to the actual battle scene.
Where do you get your inspiration / what inspires you? Mostly anything that appeals me at first look, I love
being surprised by a creation, a sight, or even, sometimes, a weird sound. What really inspires me is looking
around, in the street, in the subways and so on. I could say that everything inspires me as long as I can imagine
stories around it.
What have been your greatest successes? Being at the school I’m at the moment, and meeting my girlfriend
five years ago.
Have you have any notable failures, and how has that affected your work? All my previous works are notable
failures, but I guess the worst is when I tried to learn guitar!
What are your favorite tools / equipment for producing your art? My PC, Maya, and PhotoShop.
What tool / equipment do you wish you had? An alienware workstation!
What do you hope to accomplish with your art? Putting emotions and feeling in something as cold as a
computer rendering.
Memory Wipe
Chapter 4, Dark Streets,
by Sean T. M. Stiennon
The Story so Far: Three years ago, Takeda going for the pistol he kept under his pillow.
Croster woke up in the city of Greendome, on “It’s me. Zartsi,” said a raspy voice.
the colony world of Belar, with no memories, no
connections, and no possessions aside from the He relaxed. “Come in.”
clothes he was wearing and an Imperial citizen- The Lithrallian hunter slid around the door,
ship card with his name on it. He worked at the shut it, and locked it behind him. He still wore
Silver Sun casino, ignored by most, until one night his red leather armor, twin ivory daggers, and
when he began to manifest superhuman powers sawed-off pistol. His deep green scales seemed
in a fight against two corrupt cops: enhanced paler than usual. A plastic bag hung from one of
senses, great strength, lightning-fast reactions. his hands.
He seriously injured both cops. Strange dreams “Food,” he said. “I almost had to kill to get it.”
and a feeling of great exhaustion followed the
encounter. Takeda sat up. “We gave O’Donnell his money.
Killing us wouldn’t do them any good.”
Now, barely escaping the corrupt police force
headed by Brian Vass, Takeda has left Belar in the Zartsi hissed and rubbed his headridge. “No,
company of Zartsi, a Lithrallian hunter he met in but anger remains. We hijacked ship and gave
the jungles during his journey to the spaceport. him trouble with police. Returning to Belar will be
Their escape was narrow—they were forced to impossible. Also, no captain likes to have another
hijack a ship to stay ahead of Vass. Now, with control ship.”
the only world he remembers vanished into the The Brass Shield’s crew had been making life
void of space behind him, Takeda approaches the difficult for them ever since the ship had left
Imperial world of Freedan, wondering if he can Belar. Takeda and Zartsi had mostly stayed in their
build another life for himself—and whether his cabin, and when one of them ventured out, it
strange abilities will continue to manifest them- was always armed and alert. One of the crewmen
selves... had tried to put a meat knife through Takeda’s
back. His abilities—enhanced senses, incredible
T
strength, lightning-quick reactions—had come
akeda sat on his cot in their tiny cabin suddenly, and his first punch had knocked the
aboard the Brass Shield, staring up at the man cold. After that, they had agreed it was safer
sheet iron ceiling and crossing his arms over his if he stayed in the room and Zartsi went out for
chest. In the room with him were Zartsi’s cot, the food.
hunter’s backpack and rifle, an open lavatory
unit, and two, tiny impact stools bolted against The Lithrallian laid it out on his cot: three
the bulkhead. Steel supports beneath the cot ancient cans of fish, a couple boxes of dried fruits
dug into his back, and the dull hum of the ship’s from a world Takeda had never heard of, three
engines droned in his ears. bottles of water, and one can of self-heating
coffee.
It had been like this for three days. Three
days of near total silence, without any glimpse “They were generous,” he said, tapping the
of anything outside the sheet metal bulkheads coffee with one claw. “I showed fangs to cook.”
of the freighter. The only windows to the outside Takeda frowned. “I want to get off this ship
were on the bridge, and Captain O’Donnell would alive.”
probably put a bullet through Takeda’s chest if he
went anywhere near there. Zartsi shook his head. “I had to intimidate so
they didn’t attack me. As said, I almost had to
The door creaked, and Takeda sat up suddenly, open man’s throat.”
Takeda leaned back against the bulkhead, Takeda closed his eyes and cradled his head
feeling its coldness through the ragged clothing in both hands. His hair was filthy and greasy. “I
he had stolen off a cop’s corpse in the space port. hardly know any more.”
His life—all three years of it—seemed to have Zartsi stared at him for several seconds,
slipped into a black hole’s event horizon. One day while the only sounds were the echoes of their
he had been doing his job as usual. Then Brian Vass breathing and the hum of the engines. “Is anyone
had come to arrest him for seriously wounding you regret leaving?” Zartsi asked.
two cops—two cops who had nearly murdered
a casino bartender. Takeda’s powers had come An image of Sheri, a waitress at the casino
to him, and he had escaped Vass’ forces, killing who had always been kind to him, flashed in
more along the way. By the time the sun had set, Takeda’s head. She had a pretty smile, and her
he was the most wanted man in the Belar colony. hair gleamed in the light.
And the nightmares...the nightmares had been “No,” he said. “I’ve been alone as long as I can
almost regular since his enhanced abilities had remember.”
begun to manifest. Dark dreams full of burning “Then, Takeda, you are most sad man, and
landscapes and shadowy figures haunted his anything ahead must be better.”
sleep, and he always saw the same woman, with Takeda didn’t have any answer to that. He
flowing black hair and a face as beautiful as the changed the subject. “What are you planning to
night sky. He couldn’t remember her—just like he do? Freesail sounds like a big place. There are
couldn’t remember anything about himself or his probably a few Lithrallians.”
life before he had woken up in that hotel room
three years ago. Zartsi peeled the top off a can of fish, exposing
strips of white flesh in a watery solution. He ate
“I also got this,” said Zartsi, holding up a small with his fingers and swallowed without chewing.
black device. “O’Donnell rented me computer for After a few seconds, Takeda decided he hadn’t
three Silvers.” heard the question, and he was about to ask it
Takeda sat up straight. “A computer? What again when Zartsi answered, “I am fugitive as
for?” much as you.”
“To know where we go. Planet called “You haven’t killed as many cops as I have.”
Freedan.” “No, but unless you want kill him, O’Donnell
“Freedan,” Takeda echoed, scratching his will report both as hijackers. And I opened one
growing beard. “I’ve read something about it.” man’s throat in port.”
Zartsi powered up the computer and worked “You didn’t have to do that.”
the keys. He stared into the display for a moment, “Enough talk. Eat something, or you won’t
and said, “Freedan is Imperial world, heavily need to worry about life.”
settled, cold climate. Our port is Freesail, first city
established during colonization period, popula- He tossed Takeda a can of fish, which he
tion two million. Somewhat sprawled, but tight cracked open and ate, noticing that it had passed
industrial sector. Hm.” its “Distribute by” date three years ago. Either
hijackers got the worst food or the Brass Shield’s
He pressed another button. “Extensive gang crew ate like this all the time. The fish was soggy
activity. Not recommended for tourists.” and flavorless, but edible. The dried fruit was less
Takeda cupped his chin in one hand. “Sounds so.
like a place where I might be able to make a new When they were passing the warm coffee back
life. Maybe one of the gangsters would employ and forth, Zartsi tossed the computer to Takeda.
me.” He caught it, and the Lithrallian smiled. “Careful.
Zartsi smiled. “You are not gangster, Takeda.” Man told me that if I break, he’d lead charge on
“I’m a murderer and a hijacker. Gang hitman our cabin.”
wouldn’t be a big step from there.” Takeda almost dropped it. “Wasn’t he joking?”
The Lithrallian lowered the screen, and Takeda “Hard to tell, but best not take risks.”
saw his nostrils flare. His brilliant blue eyes met
Takeda’s gaze. “You aren’t serious.” #
O’Donnell announced the landing over the help Takeda when the Lithrallian tried to make
intercom two hours before the Brass Shield conversation. “I will have to buy you real gun,
touched down on Freedan. He gave several Takeda,” he said. “Pistols are only good close up.”
orders to the landing sequence—most of which “If someone’s far away, I don’t need to fight
were completely incomprehensible to Takeda. him,” Takeda grumbled, rubbing his chest.
Then, he said, “And to our two dear passengers, “What if you want to kill him?”
I’ll say we won’t call the Imperial police until we
see your backs, but you’d better keep your guns “I don’t want to kill anyone. I just want a life
ready when you come out. Oh, and be sure to somewhere, with a job I can do and a big enough
stay standing while we’re coming in. Otherwise paycheck to get a comfortable apartment and
you might find it unpleasant.” decent food.”
Takeda had never been in a spaceship before, He stopped talking as another jolt slammed
and his reading hadn’t included much on space him into the straps. This time, Takeda gripped the
travel, but the advice still sounded strange to him. stool with his knees and avoided the worst force
Zartsi reinforced his suspicions when he said, of the impact. He felt an uncomfortable queasi-
“Strap down on stool. Otherwise get knocked ness begin to form in his stomach.
around.” “So you don’t want to be hitman,” Zartsi asked,
They sat opposite each other, backs pressed smile still fixed on his face.
to the steel bulkheads by the thick bands of Takeda patted his stomach. He was regretting
plastoid restraint harnesses. The engine was that stale fish more with every second his belly
snarling harder now, working to decelerate the ached. “No. I don’t want to be a hitman. But I’ve
ship for atmospheric entry. O’Donnell kept up a got to do something.”
steady stream of orders and chatter, and eventu- “Something is broad,” Zartsi said. “Do you have
ally Takeda realized that he was speaking mostly idea besides hitman?”
just to calm his crew.
“Security guard, maybe. That’s what I’m used
“How dangerous is this?” Takeda asked. to. They’d run a background check, though, and
“Depends on captain and crew. With Lithral- I’d either get shipped back to Belar for Vass to
lian captain, might have drink now and not spill it. take care of, or they’d lock me up in an Imperial
With big commercial line, might be some rattles, prison, rush through a trial, and behead me a few
but their ships are built for comfort and safety. days later.”
With rusty freighters like Brass Shield...hard to Zartsi scratched one hand with the other. “Is
tell. Year without much money, proper repairs there way to clear yourself?”
might not get made, and ship could explode in
heat.” “No. The crimes will be listed in my complete
profile, and I’m sure Vass has found out where
Takeda frowned. “How did this ship look to the Brass Shield was heading and sent a bulletin
you?” to the Freesail police. There’s a chance they’ll be
“Old, battered, but solid. Unless engine spaces waiting for us when we land.”
look same as galley.” Zartsi opened his eyes wider. “How great
Zartsi grinned when he saw Takeda’s grimace. chance?”
“Don’t worry. If there is explosion, it will come fast, Takeda shrugged. “I don’t know.”
and we will go to Glorious Mountain together.”
Then the real jolts began as the ship hit
His grin only widened when a sudden jolt Freedan’s atmosphere.
threw Takeda against the straps of his harness.
He clenched his knees in his hands and tried to #
press himself into the hard plastic stool as the
ship rocked back and forth. He could almost feel Takeda kept one hand near his pistols and one
his brain smacking against the walls of his skull. eye over his shoulder as he stood in the Brass
The straps bit into his chest and sides as he was Shield’s hold, waiting for O’Donnell to lower the
hurled against them. loading ramp. The freighter’s crew gathered
Zartsi seemed undisturbed—he somehow around them, some openly caressing the polished
kept himself almost motionless—and it didn’t grips of knives or cheap guns. O’Donnell himself
had one hand on the ramp controls. His flaming right, he saw other sections of the landing fields,
red hair was stained with grease from some mal- boxed off by strome fences, along with distant
function in the ship’s engine room. warehouses. The ships he could see were mostly
“All right, lads,” he said. “I’ll give you an hour, freighters, many of them larger than O’Donnell’s
then get on the comm with any cops who will ship, and a few much smaller. None of them looked
listen to me and tell them to find you, slap some any fancier—freighters were rarely designed for
clamps around your wrists, and bury you in some aesthetics.
prison darker than a burnt-out star. Right?” To his left, beyond a pair of strome fences
“Right,” Zartsi hissed. “But they won’t find us. with flay-wire and manned guard towers, lay the
Freesail is big city, Freedan big planet.” buildings of downtown Freesail. Most were no
more than five stories tall, and the tallest Takeda
O’Donnell smiled with genuine humor. “A man saw, rising like an Egyptian obelisk above the
can hope, can’t he? One word of advice: my men skyline, couldn’t have been taller than fifteen,
and I usually hang around the Rusty Pistol. If you not including the interstellar-comm tower that
show up there, all your guns won’t be enough to sprouted from its roof. The Imperial Praetorium,
save you. And be sure to get on the wrong side of most likely. Other buildings belched columns of
as many gangsters as possible.” thick smoke into the low-hanging clouds. A few
Zartsi smiled back. “Perhaps we give them red lights glimmered among the dark structures.
your dock number, call you employers. Then you “Will we be able to leave the port without
have guests.” checking in?” Takeda asked.
O’Donnell swung the switch down to lower “Probably. O’Donnell will register ship, with
the ramp. “All right, be off you with you. Lick a roster of crew, but we won’t be on it. Port
latrine somewhere for my sake.” Authority does not make habit of stringent
There was a hiss as pressure equalized security—Freesail needs trade, and there is little
between the ship’s interior and the atmosphere. fear of violent beings worse than natives entering
Thin, gray light streamed into the hold, shining city.”
on motes of dust filling the air. A cold, wet wind “Natives?”
blew straight in, mussing Takeda’s lengthening
hair, and billowing the camouflage cloak he still “Gangsters.”
wore. At least he had more than a week’s growth “How do you know all this?”
to keep his face warm. “I have knowledge—from computer, other
Zartsi led the way, hands openly grasping his sources.”
dagger grips, and Takeda remained ready to draw Zartsi’s tone was defensive, and Takeda decided
and fire with an instant’s warning. None of the not to inquire further. He knew almost nothing
crewmen moved. O’Donnell nodded once again about Zartsi—his age, his social class, even his
to both of them. Takeda descended the ramp, full name. Almost as little as Takeda knew about
hearing his boots clang on steel. He glanced over himself. The Lithrallian had obviously roamed the
his shoulder once more, and stepped out onto stars, but Takeda had no way of knowing how
the damp concrete of Freesail’s primary space far his travels had taken him. It was possible that
port. There were others for the Imperial Navy, Freesail was familiar territory to him.
the Imperial Police Force, and the occasional
luxury cruise ship or private yacht that made a Zartsi turned and led him towards the city.
stop on Freedan—generally for refueling, since Takeda had never seen anything like it except in
there wasn’t much for tourists in Freesail or any videos and pictures. Greendome had been home
of the planet’s other cities. to about 50,000. The metropolis he looked at now
had forty times that number. He could get lost
The concrete expanse stretched out all around, easily in such a place, buried so deep the police
dark and glistening faintly with fresh moisture, as would never find him. They’d give up the search
Takeda followed Zartsi away from the Brass Shield. eventually, and then he could live in peace.
A frozen ripple pattern of gray clouds covered the
sky. Other ships were scattered around, parked in But, looking at the city ahead of him with its
sections of a grid of white paint that criss-crossed black towers and belching smokestacks, Takeda
the concrete. Crimson lines indicated pathways feared that a life in Freesail would be far from
for pedestrians and loading vehicles. To Takeda’s what he had dreamed of.
eying the waitresses as they ate and drank. the city soon.
“Perhaps cheerful atmosphere will help,” Zartsi Zartsi’s chair hissed across the floor as he
said. pulled it back, then sat. His bright blue eyes
He took advantage of an opening in traffic caught Takeda’s as he smiled. “You enjoy view?”
and crossed the wet street, his boots splashing Takeda glanced at it again. Looking at pictures
in puddles. Takeda jogged after him. He needed on the Net and in his books and watching vids
to find some money, soon—right now, he was hadn’t prepared him for the experience of visiting
dependent on Zartsi for everything, from clothes another world. “I feel like a child,” he said.
to food. That alone gave him reason enough to “How so?”
stay with the Lithrallian.
“All this is new. I thought Greendome was a
The bartender was a slim man with wart scars city, but I was wrong. This is a real city, and I’ve
covering his face and hands. He wore a stained never seen anything like it.”
apron and a poorly concealed steel cudgel on one
hip. The space behind the bar was probably an “If you see City of Golden Ascension on Lithrall,
armory. He nodded to Takeda and Zartsi as they then you will truly have seen what city can be.
came in, shaking rain off their coverings, and said, This is like many others in galaxy—unique in own
“What’ll it be for you?” way, but usual.”
“You have beef?” Takeda sighed, lowering his head to stare at
the scuffed red plastic of the table. It had been
“Some.” there for a long time, judging from the complex
“How much?” gridiron of scratches covering it. “That’s not what
“Two silvers a meal. Beef isn’t cheap.” I mean. I know about this intellectually—I’ve
read books, watched things. But I’ve only lived for
“Two beef, and beer,” Zartsi said. three years really, and I’ve never been off Belar in
“Five silvers even, if you want the good stuff. that time. Until now. I don’t know how to live in
You sure you don’t want something stronger? I’ve a place like this.”
got some sectarine wine, straight from Lithrall. Zartsi spread his hands and smiled. “I could
Expensive, sure, but I’m sure you’d be willing to teach.”
pay well for a taste of home.”
Takeda frowned. “And that’s another thing.
Zartsi’s eyes narrowed slightly, and Takeda saw Who are you, anyway? Why are you helping me?
his jaw clench as he pressed his teeth together. You’ve got what you want. We’re off Belar. You
“No. Beer only—good stuff.” don’t have to worry about the police picking you
“Right. Cash now.” up for illegal immigration.”
Zartsi dug in his pouch, pulled out the money, Zartsi’s smile faded. “I am Zartsi. That is all
and crossed over to the bar. The bartender took you must know.”
it. “Thanks. I’ll have one of the girls bring that up “But why help me like this?”
to you.”
“You need help, yes?”
As they climbed the stairs to the second
floor, Takeda said, “I thought you wanted to save Takeda sighed, clenching his teeth. He hated
money.” to admit this. “Yes.”
“Yes, Takeda, but there is time to feast. We “That is why.”
have landed safe on new world. That is occasion A pretty waitress brought two plates then,
to celebrate.” each of which contained a thick slice of beef, a
They took a table in a corner of the second slice of toasted bread, and piece of some yellow
floor, near the windows, where they could look at fruit Takeda didn’t recognize. She also had too tall
the city outside. Takeda sat with his back against glasses of deep amber beer. “Enjoy, mates,” she
the wall, feeling cold plastic through his new said, and turned away.
clothing as he leaned back into a chair. Outside, Takeda’s eyes followed her unconscious-
the daylight was dimming, and more lights glowed ly—she was certainly something to look at. She
in the drably colored buildings. Night would cover went down the stairs to the first floor, and before
his eyes returned to Zartsi they swept across above Zartsi. His companions, still seated at their
the room. Three groups now occupied it. Two table, laughed harshly.
were harmless-looking clusters of men with grey The Lithrallian didn’t turn. “I see no lizard,” he
streaks in their hair and tired-looking women. said.
Takeda’s eyes paused on the third. Four men, all
young and strong looking. They wore long, leather Takeda dropped his eyes to his plate. His
coats with a variety of designs stitched into them appetite fled, leaving only a churning coldness
with sequins that shifted color. Flame patterns in his gut. The steak’s smell was stronger than
fluctuated from blue to red to green and back ever—now, he could separate the odors of the
again; the eyes of leering skulls pulsated, and meat from the light spices covering it. He could
geometric patterns seemed to dance sinuously. also smell his ale. And the sweat of the huge man
One wore a collar with spikes that arced electric looming over Zartsi. He also realized he could see
current between each other, making a loud, tiny differences in the how much different parts
crackling noise. They drank glasses of some deep of the meat had been cooked.
red liquor, laughing and shouting. The bar’s other “I guess it’s true that some reptiles are blind,”
patrons seemed to be doing their best to pretend the big man said. “That’s too good for you. I think
the young men didn’t exist. I’ll have a taste.”
The man with the electric collar—a blond Takeda glanced up again to see the man reach
man with shoulders as wide as the Brass Shield’s down and snatch the steak off Zartsi’s plate. The
loading ramp and hair dyed a flaring, artificial Lithrallian hissed, baring his fangs, but still refused
blond—had his eyes fixed on Zartsi. He drank from to turn—although his hands crept towards the
his glass, allowing some liquid to dribble past his ivory daggers sheathed at his sides. His blue eyes
lips and down his chin, without shifting his gaze. glowed.
Takeda looked away a moment before the man The thug sank yellowed teeth into the meat,
noticed his interest. He couldn’t remember when chewed for a moment, than spat the brown lump
they had come in—he had been focused on Zartsi down onto the table. “Blagh!” he shouted. “Not
and the city outside the window. fit for eating after you’ve slobbered on it.”
“Careful,” Zartsi hissed, softly. “Give no He moved quickly, raising the steak and then
attention. Eat and drink.” slapping it down on Zartsi’s bare head. The meat
The smells from the chunk of beef in front squelched as it struck the bony ridges on the
of him were mouth watering. Takeda had never Lithrallian’s skull. Takeda felt droplets of grease
eaten Earth beef—the only meat available cheaply splatter onto his face. Zartsi kept his neck straight,
in Greendome had been a breed of native fowl and glared straight ahead, looking right past
which had been easy to raise in a closed environ- Takeda. His jaw clenched, and there was a gleam
ment. He picked up the plastic utensils, sawed a in his blue eyes that Takeda had never seen
chunk off the steak, and put it in his mouth. before—not even when he had been fighting the
His enjoyment of the juicy meat vanished skitter or shooting the tires out from under Vass’
when he saw the blond man stand up from his truck.
table. He stood well over six feet, with a long, “Some reptiles have teeth,” he hissed. His
black coat that reached to his knees and a blood- hands, concealed from the thug, drew his daggers
red shirt underneath, torn open to expose chest a centimeter out of their sheathes.
hair dyed the same color. Bones bulged out from The thug threw the steak down onto the table,
his face like steel bars beneath an oily canvas. His knocking over a glass. Yellow liquid spilled onto
eyes were black whorls—modified with contact the floor. “You threatening me? You don’t know
lenses, Takeda guessed. who I am?”
Zartsi picked up his steak and tore a bite out “I know.”
of it with his pointed teeth as the man clumped
towards them. Takeda felt the pistols on his belt. The man smiled cruelly. “Really? Who?”
This man wore a heavy, chrome-plated shotgun “Walking shit mound.”
on his hip, and he could have a dozen other
weapons hidden in his coat. The blow came fast, and Takeda cringed as his
sensitive vision saw the thug’s meaty fist swing
“That isn’t lizard food,” the man said, looming
down at Zartsi’s jaw. It connected with a crack, himself across the table as Zartsi brought his
before Zartsi could raise his arms to block, and daggers all the way out and Clane began to draw a
the Lithrallian went sprawling out of his chair. pulser from his coat. He felt his boots hit the floor,
He hit the floor hard, landing on top of the rifle saw Zartsi’s eyes widen slightly, and then his fist
strapped across his back. Almost immediately, he shot out in a sweeping hook that connected with
had lifted himself up on his hands, eyes narrowed Clane’s jaw. Takeda felt tiny scars in the jawbone
dangerously. Blood flowed down his jawbone. and heard each tooth click as it snapped against
“You want to know who I am?” the man its partner above. The man’s black-whorl eyes
shouted. “I’m Roger Clane. Nate Clane’s son. You widened slightly.
know him? Boss of the Clane gang.” The force of the punch lifted him off the floor
Zartsi pushed himself into a crouch, with his and knocked him sprawling. Takeda was in motion
cloak falling down over his shoulders—conceal- again before he touched the ground, spinning to
ing the hands Takeda knew were gripping his face his comrades and dropping into a crouch.
daggers. “Then he is animal, to put out shit.” He smelled the liquor they had been drinking,
their sweat, the fake leather of their clothing, the
Takeda heard the sounds of chairs sliding lotions and dyes in their hair.
back, boots hitting the floor, and hearts beating
faster. He turned to see Clane’s companions on “Leave,” Takeda said.
their feet. One of them had a nasty looking chain- Behind him, Clane roared, “Take ‘em, damn it!
maul already in his hand. Takeda could smell their Shred ‘em!”
sweat, hear their heavy breathing. The other Takeda heard him rising and turned to see a
people in the bar ran for the stairs, ignored by pulser’s barrel coming to bear on him. He started
the thugs. Takeda stayed seated. His own heart to move towards Clane, but Zartsi arrived first. The
pounded faster with every second. Lithrallian’s hand shot out, grabbing Clane’s wrist,
He watched as Clane drew back his boot and while his other hand pressed a dagger against
swung it up at Zartsi’s chin. The Lithrallian swung the young man’s throat. “Do not be concerned
his head away, hissing, and dodged the boot. for this one, Takeda,” he hissed.
Blood dripped between his teeth from Clane’s He heard boots pounding against the floor and
first punch. Clane laughed harshly. “Can’t take heavy breathing before turning to face Clane’s
your knocks, lizard? Well? Who’s shit now?” three companions as they charged him. The one
Zartsi crouched for a moment, as if evaluat- in the lead, a rangy young man with a twisted
ing his foe, but Takeda could see his tension. nose, held a chain maul in his hand. Three saw-
Zartsi wasn’t going to remain passive. His hands edged belts rotated around the weapon’s head,
were still on his daggers. In another moment, he generating a buzzing sound designed to intimi-
would have them out, and then Takeda knew that date opponents. Another held a pair of diamond-
someone would die. edged knives with spiked basket hilts, and the
The Lithrallian had saved his life and helped third was in the process of drawing a brass-plated
him through the jungle without any hope of pistol from a low-slung holster on his hip.
reward, and even after Takeda’s status as an Takeda let his instincts guide him. There was
Imperial citizen had helped him get off-planet, no fear. He bounded forward, meeting the man
Zartsi had remained with him, buying him clothes with the chain-maul halfway. The thug swung his
and food. He knew he couldn’t sit and watch his weapon in a simple upward swipe at Takeda’s
friend die. neck. He let the weapon come halfway up its
Takeda’s hope for a peaceful life seemed to course before he shot his hand out, clenching
be growing more remote with every minute. Was the thug’s wrist, and twisted his arm forward at
he somehow condemned to a life of violence the elbow. Takeda brought his knee up into the
because of his strange abilities, or had the man’s belly as he pushed the chain maul towards
universe simply rejected him? He heard the faint his face. The thug screamed and let himself fall
hiss of Zartsi’s daggers sliding free, and heard the backwards to avoid his own weapon.
click of a cartridge being chambered somewhere Takeda kept his wrist clamped in his left hand
in the room. No more time to think. while he caught the man by the collar of his jacket
Takeda stood up on his chair and launched and turned him so that he blocked the firing line
of his friend with the gun. Then Takeda threw daggers against Clane’s throat.
him. The two men crashed together, cursing as “Done, Takeda?” he called.
they collapsed to the floor.
Takeda glanced at the men behind them. All
The wind of an approaching blade raised hairs of them were still alive—including the burnt one.
on Takeda’s neck. He ducked just in time to avoid Thank God for that. “Yes,” he said.
a swipe from the third man’s diamond-edged
dagger. Without turning, Takeda slammed both his Takeda felt his powers draining away—his
elbows back and felt them hit a leather-clad belly vision became less clear, the smells and sounds
and sink in. Air wheezed out of the man’s lungs around him grew less intense—and he didn’t
and Takeda spun. The heel of his hand slammed make any effort to retain them. None of these
into the man’s nose. The wound sprayed blood, men would attack him again.
but the man had fought before—he was able to “My father will see you both dead and fed to
ignore the pain and turn his daggers around in an the sewer toads!” Clane snarled beneath Zartsi’s
attempt to thrust them up into Takeda’s armpits. dagger. Spit stained his face.
But he moved too slowly. Takeda stepped “So I kill you now, leave bodies, and no one
closer, pressing his chest against the thug’s, and goes to tell father,” Zartsi hissed. His dagger
slammed his forehead into the man’s bloody face. pressed down harder. A trickle of blood flowed
A groan rolled out of his throat and he toppled down Clane’s neck.
back, releasing his daggers. Takeda caught one of
them. The other clattered to the floor. His face paled. “He’ll find you. He’ll find you
and you’ll live for days before you die. He’ll lock
He pivoted on his heel, drawing the dagger you in the basement with his Rippers.”
back, and threw it just in time to pin the gunman’s
wrist to the floor before he could fire. Blood The blood flow increased. “You do not
spurted from the wound and the man screamed. encourage me.”
The man with the chain maul attacked again. “Zartsi,” Takeda said, “let him up.”
Takeda caught his descending weapon in his left
hand and seized the man’s throat in his right. The Lithrallian turned to aim one of his blue
eyes at Takeda. “You hear him. These gangsters
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. He will come after us.”
could feel the blood pulsing in the man’s throat,
feel air passing through his trachea. But he felt “I don’t want any more men dead. Freesail is a
something else as well, inside his own body—a big city. If we’re careful, they won’t find us.”
power, a roiling, surging power, unlike anything “You are naive, Takeda.”
he had felt before. It began as a buzzing in his Clane spat again. “We’ll find you. But maybe
chest and expanded to fill all his limbs in one my father will give you a quick death if you let me
instant. He felt it gathering in his hand. go.”
He didn’t have to do anything. Searing blue “You are not in negotiating position,” Zartsi
energy, like the lightning of a hurricane, blasted hissed. “Perhaps I will hold you for ransom and
out of his fingertips and into the thug’s throat. He get money from this.”
could feel its heat, but somehow his hand wasn’t
burnt. The man screamed as the energy poured Takeda glanced over his shoulder at the
into him. His flesh smoked in Takeda’s grip and other three men. One was unconscious, one was
sparks shot out his open mouth. Takeda released moaning and clutching his impaled wrist, and the
him. He dropped limp to the floor. Burn marks third was flat on his back, breathing heavily.
wrapped his throat where Takeda had held him. “I don’t want anyone else dead,” Takeda told
The man groaned and lay still. Zartsi. “I’ve killed enough men.”
Takeda stared down at him. Burns. Electric- The Lithrallian didn’t move. His blue eyes
ity from his hand. What in all the stars had just smoldered with anger as he gazed down at Clane.
happened? “Shit mound deserves nothing.”
He turned to check on Clane. Zartsi still Just then, Takeda heard sirens wailing in the
sat astride the big man. A pile of weapons was distance, outside the bar. They didn’t sound
stacked nearby, including Clane’s chrome-plated much like the ones used in Greendome, but he
shotgun. The Lithrallian still pressed one of his
could still recognize what they meant. with fish in some pale, gray sauce on their way
“The police are coming,” he said. to the hotel, after their meal at the tavern had
been interrupted. Takeda took one of them,
For a moment, Zartsi’s body tensed—Takeda along with the bottle of water Zartsi offered. It
could see it even without enhanced senses. The was soggy, bland food, but better than going to
muscles in his arms bulged and his eyes narrowed. sleep hungry. They sat on their respective beds
Terror showed on Clane’s face. Takeda both knew and ate in silence.
that Zartsi was capable of killing, and not just
in the heat of combat. He had already seen his Zartsi set down his box. “When I have money,
friend cut one man’s throat open. I will buy extra shells for that,” he said, pointing
to the shotgun he had given Takeda. “It’s good
The Lithrallian raised his free hand and weapon.”
slammed it into Clane’s forehead, knocking his
head against the floor. The gangster groaned and The Lithrallian had also given him a dagger
relaxed, unconscious. Then Zartsi stood, wiped with a six-inch strome blade, serrated for the
the blood off his dagger with his cloak, and bottom three inches. He frowned. “Do I really
sheathed it. He bent down, took Clane’s shotgun, need all these weapons?”
a small hand pulser, and a couple knives from the “If Clane Gang pursues us.”
pile of weapons. Takeda swigged from his bottle, threw his box
“Come, Takeda,” he said. across the room, and lay back on his cot. The
Zartsu mutely handed the shotgun to Takeda, pillow felt faintly soggy. He’d be lucky to wake up
and led him down the stairs. The bar had emptied. without lice in his hair. “I need sleep.”
Takeda guessed the workers were in the back “Both of us do, Takeda. But what happens
rooms, waiting for the cops to arrive. They stepped when morning comes?”
out into rain and quickly crossed the street. Zartsi He groaned. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
led Takeda down a narrow, stinking alley just as a
pair of aircars in with red and white markings set He could feel Zartsi’s eyes on him for another
down in front of the bar. few seconds, and then the Lithrallian sighed. “As
you wish.”
# Takeda knew from experience that his friend
always slept in his leather armor with his daggers
They found a cheap room with two beds, strapped to his sides. He took off his cloak, spread
running water, and—according to the advertis- it over his cot as an extra blanket, and turned out
ing—no parasites. When Zartsi unlocked the the light. Darkness engulfed the room except
door and stepped in, Takeda saw that the walls for the weak gray light flowing in through the
were bare concrete, that each cot had a single windows. Takeda lay in darkness, listening to the
ragged looking blanket, and that the pillows were sound of his own breathing, the hammer of rain
crushed and stained. The single light flickered. against the window, and the rumble of an occa-
“We get money’s worth,” Zartsi said with a sional groundcar on the street outside. He was
chuckle as he tossed his pack down on one bed. exhausted, but couldn’t fall asleep immediately.
A part of him feared the nightmares that inevi-
Takeda set down the shotgun Zartsi had tably came after he used his powers. Another
handed him on the other bed and looked out part of him couldn’t stop thinking about what
the window. Shabby buildings lined the street, had happened in the bar. He was used to the
providing cheap housing for factory workers and enhanced abilities by now—they had manifested
wanderers. Occasional bars sold cheap booze themselves several times since that night in the
and food, advertised by flickering plasma signs. casino, and he had some control over them. But
Rain continued to pour down as the gray sky he didn’t know how he had shocked that thug.
darkened. No answers occurred to him even after several
“Hungry, Takeda?” Zartsi asked. minutes of chewing over it.
He had purchased a couple boxes of noodles
Clane sighed. “Yes. I can’t have beings beating Sean T.M. Stiennon
up my son and getting away with it.”
Sean is an author of fantasy and science fiction
Roger grinned, and Clane had the feeling that novels and short stories with many publications
everything else that had been said had just left
the young man’s mind. He’d learn eventually— under his belt. His first short story collection, Six
Clane would see to that. If he didn’t, there were with Flinteye, was recently released from Sil-
others who could take his place. ver Lake Publishing, and he won 2nd place in
“I can get some guys together—good ones,” both the 2004 SFReader.com Short Story Contest
Roger said. “We’ll go and find them, and then and the Storn Cook Razor-Edged Fiction Contest
we’ll leave nothing except chunks of ash.” with his stories “Asp” and “The Sultan’s Well,”
“No!” Clane shouted. “Freesail is a big place, respectively. “The Sultan’s Well” has been published
Roger, but there are police. If they see my gang in the anthology Sages and Swords. Sean’s short
out of control, they’ll crack down on us. They’ll story “Flinteye’s Duel” was published in
call in the Imperial Police if they have to. How Ray Gun Revival, Issue 01.
many times do I have to tell you this before it gets
through your skull?” Sean’s work tends to contain lots of action and
Roger frowned. “So what are you going to adventure, but he often includes elements of
do?” tragedy and loss alongside roaring battles. A
“I’m going to send a being who I know can do lot of his work centers around continuing char-
the job quietly and effectively.” acters, the most prominent of whom is Jalazar
Roger’s face paled slightly, and he sat up Flinteye (Six with Flinteye). He also writes tales
straighter. “That guy’s crazy.” of Shabak of Talon Point (“Death Marks,” in
“Not quite. You’re showing your ignorance, issue #9 of Amazing Journeys Magazine), Blade-
son.” master (“Asp,” 2nd place winner in the 2004 SF-
“I don’t care. He creeps me out.”
Reader.com Contest), and others who have yet to
see publication.
“If I ever met a man who could honestly say
Lashiir didn’t scare him, then I would know that Sean loves to read fantasy and science fic-
man was either very, very brave or somewhat tion alongside some history, mysteries, and
crazy himself. Possibly both.” historical novels. His favorites include Declare
Roger shuddered, and Clane poured himself by Tim Powers, the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
another glass of whiskey. trilogy by Tad Williams, Stephen Lawhead’s Song
of Albion trilogy, and King Solomon’s Mines by H.
Rider Haggard. He has reviewed books for Deep
Magic: The E-zine of High Fantasy and Science
Fiction, and currently reviews books at SFReader.
com.
Next month...Chapter 5: Lashiir
To contact the author, send an e-mail to
flinteye@gmail.com. The author is always
happy to receive reader feedback.
Featured Artist
Serial: in the waste howling wilderness, a Jack Brand
story
by John M. Whalen
Jack Brand tracks three escaped convicts across the Tulon desert. He’s ambushed and
left for dead, but that’s just for starters.