Timeweb Trilogy Omnibus (53 page)

Reaching the shuttle landing field at the perimeter of the compound, he saw half a dozen stock groundjets parked behind a storage building, and no visible security. With one of those vehicles he could reach Rainbow City, and obtain a good doctor for Noah. Ever conscious of safety measures, Subi thought it would have been too risky to take Noah’s grid-plane or one of the robot ships on this mission. They were better left where they were, since he had just received an intelligence report that Doge Lorenzo was making improvements to the planet’s surveillance grid system, and he wanted to find out what had been done before going airborne again.

He ran for one of the groundjets, staying low, hugging the shadows.

* * * * *

For moments, Eshaz had been reconsidering, forming all sorts of rationalizations in his mind for delaying his transmission or not making it all, defenses he might use if ever summoned before the Council of Elders on this matter. Of utmost importance, he wanted to protect Noah Watanabe, the remarkable Human who had shown more concern for the interrelationships between planets and star systems than anyone in the history of his people. As only three races knew—the Tulyans, the Parviis, and the Aopoddae—the entire galaxy was connected by a gossamer but strong and essential web that spanned time and space. This made Noah’s own concept of galactic ecology all the more remarkable, though he could not possibly know how right he was. Eshaz wasn’t sure how to tell him, either; Humans were not one of the privy races, so Noah was not supposed to be informed about such secrets.

Still, Eshaz felt Noah had already expanded the knowledge of his race with what he had done, and that he had the potential to do much more. In Eshaz’s mind, this was linked directly to his own primary assignment from the Council of Elders, which was to protect and maintain the web. He felt he had done exactly that by saving Noah’s life, but his bold (the council might say brash) decision would still require considerable explanation on his part.

The prescribed time arrived, and Eshaz placed a quivering fingertip against a slender strand of web, touching it ever so gently. He did not transmit, but felt the coursing energy of the web, the distant podships traveling on their various routes, along with the mental communications of Tulyans who reported to the Elders and received orders from them. He also heard the subtle but disturbing noises of breakage in the web, the disintegration that was continuing, no matter the efforts of the Tulyans to prevent it.

At the very last possible second, a message arrived from the Council of Elders, sent to him personally like a whisper across the cosmos
: Return to the Starcloud immediately
.

His heart sank. They must know, or suspect what he had done, and intended to interrogate him.

In fear, Eshaz removed his finger from the web and hunched over, his entire body trembling. The next transmission time would not take place for seven galactic days, and the Elders wanted him to report sooner than that. He could reach the Tulyan Starcloud today if he made the next podship, and tomorrow at the latest. The pod station here at Canopa was one of the busiest in the galaxy, with ships arriving and departing regularly, connecting the world with all points of the astronomical compass.

Now he would have to confess under less-than-ideal circumstances, enduring the suspicious glares of his superiors. It would have been better if he had volunteered the information.

Eshaz expected the worst, although they probably didn’t have the evidence against him that they needed yet. If they’d had it, they might have dispatched someone to execute him on the spot—a punishment that had been used in the past, on rare occasions. If they did have the proof already, the Elders might still want to conduct a public tribunal and use him as an example, to keep anyone else from tapping into the web improperly. He felt certain that he would be declared one of the worst criminals in the history of his people, and that his name would go down in infamy.

At his trial, he could at least explain why he drained critical nutrients from the web without first asking for permission from the Council, and how he needed to move quickly to save Noah Watanabe’s life, since the Human’s vital signs had declined rapidly and he was on the verge of death. Eshaz doubted if it would do any good to present a defense, but if given the opportunity he would lay it all out, including the full and remarkable story of Noah Watanabe … a man whose life mattered much more than his own.

* * * * *

Schemes flowed through Giovanni Nehr’s mind like the currents of an ocean, deep beneath the surface.

The day before, he had overheard Acey Zelk and Dux Hannah telling Noah how they hid inside the storage compartment of a food delivery robot to escape from a slave crew in the Doge’s Palazzo Magnifico. The story had given Gio an idea.

During the time that he had worked with Thinker’s army of robots, Gio had learned a great deal about machines and their internal operating systems. Moving quickly, under the guise of fine tuning two large robots, he had programmed changes into them. These were unmarked mechanical units, of a type that the Guardians planned to send into nearby towns on reconnaissance missions, in conjunction with Human operatives.

Then, in the shadows of a tunnel, Gio had knocked the teenagers out with drugdarts, using one of the weapons that Thinker had given to him. He then stuffed Acey into a large compartment inside one of the robots, and Dux inside the other robot.

Giovanni Nehr did not dislike the boys, and did not wish them any real harm. But he needed to deal with them for his own survival and advancement, which were his highest priorities. Other stories that he’d heard the boys telling the Guardians would provide him with an excellent cover, in particular their boastful tales of stowing away on ships and vagabonding around the galaxy. People would think they ran off for more adventures.

Gio didn’t have the stomach to kill the teenagers, and hoped they didn’t die because of his actions. But he knew he was putting them in danger, casting them into the perilous ocean of space. Now he watched on a remote camera screen as the robots did their work, and projected images back to him.…

The sentient machines, carrying their unusual cargoes, entered the nearest shuttleport, and studied the electronic labels on space-cargo boxes in a storage yard, showing that they were being shipped to a variety of star systems and planets. As programmed, the robots selected the farthest, most remote destination.

When no one was looking, the sentient machines loaded the motionless bodies into a cargo container filled with crates of computer parts, after removing some of the contents and then making sure there were air holes in the box.

Observing it all on the small screen, Gio thought
, If they’re meant to live, they’ll live. If they’re meant to die, they’ll die.
He had done everything necessary to keep his own conscience clear, taking steps to save their lives by assuring them of air.

As programmed, the robots waited in shadows while a mechanized crew loaded the containers on board a shuttle. Satisfied, Gio watched while the shuttle lifted off. Now he didn’t have to sleep with one eye open. If the boys survived, they had no assets and would have a hard time finding their way back here. He didn’t expect to ever see them again.

* * * * *

Subi slipped into the command chair of the groundjet. Taking a deep breath, he activated the controls and saw the instrument panel light up with shimmering, lambent colors. His fingers moved expertly, and he waited to hear the engines turn over.

But they didn’t start, even though the hydion charges were full.

He cursed, hit the backup button. Nothing happened.

Spotlights lit up the parking area outside. Men shouted, and he heard the sounds of boots running on pavement.

Red Beret soldiers surrounded the vehicle, and took him into custody.

Chapter Eighty

Each of us must face a judgment day.

—Ancient Saying

The following afternoon …

After crossing space and arriving at the pod station over the Tulyan Starcloud, Eshaz passed through an airlock. Pausing, he watched four robots loading space-cargo boxes onto a walkway. In other places around the galaxy, especially at merchant prince worlds, this would not have been extraordinary, since products were always being picked up and delivered. But in this remote star system it was highly unusual. Largely self-sufficient, Tulyans did not import very many articles.

Working hurriedly, the robots accidentally dropped one of the large boxes as they were trying to hoist it on top of the others, and it split open. To Eshaz’s shock, two Human bodies tumbled out, along with crates of computer parts, which spilled their contents all over the walkway.

Eshaz saw one of the bodies move, and then the other. He recognized Acey Zelk and Dux Hannah. As they struggled to their feet, the teenagers looked dazed and confused, and had bumps and cuts on their faces.

The robots chattered among themselves, and sent beeping electronic signals back and forth. Then, leaving the mess behind them, they hurried back through the airlock and reboarded the podship. Moments later, the vessel departed.

“You boys all right?’ Eshaz asked.

“I think so,” Dux said, as he looked at his shorter cousin, who was testing a bruise on his forehead.

“I have a terrible headache,” Acey said.

“Me too,” Dux said. “I think we were drugged.”

“I don’t know about that,” Eshaz said, narrowing his already slitted eyes, “but there may have been low oxygen in the cargo hold of the podship. Whatever the cause, this should make you feel better.” Bringing a small bag out of a body pouch in his side, he opened it and scattered green dust on the boys. Within moments their injuries healed, and the teenagers said their headaches were gone, too.

“How did we get in that cargo box?” Dux asked, as he and Acey accompanied the Tulyan along the walkway.

“You didn’t crawl in yourselves?”

“No disrespect intended,” Dux said, “but I wouldn’t have asked the question if we had.”

“Maybe someone doped you and put you in the box,” Eshaz said. “There is a likely candidate, but you should not jump to conclusions.”

“Giovanni Nehr,” Acey said. “I can’t wait to get my hands on him!”

Showing that he was the more introspective of the two, Dux said, “We need to cool off before we deal with him. I don’t think we should go back to Canopa right now, or we might do something we’ll regret.”

With a nod, Eshaz said, “That would be wise. The personal feud between you and the inventor’s brother could be destructive. Keep in mind, too, that Master Noah does not need that sort of conflict around him, not with all the important matters he must attend to.”

Acey sulked as he walked along.

“There is no proof that Gio did it,” Eshaz said, “but perhaps the truth will surface.”

“Where are we?” Dux asked.

Eshaz answered the question, then offered to put the boys under his protection for a while. “I feel responsible for you now,” he said, “and I won’t hear of letting you go off on your own.”

“So we have no choice in the matter?” Acey said.

“Sure you do.” Eshaz stopped on the walkway, and briefly touched the faces of Acey and Dux, one after the other. In this manner, he read their thoughts, and confirmed the story they had told him, that they had not run away from the Guardians. It was one of the abilities that Tulyans had in interacting openly with their own kind, and secretly with other galactic races.

As Eshaz removed his hand from Dux, he noted intelligence and sincerity in the boy’s dark brown eyes.

“I’m going to catch a shuttle now,” Eshaz said, “and you can either go with me or wait for the next podship ride. But you’ll be missing out on a great place if you go. I think I can get you into a fantastic facility that’s usually reserved for visiting dignitaries. At no charge, of course.”

“We qualify as dignitaries,” Dux said with a broad grin.

“I think we should hit the podways,” Acey said.

“Aw, come on,” Dux said, nudging his cousin in the side. “If we don’t like it around here, we’ll go somewhere else.”

Hesitation. Then, “All right.”

“I’ll send a message to Noah,” Eshaz said, “and let him know you’re both safe.”

“It might be better not to,” Dux said. “We don’t want the perpetrator to find out where we are. But if it is Gio, do you think he’s a threat to Noah? Or do we just have a problem with the guy?”

“I will need to give that some thought,” Eshaz said.

* * * * *

Eshaz was not allowed to bring visitors to any of the worlds in the Tulyan Starcloud, so he left the teenagers at the orbital Visitor’s Center, floating in space over the mist-enshrouded starcloud below. The guests were each given an opulent suite, the kind usually reserved for ambassadors and other high government officials. The Tulyan desk clerk and a security officer appeared to be surprised upon seeing the young Humans, but acceded to Eshaz’s wishes, in deference to his position. Eshaz told them he was personally responsible for the boys’ safety, after having rescued them, and that they worked for Noah Watanabe, as he did himself. Then he hurried away by himself, to meet with the Council of Elders.

The Visitor’s Center was globular, like a pod station and around the same size, but the resemblance stopped there. This was a glittering spacetel, not a mottled, gray-and-black docking station. As they followed the bellhop into a room, he explained that the rooms were interconnected in what he called suites; the boys had never heard of anything like this.

The bellhop, a tall Churian with thick, white eyebrows and a guttural voice, said, “This is Mr. Zelk’s suite. Yours is next door, Mr. Hannah.”

The boys exchanged surprised, pleased glances.

The Churian showed them through room after room, in just the first suite. Impressively, each room had a view of the misty Tulyan Starcloud below, which the bellhop explained was a trick of electronics. Dux scratched his head. It looked incredibly realistic, and he couldn’t see how it worked. Soft music played in the background, blending into different tunes in each room.