Titan Encounter (7 page)

“Let’s hear her
out.”

Mara’s hand slid
into a pocket. “Okay.” Slowly she moved back toward the bulkhead.  

Naomi continued.
“Remember that the Titans were created as soldiers and support laborers to
protect Earth from the Grays. After their surrender,
EarthGov
ordered the Titans to return to base for resettlement.”

“They refused,”
Justin nodded recalling the history, “and sent the ten plagues against the
people of Earth.”

“That was the start
of the
Titanomachy
War.” Mara said flatly. 

“Any Titans they
captured were burned at the stake,” Justin shuddered as he imagined flames
inching closer to his body.

“Before the war was
over, billons had died.” Mara sighed. “
EarthGov
and
the Confederation collapsed and the
Nephilim
were
victorious.”

Naomi nodded. “The
Nephilim
defeated the Titans at the Battle of Earth and
eventually were able to restore order but everyone remembered the horror of the
war, the famine and unrest, and sought to guard against it. They ordered the
scientists of the empire to create a Titan-like army for them, but Earth
scientists have not been able to isolate the DNA sequences that give the Titan
their powers.  “Many scientists have paid for that failure with their
life.”

“Okay, I see.”
Justin said. “The scientists failed until twenty years ago.”

Naomi nodded.

Mara shook her head.
“I still don’t understand. What has all that got to do with you?”

“One of the bodies
from the cloaked ship provided viable DNA. The
Nephilim
were able to advance their plans.”

“So you are…”

“I am a clone and
the prototype for the new army of the
Nephilim
.”

Mara stared at Naomi
for several moments then, in a flat, emotionless voice said, “I’ve got to
admit, you don’t look like a genetically-enhanced monster.”

Naomi eyed her
carefully. “I do not think of myself as a monster, but I am
strong, fast, and,” her voice lowered
to a growl, “trained to kill.”

“Stop it, ladies.” A
wry smile crossed Justin’s face. “And I thought I was going crazy. You’re
telepathic too.”

“Yes
and telekinetic.”

“So,” he gestured
toward his head, “was it just you communicating with me in the passageway or…”

“No. To communicate
like that we both must be telepathic.  And you are strongly
telekinetic.  When you threw me up against the wall with your mind I could
not break free.”

“What?” Mara asked.
“When did that happen?”

Justin ignored his
sister. “I’m not in control of these powers. How did you learn to use your
psychic abilities?”

“Dr. Galen taught me
from texts recovered from the Titans. 
Anu
and
Enlil
and other
Nephilim
would
often watch these sessions.”

Mara’s eyes fixed on
Naomi, “You’ve actually seen
Nephilim
?”

         
“Many times during my psychic training and occasionally
during my physical training.”

“I always
believed…we were taught that they were myths.” Mara’s mouth hung open, but for
a moment, no words came forth. “It was just a story created by those in power
to keep power.”

“They are real.”

Justin shook his
head. “Apparently not everything taught in the CFS is true.”

Mara’s eyes widened
with fear. “They are so going to hunt us down and kill us both.”

Naomi nodded. 
“I think that is so and since I have fled they will kill me also.”

Justin rubbed his
face.
First they’ll take DNA samples—then they’ll kill us.
“We need to
find that jump gate.”
And I hope it works and whoever is on the other side
doesn’t want us dead.
“How long until we arrive at Spitzer?”

“About forty-six
hours,” Mara said without looking at the console.

Justin rubbed his
chin. “I always thought of myself as a Norm.” He glanced at Naomi. “Neither of
us asked for this, but we are what we are—Titans.”

“I do not consider
myself a Titan.”

He tilted his head
back. “What would you call yourself then?”

Naomi shrugged.
“Your friend.”

Justin smiled, “Good
enough for now.” He had more questions, but for now that was enough to mull
over.  “I’ll take the next watch.  You two get some rest.”

The women stared at
each other. Apparently neither wanted to be the first to leave. After several
seconds Naomi shrugged and departed.

“Call me if you need
anything,” Mara said.

He nodded and she
walked away. 

Justin moved about the
bridge, reading the displays and becoming familiar with the location of the
various controls. Normally the FTL drive would power all ship systems, but Mara
had it balanced to use the absolute minimum anti-matter fuel to maintain a
stable wormhole around them.  It was only then that he noticed the
controls for the small fission reactor.  Usually it served only as a
backup power supply but, she had it running at maximum. It would not extend
their range significantly, but it would help.
Good job Mara.

After several
minutes he sat in the captain’s chair. Leaning forward, he rested his chin on
his hand. The
Navsys
showed their progress as they
raced toward the Spitzer system, but even with Mara’s good piloting they would
arrive low on fuel. 
We’ll need to find the jump gate quickly. 
Jump gate? I don’t even know for sure there is a jump gate in the system. 
He shook his head.
Even if there is, it’s hundreds of years old. It
probably won’t work.  And
Spitizer
is a white
dwarf, there aren’t any habitable planets.
Leaning back in the chair, he
rubbed his face with both hands.

Naomi words flashed
through his mind, “And you are strongly telekinetic.” He
recalled
 how
he held Naomi against the wall with the crumbled gun at her
feet.  He remembered
Ferren
hanging in the
air.  

Memories of Garrett,
the man who had bought him and Mara, the man who had treated him like a son and
taught him the salvage business, rolled through Justin’s mind. On that last,
terrible, day they had walked down the passageway to the cargo bays.

“I’ve got to cut
costs,” Garrett had said.

Justin knew that
work had been slow and nodded.

“I’m going to sell
several workers, including Mara.”

“No.” Justin
shouted.

“Remember your
place,” Garrett said sharply and picked up his pace down the passageway. 

Justin followed,
pleaded and then begged.  

“With that implant I
had put in her skull she is worth more than all the other slaves I’m selling,”
He stopped and lowered his voice. “Look when things pick up I’ll get you
someone, but for now that’s my decision.” Garrett turned and walked into an
empty cargo bay.

Justin waited at a
portal as rage boiled within him. 
I wish you were dead.
With eyes
fixed on the large bay doors, he imagined opening them.
Breathe vacuum.
He
spit the words out as a curse. Metal creaked and popped. The door blew away.
With a whoosh, Garrett shot into the void of space.  

Though he had no
idea how he was to blame, Justin announced his guilt to the authorities. They
assured him he was not responsible.  The bay door was old. The metal was
weak. It was all just a terrible accident; he had not murdered the man who, in
his will, had freed him and given him the salvage business.  In the years
that followed, Justin almost convinced himself of his innocence, but now he knew
he had killed Garrett with a thought.

Images of Mara in
the escape pod with him years before flashed into his mind. When the alarms
sounded he screamed and cried for his mother, but she did not come.  When
his ears began popping, he knew what he must do.  Putting his shoulder to
the pod door, he shut it. Moments later, his mother banged at the portal. With
Mara, he struggled to open the door. He failed and because of his failure his
mother died. He had killed her—not with his mind, but with a bad decision. 
My decisions are going to cause the death of Mara and Naomi in mere hours.
My mother…Garrett…Mara…Naomi.
I kill the people I care for
most.

Consumed by his
thoughts Justin didn’t notice Mara walk in until she stood before him.

“What are you doing
here? Get some sleep.”

She shook her head.
“I can’t. I’ve got too much on my mind. She sat. “I thought you might want
company.”

Justin could see and
feel that she was tense. “Sure. Keep me company.”

For several moments
she stared at the displays. “Will we find the jump gate and get somewhere
safe?”

“Yeah.
Sure,” he said with
a nod. 
No. You’ve probably followed me to your death.

Mara looked at him
hopefully, but fear lingered in her eyes.

“I’m working on some
plans and ideas for when we arrive at Spitzer.” It was all a lie, but he had
always felt the need to keep his inner doubts to himself.

She smiled and he
felt her fear abate. “I’ll take the watch if you want some food.”

“Food?”
He looked at the
table at the back of the bridge.  The coffee pot was empty and the counter
was bare.  “I
am
hungry. I think the last real meal I ate was the
dinner with you and Naomi.”

“I put our stuff in
the private galley.” As he stood, she gestured toward the displays. “You didn’t
change any settings while I was gone did you?”

Forcing a frown he
said, “Are you afraid I might have messed up something?”

“No,” she said
unconvincingly, “but I am the better pilot.”

“That you are,” he
said with a smile. “I didn’t touch a thing.”

Justin first peeked into
the utilitarian crew galley, a small gray room with a single, long, table
running down the middle, then headed up one deck to the larger and more
comfortable private dining room. Walking into the kitchen his stomach growled
in anticipation. He sighed at what he found. Ration boxes and crackers filled
the pantry.
Let’s see.
A frown spread across his face.
I’ll have
artificially flavored soy protein meat substitute.
He opened the package
and removed a square block that somewhat resembled beef.
And
radiated vegetables and juice and
a ration of potato flakes
.

*              
*              
*

Filling,
but tasteless.
He patted his full stomach as he headed back toward the bridge.
I ate
rations for years and
lived,
I guess I can do it
again.

Passing the crew
galley he smelled food cooking and poked his head in.  Naomi, with her
hair pulled back tight, was stirring a pot while keeping an eye on something in
the processor.

He stepped in.
“There’s a nicer galley one deck up.”

“Oh” she said with a
start. “Yes, I know.” She looked around. “I felt more comfortable in this one.”
Then she quickly turned back to the food.

Breathing deeply he
took in the aroma that filled the small room. “Is that soup? It smells good.”

Talking over her
shoulder she said, “The crew stocked their pantry with some fresh food.”

Of course,
he grinned
, the
crew would stock their galley first.

“I’m cooking enough
for both of us. I figured you would be hungry.”

He smiled.
Stuffed.
“Famished.”

“Good.” Her face
seemed to glow. “Sit down. It will be done in a moment.”

Naomi laid before
him a tray with bowls of fresh salad, soup and mixed vegetables. Beside it, she
set a dish of identical square blobs of mystery meat.

“It looks very
nice.”
I just wish I wasn’t full.

“The meat is the
cheap package stuff, but I made the soup from fresh carrots, celery,
beans—anything I could find really.”

Justin let his eyes
linger on her face. “Great.”

 For several
minutes Naomi dug into her food while Justin nibbled, smiled, and lavished compliments.

“What did Dr. Galen
tell you about the Spitzer jump gate?”

“Nothing,
really.”

“Where it is in the
solar system?”

Mouth full, she
shrugged and shook her head.

Justin slowly let
his breath out. “I was afraid you would say that. 
Our lives depend on
finding an old jump gate that somehow is still working.
I’ll need to get
Mara to plot a search pattern.”