slave empire profecy - t c southwell.pdf

8/14/2019 Slave Empire Profecy - T C Southwell.pdf

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Slave Empire

Prophecy

T C Southwell

Thank you for downloading this free e-book. You are welome to share it with your friends.This book may be reprodued! opied and distributed for non-ommerial purposes! pro"ided the book remains in its omplete original form.

Published by T C Southwell

Copyright 2010 T C Southwell.


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Table of Contents

Chapter %ne

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter &our

Chapter &i"e

Chapter Si'

Chapter Se"en

Chapter (ight

Chapter )ine

Chapter Ten

Chapter (le"en

Chapter Twel"e

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter &ourteen

Chapter &ifteen


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Prologue

The lurid light of the temple*s sputtering torhes illuminated the high priest*s grim fae. + sleekwhite animal writhed on the gem-enrusted altar! its slender legs thrashing as its life drained out in asarlet stream. #ts grey eyes losed! and its head drooped.

The priest glaned at his audiene of ,rayon nobility before he slit the animal*s belly with a deftmotion. ed and blue entrails spilt out! and he thrust his hands into the bloody mass and spread it onthe sarifiial slab! bending loser to study the offal. Se"eral minutes passed before he straightened!his eyes bright with triumph.

She has ome. She has been born on (nthos. /e raised his hands! the wide slee"es of hisrimson and gold robe sliding bak to re"eal withered arms! and shouted! She must die /er destinyannot be fulfilled She must not stop the great one who will "anuish +tlan. /e is our sa"iour /eomes soon! to aid us in our fight against those who would oppress us

(mpress ,re"ina anshan stepped forward as he lowered his arms! her eyes as hard as hips ofgreen ie. hat does she look like3

The priest shrugged. She is the 4olden Child! (mpress. Something about her must be gold.

/er hair! eyes! or skin.So you don*t know. /ow will we find one miserable girl on this (nthos3 e don*t e"en know

where the planet is The (mpress* "oie rose.The priest met her ga5e. # know not. # ha"e done my duty and gi"en warning of the oming

danger. &ollow the +tlanteans. They will go there to find her! or wait until they ha"e her! then takeher from them.

Take her from them3 They are the most powerful people in the gala'y. /ow easy do you thinkit will be to take her from them3

The priest nodded! his haggard features impassi"e. You*ll find a way! (mpress. That*s why youwere born as our ruler at this time of danger. You*"e been hosen to stop her! and you will.

The (mpress of ,rayonar snorted! then smiled! re"ealing sharp pink teeth. Yes! #*ll find her!

and she*ll die. Your ranting annot stop the wheels of destiny! but # an. +ll you an do is fondle theguts of dead animals and prophesy! but #*ll ensure ,rayonar rules the gala'y.

She thrust her angular fae loser to the priest*s. You had better be right. #f she*s not on thatstupid planet! it will be your blood on this altar ne't. So you must be uite sure before you send meoff on a fool*s errand. ,o you understand3

The high priest liked his lips. # am ertain! (mpress.,re"ina turned away! asting her ga5e o"er the be"y of loyal sub$ets gathered within the

temple*s blood-red walls adorned with gold inlaid ar"ings of grotesue gods and demigods. Thetorhes* green-shot flames fluttered and dipped! sending monstrous shadows aross strained faes.Thik! oily smoke gathered in the temple roof*s grimy ar"ings! the no'ious fumes adding to the

planet*s already foul ammonia-sulphur atmosphere.

ith a old smile! she announed! Then we will find this (nthos! and kill the 4olden Child.


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Chapter One

ayne woke with a start! as one who sleeps lightly does. Sitting up! she rubbed her fae andglaned around! then yawned! suinting at the bloated! angry-looking sun on the hori5on. Thik!sooty louds almost obsured it! dimming its glory to a weak gleam beyond the polluted atmosphere.

The distant muttering and shuffling of thousands of human beings and the pungent smell of unwashedbodies and e'rement wafted to her on the hill morning bree5e.

Throwing off her ragged blanket! she stood up and strethed! ridding herself of the kinksauired from sleeping urled up. She studied the ountryside! on the lookout for ro"ing polie

patrols or the furti"e mo"ement of a fellow raider. uined buildings huddled in groups! surrounded bythe remains of roads and walls the tanks that had rumbled through here in the days of the rebellion hadredued to rubble. %nly the hardiest weeds struggled to grow in the rubble! their yellow lea"es

blothed with brown. usted or burnt-out ars lay in dithes and on kerbs. 6ost of the trees thatremained were dead! but a few bore sikly! withered lea"es.

/er ga5e drifted to the feeding station housed in an ugly building at the bottom of the "alley.Thousands of thin! filthy people stood around it in a ne"er ending fight for sur"i"al. Their only

ambition was to reah the food dispenser and push their battered tin plate under it to reei"e a meagrehelping of sludge-like food. Then the rowd pushed them to the bak! sometimes stealing their sharealong the way. 6ore often they gulped it down! growling at would-be thie"es. They would then find awarm hollow or deserted building to sleep in! urled up in the ragged blankets they arried with them.Those who failed to reah the front often enough grew too weak to e"er make it! and died where theystood.

There were only a few women in the! so it was an old feeding station where the weaklings hadalready suumbed. %ne a day! a meat wagon ame to ollet the dead and deli"er the ne't foodsupply. The polie! using shok stiks and batons! leared a path and dragged out the dead and dying!loaded them onto refrigerated truks and left. Some bodies remained to add to the stenh! howe"er.

ayne and her brother sorned the sludge-eaters and their stink. They were raiders! and they

took whate"er they ould from whoe"er was "ulnerable. The people at the feeding stations ate theones who died. There was nothing else they ould eat. +ll the animals! wild and domesti! had longsine been slaughtered to feed the star"ing billions. %ther speies had suumbed to pollution ordeforestation! the rest had been $udged e'pendable and wiped out. The autorats! remnants of the

politial and soial elite! had retained their power and prosperity by taking ontrol of the massi"e foodstores that the go"ernment and army had hoarded o"er the deades.

aiders were too proud to work for the autorats. Those who did were "irtually sla"es! paidonly in food and shelter. They ser"ed as polie and store guards! but for more unpleasant $obs theautorats had real sla"es. ayne and her brother! awn! preferred to li"e by the gun and die by it! ifneessary. 6any years ago! awn had taken a .77 automati from a dead man! and it had gi"en themthe means to beome raiders. ithout it! their destiny might ha"e been uite different.

awn had taken are of her sine their parents had been killed in a riot when he was twel"eyears old and ayne eight. She was twenty-two now! and the last fourteen years had been tough.

+ fallen tree*s roots formed the dry hollow in whih they had slept. awn had dug it deeper andfilled it with braken and lea"es. The anopy of roots had proteted them from most of the stinging!aidi dew that fell eah morning.

ayne glaned around at the sound of footsteps! rela'ing when she reognised her brother8sfamiliar figure approahing. ("idently he had answered a all of nature.

ayne stood up and brushed lea"es from her fawn shirt and brown leather $aket. 9ike herragged suede mini skirt and streth pants! they had been sa"enged from abandoned shops. 9eatherafforded protetion from in$ury and rain! making it the material of hoie! although diffiult to find.awn*s blak leather trousers bore the sars of many "iolent enounters! as did the suede $aket he

wore o"er a grey shirt. Their pseudo plasti boots would last for years! unless the pollution atethrough them.


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+t si' foot four! awn was unusual in a world where most were stunted and malnourished.('erise and hunger had honed his lean! musular physiue! but his si5e and strength allowed him tosta"e off malnutrition. /is strong $aw! straight nose! piering tawny eyes and dark gold hair streakedwith sil"er made him handsome! she thought.

She said. #*m hungry.You*re always hungry.

That*s beause you don*t feed me enough.:ullshit You eat as muh as you want. You*re $ust a gannet.You*re always hungry too! she shot bak.awn pulled a fae and shrugged. /unger was the dri"ing fore of their ne"er ending struggle

for sur"i"al in a world gone mad. They had grown up in it! and knew its dangers well! whih wasperhaps the reason they had sueeded where so many had failed. They were a remnant of the lastgeneration to sur"i"e! old enough to fend for themsel"es when they had been orphaned! but youngenough to adapt.

Come. 9et*s go.awn led her down the hill past the sludge-eaters! seure in his ad"antage of youth and

omparati"e health. The people wathed them pass with bright! en"ious eyes! some finding the energy

to throw of few stones in their diretion! all of whih fell short. ayne followed awn at a steady lopethrough the desolate! ruined suburbs towards the ity.

ayne hated the ity! but they had to go into it for food. They always left as soon as they hadsupplies for a few days. They paused on the rest of a hill! but when awn started down it! aynestayed behind! foring him to stop and turn to her.

Couldn*t we raid the ountry store again3 she asked.e raided that last week. #t*ll be rawling with guards.# ha"e a bad feeling today.#t*ll be all right. Come on.ayne glared at the distant luster of shining towers that sprouted from the tumbled ruins of

lesser buildings! rushed in the rebellion or fallen foul of pollution later. The deaying buildings

formed a omple' onrete $ungle whose dangers inluded ollapsing walls and rumbling sewers.:roken glass and twisted! rusted reinforing littered the streets! where bands of hostile "agrantsroamed! preying on anything that ould not defend itself or run. Paks of giant rats infested the sewersin an army of disease-riddled "ermin. She aught a glimpse of herself in a piee of broken glass as she

passed it! a"erting her eyes uikly.The harsh life and lak of food had taken its toll! gi"ing her a gaunt! elfin look. /er blue-green

eyes burnt with hunger! and soot smudged her reamy skin. /er mane of sil"er-streaked blonde hair!whih she had haked off in a thik fringe! was a little grubby. /er unusual beauty made her a targetfor raiders and autorats. awn was too! not so muh for the autorats! but the mistresses! theirfemale ounterparts.

%nly the autorats* towers! whih their sla"es maintained with annibalised parts from unused

towers! remained intat. They lustered at the ity entre! known as the #nner City. + leaden grey skyhung abo"e it like a dirty shroud! and blak smoke belhed from the power plants that pro"idedeletriity to the towers! fuelling its filth. To ayne! who preferred the ountry! barren and deadthough it was! the glittering buildings represented all that was e"il in the world.

She glaned at her brother. e*"e been luky until now! but one day our luk*s going to runout.

,o you want to star"e3 /e turned away. e ha"e no hoie. Come on! let*s get on with it.+t the ity*s outskirts! they grew more autious! dodging from building to building to a"oid the

polie patrols that were meant to keep raiders out. ,awdling guards outside a red-brik building ga"eaway the site of a food store. The ruined top floors sprouted twisted girders! and rotting plankso"ered the windows. Crouhed behind a rumbling wall! they wathed the bored guards pae up and

down with measured strides.That*s the plae! awn whispered. %nly two guards! and they*re bored stiff. That plae hasn*t


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been raided for a while. #t*s perfet. Time to do your stuff! ay.Years of fleeing irate store guards had gi"en ayne an unusual turn of speed. She ould out

sprint the fastest guard! reating an effeti"e di"ersion while awn stole food. The guards! knowingtheir master would reward them for athing her! always "ied for the pri5e. She had to keep theminterested long enough for her brother to do his part! then esape. +fterwards! she would meet himoutside the ity. awn patted her shoulder! and she stepped out from behind the wall and walkedtowards the guards.

They spotted her and shouted! drew their guns and ga"e hase. ayne sprinted down the streetwhile awn ran to the doors and piked the padlok on the hain that seured them! slipping inside.There he would fill his ruksak from the masses of food bars staked on the shel"es! and! if his lukwas really good! he might find ammunition too.

ayne ran aross a road and into the street beyond! glaning bak at the panting guards! whoflagged after $ust three bloks. Slowing! she faked a limp so they would not gi"e up too soon! andtheir yells of triumph rewarded her. Their oasional shots were wild! and she loped on for another

blok! then swer"ed and ran aross a "aant lot into another street. :y the time they walked bak tothe store! awn would be long gone. She entered a more dilapidated area of rumbling ruins inhabited

by a few thin! dirty people so sared they e"en hid from eah other.The guards followed! shouting in frustration. She glaned bak with a smile as she rounded a

orner. Something slammed into her midriff! and she rebounded and sprawled. 4asping with shok!she struggled to rise! staring at the sleek grey ho"er ar that bloked her path. The airtight door seal

broke with a faint whee5e! and a gush of onditioned oolness washed o"er her! sented with strangeperfume. +n autorat stepped out! his shiny blak robe o"ering all but his fae. ayne srambled toher knees! shaking her head to lear the spots from her eyes! broken glass sliing into her shins. Shestaggered to her feet and baked away $ust before he ame lose enough to grab her.

/e raised a hand. ait ,on*t be afraid. # won*t hurt you.ayne retreated! and he followed! a hand e'tended in a parody of friendship! his tone soothing.

#t*s okay. # only want to help you. You*re hurt.ayne knew an autorat would ne"er help her. /is beady brown eyes! set lose together in a

thin fae with a bony nose and a rat-trap mouth! ro"ed o"er her in a way that made her skin rawl.

Spinning on her heel! she sprinted down the street! hoping to put a good distane betweenherself and the autorat before he started his ar. /e ursed! then the ar*s soft whine pursued her!athing up fast. She ould not outrun a ho"er ar! and there was nowhere to hide. She dodged burnt-out ar wreks and a"oided twisted girders and rubble. The shok of her fall had sapped her strength!her lungs laboured and her legs grew weaker with e"ery stride. The autorat followed! waiting for herto tire while he alled his men.

+ doorway ahead yawned dark and forbidding! but she di"ed through it and stopped! panting./e would not dare to follow her into suh a dangerous area! e"en though he was armed. The old

building pro"ided a perfet plae for an ambush.ayne listened to the ho"er ar*s whine! gasping in the building*s damp! smelly gloom. /e ould

wait out there all day! and would ha"e alled for men to send in after her. alking further in! she

stumbled o"er garbage! startling a few rats. The building stank of urine! faees and deay! andpollution ate away at its rumbling walls. #y fingers of fear marhed up and down her spine! but shefored herself to go on. + suare of light bekoned ahead! and she uikened her pae.

The door led into an empty lot surrounded by high buildings! some of whih had partiallyollapsed! filling the area with broken briks! twisted girders and glass. /urrying aross it! she enteredthe building on the far side! where she rested in the musty darkness! ontemplating the dangers thatstill faed her. She had to get to the meeting plae! whih meant running the gauntlet of ha5ards withwhih this ruined world was rife. +t least she knew what they were! and how to a"oid them. +lifetime of training had prepared her well.

alking to the doorway! she looked up and down the dirty street. + group of "agrants huddledaround a fire! ooking a rat! but they were far away. &urther up the street! a manhole o"er flew off

with a lang and a ragged figure wriggled out onto the road! then sprinted for the shadow of adoorway. Seonds later! three more ragged men emerged! looking up and down the street for their


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prey before setting off down an alley. The group that had been ooking the rat had "anished into abuilding! lea"ing their little fire.

ayne waited for the men to return. They had to be raiders or desperate "agrants bandedtogether to hunt others. +fter se"eral minutes! the distant "agrants re-emerged and fought o"er whowould eat the rat. Still she waited! all her senses alert. + mo"ement at the end of the street aught hereye! as four polie ho"er ars entered it and mo"ed towards her. The "agrants broke off theirargument and retreated into the building behind them.

The autorat must ha"e ordered the polie to patrol this blok in searh of her! so she ould not"enture out. etreating! she found a room with a single dirty window and settled down to wait! pilingdamp ardboard bo'es into a makeshift seat. Periodially! she rose to peer out of the door! where the

polie still patrolled. /er stomah rumbled! and she thought of awn! by now en$oying the meal hehad stolen from the autorat*s food store.

ayne piled up the rubbish on the floor as darkness oo5ed into the ity in a tide of shadow! andset it alight it with her preious lighter! whih awn insisted she always arry. /e had one too! butmade her arry her own! so if they were separated she ould at least light a fire. +s the night hillsettled on the ity and a orrosi"e mist filled the street outside! she longed for her brother*s warm!omforting presene. They had not been apart for a night before! and she toyed with the idea of tryingto sneak past the polie in the dark. There were too many dangers at night! howe"er. This was when

the mutants usually hunted. Safety lay in numbers or onealment! and she huddled lose to the littlefire! hoping no one would find her.

awn ate some stolen food while he waited in a gro"e of dead trees. ,usk sent long fingers ofshadow through them! bringing with it a growing fear for his sister. /is imagination on$ured up"isions of her aught or in$ured! alone and frightened! somewhere in a ruined ity filled with pitfallsand dangers that ould kill e"en a street-smart girl.

The more he thought about it! the more horrible his imaginings beame. ayne had beenrelutant to go to the ity! and he had persuaded her. /e paed about! raking his brains for a

plausible plan of ation. #f he went after her! he ould be aught too! and! e"en if he was not! hewould not be here if she did make it bak. /e had to do something! though. The inati"ity made him

frustrated and angry. She ould be fighting for her life while he prorastinated! but the task wasenough to make anyone pause. ("en if he knew where to look! there were many plaes in the ruinswhere she ould hide. #f she had been aptured! his hanes of resuing her were slim to nil.

awn gathered up the stolen food! his mind made up. Stuffing what he ould easily arry intohis pokets! he stashed the rest under a rok and stamped out the fire! then headed for the ity. #f shehad been aught! she might be at the market. The only way to get into the market unobser"ed was in aguard*s disguise! and for that he needed a uniform. /e knew where the market was usually held! andmade his way to it. ithout a gun! tra"elling through the ity at night would ha"e been suiide! butthe sight of it on his hip would deter most would-be attakers. /e tra"ersed the ruins with onfideneonly an armed raider would display! and! although he sensed the suttling of "agrant gangs nearby!none had the ourage to take him on.

hen he reahed the market! he rouhed behind a ruined wall and wathed the guards! waitingfor the right opportunity. Soon a man wandered off to relie"e himself! and awn rept along the walluntil he was lose enough to poune on the guard! lamping a hand o"er his mouth. ,ragging himinto the shadow of the wall! he knoked him out and stripped off his lothes. Stashing his leather

$aket! he donned the uniform before walking out into the street.The uniform was too tight aross his shoulders! but he hoped no one would notie in the dark.

)one of the guards ga"e him a seond glane as he walked past them into the market and took upposition $ust inside the door! where he ould see the merhandise.

The building had one been a grand theatre! but now the hea"y "el"et urtains around the stagehung in rotten! filthy tatters. The wooden stage and panelling rumbled! eaten away by pollution!adding its stenh to the general air of dilapidation.

+ few autorats and mistresses sat in a bored-looking luster on se"eral rows of refurbishedhairs! laughing and pointing at the do5en or so sla"es on the stage where one great ators had gi"en


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their oratory. The autorats sipped e'oti be"erages and disussed the miserable group assembled onthe stage. The naked sla"es tried to ling to what little dignity they had left by o"ering themsel"eswith their hands. 6ost were thin! woebegone reatures who hid their faes and hunhed theirshoulders in ringing ser"ility. + few lifted their hins! their feral eyes bright with hate. These! awndeided! were aptured raiders; tough! stringy men and women of about his age! who possessed an airof sa"agery and strength.

awn seethed with silent rage at the humiliation "isited upon his fellow man. )ow that man had

wiped out all the animals! sa"e for insets and rats! he had no one to inflit his ruelty on but hisfellows. awn studied the patheti group! making ertain his sister was not amongst them before heuit the market. /e had no idea what he would ha"e done had she been! sine his planning went nofurther than the disguise.

("en as he pondered his ne't mo"e! the autorats rose to lea"e! many e'iting "ia sky ways toother buildings! some going by ho"er ar. The market emptied! and awn wandered out too!depressed and angry. /ad she been there! he ould ha"e planned her resue! but now he would ha"eto find her first! whih meant searhing the ity.

/e walked into the darkness! pulling off the uniform.

6orning found ayne stiff and tired after a old! restless night that the suttling and sueaking

of rats had disturbed. She rose and strethed! eased her ahing bak and rubbed some feeling bakinto her legs. She shi"ered in the morning hill! hafing her arms as she went to the door to peer out.The street was almost deserted! only the "agrants from yesterday were bak at their fire! hagglingo"er another rat. +fter waiting se"eral minutes to see if anyone else appeared! she left the doorwayand trotted down the refuse-strewn street! her eyes darting into dark alleys! on the lookout for danger.

The "agrants paused to regard her with glinting eyes! and she tried to at as onfident as anarmed raider. /er ploy seemed to work! for they returned to fighting o"er the rat as she loped away.She stayed away from buildings! whih often harboured "agrants and raiders who waited to ambushunsuspeting passers-by. /eading towards the suburbs! she kept her pae to a steady $og that ate upthe miles. +s she approahed the outskirts! the ruins of offie bloks ga"e way to demolished houses.&ar fewer human "ermin hid here. 6ost ongregated around the ity entre! where rats were more

numerous! sine the rats li"ed on the food in the autorats* stores. She stayed in the middle of a road!trusting her ability to run more than the possibility of hiding from a threat! whih ould get herornered. She looked up in alarm as a shadow fell on her! then stopped in ama5ement.

+ giant! blood-red sauer ho"ered about twenty metres abo"e her! light shining from portalsalong its edge. 6ore lights flikered aross its belly in random patterns! and it hung there as if onin"isible strings. The hairs on the bak of her nek rose! sending hills down her spine. &or a momentsurprise kept her fro5en! then she edged towards the side of the road! where the houses* safety

bekoned. The alien ship filled her with foreboding! and something told her it was not friendly.


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graffiti smeared the walls! and ripped urtains hung in tatters around empty windows. 4asping! ayneflattened herself to the wall when a shadow passed the window! then flung herself down as e'plosionsripped through the house. ed fire bla5ed in a brilliant barrage outside. The bolts threw up great lodsof earth! and the brik walls raked.

:riks and mortar would not hold up against the fiery fusillade for long. Srambling to herhands and knees! she rawled towards another door. The house shook and rattled as what ould only

be lasers pounded the walls! hunks of brik and ement flying into the rooms to smash on the floor.

+n outer wall fell with a grating rumble! and dust and wood hips! mi'ed with ement fragments!rained down from the upper story. The deafening e'plosions were almost onstant! and the house wasollapsing around her.

Crawling through the door! she found herself in an entry hall. + flight of stairs led to an upperfloor abla5e with laser fire! the roof inders. Smoke billowed downwards! and ash and burning woodfell from abo"e. The thikening ha5e almost obsured a door under the stairs. =uikening her rawl!she reahed it and turned the handle! praying it was unloked. #t swung open! athing her off

balane! and she fell into pith blakness! flinging out her arms. /er hands hit steps and hermomentum sent her rolling down them! sraping her palms and banging her head. She reahed the

bottom bruised and winded! and lay gasping for a minute before rawling deeper into the darkness.+bo"e! the house*s destrution ontinued. The earth shook as laser bolts pounded the building

to rubble. The e'plosions all but drowned out the roar of flames and the bangs and rashes as wallsollapsed! briks falling with dry! grating thuds. The distant tinkle of smashing glass mingled with thereak of tortured wood. The house groaned and roared as it was destroyed. eahing a wall! sheurled up ne't to it! pressing her bak to it as she stared up at the oblong of light at the top of thestairs.

&lames liked around it! feeding on the wooden frame. Soon they would tra"el down the stairsand fill the room with hoking smoke. She plugged her ears to blok out the terrible sounds ofdestrution abo"e. She oughed as the smoke grew thiker! and the inferno*s heat made sweat beadher fae and trikle inside her lothes.

+ terrifi rash made her $ump! and she was plunged into blakness as the door at the top of thestairs slammed shut! hit by a falling beam or wall. The door*s "iolent losure snuffed out the flames

that liked at its frame! sealing her off from the burning house until the fire ate through the door.The e'plosions stopped! lea"ing a silene that only the fire*s rakle broke. :urning wood made

little mewling sounds! and the oasional rash as a burning timber ollapsed! or the tinkle of glassshattering in the heat! made her start.

hy would an alien spae ship try to kill an insignifiant human being3 There was no doubt inher mind that she had been the target. The "agrants would ha"e been far easier to kill. She wipedsweat from her fae with grimy hands! realising! from the stinging of her palms! that they were raw.ould these hostile aliens lea"e! or would they wait for the house to ool and searh the rubble forher orpse3 /ad it been sport! hoosing a target and trying to kill it for fun3 Plenty of >&%s had beenseen sine mankind*s downfall! obser"ing! and perhaps reording (arth*s demise. They had kept theirdistane! howe"er! ne"er making ontat in spite of humanity*s attempts to ontat them.

The stifling smoke stung her throat! and her eyes watered. The door at the top of the stairsreaked! its outer surfae on fire. ayne fored herself to wait in the suffoating darkness! fighting astrong urge to go in searh of light and air. The aliens might think she was dead! or they ould bewaiting outside to make sure! and if she re"ealed herself now they would hunt her down again.

ats ran about! their laws srathing on the onrete floor. %ne ran o"er her leg with tiny hardpaws! and she shuddered! $erking it away. Their sueaking held a note of pani! so they must betrapped too! she surmised. The wall against whih she leant was damp and oated with slimy mould!whih soaked into her $aket! hilling her bak. &lames appeared at the bottom of the door! throwinga little light down the steps. ayne straightened and looked around. The rats* glowing eyes met herga5e from a orner! where they seemed to be engaged in a purposeful ati"ity! perhaps trying to hewtheir way out through the stone.

The smoke thikened! and she realised she had to get out before the fire onsumed all theo'ygen and the smoke suffoated her. )ow that her eyes had ad$usted to the dark! she ould make


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out the faint outlines of bo'es staked against the walls! and an old-fashioned boiler in one orner.She tried to stand up! but stabbing pains in her legs reminded her of her in$uries and she sank downagain to e'plore the painful areas. :lood soaked the bak of her $eans! and she ran her hands o"er thewetness.

&inding a protruding glass spear! she $erked it out with a ry and flung it away. :iting her lip asfresh tears stung her watering eyes! she ontinued her searh! loating another! smaller shard. #t wasslippery and deeply embedded! and her fingers ould not grip it at first. The agony that laned up her

leg when she touhed it made her stomah lenh! but she pulled it out! groaning! and hunted formore. She e'trated three more piees! then sagged bak! sik and di55y.

The door burnt! flames liking at the roof. Thik! stifling smoke filled the room and the heat hadbeome almost unbearable. Climbing to her feet! she hobbled along the wall! running her hands o"erits ool dampness. She had to find another e'it! or she was doomed.


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Chapter Two,awn found awn wandering along a dirty alley! tramping through piles of rotting refuse. This

pro"ided the rats* breeding ground! and the people who li"ed in this e"il! depressing plae trapped andate them. awn hardly took any notie his surroundings! unable to think of anything e'ept how he

was going to find his sister. /e did not notie the group of men lurking in a dark doorway until a netdesended o"er his head! and many dirty hands pulled it tight around him. Someone snathed hisweapon from its holster! and the men flung him to the ground. The net pinned his arms! and theraiders pulled it tighter while he fought. /e kiked a man on the shin and made him hop and urse.These were the worst sort of raiders! who hunted people to sell to the autorats for food.

+ bald! sruffy indi"idual with an eye path stepped forward! holding awn*s gun as herouhed down beside his apti"e to study him with his remaining bloodshot eye.

You*re a pretty one. The mistress will pay well for you.&uking bastards awn snarled! earning himself a kik in the ribs from another man.The leader gestured. :ring him. Put him with the rest. The mistress is going to lo"e him.Two raiders hauled awn to his feet! one produing a pair of handuffs. /e twisted and ursed!

trying to loosen the net and free his arms. They were a runty bunh! none with his strength or stature!and there were only four of them. 9unging at the man with the handuffs! he dragged the two thatlung to the net with him and butted the raider in the stomah. The man staggered bak! tripped andsprawled! the uffs slid into a storm drain and "anished with a distant splash.

/old him the one-eyed raider shouted. They did not want to kill him! and that worked inawn*s fa"our. /e swung and butted another man in the fae! breaking his nose with a dull runh.The raider released him with a bleat of pain! luthing his nose. The one-eyed man aimed the gun atawn! but killing or e"en in$uring him would make the whole e'erise pointless. awn turned to theman who still held the net! hooked his fingers into it and $erked it from the raider*s grip! then loosenedit with a hea"e of his arms and flung it aside. The sla"er hesitated! asting a desperate glane at hisleader! but his ourage failed as awn stepped towards him! and he fled. The man who had tried to

uff awn sprinted after his omrade.The one-eyed man! beoming aware of his danger! oked the gun and wa"ed it. awn lunged

at him! gripped his wrist and twisted it until the bones raked. The man sreamed and dropped theweapon as awn smashed a fist into his fae! sending him sprawling. The raider awn had buttedstaggered to his feet and raised his hands as awn piked up the gun the one-eyed man had dropped.awn glared at him! and he fled. awn looked down at the whimpering one-eyed sla"er! disgusted.This was what it had ome to now! raiders hunting eah other to sell as sla"es. ("en they had losttheir pride and beome as patheti as the people who waited at the feeding stations.

elie"ing the one-eyed sla"er of his gun! he holstered his own and tuked the other one into hisbelt! then glaned up and down the street. /e had wandered into the territory of this sort of raider!whih was not a healthy plae to be. +s he walked bak the way he had ome! his thoughts returned

to his lost sister.

ayne groped along the wall! gasping in the heat and smoke! her head swimming. The bla5ingdoor onsumed the o'ygen! and flames rept down the stairs. /er fingers touhed a frame! and shee'amined it! finding a hath set at an angle to the wall! whih must open upwards. Stepping into thereess under it! she set her shoulder against the trap door and hea"ed with all her might. #t reaked!the dry wood digging into her.

+gain she pushed! her legs weakening as she panted for air and inhaled smoke instead. She wastempted to gi"e up! lie down and surrender to the in$ustie of this ruel world she had struggled sohard to sur"i"e in all her life. ith a strangled ry of defiane! she put the last of her strength into afinal push. The hath flew open as the rusted lok ga"e way! and she limbed out! inhaling great

breaths of fresh air.&or a while! she lay and gasped on the withered grass! then sat up and wiped her streaming eyes.


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The house smouldered! most of the fire ha"ing burnt out already! lea"ing embers that sent a olumn ofblak smoke spiralling upwards. #n some plaes! flames still liked at the timbers. She glaned aroundfor the sarlet sauer! but the sky was innoent of alien ships. )e"ertheless! she staggered to her feetand mo"ed into the shadow of the neighbouring house! $ust in ase.

&lopping down ne't to the wall! she wathed the house burn. ,eep raters surrounded it! andthe struture had been redued to rubble and harred beams. hoe"er had attaked her had tried toensure that she would not sur"i"e.

ayne reuperated in the shade! strength seeping bak into her limbs. +fter about half an hourshe rose! wining. ,ried blood aked the bak of her $eans! but she hobbled along the street towardsthe meeting plae! keeping a wary eye on the sky as well as the houses. She had gi"en up wonderingwhy an alien ship would want to kill her; it made no sense. )o other houses were damaged! and"agrants emerged to gape and point at the smouldering ruin. She hoped the aliens thought she wasdead! so they would not try again.

:y the time she reahed the gro"e of dead trees that was the meeting plae! she tottered frome'haustion and hunger. She stumbled into the gro"e! fell to her knees and flopped down. /er brother*sabsene brought a fresh wa"e of despair and loneliness. She longed for his omforting presene andneeded his help to bind her wounds. The trees hid her from prying eyes! but hunger gnawed at her!not allowing her the lu'ury of rest. Crawling aross the soft lea"es to the rok where awn always

stashed e'tra food! she groped under it. &inding the sleek rustle of plasti! and she tore at the hewy!orange-fla"oured onentrate! desperate to relie"e her gut*s emptiness.

hile she ate! she pondered her situation. Staying in one plae was dangerous! e"en in thegro"e*s serey. Some raiders had noses as keen as dogs. awn must ha"e gone in searh of her! butshe did not ha"e the strength to tra"el bak into the ity to look for him. She ould only hope hewould return soon! and no one else found her before he did. Tiredness turned her limbs to lead! andshe urled up in the lea"es! drifting into a deep! e'hausted sleep.

hen ayne woke! the sun*s rays slanted through the dead trees. +fter eating more food! shee'amined her raw! sooty palms! piking out a few splinters. +lthough the wounds were not serious!the risk of infetion in this polluted en"ironment was high! so she went to the stream that hukledthrough the roks nearby. Stripping! she washed in the old water! srubbing her $eans. She emerged

shi"ering! to wrap herself in the blankets she dug from under the rok where the food was stored! thenlighted a fire.

The wounds in the bak of her al"es were easy enough to tend! and she remo"ed se"eral moresplinters! but she ould only e'amine the ones in the bak of her thighs by touh. hen she finished!twilight filled the gro"e with shadow! and she urled up ne't to the fire for another lonely night. +tleast she was safer in the ountry.

The swollen! sikly sun*s first rays woke her! stealing into the gro"e with their slight warmth likefingers of light. She sat up with a start as the e"ents of the pre"ious day flooded bak! making herglane up at the sky. #t ontained only dirty grey louds! and! after studying it for se"eral minutes! sherela'ed. + hoar frost whitened the ground! liming the trees and braken with a oating of ie.

The hilly air nipped at her nose and numbed her fingers and feet. /er legs had stiffened! and thepain made her gasp as she dragged more wood from the dwindling pile and lighted a new fire. +ssoon as a tiny bla5e took hold! she huddled lose to it and almost thrust her hands into the flames towarm them. /er breath steamed! and she lenhed her $aws to pre"ent her teeth from hattering as shewaited for the sun to warm the air.

:y mid-morning! her $eans were dry! and she ate a little food! then dressed and sat beside thefire. She pondered the flying sauer*s attak again! trying to fathom the reason for the senseless assaulton an unimportant girl. The more she thought about it! the more on"ined she beame that shewould ne"er figure it out. She sighed and stared into the fire! remembering the dangers that had honedher reations so keenly.

/er parents had $oined the re"olution in twenty-twel"e! when wages had been ut to food only!

and so many had lost their $obs. #t had been madness! not a real re"olution. They had been killed in ariot when the troops had shot most of the rowd on the go"ernment*s orders. 6assaring rowds


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redued the o"erpopulation that ruined the eonomy and threatened dwindling food supplies! as wellas urbing i"il unrest. People had beome a burden! and the army had been ordered to sarifie themany for the sake of the few. She and awn had been at home when their parents were killed! and ranaway to a"oid the looters who ame afterwards in searh of food.

/ar"ests had failed! and the errati weather wrought ha"o. &loods had washed away entirerops! while droughts hit other areas. >nseasonal hail storms had wreaked terrible damage! and freakwinds or wild fires ruined what was left. (arthuakes had ra"aged some ountries! and the resulting

famine and disease wiped out entire populations. Crops that had sur"i"ed the weather beame sikly!and the remaining li"estok was slaughtered. The o5one layer had thinned! and millions star"ed.People had eaten their pets! turned on eah other and abandoned their hildren to die in the streets.6ankind had turned to the last remaining food soure and hunted whales and dolphins to e'tintion!wiping out fish stoks.

#t had been a time of turmoil and terror. People had killed randomly! burnt and looted in theirdesperate searh for food. The go"ernment had ordered the army to keep order and redue the

population! but the soldiers rebelled and went home to their families. The putrid stink of deaying orburning flesh had filled the air! and hospitals beame harnel houses. +ll the while! the world had died.

awn had looked after her sine then. They had run and hidden! trusting no one! two frightenedhildren in a world gone mad. They had nearly been aught a few times! but sur"i"ed.

ayne frowned as a prikle of unease made the hairs on her nape rise! and glaned up. Years ofbeing hunted had honed her sur"i"al instints! and she ne"er ignored her si'th sense. /er eyes flikedbak down as a golden glow appeared about ten metres away! growing brighter until she was foredto suint. Seonds later it faded. + man dressed in strange white lothes! a tinted helmet hiding hisfae! stood there.

ayne stared at him! fro5en with shok and fear. #f he had mo"ed she would ha"e run! and shesensed his srutiny as she groped for and found a fist-si5ed rok. The stranger wore what appeared to

be a weapon on his hip! and she waited! holding her breath as she wondered what use the rok wouldbe if he hose to use his weapon. The stone dug into her palm! whih grew damp with ner"ousperspiration! and she was fored to breathe again as her lungs burnt for air. The golden light shroudedthe stranger again! and when faded! he had "anished.

+fter a while! she rose and limped to the spot where he had stood! searhing for traks. Shefound two footprints! whih pro"ed she had not been halluinating! and she shi"ered! glaning up atthe empty sky. The uneasiness stayed with her! and her nek prikled in warning! making her retreatto her fire and build it into a bla5e. /er eyes darted around! "igilant for any sign of danger.

%n board a ship that orbited high abo"e the (arth! the man who had reently shed a white biosuit studied the image from the spy am he had ordered to follow the girl. The wafer-thin rystalsreen ga"e a sharp! perfet olour piture! almost as if he was still there with her! $ust a few metresaway. /e realled his ama5ement when he had first aught sight of her. The shok had kept himrooted to the spot for se"eral minutes! ignoring the growing urgeny of the telepathi alls of hisrew. /e still thought it ama5ing to find suh a reature on this dying! polluted world! where half the

people had degenerated to shambling monsters and the other half were undernourished and diseased.+lthough he had been sent to find her! he had not been prepared for his first enounter! and still

mar"elled at it. /er golden hair had gleamed in the weak sunlight and her grimy skin glowed withhealth. The sharp intelligene of her luminous eyes had startled him. They had been filled withsuspiion and fear! while her thin! allused hand had gripped a largish rok! ready to hurl it at him ifhe made the wrong mo"e. She e'uded a kind of leashed sa"agery! the alertness of a wild animal mi'edwith the rational response of a i"ilised being.

This girl was the one. /e was more ertain of it than he had e"er been of anything in his life. /eturned to the book that lay on the desk*s smooth white surfae and ran his fingers o"er it. Soft leather

bound it! and the gold that trimmed its edges also depited the name insribed on its o"er.The %lban! set down thousands of years ago! ontained all the teahings and prophesies that had

guided the +tlantean ulture throughout the ages. This partiular opy was! of ourse! a symbolitoken. /is home ity*s high priest had gi"en it to him before he left on this mission. #t signified the


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sared duty imposed upon him and his rew; a onstant reminder of their ob$eti"e. The %lban*sontents were! and always had been! a"ailable on the entral data proessor. %"er the enturies! many

prophesies had ome true! affirming the wisdom of the anient seers who had foretold them.)ow a gra"e and momentous prophey was about to unfold! whih ould hange the ourse of

the +tlantean (mpire*s fortune. /e opened the book to the marked page and read the short passagethat had brought him to this dying planet.

*#n the time of the $untion of Perinus and 9odis! when the omet


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again! one as old as the professor did not are about suh things anymore.Turning bak to the spy sreen! he wathed the girl feed the fire! her eyes sanning ountryside

and sky. /e wondered if she possessed more than the fi"e senses humans were limited to! for sheseemed unusually astute. Some studies onduted on humans indiated that a few had de"eloped oneof two e'tra senses o"er the ourse of their e"olution! and most possessed a latent but ne"er-awakened ability.

9eaning bak! he pressed his hand to the sensor pad before him and losed his eyes! seleted his

topi from the entral data bank and allowed the rush of data to enter his mind. #t streamed in! ami'ture of written information! images and sensory pereptions too intense for an untrained mind toabsorb. The history of humankind! their biology! language! ulture and peuliarities flashed into hismind in a few moments! preparing him for the ordeal of dealing with a member of this alien andheretofore-un-ontated rae.

The reasons for their isolation soon beame lear. Their propensity for "iolene and ruelty!their strange disregard for the destrution they had wrought upon their planet! dooming theiri"ilisation! was enough to befuddle the most open of minds. #t struk him as odd that the 4oldenChild should ome from suh an inept soiety! but then! perhaps she was the first to see the mistakesof the past.

ayne spent the day resting beside the fire! nibbling food bars and mulling o"er the inreasinglystrange e"ents. &irst the sarlet sauer! then the white-lad man! both with no logial e'planation. #tseemed unlikely that the white-lad man was onneted to the sarlet sauer! yet she found it hard to

belie"e that two alien ships studied (arth*s demise. +lso! why were they so interested in her3 erethey doing this to other people too3 +t least the white-lad man had not appeared threatening! and shehoped the sarlet sauer had left the area.

The odd feeling that she was being wathed stayed with her! e"en though there appeared to beno reason for it. She spent another night urled up in the blankets beside the fire! but the ne't day thefood ran out and there was little firewood left. hen the fire died and her stomah rumbled! aynedeided she would ha"e to go bak into the ity. ithout food! she would only grow weaker! and sheould not rely on her brother returning. awn ould be dead for all she knew! and to sit here hoping

he would ome bak was sheer folly. %nly the fittest sur"i"ed on this ruel world! so she had to findfood or star"e.

=uitting her warm nest took a great deal of willpower! and her in$ured legs protested. Sheburied the blankets under the rok and fored herself to her feet! grimaed and bit her lip to stifle herwhimpers of pain. /er first few steps were so e'ruiating that she nearly returned to her amp!unable to fae the long walk. She refused to lie there and star"e! howe"er! so she pressed on! ignoringthe agony that shot up her legs at e"ery stride. +s she walked! her stiff musles loosened! allowing herto walk a little more freely! but fresh blood dampened her $eans. She stumbled often! unable to hidethe dangerous weakness that! if a gang of "agrants or another raider saw it! might lead to disaster.

ayne reahed the outer ity at midday! and limped through the dingy! tumbled-down buildings.ats sampered! sueaking! from piles of refuse! and she hurried past an oasional orpse! mutilated!

diseased or skeletal. 6any "ile stenhes abused her nose! "arying only in their strength or foulness.Skinny! hollow-eyed people dodged into ruins at her approah! their eyes gleaming from the shadowsas she passed. ayne paused in an empty building to regain her strength and rest her throbbing legs!the pain making her ueasy.

@eeping a sharp look out! she only rested for a few minutes. +s she rose to lea"e! howe"er! shefro5e at the faint sound of shuffling feet! and frowned. There were se"eral of them! but the tread wastoo hea"y for a group of "agrants. aising her head! she sniffed the wind! all her senses straining. +"ile stenh wafted to her! whih had not been there moments before. Terror turned her blood to ie!and she bolted from the building like a hare from its burrow! only to stop $ust outside the door.

Twenty mutants formed a semi-irle around the door she had $ust e'ited! shuffling loser.ayne glaned bak as another mutant filled the doorway. They stood se"en foot and o"er! their long

arms reahing to their knees. :rown! matted hair o"ered some! and slak lips re"ealed long yellowteeth. %thers looked more human! but grossly deformed! and wore only a few dirty rags. %ne had


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elephant-like ears and hands that looked more like lubs.+nother had a single eye and nostril! while the mutant beside him had a dog-like mu55le full of

sharp teeth. Some had almost normal faes! but half-animal bodies with laws! spines or sales. 6ostof them had anerous growths of "arious si5es! suppurating ulers that oo5ed stinking pus. Theirstenh made her bile rise! souring the lump of terror lodged in her throat. ,irt matted their hair andaked their mottled skins with a layer of greasy filth spotted with pathes of dried gore and pus. +few e"en had mould growing on them.

They were geneti mutants! those unfortunates who had been hildren or $ust onei"ed whenthe o5one layer broke down and the sun*s radiation had wreaked ha"o on their de"elopment. 6osthad died. These were the angry! suffering sur"i"ors! who killed for food and fun! their minds astwisted as their bodies. Their si5e and well-fed appearane stemmed from their annibalisti lifestyle!and she was to be the latest deliay on their menu.

ayne looked around for a weapon. awn had always proteted her! and weapons of any sortwere hard to ome by! due to the demand for them. ,esperate! she tugged at a steel reinforing rod

protruding from some rubble! but it was firmly lodged and all she did was srape her raw palms on itsrusty surfae. The approahing mutants stared at her with dull eyes and liked their lips inantiipation.

Piking up a brik! she hurled it at one! but it bouned off the reature*s forehead with no

notieable effet. Pani suee5ed her heart in an iy grip as she glaned around for a way out! but theywere shoulder to shoulder! losing the irle. /er stomah threatened to hurl its meagre! aidiontents up her throat. anid breath! mi'ed with unwashed hairy bodies! urine and faees! plus thedeaying blood of past "itims that lung to their fur! reated a stenh unri"alled in singular "ileness.

Sobbing with hysterial pani! ayne hurled brik after brik at the enroahing mutants!following eah with a stream of useless abuse. /er aim was good! but the briks bouned off themutants* thik skulls without making them blink. Some leered and growled! others uikened theirsteps and raised their arms.

+ low-pithed hum filled the air. + pillar of blue fire impaled the mutant in front of her! whihe'ploded. :lood and guts splattered its ompanions! making them reoil. The blue fire burnt a moltenspot in the ground before it ut off! then impaled another mutant. The powerful hum made her teeth

ahe! and intense heat sorhed her skin as mutant after mutant died! impaled by the beam of light.She gasped and rouhed down! o"ering her fae as an orgy of blue heat destroyed the mutants.Some died before they ould make a sound! and none had time to e"en turn away.

hen the last mutant was "aporised! the blue fire "anished! lea"ing sorhed! smoking spotsthat glowed. Shredded gore oated the rubble! and hunks of ooked meat lung to the rumblingwall behind her. ayne lowered her hands and glaned around! poised to flee but afraid to mo"e inase she attrated the attention of whoe"er had killed the mutants. She was fairly sure it had been alaser beam! in"isible against the sky. /er mind raed as she struggled to make sense of it.

+n alien ship had $ust tried to kill her! now some unknown and unseen benefator had sa"ed her!or were they $ust toying with her3 Perhaps they en$oyed her fear! and now waited for her to flee

before killing her! too. She glared at the sky! hating their power and elusi"eness! determined not to

gi"e them the satisfation of wathing her run about in terror. /er bra"ado drained away! and shestumbled from the sorhed irle to hobble down the street as fast as she ould! intent only ongetting away.

The imperati"e and rather rude telepathi intrusion of 6aron! his first offier! $erked Tallynfrom a deep slumber. Suh tatis were only e"er used in an emergeny! so he uelled his initialannoyed reation and sent bak a uery. 6aron*s response! that a group of mutants were attakingthe human girl! brought Tallyn wide awake. /e $ak-knifed out of his bunk and pulled on the one-

piee streth o"erall that was slung o"er a nearby hair./is uarters were only a few strides away from the bridge! and within seonds he wathed the

onfrontation on main sreen. /e admired her pluk as she hurled briks and abuse at the monsters!

but when it was uite ob"ious she ould not esape! he ga"e the order to destroy the mutants. Theship*s neural net! under the guidane of a net-linked offier! loked onto the targets and alulated


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distane and tra$etory before firing the lasers with deadly auray.The girl glaned around and up! but the ship was in orbit! hidden by the grey louds that

loaked her world. The spy-am that brought her image to him also marked her position! enabling theship*s infrared sanners to trak her mo"ements. The spy-am was programmed to keep her image inits lens. She hobbled down the street! the spy-am following like a faithful dog. /er limp worried him!and the brown stains on her trousers indiated in$uries that he had only notied when she had set outon her $ourney this morning. The possibility of infetion added to his onern! making him toy with

the idea of piking her up.Tallyn ould not e'plain why he had not done so yet! but something warned him not to! in spite

of her in$ury. The same instint told him she was the golden girl hild in the prophey. %"er the years!he had learnt to trust his instints! and this was probably the most signifiant mission he would e"er

perform. +s the ship*s ommander! he had no need to e'plain his ations! or lak of them! to the rew!although 6aron had looked at him oddly.

The ship held orbit now abo"e the ity where the girl dwelt! and she was ob"iously the target.The rew probably wondered why he did not order her transferred up! but +tlantean rews rarelyuestioned their ommanders* orders. )or did he find any need to e'plain it; he would wait until thetime was right.

ayne entered the #nner City late in the afternoon. She slipped into the shadows of thetowering! shiny skysrapers and dodged from building to building. /er hanes of finding awn wereslim to none! but she had to try. The pain in her legs sapped her! hunger gnawed at her! and shestopped at taps to drink. The water eased her stomah ahe! but added nothing to her dwindlingstrength. Twie! she spotted polie patrols and hid in dark doorways until they passed.

+t dusk! she rested in a ruined offie building! on a battered sofa that had somehow sur"i"ed thedestruti"e effets of the pollution that ra"aged the planet. She stared out of a grimy window at thedismal street! raising her ga5e one more to the grey louds that no longer offered any protetionagainst the sun*s radiation. The uts in greenhouse gas output had been too little and too late.

The "ast amount of gas already released wrought irreparable damage on the o5one layer as itrose into the upper atmosphere. /uge attle farms produed massi"e amounts of methane! and the

destrution of the world*s forests redued o'ygen prodution $ust as drastially.The o5one layer was almost gone now! making e'posure to the sun ha5ardous! for e"en a few

hours ould ause skin aner. The aid rain ate into e"erything. #t soaked into the ground and killedthe trees and few struggling weeds that were left. %ne filtered by the soil! it was safe to drink.Sometimes thik yellow smog would en"elope e"erything! burn eyes and skin and lea"e behind a layerof blak soot.

The one-beautiful blue oeans were mere legend now. :rown seas foamed on filthy beaheslike a massi"e sewer. )o one li"ed beside it anymore! for the stenh of rot and no'ious baterialseretions were strong enough to make people sik. + thik blanket of green algae o"ered thesluggish wa"es. +dapted to the saline onditions! it thri"ed on the to'i soup of hemials and

pollutants that filled it. The sea had turned into the "ery thing humans had used it for! a esspit.

ayne sighed and rose! wining. The prospet of stumbling through the darkening ity did notappeal to her! but neessity dro"e her. #f she did not find awn! she was not sure she would sur"i"e!sine she would ha"e great diffiulty running with her in$uries and she had to find food before she

beame too weak.


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Chapter Three

awn wandered along a deserted street! glaning into gloomy orners! his hand ne"er far fromhis weapon. Sine his enounter with the sla"ers! he had inreased his "igilane. /e no longer allowedhis onstant worry about ayne*s welfare to distrat him! although it nibbled at his mind like a rat

gnawing in the eiling. /unger gnawed at him too. /e had not eaten sine this morning! when hisfood had run out. /e stopped for water at a tap in a building! then walked on until dark! when hefound a safe plae and built a fire.

+s the night hill settled through the air! he went to a nearby drapery and searhed amongst therubbish and dust for blankets and urtains. eturning to his fire! he settled down for the night.

ayne built a fire! but her leather $aket ould not ope with the bitter old. +lthough shehuddled o"er it! her bak remained old while her front ooked. /er supply of ombustible materialdwindled rapidly! for ardboard burnt uikly and wood was in short supply. Curling into a ball! shestri"ed to onser"e her warmth as the fire died. /er stomah rumbled! and she longed for her brother*somforting warmth. She lenhed her teeth to stop them hattering! but her shi"ers grew more "iolent

as the night air ooled. )e"ertheless! she losed her eyes and tried to sleep.("ery little noise woke her from her uneasy do5e! mostly rats suttling in the garbage! and she

knew she would ha"e a restless night.

Tallyn stood in the gloom at the bak of the ship*s bridge and wathed the girl with growingonern. The offier who monitored the surfae onditions informed him that the temperatureapproahed free5ing point! sine the thik louds dispersed at dusk to release the heat trapped underthem. This planet*s peuliar weather grew stranger e"ery day! and the hanging atmospherionditions led to some pretty weird aberrations! suh as hail storms on a warm day or heat wa"es on aold one.

The girl suffered from the old! and he onsidered the "arious ways in whih he might help her.

/e ould transfer a blanket down to her! but! with her suspiious nature! she would probably not useit. The same would apply to a heating unit! so the only real option was to bring her aboard. +s yet! hehad not informed anyone that she was their target! but the sur"eillane and onern for her welfareshould ha"e made that ob"ious by now. /e glaned at 6aron! who stood nearby! an ear oked fororders.

,eploy the transfer )et. Put her into the uarantine setion under deep sleep induement.6aron nodded and took his station to send orders to the "arious rew members who would be

reuired to perform their partiular funtion. Crystals twinkled in the gloom as the loator beam wassent out. >sing the spy-am as a guide! the partile beam loked onto its li"ing argo and sent bakher preise loation. The )et deployed ne't! surrounding the girl in a nimbus of golden light as itoalesed into a shell of pure energy.

The transfer )et*s tehnology had always fasinated Tallyn! although its use was limited by theamount of power it de"oured when the ship was not linked to the energy dimension! like now. Thissingle transfer would use enough power to run the star ship for a month. The transfer )et worked in asimilar fashion to the way in whih the ship mo"ed through spae! but its ability to work at a distaneompliated it. The o"oid of energy! one formed into a tangible shell! hanged the freueny of itswa"e form! and by doing so! side slipped through time and spae.

(ssentially! the shell transferred itself into a dimension of pure energy! where distane! matterand time did not e'ist. ithout these laws! all that remained was to fore the energy shell to re-emerge at a predetermined point! in this ase! the ship*s hospital. To do this! the programmedinstrutions of the initial beam fored the shell to hange its wa"e form again! whereupon the energydimension e$eted it! and it emerged at the time and plae ontained in its original instrutions. ithin

the energy shell! the argo! e"en when awake! was unaware of anything other than the golden glow!followed by a hange of "enue.


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6any sientists had argued against the )et*s safety! hallenging its in"entors to pro"e that li"ingargo ould not be destroyed! should the shell break down in the energy dimension. The ensuinge'periments had gone on for years! but the losest anyone had ome to losing a argo was a smallanimal that "anished into the energy dimension for se"en years! but re-emerged unharmed at its pointof origin. This had aused serious onsternation! sine the laboratory had! in the meantime! been torndown! and the )et had returned in an offie blok.

The animal! when aught! had pro"en to be in e'ellent health! sine no time had passed for it.

+fter that! the )et was deemed to be safe! although by then it had already been in use for se"eralyears. (ssentially! the onlusion was that the shell ould not break down in the energy dimensionsimply beause it was kept intat by the one thing that abounded there. (nergy. The beast*s loss had

been due only to its sender failing to enode any return instrutions into the initial beam! and e"enthen it had e"entually returned! unharmed.

The wa"e form of the )et hanged! and the shell and its argo "anished from the spy-am8ssreen. The spy-am! onfused! spun as it searhed for its target! but a new set of instrutions haltedits franti re"olutions.

Tallyn left the bridge and walked along the orridors that led to the ship*s hospital! his feet silenton the thik moss arpet. 4oing o"er to the shimmering stress field that surrounded the bed where shelay! he ga5ed down at her. The dotor! lad in a sealed suit! tended the wounds in her legs. /e

glaned up and wa"ed before returning to his work.Tallyn studied the girl! his on"ition that she was his uarry growing stronger. /er perfetion

ried out for notie! almost impossible in the re"olting atmosphere in whih she li"ed. /er skin had nosun blemishes at all! whih! e"en if she had li"ed all her life in a a"e! was ama5ing. /is hair stood upas he mo"ed loser to the stress sreen! and he stepped bak! unwilling to be touhed by itsunpleasant aura.

The sreen! unlike the )et! used hardly any energy at all! but reated a barrier by hanging thepolarity of the air moleules in a series of alternating layers. This reated a tangible barrier throughwhih air ould not irulate! for the stressed moleules were stati! held in position by the field*sslight energy. #ts effet on flesh was startling and "iolent! deadly if a person tried to penetrate it.&ortunately! its hair-raising properties and the shimmer of its stressed partiles were warning enough

to keep most people away.The agony it imparted upon entry would also enfore a speedy withdrawal. Stress sreens were

used in prison ships and bank "aults! and as yet! no one had found a way through one without a doorstasis swith. The sreen*s effet on metal armour was e"en more dramati than flesh! resulting inatomisation and the instant death of its oupant. +n air-leaning unit stood beside the girl*s bed!

pro"iding her with fresh air. The dotor! his task finished! swithed off a door in the sreen ande'ited! approahing Tallyn.

She*s the one! isn*t she3 # would ne"er ha"e thought that suh health ould thri"e in that putriden"ironment.

Yes. Tallyn ga5ed at her! then turned to the dotor. @eep her asleep until morning! then #*llha"e her returned.

The dotor looked perple'ed. eturned3 :ut surely...3 /e aught himself. Yes! sir.

ayne woke with a gasp! opened her eyes and sat up. +ll her senses tingled and her head spunfrom the speed of her mo"ements before her metabolism had speeded up from its sleeping state. /er

breath ondensed before her fae in the old air! yet she was warm! the hill nipping at her fingers andnose. She had slept through the night! with no dreams or sudden awakenings aused by rats or othernoises.

The dull throbbing ahe in her legs was gone! and when she poked the wounds she found hardsabs where yesterday there had been bleeding sores. She was refreshed and in"igorated! and ametalli taste lingered on her tongue. The peuliarities were alarming! yet harmless! and made herwonder afresh at the strong sensation of being wathed. She glaned around at the dank! gloomy

room in whih she had spent the night! her ga5e flitting o"er peeling walls and mildewed floor toome to rest on the ashes of her fire.


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/unger li"ed as a dull pain in her belly! and today she must find food. ,ismissing theine'pliable oddities for the moment! she pulled her $aket loser and rose! going o"er to the door to

peer out. ain had fallen during the night! and she was surprised that she had slept through it! sinerain was so dangerous! it usually woke her. Puddles in the road hissed as they ate into the tar! andarid steam stung her nostrils. 9ea"ing the room*s safety! she walked down the deserted street!a"oiding puddles. &inding a tap! she drank and washed her fae! keeping a sharp lookout for danger.The only plae she would find food was at an autorat*s store! and! although the prospet hilled her!

hunger dro"e her on.ayne set off to find one! sprinting aross roads and staying lose to walls! where she ould

duk out of sight if neessary. ("en "agrants were a threat to her now. /er only defene was to atlike a raider! so they would think she was armed. She flitted through the ity until she found a foodstore! but the number of guards patrolling its entrane dismayed her. The autorat must ha"e beenraided reently! for there were four guards instead of the usual two.

ayne onsidered finding a less well-guarded store! but the prospet of ontinuing herdangerous $ourney on an empty stomah did not appeal to her. 9ike most food stores! it was an oldshop with all the doors sa"e one briked up. #n the early days! raiders had used e'plosi"es to blowopen food store doors! and some autorats had gi"en up repairing the damage. This store was onethat possessed no doors! its owner ha"ing opted to use more guards instead.

This meant that raiders were sometimes killed! whih pleased the autorats. The ri"alry betweenstore guards and raiders had beome something of a deadly game! whih was why guards did notmerely stand outside the doors! or wait inside in ambush. To e"en the odds! they patrolled in front ofthe store! gi"ing raiders a hane to get in if they had the guts to try.

athing them! she notied that there was about a minute when both pairs had their baks tothe door. This ga"e her a slim hane! but it was risky. #f they aught her! they would gi"e her to anautorat! a prospet grim enough to make her hesitate. Then her stomah rumbled! reminding her ofwhy she was there.

ayne waited for the right moment! missing two before she pluked up enough ourage to makeher dash. 9ea"ing the safety of the doorway! she sprinted aross the road and ghosted through thedoor. She held her breath as she waited for the shouts and the pounding of feet that would tell her that

she was now trapped. /er heart*s hammering was the only sound in the "ast! dilapidated room!howe"er! and she turned to sur"ey her surroundings.

6ountains of bo'es were staked against the walls! and she went to tear open the nearestardboard lid and look inside. Plasti-wrapped food bars! nutritious but! in this ase! tasteless. Shegathered some! then looked in another bo'! finding tinned stuff! too hea"y to arry. + third bo'yielded protein and "itamin pills! and she filled her pokets with these and more food bars of differentfla"ours and nutritional "alues.

%ne she had as muh as she ould arry! she returned to the door. #t was dangerous to stayinside too long! sine the guards sometimes heked for intruders. She peered out and $erked bak.The guards faed the door! and she waited! then looked again $ust as they turned away.

ith her heart lodged in her throat! she sprinted for the doorway she had hidden in earlier.

Shouts rang out behind her! followed by the latter of running feet! and she "eered off. Cluthing herstolen booty! she raed down the street! the guards pounding in pursuit. She lengthened her strides!her musles strething! her hair flying like a banner. &or a while! she re"elled in her speed! but all toosoon the burning of fatigue in"aded her legs. Sprinting reuired a great deal of effort! and was notsomething that she ould sustain for too long! espeially while arrying an armload of food.

Sarely a blok passed before the e'tra weight and her weakened ondition took their toll. Theguards kept up! their wild shots rioheting off the walls on either side of her! alarmingly lose. Theydid not seem to be aiming to kill! only to frighten her! for now. She di"ed into an alley! hoping to losethem in the shadows and garbage! but they were too lose! and followed.

The men stopped firing and whooped with triumph as they losed with their uarry! ertain oftheir suess. ,ropping the food! she sprinted again! intent only on esape. /er legs were lumps of

burning lead and her lungs seemed to ha"e shrunk. The guards gained! and she leapt o"er a pile of oldardboard and stumbled! sobbing with terror and e'haustion. The alley ended a few metres further on


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in a high wall. She slowed! her mind numb with horror! unwilling to look bak at her triumphantpursuers.

+ golden light appeared in the dingy alley ahead! forming a nimbus that brightened to blindingintensity! foring her to suint and a"ert her eyes. She stumbled to a halt! panting. The light "anished!and a man! lad mostly in blak! with a grey! knee-length oat! stood there. She gaped at him.+lthough he remained immobile! in this hostile plae she ould only assume he was an enemy. /isappearane from the golden light made her wonder if he was another alien! or if the autorats had

diso"ered this odd mode of tra"el.#f he was an alien! (arth was beoming rife with them. /is appearane did not hange her

situation! howe"er. The guards would reah her momentarily. 9etting her ahing legs fold! she sankdown gasping and waited for the guards* rough hands to drag her to her feet. #nstead! theunmistakable hum of a laser bolt bla5ed o"er her! filling the alley with shimmering blue light. Shoutsame from behind her! and she glaned bak. Two guards lay still on the ground. +nother brilliant

beam risped the air o"erhead! and a third man ollapsed with a strangled ry. The last guard tried toaim his weapon as yet another "iious bu55 and flash of blue light passed o"er her. /e rumpled witha hoarse ough! and a tense silene fell.

ayne stared at the sprawled bodies! hardly daring to breathe! then turned to fae the man whohad killed them. /e stood there still! his grey oat flaring in the bree5e that stirred sraps of paper and

made them dane along the grimy tar. /e holstered his laser! the soft lik loud in the stillness.ayne stared at him with deep trepidation. #f he ame after her! she did not ha"e the strength to

run. /e was too far away for her to make out any details! and the gloom made him little more than ashadow. /is blak lothes did not ha"e the heap shine of an autorat*s garments! nor did he at like araider.

Considering the startling way in whih he had arri"ed! she did not think he was either. /isstrange method of tra"el and odd ination mystified her. She was usually good at sensing people*smoods! but he appeared neither impatient nor hesitant; he seemed to merely study her. /e glaned up!and she glimpsed the alien profile of what appeared to be a blak mask! then golden light engulfedhim! foring her to a"ert her eyes. hen she looked again! he had "anished.

Srambling to her feet! she glaned around with deep suspiion! but only papers suttled past in

the bree5e. She took a moment to reo"er from the shok while her heart slowed and her breathingbeame less painful! swallowing to ease her throat*s dry rawness. Then she headed bak up the alleyand olleted the guards* weapons before stepping o"er the bodies to pik up her food.

+ few bloks away! she sat down to eat! glaning around with fearful! hunted eyes. Thesemysterious beings or people who appeared and "anished were beoming unner"ing! and! e"en thoughthey had helped her twie! she wished they would lea"e her alone. Perhaps they would when shefound awn. hen strength returned to her limbs! she set off one more in searh of her brother!hoping she found him before hunger fored her to raid another food store.

awn woke shi"ering and rawled out of the musty blankets to sit in the sun*s feeble warmth./e ursed the many abuses this ruel world heaped upon his head daily! adding one more to the list.

)ow he was not only hungry! dirty! old and weary! but lonely as well. /e wathed a group of"agrants trying to ath a rat in the filth. The mutated rodents were the si5e of rabbits! but still slim

pikings for four people. Three ragged! skinny men and a woman! brown with dirt! hased the rat withstar"ed desperation. The woman ga"e a thin akle of delight as she aught it! whih turned into asueal of pain when it bit her. She dropped it! and the men groaned in despair as it di"ed into a stormdrain. %ne uffed her! growling something unintelligible.

awn*s lips twisted in disgust as he looked away. #t turned his stomah to wath them. Theywere human! or at least they used to be; now they were worse than animals. ould he end up likethem when the food stores emptied3 The group shuffled off down the street! kiking the piles ofrubbish heaped against the walls in searh of another rat. + sudden urge to uit the ity took hold ofhim! and he $umped up. /e would go to the meeting plae. ayne was bound to go there e"entually! if

she was not already there! waiting for him. (ither that or the autorats had aptured her! in whih asehe would ne"er see her again. /e set off at a run.


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ayne headed aross the ity! unsure of where she was going. +s she walked through abuilding! a rash nearby made her $ump and sprint out of the nearest door! where she ollided withsomeone. She reoiled! preparing to flee! then reognised awn with a rush of relief and $oy.

/e shouted in delight and swept her into his arms! suee5ing her until her ribs reaked. Shegasped and pounded on his bak until he held her away to study her.

Thank 4od you*re all right. #*"e been looking e"erywhere for you.

6e too hat happened to you3awn laughed. hat happened to me3 # went to the gro"e to meet you! but you ne"er ame

hat happened to you3# was attaked... She broke off as awn glaned around. 9et*s get out off the street! huh3

e*ll find a spot where we an talk. ,o you ha"e any food3 #*m star"ed.She ga"e him a food bar as they entered a building.

hen the girl bumped into a man! it surprised Tallyn. The spy-am! following her! did not spotthe stranger until it e'ited the building behind her! by whih time she was already enfolded in theman*s arms. Tallyn opened his mouth to order his weapons* offier to protet her! then shut it when it

beame apparent that they knew eah other! and she was pleased to meet him.

+fter the pre"ious inident! when the offier assigned to wath her had been distrated andmissed the store guards* hase! only returning to the sreen in time to see her stepping o"er fourorpses! Tallyn had taken to wathing her himself. /ow she had killed the guards remained a mystery!for she did not ha"e a weapon! as far as he knew. Yet she must ha"e auired one sine heronfrontation with the mutants. /ow else had she killed the men3

/e studied the man and turned to his lieutenant. %ur girl*s guardian3 hat do you think36aron nodded. 9ooks like her brother! sir.Yes! he does! doesn*t he3 # wonder if he is.Tallyn srutinised the new man! who was another e'ellent speimen of humanity with no signs

of disease! but most importantly! someone she knew. )ow he knew that this was what he had beenwaiting for. +ll his instints told him that now it was time to bring her aboard. /e turned to 6aron.

,eploy the transfer )et. Put them straight into the isolation ell in sik bay! full uarantine.>se a mild tranuilliser gas and start deontamination. e don*t want to gi"e them too many shoksat one.

6aron nodded! signalling to a rewman! who touhed the rystals on his onsole. The spy-am8s sreen went blank as the tiny floating amera was realled! and moments later the main sreenfilled with an image from one of the ship*s on-board ameras.

The energy shell*s golden glow faded as the )et dispersed to re"eal two onfused humans in apale room. They lung to eah other with wide eyes! then rela'ed as the tranuilliser gas took effet.

Tallyn glaned at 6aron. e*ll let them reo"er for a while! # think.%n his way to his uarters! he wondered how they would reat to their transloation. The

tranuilliser gas would alm the male*s aggression! so his primiti"e pro$etile weapon did not pose a

threat. Tallyn was more onerned that the transfer*s shok would make the girl o"erwrought.


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Chapter our

ayne studied the strange room! her heart thudding. She had flung herself at awn when thegolden light engulfed them! her skin prikling with stati power. The glow had faded to re"eal the oddwhite room. awn had held her with one arm while he drew his gun and glaned around! then a wa"e

of di55iness had washed o"er her! along with a slight sensation of detahment. Se"eral minutes hadpassed sine then! and awn studied the featureless walls with a sowl! hefting his gun.

here are we3 ayne*s whisper was a thread of sound in a pit of silene.awn muttered! %ut of the frying pan and in the fire.hat3# don*t know. /e released her and went o"er to the nearest wall! running his hand o"er its

silky smooth surfae. This is weird.ayne sank to the floor as shok drained the last of her energy and her stomah knotted. +fter

so muh hardship and struggle! she had thought her life was about to return to normal. The onfusingand possibly dangerous situation had ousted her $oy at finding awn. She rubbed hot tears from herstinging eyes as the possible ramifiations of this new and ine'pliable prediament o"erwhelmed her.

awn prowled the room! testing the walls and finding them solid! apparently.# don*t know where we are! but this isn*t the work of the autorats! he muttered. They don*t

ha"e this kind of tehnology.Then who3 The aliens3awn frowned at her. hat aliens3ayne told him about the sarlet sauer! the white-lad man! and the two inidents sine then. #t

sounded bi5arre e"en to her! but awn listened with a wrinkled brow. hen she finished! he remainedtight-lipped! unable to offer any e'planation. Telling her tale made their situation seem morethreatening! and she wondered if whoe"er had aptured them was listening.

+ tense hour dragged by while they waited for something to happen. awn paing the room!then holstered his gun and sat beside her. They rela'ed as the "ertigo lessened and fatigue set in.

ayne struggled to keep her eyes open! although awn told her to sleep. She $erked into ner"e-$angling wakefulness when a soft hum and swish broke the tomb-like silene. + setion of seamlesswall slid bak to re"eal an alo"e with a basin and toilet. +fter awn inspeted it! ayne used it torefresh herself with ool water. +s soon as awn had used it! the door swished shut again. 6omentslater! a narrow beam of purple light swept aross the ell! making ayne*s skin rawl. awn bangedon the wall and swore at their unseen aptors.

+ny more stunts like that! and #*ll shoot a hole in the wall! he promised.# don*t think you an do muh to them.e*ll see about that.+ few minutes later! $ust as they rela'ed again! another setion of the wall slid bak to re"eal

two glasses of lear liuid. awn eyed the be"erages! lifted a glass and sniffed it.

Smells like water.e had water from the basin! she pointed out. >nless we weren*t supposed to drink that.:ut # think we*re supposed to drink this.hy3/e shrugged. #t*s probably got mediine in it. /e put the glass down. hate"er it is! # don*t

want it. /e glared around at the walls. You hear me! you bastards out there3 e won*t o-operateuntil we get an e'planation. Show yoursel"es! you owards e*re not animals! so stop treating uslike them

ayne tugged his arm. Stop it e don*t want to make them mad.They*re making me mad.They might be the ones who helped me.

ell they*re not ating "ery bloody friendly now.+nother strained silene fell as they waited for a response to awn*s outburst and their refusal


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to drink the water. >ndoubtedly they were being wathed! and ayne was sure it would only be amatter of time before their aptors were fored to ommuniate with them. The response ame soonerthan she e'peted! in the form of a soft masuline "oie that spoke in oddly aented (nglish.

e apologise for the uarantine*s neessity. >nfortunately! if you wish to meet us! you mustdrink the liuid in the glasses.

awn yelled bak! here are we3 hat do you want3You are aboard a spae ship alled ndoubtedly! but do they ha"e to be so blatant3She smiled. ell! ha"ing leaned out our insides! they ha"e to do the outsides too.

The soft male "oie spoke again. You ha"e already been e'ternally deontaminated. Theleaning failities are for your omfort. e ha"e tried to simulate your method of washing. e hope


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you find the failities adeuate.ayne ga5ed at the showers. #t*s been a long time sine # had a shower! espeially a warm one.awn frowned. %ur method of washing3 hat kind of aliens are these3The "oie said! e are what you would all humanoids! similar to you in many respets! but

we ha"e "arious means of washing that would be strange and possibly alarming to you.>s primiti"es! you mean! awn snapped.ayne poked him. ill you uit arguing with him3 # don*t gi"e a fig how they wash. # want a

shower./e sounds like one of those damned fairy airline stewards. They always bugged me.ell! #*m going to ha"e a shower./e grabbed her arm as she started towards the ubiles. You seem to be "ery damned trusting

all of a sudden. hat if this is $ust a way to separate us3e an shower together! if you prefer! but # think they an do pretty muh what they like with

us! and there*s really nothing we ould do to stop them. They ould ha"e knoked us unonsiouswith their gas if they hose! taken away your gun! stripped and tied us up! but they ha"en*t. #f they*regoing to treat us well! then #! for one! am going to o-operate. They*re not autorats! so let*s see whatthey want before $udging them.

/is eyes narrowed. You*re being too alm about this.

#t must be the tranuilliser they ga"e us. There*s really no point in being upset! is there34uess not! he muttered. You shower first then. #*ll stand guard.%kay. She headed for the shower ubiles! shedding her lothes.

Tallyn swithed off the monitor and sat bak! frowning. The girl was perhaps a little moreintelligent than her ompanion. :y opting to stand guard! the man had foiled his intention of remo"ingthe weapon! but it was not a serious setbak. #t meant their first enounter would reuire a stresssreen between them to thwart any attempt by the man to take a hostage! until he ould be persuadedto gi"e up his weapon. /e seemed hostile and potentially dangerous! a trait ommon amongst humanmales. #t meant Tallyn might ha"e to separate them! and possibly keep the man onfined until he o-operated. The first ontat mediator was doing a good $ob. The girl! at least! was responding well to

his o"ertures. /e swithed on the monitor again.The girl was in the shower still! and louds of steam rolled from under the frosted glass door.

The man! awn! stood outside! his e'pression bitterly truulent. +fter a few minutes! the girl emergedwrapped in a towel! and donned the smaller of the two grey outfits! whih fitted her well. She rubbedher hair dry! then took the pro$etile weapon from the man while he went to shower.

hen she mo"ed into the main part of the ell! Tallyn deided it was time to at. /e $umped upand left the bridge to hurry along the orridor to the hospital. /e wanted to speak to the girl beforethe man re-emerged. hen he arri"ed in the spaious! lean room with its faint odour of antisepti!the mediator! (gan! rose and saluted. Two dotors! who wathed the humans o"er his shoulder!straightened.

ela'! (nsign (gan! Tallyn said. # want to speak to the girl. /e turned to the two guards

who stood at the hospital*s entrane. You two! set up a stress sreen.The guards brought o"er a portable sreen and plaed it in front of the ell*s door. #t looked like

a metal door frame! and was to protet him should the girl try to shoot him. The stress sreen*salternating layers of harged air moleules formed a shimmer that would deflet a pro$etile.

Tallyn wa"ed the guards bak when they ompleted their task! indiating that they should standto one side! out of sight. %ne they were in plae! he ordered the ner"ous ensign to open the door.(gan touhed rystals on his onsole and the ell door slid open with a hiss.

ayne whipped around! raised the gun and opened her mouth to yell for awn. /er shoutturned to a gasp as she gaped at the man who filled the doorway. /e was almost as tall as awn! andwell built! but uite alien. /is fine brows arhed abo"e dark eyes! and his ropped blak hair gleamed

with blue tints. +n auiline nose $utted o"er his thin-lipped mouth! but the resemblane to humansended there. /is skin gleamed with a metalli golden shimmer! and his blak hair ended in a line $ust


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abo"e his ears! where it turned pure white./is earlobes $oined the edge of his $aw. /is form-hugging suit of dark blue material had a line of

gold that edged his ollar and ran down the middle of his hest! separating into two at his waist toontinue down the front of his trousers. 4old also trimmed his uffs and ran up the outside of hisslee"es to form swirling patterns on his shoulders.

/e smiled without showing his teeth. /ello. # am Tallyn. /e spoke with less of an aent thanthe disembodied "oie had. # am the ommander of this ship.

She nodded! stepping bak. /i. #t sounded patheti!

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