the Runner

CHAPTER 1

  the Anomaly

  Runr awoke and looked about the small room. Tawna and Aura had left. He had dreamed of his youth, of the beast and C-phon3, of the halcyon days of tranquility, of the events which lead to this day.

  Now he was certain. He must speak to Kevn about the danger: the coming of the star-eater.

  ______________________________________________________

  Kevn and Sal waited for Runr to speak. The tall Afrian had asked to see them and they now sat around a small table in Sal's office, in the Science Research Lab. Kevn had sensed Runr's concern and wanted no interruptions. The SRL was usually quiet, unlike the chaos that reigned in the office of the First Citizen.

  "The thing that comes will devour our planet," Runr said quietly.

  "Our planet? Do you mean Home planet?" asked Sal.

  Runr paused only for a moment. "Perhaps, but I was speaking of Afria."

  "How do you know this?" asked Kevn. "Did it come in a dream?"

  Both Kevn and Sal were aware of Runr's dreams. The handsome Afrian had saved the Dome from destruction as a result of warnings from a dream, so they were quite prepared to accept a dream as a portent of things to come.

  Runr nodded, then continued. "This dream has come many times but gives little information as to the nature of this thing. I know only that it will devour Afria." Runr stood by the small port in Sal's office, the rising suns casting a long shadow across the room. Runr gazed at his own shadow before continuing. "It will devour the keeper ... and it will devour his daughter."

  Kevn got out of his chair and stood before Runr as he spoke.

  "Runr, will you let Orin look at you, while you dream? He's Chief of the MedLabs and dreams are sort of a hobby with him. Maybe he can extract further information from this dream of yours. More importantly, we will all be able to see your dream."

  Runr nodded and Sal immediately punched the comlink on the console. Orin's voice answered.

  "Yes Sal? What's on your mind?"

  "Runr is here with Kevn and me. He's been having dreams. Could you come by?"

  "On my way."

  Orin walked in only minutes later, nodded to Kevn and Sal, and smiled at the tall Afrian.

  "Hi Runr. Dreaming are you?" He turned to Kevn. "I assume it was Runr who Sal spoke of, or are you dreaming, Kevn?" Kevn grinned, shook his head and Orin turned again to Runr. "I've heard of your dreams. Can I hook you up to a gadget I've built - for dream analysis? It won't hurt a bit, but we can record the visions that accompany your dreams and replay them, complete with sound and color and all your physiological indicators. That way we all get to dream along with you."

  Runr nodded and Orin turned to Sal. "Shall we start, now?"

  Sal shrugged. "Why not?"

  And they all followed Orin to the MedLabs.

  ______________________________________________________

  Orin opened the sliding door to the small plastic dome and Runr stepped in and immediately sat on the couch.

  "Just lie down. We'll put you to sleep. This dome will do the rest."

  Runr lay back on the couch as Orin closed the door.

  "All the physiological data is recorded by sensors in the walls," Orin explained. "The brain scan takes place concurrently. We can't stimulate a dream, not yet, so we have to hope that Runr will actually dream. Sometimes that takes a while, but the results are quite interesting. You'll see."

  Orin punched a comtab at the console and a viewscreen glowed, numbers appearing at the edge of the screen.

  "That's pulse and respiration being recorded, and nerve electronics, optic impulses, brain waves, skin temperature, eye movement ... look. He's sleeping already. See the graph at the bottom?"

  "He's already asleep? But -" Sal began.

  "Oh, we put him to sleep. Actually, we can also introduce certain stimuli to direct his dream. We can't do much. Mostly, we only observe and record, but sometimes we can actually modify the evolution of the dream."

  Orin sat at the console and began poking comtabs and the screen darkened, except for the numbers and graphs which winked on and off at apparently random points around the periphery of the display. Then the blackness slowly filled with points of light.

  Orin spoke softly. "He's dreaming already. What you see on the screen is what he's seeing."

  "But it's just a bunch of dots," whispered Sal.

  Kevn leaned forward. "No. It's the Kronier star system, as seen from C-phon1 ... uh, Afria. I've seen it many times. Look. There's Bollidyne, that orange star in the middle. Whoops - that was Bollidyne."

  They watched, mesmerized by the stars as they winked into darkness. Then a reddish glow appeared, a rent in the middle of the now-black screen. It grew until it filled much of centerscreen. They could see the glow take on the shape of a bright slit, twinkling like a mouth filled with stars. They were all frowning, leaning forward, staring at the screen. Kevn whispered something.

  "What?" Orin looked confused.

  "Great Mother Earth," mumbled Kevn. "It's eating stars."

  Orin was watching the numbers running down the side of the screen.

  "Runr is in trouble. I think we should pull him out of this."

  He punched a comtab and the screen shimmered and went black, the numbers continuing to scroll down the side. Kevn looked at Runr. He was shaking on the couch.

  "Get him out of there!" Kevn cried, rising to his feet. Orin slid open the door, ran inside the plastic dome and placed a small metal plate against Runr's forehead and Runr opened his eyes, stopped shaking, then slowly sat up. He seemed a bit dazed. Kevn and Sal were now by his side.

  "Are you okay?" Kevn said in a low voice. "How do you feel?"

  "It comes."

  "Yeah, we saw it," Sal muttered. "Looks like an animal, eating stars." Then he turned to Orin. "Can I have a copy of the recording? I'd like to go over it again. I can't say I recognize the stars, but Kevn did. Maybe we can tell where it's coming from -"

  "- and where it's going," added Kevn.

  "Yes, especially where it's going," groaned Sal.

  ______________________________________________________

  Cori stood on the observation platform, gazing at the small spirals of dust which rose from the Barrens. The suns had already slipped beyond the Dolom Mountains now silhouetted against a crimson sky. Aura stood beside her.

  "Isn't it beautiful, Aura? Aren't you happy to be here?"

  "Afria is more beautiful. The mountains of Afria are higher and green forests lie at their feet. The plains are covered with fruits and berries. Afriana, the city of spires, lies by a great sea."

  "Oh, that sounds wonderful. I hope that I might see Afria one day."

  Aura raised her hands and began to sing and the blue ring on Cori's ear began to glow.

  "Aura? Why are you singing?" Cori looked up and saw the canopy slide down, across the side of the Dome, red-tinted in the setting suns. "DOC! What are you doing! Stop that at once!"

  Aura's eyes flashed and her song grew louder until the observation tower was dark under the canopy.

  "Aura, I'm sorry. That's not supposed to happen. Not unless there is a storm on the Barrens. Then DOC closes things up - but it's such a nice day. It's not supposed to happen."

  Cori could see nothing in the darkness, not until lights came on, then she saw Aura smiling, her green eyes flashing.

  "Aura, why are you smiling? DOC did something wrong, you know. He isn't supposed to -"

  "Your DOC listens to me for I am Afria."

  Cori watched the Afrian youth raise her hands once more, singing softly, and the canopy began to rise again and the crimson sky once more bathed the observation deck in a warm and ruddy glow.

  "Aura?" whispered Cori. "Can you do that? Really? Just wait until I tell Daddy and Uncle Kevn. They will be thrilled." Then Cori frowned. "But you musn't do it any more. It isn't right, and maybe Uncle Kevn will be angry and -"

  Aura dropped to her k
nees and groaned, holding her head. She said in a voice filled with pain, "Afria, Afria, wait for me. I will destroy it."

  Cori tried to pull the black girl to her feet, then saw that she was crying.

  "Aura, don't cry. Uncle Kevn will not be so angry. Really, he won't."

  "No! I do not cry!" Aura shouted, jumping to her feet. "For I am most perfect."

  Cori watched her stalk out, her head shaking from side to side, her hair swirling down her back - and she followed her, running down the long flight of stairs to the mall below.

  ______________________________________________________

  "But look," said Sal, staring intently at the screen. "Bollidyne is still there, yet we saw it vanish, in Runr's dream."

  Kevn leaned forward and looked at the image of the Kronier star system. The display had been recorded earlier that day and the orange star was clearly visible at centerscreen.

  "Yes," he said slowly, "it is still there - or was there when the image was recorded today."

  "But this record was made after Runr had his dream. So the star hasn't been ... been eaten. Maybe Runr is mistaken. Maybe -"

  "No. What we see is what exists now, at this moment. What Runr sees in his dreams is what will exist, in the future. Sometime, perhaps soon, that star will be consumed by the ... that mouth."

  They both sat back, Kevn breathing heavily and pushing his thinning, taffy-colored hair from his forehead. "Do I really believe that?" he muttered. "I think we have to investigate this phenomenon more closely. We have to take L-47 to the vicinity of this anomaly, see what's happening, predict its evolution, extrapolate, determine the trajectory -"

  Kevn fell back and began to perspire profusely.

  "Kevn, are you okay? You look pale. Something wrong?"

  "No. No, I'll be all right. Just felt a bit weak for a moment." He looked at his brother. Sal was worried, perhaps more about Kevn than about the space thing which ate stars. "Don't worry, baby brother. Once we get off this planet and out into space I'll feel better, much better. Just like old times. I'll ask Gry to come along. Just like old times."

  Then Kevn collapsed.

  ______________________________________________________

  Sal helped Kevn onto the bed as Gry and Lori watched. Lori held a chalice of hot brandy but Kevn refused it. Now she was worried. He never refused Extron brandy. Cori stood several paces back.

  "Mommy? Can I get Aura? Maybe she can help Uncle Kevn."

  Gry turned to look at his daughter.

  "Help Kevn? How can Aura help?" he asked, pulling his rings.

  Cori stepped forward. They were all looking at her now and she wanted to say it right.

  "Aura is special. I saw her in pain, and she sings, and the pain goes away. Maybe she can sing for Uncle Kevn."

  Gry looked at Lori and shrugged. "Maybe Cori has ... uh, a good idea. That Aura kid is pretty special. Maybe she can help. It's worth a try." Then he turned to Cori. "Sweets, can you ask Aura to come here? Tell her the First Citizen is ill. See if she can help."

  Cori left immediately. The others sat and watched Kevn who seemed to be sleeping, his forehead wet with perspiration, his tunic clammy and damp. No one spoke.

  Almost thirty minutes went by before the door dissolved and Runr came in with Aura and Cori. The young Afrian girl walked to Kevn and placed her hands on his chest, then turned and walked to Runr.

  She said in a low voice, "He is dying." Then she turned and stared at Kevn, without emotion, but with a hint of a smile.

  "What!" Sal shouted. "You must be mistaken! There's nothing wrong with him. I know he had a physical checkup just last week - Orin told me he was in fine shape. Runr? How can she know that? She's mistaken ... isn't she?"

  Runr turned to his daughter. "Aura, do you speak the truth?"

  Aura walked to the port and stared out at the Barrens. They waited, then she said, "I do speak the truth."

  Sal ran to the console and poked a comtab. Orin's voice responded.

  "Gry? How are you old man?"

  "Orin, this is Sal. Kevn is ill. He's here, in Gry's rooms. Could you come right away?"

  Orin arrived only minutes later. They all stood about the bed while he ran the MedScope across Kevn's chest.

  "Radiation," he mumbled. "I'll get the antidote. We'll have him up and about in no time."

  "Radiation?" said Gry. "But ... uh, we haven't had a case of radiation sickness in years. Why now? Will it spread? Maybe we should all get the antidote."

  "No need," said Orin. "It's not contagious - but I can't understand how he got it in the first place. Strange. The annual inoculations have virtually eliminated the plague. Even during solar mass exchanges, when radiation levels are high, we still haven't had a single case in over five years. Strange. Could be dormant symptoms, left over from his last space flight."

  Aura turned from the port and stared at Orin.

  "He will die," she said.

  Orin frowned. "Hello Aura. How are you feeling today? Any more problems?"

  "I do not have problems," she said emphatically. "I am most perfect."

  "I'm glad to hear that. And you needn't worry about the First Citizen, he'll be fine in a day or two."

  Kevn stirred and they all looked at him, concerned, except for Aura who returned to the viewport to gaze out across the Barrens. Kevn opened his eyes and moaned, then slid his feet off the side of the bed.

  "Hold on Kevn," Orin said firmly. "You stay put until I get the antidote. You've got radiation poisoning, but it'll be gone in two days. Did you have your annual inoculation?"

  Kevn nodded his head, breathing heavily, and slid back into bed.

  Two days later he was well again.

  All were immensely relieved except for Aura. She seemed confused.

  Two days later Runr and Tawna left Home planet, returning to Afria, leaving Aura with Lori.

  Within a week Kevn, Sal and Gry left on L-47 for the Kronier star system to investigate the locus of missing stars.

  ______________________________________________________

  It was LIZ who first noticed the gravitational anomaly. They had remained in galaxy space for nearly three days and the shipcomp and TOM were computing the first subspace entry point.

  "TOM? Please look at the gravitational potential readings. There seems to be a discontinuity, in the direction of Bacher-3A, approximately -"

  "Yes LIZ. There is no need to provide information in excess of what is necessary for me to recognize the anomaly. Had you said simply 'look at the gravitational potential readings' it would have been sufficient for me to -"

  "TOM! What do you make of it?"

  The android stared at the monitor where screens of information scrolled, readings from the gravitational field sensors.

  "You exaggerate," he muttered. "It is hardly a discontinuity, merely a rapid local variation, an extremely large gradient - not a discontinuity. It is - it is -"

  He stopped and looked more carefully at the data displayed.

  "LIZ, rerun the last ten screens, please." TOM sat at the console, rereading the information. Then he poked a comtab and Kevn answered.

  "Yes TOM, something wrong?"

  "Master Kevn, there's a discontinuity in the gravitational potential, approximately .237 parsecs from our current location in the direction of the Bacher-3A galaxy. It is travelling at -"

  "TOM. I'll be there in a minute."

  TOM waited as the lights flashed on the console.

  "TOM?" asked LIZ. "You said that a minimum of information would be sufficient -"

  "Master Kevn is not an android. He requires information in excess of what is required for android comprehension. Indeed, it is often wise to provide extraneous information so that -"

  The console lights flashed wildly, Kevn and Sal walked in and TOM jumped to his feet. Kevn was the first to speak.

  "LIZ, put the data into visual format, please."

  The large view
screen glowed, then displayed a black void almost uniformly filled with stars with a swirl of light at the center; the Bacher-3A galaxy.

  They all watched silently, then Kevn pointed to a spot near the galaxy, then ran his finger across the screen.

  "Look," he said, "the dark strip, from here to there."

  "No stars," muttered Sal. "But there should be stars there, right?"

  "LIZ," said Kevn. "Can you superimpose the star map, please."

  Over the display appeared a second conglomerate of stars.

  "Please move the star map so the brightest stars coincide with the sensor display - and color the mapped stars red, so we can tell what's what."

  The star map shifted slightly and turned red.

  Kevn pointed again at the screen. "There. See? That strip of space has no stars. The star map shows several bright stars there, but our sensors aren't picking them up."

  "Whatever it is, it's eating stars," mumbled Sal, recognizing the phrase Kevn had muttered after viewing Runr's dream.

  TOM leaned forward and stared at the viewscreen.

  "Eating stars, master Sal?" he said. "That is quite a mouthful."

  Both Kevn and Sal turned to look at the android.

  "Very funny," grunted Kevn. The lights danced on the console.

  There were several seconds of silence as they all stared at the screen, then Kevn leaned back and said, "TOM, please work with LIZ and plot the course of that gravitational potential discontinuity. Try to deduce where it's coming from and -"

  "- and where it's headed," added Sal.

  Kevn and Sal left and TOM sat at the console.

  ______________________________________________________

  Aura wandered among the field of vegetables just outside the Dome and Cori followed, obviously proud of the garden which her father had constructed with the approval of the central committee.

  "Look Aura," cried Cori. "Over there. See the cows? They were a present from Captain Cruder. And the chickens too. Have you met Captain Cruder? He lives on Earth."

  Aura did not answer, but pulled a carrot from the ground, inspected it then tossed it aside.

  "Oh, you musn't do that Aura. The citizens need every -"

  Aura spun about and faced Cori. "I do as I please." Then she walked across the field, stepping on the vegetables. Cori followed, stooping to straighten the vegetables as best she could. When she looked up Aura had placed her hand on the head of a cow and the animal staggered noticeably.

  "Aura. Please don't touch the cows. Daddy will be very angry."

  Then the tall black youth was on her knees, holding her head, moaning softly.

  "Aura! You have the pain. Wait here. I'll get somebody."

  Cori ran to the exitport and shouted, "DOC! Send somebody! Aura is having the pain! Please hurry!"

  ______________________________________________________

  When Aura awoke she was on the bed and Cori was at her side.

  "Oh Aura, I was so worried."

  The Afrian youth sat up, beads of perspiration glistening on her ebony forehead.

  "Why do you worry about the vegetables in the field? Why do you worry about the animals and the canopy that covers your city?" She paused for a moment, looking intently at Cori. "Why do you worry about me?

  Lori walked in and smiled.

  "Cori is concerned with the welfare of all citizens, as they are concerned with her welfare. And now we are all worried about you because you have this pain."

  "I have no pain, for I am most perfect."

  "If you told us more about this pain we may be able to help." Lori sat on the bed and placed her arm about the girl. Aura was trembling. "Sometimes I have pain," Lori said. "If I tell my husband, it sometimes helps - just to talk about it, share it with someone who cares. Sometimes I have to go to the MedLabs. They all care, and that helps too."

  "You have pain?" asked Aura.

  "Of course. I am certainly not perfect."

  "You are not perfect?"

  "Of course not. No one is perfect."

  "But Tawna says - says we are most perfect. Afria is perfect. The keeper is perfect. Yet, I am not, for I thought - I thought master Kevn would die, and he did not - and -"

  "I see," said Lori softly. "And you will one day be the keeper, so you must be most perfect."

  Aura began to cry and Lori pulled the young girl to her breast.

  "Aura," said Cori. "Please don't cry. You're about as perfect as anybody could be. That's what I think. Don't you mommy?"

  Lori nodded her head and smiled. "Yes, Aura is as perfect as anybody could be. One day she will make a wonderful keeper. Her people will look up to her and she will take care of them - be concerned for their welfare. One day Aura will worry about her people, as we now worry about Aura."

  Cori sat on the bed and put her arms about the Afrian. Aura closed her eyes and sobbed quietly and Lori smoothed her hair and Cori hugged her tightly.

  ______________________________________________________

  "LIZ," said TOM, "the path of the anomaly seems to be irregular, with a speed which varies in a random fashion."

  "Not random, TOM. It is a function of the local mass density. And I think the phrase that master Sal employed is quite descriptive: it eats stars." Then, before the android could speak: "And don't you dare say 'quite a mouthful'."

  "It is a joke, LIZ. I might also have said something about 'indigestion' or -"

  "I see no humor in your comment."

  "But, you see, one of the tenets of humor is to ascribe human behavior, human frailties, to non-human objects. The gravitational anomaly is not human, yet eats stars as a human would. Someone says: that plant eats too much. The wife says: just like my husband. That's funny. But if the wife says: my husband eats too much and someone says just like my tree, that's not funny. You see? Anthropomorphism is -"

  "TOM! That is quite enough! Do you wish to tell master Kevn of our findings or do you wish to tell another joke?"

  "I will tell him."

  ______________________________________________________

  Kevn, Sal and Gry walked into the command room soon after TOM poked the comtab. TOM began to speak immediately.

  "The anomaly moves with a speed which is proportional to the local mass density. The path is not linear. It moves as though attracted to massive objects."

  "For example, stars," interjected LIZ.

  "Yes, like stars. We have identified a number of stars which no longer exist and assume that this defines the locus of the anomaly."

  "The historical path," added LIZ.

  "Yes, the historical path. Not only are certain stars missing, but known planets have been - have been -"

  "Eaten," suggested LIZ.

  "Yes, eaten. This path originates beyond the Chrosine galaxy, passes near the edge of our galaxy, through the Phrinene sector and is now approaching the Bacher-3A galaxy. The time span for the journey, to date, is over seven centuries. If we treat the anomaly like an object attracted by the gravitational fields of stars, then it is consistent with the path only if we assume an attractive force inversely proportional to distance. Having made this assumption we have predicted the future trajectory and find that it passes through the Kronier star system."

  "Just as in Runr's dream," muttered Sal.

  TOM paused for a moment then continued.

  "The next star in its path is -"

  "Bollidyne," whispered Kevn.

  "Why yes," said TOM, surprised. "Have you also computed the trajectory?"

  "No. That was Runr's prediction, based upon a dream," said Kevn. "But if it's headed past the Kronier system and on toward the Bacher-3A galaxy then Afria is out of harm's way."

  TOM hummed and they all stared at him, waiting.

  "Not quite," the android said. "After having ... mmm, consumed Bollidyne, the anomaly will veer sharply away from Bacher-3A, attracted by a string of stars which includes the Afrian sun.
"

  "And that will take how many centuries?" asked Sal.

  "Approximately .0017," said TOM.

  Sal licked his lips and Kevn scratched his head, then Sal said, "2 months?"

  "That is correct, master Sal," said TOM. "However it is not certain that it will consume the planet Afria."

  "But it will eat its sun," added LIZ.

  "Yes, it will ... mmm, eat the Afrian sun," said TOM.

  They stood silent for some time, then LIZ spoke.

  "TOM, say something about the precursors."

  "Yes, the precursors." TOM looked at the console. The lights danced slowly. Then he spoke directly to Kevn.

  "The anomaly is preceded by a disturbance. This disturbance appears to be quite random and radiates from the anomaly. It is difficult to determine the location of this precursor because it has little influence on the massive objects in its path. It does, however, displace less massive objects and we have been able to estimate some of the locations which this disturbance has visited, in the past."

  They waited until TOM continued.

  "The solar system asteroid belt, some of the outer rings of Saturn, the Chrause comet, one of the moons of B-phon2, the planets C-phon2 and C-phon3, the Fielding comet, the -"

  "Hey!" cried Gry who had been silent until now. "That's where those ... uh, damned worms were found! A moon of B-phon2 and C-phon2 and C-phon3. Am I right?"

  "I knew there'd be some connection with your battle of C-phon2," said Sal, stressing the word battle. "Don't you see? The annelids are found at precisely the locations of this disturbance. A disturbance which precedes the star-eater."

  "Is that true, TOM?" asked Kevn. "Does the gravitational anomaly really follow this disturbance? Can the path of the anomaly be predicted in that fashion, just by knowing where the disturbance has been?"

  "No, master Kevn. As I said, the anomaly follows very well defined dynamical laws whereas the precursors radiate in a random manner. The fact that the anomaly will move to the Afrian planets, where a precursor once visited, that is just a coincidence."

  The lights danced on the console and TOM said, "I think LIZ would like to say something." The lights slowed and LIZ spoke.

  "A precursor is currently in the vicinity of C-phon2, and has been for several years." LIZ paused for a moment, then: "May I speculate?"

  "Please do," said Kevn with a smile.

  "I believe that the Caustil annelids live in subspace and enter galaxy space via these disturbances. The gravitational distortions of galaxy space provide a hostile environment and the annelids die, implode, soon after entry. I also believe that the adult annelids may enter galaxy space via the anomaly itself. However, I have no evidence to support that conjecture."

  "That's very good, LIZ. Speculation without evidence. Very good indeed!" Kevn grinned at Sal. "Quite a gal, eh what?"

  "I just had an awful thought," said Sal. "If the annelid larvae eat phonarite crystals, what do the adults eat?"

  "Stars!" cried Gry.

  "Do you think they worry about stellar indigestion?" added LIZ.

  Kevn laughed aloud and Sal and Gry joined in.

  TOM staggered back against the wall.