the Runner

CHAPTER 2

  Star-eater

  Runr waited with Tawna as L-47 descended. Just beyond the edge of the landing pad stood the most holy one and several tall Afrians in blue robes. The sky was clear with only a hint of the rain which had fallen earlier in the day and the spires of Afriana glinted in the sun. When the door slid open and the stair unfolded, Kevn stood for some time gazing out across the fields. Sal pushed from behind and he began to climb down.

  "Welcome to Afria," said Runr, his white smile filling his face. Kevn walked forward and was embraced by the Afrian. Sal waited and was embraced as well. Gry ran to Tawna and embraced her. She seemed somewhat shocked, backed away, then smiled and embraced Gry again. Gry pulled his rings and grinned eagerly.

  "Since we were in the vicinity we thought we'd drop by to say hello, and see what you've done to this place," said Kevn.

  "You have bad news, about Afria," said Runr gravely.

  "Well, yes. I suppose you had another dream. Maybe we can go somewhere and talk about it, and try to decide the best course of action. We don't have too much time."

  They walked slowly to the city of spires, followed by the most holy one and the other Afrians. Runr lived within a smaller spire and when they entered they were greeted by a smell that made Gry stop.

  "What's that? It smells terrific. What is it?"

  He spoke to Tawna and she smiled and answered, "Fish."

  Gry wiped the back of his hand across his lips. "When do we eat?" Again he spoke directly to Tawna, and she answered, "Now, if you wish."

  ______________________________________________________

  When they had finished, Gry gave Tawna a hug, complimented her on the meal, gave her a second hug and asked if he could have the recipe. Kevn and Sal smiled at the sight: Gry eagerly writing the ingredients on a slip of paper, the tall Afrian woman hovering over him, behind his chair, her hair falling forward onto his shoulders, Gry's head between her breasts.

  Kevn turned to Runr.

  "There is a gravitational anomaly which is travelling in this direction. It has already devoured many stars and seems destined to swallow your sun. We have two months to take your people off the planet, perhaps back to Earth or, if you prefer, you would be most welcome on Home planet. We have always spoken of another Dome nearer the Dolom Mountains. Now we have good reason to build -"

  "No. We will stay. This is our Afria and we will not leave."

  "Runr, you don't understand. This thing which comes, this evil thing that you've dreamed about, this star-eater which you saw in your dreams, eating Afria, this thing will be here in two months and there is nothing we can do to stop it. It is a hole in space and it eats entire stars. If you stay, it will mean the end of your people."

  "We will stay. We will stop it." Runr seemed entirely too calm. "Aura and I, we will stop it."

  "It eats stars!" said Sal energetically. "Whole stars!"

  "We will stop it," said Runr calmly.

  ______________________________________________________

  Aura held her head and Cori began to cry.

  "Oh Aura, if only I could share your pain."

  "It comes and will destroy my Afria," Aura groaned. "I cannot stop it. The keeper cannot stop it."

  "What comes? Why does it give you such pain? Is there something I can do? Uncle Kevn will be back soon. They will know what to do."

  They stood on the observation deck. The suns of Home planet had slipped beyond the Dolom Mountains and it grew dark, the first stars appearing faintly in the night sky.

  "I must return to Afria," Aura said firmly. "I must go now."

  The Afrian turned and walked quickly to the stairs.

  "How can you? Daddy is gone, and uncle Kevn and Sal. How can you go?"

  Lori was preparing a meal when they entered.

  "Mommy, Aura wants to go back to Afria, now." Cori was in tears. "Tell her she must stay until Daddy comes home. Please tell her."

  "Cori is right," said Lori quietly. "Why are you in such a hurry? I thought you liked it here, with us. You've been eating everything and walking in the gardens and playing in the fields and -"

  "Yes. I have been happy here. More than I can say. Perhaps, in some ways, happier than on Afria. Everyone has become my friend. On Afria I have no friends. I have been happy here, but - but Afria is in danger and I must be near her, help her - somehow."

  Aura began to cry and she and Cori held each other as Lori watched.

  "Aura, I cannot operate a transworld vessel. There are many who can and I will ask if they can bring you home." Lori frowned. No citizen would believe that Afria was in danger except, perhaps, Orin. She walked to the console and poked a comtab.

  "What's up Gry?" said Orin.

  "Orin? This is Lori. Aura, Runr's daughter, would like to go home. Kevn and Sal and Gry are off-planet and I don't know what to do. Can you help?"

  There was a moment of silence, then: "There is a vessel available, but I'm in the middle of an experiment and can't leave. I'll see if I can't round up somebody. Lori, I'll get back to you within the hour. Okay?"

  ______________________________________________________

  When Orin called again, Lori jumped as though she had been shot. She ran to the console.

  "Yes, yes Orin. Is that you?"

  "Lori, I have good news. One of my tech staff had volunteered to take Aura home the day after tomorrow. He's actually pretty eager. He knows all about Runr, and Afria, and is looking forward to seeing the place."

  "That's wonderful Orin. Thank you so much."

  Lori disconnected and turned, smiling, to Aura.

  "Did you hear? The day after tomorrow."

  Cori jumped up and down. "Can I go too? Can I, Mommy? Can I?"

  "No Cori. You must stay here with me. It will take two months to get to Afria and back. And what would I do without you?"

  "Then you come too, Mommy!"

  "Yes, that would be fine," said Aura in a low voice. "And we can go today."

  Lori looked at the Afrian.

  "Today? Orin said we'll have someone to take us, the day after -"

  "We do not have to wait. I can speak to the crystal computer on the space ship. I can take it to Afria. We must not wait." Aura looked confident; Cori less so.

  "Out of the question. A child driving a transworld vessel? No, we'll wait until the day after tomorrow. It won't be long. We can wait."

  "Then can we go too, Mommy?"

  "No. Just Aura."

  Lori turned and walked out of the room to discourage any further argument.

  ______________________________________________________

  The next morning both Aura and Cori were gone and Lori knew exactly where they had gone. She ran to the console and punched a comtab.

  AT YOUR SERVICE came DOC's booming voice.

  "DOC, can you tell me where Aura and Cori went? Did they go to a transworld vessel? Did they -"

  THEY ARE CURRENTLY ABOARD L-13

  "Then you must stop then from leaving! DOC! Stop them!"

  WE SHALL STOP THEM came the confident reply.

  Lori breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly left.

  ______________________________________________________

  "Aura, are you sure you know what to do?" Cori was excited, her face beaming with delight. "Won't Daddy be surprised? Oh, I can't wait."

  Aura was sitting at the console, eyes closed, hands placed firmly on the smooth surface. Lights flashed about her hands and a woman's voice responded.

  "Yes, can I help?"

  "Who was that?" asked Cori, the smile vanishing from her face.

  "I am LOU, the ship computer. May I help you?"

  "Take us to Afria," said Aura firmly.

  There was a long pause, then:

  "I am instructed by the Dome Computer to remain on the landing pad until further instructions are issued."

  Aura jumped to her feet.

  "Take us to Afri
a, immediately!"

  Cori began to cry.

  "I have been instructed to lower the stairs. Someone is boarding the vessel. Please wait."

  "Who is it?" asked Cori, now frightened. "Who is coming?"

  "It is citizen Lori," said LOU. "She is now aboard and - and - stop - don't ..."

  The blue lights flashed wildly and the engines began to hum and the vessel to shake. Aura had her head bowed and was singing, a rising and falling song. The vessel lurched - and rose from the landing pad just as Lori entered breathlessly.

  "Aura! Stop that! We cannot leave, not now!"

  Cori was sitting on the floor, sobbing and Aura was still singing.

  Within minutes the vessel had left the planet.

  It was on its way to Afria.

  ______________________________________________________

  Lori collapsed in a chair, staring at the Afrian. Soon the girl opened her eyes, flashing green, then turned and shook her rust-colored hair from her face and smiled a brilliant white smile that ran from ear to ear.

  "Please do not worry. Let me worry."

  Cori stopped crying and looked from Lori to Aura and back again. Lori closed her eyes and mumbled, "Won't Gry be surprised."

  "That's exactly what I said, Mommy!" cried Cori and ran into Lori's arms. Aura left the console and stood by Lori's chair, placed a tentative hand on Lori's shoulder, then joined in the embrace.

  After some minutes, Lori looked about the command room, the lights dancing at the console, the large viewscreen displaying a rapidly receding Home planet, the small monitor displaying the black void of space. She said quietly, "Aura, I hope you are most perfect."

  "I am most perfect," said the beautiful Afrian youth, smiling.

  ______________________________________________________

  Kevn and Sal had discussed it many times during the few days they had remained on Afria. If they couldn't convince Runr and Tawna to leave, then they must, somehow, force them to leave. That would difficult since the tall Afrian controlled the planet, seemed to know all that happened and was physically stronger than either of them. Indeed, Runr was likely stronger than both of them together.

  They sat before the most holy one, in a temple which surveyed the sea, now calm in the early morning.

  "So you see, the Afrians must leave," Kevn was saying. "When the thing comes, it will destroy your sun. It will be soon; less than two months."

  The most holy one had sat cross-legged, saying little, and Kevn realized that he had gone over this before and was beginning to repeat himself.

  "Aren't you worried? Do you really want to remain - and die with all the others? Can't you convince Runr, the keeper, to leave?"

  The old man raised his hand and began to speak in a soft voice and Kevn and Sal leaned forward to hear him.

  "The keeper has told us of the star-eater which comes, yet he remains and so shall we remain. He has told us to be not afraid of the worms, and we are not afraid. He has told us -"

  "The worms? What worms? Did you say worms?" Sal became agitated.

  The holy one raised his hand and they listened.

  "We are not afraid for the keeper is with us." The old man then closed his eyes and began to sing softly and the blue lights danced about his body, rising from the floor and brightening the dimly lit room. Sal looked at Kevn.

  "I think we have to talk to Runr about -"

  "- the worms," added Kevn.

  They left immediately, but the old man did not notice their leaving.

  When they looked for Runr he was nowhere to be found and no one would say where he was. Kevn snapped the communicator from his tunic.

  "TOM? Scan the planet surface. See if you can find Runr."

  They waited and TOM replied after a few seconds.

  "He appears to be on the mountain. Yes, we have him on screen. He is meditating it seems, surrounded by phonarite blue. His eyes are closed and -"

  "TOM, get the ground-car ready. We're going to the mountain."

  Kevn and Sal ran down the paths between the towering spires. Several Afrians stopped and stared, shook their heads as they passed, then continued. When the two white-skinned strangers reached L-47, the g-car was on the ground, having been lowered from the vessel now standing on the pad.

  "Where's Gry?" shouted Kevn above the hum of the engines. TOM was standing at the top of the stairs.

  "I understand that he is practising his culinary skills with the wife of -"

  "Damn! Okay, we'll go alone. C'mon Sal."

  And they left immediately for the mountains capped in snow.

  ______________________________________________________

  Runr saw them coming and rose to greet them. The g-car hovered for a moment then dropped quickly to the ground and Kevn and Sal jumped out.

  "Look, Runr. It seems nobody will leave this planet unless you go. Do you know what that means? You'll have the death of every Afrian on your hands. The entire community will go down with you. That's absolutely crazy. You must know that. Can't you at least tell them to make up their own minds. If you want to kill yourself then -"

  "- don't drag them along," added Sal.

  Runr walked to the edge of the cliff and looked across at the city of spires. He looked haggard, worried. They waited for him to say something. Finally he said, "The star-eater comes. It is too late. We cannot stop it now. If Aura were here, maybe -"

  "But we still have almost two months!" cried Kevn.

  "No. It comes in less than a single month. And Aura is not here."

  "Aura's still on Home planet. It will take her five weeks to get here. We can contact Orin. He'll leave right away. Aura can be here in -"

  "It is too late."

  Kevn almost shouted into the communicator.

  "TOM! How long before the anomaly arrives?"

  There was a moment of silence, then: "Seven weeks, four days and -"

  "Wait! Runr says less than a month. Can he be right? Check it, now!"

  There was again a silence, then TOM spoke with some difficulty.

  "I cannot understand it, master Kevn. I was certain - LIZ and I went over all the calculations very carefully. It now seems to have increased its velocity and -"

  "TOM! Answer my question! How long?"

  "21.427 days"

  Runr began to walk down the slope toward Afriana. Kevn and Sal watched him leave, unable to think of a thing to say. Together they looked skyward, expecting to see the star-eater. Kevn's communicator beeped.

  "Master Kevn?"

  "Yes, TOM."

  "LIZ wishes to speculate."

  "Put her on."

  "Master Kevn, I believe that there is a pattern to the precursors. They are not entirely random as we first suspected. It seems that these disturbances are probes, directed in some unknown manner by the anomaly itself. They radiate from the gravitational anomaly, from the star-eater, and they provide information to the star-eater." LIZ paused for a moment. "That is pure speculation. However there is one thing we know for certain. One of these precursors has left C-phon2 and is now at the location of the planet Afria, and the Caustil annelid larvae are present in ever-increasing numbers on the planet surface."

  Kevn and Sal both looked about as though they expected to see the worms climbing the mountain. Then they climbed into the g-car. It rose with a shudder and slid smoothly off the edge of the cliff and headed for the landing pad. When they arrived TOM was again standing on the top step. They asked him to hook up the g-car, climbed into L-47 and headed for the command room. Neither spoke. It was now clear that they must leave, with or without Runr and Tawna.

  ______________________________________________________

  Aura was now almost constantly in pain. Cori wept in sympathy and soon Lori was also crying quietly. The shipcomp had been in control of the transworld vessel for almost a week and it was time for a subspace entry.

  "May I make an enquiry?" asked the shipc
omp.

  "Yes LOU, please do," said Lori.

  "There is an opportunity for a subspace entry and I would appreciate the help of TIM. Would anyone object?"

  Cori looked up. She and Aura had been lying on the floor of the command room. Aura wanted to be near the main console and slept there. Cori did as well. Now Cori jumped up.

  "Is there somebody else on board?"

  "TIM. He would appreciate the opportunity to join us."

  "By all means!" cried Lori. This was unexpected, but welcome news. How had they managed to miss another person on board? Perhaps some technician, working in the cargo bay. They looked about, then all stared at the portal which lead from the cabins to the command room.

  The android entered hesitantly.

  "Please, may I come in?" he asked, bowing slightly.

  "Are you TIM?" asked Lori. "Why haven't we seen you before?"

  "I was not certain of your intention. This was not a sanctioned departure and, and -"

  "Yes, I understand. Please come in, TIM. I think that LOU needs your help. We'll get out of your way and you can do - whatever it is you do."

  Aura stood up. "Lori, I will stay."

  "Me too, Mommy!"

  Lori shook her head and raised her hands helplessly. "Okay. Me too."

  The android stood stiffly at the console and began to punch the comtab sequence to initiate subspace entry. The console lights flashed sporadically. The others watched. It took another ten minutes but then the room became distorted, the console weaving back and forth and the android appearing to come apart. Cori ran to Lori and clung to her tunic. Soon, everything stabilized and TIM announced that they had successfully entered subspace. He pointed to the large screen. It displayed a wavy pattern which rolled from left to right.

  It was TIM who noticed that Aura had slipped to the floor, her head in her hands.

  "The girl is ill, I fear," he said nervously.

  Lori ran to Aura and pulled the girl to her breast.

  "It's alright sweets. It will go away, soon. I promise."

  "The thing is here," groaned Aura. "It is here, now."

  At that moment the lights flashed on the console and TIM spun about.

  "TIM," said LOU, "we must leave subspace at once. There is a space fold that will overwhelm us in three minutes." The voice of the shipcomp was calm. TIM ran to the console and began the exit sequence. LOU spoke softly, gently: "TIM, be calm. Please do not hurry. We have 143 seconds. That will be sufficient." But the android's hands jittered across the console.

  "I cannot do it. There is not enough time," TIM moaned.

  "Yes, there is. Be calm. I will look after the circular redundancy check and the distortion analysis." LOU seemed even calmer and Lori looked with open mouth at the android.

  In less than two minutes they had left subspace and TIM collapsed. Lori ran to the fallen android but LOU said, "Do not worry. It happens all the time. TIM will remain inoperative for no more than five minutes."

  Cori turned to Aura who was now standing, her face covered in perspiration, her hair clinging to her neck.

  "We must hurry to Afria before it is too late. The thing is there," Aura said, then began to cry.

  ______________________________________________________

  "LOU?" asked Lori. "What did you mean when you said that we would be overwhelmed in three minutes?"

  The shipcomp answered quietly. "When we were in subspace the sensors picked up a gravitational anomaly. It appeared to be a rapidly moving subspace discontinuity, a space fold which was moving toward the vessel. It would have arrived at our position in three minutes."

  Aura stood by the console, running her hands across the smooth surface. Blue lights flashed weakly.

  "We must go back in. We must follow it to Afria. We must -"

  "I am afraid that is quite impossible." It was TIM. He had climbed to his feet and was now standing behind Aura. "The field stress would exceed the design specifications of this vessel."

  Lori placed her hands on Aura's shoulders.

  "What do you mean sweets? Follow it back to Afria?"

  "The arms," whispered the young girl. "They will carry us to Afria. We must go in, quickly."

  TIM looked at Aura for a moment before responding.

  "I am afraid that you do not perceive the danger," he said nervously. "The gravitational stress -"

  "TIM," said the shipcomp, "I believe that the girl intends for us to follow the gravitational fold within subspace, to the planet Afria. That may, in fact, be possible. However it is not clear where the fold will take us. It appeared to be moving in the direction of the planet C-phon1."

  "That's Afria!" cried Cori. "C-phon1 is Afria!"

  TIM's hands shook violently.

  "I do not believe that -"

  "Yes, TIM," said LOU, "we could follow the fold. Passing through the space warp would set up gravitational waves which could destroy L-13, but if we simply follow the fold - enter the fold and follow it - then it may not induce an unacceptable gravitational overload."

  "I strongly recommend that we -" began TIM.

  "LOU?" asked Lori. "How long before we reach Afria, if we do not go back into that, that subspace thing?"

  "1.17 years."

  "Years? More than one year? But it never took that long before."

  "With appropriate subspace travel it would take less than five weeks, but without any subspace -" began TIM.

  "We can't wait that long! If something disastrous is going to happen to Afria, I would like to warn Gry and Kevn and Sal! Can we talk to them? Can you contact them, now?" Lori was almost in tears.

  "It will take some time, but I will initiate communication. Please wait." LOU spoke calmly, confidently.

  They waited, staring at the monitor. Aura was holding her head and moaning softly. TIM paced back and forth, deeply disturbed by the suggestion that they reenter subspace. In about two minutes text began to appear on the monitor and they all leaned forward to read it.

  Transworld vessel L-47 responding. We are in orbit about Afria. Please continue.

  "You may type a message if you wish," said LOU. Lori sat before the console and began:

  Where is Gry, Kevn, Sal? Are they safe? Is there any danger?

  Again they waited, and soon the text appeared.

  Masters Gry et al are onboard. The planet is being invaded by Caustil annelid larvae. The gravitational anomaly arrives in less than twenty days. Not in danger until then.

  "Caustil annelids?" cried Lori. "What are they?"

  The lights danced on the console for several seconds before LOU answered.

  "They are wormlike creatures whose larvae have been found, fossilized, at several locations. However there has never been a report of live specimens ... perhaps L-47 is mistaken. I will enquire further if you wish."

  "Yes, yes, please do," said Lori, her voice shaking. Then she turned to TIM. "Did they say twenty days?"

  TIM nodded. "The gravitational anomaly will arrive in less than twenty days. I am afraid there is nothing we can do to help. The time required to reach C-phon1, Afria, is over four weeks, even if we do reenter subspace."

  Aura stepped forward and placed her hands on the console, closing her eyes and singing softly. Blue lights flashed about her hands, then the shipcomp spoke:

  "Wait ... I cannot, we must not -"

  TIM leaned against the console, shaking.

  "We cannot enter subspace now!" he cried. He placed his hand on Aura's shoulder and the girl spun about and pushed the android. Blue lights flashed across his silver-grey chest and he collapsed and Aura continued to sing, the lights now flashing wildly about the console. Lori and Cori stood without saying a word. This was Aura's show and they only hoped that she knew what she was doing. Cori staggered back as the room seems to shrivel. In a moment it stabilized and the wavy pattern appeared on the viewscreen.

  They had reentered subspace.