SHADOW STAR

  Chapter 8

  My head hurt. Yes, I had a hangover. The Keeper was not a bit sorry for me. Every time I closed my eyes I could see him just sitting there by the fire, shaking his head in disgust. I would talk to him after I went to mass and after my head cleared a little. Somehow I made it through church without having to leave. Against my will, I put my suit on and flew out to the cave. The Keeper was full of his poetic advice on the evils of having a good time. When I asked about the ship he said it was on time and that he was feeling better about the situation. The war was now serious, but he knew it would before it was, the prophecy again. He had a message for me from the elders. I was very interested to say the least. The elders were giving me details about the ship and on just how I was to follow it and protect it. The project handed me sounded too easy. Because of this they were also warning me of the possible danger. The end of the message was from Venessa herself. She missed me and sent her well wishes. That made my day. People here on earth complain about dealing with long-distance relationships (maybe 200 miles away). Try having a good relationship with someone on the other side of the universe. How’s that for long distance. The Keeper in fact was smiling to himself. I could not find out if any of the old tales that dealt with me continued into my personal affairs. Nothing, totally nothing is what I got out of that stubborn old man. He only looked at the fire, smiling. That smile of his drove me straight up the wall. I had the idea to have some fun. I made the fire float above the chamber floor a few feet, thanks to the scroll which I knew by heart now. The flying fire woke up the Keeper but he was not mad at me, he even applauded my sense of humor. Well, that was all of his homesick, slap-happy mood I could take, I had to leave. He so much as laughed when I left. The old man must have been high on his future trip home. He was going to be a barrel of fun until he left.

  Well, I was glad to go to class on Monday. The weekend had worn me out. Somehow I had time to do my homework, which I needed to

  do to get the grades I wanted. At lunch, in the Union Sam noticed I was not using my left arm. I could have told him anything, but I told him what really happened. Why I told him the truth I don’t know. Maybe I wanted some support but I really thought Sam knew anyway. I did not want to alarm him but I even told him about the massive war which was going on across the universe and how our entire world was too out of the way to be concerned; for the time being at least. He must have felt 2 inches tall I know but we were at the edge of the universe and quite small at that, not the center of the universe. I was now aware of things so marvelous the earth seemed plain at times. Sam was confused at best but he understood I was telling him the truth. He also said the human race is very surprising and we have a very large potential, even in the field of space exploration. I told him the facts; even the elders had limited experience in space travel. This pleased Sam. Sam had the biggest interest in the Star People. He seemed disappointed I only knew one other besides myself. It made for interesting conversation. Sam knew well how to keep a secret. I felt good I could trust him.

  I had a number of tests this week. The tests alone would help keep my mind off Friday, a sort of D-Day for me. School is usually dull for me. Hardly even is it a challenge. I have to admit my tests were not dull, I had to really study for them. Besides the tests and the rest of the college b.s. which goes on here, the week went by a little uneventful. Thankfully the guys were around to keep things hopping. Sam apparently believed me and had accepted the facts. Good enough I thought. I could use Sam’s help in the future if I needed him. I did live through my week-full of tests and then it was Friday.

  I did not think much about what I had to do today until I was eating lunch. Sam was there, again. He always seemed to be there when I was thinking like ‘Shadow Star’ instead of ‘Patrick Wright’. I might have had that ‘look’ in my eyes; I don’t know. However, Sam was looking at me like he expected me to say something.

  “Sam, I have to go up today to escort a ship. The ship that is going to take the Keeper back to his home area.”

  “Are you worried about the other side?”

  “Yes, I am. I don’t know what to expect. They could try almost anything. They almost have to know about the ship by now and its reason for being here.”

  “I hope you can do it. Is there anything I can do?”

  “The Keeper is grateful to you for the use of your inventions. You could go out to the cliffs and get them from him. Another thing, if I am not here Monday for class, I won’t be able to come back. That is when you should tell everyone the truth; I mean the whole truth about me.”

  Sam looked pale, but he said, “I will. You have been a good friend to me; please don’t get killed for nothing out there. If you got to die, do it for a good cause.”

  I could have cried. What he said meant something to me. I only looked at him. He must have understood what I wanted to say but couldn’t, because he smiled at me. Good old Sam, I loved him like a brother then.

  Of course I had to do what I had to do. I walked back to the dorm in quite thought. As soon as I got dressed I headed for the cave. It was like the first time I had gone out there. I was afraid of the known as well as the … unknown. Daring not to think about it, I did anyway.

  Chapter 9

  The Keeper was as nervous as a child about to embark on his first vacation. Badly wanting to go but lingering for one reason or another he looked as if he was going through his second childhood, or maybe, his third; he was that old. I for once became the ‘teacher’ with all the food but dry advice. Caught up in what I was telling the Keeper and pausing to think I noticed he was listening to every word. I had to smile, so he would know what it was like.

  Out in space the ship was calling. They were nearing my sector; I had to leave. I looked long and hard for the last time at the Keeper sitting there by the fire which seemed to be finally burning itself out after all the years, then slowly turned and headed for the reaches of space.

  Death Star had done his job well. He was by the ship which was smaller than I had expected and almost to the edge of my sector. I did not like the looks of him or his symbol, a black star with a sickle over it. The elders must have had a strange reason for naming him that and giving him that symbol. He quietly nodded and in response I waved and then he left. The ship was my responsibility now.

  I could not believe it, they came out of nowhere. Four dark warriors were coming on fast. They were not going to let me stop them to easily. I had to think fast, fight, flee, or what. The option I chose was different. I had always wanted to try but never took the opportunity to use a force field. Easy enough done, I encased all four of them in a tight force bubble. Right as I did they hit the side of it. They looked terribly upset so I motioned to the ship to follow me as quickly as possible. Willfully, they did so.

  The small crew, only three, seemed very glad indeed to be standing on firm soil again. While they loaded the Keeper’s things on board Sam pulled up. The Keeper already had taken the hoover craft and

  radio beacon up on top of the cliff. I let him thank Sam and then insisted we leave. As the ship was taking off I saw the jets. I had not thought of it before but I guess it is rather rude to suddenly appear on a radar screen unannounced. The ship must have seen the two F-16 interceptors also because they were setting record times and shattering the speed of sound trying to reach outer space. What they needed was time, so I shot tow ‘light’ bursts over each jet. Immediately they split from their formation in retreat or rather a regrouping. I had a real fight on my hands. How could I get out this without killing the two American pilots? My decision was to shoot off the wing tip of one of the jets. It worked as planned; when I shot the jet’s wing tip off it did a slow roll. At the speeds they fly a few feet missing from a wing is trouble so they both left.

  We were in space and traveling as fast as the ship would travel. The Keepers after his long stay on earth was going home.
As we neared Death Star’s sector, I started to look for the four dark warriors. I knew my force bubble could not have held them very long. They were following us and I knew it. Just to the left between the border and us I could see one of them every now and then. It would have appeared they were waiting for something but what? I could see Death Star in the far distance when something hit me. So this was their plan, they were trying to make me lose the ship in the mist of handing over responsibility to Death Star. Like a linebacker in football trying to make the quarterback lose the ball during a handoff, they hoped I would ‘fumble’ the ship. Good plan almost too good I decided. I attacked or rather counter-attacked with all the speed and quickness I could muster. After I had KO’d the one behind me, the one who had hit me with a ‘light’ blast to the head, I turned to the other three. They were circling me in an effort to keep one of them behind me. Their training must have been good but they were not as fast as me. I threw a small curved knife at one of them and it hit him just above the midsection; he was out of the fight. Then I has hit in the back by a ‘light’ shot that sent me rolling. That hit hurt; I mean I was in pain. At once they were on me. I cut off the arm of one of

  one of the remaining two with my hand laser. This guy was tough; he kept on fighting and hitting me with small objects. He was throwing something like a ball-bearing at me but they shocked you when they hit. I was losing now and they knew it. As I near-fatally struck the one armed warrior with a right cross, I was hit again in the back, this time in the head. All I saw was stars. I knew I was hurt badly now. Thankfully, I noticed Death Star coming on at full speed to the rescue, sort of. My vision was blurred, but I know I saw Death Star shatter the remaining Dark Warrior with a ‘sound’ shot. Nothing was left of him; I mean he was more than dead. Death Star, a name I would respect from now on. He made sure I was alive and left with the ship.

  I knew I was going to pass out. There was a moon nearby. It did not matter if it was in my own solar system or not. The moon was a place to rest. After I landed rather roughly, I sat there with Vanessa’s charm calling to her, imploring her to come to my aid and then I faded from the conscious world.

  I don’t know but I thought I could see something hanging above me. My mind was not clear so I could not make out what it was. Then I heard that voice, oh sweet voice.

  “Patrick, Patrick, say something.”

  At first I thought I was dreaming. “What?... Who?... Where am I?”

  “You are right where I found you.”

  I blinked my eyes several times. I could barely see her. “Venessa, are you actually here?”

  “Yes. Now just rest. What happened to you? What became of the ship and the Keeper?”

  “I a…” Only pieces of it were clear in my mind. “I took the ship to the edge of Death Star’s sector and when I could see him in the distance they a…, I mean I was attacked by some Dark Warriors. Four of them I think and they wanted the ship real bad. I put three of them out of action before I got blasted in the back of the head, the second time I was hit, hard. I think… yes, I know I saw Death Star take out the last remaining warrior. He did not just kill him; the guy was gone, really gone. Then I landed here, I made sure Death Star had the ship.”

  “You are messed up bad. I will have to take care of you right here.”

  “What day is it?”

  “In you time, it is Sunday, two days later.”

  “Oh great, I have to be in class tomorrow or everything is ruined.”

  “Why?”

  “Sam knows everything and if I’m not there for class in the morning he will tell everything, everything.”

  She would have been a great nurse or a doctor for all that mattered. I was in intensive care in my private hospital, private moon for what it was worth. Also, I was in the care of someone I cared for, besides I did not want anyone else nursing me to heath, in other words I was enjoying the situation and Venessa knew it. If love does not work miracles nothing will. I don’t know what I would look like because I felt terrible but I was at least going to try to go to class in the morning. One more thing I noticed I looked like and felt like I had lost a fight with a tiger but the suit was not even dirty much less torn, strange, very strange.

  Chapter 10

  Have you ever had a wreck in your car and got drunk that night because you had totaled your car and then gone to class the next morning with a hangover? Well that is how I felt and looked when I walked into class today. I faced all the normal questions. What happened to you? Are you in much pain? I have to be honest I didn’t say anything in response. All I did was stare at Sam as if to say I did it, but…

  Well somehow I managed to get through the day. Sam was dying to ask me a whole list of questions. I did not realize how serious Sam was about the matter. He had believed more than I expected him to believe. The situation in space was even a concern of his. This was new side of Sam. Sam, to me, had always been a good friend but always at arm’s length. I truly never thought Sam cared about people like he apparently does. He even appeared to be worried about my state of health. I must admit, under normal circumstances I would have been in the hospital. I was slowly walking back to the dorm, wondering how I would manage alone, without the Keeper I mean, when I saw her. Venessa, what a sight, was waiting outside for me in her ‘earthly’ clothes as she called them. Why I don’t know but I was convinced she had gone back to her home sector. But she was still here and was determined to take care of me. There must be a kind god after all.

  Of course, I brought her up to my room on a visitors pass. She got a little upset when I told her I had figured she had already left.

  “You think I would actually leave you like this. I just found you yesterday, almost dead I might add. And you, you think I’m thoughtless enough to leave when you, you space-headed jerk, just when you need me so desperately.”

  “Well I..”

  But what could I say to that. I was so surprised. I never thought she might care as much for me as I did for her. The age difference thing, something which bothered me, apparently meant next to nothing to her. It was too much for me to handle in one day. I grabbed her, hugged her, and cried like I have not cried in years.

  “I think we both could use some rest.”, she said, looking towards the bed, or maybe the window, I could not tell.

  “I don’t think I should do any flying now.”

  “Who said anything about flying?”

  “What about visitation rules?”

  “Big deal! I’ll check out and then I’ll come back in the window.”

  “Easy enough, I guess. Oh, what the heck, why not.”

  We had spent the night together before as Star People but not as students. Needless to say I was as nervous as an old alley cat.

  As planned, Venessa checked out and promptly ‘checked’ back in again. Did I ever mention adventure can be a strain on your soul? All the excitement had taken its toll on me, but having her in my room was on scene I could not miss. I was just going to hang on so I could mark the night up as a learning experience, however; Venessa proved to be determined to make it a night to remember.

  Soon, I remembered I was hurt, still, and thought I might just let Venessa call the shots for a while. I don’t know if they have heard about E.R.A. in space but Venessa was showing her years of experience, again. As I relaxed there in my room with her I began to feel a peace of mind I don’t think I have ever felt before. Only her and this ease filled my mind. Sleepy, I was getting very sleepy.

  Faded images floated into my field of vision. Of course, I thought I was seeing things. Noise, no voices, rang distantly in my ears. Was I dreaming? I must be dreaming. Venessa’s touch was there but I could not see her. Where was she? For some unknown reason, all fear left me. The visions in my mind became clearer and some of the voices were ones I knew. Why I did not know all the people in my dream I don’t know.

  The lighting around me start
ed to change. A grey swirl of darkness began pulling me down as if I were in a great black whirlpool. As I sank, I heard several distant screams, then a series of explosions, and finally the one clear word I heard unmistakably, ‘Attack’. A rush of red and light flashed in front of me. Suddenly a sense of death overcame my very being. What or who had I lost? Why was all of this happening to me? I had to do something. As I moved pain crawled up my arms and legs. Terrible pain such as I have never felt before gripped my body. Finally my mind let go.

  I felt numb as my spirit drifted. One thought kept racing in me, why would such insanity happen. Though I knew it was bad, I still could not figure out what exactly had taken place. The confusion mounted and added to my frustration. Just when I thought I would go mad a bright beam of light hit me in the face. Blind I was completely blind from the light but no pain was caused by it. Peace filled my being and all awareness left, all except the intense brightness that somehow soothed me.