‘You didn’t mention that you were also telepathic.’ Zeven attempted to avoid the topic.
‘I’m not telepathic.’ Anselm grinned. ‘But I assume that you were just asking yourself the same question?’
Zeven was annoyed by the query. ‘I don’t want to go back to having to prove myself as a pilot. I’m a shit hot pilot —’
‘Are you?’ Anselm raised both brows. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘Yes, I am … they don’t call me Starman for no reason!’ Zeven cringed, realising he’d given something about himself away — but then, that was a name he would not be known by for at least eight years yet!
‘Starman.’ Anselm picked up on the slip of the tongue. ‘Well, that certainly suits you better than Bob.’
Zeven was rather annoyed that Anselm was finding humour in his woe. ‘Look at me! I’m a kid again … no one is going to let me near any kind of revolutionary vehicle for at least another five frickin’ years!’
‘I will,’ Anselm answered, calmly.
‘Do the United Star Systems have a secret testing facility I don’t know about?’
‘If they did, you wouldn’t know about it,’ Anselm pointed out. ‘And if Sermetica had a testing facility for state-of-the-art transport, you wouldn’t know about that either, now would you?’
Starman smiled. ‘Are you asking me to come to Sermetica to be your crash test dummy?’ Zeven had had enough of the spy game and time hopping for the present; a little high-speed adrenaline pumping action was just what the doctor ordered.
‘Clearly, with your PK ability, you’d save a lot of lives if you would take up the challenge,’ Anselm bargained. ‘I think you’d find that, financially speaking, it would be very worth your while.’
Zeven was keen until Anselm added, ‘Who knows, you might even discover who your parents are while you’re there.’
‘I told you. I’m not interested in knowing who they are, any more then they are interested in knowing who I am,’ Zeven barked — that was a touchy subject.
But Zeven had learnt the hard way that if his emotions swung violently out of control, so did his Powers. As psychokinesis was the ability to move or distort matter at will, if he didn’t control his emotions, objects would start flying and people could get hurt.
Thus Zeven summoned up a more positive outlook. ‘Still … I am interested in making some serious money and breaking a few speed records so,’ he shrugged, ‘I guess I could try it out … on a trial basis.’
‘You may accompany me back to Sermetica after my meeting here is complete, if that suits?’ Anselm offered, trying not to sound too keen.
Clearly, Anselm was prepared to do anything to get Zeven and his fairly rare Power onside. But was it his Power, pilot skills, or Zeven’s close ties to Taren that Anselm was eager to harness?
‘I’ll pack.’ Zeven held up his hands, and his bag materialised. ‘Done.’ He let his luggage drop to the floor beside him.
Zeven felt better for having secured a means to fulfil his ambition and to make a name for himself, without having to repeat the next ten years of his life! The full impact of his choice to follow the Timekeeper back ten years in time had really only just come to light — now that the crisis they had come back to the past to alter had been resolved. Clearly, Taren’s mission now was to keep the various secret service agencies within the United Star Systems as far away from AMIE and its research as possible, whilst covertly gathering a psychic team to aid her in overcoming the malign forces that would, within ten years’ time, infiltrate and end the already shaky United Star Systems alliance. All diplomacy in the USS could end, and be replaced by a dictatorship run by a psychic army, whose power was derived from an evil thought form, fed by the blood lust of a thousand tortured souls.
‘Hello!’ Taren materialised before them, sounding as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
Anselm stood to greet Taren, who grinned broadly in response. ‘So, how did my future son-in-law react to having his destiny handed to him on a silver platter?’
‘They never got married,’ Zeven pointed out, not liking Anselm’s inference that Taren’s union with Lucian was a foregone conclusion.
‘We got a little distracted solving a multi-universal cock-up,’ Taren explained to her father, who was amused by their banter. ‘But, as expected, today’s meeting went very well. How could it not, when I already knew exactly what they were looking for?’ Taren placed her briefcase aside, conjured herself a cool drink and took a seat. ‘Poor Lucian was looking a little stunned though. I really shouldn’t have shaken his hand yesterday; he was bound to feel my Juju.’
‘Your Juju?’ Anselm frowned as he resumed his seat.
‘Yes.’ Taren removed her jacket and pointed to the black band around the top of her arm, which she flipped inside out to expose a smooth piece of grey rock imbued with a colourful energy. It was resting inside a pocket with a large hole in it, leaving the flat piece of stone partially exposed. ‘This rock was taken from a planet that will not be discovered for another ten years, hopefully longer!’
Zeven nodded and pulled up his sleeve to expose the same kind of armband.
Anselm’s eyes became transfixed by the colourful phenomenon and the uplifting aura of the stone; he wanted to touch it. ‘May I?’ he requested, whereupon Taren returned the stone to a face down position next to her skin.
‘I have one for you.’ Taren closed her hand and then opened it to reveal a piece of the same mysterious rock. She handed it to her father.
‘Good heavens,’ Anselm commented, seemingly overjoyed by her gift. ‘I have never felt or seen anything so filled with light … except you two,’ he granted, looking from Taren to Zeven and back to his Juju. Anselm saw auras, so the stone’s strange illumination was all the more apparent. ‘How could a piece of mineral be so spiritually advanced?’
‘A gaseous entity is tending to the evolution of the planet this stone was taken from. It is the ethereal architect that many of the souls that I have known, and will know, shall evolve into at some distance point in time … you included.’
Anselm looked back to her, stunned and pleased. ‘Then you do trust me?’
‘Like a father.’ She smiled. ‘And being that you are one of the good guys, this Juju will aid you to make the right decisions, shield you from being detected psychically, and identify you to my other recruits, who shall grow in number over the next ten years. You must keep it close to your skin when you require its protection, and your treacherous viceroy must never see it.’
Anselm found himself constantly surprised by her foresight, though he considered he ought to be used to it by now. ‘Why is it that I get the feeling that you are already running the USS?’ Anselm smiled. ‘That’s supposed to be my job.’
‘Don’t forget to mention,’ Zeven felt compelled to add, ‘that if anyone from our soul group gets too intimate with you for too long, the Juju stone will heighten their psychic powers, dormant or otherwise. My ex-girl sure didn’t like that much.’
‘That’s because in the future we came from, being psychic was the worst social disease you could have,’ Taren pointed out. ‘But in the future we are building, hopefully that will not be the case. Right, Father?’
Anselm nodded firmly to concur. ‘I have been detained in Maladaan, attending talks regarding the Psychics Rights Bill. I knew Taren could secure our investment without any help from me.’
‘Thank you.’ Taren lapped up the compliment and smiled back at Zeven. ‘See, this future will be very different.’
Zeven was unmoved; he knew what Taren was trying to do. ‘Nice try, but I intend to keep my promise to Aurora. Miss DeCadie ain’t ever getting near me again.’
Taren served him a sceptical smile. ‘I’ve spoken to your Grigorian soul-mind about this very issue, you know?’
‘I don’t want to know what my higher self has to say about my love life.’ Zeven felt really uncomfortable — ‘insanely brave’ and ‘promiscuous flirt’ were his middl
e names, and he didn’t want that to change any time soon. ‘Clearly, you want me out of your love life —’
‘You were never in my love life,’ Taren defended, as her father was present.
‘Never?’ Zeven challenged her to be honest.
Taren cocked an eyebrow, as if wise to his game. ‘You know we are part of the same soul group and so are always bound to love each other, but I am not your twin soul —’
‘All right!’ He held a hand up to stop her saying more. ‘Just don’t tell me who she is.’
Taren smiled, pleased to have won the argument, until she noted the bag on the floor alongside Zeven. ‘Are you going somewhere?’
He detected sadness in her voice, but he didn’t show how gratifying her sudden concern was. ‘The President of Sermetica made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.’ He shrugged off his decision like it wasn’t painful to think about being parted from her for five years. ‘And you’re going to Frujia anyway.’
‘How did I know this would happen?’ Taren served her father a sideways glance of angst, then stood to speak with Zeven. The look on her face made his heart split in two.
‘I’ll wait in my transporter downstairs, shall I?’ Anselm rose also and kissed his daughter on the forehead. ‘So pleased all is going according to plan, sweetness. Keep me informed, won’t you?’
‘I will.’ Taren gave a weak smile, and waited for Anselm to leave before speaking. ‘I’m going to miss you, Zeven.’ She moved in for a hug, her eyes filling with tears.
‘I thought you’d be pleased I’m going, now that you’ve got a future with Lucian in your sights,’ he pointed out, enjoying the hug anyway.
‘That doesn’t mean I won’t miss you.’ She pulled back to look him in the eye.
‘Cool.’ He resolved to be light-hearted about this, as Taren was not going to be. ‘How about a goodbye kiss then?’
She grinned broadly at his cheek and, quite unexpectedly, obliged his parting wish. There was a great rush of energy that danced between them briefly and then she was standing at a distance once again.
‘Damn,’ he said, as he only ever got a kiss from Taren when they were parting; both he and Taren knew that if she was destined to be with anyone, it was Lucian Gervaise. There was really no getting around that anymore; whether Zeven was related to her or not, she was in love with someone else and always would be. ‘I just wish I could get that feeling with some other chick, who doesn’t mind being one of us freaks.’
‘You will,’ she said surely.
‘Don’t tell me,’ he insisted. ‘Promise me that you’ll never tell me.’
Taren grinned in a way that made him think that she knew something that he didn’t, and as precognition was one of her strongest Powers, that was daunting. ‘I promise that I will never tell you.’ She held a hand to her heart.
‘Unless I want you to,’ Zeven thought to add, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. ‘Although, I can’t see that I would ever want to know for sure.’
Taren could only laugh and shake her head at him. ‘When you find her, you won’t have a choice in the matter, you will just know.’ She sobered again. ‘You take good take of yourself, Starman, the universe needs you.’
‘And I need the universe, so it’s a pretty good arrangement really.’ He gave her a wink. ‘If you ever need me, I’m only a thought away.’
‘Be seeing you then.’ She waved, still a little melancholy.
‘Um … you might want to call first,’ he teased.
‘Ditto!’ He heard her shout back, which put a smile on his face, as he teleported himself to Anselm’s transport.
It was difficult to part, having survived so many adventures together, but he and Taren had different lives to lead for the next five years. She had taught Zeven mastery over his Power and he wasn’t afraid of himself, or to go it alone, anymore.
Zeven materialised in the rear of Anselm’s unassuming transporter, just as the ruler was climbing in himself, and he startled the life out of the president. ‘You do get around, don’t you?’ He took a seat next to Zeven, trying not to look spooked.
Zeven noted that the driver’s compartment was completely screened off from the rear cabin; then couldn’t fail to notice how outdated the luxury transporter was. ‘Is this really the best they could do for the president?’
‘Hey, this was hot off the production line last week!’ The president was amused by the revelation Zeven was about to have.
‘Of course,’ Zeven whined, as their vehicle moved into the flow of traffic. ‘Nothing is going to be state-of-the-art to me, when I’ve flown what we’ll be flying ten years from now!’
Anselm had to chuckle. ‘Well, look on the bright side. You’ll already know what’s a dud and what isn’t, and think of how many lives you’ll save.’
The fact was a little depressing to Zeven and clearly he was outwardly deflated; if nothing else, life with Taren was always a thrill a minute.
‘I’ve got a fantastic apartment in Heavensgate that I never use, and you can live there for as long as you want,’ Anselm offered, in case he was losing interest.
‘Why are you so keen to get me onside?’ Zeven confronted Anselm. ‘It makes me nervous. Because if you think you can own me, or control me, you can’t.’
‘As powerful as you are, Bob … Or should I call you, Starman?’ Anselm queried. ‘Or perhaps you’ll tell me your real name, now that we are working together?’ Anselm pulled out a handheld database, and showed Zeven an article in the local news about a promising young pilot referred to as Airman Gudrun, who had gone missing. ‘There are a few loose ends we might need to square away.’
Zeven was shocked and then frustrated, but only for a second. ‘So, you know who I am, answer my question, or I’ll pop off and you’ll never see me again.’
‘Why do you mistrust me so much?’ Anselm had obviously never met someone so openly wary of him. Most perceived him as charming and accommodating — the Peacekeeper of the USS.
‘Things you did in the future give me cause to be cautious,’ Zeven stated.
‘You cannot hold things I’m yet to do against me,’ Anselm reasoned. ‘Besides, we share the same Juju now, if not the same bloodline, so how can I possibly fall short and not be held to account by you and our Timekeeper?’
Zeven let down his guard a little, as Anselm obviously realised that it was Taren who Zeven answered to; clearly Anselm was happy to take his cues from her too. ‘You broke a couple of promises to me once before, not that I remember much of it, because you then had my memory altered.’
‘I’m very sorry.’ Anselm apologised, as he sanctioned such things before today.
‘Still,’ Zeven had to confess, ‘I always did respect you, and found you pretty likeable, because you remind me of her.’ The thought of not seeing Taren for five years hurt quite a bit more than anticipated.
‘Well, besides testing my spacecraft and saving pilots’ lives, I also want you to be a go-between for me and Taren.’ Anselm finally answered Zeven’s question. ‘You have the ability to do that quickly and quietly, and you are the only person Taren really trusts.’
‘You got that right.’ Zeven was proud that although Taren may have been in love with Lucian, she could not yet trust him with all her secrets, and she had many — only Zeven knew them all.
‘You are the only man for the job,’ Anselm concluded. ‘So you see, that makes you my best and only ally. And quite apart from the business side of things, I like you, Starman. You’re just like I was a hundred years ago. I see a kindred spirit in you.’
Zeven had to admit that he’d always been well disposed toward Jabez Anselm. Despite his misguided actions, he knew that the man had always just been trying to protect his daughter.
‘Please, if you could judge me on that which I have done, rather than that which I might do, I give you my word, as Taren’s father and leader of the United Star Systems, that I will never betray your trust again … the truth is, I need you too much.’
/> Zeven could literally feel the sincerity flowing forth from the dignitary. ‘I believe we have a mutual cause that makes our ties to each other morally binding …’
Anselm nodded in serious agreement.
‘… but the universe help anyone who betrays the Timekeeper or any of her Chosen.’
‘In that knowledge, Starman, I’ve slept well this week, for the first time since Taren was born! The effort it takes to keep her hidden and maintain contact with her is near impossible, being who I am. How I envy your talent.’
‘We both know your viceroy has PK, right?’ Zeven pointed out he was not completely unique.
Anselm nodded. ‘I discovered Khalid’s power at around the same time he discovered I was trying to hide a child, so we made a pact to keep each other’s secrets. I didn’t know Khalid was a half-blood prince of Phemoria!’
‘You didn’t guess?’ Starman scolded.
‘Up until recently it has only ever been a rumour that PK is only strong in the royal line of Phemoria. Most Phemorian legend has been banned in Sermetica since the revolution that saw my forefathers banished from their home planet.’
‘Does Khalid know Taren is the daughter of the queen, and heir to the Phemorian throne?’
‘I thought not,’ Anselm confessed. ‘But if my viceroy was behind my falling out with the queen, as Taren claims, then I must assume that he does know exactly who Taren’s mother is. Still, as I never really trusted Khalid fully, he does not know her identity, what she looks like, or where she is.’
‘Then we’ll ensure we keep it that way,’ Zeven said, and Anselm was in complete agreement.
It was first class all the way to Sermetica for Zeven and, even though it was the first class treatment of a decade ago, and he’d seen all the in-flight movies before, the pilot liked being treated as if he was somebody. He travelled with Jabez Anselm all the way to Heavensgate, and not once did anyone query who he was. Maybe the president’s men already knew that Zeven was the pilot missing from Maladaan? That only added to Zeven’s mystique, as such a disappearance had secret service recruit written all over it.