Chapter 2

The Angani Sector, B.T. 750


There was a flash of light, and a ship suddenly appeared. Drifting through space, white flames dying on the self-repairing engine, it hobbled along its path.

The Mzungan pilot yawned. Shaking his head blearily, he checked the autopilot course on the patrol route. It was much too late for him, but the UrQa waited for no one. He wondered briefly if he could afford to doze off—until a dull blip awakened him. "What in the name of the gods…?"

On the radar screen, there was a red dot where there should have been none. "A ship…"

It was much too small to be any significant threat, and instead of moving quickly, it limped along, as if damaged. But the UrQa are clever…it could be an ambush.

Rubbing away the sleep from his eyes, he reached for a tear-shaped radio transmitter. "Report. There is an intruder within our boundaries, found at coordinates 504, 1209, northwest of the base. It appears to be docile, but I request backup if it is a surprise attack…"


"Whrrrrrr…" Kaim blinked his eyes open and was greeted by a paroxysm of pain. Forcing his head up, he suddenly froze and stared at his surroundings in shock, his mind struggling to comprehend.

Instead of scattered nebulae, there were stars, still hot and bright. There was no temporal warp hunting him down, no Paxian research outpost that offered sanctity in deep space. Instinctively he reached for the cubicle where he had thrust in the Planck Warp Instigator, and his fingers touched dust. The device had disintegrated in the winds of time.

Time…

The thought struck Kaim with the force of a hammer. Where the hell am I?

A ship flew past his own. "What?"

All of a sudden,a muffled explosion rocked the spearhead, and Kaim knew no more.