END GAME
"Well, I'm off!" Suni said happily, shouldering her bag.
"Enjoy your holiday," Xen replied, giving his friend a quick hug, "and have fun at the festivals.
Suni smiled and stepped up the ramp leading to the waiting transport. All the cadets at Starcademy were either leaving or were gone for the three-day UPP holiday. Earlier that morning, Tethys had left for Neptune and Atreus had gone to New Andromeda. Now Suni was eager to visit her family on Starbase 7. Xen offered to wait until she left before he departed for Vyrill. Halfway up the ramp, Suni paused and glanced back at Xen.
"No news from Alyna?" she asked, knowing what the answer would be.
Xen shook his head. Suni sighed, gave her friend a final wave, and disappeared into the transport. As the ship prepared to leave, Xen remained where he was until the airlock doors opened and the transport rocketed into space. Picking up his own bag, Xen caused a dimensional tear to appear and stepped through.
Suni sat alone on the transport, staring out the window. It had been so long since she had been able to visit her parents for a relaxing holiday, even if it was just for a weekend. Still she wished she could have said good bye to Alyna, just so she would know the Guardian was all right. Alyna had been called away from Starcademy a few days ago on a top secret mission for the UPP. She hadn't even been able to tell her friends about it, and had vanished into space without a word of farewell. Suni sighed, watching the stars. She tried her best to think of the joyful reunion she would have with her family on Starbase 7.
"May I sit here, young lady?
Blinking, Suni tore herself away from the twinkling stars and looked up. A Saturnian man was standing in the aisle, gesturing to the seat next to her. He was wearing a faded multicoloured top hat and long jacket that complimented his rainbow hair. He had a brown suitcase by his feet. Smiling, Suni moved her bag off the seat. The man touched the brim of his hat by way of thanks and lowered himself onto the seat, tucking his suitcase by his feet. Suni returned to her vigil of the stars.
"You seem down," the man commented.
The Mercurian-Uranusian shook her head. "I'm excited actually. I'm going home.
"You're on the wrong transport for Mercury.
"No, Starbase 7 is my home.
The Saturnian nodded. "Your father is a technician on the base?
Suni grinned. "Something like that.
"I'm heading to the base myself," the man said. "There's a market there this holiday and I'm going to make my fortune.
Suni nodded, not particularly interested in what the man was saying. Still, her mother had taught her to be polite, so she smiled and hoped the merchant was finished talking. He winked at her and smiled.
"I'm selling the future," the man continued. "A game that will change the way you look at the world.
Suni suddenly found herself enthralled by what he had to say. "A game? Really?
He nodded. "Come by the market, young lady, and I'll give you a demonstration. On the house.
The transport slid to a stop, and Suni thanked the Saturnian. He touched the brim of his hat as he said farewell and blended into the crowd. Suni watched his top hat disappear around a corner before picking up her own bag and exiting the ship.
Tethys sighed and threw herself onto her bed. Floors below her, she knew her parents were conducting court business in preparation for the festival and wouldn't be done for hours. That left Tethys with nothing to do. She had hoped to spend time with her mother, telling her about her courses and friends, but after the official welcoming when Tethys had stepped off the transport, her parents had been too busy to see her. The princess had tried to amuse herself by touring the city, but her guards had been instructed not to let her leave the palace grounds. She was a prisoner in her own home.
Crossing her expansive room, she sat in front of her vid-phone and dialed. Perhaps seeing a friendly face would cheer her up, and maybe give her an idea of what to do with her time. Moments later, the face of a middle-aged Andromedan woman appeared and smiled brightly.
"Hello, Tethys! Enjoying your holiday?" Arista asked.
Tethys smiled at the governor of New Andromeda. "I'm afraid it hasn't been very exciting so far. My parents have been too busy getting the city ready for the festival, so I thought I'd see how Atreus was doing.
"That's too bad, dear. I guess the monarchy can't afford a holiday! Just wait there. I'll go get Atreus for you.
Tethys thanked her and waited patiently as Arista's face left the screen. A minute later Atreus appeared, smiling broadly. His eyes were lit up in amusement and Tethys could hear talking and laughter in the background. Her heart wrenched with jealousy and longing to join the laughter.
"Miss me already?" Atreus asked. "I just saw you this morning.
"I wanted to see how you're doing," Tethys replied, "find out how your trip was, how you family is
"Everything is great! It's a government holiday here, so Mom's home all weekend! Dad invited some friends over and we're having a bit of a party.
"Sounds fun," Tethys sighed half-heartedly.
"What are you up to, Your Highness?" Atreus teased.
Tethys immediately put on a regal air. "Oh, balls, banquets, handsome nobles professing their undying love. The usual.
Atreus' smile disappeared and his face grew serious. "Tethys, are you okay?
"I'm fine. My parents are just a little busy.
"And you're bored?
Tethys grimaced. The Andromedan was being very perceptive. Sometimes she wondered how he could possibly know her so well. She nodded.
"Why don't you go out? Take a swim through the streets?" Atreus suggested.
"They won't let me," Tethys whined. "There are guards everywhere.
"Even outside your window?
That brought Tethys up short. She hadn't even considered the possibility of sneaking out. It could work, she found herself thinking. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and glared at the screen. Atreus was grinning impishly.
"First of all, you sound like Suni," Tethys pointed out. "Secondly, I'm on Neptune now, not Starcademy. It's unseemly for a princess to be seen sneaking out of her window.
Atreus shrugged. "It was only a suggestion. Admit it, you were considering it for a moment.
"I was not," Tethys replied. Yes, Atreus definitely knew her too well.
"If you want, I can send a book to your compupad for you to read.
There was a knock at the door. Tethys asked Atreus to wait a moment before turning to the door and instructing the knocker to enter. It was one of her bodyguards. He bowed and took a quick glance at the vid-phone. Atreus waved.
"Your Highness, the Queen requests you join her in court at once," he said.
Tethys nodded and waited until the guard had closed the door before turning back to Atreus. She was grinning broadly and clapping her hands in excitement. Atreus laughed.
"So you're not forgotten after all. I guess you won't need that book," he said.
"Thanks for your advice, and for killing some time. Call me when you get a chance, okay?" Tethys replied.
Atreus nodded as the call disconnected. The princess quickly changed, brushed her hair, and took a deep breath. She gracefully walked out the door and down the stairs, followed closely by her guards.
Alyna glided quickly through space, careful not to be detected. The silver alien ship was directly ahead, moving almost too quickly for her to keep up. Her orders had been direct and from the Admiral himself: follow the ship and report on its movements and communications. Tell no one of the mission. Admiral Band had provided her with the latest UPP translator, which included all the languages the UPP had ever deciphered. The translator, coupled with Alyna's own knowledge of galactic languages, convinced the Admiral that there would be no problem in figuring out the mysterious language of the strange ship.
She had been following the alien ship for days now. It seemed to be moving without destination, jumping from system to system along the rim of UPP space. The only patter the Guardian could identify was that it was gradually circling deeper into UPP territory.
Suni chatted nearly nonstop at her parents over dinner. Rosie and Bova listened carefully as their daughter told them about her adventures. Rosie was noticeably concerned, and Bova patted her hand reassuringly.
Later that night, once Suni had gone to sleep, Rosie sat on the edge of the bed, staring at a baby photo of Suni. Bova came over and sat next to her.
"Maybe we should talk to Harlan," Rosie suggested.
"Do you think that would stop her?" Bova asked. He shook his head. "I don't know where she gets this from.
Rosie smiled wryly. "From us? From our stories about the Christa?
Bova pretended to consider this. "No, I think it was Harlan.
His wife laughed and replaced the picture on the nightstand.
"I'm still worried. She's already É we've already almost lost her several times," Rosie sighed.
"Her friends are looking out for her, like our friends always looked out for us.
Rosie sighed and Bova put his arm around her. She hugged him back and smiled as a thought suddenly occurred to her.
"It makes you wonder how our parents felt when we disappeared, doesn't it?
Tethys stood at her mother's left side, right next to the Queen's throne. Clito had summoned her daughter to observe the wares that would be sold at tomorrow's festival. It was tradition for the king and queen to be visited by the merchants, both to inspect what would be sold in their city, and to have first pick of the merchandise.
Tethys had bough some cloth for a new gown, some festive trinkets for her friends, and some jewelry. It was getting very late, and the court was tired. King Bran rested his head on one hand while staring at the merchant before him, and Queen Clito was sitting with her eyes half closed. Finally, the chamberlain announced the final merchant with great relief. Clito and Bran sat up straight and Tethys shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
The merchant was an exuberant Neptunian wearing a faded rainbow coloured top hat and a long coat. He bowed deeply to the royals and, catching Tethys' eye, winked at the princess. Straightening, he opened his battered suitcase to reveal his wares.
"This, your Majesties, is the future. A game that will change the way you look at the world.
Tethys was suddenly very interested in what the man was selling. She watched eagerly as the man reached into his suitcase and took out a small, black sphere. He held it between his thumb and index finger, showing it to the whole court.
"You simply place this in your ear, and it sends electrical impulses to your brain, making you see, hear, and feel the game. Everything is controlled through your thoughts," he explained.
"Is it safe?" Clito asked.
The merchant winked at her. "Of course, your Majesty. Would I sell it if it wasn't?
The Queen smiled. "I suppose not. Very well, you have our permission to join the festival.
The merchant bowed. "Thank you. May I present this game to the beautiful princess as my gift for the festival?
Tethys inclined her head to indicate her acceptance of the gift. The merchant handed the sphere to the waiting servant who was collecting the princess' purchases. As the court adjourned for the day, Tethys could hardly wait to try out her game.
Atreus walked through the busy streets early the morning of the festival. His parents were near by, greeting friends and buying gifts. Atreus had found a deep blue gemstone necklace for Tethys, and a red one for Suni. He bought Xen a small musical pipe, and was searching for a gift for Alyna. The Guardian had no hobbies that he knew of, and wore no jewelry or new clothes. He was looking at a stand selling small Andromedan dolls when he saw a man wearing a faded multicoloured top hat and coat. Pushing his way through the growing crowd, he found himself standing in front of a booth selling small, spherical devices. The merchant caught his eye and winked.
"Just the thing for that long transport back to school, cadet," the merchant said to Atreus.
"What is it?" Atreus asked.
"A game," the man replied. "A game that will change the way you look at the world. For you, free of charge.
Nodding, Atreus thanked him and took one. He thought maybe Alyna would like it for those long nights alone in space. Clutching the box, he headed home, suddenly not wanting to part with the game. Maybe he would just try it to make sure it was working okay. He was sure Alyna would understand.
Suni prowled the small market on Starbase 7, looking for the Saturnian and his promised demonstration. She had enjoyed her evening with her parents, but the promise of the game was always nagging in the back of her mind. She bought a few things for her friends almost absently as she scanned the crowd. Finally, she spotted the multicoloured top hat at a nearby booth.
"Ah, young lady," the merchant exclaimed. "Nice to see you again.
Suni smiled, trying to hide her impatience. The Saturnian must have noticed because he winked at her again and rummaged through his suitcase. Suni's anticipation increased and she nearly dove into the suitcase herself to get the game. When the Saturnian reemerged, holding a small object, Suni was suddenly so excited she thought she would burst.
"Here we are," he said, handing her the small sphere. "Just place it in your ear and enjoy the game. It will follow your thoughts.
"How much?" Suni asked, her eyes riveted to the game.
"For you, young lady, free of charge," the Saturnian replied with a smile.
Suni thanked him and closed her fingers around the game. She went immediately back to her room, closed the door, and sat on the bed. Opening her clenched fingers, she held the sphere gently in the palm of her hand. Grinning, she placed the device in her ear and waited. There was a bit of a jolt as the game connected to her neural pathways, causing her to gasp and close her eyes. When she opened them again, she was in a new world.
Suni sat on her bed, staring straight ahead without seeing, a huge smile on her face.
Alyna sat on a piece of rock, trying to decipher the latest transmission from the silver ship. The vessel itself was nearby, hovering in orbit of an inhospitable planetoid. Alyna had no idea what it was waiting for, but she believed the answer lay in the communication it was currently transmitting. One word was constantly being repeated, so she was focusing on translating it. She had been trying for hours, with growing frustration and no real progress.
A shuttle approached the ship from the direction of the UPP interior. It made no attempt to signal the larger ship, or to even slow down, but the docking bay doors slid open and the shuttle disappeared within. Alyna quickly added this occurrence in her report to Admiral Band. While her report was being transmitted, her translator finally found a match for her mystery word. Alyna frowned in confusion, not recognizing the species the translator identified, but recognizing the word.
"Game?" Alyna mouthed the word as she read the translation.
Tethys was enjoying her new game so much, she almost missed the banquet her mother was throwing for the festival. Blinking, she disengaged herself and slipped the sphere into the drawer of her night stand. Taking a deep breath to clear her mind of the game, she arranged her hair and left the room. It was suitable, she decided, that she should be fashionably late. A princess must never be the first one at any occasion. Tethys smiled brightly as she entered the ballroom, but her thoughts lingered on the black sphere in her night stand.
Atreus was late for dinner that night. As he wolfed down his food, his parents tried to ask him about his day. Atreus gave them one word answers between bites, never raising his eyes to look at either of them. Arista gave her husband a sideways look.
"The festival celebrations are on tonight," Arista reminded her son. "Everyone is looking forward to seeing you there. It's been so long since you've been home, the community misses you.
"I miss them, too," Atreus managed, "but I've got some work to do, and I'm heading back to Starcademy tomorrow, so maybe I'll see them another time.
"The festival is only once a year," Umar, his father, pointed out. "You were just telling us this morning how much you want to go.
"Maybe I'll meet you there later," Atreus said as he left the table and went back to his bedroom.
As she heard the door slam, Arista turned to her husband and sighed.
"Do you think he's okay?" she asked. "He never misses the festival.
Umar shrugged. "Maybe something happened today at the market.
Rosie peeked into Suni's room later that night, and saw her daughter sitting on her bed, staring straight ahead without blinking. Rosie moved quietly into the room to stand in front of Suni and spoke her name. The girl didn't move. Gently, Rosie shook her shoulder. Suni blinked and looked up in surprise.
"Mom! You scared me half to death!" Suni gasped.
Rosie sat down as Suni removed the game from her ear. She kept it gripped tightly in one hand, which Rosie noticed. The older Mercurian put her hand on her daughter's knee.
"Honey, I'm concerned about your new toy. It makes you so É distant. You missed the festival celebrations, and dinner with your father. You know how much he wanted to spend time with you before his shift.
Suni smacked her forehead with her palm. "Dad's gone? Mom, why didn't you call me?
"We did, several times. We thought you were asleep and your father didn't want to wake you. You've got an early transport tomorrow," Rosie replied.
Suni glanced over at the chronometer and her eyes widened. "It's so late!
Rosie smiled, but her face remained full of worry. "Suni, I know you like your game, but should it really take up so much of your time? So much that you don't even notice your family?
Suni returned her mother's grin and patted her on the hand. "Don't worry, Mom. It's just because it's new. The novelty will wear off by the time I get to school, and everything will be just like it was.
Rosie stood up. "If you say so. I'm going to bed, but I'll be up early enough to see you to your transport. Maybe your father will be able to sneak away long enough to say good bye.
Suni felt a stab of guilt as she kissed her mother good night and closed the door. She changed into her pajamas and sat back down on her bed. The game was still in her hand. She looked at it, sitting innocently in the palm of her hand, and sighed.
"I'll play for one more hour, then off to bed," Suni told herself as she slipped the device back into her ear.
Xen waved goodbye to his father's family as he stepped through the dimensional tear. His holiday had gone by without incident. He had enjoyed the Nightsong again, and eating fresh sephra berries with his cousins. They had played in the fields, flying all over the place like they had as children. Xen had expected his mother to be there as well, but his father had told him Suzee was once again exploring unknown dimensions and no one knew where she was. Although he was saddened by the thought, being with his own kind again made him feel as if he never had left.
The people of Vyrill didn't have weekends or holidays, but Xen knew when his time was up. With regret, he said farewell to his father and cousins, and a few minutes later had reappeared in his dorm room at Starcademy. His bunkmate, John, was already in the room and nearly had a heart attack when Xen suddenly appeared.
"Can't you warn me before you do that?" John asked, trying to calm his pounding heart.
"Sorry," Xen replied, fluttering his wings. "I didn't know where else to go.
John smiled. "It's no problem. You just startled me, that's all.
Xen placed his bag on his bed and headed for the door. "Are you coming for dinner?
John shook his head. "I ate on the transport. See you later!
Xen waved as he left the room. With his bunkmate gone, John rummaged through his own bag until he found his prize. With a triumphant cry, John activated the small black sphere and began to play the game.
The cafeteria was strangely empty. Even though not all the cadets had returned from their holiday, Xen was hardly expecting the school to be so deserted. He got his food from a disgruntled server and sat at his usual table, half expecting his friends to arrive. They had all planned to be back by dinner so they could spend the meal discussing their holidays before classes started the next morning. Xen ate slowly to give them a change to arrive, but they never came.
Xen was getting worried. Leaving the cafeteria, he headed to the docking bay to see if the transports had arrived on schedule. They halls of the school were just as empty as the cafeteria. Xen's wings fluttered as he crept quietly down the hall, hating to disturb the silence with his footsteps. He passed the corridor leading to the teacher's quarters and paused for a moment by the door. He could sense their presences, but their minds were all occupied. He couldn't figure out what they were all doing exactly, except that they were all in a state of bliss. Expanding his mind, he was surprised to find the same emotions resonating from every cadet in the school. The only minds that were functioning normally were in the docking bay. Xen sat on the ground to give his full concentration to the minds in the bay, wondering why they were not affected like the rest of the school. He knew he had to be as cautious as possible until he figured out what was going on. He counted a dozen minds isolated in the docking bay, and he sensed nervous excitement from most of them.
Flying close to the ceiling, Xen headed toward the active minds. He flew into the lounge, where people often watched the shuttles entering and departing from the school, and peeked out the window. He was completely astonished by what he saw. The docking bay was full of transport shuttles, most of UPP design, but two were unlike anything he had ever seen before. They were much smaller and silver coloured, and armed soldiers were moving in and out of them. Xen counted eleven armed invaders, and a twelfth presence still within the ship. The invaders wore body armour and helmets, but they had spiked ridges down their backs that protruded from the armour. Carefully, Xen scanned their minds. They were completely foreign to him, strange emotions and sensations. Xen was forced to break off contact. He began moving toward the door when the twelfth alien emerged from the shuttle. Xen's eyes widened and he quickly slipped into a dimensional tear to avoid being seen.
Seconds later, the Master raised his cowled head to the windows where Xen had been.
Xen reappeared in the hall outside the girls' rooms. His heart was pounding as he sank to the ground and rested his forehead on one hand. The whole school was in a state of distraction and aliens were invading. Xen contemplated calling Admiral Band, but he knew if the Master was here, certainly all communications would be blocked. Fighting down panic, Xen realized where he was and stood. He ran to Tethys and Suni's room, knowing they would be able to think of a plan. He found their door ajar and pushed it open. Rushing inside, he was brought up short by what he saw.
Both Suni and Tethys were sitting on their beds, staring straight ahead without blinking. They both had a stupid grin on their faces. Xen noticed a small black device in their ears. Standing in front of Suni, he shook her gently while calling her name. She didn't move. He did the same to Tethys to no avail. He tried shaking them harder and yelling, but there was no response. Sitting next to Suni, he tried to reach her telepathically, calling her in her mind, but found he couldn't even reach her that way. Breaking free of Suni, he tried reaching Tethys but found her mind equally preoccupied.
Xen was growing more alarmed with every passing minute. Slipping through a tear, he reappeared in Atreus' room and found the Andromedan was also ensnared by the device. He repeated all the tricks he had tried on Suni and Tethys, but nothing worked. Feeling completely helpless and alone, Xen sat next to his immobile friend and wept.
The ship had not moved in days. Alyna watched smaller shuttles coming in and out, reported them all to the Admiral, and continued her vigil. Her translator was working furiously, trying to decode the last communications string transmitted by two shuttles leaving two days ago. Since then nothing had happened. Alyna wondered how long Admiral Band expected her to sit here. She was, in fact, growing bored. This startled her, since she often had sat motionless in space for weeks without any boredom. Perhaps his stake-out mission would help her regain the patience she had lost.
She glanced down at the translator, scanning the words that had already been deciphered. The now familiar word Ôgame' was repeated again, but this time Alyna noticed the word Ôschool' as well. She was growing more curious by the moment as to what the alien ship was trying to achieve in UPP space.
Xen paced around Atreus' room. Even by yelling, he had not been able to snap the Andromedan free from whatever spell he was under. He knew it was because of the black device, but was afraid to remove it until he knew what it was. His wings fluttered as he moved, blowing air directly into Atreus' face. The Andromedan blinked and groaned. Xen was immediately at his side, calling his name. Atreus blinked again and looked over at his friend.
"Xen!" Atreus smiled. His eyes were half closed and he appeared very tired. "How was your holiday?
"You're okay!" Xen exclaimed, giving the Andromedan a hug.
"Hey! What's going on?" Atreus asked, gently breaking free of the embrace.
"What is that thing in your ear?" Xen pointed.
Atreus removed the black sphere and held it tenderly in his palm. Xen was about to take it when Atreus closed his fingers around it. The Vyrillian snatched his hand back and tried to ignore the sudden anger that flashed in Atreus' eyes.
"It's a game," Atreus said, gazing fondly at his closed hand. "I bought it for Alyna, but I think I'll keep it. You don't think she'll mind?
"A game?" Xen repeated. "A game is making everyone a zombie?
"Don't be stupid," Atreus snapped, fitting the device back in his ear. "It's only a game. Everyone will stop by dinner, and we've got class tomorrow.
"But dinner is over, and aliens are" Xen broke off when he realized Atreus had rejoined the game.
Xen tried to wake him again, but found it impossible. Alone again, it suddenly dawned on Xen that it was up to him to save the school and his friends.
Two alien intruders walked down the halls of Starcademy, each carrying a blaster rifle. They weren't moving very fast, and by the relaxed pace it was easy to assume they weren't expecting any trouble on their patrol. Still, the Master had felt uneasy about something and it was up to the soldier to make sure everything was okay.
Xen waited with his own blaster, hidden around a corner. He could hear the footsteps growing nearer, and he fingered the weapon nervously. He hated to use violence, but it was the only way he could think of ridding the school of the intruders. Once the aliens were gone, he could contact the UPP and they could figure out how to stop the game.
The footsteps were almost upon him, and he steeled his nerves. Leaping into the hallway, he suddenly felt himself becoming entangled in what felt like a blanket. He was thrown against the wall and a cold hand was placed over his mouth. The guards passed him as if he wasn't there. Still being held, Xen was forced to wait until the footsteps had faded from hearing before he was released. He shrugged off the blanket and stared at his captor.
"Alyna!" he gasped.
The Guardian put a finger to her lips to silence him as she rearranged her cloak. Xen nodded and clamped his mouth shut. Taking him by the arm, Alyna led him into a deserted classroom and closed the door behind them.
We must speak telepathically, Alyna said.
Alyna! I'm so glad to see you, but they've captured the school! Xen exclaimed.
I know. I believe they are using a game to enslave the cadets of Starcademy. We must stop them.
We're too late! We two are the only ones unaffected by the game. The aliens are already here, and the Master is with them, Xen said mournfully.
This caught Alyna by surprise. Her golden eyes widened and she stared at Xen. The Master is here?
Xen nodded. What should we do?
We must free the students. The school is blockaded and the UPP will be unable to assist us. We must free the school ourselves.
Alyna waited in the medlab for Xen to reappear. More soldiers had arrived, doubling or possibly tripling Xen's original count. Alyna could hear them moving in the hallway, and wondered why they weren't bothering to check the classrooms and medlab for students. She supposed that they did not share the Master's paranoia about taking Starcademy so easily. She was almost glad that the Master had decided to take a personal part of the invasion. Much like her friends, she despised him for the discord he had caused in the UPP, but especially for driving her people to another galaxy and leaving her the last of her kind. Guardians were supposed to be peaceful and helping, but above all else, Alyna craved revenge.
Xen materialized through a tear, dragging Tethys with him. Suni and Atreus were already in the medlab, lying on their backs as they continued to play the game. Alyna motioned for Xen to place Tethys on the remaining bed, which he did so before throwing himself into a chair.
Remind me to tell Tethys she's heavy, Xen said as he took a deep breath.
Alyna gave him a half smile. At least you did not have to carry Atreus, and I would not mention weight to Tethys if I were you.
Xen smiled and stood up. Crossing his arms over his chest, he moved next to Alyna and stared at his semi conscious friends. What now?
Now we wake them up, Alyna replied.
Tethys was running through a forest, a gun in her hand and six enemy mutants ahead of her. She was breathing hard, but she knew that with their dea