Prophecy

had something to do with your prophecy. Perhaps they think I'm this Golden Child too. And if I am, what is it I'm supposed to do?'

Tallyn sighed, his smile fading. 'Unfortunately, we don't know that yet. As for the Draycons, they don't even know about the prophecy, as far as we know. It doesn't concern them.'

'So you didn't chase them away?'

'No. I'm sure they left of their own accord.'

Rawn studied Tallyn. 'Why do you look so much like us if you're alien?'

'Your race is the result of genetic engineering carried out on you millennia ago. All human races are descendants of the first people, who were engineered from proto humans native to Earth. Many advanced races are similar because of a far-reaching expansion that carried out a policy of advancement on many of the more primitive species they found. Almost all carbon-based life in the universe has a similar blueprint, but you didn't evolve to your present state on your own.'

'Well, that explains the missing link. But if we're descended from people like you, where do you come from?'

Tallyn shrugged. 'We have legends. I'll tell you about them some time. But now, I have things to do, and I expect you're tired. Would you like to go to your quarters and rest?'

Rawn glanced at Rayne, who said, 'What are you going to do with us?'

Tallyn looked a little pained. 'Nothing, really. We'll take you to Atlan, where you'll be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy, given everything you could wish for. A home, a job if you want it, knowledge, entertainment, anything. When the time comes, your purpose will be revealed to you.'

'How?'

'We don't know. We only have those few words in the book, but I'm sure you'll know what to do when it happens.'

'I'm glad you think so.'

Rayne had many more questions, but the ebbing of the tension and anxiety, plus the meal, made her eyelids droop with fatigue. Rawn was running on adrenalin, but, although she knew he could sustain his alertness for several days, she saw no point in subjecting herself to any more rigours. The prospect of a real bed was as seductive as the hot shower had been.

Tallyn guided them along a corridor to a lift, which whisked them down several floors. He stopped before a numbered door that slid open when he pressed a button beside it. They entered a comfortable, sleek room with two sleeping alcoves, tasteful, but sparsely furnished and functional. Tallyn showed them how to switch off the lights and summon an attendant when they woke, then left them to sleep.

Chapter Five

Tallyn settled into his chair on the bridge and studied the main screen, which showed the star field around Earth, and in one corner, the dull grey-brown orb. The sun was just starting to form an arc of gold along its edge, prelude to the dawn of another drab day on the surface. Only the twinkle of the tiny crystals that covered the many consoles broke the bridge's silent gloom. A crew of five sat before them, their hands occasionally touching a crystal as they attended to the running of the ship.

Dim holograms hung in the air before certain crew members, while lists of data scrolled up before others. The overall atmosphere was one of hushed industry, somewhat relaxed now that they were in orbit. Tallyn looked over at Marcon, who sat at the compiler's console, his eyes flicking over three holograms. He monitored all the ship's functions, ready to correct any errors that other crew members made. As usual, Tallyn hated to disturb him; he always looked so busy.

'Marcon, set course for Atlan. We've got what we came for, let's go home.'

'Yes, sir.' He turned and touched the crystals on his console, causing those on other consoles to light and alerting the officers who manned them to the new directive. They ran their hands over their boards, or pressed their palms to sensor slots to communicate with the ship's neural net. Two pilots entered the bridge and lay down on their couches, strapped themselves in and pushed their hands into sensor slots to link with the ship. The whole exercise took a little over a minute, during which time the activity in the dim room rose to a high state of tension. Marcon reeled off the list of procedures for his commander's benefit, in case he decided to change anything.

'Course laid in. Neural net expanded and online. Pilots linked. Back up net online. Proximity repellers charged, course changing. Preparing to link with the transfer Net.' He paused, his eyes scanning the scrolling holograms. 'Link successful. Heading reached in five, four, three, two, one… Transfer Net charged, acceleration factor five, normal status, all systems functional.'

Tallyn sat back and laced his fingers as Vengeance turned out of her orbit with ponderous grace, curving away towards a distant star. He could imagine how the sun's light would glint on her sleek silver flanks and flash on the many protuberances that robbed her of any great claim to beauty. As a star ship designed purely for space, her array of antennae, weapons and emitters was only possible in a vacuum. He had seen many ships use the Net, and knew that a web of golden lines crawled over her, embracing her in a crazy cage of lambent power, like snakes of lightning. The transfer Net activated in a flash of pure energy, and with a twinkle, the ship shot away.

During the five-hour trip, Tallyn ate a meal and relaxed in his cabin, enjoying a new holofilm from Atlan. On the bridge, the crew's subdued industry continued. The pilots each spent two hours in control of the ship while the other observed. Marcon was relieved after three hours, his head undoubtedly aching from the strain of the high level of vigilance necessary from a compiler. His replacement, Vandiar, informed Tallyn of their approach to Atlan half an hour before the transfer Net dispersed. Tallyn entered the humming bridge and sank into his chair, glancing up at the blank screen.

'Where are we?'

'Decelerating. Fifteen minutes to Net dispersal,' Vandiar informed him. 'You came quickly, sir.'

'I usually do,' he grumped, settling back to wait.

From inside the ship, Net dispersal was no more interesting than its initiation. Only the resumption of the external feeds brought any new sensations to the crew. After the prescribed number of minutes, the main screen filled with the welcome image of his home world.

Tallyn gave a curt nod. 'Good. Get us an orbit, and have them send shuttles. I'm sure most of the crew want to go to the surface, and we'll need a maintenance crew to replace them.'

Tallyn made his way to his guests' quarters and pressed the plate beside the door to activate the entry call buzzer. The portal opened, and he entered to find Rawn eyeing him, looking sullen and dishevelled. He muttered and went into the bathroom to splash his face. Rayne stretched and yawned as she slid from the shelf-like sleeping alcove, her hair tangled. She smiled, and Tallyn returned it.

'I hope you've had sufficient sleep. We've arrived at my home world and will be disembarking soon.'

Rayne's eyes widened in shock, and Rawn emerged from the bathroom, his face wet. They stared at him in horror, and Tallyn realised his blunder and strived to correct it.

'I apologise. I should have warned you before we left.'

Rawn raised a finger and wagged it, water dripping from his chin. 'Listen, buster. Just a few hours ago, we were on our own planet, and now you tell us we're on the other side of the bloody universe? You kidnap us, feed us drugs, fry us with weird lights, confiscate our clothes, and fly us a thousand light years without so much as a 'by your leave'? Bugger 'warned us', what about 'asked us'?'

Tallyn frowned, a little nettled. 'You're in my care. You've come to no harm. All that was done to you was for your benefit, and the safety of my crew. It was unavoidable. The trip was necessary. Rayne had to be brought to the safety of Atlan, where she can be guarded and cared for. Informing you of our departure would have been a mere courtesy, and I did say you would not be returned to Earth. There was no point in staying in Earth orbit any longer.'

Rawn wiped his face with a towel, looking incredulous. Rayne went to a chair and sank into it, her eyes downcast. Rawn tossed the towel onto a nearby shelf and stepped closer to Tallyn.

'You may find that all quite satisfactory and logical to your little alien mind, but what about us? We never even got to see our world from space. We never had the chance to say goodbye. Maybe we have feelings you lack,