Prophecy

Tallyn shook his head. 'He mustn't even know who we're after. It's better if he just thinks it's a raid. If we tell him to hand her over, he's more likely to dispose of her and deny he ever had her.'

'But the beacon…'

'He doesn't know about the beacon. If he did, she wouldn't be here.'

Rawn stared at the Atlantean commander, realisation dawning in a cold tide. 'She'd be dead.'

'Exactly. The beacon can only be removed with delicate surgery, and only deactivated with Atlantean codes. The only other way to stop its signal is to destroy it, and believe me, you can't do that without killing her, too. If he finds out what brought us here, she's dead.'

Rayne looked up in surprise as the door opened and the Shrike strode in, his coat spreading like wings behind him. He reached her in a couple of long strides, gripped her arm and pulled her to her feet. The golden shimmer of the transfer Net engulfed them, then dispersed, and she staggered as he released her, gazing around at a dim room. A curved screen gave a startling view of space, sprinkled with stars. In one corner, a space station rotated, glittering in the harsh light of a white dwarf star. Several ships orbited it, distant points of moving light. She seemed to be on the bridge of a small ship, judging by the lack of space and multitude of twinkling consoles that surrounded her. A contoured pilot's chair faced the curved screens, flanked by consoles and vidscreens. She opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, but then he addressed the console beside him in an urgent tone.

'Scan the individual with me.'

A bland, sexless voice spoke from somewhere above her, making her jump. 'The individual carries an Atlantean tag.'

The Shrike swung to face her, making her retreat a step. 'You're tagged!'

'Tagged?'

'You've got a damned homing beacon in you somewhere! You didn't know?'

'No!' She raised a hand to her head, the spot above her left ear that had been the source of so many headaches.

'They implanted you, and didn't tell you?'

'No. I don't know. Did they?'

'How nice of them. Your heroes, the Atlanteans. They tagged you like a damned animal, so they could track you down wherever you went.'

She lowered her hand, stunned. 'How did you know?'

'I didn't, until a bloody Atlantean ship showed up in this sector, heading straight for Urquat's station.' He swung away, his hands clenching. 'I should have had you scanned. Especially when I knew what you were.'

'What are you going to do?' A strange mixture of hope and anguish made her heart race.

'Do? How the bloody hell should I know? Urquat would have put you in a damned atomiser.'

Her knees shook, and she leant against a console. 'You're going to kill me?'

'I should,' he said. 'I should jettison you and get the hell out of here.' His voice softened. 'But I won't. Shadowen, how long before the Atlanteans arrive?'

'Eleven minutes.'

'Okay, link with the Net, set course for… Octovar One. Send a message to the Shadow Wing, tell them to return to base. The Atlanteans will follow us. We've got the bait.'

Rayne clutched the console behind her as space swung past the portals, the stars wheeling around before settling into new patterns. The station vanished, and a belt of stars filled the screens. As she gazed at them, trying to recognise their patterns, a web of snaky golden brilliance crawled over the screens. She turned to the tall man who stood in the shadows, staring at a screen that hung before a bulkhead. After a moment he nodded.

'Good, they're following, and we're pulling away. Their stress factors are much higher, due to the size of their ship, so we're faster.'

'What are you going to do with me?'

He turned to face her. 'Nothing unpleasant. Octovar One is an Atlantean outpost, a law abiding world with little military presence. I'll get close enough to transfer you to the surface, then I'll leave and you'll be free. Your friends should pick you up within an hour or so. All you have to do is wait.'

'Is it safe for you? What if they lay a trap for you?'

'I'll elude them. I've done it many times before.' He turned to study the screen again. 'I'm touched by your concern. I didn't think you'd mind having my death on your conscience now you know the extent of my depravity.'

'I'm not sure what to believe anymore.'

'Believe what you saw. Your eyes don't lie.'

'Then why are you helping me?'

'Helping you?' He laughed, a rich husky tone that the mask muffled. 'I'm not helping you; I'm getting rid of you. All right, I could have jettisoned you, but that might not be such a good idea. You are, after all, the Golden Child, and I've explained why I'd rather not meddle in the possible future. Whether or not this Atlantean prophecy will ever come true is debateable, but I don't believe in taking chances.' He turned and gestured to a narrow corridor that led off the bridge. 'Now, I'll show you to a room where you can relax in solitude, since you don't like my company.'

Rayne squeezed past and preceded him down the passage, aware of his presence close behind. A door slid open ahead, revealing a haven of soft light with luxurious grey and white decor. She entered a cosy sitting room with comfortable chairs and a low table, a well-stocked bar and an entertainment section. The Shrike paused in the doorway, then turned to go, but stopped when she called out and turned back to face her.

'Who were you talking to on the bridge?' she asked.

'The ship.'

'This ship talks? What, did you use some poor man's brain instead of a neural net?'

'It has a highly advanced bio-crystalline brain, and is capable of thinking for itself. It's what I call a companion ship, which I can talk to when I'm alone.' He leant against the doorframe. 'I'm currently building a second one, since this one is a little old now. A companion ship flies itself. I don't have to link into a neural net and run the risk of having my brains fried.'

She stared at him, astounded, then forced herself to look away, resisting the urge to ask him more questions. 'I see. Thank you.'

Tarke left, and the door slid shut behind him, sealing her in the quiet room.

Tallyn glared at the holograms scrolling up from Marcon's console, his eyes narrowed and brow furrowed. Vengeance had dropped out of the Net only to find the slaver station abandoned and no ships in sight. They had been forced to wait for a signal to reach them from Rayne's beacon, a tense few minutes during which many feared the worst. Then the welcome flash of the signal appeared on Marcon's console, and a new course was set. The destination puzzled Tallyn, and he tried to discern the Shrike's actions.

'Perhaps only a crew and Rayne are on the ship,' he mused. 'We don't know if that bastard is on it. I don't see him putting himself in such danger. For what?'

'Maybe he still doesn't know about the beacon,' Rawn suggested. 'He might be simply fleeing.'

'Towards an Atlantean outpost?'

'An unguarded outpost. Perhaps he thinks it's the last place you'd look for him.'

'No, I doubt that. He could have gone in any number of directions and ended up deeper inside his territory, with his ships to protect him. Instead he's heading away from it. I might be tempted to think it's a decoy, except she's on that ship.' Tallyn made a tired gesture. 'And he can't know about the beacon, or he'd have jettisoned her already.'

'How can it be detected?'

'With a body scan. Any medical scanner that registers metal or microwaves will pick it up, but he won't know it's a beacon unless he detects its pulses, which he can't unless he knows the frequency. Since most of the advanced races use cyber implants, there's nothing unusual about it.'

Rawn gave a soft snort. 'He might think it strange that she doesn't know she has it, and therefore can't possibly use it. You don't think that might make him a little bit suspicious?'

'Why would he discuss it with her? I don't think he talks to her at all. She's just a commodity to him.'