'Select wisely in battle, and be strong.'
So there it was. Alex was not yet twenty earth years of age, had come within one step of being rated more highly as a combateer than most people would even dream about.
He was deadly; he had killed the Cobra; why the Cobra had killed his father Alex hadn't thought to ask… of the ship's pilot, at least. He had guessed that the ship and its bounty killer pilot had simply been earning a wage.
Instead, he said to Rafe, 'Did you know the ship was at Cirag?'
'Had a good idea of it, Alex. That's why we sent the Tharglets with you.
Nobody, but nobody — if they're a tad evil — can resist booty like that. I knew it would bring every freebooter for a light year after you, but I reckoned you could handle them. Most importantly, I was damn sure that your cargo would bring out the Cobra.
'You fought well. You showed the sort of instinct for combat that I remember in Jason. He was right. You are the man to follow him.'
'Follow him where?'
Rafe chuckled and shook his head. 'You see, that's the big question. Your father was chasing the mythical plant Raxxla. Does it exist, or does it not?If it does, then on Raxxla there's an alien construct that's a gateway to other Universes, and all that's in those Universes in the way of bounty, and treasures, and aliens, and life…
'Jason Ryder was convinced that Raxxla existed. That's why he trained for, and became a part of, the Dark Wheel, the legend-seekers. I hadn't heard much from him or about him for some time until just before he died, when he told me he'd found evidence for the real existence of Raxxla. He came back from Deep Space to get a proper team together… 'Rafe smiled bitterly.
'But just before he was due to go back, he decided to take a safe-worlds holiday jaunt with his son… and an assassin was waiting for him.''But why?' Alex asked. 'Why kill him for finding Raxxla?'
'Because there are people on Raxxla already. This is only a guess, mind you, but from what happened to Jason I'd say it was close to being right.
We've long suspected that a corps of йlites lives there, and are exploiting the gateway. They're powerful, twisted men. Powerful enough to hire an assassin to kill the threat to their dominance.'
Rafe leaned a little closer to Alex, his bright eyes gleaming, an intense look on his grizzled face.
'I've put you through your paces, Alex, you and Elyssia both. The Dark Wheel needs you. Both of you. But believe me, what you've just been through is nothing to what you face now. You've got to become йlite, Alex. And that means a lot of training, and a lot of fighting, and maybe a lot of months, even years. But then the Universe will open up before you in a way you never imagined possible.'
Alex stood silent, thoughtful, watching the old man. In the corner, half in shadows, Elyssia stood and watched too, frightened by what she was hearing.
'Has the grief gone?' Rafe asked, and Alex nodded. The old trader smiled.
'How does it feel to be rich?'
'Empty,' Alex said, and Rafe Zetter laughed.
'You'll do for the Dark Wheel, Alex. You'll do…'
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From the Back Cover of The Novella
READ THE NOVEL/PLAY THE GAME
A BOY WITH STARS IN HIS EYES
SHOOTING THE RAPIDS OF HEAVEN
On his inaugural flight as a 'harmless' combateer, Alex Ryder experienced the sharp divide between Sim- combat and live action in the fast lane of Witch-Space. Seated next to his father, the occasion (a celebration!) was suddenly jarred by the fatal laser fire of a fellow trader…
Emerging from unconsciousness aboard a Moray hospital ship. Alex's first impression was conditioned by a sleazy holoFac of Rafe Zetter (a friend of
Alex's father who has blotted his legal status by trading in slaves). As Alex's mind grappled with his senses, his desperate questions seemed to provoke still more perplexing riddles from the old warrior.
What had the trader hoped to gain (their cargo had been almost worthless)?
Why had Jason Ryder stayed to engage the attacker, when he could have bailed out with Alex? What had he meant by 'Raxxla! Remember Raxxla!', as Alex slid into his escape pod?
But gradually, with Zetter's help, Alex began to assemble some pieces of the jigsaw. His father was no simple trader, far from it; he had been one of the few — an йlite combateer. The marauding trader was no bounty hunter, but an assassin programmed to kill.
As a thirst for revenge spurred the fury of Alex's emotions, he understood that Jason's mission must now become his. To succeed, he too would have to prove himself worthy of — THE ORDER OF ELITE
a fighting quality far beyond courage, macho and cool precision
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'Elite: The Dark Wheel' is a novella written by Rob Holdstock and inspired by the intergalactic space trading adventure program, ELITE, by David Braben and Ian Bell.
Elite is a Trade Mark of Acornsoft Limited (c) Acornsoft 1984 (c) BT 1985
Firebird is a Trade Mark of British Telecommunications PLC.
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Complete Novella typed in by Paul Thompson, March 2003
