Across The Universe With A Giant Housecat (The Blue) Read online

  In the midst of all her technical brilliance, it was easy to forget she was still a thirteen-year-old girl, and I was the only family she had left in the universe.

  She bolted to me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. She started to sob softly.

  “Thank you for being alive,” she whispered.

  “Always. I don’t want to lose you, dear sister.” I hugged her back as she sobbed into my shirt.

  She was right—she had almost lost me. I had been so intent on trying to stay alive and fight Randew that I hadn’t really thought about what would happen to her if I died.

  She had the ship and she had Leo for company. But that was it. There was no one else if I was gone. No family, not even any friends.

  Katelyn stood back, eyeing me. “The pod did a good job. You were on the brink of death, you know,” she said, wiping the last remaining tears from her eyes. “I found you lying on the ground near Randew’s body—he was dead—and some stabbed-up rattlesnakes.” She glanced down at Leo with an odd expression. “Leo ate the rattlesnakes. All of them. It was so disgusting.”

  “That’s my boy,” I said proudly. “One of those rattlesnakes bit me.”

  “Yeah, I know.” She shuddered.

  “And Randew?”

  “I checked him out. Dead.”

  “How did you got me into the pod? Or even on board the ship, for that matter? I’m way too heavy for you to pick up.”

  “For me, yes. For Leo, no. He dragged you.”

  I glanced at the kvyat with fondness. “Thanks, Leo.”

  The kyvat nuzzled my hand, looking at me with soulful eyes.

  “Where are we now?” I asked.

  “Floating in orbit of the planet. I didn’t want to stay down there any longer than we had to.”

  “Good idea.” I swallowed another cupful of water. The pod had re-hydrated me fully, but I couldn’t shake the constant thirst. I hoped it would go away in a few hours.

  A series of beeps resounded through the cabin. I recognized the sound—it meant someone was trying to contact us through the ship’s comm. system.

  Katelyn checked the nearest monitor. “It’s from the Stellar Intrepid.” The surprise, even shock, was evident in her voice.

  The Stellar Intrepid was the branch of the military dedicated to exploration and discovery throughout space. When I entered military school, it had been with the dream that I could one day join the Stellar Intrepid and become a captain of one of their ships. And now—well, it was never going to happen. I’d been injured badly two years ago, while still in military school. I had broken my spine in a training accident. And while my spine was mostly healed now with the help of medical technology, it would still always be considered weakened. There wasn’t a chance the Stellar Intrepid would want me as captain anymore, not when there were legions of never-been-injured cadets who could line up to take my place.

  It made sense, of course. A captain who was more susceptible to a paralyzing injury, as I was, was a risk they weren’t willing to take in deep space. But if it hadn’t been for my injury, I might never have found Katelyn or taken down the assassins. But still, it sometimes rankled that I had had to give up my dream. Even the name Stellar Intrepid formed a bitter taste of regret in my mouth.

  Why would they be contacting me now?

  “I’ll take it in the cockpit,” I announced, heading forward to the cockpit.

  Whoa… I felt a little unsteady on my feet. I slowed down a bit, taking each step carefully until I reached the cockpit and collapsed into the pilot’s chair.

  The cockpit of the Dragontooth was easily my favorite place in the whole ship. It had a huge window looking out into space; I had spent many an hour in quiet contemplation, seated in one of the comfortable pilot’s chairs, staring out into at the vast blackness of space.

  Through the window, the pearly pink of the planet shone below, its atmosphere making its edges hazy. Above it, the sky gave way to darkness, several stars twinkling in the distance. And the Dragontooth was suspended in the middle, in the planet’s orbit.

  I had almost died on that planet. With narrowed eyes, I gave it a challenging gaze. The planet was like an old adversary now, the kind best regarded from a healthy distance. Well, it hadn’t beaten me. Of course, that had been because of a thirteen-year-old girl and a giant housecat, but even so, I had won.

  Katelyn appeared beside me, her fingers flying across the monitor as she accessed the comm.

  A face popped up on the monitor. It was a male face, the mouth a firm line of disapproval, the eyes hard and calculating beneath thick gray eyebrows. He was in his late fifties, perhaps older.

  I recognized him at once.

  He was Standing Admiral Northe, one of the men in charge of the entire Stellar Intrepid.

  Chapter 4

  I didn’t expect that at all.

  “Sir!” I gulped. What did he want? “It is a pleasure to see you, sir. How may I help you?”

  I had only seen him once before, when he had paid a visit to Horatio Nelson Military Academy when I had been a student there, before my injury. Other than that, my only knowledge of him came from a portrait that hung in one of the halls of the military school, alongside the portraits of other admirals, past and present.

  “You’re Alan Michael Wolf?” he asked, his voice gruff. Was he angry? Perhaps that was just his normal expression.

  “Yes, sir!” I proclaimed with too much enthusiasm. I was instantly nervous at speaking to someone of so high a rank.

  Leo caught sight of the man on the monitor and bristled, letting out a low growl. Katelyn shoved him out of the cockpit and closed the door. Thankfully, Northe didn’t see any of that.

  “Good. My name is Standing Admiral Northe. I’d like to speak to you.”

  “Yes, sir. I’m listening.” I leaned forward.

  “I’ve got an offer for you, Wolf. But I don’t want to discuss the details of it over this comm. channel. I’m at Iron Horn Base now.”

  “You want me to come there?” I asked.

  “Yes. Soon, if possible.” He certainly didn’t mince words.

  “How soon?”

  “Can you leave today? I know you aren’t active military anymore and this request is unorthodox, but I’d consider it a favor if you were prompt in your arrival here.”

  I glanced over at Katelyn, whose face was a study of astonishment and surprise. She hadn’t expected any of this, either.

  Considering our reason for running from Randew Larsen was gone, we didn’t have anywhere else to be.

  “I’ll be there. I’ll leave today.”

  “Excellent. Arrangements are already made for your arrival. I look forward to speaking with you.” The monitor switched off.

  I let my breath out slowly and collapsed back into the pilot’s chair.

  “They want you!” Katelyn exclaimed, bouncing into the chair next to me. “For what?”

  “I haven’t the foggiest,” I admitted.

  “What’s Iron Horn Base? Why does it sound familiar?”

  “Don’t you remember? That’s where I went to military school two years ago. Horatio Nelson Military Academy on Iron Horn Base. ”

  Two years ago, I hadn’t been the spacefaring vagabond I was now. I had been Alan Michael Wolf, star cadet at Horatio Nelson Military Academy and martial arts expert from the colony world of Nirdin. I had been on the fast track to graduating from military school and starting a bright future as a pilot for the Stellar Intrepid branch of the military.

  But that had changed the afternoon of the accident. A malfunction of the artificial gravity in the training room I was in had left me with a broken spine and a broken future.

  I could move normally now, thanks to the medical vest I had worn since then. A fusion of plastic, metal, and technology, it held me together and helped my spine grow back. I had gotten used to it, and barely even felt it there anymore. Truth be told, no one could even notice it under loose clothing.

  But while I was healing, I c
ouldn’t keep training at the military academy. I was told to take a few years off to let my spine heal. In fact, none of the doctors had even been sure if I would ever be able to resume my military training.

  “Oh! Maybe they want you back!” she said happily. “They finally realized how great you are!”

  “No, not yet. It’s too early. All the physical training at the school is rough on the body. They wouldn’t take that risk.”

  A low whine came from the other side of the cockpit door. Katelyn jumped to her feet.

  “I forgot about him!” She opened the door, allowing Leo to enter. The kvyat had an injured air about him, which quickly vanished as soon as Katelyn began giving him a vigorous belly rub.

  What did Northe want me for? He wanted me to go to the very place where I had attended military school. They couldn’t want me back, could they? They had all but discarded me after my accident. I hadn’t even heard from them since then, except for when I had grudgingly taken myself there ten months ago so Dr. Kassa, the doctor who had taken care of me after the accident and installed the medical vest, could check on my healing. Of course, I hadn’t exactly made myself easily reachable…

  But they wanted to see me now.

  Why couldn’t he have just told me what he wanted? Then I wouldn’t have to spend the whole trip wondering.

  With a snort of annoyance, I turned to the controls and plotted a course to Iron Horn Base, setting the controls on automatic.

  As soon as the ship started moving on its course towards Standing Admiral Northe, I stood up and headed for the sleeping area. The trip would take several hours, and I refused to spend the whole trip to my old stomping grounds worrying. After all, I had just nearly died in the desert. The thought of it made me thirsty again.

  “Where are you going?” Katelyn asked, elbow deep in kvyat snuggles on the floor. Leo peered up at me in a happy daze, his mouth half open and his tongue out.

  “Water, then sleep. If they are going to drive me mad with curiosity about this, at least I can be well rested.”

  Chapter 5

  Useia, the love of my life, was there. Her short brown hair brushed against her apple-round cheeks as she laughed, holding out her hand to me.

  How had she found me?

  “I love you, Alan. I will never leave you again.”

  “Where were you? I waited so long,” I asked.

  “Does that matter? I’m here now, and I won’t go away ever again.”

  I pulled her in for a long kiss, which felt amazing down to the tips of my toes.

  I had met her when she had still been an assassin, having sold herself into a sort of slavery to Trilloque’s assassins to keep her family from starving to death. She had been sent to assassinate Lawrence Lockmere, the former owner of the Dragontooth, but had found me on board instead. Later, she had abandoned her assassin clan to help me find Katelyn and we had started to fall in love.

  Together, we had defeated Trilloque and exposed his plot. Afterwards, she had found her family, whom she had not seen for years. She had left with them, saying she had to catch up on lost time. She said she had to rediscover how to be a human and not just a killing machine. She had promised to find me, later.

  That had been a year ago. But it didn’t matter, because she was here now.

  She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me closer. Closing my eyes, I melted into her soft embrace. This was heaven…

  A harsh beeping interrupted our embrace. Something was wrong.

  Oh, no. The proximity alert.

  That meant that this had all been a dream.

  I awoke in the dark, the proximity alert still shrill in my ears. I was aboard the Dragontooth and Useia was, of course, not there. She hadn’t come back to me yet.

  The disappointment was downright uncomfortable.

  The beeping stopped and Katelyn appeared in the doorway, Leo at her heels.

  “Oh, good, you’re already awake.”

  “Unfortunately, yes,” I muttered, peeling the covers off my body and climbing out of the bunk.

  “We’re at Iron Horn Base,” she announced.

  “Good,” I grunted. “Can you request permission to dock?” My eyes felt gritty. “I’m going to wash my face.”

  “Already sent the docking request.”

  A different, softer beeping came from the cockpit.

  “That was fast,” commented Katelyn. “That must be their answer.” She vanished, scurrying back to the cockpit.

  After splashing my face with warm water, I felt immediately better and joined Katelyn in the cockpit.

  She was seated at the controls, guiding the ship into one of the smaller docking bays.

  Before us lay Iron Horn Base, the home of Horatio Nelson Military Academy. Though the academy was in a separate wing of the base, the two shared a spaceport. I remembered the first time I had seen this view—as a new cadet, fresh off my home world of Nirdin Colony. A true country boy going to the big city. I’d been ready to explode with excitement and anticipation.

  Now I viewed the massive metal city in space, anchored partially to an uninhabited planet below, with a world of different emotions—mostly uncertainty. What did the Stellar Intrepid and Standing Admiral Northe want from me?

  Leo bristled at the sight of the base, a low growl coming from his throat.

  “It’s ok, Leo. It’s not going to hurt you.”

  He gave me a look that could only be described as kvyat skepticism, but quieted.

  Katelyn slid the ship into its docking position effortlessly, then powered down the engines. The docking bay doors snapped closed behind us., a red light illuminating on the wall.

  An automated message from the base came through our comm. system in a smooth female voice. “Docking successful. Please stand by for air replacement.”

  There was a whoosh all around the ship as the vacuum of space inside the docking bay was replaced by breathable air.

  The red light turned green. “Air replacement successful. You are clear to disembark, and welcome to Iron Horn Base.”

  Katelyn picked up her pink messenger bag and I hoisted the military-issue bag I used as luggage.

  Opening the hatch, we disembarked, Leo beside us.

  Immediately cold air assaulted me. Katelyn cringed and began rubbing her arms. The air in docking bays was always freezing cold.

  A thin man entered from the door to the base and approached us. He was holding a tablet.

  He stretched out a hand. “Alan Michael Wolf? I’m Levi Cartus, aide to Standing Admiral Northe. Welcome to Iron Horn Base.” He smiled a wide smile, which somehow put me at ease. “I’ve been assigned to help you settle in. We have quarters waiting for you.” He didn’t look surprised to discover that I had a teenage girl and an alien cat in tow.

  Quarters? Why did he think we needed quarters? How long did Northe expect us to stay here?

  “Alan Wolf, Katelyn Wolf, and Leo of the Dragontooth,” I said, shaking his hand. “Perhaps you can tell us why we are here?”

  “It is not for me to divulge,” he answered apologetically.

  “Then can you at least tell us why we need quarters here? We can sleep aboard the Dragontooth.”

  I dodged an elbow nudge from Katelyn. Clearly she had been looking forward to the unexpected luxury of staying on the base, instead of in our bunks aboard the ship.

  “We insist. For now, you and your… crew are guests of Standing Admiral Northe.”

  That was even more confusing. I was just a former cadet; why did he think of me as a guest?

  “When will I get to see him?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “He said to come immediately. It sounded urgent. Are you sure he wouldn’t want to see me today?” Was Northe really going to make me wait longer for this mysterious visit?

  “He has been informed of your arrival and wishes to see you tomorrow,” said Levi Cartus. “Right now, I’m going to show you to your quarters, if you are ready.”

  “Yes, yes, we are,” piped
Katelyn, who was probably already thinking of feather beds.

  “If you will follow me.” Turning, he led the way out of the docking bay and to the main part of the base. Katelyn and I followed, Leo padding alongside us.

  “So that’s it?” I asked, catching up to Cartus. The man set a brisk pace. “We’re just supposed to wait until tomorrow?”

  “No. Before the meeting, there’s one more stop you’re supposed to make,” said Cartus, staring down at his tablet. I tried to crane my neck for a look at what was on it, but I couldn’t read it.

  He narrowed his eyes, staring down at the text. “It says here that I am supposed to take you to Medical for evaluation.”

  He led the way to the nearest elevator, a cylinder of steel and glass. “They might want to check my spine,” I suggested.

  “Your spine?”

  “Yep. It’s broken. Or it was, at least. It is supposed to be healing.” As the four of us piled into the elevator and the door slid smoothly shut behind us, I gave him the quick version of the story of my accident. “That was two years ago,” I concluded.

  “I’d heard of healing devices like those, but never seen one before,” he remarked.

  Flipping up a corner of my shirt, I revealed an edge of the device. By now, I didn’t notice it at all. The vest seemed almost like a part of my body now.

  “Impressive,” said Cartus. “It is a wonder you can move in that thing.”

  “It took a bit of getting used to,” I admitted. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open with a sharp hiss, revealing a carpeted corridor.

  Cartus took the lead. “This way.” He led us down a few hallways lined with numbered doors on either side. I guessed we were in one of the residential wings.

  Cartus stopped before a door marked 548 and slid a key tab into a slot, which unlocked the door. After pushing it open, he handed me the key, then handed Katelyn a spare key.

  “Here is where you will be staying.”

  Katelyn darted in first, the rest of us following.

  The apartment was fully furnished, with a small living area, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

  Katelyn raced into one of the bedrooms. “A real bed!” she shrieked, leaping onto it.