Far From Home: The Complete Series (68 page)

“We’ve met before,” Captain Singh said bitterly. “In a different guise.”

“I see that you are falling behind, Captain,” Sonjiin said.

“Yes, our engines are failing. It doesn’t matter. You’ll suffer the same fate as us,” Singh lied.

“Such a pity. We will leave what remains of this system far behind as you tumble into what was once a great and mighty star,” Sonjiin said.

“Do you always talk like this, Sonjiin?”

The Nyularian broke into a wide grin that showed crooked teeth. They transformed his handsome face into something warped and twisted. “I respect your resolve, Captain. But I assure you it’s all for nothing. Soon the Union will lie broken at our feet. Its glory days little more than a fading memory…”

Singh turned to Ensign Boi. “Cut this idiot off.”

* * *

The viewscreen changed back to show the enemy ship fast approaching the dark heart of the star.

“He bought it,” King said.

“I think so. He knows we can’t just blow him up. And he thinks we’re falling behind because we’re in such bad shape,” Singh said. “Now for the cherry on the cake. Lieutenant Commander Greene, please ready a missile.”

“A missile?” Greene asked.

“Rig it to detonate approximately six metres above them. But we need to time it so they’re just about to break away from that… whatever it is,” Singh explained.

“It’s not a black hole, sir, although it looks like it,” Chang said. On the viewscreen, a swirl of gases and twisted light were being sucked into a black circle of nothingness. “I don’t know what it is.”

“Understood, Lieutenant,” Captain Singh said.

“Ready,” Greene said.

“They’ll be at the threshold of the dead star in ten, nine, eight, seven, six…” Chang counted down.

“FIRE!” Singh yelled.

A Duotonic Missile flared away from the front of the
Defiant
toward the enemy ship.

* * *

“Ready?” Sonjiin asked. The black hole left by the fallen star filled their view port in every direction. The Jump Drive hummed beneath their feet.

“Yes. Jumping now,” Vilik said. He threw the control lever. A huge explosion directly above them knocked the ship down as it entered the Jump. Vilik was unable to compensate in time and he lost control as his ship careened into the anomaly.

Everything spun as they shot straight through the dark heart of a former sun. Sonjiin of Nyular did not close his eyes.

12.

The ship emerged into open space. Sonjiin peered about. He checked the navigational readouts.

“Where are we?” Vilik asked, his voice groggy.

“Exactly where we
were
,” Sonjiin said. He looked at the readouts of their sensors. “Look. There is the anomaly. And there is what’s left of the system. We did it. We overshot the wormhole.”

Right then the helm console sparked. Vilik dived out of the way as it burst into flame, electricity arcing from it to the deck. Belosh ran to the side of it and cut the power. The console died.

“We’ve lost our Jump Drive,” Belosh said.

“Then fix it!” Sonjiin snapped. “We have a date with destiny.”

13.

“Launch a probe into that thing,” Singh ordered.

“Aye,” King said. “Do it, Lieutenant.”

She stood behind Chang as she worked her controls to release a primed probe. Seconds later it shot away from the front of the ship and down into the astronomical plughole before them.

Captain Singh waited patiently, staring dead ahead at the anomaly. It had consumed an entire sun … and the galaxy’s most dangerous criminal. He’d had the
Defiant
maintain a respectable distance from it, lest the wormhole belch.

“Data is coming in …” Chang said, a frown shadowing her features.

“Lieutenant?” Singh asked.

Jessica looked first at the readouts appearing at Chang’s station, then the Lieutenant herself. She was busily absorbing the streams of data on her screen.

“It would seem there is a stable spatial environment … the
other side
of the anomaly,” King said. “I know it sounds ludicrous, but it would seem it’s not just a big hole. It’s a tunnel.”

Singh nodded. “Fantastical, but if that’s what the data implies …”

“I’m attempting to access the Union comm. grid,” Rayne said.

“A good idea,” King said. She looked at Captain Singh who appeared just as miffed by the whole scenario.

Rayne shook her head. “Nothing there, sir. Not on our usual channels. However I am detecting an alternate communication relay present.”

“Try to access it, Ensign,” Singh said.

Chang spoke up. “I have a theory.”

“Go on. I’m all ears,” Singh said.

“I think that what’s been created is a kind of wormhole. That would account for what I’m seeing on my screen. Apparently the probe detects the anomaly, and the remains of the system behind it … but not us. We’re not there. And the fact that our own comm. grid isn’t present when it is here indicates another galaxy.”

“Another galaxy, Lieutenant?” King asked.

“I mean, one just like our own. But different. String theory. Multiples realities existing side by side. Perhaps this anomaly, this wormhole, is a connecting bridge between the two,” Chang explained. “Of course it’s just a theory.”

“Well at the moment it’s the best theory we have,” Singh said. “Now let’s see if we can use that probe to tap into whatever kind of communication grid that end of things.”

* * *

“Yes Admiral…”

“As yet you’ve not made contact with him again?”
Clarke asked.

“Correct. We did have readings come back from the probe, perhaps adding weight to the Lieutenant’s theory that this is now some kind of . . . wormhole phenomena. A link from our galaxy to another.”

“Keep studying it. Certainly it’s been documented before, though it is highly classified. I’m rallying some ships together to come to your aid. Hang on in there until we can arrive.”

“We will Admiral, Captain Singh out.”

* * *

Singh closed the channel and leaned back into the chair in his quarters.

What sort of diabolical mind would detonate a star? This wasn’t just terrorism. It was something more. Genocide. It made his skin crawl.

His intercom came to life.

“Captain Singh, report to the bridge.”

He sighed.

“I’m on my way.”

* * *

Singh walked back onto the bridge. “Yes?”

“We have contact sir,” Ensign Boi said. “From the wormhole.”

Captain Singh frowned. “Come again?”

14.

Singh looked at Jessica. She seemed just as miffed as he did. He licked his lips.

“You’re connected, sir, but it’s weak,” Ensign Boi said.

“This is Captain Singh of the Union Starship
Defiant
, T. U. zero-one-one-three-eight. To whom am I speaking?”

The reply was hidden by a cloud of static. The speakers popped and hissed. Singh opened his hands as he looked expectantly at the Ensign.

“I’m clearing it up,” Boi said.

Captain Singh crossed his arms, his chin in his hand as the connection cleared.

“This General Millner. Who the hell is this?”

Singh looked at Jessica. She shrugged.

“Captain Singh of the -“

“We don’t recognise that classification. Who’re you with?”

“General . . . do you have a spatial anomaly nearby?”

More static. Ensign Boi fought with the controls to keep the transmission steady.

“Yeah. Some kind of hole in space.”

“This may sound fantastical to you but we are talking to you from the other side of that anomaly,” Singh explained.

“From another end of the galaxy?”

Singh licked his lips. “No, General. We believe the wormhole is acting as some kind of connecting tunnel between your universe and ours.”

There was no response.

“You’ve been checking your charts, General, trying to figure out where you’ve gone wrong, I bet. There should be a star system here, and all you see is -“

“- this anomaly and a tonne of debris.”

“That’s because the system was just destroyed. We’ve been in pursuit of the man responsible. But he has now crossed through to your side,” Singh said.

“We don’t detect another ship,”
Millner said.

“I’ll have all of our data sent through to you. It should allow you to track him,” Singh said.

“And this guy destroyed a whole star system you say? What did he do, blow up a star or something?”
Millner asked with an incredulous chuckle.

“That’s it in a nutshell, Captain. The man in charge of that ship is called Sonjiin. I cannot emphasise enough to you the severity of the situation. He must be stopped at all costs. We have saved our own galaxy… now I’m afraid you must save yours.”

“A mad man.”

“And a terrorist. We believe he will stop at nothing to test it out on home soil, so to speak,” Singh said gravely. “We think he’s going to destroy Sol.”

“How do I know this isn’t some kind of trick?”
General Millner asked him.

“You’ll have to trust us. We will send you through our footage of the last couple of hours, Captain, and you can decide for yourself,” Singh said.

“If it’s so important we get this guy, why don’t you come through yourself?”

“There’s no guarantee that what comes through can come back. In either case, you don’t have long. He must be stopped. Trust me when I say, Sonjiin won’t hesitate to use the weapon again. In fact, he means to,” Singh said with a sigh. “The future of the human race rests in your hands.”

There was a long pause, then:
“Don’t sweat it. I think I have just the guys for the job…”

ABOUT TONY HEALEY

Tony Healey is a best-selling independent author. In 2011, his fiction was published in an anthology alongside Harlan Ellison and Alan Dean Foster.

In 2012 he saw his sci-fi serial FAR FROM HOME become a best-selling sensation, with each instalment hitting the Top 100 in its category. He also published DARK VISIONS, a collection of his horror fiction.

2013 saw the publication of DEAD PRETTY, a crime novella that has received rave reviews. He also collaborated with best-selling author Bernard Schaffer on a crossover project written in two parts.

Tony Healey is a born and bred Brightonian. He is married and has three daughters.

For the latest on Tony’s various projects, visit his site
www.tonyhealey.com

THE STARS MY REDEMPTION

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Abe has spent his entire life among the cold, hard swirl of the stars. He’s been a bounty hunter, an assassin, a pirate, a drug runner. He has a talent for unsavoury occupations. Now an opportunity for change falls at his feet, and Abe must decide whether to continue living the life of a rogue or embrace the prospect of redemption . . .

Praise for THE STARS MY REDEMPTION

“. . .  loads of fun, reads at a blistering pace. Abe’s a galactic criminal who wanders from score to score leaving a bloody trail of human and alien carcasses, but there’s a stubborn crumb of humanity left inside of him. This is the story of how he rediscovers that lost part of himself. The action sequences remind me of Robert E. Howard. Abe would fit in well with Conan the Barbarian and Solomon Kane.”

“The story grabs you right from the outset. It is fast paced and enjoyable. It is written in the style of Star Trek/Star Wars that lets you feel for the characters without getting swamped with the technology… was well worth reading.”

“Story telling that is compelling and ultra-readable. Don’t expect to sleep till you have finished this book. Be ready to be addicted.”

FAR FROM HOME: VOLUME I

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The first three instalments in the smash hit FAR FROM HOME series, collected into one volume. Serves as a great entry point to the series.”

Praise for the FAR FROM HOME series

“There are so many characters and story lines to be pursued! I also LOVE that the author included so many strong female main roles and leaders. That is the future after all, equality! It’s an excellent read and I strongly recommend the series in the 3 book volume forms because you will always want more! It’s all good in the space neighborhood.”

“Fun to read. Far from Home would make an excellent TV series or mini-series special. The stories by Tony Healey, I’ve so far read, have what I refer to as ‘soul’ in them, being more than just words on paper or in ebooks.”

“An excellent book, Enjoyed it from start to finish. LOOKING FORWARD TO READING THE REST OF THIS SERIES. You go! TONY HEALEY!”

“. . . very easy to get into and it pulls you in so you don’t want to stop reading. If you enjoy Star Trek and other science fiction adventures you’ll enjoy this great adventure with Jessica and her crew. You’ll never want to put it down… trust me.”

“As a former nuclear submarine officer in the US Navy, I was immediately transported back to my time on subs during the cold war years. Since retiring from both the Navy and Navy supporting civilian contractors, I have been reading numerous sci-fi novels. I rank
Far From Home
as an extremely entertaining story… the action makes sense and time travel is possibly believable. THANKS SO MUCH!!!”