Chapter 103

TWENTY-FIVE

“Bridge to all hands,” Carmen’s voice came through the ship’s comms. “Approaching Astra Omnia. ETA ten minutes. Grimnir, please report to the bridge.”

Alexander set down the steel plate and leaned back from his workbench, frowning at the array of 4x4 inch squares spread across the surface. Each one had a different rune etched into it, courtesy of Augustus’s work over the past six hours helping him set up the workshop and providing him with the testing plates for his nefarious magical drone plans.

The results weren’t great.

Augustus had explained the limitation upfront. Four inches square was the smallest he could reliably inscribe functional runes at the moment. Anything smaller and they simply failed to work. He didn’t know why, only that as he practiced, the size requirements were gradually shrinking. Progress, but not fast enough for Augustus’s liking.

Alexander picked up one of the plates, running his thumb over the Gather rune Augustus had inscribed. This was the only one actively doing anything. He could sense the slight electrical charge with his powers, a faint pull of energy from somewhere that bypassed normal physics entirely, even while it wasn’t actually using it for anything.

The rest just sat there, inert.

He’d tried powering them directly with electricity. Carefully controlled voltage through the metal, hoping the runes would respond. Nothing happened. They remained stubbornly inactive no matter how much power he fed them.

Then he’d attempted copying the Gather rune itself. If he could replicate it, maybe he could power an entire system independently. But that failed too. The copy looked identical to Augustus’s original as far as he could tell, but it was just lines in metal. No function. No pull of energy.

Alexander had already assumed that would be the case, but he’d tested it anyway. Science required testing one’s assumptions.

One discovery did show promise, though.

He pressed the Gather rune’s plate against another one etched with what Augustus called Amplify. The moment the metal touched, the second rune activated. Not dramatically, but his powers registered the charge shifting. Energy flowed from Gather into Amplify, and something happened. Even if nothing practical was actually happening.

He separated them. Amplify went inert again immediately.

Alexander tested it with other runes. Stabilize activated. Extend activated. Permanence had no visible change, but that made sense given its purpose. Not all the runes did something by themselves anyway.

He sat back, considering the implications.

The limitations were clear. He couldn’t create functional runes himself. He couldn’t power them directly with electricity. The minimum size was restrictive for his intended applications. But those were just constraints to work around, not failures.

This was science in progress. Even failed experiments provided data.

The solution was simple enough. Augustus would supply the runes, since Alexander couldn’t create them himself. The Gather runes would be the problem. He could either dedicate one or more Gather runes per system, or build a power bank of them that could be used for all of them interchangeably. The latter made more sense. It wasn’t elegant, but elegance could come later.

From there, he just needed to figure out how to connect the runes to specific systems to enhance the effects he wanted.

Alexander glanced at Droney, who hovered nearby. The drone beeped acknowledgment.

“Come on,” Alexander said, standing. “Time to pick up our passengers.”

He made his way through the corridors, Droney following. The ship felt different now that he’d spent hours mapping every system. More familiar. Almost comfortable.

The bridge was already full when he arrived. Carmen sat in the command chair, Ryan at her shoulder. The rest of the crew still manned their stations. Annie leaned against the wall near the viewport, trying not to look just as excited about being in space now that eight hours had passed. Augustus and Felix were standing out of the way, just inside the door. They both greeted him as he made his way past.

Talia was deep in discussion with the comms officer, Petra.

Alexander had the sneaking suspicion that she’d know how to fly the ship by the end of the week.

“Status?” Alexander asked.

“On approach,” Carmen said. “Astra Omnia confirmed our transponder. No issues.” She paused, studying him. “What’s the plan at Astra Omnia?”

Alexander smiled slightly, glancing back at Augustus. “Ready?”

“I’m good to go,” Augustus confirmed.

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Alexander pulled the black card from his pocket, turning it over in his fingers.

Carmen watched with interest as Alexander held up the card and made the call.

A doorway materialized on the bridge a few seconds later, then swung open. Through it, Alexander could see the familiar private room at Astra Omnia.

Several crew members tensed. James half-stood from his console. Petra’s hand moved toward something at her station.

Carmen didn’t flinch. She raised a single eyebrow, expression otherwise unchanged.

Alexander wondered if anyone of them were card holders, or if they had all made their way to Astra Omnia via shuttle instead. Based on the reactions of some of the crew, he was guessing the latter.

The Concierge stepped through, hat in hand. They paused mid-bow, taking in the bridge around them. Surprise flickered across their face for just a moment before professional composure reasserted itself.

“Mr. Rooke.” The Concierge’s tone carried faint curiosity. “This is unexpected.”

“Just need a one-way for Augustus,” Alexander said.

The Concierge nodded, stepping aside and gesturing toward the doorway with a slight bow. “Of course, sir.”

Augustus moved forward. “Back soon,” he said to the team, then passed through the opening.

The Concierge tipped their hat toward Alexander and followed Augustus through. The doorway vanished the moment they crossed the threshold, leaving no trace it had ever existed.

Silence settled over the bridge.

“Well,” Ryan said after a moment. “That was new.”

Carmen glanced at Alexander. “And he’s doing what, exactly?”

“Picking up passengers,” Alexander said. “Should take about fifteen minutes.”

Carmen nodded slowly, not pressing for more details. “Yuki, maintain position. James, plot a course to minimum safe jump distance. We’ll need it once the passengers are aboard.”

“Aye, Captain,” both responded.

The wait stretched. Alexander connected to the ship’s systems, monitoring their position relative to Astra Omnia. They held steady in a distant orbit, far enough to avoid scrutiny but close enough for quick departure if needed.

Annie pushed off the wall, wandering over to the viewport. “Think something went wrong?”

“Everything’s fine,” Talia said quietly. “Augustus knows what he’s doing.”

“I know. Just...” Annie shrugged. “Feels like it’s taking a while.”

Felix sat down next to Annie, looking up at her. She reached down to scratch his head.

Fourteen minutes in, Augustus’s portal appeared on the bridge. His familiar spell-conjured circle of light.

The crew was less reactive this time. They’d been expecting something, even if they weren’t sure what. A few glanced over with interest, then settled into watchful attention.

Augustus stepped through first.

Then the aliens followed.

Seven of them emerged one by one, each distinctly non-human in their own way.

The crew reacted. Multiple sharp intakes of breath. James actually stood from his console this time. Petra stared openly. Davis turned completely around in his seat.

The portal closed behind them, leaving seven aliens standing uncertainly on the bridge.

Carmen’s expression didn’t change, but her gaze moved from the aliens to Alexander. “These are your passengers?”

“The rescued aliens from Santiago’s facility,” Alexander confirmed. “We’re taking them home. The ones who want to go, anyway.”

“Not all!” Gilly said quickly, words still halting but clearer than months ago. “Gilly stays. Felix stays. Krrsh stays.” He gestured toward Krrsh, whose multiple limbs shifted in acknowledgment.

Annie grinned. “You’re stuck with us, buddy. We’re not going anywhere.”

Felix’s tail wagged enthusiastically.

Carmen studied the aliens for a moment, then nodded. “Understood. So our first mission is returning them to their homeworlds.” She looked at her crew. “Stop gawking like it’s your first time seeing aliens.”

“But it is my first time seeing aliens,” James said.

“Me too,” Petra added.

“Me three,” Yuki called from the helm.

“Yep,” Davis confirmed. “First real one.”

Carmen’s gaze swept the bridge, expression suggesting she’d been personally betrayed by her entire crew.

Ryan cleared his throat. “First time for me too, Captain.”

Carmen closed her eyes briefly, then sighed. “Fine. James, execute that course to minimum safe jump distance. The rest of you, back to your duties.”

A chorus of “Aye, Captain” came from the crew, though most of them were still sneaking glances at the aliens.

“Augustus, Annie,” Alexander said. “Get them settled in the guest quarters.”

“Come on,” Annie said brightly, gesturing for the aliens to follow. “We’ve got rooms set up. Good beds. They even have temperature controls. The beds! Not just the rooms.”

Augustus took the lead, guiding them toward the exit. The aliens filed after him, some moving with confidence, others more hesitant. Gilly translated quietly for those who needed it, while Krrsh and Felix brought up the rear.

Alexander stayed on the bridge, his powers already spread through the ship on autopilot. He refocused, checking in consciously now. Electrokinesis traced bioelectrical signatures throughout the vessel. Power flowing normally through conduits. The reactor’s electromagnetic pulse was steady and strong. Everything was running smoothly.

He counted bioelectrical signatures casually. Bridge crew. Engineering. The Chief was down there with two assistants. Corridors. Someone in the mess hall. The gym was empty. Augustus and Annie moving through the ship with the aliens, heading toward the guest quarters.

Alexander paused, frowning slightly. He counted again, more carefully this time. Tracking each bioelectrical signature individually, feeling the subtle electromagnetic patterns that marked living beings throughout the vessel.

Four members of Grimnir, including himself. Eight aliens including Gilly, Krrsh, and Felix. Six crew on the bridge. Six crew members scattered throughout the ship.

Bridge. Engineering. Cabins. Corridors. Mess. Storage sections. Guest quarters filling up as the aliens settled in.

Twenty-five.

He turned to Talia, who stood near the sensor station. “How many people should be on this ship?”

She looked up from her tablet, expression curious. “Twenty-four. Why?”

Alexander met her eyes. “Because I’m counting twenty-five.”