Smiling kindly, Jen shook her head. “We both know you can’t be completely sure of that, and I’m pretty good at taking care of myself. You need to be worried about what happens if that happens and Adrian Saunders hears about it.”
Sir Jeremy frowned in confusion. “The so-called Human Disaster? I thought you said there was nothing between you?”
“Oh there’s definitely something, I just don’t know what,” said Jen. “I do know that he’s turned up several times when I’ve been in serious trouble, and there’s always a lot of collateral damage.”
“Is the man obsessed with you?” Sir Jeremy asked.
“I don’t know,” Jen admitted, “but he’s done the same for Chir and Trycrur, and I’m pretty sure he’d do it for anyone else he considers important.”
Combine that dedication with the effects of the Cruezzir, the neural damage from the nerve-jam grenades, and Adrian’s personal brand of PTSD, and you had a volatile mix of probabilities.
“I’m not saying you should try to kill him,” Jen continued, “just that you should try to keep him from fighting. You need to remember that he’s a combat engineer with alien tech seared into his brain, but I don’t think he’ll start a fight for no reason. If he comes here you’ve got to aim for a diplomatic victory.”
“The what?” asked Sir Jeremy, plainly too old to understand the reference.
“I mean you need to manage the situation with words, and it can’t just a load of guff,” Jen explained. “Get him on board. Get him helping. Just—for the love of all that is holy—don’t let him run off and do his own thing. That way madness lies.”
Sir Jeremy sipped his tea thoughtfully, and was about to answer when there was a knock at the door. “Ah, it’s that time already. I suspect that will be your escort home.”
“So soon,” she replied sadly. It was only a few days ago when Jen had thought her entire life would be spent amongst the stars, but now it seemed like the dream was over. There was every possibility that she’d never leave Earth again.
“Don’t worry,” said Sir Jeremy, discerning her fears, “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to leave. The galaxy is only going to grow more accessible, and we need people with experience out there.”
“Just not right now,” Jen added, and joined the two men who’d been sent to escort her to the facility holding the wormhole device. “About that man?”
“I shall do whatever I can,” Sir Jeremy promised.
It wouldn’t be much if Adrian was extremely motivated, but hopefully it would be just enough. Jen accepted the promise with a nod and allowed herself to be guided to the facility. Rush was waiting when she got there.
“Right on time,” she said as Jen entered the room. “Everything is prepared.”
The room wasn’t what Jen had pictured at all. There was no sign of a big metal ring housing a magic puddle. Nor was there an array of complex machinery with near-mystical purposes. There was a line of paint clearly marking the edges of the affected area.
“What the hell am I even looking at?” Jen asked, bewildered.
Rush had already explained the basics back aboard the Myrmidon, but she understood that this is not what anyone would expect. “Inside the lines is the containment area,” she replied, “and the tech simply ‘swaps’ two pieces of space. It’s a slightly different method than how ships supposedly manage it.”
“So all those traders I uh… well, robbed,” said Jen, “were just carting their shit across the galaxy for no good reason? Why isn’t everyone just moving goods around using these things?”
“We suspect they are being interfered with,” Rush replied, figuring that Jen would make all the connection.
Only a few individuals had more experience with the Hierarchy, so it was not difficult for her to come to a conclusion. “Ah, right. Something tells me that’s about to change.”
“You’re correct,” said Rush. “Earth has already started dispatching aid directly to Gao, and the network can only grow from here.”
Based on what Jen had been told, the only real delay would be in how quickly they could get the beacons to where they had to go. It could never be enough to save the whole galaxy, but they may be able to help some parts. Seeing this she understood how little use her ships would have been.
“It’s time,” said Rush, stepping into the marked area. “Come get inside. We’ll be back on Earth before you know it. I find it best if you bend your knees so full gravity doesn’t hit your joints all at once. Helps to close your eyes as well.”
Jen followed the instructions, closing her eyes and listening to the gentle hum as power coursed through the system. She’d been told that the actual trip was barely imperceptible, and that the only thing she’d really notice was the sudden change in gravity and the room itself. That was the claim, but they had been wrong.
Every planet had gravity, and galactic civilisation had more rooms than anyone could count, and those alone would not have fazed her. The air, though, was thick and full of scents that existed nowhere else. She heard the sounds of clunky human machinery, and of muted conversations in a language she actually understood. Everything was robust, and had a sense of mass not often found in a flimsy galaxy full of anti-gravity devices. Regardless of what came next, Earth itself felt welcoming in the way only a true home can ever be.
“Hoo…” she said, exhaling a deep breathe. Future adventures notwithstanding, she’d just lost any desire to actually live among the stars. Jennifer Delaney, mid-twenties space babe, ex-pirate queen, and accidental messiah had finally returned to Earth.
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End of Chapter