Chapter 125

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five

After a few minutes looking the alien communications console over, Connor was no closer to understanding it than when he’d started. It was little more than a flat panel with glowing symbols on it.

Then a warmth began at the center of his chest. He pulled out the amulet, which throbbed in time with his heart.

A faint smell like an electrical fire came from the console, then it grew brighter.

No sooner had Connor stepped back than a holograph flashed.

He brushed sweat from the tip of his nose, hopeful it would be the friendly alien.

A different reptilian alien—older looking—appeared. “Human species representatives…welcome. You have initiated communications with our system.”

Elise looked up from the console she was interfacing with. “What happened?”

Connor put the amulet away. “I’m not sure. It looks like I connected.”

She frowned. “Unfortunately, I have yet to find an obvious control mechanism.”

“Don’t give up.”

As odd as it was that the amulet had talked to the communications system—of that was what had happened—it seemed unlikely Toshiko’s gift would be a universal interface to the alien technology.

Connor waved at the older-looking alien. “I don’t know how to do it, but I’d like to communicate with—” He glanced over at Elise to be sure she wasn’t paying attention, then leaned in. “—a friend.”

The holographic alien stared.

What was it looking for? The other one had seemed to interact easily enough with plain talk.

It dawned on Connor then that Toshiko had given him something else, along with the necklace and its strange amulet.

He patted his pants until he remembered where he’d stuffed the encryption device Toshiko had given him.

It was too coincidental that she would have given him two devices—

When he pulled the encryption device out, the holographic alien nodded. “You wish to establish contact with a receiver of human design.”

Connor swallowed. “Yes.”

The ancient panel fizzled and popped, then heat came off of it.

That was exactly the sort of luck Connor would expect on this planet: find an ancient alien communications device, then have it melt down before getting a message out.

As with Elise’s pocket computer, the human technology interfaced fine.

But was it the amulet that had activated everything to start with?

Connor pulled out his pocket computer and initiated a connection to the encryption device, then tried to connect to Toshiko.

If that wasn’t sufficient for the alien systems, he would have to ask—

His computer was surrounded by the same sort of green glow as Elise’s device had been surrounded by.

At the same moment, the smell of an electrical fire grew more intense.

It had to be the heat in this part of the subterranean structure. The older systems must not be able to handle it.

Almost at the same moment Connor thought that, the holographic alien frowned.

Then Connor’s computer chimed.

That sound brought back memories: of school, the river, of peace…

…and of Toshiko.

It was her chime, something she must have programmed in.

Her face appeared on the display—tired, distorted, and green. Bursts of static cut across the screen in horizontal lines.

“Connor?” Toshiko yawned. “Is that you?”

“You’re not going to believe this, but I’m calling you from a planet our client brought us to.”

Now Toshiko squinted. Even worry lines couldn’t diminish her beauty. “This is—”

The connection died, and it sounded like something popped behind the panel.

Elise turned now, stepping closer. “What’s going on?”

Connor sniffed. “It smells like the machine is dying. The heat, maybe.”

“Can you connect to the Moon twins?”

“I’ll try. The interference down here is pretty bad.”

Sure enough, his computer warned that it couldn’t make a connection. Perhaps it was more than the building materials and rock. The corrupting influence wouldn’t want him warning Tim and Tom.

But that didn’t mean it would stop him from reaching Vicente and Kalpana.

Connor tried the heavy weapons expert first.

After a bit, the connection went through.

“Boss?” Vicente’s voice was scratchy and weak.

“Vicente! Can you hear me?”

“Yeah. You’re a little weak but clear. What’s up? You guys done?”

“No, we got separated. Something’s wrong with Selen.”

The big man snorted. “Just now figuring that one out?”

“Vicente, she’s…it’s bad. Something bad has control of her.”

“You don’t gotta sell me on it. What do you want us to do?”

“If I can’t get Tim and Tom out… If I don’t make it out…”

“Stop her, huh?”

“You have to. It might be too late, but—”

“Done, Boss.”

Connor’s device blinked: His connection to Toshiko was back. “I’ve got to go.”

“Watch your back.”

“I will.” Connor disconnected.

Immediately, Toshiko’s face appeared on the display. “Connor? What—?”

“It’s Selen. It’s this place.”

“That’s your boss? Selen Erbaykent? The Amazon?”

“There’re ancient ruins here. It’s an old civilization, and they’ve imprisoned something even older and really bad on this planet. I mean really bad. It wants to kill everything.” Including Toshiko, he realized.

“Connor, listen to me. I’ve—” Static hissed across the display. “—research, and your boss is crooked.”

“Crooked?”

“She’s been involved in black market activities going back years. She has ties to some shady people.”

Like Mosiah and his friends. “It’s not her doing it.”

“You keep telling yourself that, but she’s the one who tipped the Directorate off that you were coming to Mara.”

The words were almost a physical blow. Connor’s breath caught. “How—?”

“I told you: I did research on her. She warned people you were coming.”

Selen would never have done something like that, not when he’d first met her, not when they’d been intimate.

But this wasn’t Selen anymore—it was an alien, destructive force.

And that terror wanted to destroy all other life, even someone as pure and wonderful as Toshiko.

“Hey?” He let out a tired breath. “Listen to me—”

“Don’t make excuses for her, Connor.”

“I’m not. I know she’s done some terrible things. I get it. But I wanted to tell you…I love you. I’m going to do everything I can to protect you. Do you understand?”

“Just come back to me.”

“I—”

Smoke belched from the panel, then the hologram disappeared, and the green glow faded.

The communication device was dead.
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