Page 35 of Life-Debt

“We could catch vulpes vulpes and teach them like your Pandora?”

“I’m sure you could—or catch a breeding pair and domesticate them and their kits. Pandora is genetically modified for a longer lifespan and heightened intellect. I will have to get the kit tested, but it’s probable he’s modified, too.”

“How interesting.”

I gestured for the guardian to follow me, sitting on my chair, waving to the Veloc who’d waited through the entire process of reuniting parents and child. “All is well. I have a route that I was told is the most direct. Can you verify this for me?” I pressed a few buttons on my chair’s console and then utilized my link to transmit the data to the Veloc. “I would like to get them back to your world as quickly as possible, obviously.”

“Yes, this route is good, but the last jump gate is troublesome. We will take a five gate route. Our ships cannot handle the last gate.”

Interesting. “What’s wrong with the gate?”

“It has opinions. No one dies, but you may not go where you meant to. You may not even emerge at another gate. That gate will take you where you need to go. It is sentient.”

My brows shot up. “The shiftgem gate is sentient?”

“That is what we believe. All who venture there are wise to treat it with respect. But we received word you are one with the stars. If that is the route you wish to take, we will meet you at Veloci Minor. You are in our space now, and we have many ships, and they are all hunting for those who would hunt for our hatchlings. They will not succeed in their hunts. Not now.”

Interesting. “I’ll take the gate. It is better for them to return to their home as quickly as possible.”

“You understand.”

I did. “My ship is rated for planet entry, and I’m qualified to do entry and exits, as long as you can secure me authorization to venture onto the planet.”

“Consider permission to be granted. I will notify Veloci Minor of your ship’s details. Fly safely, fly swiftly, and hunt well.” The screen went dark, and aware of the precious cargo I carried, I eased away from the escort and began the last stage of their journey home.

Then I would put the issue of the core shiftgems to rest and go off in search of my next adventure.

TWELVE

They called her Miracle Star

I understood what the Veloc had meant by the shiftgem gate possessing sentience upon arrival. While gates typically glowed, the gate leading to Veloci Minor—or elsewhere—shifted in odd patterns, patterns I determined had meaning.

“Wow,” I whispered, sitting back in my seat and admiring the play of colors over the gate. The rainbow black crystal around my neck warmed, something it hadn’t done since leaving the space station. I questioned the change, but I couldn’t afford to worry about it.

“Aren’t you something else?” I said, smiling at the latest marvel of space. “This is something you probably won’t see again unless you’re brave, stupid, or both.”

The Veloc regarded me with flattened crests, with the exception of the hatchling, who sat on the floor and tried to chew on her father’s capped claw. I learned Veloc named themselves upon reaching adulthood, and her baby name was Miracle of a Lost Crimson Star, as she’d broken free of her egg the same day the light of a dying red dwarf star had reached their world.

They called her Miracle Star as a nickname, and I loved everything about the hatchling. One day, I hoped she flew, although I suspected she’d stay safe and sound on the ground.

Her parents struggled to adapt to space, but I admired their bravery.

They would do anything to be with their hatchling and see her safely home.

I took the time to explain how shiftgem gates typically worked, and then showcased the difference. Once done, I gestured to the pulsating patterns of light. “Those are all from shiftgem crystals, and the gate is activating the various colors of gems. What the pattern means? I can’t tell you. But I can tell you the gate is active.” And it listened. That much I could tell from how the colors changed in reaction to my words. “We’re here, so I can get you home and get your baby nestled into her bed tonight. So, like we did with the other gates, sit tight in your chair. Hold your hatchling.”

Once the Veloc obeyed, I used the intercom to warn Pandora we were making a jump.

Unlike the times before, I lifted the rainbow black core shiftgem from under my shirt, lifted it up on its chain, and pressed it to my lips, hoping it might somehow communicate the importance of my cargo to the gate. I let it fall, and the stone’s warmth strengthened, spreading rather than growing hotter.

How strange.

Without knowing what the gate would do, I activated all thrusters, which would enable me to hover in any environment—even if the gate shot me directly into Veloci Minor’s atmosphere. Then, I increased the rear thrusters to enter the gate and activated the shiftgem crystals to initiate the jump.

The gate’s colors shifted to mimic that of the rainbow black, and the stomach-lurching sensation of jumping took hold. The next minute, I appreciated my foresight.

The gate hadn’t sent us through space, but into the mid-atmosphere of a planet. Alarms squealed on my ship, and I slammed buttons and adjusted thrusters to restore forward motion. One by one, the warnings quieted, and my ship registered the atmospheric conditions and adjusted to them.