NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44
The Navigator followed at our speed. They flew wing, even though their FTL engine was capable of faster travel than ours. Justin Lee and his crew followed behind us, spreading out our sensor capabilities and ensuring no more uninvited guests would interrupt our expedition.
He was certain the Cult of Eternal Darkness wouldn’t be able to find us again, since we had gone off course. The ships, he explained, had likely waited for us at Neolithic Earth’s gate. They had a copy of our map, but they had no way of knowing which path we would take next. The affiliate had the sense to never share the potential routes with the public on an updated basis.
We all settled in to wait for the FTL journey to end. Four and a half days of waiting, with very little to do except stress and create horrific hypothetical ends to our expedition. While some of the crew found Cube charming, they still feared him instinctively. Anything as small as us would fear something as big as him quite naturally, after all. My hobbled together crew was no exception.
By the end of the second day, the doctor came to meet with me and handed me a note saying that our entire supply of anxiety-relief and sleep aid medication was gone. He insisted we needed more, immediately. I could see the stress lines on his face as he drew an ad from his mind and flipped it towards me.
Before I could respond, I was immersed in the familiar clarity of the ad space. Surrounding me were cold, sterile white walls, possibly those of a hospital, though I couldn't make out any other distinctive features. These stayed for just a few moments before themselves vanishing, replaced by the serene image of a tranquil forest. A soft, soothing voice washed over me as a breeze rustled through the leaves.
"Feeling the pressure of deep space? Sleepless nights becoming all too common? Let Trick K Pharmaceuticals guide you to peace."
The scene shifted to a comfortable bedroom, where a figure reclined on a plush bed, sighing happily upwards as they drifted into a deep, restful sleep.
"Our patented formulations ensure that no matter where you are in the multiverse, you can find the calm you need to face another day. Anxiety melting away, stress dissolving, all while keeping you alert and ready for action."
The scene transitioned to a bustling starship bridge, where the same figure, now well-rested, confidently navigated the ship through treacherous asteroid fields with ease. Colleagues around them smiled, clearly relieved to have such a capable and calm leader at the helm.
It actually made me a little uncomfortable how relaxed they seemed. I wondered if they'd keep smiling even as they barreled through asteroids, faced off with enemy combatants, or faced hull depressurization and were subjected to the whims of raw space.
"Trick K Pharmaceuticals—because even the bravest need a moment of peace."
I sighed. Despite my slight misgivings, he wasn't wrong. If it kept them happy and on mission, it was absolutely the right call.
Everything flashed, and I found myself back in the white room from the beginning, this time next to a human doctor, her white coat pristine. She held a bottle of pills in her left hand, and was gesturing to them with her right. "Order now. Side effects may include mild dizziness, flatulence, sudden cravings for dehydrated rations, and inexplicable nostalgia for lost pets. In rare cases, users have reported uncontrollable laughter and an overwhelming desire to challenge the laws of physics. If you experience any of these side effects, please contact your nearest Trick K Pharmaceuticals physician."
The ad ended, leaving me staring at the doctor as the words 'See Affiliate Page for details,' scrolled past my vision one final time.
"This is the best bang for the mortie, and we need it now. Like now now," he said, his eyes staring into my own.
A silent meeting with Shoshanna later, she and I pitched in from our personal accounts to get a pod to deliver a fresh supply.
BuyMort charged us for the distance, and for travelling at FTL speeds, so the expense to even get our handful of pill bottles delivered was still far too high. Fifteen million and change in morties later, the doctor was satisfied. I threw in what I could, but Shoshanna ended up footing the majority of the bill.
I held back a few million of my own, there was no telling what need would arise next, or how much it would cost.
The crew wandered around in a semi-drugged state, with only a few of them avoiding the use of our medications. The captain had no need for it, he was one of the few who genuinely enjoyed Cube, and he was drunk all the time anyway.
My security hobbs wisely chose to go radio-silent during the FTL jump. Cube would hear anything they said, so there was no way to transmit off the ship without giving away who they were and what they were doing.
We all muddled through in our own ways. There was no more sex with Shoshanna, or even enjoyable meals together. Like the rest of the crew, we spent the time almost entirely silent. Anytime we did speak, our words had to be carefully weighed, to ensure they wouldn’t upset Cube. Most communication was done via note, or text.
I spent much of the time in thought. It was an unpleasant feeling to be taken by surprise. So many elements of this expedition I had simply failed to put any thought toward, and the end result became something far different from what I had wanted at the start. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing the documentary.
In my thinking, I ran through several possible scenarios and tried my best to imagine what being thrown into deep space had been like for Cube. The gravity haul would have been mere minutes getting him to the edge of galactic space. In all likelihood, the last thing he had seen before being tossed was the gate we were heading toward.
I ordered a full shift on the rigging, for when we were scheduled to drop out of FTL, and security to keep them at their posts if the worst happened. Both orders were made quite separately, in writing and delivered electronically. I wanted us ready to detach the ship as quickly as possible if Cube had a trauma reaction to the gate.
My thought-exercise paid off when Cube began a low, rumbling keen as soon as we stopped. I ordered him detached, and the net-handlers, already at their posts, immediately did as I said. The netting relaxed and the Pykrete pulled further away from Cube. I deployed my armor and exited the craft, exactly as planned. My job was to help Cube calm down for transport.
Shoshanna was on comms with the local customs fleet, explaining our situation, that it was under control, and that we would report to them immediately upon securing our cargo. No matter how intensely they yelled at her or threatened, she just gave them the same explanation in a steady voice.
“Stay afield customs fleet, stay afield,” she would say into the comm unit. “We are transporting an oversized Cube, who is having an emotional response to the gate that could threaten any ships who come near. Keep gate traffic clear of our vessel and do not come within two thousand kilometers yourselves. Once our cargo is calmed and secure, we will process our gate travel as normal, and be out of your universe.”
Cube was, of course, massive. Every ship in the nearby area reacted to him in some form, most of them turning and running.
Within a couple of minutes we had a fleet of threatening fighter craft at just past two thousand kilometers, each with a swirl of red and blue lights flashing from them. I flew down to Cube and made contact with him, dodging his long tongue as it threshed over the area, wrecking the nets and breaking manipulator arms.
“NO ALONE!” Cube shouted as soon as I touched him. “SCARED! NO ALONE!”
“It’s okay buddy! We’re all right here with you, just focus on my voice. I’m here Cube, right here with you,” I said, placating the massive beast. “We’re going to take you through the gate to a new solar system, in a new universe, one filled with other Cubes. Doesn’t that sound good?”
“OTHER CUBES?” he yelled quizzically.
“Yeah buddy, others just like you. Loads of them,” I lied. I thought on my feet and came up with a deception that would work itself out in natural course. “The new solar system has three stars, Cube. Three solar winds to play in, three sources of radiation. Not to mention tons of planetary bodies. There will be so much for you to explore and play with.”
“Three stars?” he asked quietly. I couldn’t tell if he knew what that meant or not, but he was thoroughly invested in the conversation.
“Yeah! Three whole stars, and a ton of intact and broken up planets and moons for you to eat. You can grow as big as you want and make tons of other Cube friends. The only downside is that it may take a long time to find other Cubes. Your new solar system is really big. Are you ready to start your search for family and friends buddy?” I asked, trying to hype him up.
“Cube find family?” he asked, again in his quiet, introspective voice. Then, “CUBE FIND FAMILY!” burst out of him and I smiled in relief.
“You’re going to have to search for em buddy, can you do that?” I asked.
“CUBE FIND! CUBE LOOK, CUBE FIND FAMILY!” he replied.
“It could take months, or maybe even years to find them, are you ready for that kind of commitment?” I asked him. “This new solar system is a big place, buddy. If you want it to be, this is your new home where you and all the other Cubes can coexist and grow.”
“NEW HOME!” he roared. Cube was excited again, his emotional state calming from the shock of seeing the gate. “CUBE FIND FAMILY!”
It was true that I was lying to him, but so long as he believed other Cubes were there, and that he could find them, he would be okay. His mind would be focused on exploring his new home, a wild, violent solar system with three different stars, all in different sequences and emitting different forms of radiation.
All I had to do was keep Save the Cubes in operation. Our expedition had been historic for the sheer cost, being from a non-profit. To be fair, BuyMort wasn’t exactly known for its non-profits. Looking at the future of the operation, our expenses weren’t going to get much easier.
We needed more ships, more crew members, and more logistics work. The affiliate would need specialists, people who could successfully work with wild Cubes and relocate them. If the non-profit was going to function in rescuing more Cubes than just mine, I was going to have to find a revenue source for them. A significant revenue source.
In a system like BuyMort, providing so many morties for an affiliate that produced no income was a difficult task.
I focused on Cube and keeping him calm as the Pykrete detached its damaged netting. Once he was free and clear, I pushed him toward the gate. My starfish suit’s gravity harness was capable of producing plenty of thrust, so I used it to push my massive pet up to, and then through the BuyMort gate.
We’d had to pay to reopen the tri-solar system’s gate, and then pay for Cube’s sheer mass to pass through it. That part of the operational fund had been taken from the fundraising pool and earmarked at the beginning of the trek, but it still hurt to see it vanish.
Once on the other side, I quickly noticed that the gate wasn’t securely anchored to anything in particular. In the distance, three vibrant stars shone from different parts of the solar system. To our rear was a vast debris field that seemed to swirl inward toward the solar system’s center, where a dust ball hovered, different parts of it reaching toward different stars.
One of the lights was small and bright blue. It gave off an almost white light and was difficult to look at directly. It orbited a red giant, while a distant pulsar shot waves of violent radiation through the area. My anti-magic helmet identified it as a harmful aura and told me to steer clear before too much corruption settled into my body. I was once again reminded of the fact that magic was nothing but branding, in BuyMort.
Cube vibrated as he took in the solar system. Whatever organ systems he used to perceive his surroundings worked overtime. Suddenly he shouted, “NEW HOME TASTES GOOD!” and I knew he was going to be okay.
“You have a lot of territory to cover buddy, can you make your own way here?” I asked.
“CUBE WANT FLY!” he said, and his body suddenly became a flat sail. It filled with radiation and he tore free of me, flying away so fast that he vanished from sight almost immediately. Even with my enhanced vision, I couldn’t see him anymore.
He would ride the solar winds and gravity wells like a dolphin in ocean currents. If all went to plan, I would never see him again.
I raised a hand in the direction he had disappeared. “Goodbye Cube,” I whispered.
The pulsar brightened, and I felt a mild scorching sensation penetrate my hardened epidermis. I flew toward the BuyMort gate and activated it. The solar system was really unsuitable for anything but Cubes. As I flashed away in a dazzle of rainbow light, I wondered what profit BuyMort had ever found there.