Hybrid Saga 01 - Hybrid (83 page)

“And if what I believe is wrong?” he challenged her.

“It cannot be,” she returned. “Only once your belief changes, does your reality.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Jarred argued.

“Does it not?” she countered. “Look around you. The people of this system, even those you travel with, are controlled by what they believe. Whether you share those beliefs or not, you must acknowledge their impact on their realities, as well as your own.”

“So, you’re saying that
if
I believe that thing in the temple was a Usarion . . .
a God
. . . then that makes it true?”

“For you,” Orna replied. “Yes. And for anyone who is impacted by the actions that belief leads you to take.
Is
that what you believe?”

Jarred shook his head, mostly at himself. “I’m not sure
what
I believe right now.”

“There is no fault in that,” Orna said, sounding almost reassuring. “No being knows their full self at the beginning of their journey. That is a destination each of us must reach in our own time. When followed, our paths will lead us to our own truths in due course. Continue along yours and the clarity you seek will follow.”

Jarred considered the words of wisdom. “It’s hard to walk one when you’re not sure what it is. But I
am
trying.”

“That is all any being can do,” Orna returned, Jarred wondering if he saw a hint of a smile on the small being’s face. He was doubtful, but the possibility in itself brought a grin to his own.

“Do you have other questions?” she asked, after a lingering moment of silence between them.

“I do,” Jarred answered. “But they can wait. Who knows, maybe I’ll come across the answers myself.”

“You are learning,” Orna said, sounding amused.

Jarred smiled. “I
am
trying.” He supposed he didn’t have much choice in the matter. If he wanted to answer the mysteries that were his past . . . and his future . . . he would need to open himself to learning them. As difficult as that was for him to do, he knew as well that the time had come to stop running. From his past. From the truth. It was time to stop and face it. And whatever
it
held for his future. Admittedly, finally making that decision was a significant step for him. It was yet another sign of the changes he was undergoing. Changes that continued to surprise him. And sometimes frighten him. He wasn’t sure of who or what he was becoming, and while that left him feeling vulnerable and uneasy, he also knew just as well that he had to accept and deal with those feelings as part of the journey.

As Orna had said, he couldn’t know the end of his journey and he couldn’t be delivered to it by another. He had to walk it, and doing so would not always be easy or comfortable. Surprisingly, Jarred thought he might actually be starting to make some sense of the strange being’s riddles. Even more so, as odd as it was, he knew that he felt grateful towards her. For her guidance, as vague as it was. And for the path she had started him down, as perilous as the journey had been so far. For the first time he could recall, he felt as though he had a direction, aside from
away
from his past . . . and himself. Though he didn’t say as much to her, he suspected she knew it.

“I guess this is goodbye” he said instead, breaking the silence.

Orna shook her head, a subtle gesture most people would not have perceived, and one Jarred had noticed only in light of the time he had spent trying to discern her alien mannerisms. “There are no goodbyes, Jarred Archer. Nothing is so certain in this world. Our paths met for a time. And now they part. Who is to say they will not meet again?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying it,” Jarred admitted, “but . . . I hope that one day they do.”

“As do I,” she allowed.

They regarded one another for a long, thoughtful moment; at least thoughtful for Jarred, as he considered all he had experienced as a result of crossing paths with the being. He supposed it was really saying something that after all of it he was still open to the possibility of doing anything but running in the opposite direction of her. That point alone solidified it for him. He really
had
changed. A grin came to his face and he gave Orna a slight nod, his impersonation of one of her own mannerisms, and then turned to walk towards the exit portal and umbilical arm that connected the ship to
Infinity Station
.

“I wish to thank you, Jarred Archer,” Orna said, as Jarred reached the portal. For what you have done . . . and for what you
will
do.”

Jarred couldn’t help but smirk at the characteristically cryptic comment, but knew better than to inquire on her meaning. He had learned that much by now. “Farewell, Orna,” he offered instead, turning away once again.

“Until we meet again,” he heard her speak softly, as he stepped into the umbilical.

*     *     *

Hundreds of space stations, varying from defense platforms to fueling docks and construction facilities, populated all quarters of Dominion space. Many of them revolved around the system’s numerous planets and moons, dozens orbiting Gaia alone, Ethan knew, while others drifted through the vast empty space that separated them, serving as waypoints for travelers in need of rest and repairs.

Infinity Station
was neither. Poised on the edge of what was generally considered to be the outlying border of the system, the small research facility gazed out into the vast expanse of open galactic space that separated them from all of the other stars. It’s crew, comprised of various astrologists and scientists, apparently devoted themselves to observing spatial phenomenon and gathering data on nearby solar systems. At least, that was what they would have any onlookers believe. Though no one had said as much, Ethan knew that this place was more than just the stellar research facility it appeared to be. Kern and Sierra wouldn’t have brought them all the way out here otherwise. It’s sheer distance from any civilized sector of Dominion space made it a safe bet for them to rest and refuel before parting ways, but with the Sect after them they had to be sure they could trust the people onboard completely. The only way they could do that was if the people onboard were their own. At least that was the way Ethan saw it. In the end, he supposed it didn’t matter what their real purpose here was. As long as they were friendlies. His certainty in that allowed him to rest easy . . . for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

As it’s name indicated, the installation offered a view of open space that was especially breathtaking, Ethan having spent most of his time since arriving on its observation deck staring out into the star spattered void. Not with the awe of a boy that once dreamed of little else, but the clarity of someone that had been exposed to its true nature and had been humbled by the experience. Those shining slivers of light, glowing so fiercely against the void around them, which had always seemed to be calling to him, looked somehow different now. They still held the same mystery they always had, but what once had been a world of fantasy and endless possibility, had become something much more real.

His first space-ward adventure had not been what he always imagined it would be. Far from it. It had been a rude awakening to the realities of the Universe. And while the shock of what he had experienced would haunt him forever, he knew it would also help to shape the person he would become. No, the void was not what he had imagined. It was much more. And as sure as he was of how naive and misguided he had been about what it held, he was as equally certain that he would spend the rest of his life traveling it.

“Some view, huh?” Jarred commented from behind him, Ethan glancing up at the man’s reflection in the viewpane. “After seeing it from out here, you never look at it quite the same way.”

Ethan returned his focus to the vast starfield. “What’s out there?”

“In the Expanse?” Jarred replied. “It’s hard to say. Not much at all, I suppose. Just the open void between us and the rest of the universe.”

“Has anyone ever tried to cross it?” Ethan asked.

Jarred shrugged. “Some have. None have come back. Problem is, there’s a few trillion kilometers of empty space separating us from the nearest star out there. It would take the rest of your life time to make that trek, let alone a round trip. And research stations like this one have already ruled out any hospitable worlds or life in any of the surrounding systems, so you and your kids’ kids would be looking at a pretty long haul to find a place to dock.”

Ethan thought about that a moment. “Do you think there’s anyone else out there?”

Jarred didn’t answer right away, appearing deep in thought as his own gaze drifted out into the infinite darkness. “Well . . . we all came from somewhere, didn’t we? And the Universe is a big place. It would be hard to believe we’re the only beings in it.”

“Yeah,” Ethan said. “That’s what I was thinking.”

Jarred grinned at him and used one hand to muss his hair. “You about ready to cast off?”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

The others were waiting on the docking level below, Sierra and Kern conversing with an older in years, dark skinned man; Rictor was his name; the facility’s administrator and lead researcher . . . and whatever else he really was. They ended their quiet talk as Ethan and Jarred neared, Kern stepping away from the others to meet them.

“The scout’s loaded with supplies and primed,” he commented, gesturing towards the nearest boarding umbilical, the small vessel he was referring to visible through the viewpanes to either side of the arm’s hatchway. “Are you
really
sure about this?”

“Are you trying to get me to change my mind?” Jarred returned. “A deal’s a deal. The ship is yours. You earned it. It’s a little higher profile than I need right now anyway. The scout will suit my needs just fine.”

“Well, it’s not much,” Rictor commented. “We only use it for supply runs. But it’s yours, for what you’ve done for these two . . . and their cause.”

Jarred nodded to the man, Ethan eyeing him carefully, as though in doing so he would be able to discern his real place and purpose here.

“You’re sure you won’t change your mind?” Kern asked. “And come with us? We could use someone with your skill set.”

“I’m sure you could,” Jarred returned with a grin. “But I think I’ve had my fill of waging war against the Sect. I’ll leave that duty in your capable hands.” He took the other man’s hand and shook it.

“You’re one of the good guys,” Kern said. “Remember that.”

“I’ll try,” Jarred replied.

As Kern moved aside, Sierra stepped forward, she and Jarred regarding one another for a silent moment. “I’m glad Kam found you,” the woman said, finally. “Thank you for helping him.”

Jarred didn’t say anything in return, but nodded to her instead as he took her outstretched hand. It was an odd exchange, one Ethan didn’t quite understand, though he knew enough that it showed both wanted to say more, but couldn’t or wouldn’t bring themselves to do so.

“We’re all set to go,” another voice said from a short distance away, Ethan looking over to see his sister standing in the scout’s open umbilical entry portal.

Sierra gestured in Elora’s direction, while still speaking to Jarred. “You’re sure about this? Taking them with you? They’d probably be better off coming back with us.”

“Probably,” Jarred replied. “But I haven’t had a lot of luck talking them out anything lately.” He looked from Ethan to Elora, grinning warmly. “Besides, they’re kind of starting to grow on me.”

Elora returned his smile, Ethan noting something in her eyes he couldn’t recall ever having seen before. She cared for Jarred. And Ethan thought Jarred felt the same for her. It was a thought that brought a grin to his own face.

“Then I guess this is goodbye,” Sierra said, looking to each of them in turn.

“A wise person told me . . . there
are
no goodbyes,” Jarred said, looking across the deck to one of the other umbilical arm hatches, where Orna stood, returning his gaze. The others turned to regard her as well.

“Who knows,” Jarred continued. “Maybe our paths will cross again.”

They parted then, Sierra and Kern moving toward the docked Meridian Stargazer to return Orna to their resistance friends, Jarred, Ethan and Elora boarding their newly donated scout class freight runner. The vessel was nothing special, but appeared in good shape. The flight deck was cramped and nowhere near as sophisticated as the Stargazer Jarred had unfortunately seen fit to give to Sierra and Kern, but as Ethan looked over the small array of control stations, he decided it definitely had potential. As he had thought so many times when fantasizing about flying through the void to adventures unending, any ship that functioned was a thing of beauty.

Jarred settled into one of the two pilot seats and began to prep for umbilical detachment, Ethan passing both Elora and Tarik at the rear control stations to take up the empty seat next to him. Releasing the boarding arm’s mag locks, Jarred executed a low powered directional thrust and the ship began to drift away from the station, coming about until Ethan was able to see it and the Stargazer through the viewport.