The more I explore the Lantis ship more I think there’s something wrong with them. There are rooms with beds, dressers, and belongings, but no people in them. There are wide open hallways, but I’m the only one that walks them. And then there are the voices, always the voices in the back of my head whispering their memories. The memories of people frozen in the pods that encrust the ship layer upon layer, kept alive by a technology only the dead understand.

  Log Fragment B-96

  --------------------------------

  This had to be the most surreal moment of Maggie’s life. Not when she was abducted by Theseus and Robin, or her first close-up glimpse of a nebula, or even seeing Galaux Station and its many different people. No, all that was weird, but in a strangely normal way now. But sitting in a garden on an alien world, with her aunt next to her and her mother and father across from her? That was the weirdest thing she had encountered so far. Especially with the PDA between her mom and dad. They were holding hands like boyfriend and girlfriend, Theodrakis’s chair pushed close to Nora’s wheelchair.

  “So, uhm, what now?” Maggie asked, rolling one of the juice-filled balls between her fingers, too nervous to actually eat it. As far as she could tell the round foods was a bit of a novelty concept on Galaux Station, since she hadn’t seen as much since leaving it. But the bite-sized juice bubbles seemed a common snack even here. Maybe it was an easy way to drink juice while in the water.

  “Now we take you back to Earth.” Nora said firmly, earning a frown from Theodrakis.

  “It’s not that easy Nora, she has a Key, she needs training. And what if something happens to her like what happened to you?” His eyes darted to Nora’s legs, and his frown deepened. “You should all stay here, there’s a chance that we can help get your legs working again.”

  “I’m not going to let that woman experiment on her, Theo. She can’t help herself, you know that as well as I do. Reshka’i wants nothing more than to learn more about Ancient’s technology, no matter who she hurts to do it.”

  “That woman did seem a bit eager, but maybe they can help find the ship.” Maggie caught a glimpse of Te’chik out of the corner of her eyes, gone when she tried to look directly at her. The voices were one thing, but this almost seeing people thing was going to drive her nuts.

  “I’d like to learn more, but going back to Earth... I want to go home. I want to go back to being normal, and just worrying about school. I don’t even know how many assignments I’ve missed for my classes!” If someone had told Maggie even a month ago that she would miss going to class, she would have laughed. But the truth was she wanted that mundane schedule back, the boring job at the laundromat, the crazy nights at the Study Hall with the sleep deprived students and professors working and playing as the campus news station played in the background.

  “Seriously? You’re worried about school? The Star Eaters could be coming and you’re worried about missing assignments.” It was the little girls voice this time, incredulously echoing through her mind. Maggie popped the juice bubble into her mouth to resist the urge to answer out loud. She was worried about the Star Eaters, she could feel the dread from Te’chik and the little girl each time they came up. Whatever these Star Eaters were, they were bad news.

  “I’d like to have at least a little bit of normalcy in my life.” Maggie said with a sigh. “If I have to deal with the Key and the Star Eaters or whatever, can’t I at least finish out the semester back home, and say goodbye to everyone? I can come back afterwards!”

  Theodrakis frowned, looking at Nora. “It’s dangerous. What if Earth’s governments get ahold of you?”

  “They never got ahold of Mom, and hardly anyone really believes in aliens anyways. It’ll be fine!”

  “We would have to be very careful.” Nora said, a trace of doubt entering her voice.

  “The town is still considered a safe haven for previous abductees, it shouldn’t be that big a problem.” Electra said, reaching over to grab one of the juice bubbles for herself. “And it would be nice to get back to the shop, Becca has to be wondering where I’ve gone by now, and I haven’t had a chance to teach her how to do payroll.”

  “Listen to yourselves, do you really think you can just return to Earth like nothing has happened?” Theodrakis stood up and started to pace, folding his hands tightly behind his back. “I understand the desire to go back, but even if the Silvarian’s would allow it, even if Ux’thu convinced them, there’s too much risk. Our spies believe the Freedom Coalition knows you’re alive, and you can’t guarantee that town is still safe with all the activity around it. It sounds like there’s been at least three spaceship incidents in the last month: Theseus and Robin entering the town, then leaving with Maggie, and then you and Electra leaving the same way. Returning would bring the incidents up to four and greatly increase the chance of government attention.”

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  “Theo, Maggie is right about hardly anyone believing in aliens. And we have people in the police department that can smooth things over.” Nora said calmly. “The worst that would happen is gossiping about it all on the campus news station.”

  “Teddy would have fun with that.” Electra said with a laugh. “So would Bobby, but Nora is right, that’s as far as it would go. By the time we get back any government agents will have moved on to other issues. It isn’t as if the country isn’t enough of a mess to keep them busy without adding aliens to the mix.”

  “Aliens are probably already added to the mix.” Theo pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “And how do you expect to even get off this planet?”

  Electra smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes getting deeper. “It isn’t as hard as you would think, Theodrakis.”

  “Nora, do you really think this is a safe idea?” Theo turned to Nora, holding out a hand imploringly. “It’s Earth! With it’s warring governments, poverty and pollution....”

  “You can’t say the wide universe is that much better, and remember, you agreed with the idea of raising her on Earth in the first place.” Nora took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “She’s in no more danger there than she is out here.”

  “That was before she had a Key. In fact, the whole point was to avoid this type of situation.” Theo sighed and sat back down, raking a hand through his short hair.

  “She can’t go back.”

  All eyes turned to Ux’thu, who stood in the doorway leaning heavily on his cane. He smiled, although his eyes were sympathetic. “There are too many dangers in a Keyholder returning to Earth, especially when the Freedom Coalition is aware of your existence. Flame is out there somewhere, she may still try to seek you out. And then there are the dangers of Earth and it’s people. So no, you will not be going anywhere Maggie, I’m sorry.”

  “Are you just going to keep her a prisoner then?” Electra asked sharply.

  “You can look at it that way if you wish. But I see it more as not letting someone put themselves in harms way. You were lucky not to be found when you went to Earth and taken by their governments, and Nora did not survive the trip unharmed. I will not allow the same thing to happen to my granddaughter.” Ux’thu turned and waddled away from the door. “Reshka’i will be by in the morning to pick you up Maggie, get some rest.”

  And then he was gone, the sound of his cane clicking along the tile floor fading in the distance. An uneasy silence fell over the table, Electra and Nora exchanging looks. They had the same expressions they had when they wanted to talk but didn’t want Maggie to hear what they were talking about.

  “Do you think he’ll change his mind? Maybe?” Maggie asked. Surely he couldn’t keep them there! Her mom and aunt had their own ship, and her dad was captain of one! If they wanted to get off the planet they had the resources to.

  Didn’t they?

  “I doubt it. But don’t you worry about it. Go ahead and get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Nora rolled her wheelchair around the table, leaning over to give Maggie’s cheek a kiss. “Everything will be alright.”

  Great, it wasn’t even dark yet and she was being sent to bed like a little kid! She considered arguing, but instead just let out a sigh and kissed her mother's cheek. “Goodnight.”

  Irritated at herself, Maggie headed up the stairs to her own quarters, no less luxurious than the quarters on her father's ship. But all she was interested in was the bed, and her tablet. She needed to talk to Robin, he had at least as much to lose as she did in this case. And while she was sure that her mom and aunt would try to make a plan to get them back to Earth, she wasn’t sure that they would be thinking of Robin when they made their plans.

  Of course there was also the problem of these Star Eaters, and the ship left frozen in the snow. She had to find it and see about freeing it’s people.

  Maggie paused outside her room, staring at the door blankly. Freeing its people? They were probably long dead! Te’chik was dead, she was pretty sure of that at least. With a frown, Maggie opened the door to her room, heading over to her bed and the tablet that lay on it. She flopped down into the soft mattress, staring up at the ceiling.

  Robin flowed out of the tablet like some weird genie coming out of a magic lamp, sitting on the bed next to her. “Stressful dinner?”

  “You have no idea. It was so weird seeing my mom and dad together, I can’t even pretend he isn’t my dad anymore, they’re so into each other. And my aunt is acting so different too, I just can’t get over her having a gun, let alone aiming it at people. She bakes cookies for Christ’s sake!”

  “People have many different sides.” Robin looked down at her, smiling faintly. “You’re just seeing a side you haven’t seen before.”

  “I’m not sure I like it.” Maggie frowned, picturing her aunt with the gun again. She hadn’t looked like an action hero, but she had obviously known what she was doing with it. “She didn’t even flinch when she pointed the gun at my dad. I don’t think she would have had any problem shooting him.”

  “She’s protective of you, that’s not a bad thing. You need some protecting.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Robin grinned and tapped her nose, leaving a feeling like a tiny electric shock. “It means exactly that. You’re a Keyholder, and no one knows where your ship is yet. Once you figure that out, everyone is going to want it, and you. You’ve already seen that with Flame and Ux’thu.”

  Maggie rubbed her nose, scowling at Robin. “Maybe it should just stay lost.”

  She said it, but she didn’t mean it. There was a part of her that needed to find the ship, she just didn’t understand why yet.