Andromeda Day and the Black Hole by Charlie Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

studied him for a moment. She seemed
to be debating whether to tell them any more. She dropped her eyes, and
shuffled the plans on the table. “It is a religious icon. Our customs stretch
back millennia to the days of our forefathers. The Golden Star was our last
link to our ancestors. It has a Keeper—a woman called Lydia. Lydia was
captured, and the Golden Star with her. I do not think that the Hoshaens are
aware that she was the Keeper as they have not bragged about capturing the
Star. But since her disappearance, our army has lost all heart.”
    Andi understood. In the old days of war on
Earth, armies would often fight for the country’s colors, or for the flag, and
losing that symbol often proved devastating for those who fought. “We, too,
have a love of history,” she said. “That’s why we collect artifacts—so that the
history of the people in this Galaxy can be known to all.”
    Clios nodded, but showed no signs of
offering them any Ruvalian gifts.
    “Where was Lydia taken?” Deneb asked
eventually.
    Clios looked at him with her deep green
eyes. “To a prison, deep in Hoshaen lands. My people call it the Black Hole.”
    Andi shivered. The nickname implied a dark,
impenetrable place that sucked in everything around it, somewhere from which
you could never escape. “It sounds terrifying.”
    “It is a dreadful place, deep in the bowels
of Thoume, where Ruvalian prisoners are forced to mine for Indigo Quartz in the
most horrendous conditions. They say it is like an underground city, a huge
place, stretching for miles. And people who go in there never come out.” The
eyes of the courageous Ruvalian captain were filled with a terrible fear. A
chill ran along Andi’s spine.
    Deneb frowned. “If Golden Star returned,”
he said in his faltering Ruvalian, “your army turn back Hoshaens?”
    “I do not know. But they would certainly
have renewed hope—something we have not known for some time.” Clios met his
gaze openly. “The return of the Star would be the only way we could grant your…
request.”
    Andi frowned. Request? Did she mean the
Quartz, or something else? “Has anyone tried to find the Golden Star?” she
asked.
    “I have sent as many soldiers into the
Black Hole as I can spare, but none of them has returned. Lydia was very strong
and courageous. But perhaps she is dead now. Or as good as.” A single tear fell
from Clios’s left eye and trickled down her cheek. She made no attempt to wipe
it away, as proud of her sorrow as she was of her courage.
    “Would the Hoshaens not have recovered the artifact
themselves when they captured Lydia?” Andi asked. “They must know how important
it is to you.”
    “Lydia would never let that happen. She
would keep it in a safe place.”
    “You mean that perhaps she hid it before
she was captured?”
    Clios’s face was unreadable. “Possibly.”
    Deneb was leaning on the table and Andi
looked down, shocked but not surprised to see that his knuckles were white
where he gripped the edge. A sinking feeling inside her made her wonder if her
metal heart had detached itself from the rest of her body and was drifting
slowly to her feet. She knew the look on his face, knew it of old. Deneb the
white knight in shining armor, always ready to rescue the damsel in distress. She
caught his arm, shook her head. “No, Dad. We can’t.”
    He looked at her as if seeing her for the
first time and then straightened, his eyes clearing. “I know,” he said gently. He
turned back to Clios. “I sorry for your loss. Sorry to taken your time.”
    Clios looked tired, as if all the weeks of
sleeping rough, snatching an hour here and there, had suddenly taken their
toll. “We don’t have much that you can take. There are precious few relics here—everything
of value has been buried.” Her eyes burned fiercely. “We will not let the
Hoshaens come in and take our history as if it is yellowcorn ready for the
picking.”
    She turned and walked away from the