Outcast by Alex Douglas Read Free Book Online Page B

systems than this one where you could've worked, probably more exciting too. All there is here is trade, and paperwork ."
    Lan set his Tablet down on the console and looked out at the two vessels. "Aldor is far from this sector," he said. There was a silence then he pointed ahead at the emerging jump gate, one eye on Prez. "The development of construct engineers made a substantial contribution to the creation of the new XT32 version. Note the vertical positioning of the external rupturing barriers as opposed to the previous circular models. It meant that the Belaari repair engineers would no longer be sucked into the rupture accidentally."
    "Are you changing the subject?" Prez was amused.
    Lan seemed to consider the question carefully. "Yes."
    "Well, make it a bit more interesting then. I'm a pilot, not a scientist."
    "You have no interest in the technology?"
    Prez shrugged. "I like Skits, but I don't need to know how they're made to enjoy them."
    Lan's eyes focused together on the transports ahead. "Curious," he said, but offered no more insights on the jump gate technology.
    Prez studied his co-pilot's impregnable expression for a moment, intrigued. A shady past perhaps? His gaze travelled down Lan's chest to the slight gape in the robes, the shadowy dip at the base of his throat. He remembered the silky feel of Lan's hair between his fingers and sighed. It had been difficult to hold off the customary kisses at the end, only to forget himself when the good news came from Doc, the best present anyone could have wished for. He watched Lan touching the beads again and a warm feeling crept into his heart, just for a second.
    Then he shook himself from those silly thoughts and looked back at the screen. No one in the universe wanted a ku-tah for a partner unless money and a twenty-minute time limit were involved. It was just the way things were; accepting the facts and embracing what he had instead of missing what he didn't have, that was how he'd always tried to live. It made the loneliness easier to bear when he thought of his friends, his ship, his freedom.
    The Outcast drew up beside the Belaari transports. Prez lifted the little square device and sighed. "Here goes, then." He clicked a button on the side and groaned as the chip activated and the start-up hum lanced through his brain and ears. The pain subsided quickly and he rubbed at his temples, then he opened a communication channel to the bigger Belaari transport and cleared his throat.
    " Outcast reporting for duty."

Chapter Three

    The jump was very much like the last one Lan had experienced, dizzying and anti-climactic. Only this time, his mind was focused on the task of keeping the ship steady, not miserably recounting his last days on Aldor and worrying about what lay out there in the void beyond everything he'd ever known. He'd arrived at the space port near Belaar and hung around there for weeks until it became apparent that he would soon have to seek employment or starve.
    In his time at the port, he'd learned Belaari to an almost flawless level, and it was amusing to hear Prez mangling the language with his poor pronunciation and literal translations of alien phrases that rendered the Belaari captain helpless with laughter. He wondered if he should translate and save Prez the obvious discomfort of using the chip -- not to mention the derision of the Belaari -- but it was not in his nature to put himself forward so he remained silent as the Outcast was escorted beyond the exit gate and over to the docking section of the huge port.
    It looked much like the one Lan had stayed in before; bright lights blazing out from the semi-organic transparency that formed the elliptical windows, which blinked out from the slowly-revolving metal segments of the enormous structure. As they approached, a hatch opened up like a huge glowing eyelid. The three vessels docked together, and there was a thudding noise as vibrations shuddered though the Outcast . They had arrived.
    Lan