Cosmic Horizon (Slip Runner Book 9) by J.N. Chaney & M.F. Lerma

Author:J.N. Chaney & M.F. Lerma [Chaney, J.N. & Lerma, M.F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Variant Publications
Published: 2024-01-21T00:00:00+00:00

“No.”

Aaron laughed right in my face. It wasn’t malicious, just full of incredulity.

“No,” he repeated after getting ahold of himself. “I’m sorry for laughing, but that’s not how portals work. They’re intricate, yes, but not designed for... star-kicking.”

We were in his office at the Circle of Knowledge, surrounded by the vast archives of the Great Library, and the guy was saying no.

Aurora, unfazed by his response, jumped in. “If not with portals, then what? Do you know of the gates?”

Aaron’s expression shifted from amusement to bewilderment. “How do you know about that?” he asked, eyes narrowing slightly. “No one, and I do mean no one, in this galaxy should even know they exist.”

If I hadn’t heard him say almost exactly the same thing about another top-secret gate, it would have been more compelling. In that case, we learned that Commander not only knew about Armin’s gate but had also told his noodle dick buddies.

I wanted to point that fact out, but it felt like I’d missed a crucial piece of the puzzle. “Hold on a second. What gates are we talking about here?”

Aaron, with a sigh that spoke of long-kept secrets he really didn’t want to divulge, began to explain. “I suppose there is no point keeping it to myself now. The gates... they’re the original constructs the Precursors used to create the first slip tunnels in this universe. I had almost forgotten about them. Unfortunately, they’re essentially useless to us. No one knows how to operate them. Well, no one except Noth, perhaps, and he’s certainly not going to help us.”

As soon as Aurora heard that, she perked up. “I can operate them. I am programmed for it. The gates require an activation key and precise mapping input. You have a key, don’t you? My records indicate it is located here, but not in the library. Private storage.”

“How…” The shock on Aaron’s face was palpable, a rare display of vulnerability from the usually composed director. He stared at her like she might be a spy there to test him, then nodded slowly. “Yes. A key came into my possession centuries ago. It’s indestructible, and I was tasked with keeping it safe at all costs. The person who gave it to me said… Well, I never imagined it would be useful against Noth.”

Despite how insane Aurora’s idea was, it seemed more and more likely that she was right. I couldn’t remember seeing Aaron flustered to this level before. He was so old, with experiences that no one else could fathom. He had memories that were otherwise lost to time tucked away in his head. Then Aurora waltzed in—less than three standard hours after being born, mind you—and turned his whole world upside down with a few words.

“So… can we have it?” I asked, unsure what his answer would be.

This key thing sounded pretty important for Aaron to react the way he had. I tended to consider whatever current problem filled my plate as top priority and not worry about much else.

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