Victorious: An Epic Space OperaAlien InvasionTime Travel Adventure (Starships in the Abyss Book 4) by Sean Robins

Author:Sean Robins [Robins, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter twelve

Before the Storm

Standard Galactic Date: 052.03.5073

(Earth Date: 09/04/2082)

Two days later, around midnight, I was in my office in the command center reading a report on my PDD. I looked up when I heard the Star Trek door chime. It was Tarq, who looked around and asked, “What is that noise?”

I sighed heavily.

“Jim, can I have a word?”

I rubbed my tired eyes. “Sure. What’s up?”

He sat on one of the two chairs in front of my desk and looked around. “I have to say your office is not what I was expecting. I think the proper word is Spartan.”

“I didn’t use to spend much time here, and now decorating seems like a waste of time.”

“I have a present for you.” He gave me a small gift-wrapped box.

I couldn’t help myself. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”

“What?”

“You know, the first time we met you, you gave us Winterfell. It sounded like divine intervention until we found out you’d tricked the Xortaags into attacking us to begin with.”

“Well, this is more like a souvenir,” he said.

I opened the box. It was the first edition of Charles Lindbergh’s "WE", which I knew (as did every pilot worth his salt) recounted his solo May 1927 transatlantic flight.

“Look inside,” said Tarq.

The book was autographed by Lindbergh.

I stared at him in surprise. “How on Earth did you find this? And what’s the occasion?”

He smiled sheepishly. “I came to Earth some two years ago, planning to make things right between us. I bought this book as a peace offering.”

“So, what happened?”

“I made it all the way to your front door, then I lost my nerve and went back to my ship.”

I thought about giving him a hug but changed my mind. That one time aboard Indomitable was enough for a lifetime. “Dude, you should’ve contacted me.”

He shrugged. “I know now. One more thing: you said I have not paid for all the humans I got killed.”

I felt rather embarrassed, which for me was a rare thing. “I was just being mean.”

“Well, you are wrong. I did pay for it. Of all the terrible things I have done in my life, that is the one weighing on my soul the most. Trust me when I tell you we had no idea that would happen. If we had known, we still might have done it, but we really did not.”

“Confession’s good for your soul.” I winked at him. “Or so I’m told.”

“Assuming I still have a soul,” said Tarq. “Or even had one to begin with.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself. Speaking of confessions, tell me the truth. You and Barook?”

“Oh, for crying out loud, let it go.” He rolled his eyes. “I find your obsession with homosexuality fascinating. Freud might have a thing or two to say about that.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m in the closet?” I asked. “I’m married. In fact, you married my first wife and me.”

“It proves nothing. Hence the expression ‘in the closet.’ ”

“And yet I’m often accused of being a homophobe.”

“You know, Barook thought

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