The Red Chord

By Abigail Falanga

Bahar stared down into the multilayered concourse and slammed her fist against the rails. Where is he?

Spinning around, she ran slap into a man’s chest.

Vrill.

A shudder shook Bahar and she ducked her head and attempted a hasty sidestep. “’Scuse me.”

Vrill grabbed her arm and grinned. The effort did nothing to improve his ugly face. “You seem to be in an awful hurry, Bahar.”

“Need to find my brother.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” The guard’s attempt at sympathy was nauseating. “But internal communications are cut during the current emergency.”

Bahar pulled back. His fingers only dug farther into her arm. “That’s why I’m running. I need to find Tam—”

“That thief?”

“He’s not a thief! He’s a maintenance electrician.”

“His sector has missing equipment.”

Bahar flinched. She had taken that equipment last week. It was a small, common beacon—the kind that shouldn’t have been missed. And was currently attached to her window on the 49th. “You don’t know—!”

“I suspect. But”—Vrill pulled her closer— “I’d be willing to forget the whole thing for a little consideration from you, Bahar.”

She swallowed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good.” The guard let go of her arm at last.

Bahar let the crowd swallow her. Rubbing at the red marks on her arm, she took off through the noise and bustle. Noise to cover the silence. Bustle to cover the fear.

Jehr’Ykko had never been conquered.

But the station commanders talked in hushed tones as they watched Bahar dance on her stage. Mothers gripped their children with whitened knuckles as they dragged them to slavers. The gladiators slackened their blows. The guards crowded bars and lounges like Bahar’s to drink and forget.

Many species called the massive space station Jehr’Ykko home. If it fell, the Duststar Empire it guarded would be vulnerable.

But now there was reason to fear: the Wandering Ones circled Jehr’Ykko in their twelve ships. Absolutely silent. Firing no shot. And none could stand before the Wandering Ones.

Bahar slid past windows full of prostitutes who would never see their profits. A herder beating his gumlings. A group of children taunting a rusty cyborg.

Cruelty was far too common here. Jehr’Ykko ought to fall.

It was only when she’d caught the spy that she knew the invaders would be better.

Santiago had seen her.

Not just the shimmying hips, or the twining arms, or the cut lip from a patron’s hand when she’d refused him.

But her. Her face, voice, being.

Bahar reached Level 32 and sped on, passing a window that showed an intimidating starscape: the procession of Wandering ships on their seventh pass around Jehr’Ykko.

She prayed that Santiago kept his word.

There!

“Tam!” Bahar plowed straight at the three-man maintenance crew, grabbed her brother, and dragged him aside.

“Careful, Bahar!” Tam recovered and tried to shake free. “What are you doing here?”

“We have get home. Now.” She yanked at him.

“This station is too well-fortified for anything to happen.” Tam looked down at her with a half-smile, then back at his crew, who glowered at him. “And I can’t get away right now. I’m already in enough trouble—”

“I’ve never asked anything like this before. Please. The ships have circled nearly seven times, and I have a feeling they’re about to make a move.”

“Seven times…?” Tam ran a dirty hand through his dark hair. “You sure?”

“Of course I am!” Bahar snapped before she realized what his look meant. “Wait. Do you know what they’re doing?”

He shook his head and spoke in a hushed voice. “All we know is they’re weaving some kind of energy net. It doesn’t seem to have any substance or pose a threat. But…”

“They’re making a move—so come on!”

“Why would our module be any safer?”

“I’ll explain on the way.” She seized Tam’s hand and this time he didn’t resist as she pulled him into a run—away from his crew. “Several days ago, I found one of them in my audience, trying to blend in but watching the crowd rather than me.”

“Rude,” Tam smirked.

“Shut up.” Bahar shoved him through the hatch. “When I talked to Santiago, he seemed to care. So, I told him the truth—that everyone’s terrified of him and his people. Then I got him out and sent security the other way.”

Tam paused and looked quizzically up at her. “Why?”

“Because I want this place to fall as much as he does.”

“Even if we die, too?”

“I hope not.” Bahar pushed him onward. “But, yes, if that’s what it takes.”

Tam slid down the last several meters to Level 49. “Jehr’Ykko should’ve fallen ages ago. But—”

“He promised I’d be safe, s’long as I stayed home, with the airlock sealed,” Bahar finished in a whisper. “Me, and everyone who mattered to me.”

They made the last stretch. Finally Bahar pulled Tam inside the module and slammed the door, activating the airlock seal. Then, she ran past the scattered chairs and her tiny dance floor to the window and activated the beacon.

Outside, two of the Wandering ships stopped. Still, silent, not even threatening.

Bahar backed up until Tam pulled her close, and watched.

For what seemed like an eternity, nothing happened.

Then, strange light came from the two vessels outside, streaming out along what seemed like strands of a web, until a solid net crossed the stars beyond the window.

“Do you think…?” Bahar whispered.

Tam nodded. “It’s got to be completely surrounding the station.”

Then, the strands began vibrating.

A shock reverberated through Jehr’Ykko—a noise like crashing and crying.

At the same moment, the beacon on the window emitted a pulse and a single, beautiful note. A light shot out from it into space, solid and red. The instant it reached the net, the shaking around Bahar stopped.

The whole of Jehr’Ykko rumbled and cracked.

But inside Bahar’s module, all was quiet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abigail Falanga may be found in New Mexico creating magic in many ways – with fabric, food, paper, music, and especially with words! She’s loved fantasy ever since playing out epic adventures of swords, fairies, and monsters with her siblings, and loved sci-fi since her dad’s stories around the dinner table. Besides sharing mad little stories on Havok, she is busily trying to launch approximately five hundred novels into the world. Some of them are even finished!

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