The Anomaly
Into The Dark
Sage Stark packed the last of his gear and zipped the case shut; he took one last look around his office and headed out. As he closed the door small hands wrapped themselves around his leg;
"Seth"
Sage looked down at his 7 year old son and smiled.
"Are you going now daddy?"
"Yes Seth, where is mummy?"
Seth pointed to the lounge, Sage took his hand and they walked into the tastefully decorated lounge. Smiling as they entered the room, Serena Stark stood and walked towards her son and husband.
"So, it's time then?"
A tear welled in her eye as she took Sage in her arms, Seth stood aside and smiled, he liked it when mummy and daddy cuddled.
They kissed as if it would be the last one the ever shared, Serena's tears flowed freely.
Sage held her at arm’s length.
"Please Seri, don't cry, I'll be fine, back in no time at all".
"I'm sorry Sage, but I really hate these goodbyes, I miss you so much.
Sage dropped his arms to his side and looked longingly at his beautiful wife, he was almost tempted to put the trip back a week. But he knew that was not an option, he had paid good money for the info that was sending him once again into uncharted space and this time he was determined.
He stood for a long time looking at his ship, next to his wife and son, Star Dancer was the other love of his life. He climbed aboard the Anaconda and did his final checks. No crew on this trip, and although he had told Serena he would be back soon, he really didn't know how long this would take. One thing he was certain of though, he would come back with the result he was looking for.
Sage settled himself into the cockpit, checked the instruments for the third time and powered up the engines. He called control for clearance and received it in short order. It was time, another adventure was beckoning. Dear God how he loved being an explorer.....
After Sage left his home world of Azeban in the Eranin system, he made three jumps which brought him into the Hyades system where, he had arranged a meeting with the source of his information Tyro Landers. Tyro was, so he said, a reformed smuggler. Sage however was not convinced of the reformed part, under normal circumstances Sage would have completely ignored the story he had heard in the bar on Azeban. But, something in the story had caught his attention and he pricked his ears. Enquiring as to the source of the story Sage had discovered that the loader, from whose lips the story had issued, had in fact heard it that very morning in the loading dock from a newly arrived pilot called Landers, Tyro Landers.
Sage brought the Dancer to a halt about one thousand yards from Landers Cobra, the Far Horizons, his scanners had been working since arriving in the system, but apart from several military patrols on the opposite side of Hyades it was just him and Landers, so far so good. Sage wasn't naturally mistrustful but after a couple of close encounters he now erred on the side of caution. He had no enemies save one, a man, who for reasons still unknown to Sage had decided that Sage Stark was an unwelcome guest in any space that they shared. That man was Slain Cheney, a fellow explorer, and as Sage was now aware, a slime ball, a man who would cut his own Mothers throat if he thought he could benefit. There were very few men that Sage had met in his life that he thought were evil, but Cheney was at the top of that list and no mistake.
The airlock hissed and opened, Landers entered his smile ear to ear.
"Hi Sage, this is a nice ship you have",
Sage smiled, the Dancer was his pride and joy, the praise from various associates was always high, and he knew there were many that would give their right arm to own such a ship, he could see Landers was no different.
"Thanks Tyro, she is a beaut, lots of blood sweat and tears though"
The emphasis on blood was not lost on Landers, as the wry smile indicated.
"Okay my man, down to business, you have the rest of my credits I presume?"
Sage nodded and indicated to the seat opposite his, landers sat and folded his hands in front of him.
"So" he said, "Why the interest in this particular anomaly?"
Sage looked at Landers, but his mind was a trillion light years away, nobody, even Seri, new Sages story or his true origin and they never would, at least not until he discovered what had gone wrong that fateful day far above Earth, he remembered it as though it were yesterday.
To Hell and Back
16th September 2145, one hundred and seventy five thousand kilometers above Earth
