Blackstone

A Bold Gamble

"All right, your highness, I understand. I'll come with you. Just let me say a few words to my friends before I go," I said.          

"You may have a few words," the Empress acknowledged.

I stepped back and motioned for Thomas and David to join me.

"Eliza, you can't be seriously thinking of going with her," Thomas said.

"It's all right, guys. I've got a plan." I whispered.

I moved next to David and whispered into his ear. "Where are the engines on an Orion Starship?"

David frowned. "We're in the main hangar bay. The main engines should be right behind us. Why, what are you planning?"

"Just get ready to run."

I turned back to the Empress. "All right, your highness, I'm ready to go."

The Empress nodded, "Very well. Believe me when I say that you are making the wisest choice for your future."

I smiled. "Actually, I think it's a stupid choice. It's the worst possible thing I could do. I'd rather have my eyes poked out with hot coals then go with you."

The Empress's ruby lips tightened and her violet eyes flared with anger. "You dare to address me this way, child."

"Oh, I dare. I dare, big time. Which is why I'm not afraid to do this."

I reached inside myself and summoned the Wend. I was nervous because I had never done something like this before. Mary had told me of advanced techniques where you could project the Dark Power anywhere you want, almost like throwing a baseball. I wasn't sure I was up to this but there was a first time for everything.

In my hands, a tiny pinprick of a singularity formed. It shimmered and burned – a baby Black Star in its infancy.

The Empress's eyes widened when she saw what I was holding. "What are you doing?! Guards stop her!"

Carrie whipped out her etheric knife, ignited it and advanced on me.

"You don't want to do that," I shouted, "One wrong slip and this baby goes right in your engine room."

Carrie and the guards stopped in their tracks.

The Queen looked down on me and smiled with contempt, "If you let that loose, child there will be an anti-matter explosion that will destroy this ship and you with it."

"That sounds fine by me. I'd rather be dead than work for you."

I backed up towards the beamship with David and Thomas beside me.      

Thomas nervously looked at me. "Eliza, please tell me you know what you're doing."

"Just keep walking," I said. It demanded most of my attention to keep the Wend in the higher dimensions and not unleash it into 3D where it could cause untold destruction. I was barely keeping it together, but I couldn't let the Empress know that.

With a sigh of relief, I bumped into the smooth black metal of Cassie. David opened the passenger side door for me.

The Empress scowled down on us, "Very well, Human. We shall continue this discussion on another day." The hologram winked out.

"We shall see each other another time, Eliza." Carrie called out.

"I'm sure we will," I called out and slipped inside Cassie.

David activated the engines and flew Cassie off the platform. He accelerated down the huge tunnel, moving back towards the opening.

I closed my eyes and brought all my attention onto the Dark Power -  the young one that I held in my hands. I could feel its hunger, its need to feed. I had never brought a Black Star this close to being born and I wasn't sure that I could bring it back. The Wend demanded a sacrifice. It wasn't used to being toyed with.