Space Jackers Read online

  Father Pius sat behind his desk with his fingers pressed together. Jake ducked down out of sight, hoping that none of the cyber-monks would appear and catch him listening beneath the window.

  ‘I am Father Pius Gates, the cyber-abbot responsible for this monastery.’

  ‘It’s good to meet you, father,’ said the stranger. ‘My name is Callidus Stone.’

  Jake couldn’t place the accent. It seemed to contain traces from all the languages of the seven solar systems.

  ‘How can I help you today, Mr Stone?’

  ‘I’m looking for someone, a boy who came to Remota eleven years ago. A boy with a gold pendant.’

  Chapter 2

  The Legend of Altus

  ‘I suppose you’re a relative of this boy, perhaps an uncle searching for his long-lost nephew?’ said Father Pius, giving nothing away.

  Jake’s heart stopped while he waited for the answer.

  ‘No, not exactly,’ said Callidus. ‘I’m what you might call a fortune seeker, someone who collects bounties and searches for lost treasure. I don’t expect you to trust me, father – we’ve only just met – but I can help the boy.’

  ‘Is he in trouble?’

  ‘It’s my belief that he is from Altus and I want to take him home.’

  ‘Altus?’ Father Pius sounded amused. ‘The mythical planet with a gold-dust desert and three crystal moons?’

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘Why, that’s nothing more than a story, an old space tale for children,’ said the cyber-abbot. ‘There’s no such place.’

  ‘Just because nobody knows the location of Altus, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.’

  ‘Many fools have wasted their lives searching for that planet.’

  ‘Do I look like a fool to you?’

  ‘No,’ said Father Pius. ‘No, you do not. I expect you think this boy will lead you to Altus, where he’ll be reunited with his people and you’ll be rewarded for your trouble, perhaps with a crate of jewels. In the end, everyone will benefit and nobody will get hurt.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘And what makes you believe this boy is from Altus? I mean, let’s assume for a moment that both he and the planet exist, what proof do you have that he’s Altian?’

  ‘His pendant,’ said Callidus. ‘I’m not the only one searching for the boy. A group of strangers were passing through the spaceports in the seventh solar system a few weeks ago, asking questions about him. They described a gold pendant containing three precious stones: a diamond, a ruby and an emerald. I’ve studied the legends and that’s the symbol of Altus; each stone represents one of its crystal moons. There are also rumours of an Altian vessel being destroyed in this solar system, not far from here, but no one has ever discovered the wreckage. All the clues point to Remota, so I decided to get here first.’

  ‘Who are these people looking for the boy?’ asked Father Pius, trying not to sound concerned. ‘What do they want with him?’

  ‘I think that I’ve answered enough questions for now,’ said Callidus, his tone growing impatient. ‘It’s time you gave me a straight answer, father. Is he here?’

  There was an uncomfortable silence.

  ‘No,’ said Father Pius, which was true, because Jake wasn’t in the monastery at that precise moment. ‘I’m sorry, but it would seem as though you’ve had a wasted journey. There are no boys here for you to help and I don’t believe that Altus exists.’

  ‘I’m not someone who gives up easily, father.’ Callidus sounded determined. ‘I’ll be on Remota for a couple of weeks, should you hear anything. Please understand that the boy will be better off with me. I may not be a saint, but I’m by far the lesser evil.’

  The fortune seeker marched out of the office, slamming the door behind him. Jake sat with his back against the hot stone wall. Had the stranger been telling the truth about Altus?

  ‘Jake Cutler!’ A large hand grabbed hold of Jake’s arm and pulled him to his feet.

  ‘Brother Jonas!’

  ‘What have I told you about eavesdropping on private conversations?’ scolded the portly cyber-monk. ‘You’ve gone too far this time, Jake. I’m taking you to see Father Pius.’

  Jake sat in the cyber-abbot’s office waiting for the usual lecture about behaving more responsibly. Father Pius walked round his desk to the window and glanced outside, as though trying to picture where Jake had been sitting. His expression seemed more concerned than angry.

  ‘Did you hear everything that Mr Stone said?’

  ‘You mean about Altus and people looking for a boy with a gold pendant?’

  ‘Yes.’ Father Pius regarded Jake with troubled eyes. ‘I’m not sure who they are or what they want, so until I know more, I would like you to remain in the monastery, where we can protect you.’

  ‘He was talking about me, wasn’t he? Do you think Callidus Stone can take me home?’ asked Jake. ‘Maybe he knows what happened to my dad.’

  ‘Now hold on there. Don’t go getting excited,’ said Father Pius. ‘If you ask me, it sounds a little too good to be true. Isn’t it every orphan’s dream to discover they’re from a wealthy planet?’

  ‘I might not be an orphan. We don’t know that for sure.’

  ‘My point, Jake, is that Mr Stone isn’t interested in you or your happiness. He’s only after treasure.’

  ‘Are you saying he would hurt me?’

  ‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Father Pius. ‘He doesn’t seem the type, but he might try to abduct you. If not him, then someone else may attempt to smuggle you off Remota.’

  ‘What are we going to do?’

  ‘That’s for me and the brothers to worry about. We always knew that someone might come looking for you one day. You’ll be safe here until we can find you somewhere new to hide – perhaps a monastery in a different solar system.’

  Jake nodded, but his stomach tensed at the thought of people hunting for him.

  ‘Why don’t you get a bite to eat, while I talk with the brothers,’ said Father Pius. ‘How does a slice of apple pie sound?’

  It sounded good. Apples were his favourite fruit and had been for as long as he could remember.

  ‘Thanks, father,’ said Jake. ‘If it turns out that I am from Altus, I’ll pay you back for everything.’

  Father Pius laughed. ‘That’s very kind, but I don’t seek a reward. I look after you because I choose to, not because I have to, and because I care about you. I know that I’m not your real father, Jake, but you are like a son to me.’

  ‘Thanks, father . . . I mean . . . you know what I mean.’

  Jake didn’t know what else to say. He left the office, his mind still racing. Was Altus real? Would his father be waiting there? Who else was looking for him and what would happen if they found him?

  Jake had been kept inside the monastery for almost a week under constant supervision, while the cyber-monks decided where to send him. It would be strange to live somewhere other than Remota, but wasn’t that what he wanted? He had always dreamt of seeing other planets, so why was he so worried?

  It was driving him crazy being trapped indoors. He wasn’t even allowed near the windows in case someone saw him. If that wasn’t bad enough, he had been banned from sliding down the banister. During the day he only had his studies to distract him. In the evenings, he downloaded images of famous spaceships and Interstellar Navy warships to sketch for his collection. His bedroom wall was now covered in drawings, like a shrine to space travel.

  The cyber-monks had taken additional security measures to protect the monastery, installing a new force field and intruder alarm. Lookouts were posted around the perimeter. No one was allowed to open the front door without at least two novices to back them up. They had programmed the house robots to guard the tech-library, and Jake heard the cyber-monks discussing the design of sonic weapons that would render people unconscious, so they could defend themselves without the need to kill. It wouldn’t be the first time a religious order had taken up arms.


  ‘Good evening,’ said Brother Sabir, who had come to watch over Jake in the recreation room. ‘Have you had a good birthday?’

  ‘The cake was nice, but I wish I wasn’t stuck indoors.’

  ‘It’s not so bad in here.’ Brother Sabir sat down and activated his handheld computer. ‘I hardly ever go outside. Our research is too exciting. Just imagine unlocking the mysteries of the universe.’

  Sabir Khan had arrived on Remota three years ago as a novice, before working his way up to cyber-monk. He was younger than the others, but just as obsessed with computers and eager to earn his skull implants.

  ‘All we ever do is study and worship technology,’ moaned Jake. ‘When was the last time we had some fun?’

  ‘You must miss having friends your own age.’

  ‘I suppose.’ Jake had a few e-pals, but all they wanted to do was play stellar-net games. ‘Don’t you miss your home planet?’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ said Brother Sabir. ‘It’s hard being away from my friends and family, but this is the life that I’ve chosen and it’s important enough to make sacrifices.’

  ‘Do you ever hear from them?’

  ‘Yes, we send each other e-comms or video messages.’ Brother Sabir tapped his screen and opened an image of people gathered in a garden. ‘This is my family back on Gazear in the fifth solar system, with their house robot, Rafiq-5.’

  ‘I wish I had a photo of my parents,’ said Jake.

  ‘It must be sad not knowing them.’

  ‘Sad?’ Jake couldn’t help raising his voice. ‘How would you like to be dumped on a strange planet in the middle of the night, with no idea who you are or where you came from? My earliest memory is here, inside this monastery. I don’t even know my parents’ names. All I have is a bit of old blanket and this gold pendant.’

  He fetched the necklace from inside his top and held it up to the light so the crystals sparkled.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ remarked Brother Sabir.

  ‘I take it everywhere with me, even in the shower,’ said Jake. ‘It might be valuable, but I would never sell it, not for anything.’

  ‘There are things in this universe worth more than money. You take good care of that pendant.’

  Jake decided to change the subject, before Brother Sabir realised it was time for bed. But as he went to speak, a huge bang shook the monastery.

  ‘What was that?’

  ‘I . . .’ Brother Sabir looked startled as he stared at the storm hatches, but then he caught himself and rearranged his face. ‘I’m sure it was nothing . . . a fuel leak in the space docks or something.’

  There were two more blasts, followed by shouting.

  ‘That’s no fuel leak,’ said Jake.

  Brother Jonas burst into the room, clutching a long metal lance-like device. His eyes were wide with panic.

  ‘We’re under attack,’ he wheezed. ‘Father Pius wants everyone in the tech-library.’

  ‘Under attack?’ said Brother Sabir. ‘Who is it?’

  ‘Space pirates, a horde of bloodthirsty space pirates!’

  Chapter 3

  Space Pirates

  More explosions rocked the monastery, causing plaster to shower from the ceiling. Brother Sabir grabbed Jake’s arm and hurried into the corridor, where the other cyber-monks and novices were heading to the tech-library.

  The tech-library was a large room with a high ceiling and no windows. It was furnished with wooden tables and workstations, arranged in neat rows. Deep shelves loaded with computer equipment filled the surrounding walls. Jake had only ever known it as a tranquil place for study and research, where the cyber-monks worked in silence, but now it was a confused mass of fear and alarm.

  Father Pius stood on a table and appealed for calm.

  ‘Brothers,’ he said, holding up his hands. ‘Brothers, listen to me. The day we feared has arrived. There are more of them than we anticipated. It won’t be long before they breach our defences and enter the building.’

  Jake felt Brother Sabir’s hand tighten around his arm. He glanced at the familiar faces of the cyber-monks and novices gathered in the room, people he had known for most of his life. A number of them held lances similar to the one carried by Brother Jonas.

  ‘The time has come for us to unleash the power of technology,’ said Father Pius. ‘I know you’re peaceful men, but we have to stand up for what is right. We must protect Jake and our monastery.’

  ‘But we don’t stand a chance against the space pirates,’ protested one of the cyber-monks.

  ‘I know you’re scared,’ said Father Pius. ‘We knew danger was coming and we chose not to run, but to stay and fight.’

  A distant crash indicated that the space pirates had breached the force field. Father Pius remained on his table, waving his arms and shouting out orders, determined to make a stand despite the overwhelming odds. He dispatched the youngest cyber-monks into the corridor to face the savage horde.

  ‘What about me?’ asked Jake. ‘What can I do?’

  Brother Sabir pulled him to the side, out of the way.

  ‘You’re very brave, Jake, but there’s nothing you can do. The brothers have sworn to protect you with their lives.’

  Jake was horrified. ‘But I don’t want people to die because of me.’

  ‘You’re one of us,’ said Father Pius, climbing down from the table. ‘We would help any member of our order who was in danger.’

  ‘No, this is wrong.’ Jake shook his head in disbelief. ‘It has to be a mistake, I’m nobody. It can’t be me they’re looking for.’

  The sound of fighting erupted in the corridor and Jake could hear the house robots smashing as the space pirates hurled them on to the flag­­­stones.

  ‘This isn’t your fault, Jake,’ said Father Pius. ‘I thought we could protect you from a few intruders, but I never expected to be attacked by a whole pirate crew. All we can do is hold them off while you escape, but you must leave now.’

  ‘Leave?’ Jake was confused. ‘How can I leave? I thought we were surrounded.’

  ‘There’s another way out.’

  Plasma fire echoed in the corridor, followed by cries of pain.

  ‘Go to the space docks and find a way off the planet,’ said Father Pius. ‘It’s your only hope.’

  ‘Where should I go?’

  ‘Head to the monastery on Shan-Ti in the fourth solar system. The cyber-abbot there, Father Benedict, will help you.’

  At that moment, two cyber-monks staggered back through the tech-library door, their robes charred and bloodied. One of them fired a sonic weapon back into the corridor, before collapsing on to the floor. Jake had never seen so much blood. It gushed from the cyber-monk’s wounds and spread across the tiles in thick crimson pools.

  None of it seemed real. It was as though he was watching a movie on the stellar-net. Jake could only imagine the horrific scenes in the corridor, as the space pirates slaughtered their way through the monastery. The stench of plasma and burnt flesh drifted through the door. It was the smell of death.

  The door.

  Before Jake knew it, he was running across the room, pushing aside chairs and tables. He had to close the door before the space pirates reached it.

  ‘No, Jake!’ shouted Father Pius.

  Jake ignored him.

  ‘We can’t hold them off,’ warned one of the injured cyber-monks, too weak to stand.

  Jake had always been fast. He reached the entrance first and caught a glimpse of the intruders. Through the smoke and dust, a mass of dark shapes charged towards him, their silver space helmets reflecting the burning corridor, like a river of flaming skulls.

  A bolt of white plasma caught the door frame next to Jake’s head, scorching his hair and showering him in splinters. He slammed the door and grabbed a nearby chair to wedge under the handle. Brother Sabir dragged over a table, but it wouldn’t stop the pirates for long.

  ‘Go,’ shouted the cyber-monk, putting his weight behind the table and bracing for
impact.

  Jake ran over to Father Pius, who was crouched by a large server. Unlike the rest of the equipment in the tech-library, it was as old as the monastery itself, a working antique. Father Pius leant against its tarnished alloy casing and forced his hand through a small rubber slot. He rummaged around until he located a concealed handle. The server swung to the side to reveal a secret opening, its neglected hinges scraping against years of rust. Jake had heard rumours of secret escape tunnels, but had never managed to find one.

  ‘Quick, into the tunnel,’ said Father Pius, as something heavy pounded on the tech-library door. ‘It will lead you down to the bottom of the hill.’

  Jake stepped inside and stopped.

  ‘What about you and the others?’ he asked. ‘Aren’t you coming?’

  ‘No,’ said the cyber-abbot, thrusting his handheld computer into Jake’s hand. ‘We’ll delay the pirates for as long as we can.’

  ‘But you’ll be killed.’

  ‘No arguments,’ said Father Pius. ‘Hurry now. You don’t have much time.’

  ‘But –’

  ‘Take care of yourself, Jake.’ Father Pius gave him a final pained look and pulled another handle.

  The server slid back into place, covering the opening and plunging the tunnel into darkness. Jake stared at the sealed entrance, shocked at what was happening on the other side. It felt wrong to run away, but what other choice did he have? In a daze, he activated the computer and shone its light down the steep passageway.

  ‘My orange blanket!’ he said, patting his empty pockets.

  For a brief moment, Jake considered going back to fetch the piece of cloth, before realising how stupid that would be when the cyber-monks were dying to protect him. He didn’t like leaving his precious memento behind, but an old rag was nothing when compared with the loss of innocent lives.