Chapter 139

  Alexander’s powers found the gateway.

  This time there was no resistance. Not from the System. Not from anything. It was simply there. Waiting.

  And it responded to his Will. Power flowed from his soul, into his Core, and then finally to the gateway. The sensation felt similar to empowering the drones, but different in that there was no loop. The gate drank in his power like it was thirsty for a long moment, as it filled some emptiness, and then his ownership clicked into place.

  A notification appeared in his vision.

  —

  [GATEWAY CLAIMED]

  Congratulations, Alexander Rooke.

  You have successfully claimed a Gateway on behalf of Grimnir.

  Destination: Earth_124 (”Beastworld”)

  As a new claimant, you have access to the following one-time options:

  Relocation: This gateway may be moved to a new location once within the next 30 days.

  Sealing: This gateway may be sealed for up to 30 days once within the next 90 days.

  Note: These options expire if not used within the specified timeframes.

  —

  Alexander read through the notification twice, committing the details to memory. The relocation option was interesting. Hjordis had informed them about it when she’d claimed the Cultivation-world gateway, but seeing it with his own eyes made him wonder as to the System’s purpose with them. With allowing people to move them, maybe even collect them.

  The option to seal it was also quite generous, even if it was available only once.

  Both were useful tools to have available.

  He dismissed the notification and opened his eyes, turning back to the team. “It’s done.”

  Augustus nodded. “Good work.”

  Annie stretched her arms overhead. “So we own a murder forest now. Great.”

  “We own a gateway to a murder forest,” Alexander corrected. “There’s a difference.”

  “Is there?” Annie rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying, those vines seemed pretty interested in corpses.”

  Maximilian cut between them, heading for the gateway, his dragon already dismissed. “Argue about the murder forest once we’ve put it far behind us.”

  Alexander and Annie followed. The rest of the teams fell in behind them.

  Cash was still bouncing on his heels despite the extended fight. Mirror walked near the back, still keeping some distance from the others. Felix had shifted to cat form and was riding on Talia’s shoulder.

  The transition felt smoother than before. Faster. Alexander wondered if that had something to do with claiming it. If the gateway recognized them now as owners rather than intruders.

  They emerged back on The Nexus side to find a crowd waiting near the entrance into the shield-dome.

  Alexander activated the gateway’s seal immediately. Thirty days was plenty of time to finish things up on the station and get back to Earth. Then he focused on the people.

  Station security stood in formation. At least fifty armed personnel in full tactical gear had re-secured the gateway, replacing what he’d taken and left on the other side. Beyond them, a small delegation of important-looking individuals stood waiting.

  Alexander recognized Marcus immediately. The ambassador-turned-councilor had informed them about Felix being in trouble with the authorities through intermediaries, which had prompted Alexander to research him.

  But he hadn’t been really suspicious of the councilor until he’d reached out a hand and covered all the workshop expenses involved with building his new arm.

  Councilor Marcus stood near the front, hands clasped behind his back, expression neutral but professional.

  Next to him stood one of the largest aliens Alexander had seen on the station.

  The being was easily eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and a powerful build. Avian features dominated its face. A sharp beak, black eyes, and a crest of deep blue feathers that ran from the crown of its head down the back of its neck. Its body was covered in smaller feathers that looked almost like scales in how they overlapped. Two massive wings were folded against its back.

  It wore a formal uniform. Dark blue with silver accents and several emblems Alexander didn’t recognize. The way it stood, the way the others positioned themselves slightly behind it, made its authority clear.

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  Several other beings were present, and from the way the superheroes straightened, he assumed they were also Galactic Council members.

  The avian stepped forward as Alexander and the others approached. “I am Station Master Kipleth. And despite my humble title, I am responsible for The Nexus in its entirety.”

  “On behalf of The Nexus,” the creature continued, its voice surprisingly pleasant despite the beak, “I offer my sincere gratitude for your efforts in securing the gateways.”

  It extended one wing toward Alexander, who had somehow ended up at the center of the group instead of Maximilian. The wing unfolded at two distinct joints, and from the first joint extended a thin, feathered limb ending in a four-fingered hand.

  Alexander reached out and shook it carefully. The grip was firm, the feathers soft against his palm.

  “I hope I have performed your greeting custom correctly?”

  “You have,” Alexander confirmed.

  Kipleth’s beak opened slightly in what might have been a smile. “Excellent. With the two gateways now secured, and negotiations proceeding favorably at the third, we can finally begin lifting the lockdown. The station will return to normal operations within the next few days.”

  He paused, glancing at the councilors briefly before continuing. “There will be a small formal ceremony in five days to recognize your contributions officially. However, I wanted to extend my personal thanks now, while the moment is still fresh.”

  The Station Master’s black eyes swept across the assembled team. “If there is anything I can do for you, please speak freely.”

  Marcus cleared his throat gently. “The Council has already made arrangements for...” He hesitated, just slightly. “The guilds.”

  Alexander caught the emphasis.

  Kipleth’s feathers ruffled slightly. His expression remained the same, but Alexander could see that the Station Master understood he was being outmaneuvered.

  Alexander gave Marcus a friendly smile, then turned his full attention back to Kipleth. He extended his hand again for a second handshake. “We appreciate the offer, Station Master. Grimnir isn’t with the others and could certainly use some assistance.”

  Kipleth’s entire demeanor shifted. His crest lifted slightly as he gripped Alexander’s hand with renewed enthusiasm.

  “I would be honored to help,” Kipleth said. “What do you need?”

  Alexander considered how to phrase this. “We have a number of aliens we rescued from a difficult situation. We’re here to send them home. If you could facilitate their transport, that would be appreciated.”

  Kipleth waved one wing in an apparently universally dismissive gesture. “That’s no trouble at all. Provide my office with the details and we’ll arrange everything.”

  “Thank you.” Alexander pretended to think for a moment, as if the next request had just occurred to him. “Ah. Our ship was also damaged on our way here. If you could give us access to a repair dock, that would be very helpful. We have some modifications in mind as well… Nothing major, mostly cosmetic.”

  “Consider it done,” Kipleth said immediately. “Someone will reach out. Any repairs and modifications are on us.”

  Alexander let a beat pass. Then he added, almost casually glancing up, “And I’d really love one of those shield emitters.”

  Kipleth blinked. His gaze shifted upward briefly, toward the massive dome overhead that protected the gateway platforms. Then back to Alexander.

  “You’re referring to the emitters for the shield dome?” he asked carefully.

  “Yes.”

  The Station Master’s feathers settled flat against his body. He was thinking, weighing something internally. The silence stretched for several seconds.

  “I cannot offer those,” Kipleth said finally.

  “Their designs belong to the Galactic Council.” He studied Alexander more closely. “But perhaps we could part ways with one of the older-generation platforms. They’ve been made available to other parties already.”

  Alexander kept his expression neutral, but internally he was satisfied. Even older designs would be far beyond anything Earth had.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Kipleth added. “My people will contact you.”

  “That would be excellent,” Alexander said. “Thank you, Station Master.”

  Kipleth inclined his head, the crest dipping forward briefly. “It is my pleasure. Your actions here may have saved countless lives.”

  The Station Master stepped back, gesturing to one of his aides. The delegation began to disperse, security personnel moving to clear the area.

  Marcus approached as Kipleth departed. “Well played,” he said quietly.

  Alexander met his eyes. “Just taking advantage of an opportunity.”

  “As one does.” Marcus smiled at a passing alien, then lowered his voice. “We have been in negotiations for advanced shield emitter technology for years now. What will it take for you to share it with the UEG?”

  “We’ll see,” Alexander said. “Besides, it wasn’t guaranteed.”

  Marcus nodded at another passing councilor. “Kipleth is a member of the family that has been running The Nexus for the past seven-thousand years. If the answer were no, he would have said so. Please think it over, Mr. Rooke. You’d be doing a great service to humanity.”

  The human councilor gave him a last look before joining the tail end of the delegation leaving the shield dome.

  “You did that on purpose,” Alexander accused.

  Maximilian stepped up beside him and shrugged. “Seemed fair. The Galactic Council and the United Earth Government have already agreed to reward our guilds. Marcus isn’t going to openly champion Grimnir, and I doubt you have time to find a decent sponsor amongst the Council.”

  Alexander glanced at the man standing next to him. In a matter of moments, Maximilian had assessed the political and social situation and maneuvered him into position to receive the Station Master’s gratitude.

  Something that the Galactic Council had clearly attempted to curtail for reasons beyond his understanding, though it was obviously about limiting the Station Master, and not about Grimnir.

  Alexander sighed. Politics.

  He turned back to the rest of the group, sweeping his gaze across them. Maximilian. Hjordis and Julia and Raelene. Cash and Draven. Sven and Lars. Mirror. They’d all proven reliable allies, if temporarily.

  “We’ll be around for a week at least,” Alexander said, “but we’re heading back to the ship now. Got repairs to arrange and some aliens to send home.”

  Nods and murmurs of acknowledgment rippled through the group.

  Hjordis waved. “Don’t be strangers.”

  “We won’t.”

  Grimnir moved toward the exit. As they passed through the gathered heroes, Cash zipped over to Annie with his hand raised.

  “Catch ya, bite-size,” he said with a grin.

  Annie gave him a fist bump. “I hope you trip.”

  Alexander raised an eyebrow at the friendly tone behind her snarky response, but said nothing.

  The team made their way out of the shield dome and into the plaza beyond.

  Alexander received a notification as they walked. He opened the message without stopping.

  ‘Dinner tomorrow night?’

  Julia.

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