Aquarian Awakenings - A Collective Saga Sci-Fi Romance

Chapter 2

Jon paced across the space of his room for the hundredth time. He knew the steps exactly – ten solid footsteps and then a turn. It was his duty to wait for the captain to call for him and to return to the event at his side. Protocol dictated it. And yet a complete hour had passed. The party was in full swing, and Nicole was down there. He could feel the draw to her as a palpable force, tugging at his soul.

His communicator pin chirped into life as it synced with the ship's computer, and almost immediately he heard Captain Smythe's voice. "Jon, are you free? Come by my room as soon as you can."

Jon held in his sigh of relief. "Right away, sir," he responded in a steady tone. It was only moments before he was making his way down the hall toward the captain's suite.

Marcus ushered Jon into the living area and offered him a seat at the small, ripple-textured ebony couch. A bank of windows looked out over the swirling crimson planet below.

Marcus's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "You will find it was worth the wait," he stated without preamble. He reached forward and picked up a black, shiny plastic card about three inches by four inches from the glass coffee table. "Do you know what this is?"

Jon's eyes widened as he turned the rectangle over in his hands. "Is this really a Spider Invite?"

The captain took the card back without a word and pressed his thumb into its center. Immediately, red words appeared on the card. They gave a set of coordinates and a counting-down clock. The countdown had just under an hour remaining.

"I can only take one guest. I know you love poker, but if you would rather not go, I am sure I can find someone else to accompany me. It is after all one of the greatest floating gambling games in modern times."

"You're not kidding," responded Jon eagerly. He had no doubt that Nicole would be there, and to attend would be the highlight of the decade. "Spider's game is the stuff of legends. Maybe Spider himself will be there to play. Is there a dress code?"

Keeping his thumb on the card, Marcus turned it over to reveal the other side. In red, block letters, the card stated,

One guest only.

Discussing this event with anyone forfeits attendance rights.

Attire – formal red and black.

"Best get ready," indicated Marcus with a smile. "We're running out of time. Meet me in the transporter room in forty-five minutes, and we'll see what this is all about." His brow creased. "Remember – not a word to anybody. I've heard that even a casual mention has caused people to get banned at the door. It's better not to tempt fate."

Jon headed back to his room at a jog. He showered quickly, acquired an elegant, formal black tuxedo from the replicator, and was back in the transporter room at the appointed time. The captain arrived only moments after he did.

Marcus had memorized the coordinates and recited them out to the transporter chief. The crewman programmed the coordinates into the computer, then looked up in surprise at the pair. "That's in the middle of the desert," he said in confusion. "There's nothing for hundreds of miles in any direction. Are you sure those coordinates are correct?"

"They are quite fine," replied the captain. "Beam us down."

The crewman shook his head and engaged the transporter system.

The dark desert shimmered into existence around them – and suddenly the black card in the captain's hand gave a bright red flash. Their surroundings slid out of focus, and then they appeared in a quite different environment. They were now in a small ten-foot by ten-foot room. The wall paneling was elegant black maple, and light came from a single overhead frosted-crystal ivory globe. The carpet beneath them was finest cashmere. A single carved-maple door on one wall, in a lighter shade of black, had a rectangular indention in it about chest-high.