S Dunstall - Confluence

Producing a book is not simply writing it. We would like to give a hugethank-you to and acknowledge, once again, the people who have beenimportant to our getting this book out there.

Our agent, Caitlin Blasdell, and our editor, Anne Sowards. Without bothof you, we wouldnt have this book.

Bruce Jensen, for another amazing cover.

All those people at Ace involved in making this book.

And, of course, copy editor Sara Schwager, who put our commas in theright places again.

Our beta readers, Alison, Arthur, and Jenny. Thank you for reading thebook and for your feedback. It was invaluable.

Dawn, your encouragement and support were timely and appreciated.

Our family, who are there for us always.

Helen, you have taken care of our garden so wonderfully and have beensuch an ambassador for our little books. Thank you.

And, of course, you, our readers, who took the time to read our books,to send us encouraging messages, and to tell us you cared what happenedto these characters we had created.

Line 1 Health of crew and lines

Line 2 Small mechanics 1air circulation, heating, cooling, power. Overallcomfort and running of a ship.

Line 3 Small mechanics 2tools. Interact individually with other lines forrepair, maintenance, management.

Line 4 Gravity

Line 5 Communications

Line 6 Bose engines (engines with the capacity to take a ship through thevoid)

Line 7 Allows ships linked by line eleven to move autonomously

Line 8 Security

Line 9 Takes ship into the void

Line 10 Moves ship to a different location in space while in the void

Line 11 Links ships together. Allows them to move/behave as a single unit.

Line 12 Actual abilities unclear, but known to communicate across all linesand appears to have some control over other lines

Ean Lamberts quarters on Confluence Station were in the same area asJordan Rossis, with a brand-new titanium-bialer-alloy door between themand the rest of the station. The first apartment inside the blocked-offsection had been gutted, and the newly opened space filled withstate-of-the-art surveillance equipment, some of it of human origin,some salvaged from the damaged alien ships in the Confluence fleet.

It had been secure when Rossi was the only linesman here. Now it wastriply secure.

Ean gave it a cursory glance and turned to the more immediate problem.

His bodyguard, Radko, had inspected Eans apartment with a thoroughnessthat bordered on paranoia. That was before shed dropped the news thatshe wasnt staying.

Youre staying with the Lancastrian Princess.

Radko scowled at one of the screens. It wont be for long.

Ean didnt know line one on Confluence Station as intimately as he didthe line on the Lancastrian Princess, but he knew Radko, and he couldhear a strong undertone of worry.

But why?

Family business, Radko said.

Ean knew nothing about her family except that she was a distant relationof Crown Princess Michelle. Will you be all right?

Ill be fine, Ean. So will you.

She shouldnt try to lie when the lines knew her so well. She wasworried about something. And if Radko was worried, so was he.

The song of Confluence Station changed. Jordan Rossi, Yaolins level-tenlinesman, had arrived. This was Rossis home, and the lines welcomedhim.

Be careful, Ean. Dont do anything

Stupid?

Dont do anything that would upset Vega. At least, not until I getback.

How long would she be away? Ill be a model linesman.

Ru Li, wholike the rest of Bhaksirs security teamwas pretending towork at the screens while Ean and Radko talked, snorted. That will bethe day.

Bhaksir frowned at him before turning to Radko. The shuttle is ready todepart. And Captain Helmo only has a small jump window. Well take careof him for you.

Radko nodded and glanced at her comms. Remember, Ean. Be sensible.

She took off at a run.

Ean looked around. Everyone in Bhaksirs team pretended to be busyagain. There was an underlying hum of worry from line one. It echoed theworry from line one on the Lancastrian Princess, for Crown PrincessMichelle was going home on family business, too. Her father, Emperor Yu,had demanded her presence.

Will Radko be all right?

Bhaksir shrugged. Ean was glad she hadnt tried to lie. He was glad,too, that Rossi halted in the doorway then. It stopped him from askingwhat the problem was with Radkos family. If shed wanted him to know,she would have told him.

This is cozy, Rossi said. I go away for two days, and look what movesin.

Ean ignored him. Through the lines, he saw Radko run onto the shuttle.The bay doors closed, and air was being pumped out before shed evenclipped herself in.

Captain Helmo called as soon as Radko was back on her home ship. Wereready to jump, Ean.

On board the Lancastrian Princess, Michelle patted Radkos shoulder.Radko tried to smile; couldnt. Something was seriously wrong, and Eanhad no idea what it was.

Ready. Ean pushed the worry to the back of his mind. Being distractedwhen you worked with the lines was a disaster waiting to happen.Fergus? Fergus was on the Lancastrian Princess.

Ready. Ferguss line hummed with anticipation.

At least someone was happy.

The Lancastrian Princess was part of a fleet of six ships, joinedtogether by the alien ship, Eleven. Until recently, theyd only beenable to jump the fleet as a single entity. Then they had discovered thatline seven could be used to allow a single ship to move on its own.Theyd tried it beforeof course they hadas often as they could getjumps. But every other time, Ean had been on the ship that had jumped.

Please let it work.

Of course it will work, the lines told him.

Fergus started to sing.

Ean could see it as clearly as if he were on the Lancastrian Princess.The ship lines connected. Line seven to every other seven in theirmismatched fleet of six ships and one station. He heard them as song,saw them as lines of light, different colors for each ship. Every linehad a knot at each end, tying the ships tightly to each other. Eansmelled fresh bread, tasted it, as the colors ran together and turnedwhite.

Ready, Captain, Fergus sang.

Prepare to jump. Helmos voice was calm although Ean could hear thenervousness underneath. Helmo always said it wasnt the jump thatcaptains worried about; it was coming out the other end.

Line nine moved the Lancastrian Princess into the void, with Fergussline seven linking the fleet ships.

Line ten came in, and the Lancastrian Princess jumped.

Then they were out of the void. Helmos relief swamped the linesmomentarily.

Ean checked the lines on each ship in the fleet. All were good. All werestrong and straight. The song of the Galactic News ship had changed.They had a new engineer on that ship. He was surprisingly strong. Eanhadnt realized he was a linesman.

The navigator on duty on the Lancastrian Princess said, Confirmingposition 33.76785.23.45. The first digits were the sector33 wasLancia.

It was the first time Ean had been in a different sector from theLancastrian Princess since hed started working for Lancia.

Helmo opened the comms to Abram Galenos, and to everyone on ship aswell. This is Captain Helmo, from the Lancastrian Princess, callingAdmiral Galenos on Haladea III.

Receiving your call loud and clear, and in real time, Abram said.

A spontaneous cheer went up from the listeners. For this was history.The first time two humans had ever communicated officially in real timebetween sectors.