Creative Commons Licence
ZETA EXCHANGE
A Terran Empire Story
by Ann Wilson
Copyright (C) 1992 by Ann Wilson
Deep Space, 2669 CE
Ranger James Medart was standing beside Captain Jean Willis' controlchair aboard the Empress Lindner, enjoying the peaceful trip back toTerra after a surprisingly uneventful cruise. He'd kept busy enough toavoid boredom, but there'd been no emergency calls, which made thecruise almost a vacation. Pleasant as it had been, he found himselfalmost wishing for the challenge of an emergency. Not quite, since anemergency serious enough to require a Ranger's attention meant theEmpire was in trouble, and that part he didn't like—but the challengehe did. Maybe he'd ask for a tour in one of the alternate universeswith an Empire just getting started, one that didn't have a full quotaof home-grown Rangers to cope with the many problems of a brand-newEmpire. He wouldn't mind visiting Sierra again; he'd had a hand inselecting both its Sovereign and her Successor, so he had a personalinterest in its well-being.
He'd barely completed that thought when his surroundings disappeared.He was nowhere, in some sort of timeless sensory deprivation—
—then he was standing in the middle of a pentagram surrounded by othersymbols he didn't recognize, facing a woman in a uniform identical tohis own. Since he didn't know the woman herself, it seemed pretty clearhe'd been brought to an alternate-universe Empire—and that had to meanit needed help, badly. It looked like he was getting the challenge hewanted, though not in any way he could've expected.
He grinned at his other-universe colleague. "I'm James Medart, ofAlternate Alpha Prime. What's your problem?"
"Ariel of Rolian, Zeta Prime." The woman smiled, looking relieved."You're all right?"
"Fine."
"Good. Inter-universe summoning spells are sometimes as rough on thesubject as they are on the magician; I'm glad you were spared that.But I wasn't, so I need to rest before I brief you. I'll take you tothe bridge and introduce you, then let you get acquainted while Irecuperate for three or four hours."
"You're the expert here," Medart agreed. "It's safe to leave thepentagram?"
"Yes, of course." She frowned. "You're not familiar with magic?"
"Only what I've picked up from fantasy stories and games of TreasureTunnels. It doesn't work in Alpha Prime—or in any of the otheruniverses I've visited till now, either. But when I show up in themiddle of a pentacle with a Ranger who obviously takes magic forgranted, it seems pretty clear this is one where it does."
The other Ranger frowned again. "That's strange. You're from ahigh-probability alternate, then—sophisticated technology, no magic—butmy spell was designed to summon a high-powered sorcerer."
Medart chuckled. "Either it glitched, or I am one and don't know it.I've played Tunnels characters who used magic, but I don't know a thingabout the way it really works."
"In that case, I'd say you are and don't know it. I haven't had aspell miss its mark that far since I was in middle school. We'll findout for sure when you meet Captain Chavvorth, though. He's what wecall a Reader, he can sense things about you just being in yourpresence." Ariel sighed, showing fatigue she'd concealed before. "Andhe