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  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 tends to worry about me, since an inter-universe summoning can betricky. Not to mention dangerous, if you tap into the wrong alternate.Would you mind if we go there now?"

  "Sorry--of course not." Medart followed her out of thesymbol-decorated room and through corridors that looked like a standardImperial Navy ship's, though something he couldn't pinpoint right awayseemed odd--something missing, maybe. "I can accept, though I don'tunderstand, that you brought me here by magic. But this feels like thehyperdrive ships I know, and your sidearm looks like an issue blaster.I was under the impression magic and science didn't mix."

  "They usually don't," Ariel replied. "Magic-using universes are muchlower probability than technological ones, and the magic/technology mixis far lower even than that--but there are a few, and this is one."She smiled back at him. "Other than that, this universe should bealmost a duplicate of yours, in everything important. I'd be willingto bet you'd even recognize this ship's designation, maybe name--IBCEmperor Barton."

  "I do," Medart said. An Imperial Battle Cruiser, named after thetwelfth Sovereign. "Then from what you've said about CaptainChavvorth, I'd expect him to be a Traiti."

  "He is." They were at the Bridge by then; the door slid open to admitthem, and the Traiti in the command chair stood, showing open relief ashe scrutinized Ariel.

  "You are well, ka'naya Ranger!" he said.

  "Fine, Captain. This is my colleague from Alpha Prime, James Medart."

  The Traiti bowed, crossing arms over his chest in that race's formalgesture. "I am honored, Ranger Medart."

  Medart returned the gesture. "Likewise, Captain Chavvorth. I'mpleased to see that humans and Traiti share the Empire even in auniverse so distant from mine."

  "As am I--though I sense that until recently we were at war in yours,and you were nearly killed by one of our fighters."

  "Right." Medart tried to hide his astonishment, and reply as though itwere normal for someone in such a remote universe to know that kind ofpersonal detail. "I wouldn't call a hundred years ago recent, but Isuppose to a Traiti it would be . . . I was almost torn in half, andyour people survived only because my colleague Steve Tarlac took yourOrdeal of Honor and then died, becoming one of your gods. PeacelordEsteban."

  "The one who kept that war from happening by doing the same here," theTraiti said. "He was able to determine the reason for the firstincident, and then the way to prevent escalation. His courage incoming to us alone, we believe, saved millions of lives."

  "Try billions," Medart said. "We were never able to determine accuratecasualty figures, but the best estimate for both sides, military andcivilian, is between eight and ten billion, mostly Traiti. And we cameentirely too damn close to genocide before Steve was able to end thewar."

  "But he did," Chavvorth said calmly, "and we took our proper place inyour Empire as we did here." His expression became taut. "Have youencountered the Sandemans?"

  "Yes, sixteen years before the Traiti War. A century and a quarterago." Medart frowned, scanned the Bridge crew. That was what he'dthought strange earlier--there were none of the small, dark-skinnedblonds who were such a significant part of Alpha Prime's military.That, the phrasing of Chavvorth's question, and a major threat to thisEmpire came together in a conclusion as frightening as it was suddenlyobvious. Medart allowed himself a quiet, intense, and uncharacteristicoath. "Holy Creator and all the gods! You just met them!"

  "Yes," Ariel said, her fatigue seeming to vanish in eagerness. "Youwere able to defeat them?"

  "We could've, but it wasn't necessary," Medart said. "I was able touse persuasion instead--along with five battle fleets to show them thealternative to peace. They'd managed to take over almost half ofSector Five by then, but they accepted annexation as a Subsector, andthey've been loyal citizens ever since."

  "You missed a Sandeman war," Ariel said thoughtfully, "and we missed aTraiti war. Steve Tarlac avoided or ended the Traiti war in both, andmy spell summons the one who avoided the Sandeman war in his. I thinkthat for the first time in three years, I can dare to hope."

  Captain Chavvorth tu
rned to her. "I also, Ranger. But with respect, Isuggest you go rest. While you are doing that, I can begin teachingRanger Medart to use his mage-power."

  "He is a magician, then!" Ariel exclaimed in relief. "My spell said heshould be, but when he denied it-- How powerful?"

  "The strongest I have ever felt, sir." The Traiti smiled at Medart,gestured as he murmured something, and was holding a candle. "You havehad no instruction, but your raw power