Phantom Regency
Chapter 5

The Phantom Realm is the Sky above the sky.

When you shift, you enter my realm,

the universe of the Forger.

Although “shift” is but a childish term for what really occurs.

You enter your true home, your true rest, if only temporarily.

It is but a foretaste of the peace and freedom and power that awaits you.

Bask in it, enjoy it, but do not become complacent.

Hunger for the real thing.

Yearn for true peace.

It is in the yearning that you will be set free.

From “The Sayings of the Sky Man”

Eamor awoke the next morning. It took him a few moments to realize that he was on board Captain Dread’s pirate cruiser, the Inexorable. He was in a small bunkroom off the captain’s quarters. He remembered boarding last night then quickly going to sleep. He had met the ship’s caretaker, the old engineer with the red beard. He was the one who stayed on board when all the pirates raided a planet.

He got out of bed. To his delight a uniform had been laid out for him. It was really nothing more than a black jumpsuit with Dread’s patches on the shoulders. His emblem was a rendering of a phantom ship with two crossed swords behind it. Eamor dressed and exited the room.

He walked into the captain’s lounge. It was sparsely furnished with a couch, a small table with three chairs and a writing desk. However, the walls were decorated with several huge pieces of beautiful art. After he took a couple steps into the room the holo-phone built into the desk activated. The captain’s likeness flickered into view.

“I didn’t want to wake you so I left you this recording,” the image said, “I’m back down on the planet. We should be done with our search today. In the meantime, get to know Old Red. Punch in 6-2-3 on the console and it will call down to engineering. He’ll show you around and take care of you. See you when I get back. With any luck, you’ll make your first shift tonight.”

The image disappeared. Eamor’s hand hovered over the console, determined not to push the wrong buttons. He slowly pressed the three keys in order. Nothing happened for several seconds. Then suddenly an irritated voice called out through the speaker.

“Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something? What in the inferno do you want at such a time?”

Eamor hesitated, taken aback.

“Well! Are you there?” the voice continued, then in an enlightened tone, “Aha! This is the new cabin boy, isn’t it?”

“Yes-yes sir,” Eamor said.

“Well, glad to see you’re up at the crack-a-noon. I really am busy, so you can replace your own way down here. Out the door, turn left. Keep going till you hit the big double doors. Come on in and holler for me. Got it?” It must have been the old engineer speaking.

“Ok, be there soon.”

“All right you little mongoose. Over and out.” There was a click and then silence.

Eamor looked around. There were three doors out of the lounge, including the one to his bunkroom. Eamor walked up to one and opened it. Oops, this must be the captain’s quarters. Inside the large room was an enormous wood desk. Behind the desk was a rack with dozens of very old-looking scrolls of paper. One of them was unrolled on the desk. A bed sat in one corner and a large armchair in the other. This room was also decorated with fancy works of art. On a small table next to the chair was a mini holo-disc. It displayed a full-length image of a tall, beautiful woman. She was wearing a long, flowing blue dress. She was blonde haired and looked kind, but sad.

Eamor turned to the desk again. He walked up to look at the scroll and gasped. It was a map of Galmar. He saw the vague shape of his home island of Aralia, but it was bigger than on the maps Eamor had seen. The Ventrillan islands to the north and east were not just tiny dots but included three large landmasses dozens of miles across. He also saw a large continent to the south, almost as big as Aralia. It was labeled “Panzaria”. He realized he was looking at a pre-flood map, before the Final War. A red X was drawn in the center of the map amid the three island groups. It was not labeled but there were several arrows and figures drawn around it.

Eamor began to feel guilty about snooping around. He left the cabin and headed out the door. It opened into a main corridor. It was easily twelve feet wide and seemed to run the entire length of the ship. He turned left toward the stern of the ship and walked a couple hundred feet to the end of the corridor. It was brightly lit with doors on either side every few feet. Every door was adorned with Dread’s emblem. There were also some side corridors running out to the port and starboard of the huge ship.

The double doors at the end of the hall slid open as he approached. He stepped into an enormous open space. Outside the door was a narrow balcony, which encircled the engine room. The floor was twenty feet below him and looking up the ceiling was just as high above. Dominating the room was a huge piece of oblong machinery. Eamor later learned that this was the ship’s nova reactor. Tubes and wires ran through it and all over the room. Stairways and gangways crisscrossed the entire area. From the left and right wall two conduits five feet in diameter ran together into a node of sorts above the reactor. They had a soft green glow and crackled with what looked like greenish yellow lightning. From the node dozens of smaller but similar conduits ran in all directions out of the room.

Eamor was impressed. He had never seen anything remotely like it. He knew that phantom ships were large and complex, but he could never have imagined this.

“Is that you, Mongoose?” yelled a voice.

“Um, it’s me, Eamor, the new cabin boy,” he yelled back.

“Come on down,” the engineer said gruffly, stepping out from behind some machinery. “Stairs around to your right.”

Eamor walked slowly around the balcony toward the stairs, never ceasing to stare in wonder at the engine room. As he passed near the huge conduit, its lightning activity increased. Eamor felt a tingling in his body. It made him feel peaceful, powerful and happy all at once. It faded as he descended the stairs.

“I’m Old Red,” said the engineer, meeting him at the foot of the stairs. Eamor shook his outstretched hand. Old Red definitely lived up to his name. His face was as wrinkled as a month-old apple. It was framed by long wild red hair with streaks of silver. His beard nearly reached his belt. Both his hair and beard were braided and adorned with silver beads.

“Is this a Regency Cruiser?” Eamor asked.

“Oh ho!” Old Red said with sudden interest, “So you know a little about ships, do you?”

“Not really. The only ship I’ve ever seen is the holo of a STAR cruiser my mother used to show me. Looks a lot like this,” Eamor said.

“Well, don’t you have a keen eye? The Inexorable, or ‘Exsie’, as I like to call her, was indeed a Regency Thunder class cruiser. She and eight others had been decommissioned. Skeleton crews were flying them to the shipyards to be stripped and junked. Cap heard about it and made his move. Say what you want about Dread, he has guts. We pirated those nine cruisers. Lost one in the fight, used two for parts, so now our boys have six of these babies. All specially modified by me, of course. Why back in the day I used to even work on… on… Well, that’s a long, boring story.”

Eamor was silent. He was still tired and in some pain. He was also hungry and more than a little overwhelmed.

“So Mongoose, what do think of our girl?” Old Red broke the silence.

“She’s amazing,” Eamor said, meaning it. “But if you please, where can I replace some breakfast?”

“Skies above!” Old Red said kindly, “Where are my manners? Follow me.”

The old engineer led Eamor back through the front of the ship. They went down several corridors and finally through a door into the mess hall. As they walked the old man described the layout of the ship and how she functioned. He walked beside Eamor, often with an arm on the boy’s shoulder.

“Let’s see now,” Old Red said reaching into a pantry, “No time to cook proper. Here’s some bread, some cheese, some beef. You don’t look old enough for grog. I’ll fetch you some water.” He laid the food on one of the many tables and crossed the room returning with a cup of water.

“Thank you,” Eamor said, taking a bite. “So, why do you call me Mongoose?”

Red straddled a chair and rested his chin on the back. “I’m funny like that. Everyone has a nickname. You were already bunked out when Cap told me about your fight with Lang.” Old Red practically spit out the name. “Now, his nickname I can’t repeat in polite company. Anyhow, Cap said you were down on the deck and struck out at that delinquent’s knee. ‘Quick as a mongoose,’ he said. So it was either ‘Mongoose’ or I’d have to call you ‘Scar’. That reminds of a time when a nova conduit busted loose on that old ship, the… the, uh…Well, anyway, I got a scar. But it’s not where you would want to look at it.”

Eamor’s hand went to his aching cheek. He hadn’t taken a good look at himself yet. His scar must be pretty bad.

“How’d you like to help me fix a stuck coolant valve today? If we can’t get it to move together, we’ll beat it with Lang’s head until she busts loose.”

Eamor laughed. Old Red made him feel good.

“So how old are you Mongoose?” Red asked.

“Fifteen,” said Eamor, “I’ll be sixteen next week.” He felt a pang of sorrow that his mother would never see any of his birthdays.

Old Red noticed his misty eyes. “You missing home already?”

“No, my mother. She died when the castle wall collapsed. I really don’t have any family now.”

“Well, don’t you worry. You got a family. Most of Cap’s men are decent folk. He got rid of most of the ornery old pirates, ‘cept for me.” He winked. “Been recruitin’ younger, fresher folk. He’s like a father to most of ’em. And I can be your gramps.”

“I never knew my father or any of my family. All I had was my mother and Uncle Rylen. Mother always said I didn’t need to have all that normal stuff. She said I would be able to live above it all. I think now I know what she meant.” Tears streamed down Eamor’s face. “My dreams…” he began, and then fell silent.

Old Red stood up. “Well now you’re with us. You’re a pirate, so lay off the blubbering. We got a mission. My part is to get us there in this bucket of scrap metal. Speakin-o-which, let’s go get that valve.” They walked out into the corridor. “You know, I remember back in the day when…”

They spent the afternoon tinkering around the engine room. Old Red explained the ins and outs of all the equipment. He interspersed wild, rambling stories of his long career as he worked. The old engineer was duly impressed with how quickly Eamor grasped concepts and understood how things worked. He would have to petition the captain to give up his cabin boy and make Eamor an assistant engineer.

Eamor learned that the conduits with the greenish yellow lightning channeled the mysterious phantom energy to the ship’s weapons and defenses. He wondered why he had experienced a surge of energy when he walked by them. Old Red did not seem to have the same experience.

Late in the day, Eamor was calibrating the nova thrusters under the old man’s tutelage. The holo-phone flickered to life and Dread’s face appeared.

“We are on our way back up. Get her ready for the shift. Have the boy meet my boat when I arrive. Should be there in twenty.”

“Aye, aye, Cap,” Red replied.

The holophone flickered out. “Let’s get you up to the landing bay,” said Old Red.

Instead of heading out the main doors, he led Eamor up several stairs and gangways toward the front of the engine room. The old man headed up a ladder with a wink. “Shortcut”

They emerged in the small hangar control room. The landing bay was not as large as Eamor remembered. It did not look like many gunboats could fit in it. Old Red began pushing buttons. Eamor heard a loud hissing as the hangar was pumped free of air.

“Pull that green lever,” Red ordered.

Eamor obeyed and the large doors began sliding open. He could see the curve of the planet slanting across the view. It was a cool, blue color dotted with white clouds. He could not make out any land. After a couple of minutes, he saw the six gunboats. At first, they were just little dots of light, but they quickly came into view. They seemed to Eamor to be arriving too fast, but at the last minute they fired nova thrusters and gently glided one by one into the bay.

After they all touched down, Old Red nodded at Eamor. After a moment’s hesitation, he realized he was to push the door lever back. The doors slid shut and the hangar pressurized again.

Old Red touched his shoulder. “I’m headed back down. Go on out,” he said.

Eamor walked out of the hangar control room just as Captain Dread was descending the ramp from his gunboat. He was no longer wearing his armor. He had tight black leggings, large brown boots and a colorful tunic. “Ahoy, there cabin boy!” he yelled, striding up. “Permission to come aboard?”

“Huh?” said Eamor, why would he need permission? It was his ship.

“You and Old Red were in command while I was gone. I’m asking if I may assume command again.”

“Of course, She is all yours…. Sir,” he replied.

“Good. You stand relieved. Walk with me.” He headed for the main door at the end of the bay. Dozens of other pirates were out of the ships and following them. Captain Dread walked elegantly and purposefully. It was not quite a military march but his long stride exuded confidence and command.

As they headed back into the ship Eamor asked, “Did you replace what you are looking for?”

“No. The ultimate prize is large, larger than this ship, maybe even as big as the Nexus. I am still searching for clues. But, to answer your question, I found nothing of importance. Morvan Castle appears to have been picked clean.”

“Did you see my uncle?” Eamor blurted out.

“I don’t know. What’s his name? What does he look like?” Dread’s tone was neutral but his body tensed noticeably.

Eamor thought better of asking. “Never mind. He went away a while ago.”

Dread looked at him suspiciously as they walked into his lounge. He motioned to the couch. “Wait here. I need to put away a few things, and then head for the bridge.” He walked into his cabin. Eamor started to sit, but then walked over to a large painting. It struck him before, but he had not looked closely at it.

It was a sky scene, painted in a realistic style. In the center was a metal sphere, slightly flattened. Around its widest equator was a ring of machinery of sorts. At one of the flattened ends was an opening. Inside was a jumble of green glowing machinery. Several STAR cruisers were surrounding it. They were little more than dots. This thing must be enormous, several miles across. Behind it and over toward the upper corner of the painting was a tumultuous red star. The sphere appeared to be sucking a great stream of red, hot gas from the star.

The door to the corridor opened suddenly. A young pirate in uniform entered. “Where’s the captain?” He asked.

He was on the short side, but powerfully built, probably in his young twenties with a fresh, friendly face. He had dark, brooding eyes and close cropped black hair. Eamor was puzzled to see a pink handkerchief tied around his left bicep.

“Uh, in his cabin,” Eamor replied.

“Ok, I’ll wait.” He extended a hand. “Halen Faxrender.”

“Eamor,” was the reply as they shook hands.

“You’re the new cabin boy, right,” Halen said. Eamor nodded. “Fabulous. I’m the second pilot. I started out as cabin boy, too. Cap rescued me from the streets of Vorgan City seven years ago, when I was only fifteen. I was an orphan.”

“I am an orphan now, too.” Eamor replied, working hard to fight back tears.

“That’s cool, ’cause this is the best family in the galaxy. I’ll show you the ropes.”

They were interrupted as Dread emerged from his cabin. “Halen, good. Are we set for the shift?”

“Yes, captain, but I have some news for you.”

“You can tell me on the way to the bridge,” Dread said. “Eamor, why don’t you join Old Red for the shift? I’ll catch up with you soon.”

“Yes, sir,” Eamor replied and headed for the engine room.

The engine room was a hive of activity when he arrived. A dozen men frantically worked at various consoles. Others were racing around attending to details.

“Down here!” Old Red shouted, seeing him enter. The old engineer was at his master console by the base of the reactor.

Eamor scrambled down and sat next to him.

“One minute till your first shift, Mongoose, are you ready?

“Yes. How does it work?” Eamor asked.

Old Red laughed out loud. “How does it work? You may as well ask me to name all the stars. No one knows how it works.”

“But what happens. Do we feel the ship move?”

“No. Not more than usual anyways. The cylinders shift us into another universe, the phantom sky. We disappear from this universe but we can still see it kinda hazy-like. Well enough to know when we’re near a star. Once we’re there the phantom cylinders push us forward at an extreme rate of speed. Some say it’s…”

The captain’s voice boomed over a loudspeaker. “All hands, prepare for shift. Thirty seconds.”

Old Red closed his eyes and intoned, “O Sky Man, watch over us as we enter Thy realm. Bring us safely to our destination. Fill us with Thy peace and power as we go. And send Yoshun, our Liberator back to us quickly. May it ever be so!”

Eamor nervously glanced around as Red was speaking. He saw at least one other pirate mouthing the same words. He was about to ask the old engineer about it when he suddenly felt the engines fire up. It was the same thrill of power and joy he had felt before near the power conduit.

“Five, four, three, two, one, shift!” the captain’s voice spoke.

There was no discernable movement as the ship shifted into the phantom sky. The feeling Eamor was experiencing diminished, but not entirely. The strong energizing aspect was gone, but he still felt unnaturally light and happy. He turned a puzzled face to Old Red.

“It’s the phantom effect, kid. When we enter the phantom sky, we leave all the cares of life behind. We are in a different universe, so to speak. No one knows exactly how or why, but men have always been refreshed by a shift. It’s great, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s incredible!” Eamor replied. “What was that you said before the shift?”

“It’s an old Thaxian ritual. It probably goes back to the beginnings of phantom travel. In the old days, every ship captain would lead his crew in the Sky Man’s Blessing before each shift. Only a few of us old timers still do it.”

“Do you believe in Sky Man?” Eamor asked.

“Of course. He gave us phantom cylinders. Saved us from our dying world. We are free because of him. Folks forget about that too easy.”

“Why do you ask him to send Yoshun back? Didn’t he die over five hundred years ago?”

“Well, legend has it that though his body died, his soul went to live with Sky Man. He is gonna come back and set everything right once again. Do you know Sky Man?”

“My mom used to talk about him from time to time. But I don’t know much. I try talking to him sometimes. I used to think about him a lot out at Yoshun’s Peak.”

“That old mountain is one of his very favoritest places. Been there once myself – the Pillar O’ the World,” the old man said with a twinkle. “Old Red’ll teach you all about him.”

Eamor was as happy as he had ever been in his life. He knew that Sky Man had a great future for him.