Children of the Old Star Read Online Free

everything rear of the cargo bay. I don't think there's anyone here we can help.” The commander looked into the terrified expression frozen by death onto the face of the cook. A tear escaped his own eye and fell, mingling with the pool of blood.
    Ellis swallowed hard and concentrated on his computer pad, checking the sections they were in against known records of this class ship. “The black box is unreachable,” he said after a moment. “Another ship will have to retrieve it.” Ellis stood. “Let's get out of here."
* * * *
    Saturn, crowned as it was by a lustrous ring, seemed the perfect home for the galaxy's government. Its largest moon, Titan, had for millennia, been dotted by silver hemispheres. Each of the vast domes was home to ambassadors, military personnel, and government officials from every planet in the Confederation of Homeworlds.
    People from Earth, Titan's closest neighbor, often wondered how such an expansive civilization could have eluded their sensors and telescopes as long as it had. The fact of the matter was that the moon's inhabitants, the oldest known race of intelligent beings, simply wanted it that way. They refused to discuss the technology they had used to remain cloaked. At least, most rational humans assumed that technology had been at work. There were, as through the centuries, many humans willing to believe magic had been employed.
    The Titans themselves were large creatures, covered with soft pelts. Their arms and legs seemed too short for their bulbous torsos. Humans saw their ursine heads with large eyes adapted to low light, and were reminded of Teddy Bears. Those humans in love with conspiracy theories often said that the image of the Teddy Bear had been placed in the minds of President Theodore Roosevelt's friends to pave the way for humanity's eventual acceptance of the ancient race.
    The matron of the Titans, a large being with a silver-gray pelt, named Teklar, turned to her lieutenant. “The intelligence continues to probe, to test, to seek. Another Earth ship has been examined. The human, Ellis, is close to understanding. We must be cautious."
* * * *
    "You fainted?” Admiral Marlou Strauss was looking at the screen in her office on Titan. She shook her head, pursing thin lips. “The Cluster fired on a civilian freighter and you fainted?” She turned to look Ellis in the eye.
    Ellis shrunk back from the strength of her gaze. “I wish I could explain, ma'am."
    "I wish you could as well.” She sat back, folding her hands into a peak. She took a deep breath, evaluating the commander evenly. “Up until this morning, I was prepared to confirm your promotion to captain.” Ellis felt his stomach sink at the words. “While your handling of the Sufiro situation was unorthodox, it got the results we required. Erdonium production has resumed. We will be able to build the ships we need to fight the Cluster. We will need experienced officers to command those ships."
    Ellis took a deep breath. “Ma'am, I might have an explanation."
    "Very well, Mr. Ellis.” The admiral put her hands flat on the desktop.
    "I think the Cluster communicates through emotional response. While in orbit around Sufiro, I sensed something. I sensed that they were aware of what had happened on the planet—that they knew about the conflict. I sensed they saw the pain and suffering, but knew that their interference had helped to end the conflict.” Ellis looked into the admiral's eyes, but did not see any reaction. He swallowed and plunged forward. “You see, the two continents were engaged in war. When the Cluster arrived, the people were so afraid of what it would do, they stopped fighting and helped each other."
    "I've read the report,” stated the admiral, coldly.
    "But, it's not only that I sensed these things. I also sensed a feeling of warmth from the Cluster, a sense that things would be okay on the planet.” Ellis leaned forward hopefully.
    Strauss leaned back and eyed Ellis frostily. “You're