Rivers of Orion

take? Do you think?”
“Laugh if you want. I know it’s an extraordinary claim, from your very limited point of view,” said Ellylle.
“Really, I’d like to know,” said Reggie.
Ellylle considered for a moment. “That’s up to her, I suppose. It could take days, or it could take centuries.”
Reggie looked concerned. “What will that do to the people of Earth?”
“It will have no effect on the living,” said Ellylle. “The endless skylines and machinery, however, will be… repurposed.”
“Sorry, but I don’t believe in any of that,” said Reggie. “World souls and goddesses? Come on!”
Ellylle laughed and shrugged. “You don’t need to, but if I’m right—and I usually am right—the loss of Earth as they know her will bring the United Planets to its knees.”
“Why the hell would you want to do that?” asked Lomomu.
Ellylle scowled. “Have you seen what they’ve done to the galaxy?”
Lomomu nodded. “Sure, but I don’t think…”
“Then you know why!” Ellylle yelled.
“There’d be decades of war,” said Reggie. “Millions would die. Trees would die, too!”
“Of course, they would! I will never understand you fleshlings and your fear of death.” Ellylle began to relax again. “It’ll take some time, and there will be growing pains, but with this, the four of us are going to restart the galaxy. Under my leadership, all people everywhere will return to a state of balance with the natural world.”
“The four of us?” asked Lomomu.
“Yes, and if we’re going to do this, I’d like to keep Old Siberian on indefinite open retainer. That means we go where I want, when I want, and no questions asked.” She looked at Reggie. “Let’s say a million credits a month. Does that sound reasonable?”
Reggie’s throat bobbed. “Can we get that in writing?”
“Gentlemen,” said Zella. “Ah need a moment with ye both.”
“Take all the time you need,” said Ellylle. She returned her attention to the radiant gemstone
Reggie and Lomomu followed Zella out into the passageway. She spun around to face them. “Ye cannae be tempted by her siren’s song, Cap’n! She’s pure skyrockets!”
“But her money’s not,” said Lomomu. “Besides, you said it yourself—she’s delusional. What’s the risk?”
“Were that true, she’d nae be fit tae conduct business, and all that money yer fawnin over’s goin right back into her coffers.” Zella narrowed her gaze. “Ah said skyrockets. Ah never said delusional. Thaur’s a difference. A delusional mind edits reality tae fit the dream. Skyrockets explode. Ye get me?”
“I get you, but hear me out,” said Reggie. “Ellylle believes that stone she’s holding is a world seed. Technically, it’s impossible to disprove, so let’s humor her for a million a month. We can do that.”
“Impossible tae disprove? Ye take a hammer, an ye crack it open,” said Zella. “That’ll disprove it fast enough!”
“Look, okay—maybe,” said Reggie. “I’m just saying it takes a special kind of faith to come all the way out here to get the object of your obsession. On top of that, she truly believes she can reformat an entire planet with that thing, which could take centuries for all she knows.” He glanced at Lomomu. “Like you said, what’s the risk?”
Zella shook her head, incredulous. “Ye’re as daft as she is! Imagine she’s tellin the truth. Whether it’s called Nyx or Killseed or Radgybottom, imagine whit happens tae Earth if it actually consumes every inorganic thing!”
“It’s probably just a piece of cut onyx,” said Reggie. “If it’s not, we’ll just crack it open with a hammer before it goes too far.”
Zella crossed her arms. “Ye know damn well it’s more ‘an a piece of cut onyx. It’s somethin.”
“Maybe it’s a new tech stone,” said Lomomu. “Really high end.”
“An how d’ye figure that?” Zella paused, raising her index finger. “Wait. I thenk I know. It was the guardians, right? Dead brilliant giveaway, that. Or maybe ye deduced it was a tech stone by how it was kept fir a thousand years in a magical beach ball located in the heart of an alien metropolis fifty thousand light years off the galactic plane!” She looked annoyed. “Lomomu, thenk it through.”
“Hey, be nice,” said Reggie. “And keep it down, will you?”
“She killed seven of her own tae get it,” said Zella. “That stone does somethin.”
Reggie took her by the hands. “Okay, I see your point. You’re probably right, and maybe that stone does something, maybe even what Ellylle thinks it does.” He smiled warmly. “Let’s say that’s true, and we say no, she’ll just hire someone else to fly her around. But if it’s true and she hires us…”
“We’ll be there to raise that hammer and save the day,” said Lomomu. “Imagine us, savin’ Earth.”
Zella groaned and yanked her hands away. “Damn it, Cap’n.”
Reggie grinned. “I’ll tell Ellylle the good news.”

Chapter 4
Night Drive
Twilight cloaked the skyscraper’s mirrored glass, crowned in black and fading from purple velvet into a splash of dying fire. Double doors drifted closed at Orin’s back, and he paused a moment to retrieve a folded square of holopaper from his blue jeans pocket. The headline read, “Prime Minister Carver Needs You!” Below that, “Join Prime Minister’s Carver’s Campaign Team, and you can make a brighter future for Rhyondans everywhere! Re-election means real change! Humans OK!”
Glancing skyward for an instant, he thought, Please let me get this, and he closed his eyes.
From behind him, a woman urged, “Excuse me!”
“Sorry,” Orin replied, and he stepped aside. A slim ocelini in a business suit hurried past, her sapphire mane bobbing with each footfall. Orin’s heart sank; he recognized her as the very woman he had just interviewed with. “Sorry!” he called out.
If the ocelini had heard him, she gave no indication.
“Perfect timing,” he grumbled, and he shook his head. Drawing a deep breath, he shouldered his backpack and walked toward the boulevard. Soon after, a taxi pulled up, and he climbed inside. He selected “Home” from the destination presets, “Nature Sounds” from his playlists, and fastened his seatbelt. The vehicle glided along luminous byways that threaded the soaring skyline, while rivers of sky cars