Epilogue

December 27th 1890.

NATHANIEL COULD FEEL IT all around him. The edwinite—it wasn’t sentient, but he could nonetheless feel its presence as surely as if it was someone standing next to him. He stood next to a porthole, looking through to the asteroids that slowly passed by them.

This was an historic moment—the day the British Empire finally broke the asteroid belt. Certainly the Russians had beaten them to it, but it didn’t take away from the achievement. He imagined Captain Theobald and Commander Bedford on the bridge congratulating themselves, spreading the praise throughout Sovereign. In the engine room Chief Boswell and his engineers would be maintaining the aether propeller in awe of the power being harnessed, eager to learn more about it, questioning but accepting that two scientists would be needed in the engine room at all times. In the research lab he expected Arnaud’s team would be getting more excitable as the moments passed. Tally was, once again, in the sickbay, complaining to Doctor Beverly about his dickey tummy—would Tally ever adjust to the long weeks cooped up inside Sovereign? It was a pity that Annabelle could not be here; she had been such a big part of getting them to this point, but she had a daughter who needed her now. She may not be happy to be left behind, but soon Kai would help her come to accept the decision Admirals Hamilton and Cavor, and Mister Tooler, had made on Nathaniel’s behalf. She may even learn to forgive him—one day.

Soon Sovereign would catch up with Imperator—Grant knew nothing of the crystals from Phobos, knew nothing of the true power of the combined edwinite. Sovereign harnessed something Grant couldn’t even conceive of, knowledge Kaskuu had chosen to hide from him. Sovereign would reach new speeds, shorten the distance, bring them ever closer to Plypolyplon…and so much more. Humanity had no idea what awaited them.

Nathaniel smiled, but it was not the smile of success, it was the smile of hidden secrets—secrets only he and Kaskuu knew.

A SMALL FLEET OF Navy flyers, led by Endeavour, rested on the near side of the belt, an honour guard to see off the pride and hope of the British Empire. Hundreds of eyes watched Sovereign vanish into the depths of the Solar System, as it daringly voyaged where no British subject had ever gone before.

The End

The Draco Eye by Sharon Bidwell