Trouble on Teral: The Portal Adventures, #1

By Andrew J. Harvey

When Mark's mom disappears from her archeological dig on Teral Four, Mark is determined to find her. Soon, he discovers she's been taken by the Llarst, violent aliens who are set on earth's destruction.

Now, with the assistance of Windracer, a young saurian on her first vision quest, he must rescue his mother and stop the Llarst. Piece of cake .  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Peasantry Press
• Release date: Jan 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781988276328

Book preview

Chapter One

Mark stumbled in Teral 4’s unfamiliar gravity, almost missing the first step at the top of the stairs as he stepped out of the small cargo plane that had brought him from the Space Elevator.

Careful Mark, Sarah, the pilot, said grabbing his arm. There’s no hurry.

Mark nodded, adjusting his glasses to look around as the enormity of what he’d done finally started to sink in. Back on Earth it seemed so simple. Just use the tickets Mom had sent him to visit her at the dig when the trip was still on. Now that he was here, he had serious doubts about the idea. Dad would go ballistic when he found out! Mark would probably be the first to admit he never seemed to think things through, but he’d had to do something, and maybe this would get his parents talking to each other again.

Are you sure your mother is expecting you? Sarah asked, frowning at the deserted parking lot next to the small warehouse at the end of the runway.

She said she was, he lied uncomfortably.

Sarah looked doubtfully down at him. Mark was small for his age, and he knew the freckles that came with his red hair made him look even younger. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and tried to look older.

If no one turns up for you after half an hour, Sarah said, we’ll phone the dig.

Thanks, Mark said. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, surprised by the faint scent of orange blossom on the breeze.

I’ll go and supervise the unloading, Sarah said as two Tereks appeared from inside the warehouse, pulling a flatbed wagon behind them.

Mark studied the two aliens with interest. They looked just like the photographs Mom included with her letters, humanoid and roughly saurian, with a high domed forehead and a short crest that ran over the top of their head and down the back of their neck. Their skin was a soft mottled green and gold, and so smooth Mark’s fingers itched to stroke it. He was disappointed with the overalls they wore though; they should have something more exotic.

As Sarah headed towards the back of the plane to help unload, Mark took the time to look around properly at his first planet. He hadn’t had time at the Elevator as the plane was already waiting for him. He’d just had time to grab his bag and take the underground walkway before it left. Now, though ...

The airfield was smaller than Mark expected, just a small warehouse made out of gray PVC clapboards, next to a gravel runway. A row of windows lined the side of the warehouse facing them, the building surrounded by a tired and shabby lawn. A windsock dangled from its pole next to the runway. Beyond the lawn a forest of tall cane formed an unbroken barrier of emerald green that continued to the horizon, a solid wall of vegetation sweating in the heat. Under the pink-tinged light from the red sun, and with the faint scent of orange blossom on the breeze, there was no question he was no longer on Earth.

Mark. It was Sarah. Ready to come down?

Nodding, Mark started cautiously down the steps.

Heat baked the ground, burning his lungs, as they made their way across to the warehouse.

Here you are, Sarah said, opening the door for him. A small waiting room was set up just inside, and a row of empty plastic chairs faced the open window. Overhead a large fan rotated slowly and uselessly against the heat.

Mark put his suitcase down next to the first chair.

There should be some water in the fridge if you’re thirsty, Sarah said. Call if you need anything else. I should be finished refueling in about twenty minutes.

Thanks.

He watched her head outside. Halfway across the coarse grass she paused, turned and looked back at him. Caught watching, he quickly pulled his reading tablet out of his bag and opened up the latest edition of UN Peace Keeper.

He looked up, halfway through the technical specifications of the UN’s new all-terrain attack-vehicle, to see someone talking to Sarah. The newcomer was wearing faded blue dungarees and matching jacket. A dark brown fedora and wrap-around shades completely hid his face. Sarah gestured, and as the stranger started towards the building Mark bent over to put his tablet away.

Mark Spender?

Mark looked up. The man in front of him had his hand out. With the dark glasses off, his eyes crinkled with good humor. Jake Grisholm. Sarah says your mother works out at the dig.

Yes, my mother’s Muriel Cole.

Of course, you’re Mark. Sorry I didn’t recognize you. You look shorter than you do in your photograph. Muriel talks about you all the time though.

Pity she hadn’t wanted to see him then, Mark thought.

Do you want to bring your suitcase outside? Jake said. I’ve got some supplies to load and then we can head off.

Mark followed Jake through the main doors to the vehicle waiting on the concrete pad outside.

Nice, Mark said, catching sight of the solar-powered Mercedes JT 400 with gyro-battery. A scale model of a similar vehicle Mark had built last summer took pride of place in his display cabinet back home on Earth.

With Mark’s help, Jake stacked the stores for the dig onto the buggy’s back-tray, tying Mark’s suitcase down beside them.

So what’s the power on the gyros? Mark asked, settling himself into the passenger seat.

Don’t know, Jake said, as he swung himself in. All I do is drive it.

Oh.

His disappointment must have shown because Jake grinned. I’ve got it up to 120, if that’s any help.

Cool. The Regiment’s JT 401s only made 160, and that was with military-grade gyros, so that probably put the power at about 150KW.

Mark. It was Sarah.

Yes.

Just wanted to say goodbye, she said. You got everything, Jake?

It looks like it.

Good, I’ll pick you up in a month then, she told Mark, squeezing his shoulder.

You secure? Jake asked as Sarah headed back to the plane.

Yep, Mark said, snapping himself into the racing harness.

Hold on then. Jake spun the tires and they slewed sideways, before bouncing off the pad onto the unpaved track that led north away from the airstrip.

Mark couldn’t help an excited, Yeah!

Jake grinned at him.

So how far is it? Mark asked, raising his voice over the whine of the electric motors.

The dig? Couple of hours, Jake said. We should get there just after dark.

He flicked the headlights on as the track plunged into the cane. The plants were about three meters high, with broad green leaves that spread out over the track, throwing everything beneath them into deep shadow. The smell of orange blossom was stronger now, and Mark wondered if it came from the cane. He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. He was finally here. He’d done it! Dad would probably ground him for a year, but even if Mom wanted to, she couldn’t send him back for at least a month. Stretching around, he caught sight of the building growing steadily smaller behind them. An abrupt twist in the track put it out of sight, leaving the vehicle alone in the tunnel of cane.

Something scurried out onto the track. There was a muffled bump, and the vehicle bounced over whatever it had struck.

What was that? Mark asked, craning around to see.

Probably a wabitt. They’re a little like a large ground squirrel. The cane is full of them.

Aren’t you going to stop?

Jake shook his head. The scavengers will be along in a moment, and you don’t want to meet any of them if you can help it, even with this. He patted the holster on his belt, and Mark’s eyes widened as he recognized the handle of a blaster.

I didn’t want to say anything in front of Sarah, Jake said. But I thought your mother had canceled your visit to the site about a month ago?

Mark looked down at his feet. She might have done.

So how did you manage to get here?

Mark shrugged and then sighed. Dad’s been on maneuvers with his unit, so I just told Mrs. McKenzie he’d canceled the tickets Mom sent, and she never bothered to check.

Muriel said your father’s with the Peacekeepers.

That’s right. He’s the Colonel of the Townsville regiment.

And Mrs. McKenzie is who?

Our housekeeper.

And where does she think you are at the moment? Jake asked, raising an eyebrow.

At a school camp. I was going to let her know as soon as I got here.

Jake laughed. Oh well done. I couldn’t have done it better myself.

Really?

Really, Jake assured him.

Do you think I should phone Mom, then? Let her know I’m here?

You mean, let her get used to the idea that you’re here before she sees you?

Sort of. He frowned at his wrist-watch with its inbuilt phone which wasn’t showing a signal.

Jake grinned at his expression. We’ll need to give you a new phone when we get to the dig. Only satellite phones work this far away from the Elevator. He pointed to the small box attached to the dashboard to show what he meant, and then tapped the smart jewelry he was wearing clipped to his ear.

Can I use that? Mark asked, admiring the intricate silver serpent.

Jake shook his head, then seemed to reconsider. Well, you could, but your Mom’s probably underground so the phone still won’t get through. You’ll just have to wait till we get there.

Mark relaxed back into his seat, more confident now he had one ally. He yawned. It had been a long trip, and he’d been awake for nearly twenty hours.

Why don’t you close your eyes, Jake suggested. It’s going to be a while before we get there.

Thanks, Mark said, settling himself back into his seat.

He woke to the ringing of a phone. It was dusk, the temperature was already noticeably cooler, and the buggy was halted by the side of the road. By the sounds coming from underneath the buggy, Jake was working on something there.