Admiral's Ghost Read online

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  Adanni didn’t know how far he’d come or whether it was far enough. His unusual vision showed a three-dimensional map of galaxies in the region, and he transitioned into one of them at random. As he came out of the transition, he was surrounded by stars and nebulae swirling to the silent music of gravity. He needed somewhere remote—somewhere that wasn’t guarded. But where?

  He feared retribution this time. He didn’t know how, but he’d manipulated matter in a way that went against everything he knew about Universal law. It wasn’t supposed to be possible, but somehow he’d done it. If only I knew how!

  After the disaster, he’d fled as the Creator unleashed an unholy wrath on all that remained. Adanni could only imagine the anger his mistake caused. How did I do it? He still had no answers but was certain the Universe would hunt him down. They would all hunt him down, so he kept moving.

  Adanni was the name of the first being he’d inhabited. Life as Adanni had been great, so he’d kept the name in memory of that experience. After so many millennia, he only thought of himself as Adanni. He was an Onyalum—an ethereal being.

  They were not made of matter or energy, but existed between the material Universe and the dimensions outside it. They were free spirits, traveling the Universe in search of adventure. The Universe had created them without purpose and let them thrive despite their reckless nature. Though they lacked design, their impact on the Universe was profound.

  How did I do it? He couldn’t figure it out. Because of their makeup, Onyalum weren’t able to affect the real substance of the Universe: matter and energy. Likewise, matter and energy could not affect them. Until recently, this balance had been maintained.

  Despite those rules, Adanni had unknowingly affected matter and energy. In a brief moment of anger and frustration, he’d destroyed an entire galaxy. The scope of his mistake was undeniable. Creator’s would fear him, and the Universe would have no choice but to undo his existence. He was no longer an insignificant threat to their creations so he fled in fear.

  Focus, there must be somewhere to hide! He stared at the galactic core turning below him, its spiral arms spinning slowly about its center. The stars and nebulas fought against the inevitable pull inward. His special vision focused on the periphery where several planetary systems were capable of supporting life.

  Perfect! He’d find a dying life form, take over its body and lie low for a few millennia. Perhaps that would be enough to escape his fate. He’d no idea whether these worlds were guarded, but if they were, he knew ways to get past. A blind transition, bypassing the space between, and he could land inside undetected.

  It was risky, but the only way to avoid detection. He focused on a planet most likely to harbor life and made his leap.