Chapter 1

"My lord, the Mystery has vanished!" The sensor technician's voice hissed in alarmed surprise. Every head in the information center whipped about to look at the main sensor display. The Investigator's computer soullessly updated the tank, and, where once there had been one of His Majesties' finest survey vessels, now only empty space was displayed.

Baronet Arrack Wildmere, captain of the Investigator and commodore of the small survey task force that included Investigator, Mystery, and the Enigma, raised himself from his command bench, his wings spreading wide as he launched towards the tech's position. As he landed from the controlled glide which was all he could manage in the tight quarters of the information center, he asked, "You are sure of this?" His basso tone reassured the rating, who managed to collect himself.

"Yes, my lord. There is no indication of an explosion or catastrophic drive field failure. The plot simply shows Mystery there one second, then not there the next."

"Sir Arrack," the voice was that of the senior scientist aboard, "I may have an explanation."

The Baronet raised his head slowly from his review of the sensor log, which, as the young technician had said, showed nothing unusual -- except the disappearance of the survey vessel. "Yes, Dr. Soarheit?" The barely civil tone was that of a noble to a non-warrior whose familiarity was unwelcome.

Unfazed, and undeterred, the scientist beckoned for the Baronet. "The gravitics plot shows something very interesting. At the exact moment of the Mystery's disappearance, there was an intersection with the anomaly I was postulating. The gravitic readings went off the scale, then ceased."

"Can you calibrate the gravitic instruments to detect this anomaly?" Sir Arrack's voice warmed slightly, as he realized that the researcher had spoken in excitement, not discourtesy.

"With your permission, my lord, and the assistance of your technicians, yes, now that I have the spike to work from." Dr. Soarheit was nearly bursting with excitement, but remembered to use the correct forms of address.

"Very well then, Doctor. I'll have Sir Strifon detail a work crew." With this, the Baronet returned to the command bench to relay his orders to the Knight Commander who was his executive officer.

Later, in Investigator's spacious briefing room, Baronet Wildmere looked at the senior officers of his now-reduced task force. His executive, Sir Strifon Firesbane, was unsettled, the claws on his hands extending and retracting, kneading the pad in front of him into shreds, his gold-membrane wings refusing to settle along his back. The captain of the Enigma was in little better shape. He had stilled his nervous kneading, but the distinctive head crest of his Sunland clan was fully displayed, and his wings twitched irritably. Only Dr. Soarheit seemed to be relatively calm, but his was the calm of one who has seen his life's dream fulfilled.

The room itself was unusual, with it's massive holographic projector taking up much of the front of the room. In addition, it was three levels tall, with perches scattered around the upper reaches of the walls. This allowed the arboreal crew to have places to perch, relax, and pray, for this room doubled as the chapel, and trebled as a recreation area.

"All right, what do you have, Doctor?" asked the Baronet, gently grasping his executive officer's shoulder to steady him.

"If you'll look into the display tank my lords, I'll bring up the schematic we have developed." The slender scientist moved to bring up the holographic projection. "As you can see, we are here," his extended claw caused a pair of small green lights to start blinking. "And the position of the Mystery's disappearance is here." A third light began to flash. "Now I will overlay what we know of the standard gravitic patterns in this area," a series of lines began to fill the screen, in an orderly fashion. "And finally, this is the pattern of what I am tentatively labeling zeta-class gravitic disturbances." As he continued, the space around the flashing orange light began to fill with converging patterns of lines, twisting and writhing at the point of convergence, which precisely matched the disappearance point. "As you can see, these zeta field patterns are coming to some sort of point. We've tried sending a remote drone into the point, but it was torn apart before it could reach the center of this phenomenon. We are currently postulating that the Mystery's drive field protected it from the zeta field's effect. Where the Mystery went is uncertain, but the remote reported no debris."

"No debris?" Sir Tavor Sunland, Captain of the Enigma sounded stunned. "Were they completely annihilated without a trace?"

"I don't believe so, my lord." The scientist was almost jubilant. "From the gravitic plot at the time of departure, a great deal of gravitic energy was expended. But it looks as though it was non-destructive. My senior assistant is more skeptical, but I believe that the Mystery was translated to another place."

At this, Sir Strifon roared with laughter. "Bodily assumption? Did we have saints unknown aboard the Mystery?" The laughter of the other officers joined in, but was more strained. Dr. Soarheit only looked pained.

"No, sir. Perhaps I used the wrong word. Teleportation is what I was thinking of, not assumption." The others sobered quickly, thinking about the implications.

Sir Arrack looked encouraged at this, "Does this mean that the Mystery has survived?"

"Perhaps, my lord. I can't say for certain, however."

"So the question has changed. We believe we know what happened. Now we must decide. Do we follow her, or do we count her as lost?" The baronet left the third option unspoken, for a ship was the fastest way to send information to the home world, and the Mystery's supplies, if she still survived, would not last the time it would take to make the round-trip.

"I would suggest we consider Mystery lost, and break off our research. Bringing this information home is the most important task we now have." Sir Tavor was earnest, his blue-edged crest slicking back against his skull, his muzzle wrinkling back from his teeth.

"I disagree." Sir Strifon was equally earnest. "This may be our most important test. God would not want us to abandon our comrades in a time of peril." Investigator's exec was well known for his piety, and silence reigned for a moment.

"I must ponder this." Sir Arrack said, finally. "Return to your duty stations, I will recall you when I have made my decision."