Free The Fire Crystal by James Lawrence

Zaarks may even go back into the spin, thinking they will get back here.”
    “That will never happen though.” Amber was speaking now. “There are so many possible alternative universes, and once they spin around the hole they’ll emerge again in any one of them.”
    This was interesting. “How many universes are there?” Calvan asked.
    “If I drew a ‘1’ and started putting small zeros behind it, then they would stretch further than here to Two Stars, and the number would still be nowhere big enough. That’s how many universes,” Amber explained.
    “Wow, this all sounds great, fantastic in fact.” Calvan said, and then paused, frowning. “Look I may as well come straight out with it. I know you are the Space People, but how are you going to get the Zaarks to agree with all this.”
    “Well,” Amber said smiling now, “we certainly don’t intend to send them an invitation to the party, or even ask their permission. We’ll use a lure – it’s called ‘Tom and Calvan’. That’s if you want to join us. It’s your choice, and there’s no pressure.”
    Calvan sighed slowly and said , “I knew there would be a snag in all this”
    “Were going to attempt to deceive the Zaarks into thinking we’re ferrying the crystal out from Earth , to this ship. You and Tom will fly down to the cave and appear to be picking it up, for return to us up here in the cruiser.” Amber said.
    Tom added, “it will be like throwing a bone to a dog. They’ll make a grab for us, and we’ll move out further from Earth, and then jump into hyperspace. They’ll think we’re running from them, and will give chase of course.”
    Amber took up the plot. “Then you drop out into normal space at a rendezvous point, close to the Hub, and I will be waiting with my team.” She hesitated. “We’ll have something a bit special laid on for their benefit.”
    “So they’re in their mother ship, and you – we- he corrected are in a shuttlecraft. Excuse me Tom if this sounds a bit negative , but won’t they destroy our ship?” Calvan asked.
    “Of course not, at least not until they get what they think will be onboard - the fire crystal,” Tom replied.
    Amber spoke again. “I’ve planned a magic trick , just for their benefit. You could say it will be a pushover.”
    Tom and Amber both laughed at this, as if sharing a joke’.
    “Are you with us,” Amber asked?
    Calvin didn’t even have to think about it. “IN ,” he said.
    Now they ’d got that over with, Amber started to fill in the details for Calvan’s benefit. “On Two Stars a prototype anti-gravity beam had been developed for mining purposes. It makes a force to push masses of raw material off the ground and into orbit, ready to be scooped up by a nearby transport freighter.”
    “In other words it’s meant for mining.” Tom added.
    “But we intend to use it for another purpose,” Amber said. “It will become a beam weapon, and we’ll place it at the rendezvous point, waiting for you to arrive with the Zaarks in tow.”
    Now came the hard bit ; the part that Tom and Calvan would play in this drama. When they had drawn the Zaarks to the anti-gravity beam, it would be aimed for their mother ship, and turned on at full power. The Zaarks ship was to be nudged into the black hole, by the force of the beam.
    “It doesn’t take a lot,” Amber said. “One hard push with the beam should do the job. Once they start to fall in, nothing can stop them.”
    Tom yawned. “Lets call it a day for now. I’ll show you around some of the ship, and then we can get some rest,” he said to Calvan.
    After such an exciting day Calvan fell into a deep sleep and dreamed: The Zaark’s ship was chasing Tom and Calvan’s small craft. Both ships were both in hyperdrive now, and as Tom dropped out into normal space the Zaarks followed.
    Then Calvan saw the edge of the black hole. It glowed with hard radiation. The ship's computer had control, and placed them into a tight orbit