He wiped the vomit from his face as he headed off the bridge.
6
Kevin walked down the corridors of the Osiris and tried the first door he came upon. It opened into sleeping quarters with four bunk beds organized in pairs. He climbed into the top bunk on the right and stared up at the ceiling. Boomer couldn’t jump that high, so he climbed into the lower bunk, circled twice, and flopped down on the comforter with a loud sigh.
Maybe my dad was right, perhaps I am useless.
Kevin couldn’t help but feel that he had failed, even though everyone was still alive, the Kregan had been taken care of, and the ship he was on was equipped with nano-tech that would repair all the damage Kevin had brought upon it.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel like he could have approached the battle more sensibly, not taking immediate risks in the first encounter with a new ship, whose capacity he might have overestimated.
“Are you alright, Kevin?” Mira asked.
“That depends on how you define ‘alright,’ I guess.”
“What’s troubling you?”
“I failed. I wanted to impress Ziron and instead it’s a miracle that the Osiris is still in one piece.”
“I’m having trouble with categorizing your assessment of failure. Ziron gave you one mission, destroy the Kergan ship, and you did so.”
“Yes, but at what cost?”
“Nano-circuitry is well on its way to repair most of the critical systems aboard the ship. We are all still alive. It seems to me all objectives have been achieved.”
“Tell Ziron that.”
“As a matter of fact, I already have. He’s not accustomed to being in perilous situations. As an engineer, he mostly works behind the scenes in safe environments. He’s not used to this type of commotion or thrill; I think he’s let his fear get the best of him. I’m sure you can understand that, as your species capacity for empathy seems very strong.”
“Still, this didn’t feel like a victory, at least, not like it did the last time around.”
“Interesting…let’s recap this, shall we. You engaged an armada of Kregan destroyers equipped with the latest prototype warship and AI, aka, me, and used the Project Sigma weapon to do so. Nobody but you ever succeeded in doing so, your use of the technology and the logs we’ve recovered are priceless and will allow us, over time, to perfect this tech.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Mira, I kicked ass last time; this time around, I almost got us all killed.”
“That’s where I have to disagree with your assessment, Kevin. While your primary objective was achieved last time, you lost your ship, and me. Fortunately, I was able to send a partial backup of what I had learned while being linked with your mind via subspace, which is the reason why we’re talking now. I was, am, one of a kind.”
“Yeah, you told me, a prototype warship AI.”
“That’s correct. And as such, I’ve derived the following conclusion: while you managed to achieve victory in your previous engagement with the Kregan, you couldn’t have fully won if the last captain of the Arcadian Confederate hadn’t sacrificed his ship, his life, and the lives of his crew.”
A pit started forming in Kevin’s stomach.
“Please, note,” added Mira, “that I am not trying to be harsh in my assessment, just as accurate as possible.”
“Yeah—not exactly filling me with pride at the moment.”
“Pride is irrelevant, Kevin. Did you help us and risk your life just to go on a power trip for yourself? Or did you truly want to save billions of lives?”
“The second one, of course. I think…”
“Even though our time in being linked was brief, I can echo your first answer and will attribute your current doubts to exhaustion. You’ve been fighting for your life for the last couple of hours, it’s normal that the drop in adrenaline could bring your spirits down in a physiological way.”
“Not that I don’t enjoy talking with you, Mira, but is there a point to all of this?”
“There is. Your last mission was a success at a price and with external help. But it was your courage and determination as well as your highly compatible mind that brought victory. Primary objective completed, but secondary objectives, like bringing the Thalamos back home, was not.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it mattered that much.”
“Compared to saving Arcadia Prime, it didn’t.”
“I’m still not sure why we’re doing this, though.”
“Today you had two major objectives. One: survive the Kregan assassin and save your life. You achieved both goals, even dispatching a highly trained operative in your first inter-species fight. I have to give you exemplary points for that, and if I had a body, I’d deliver you a medal myself. Then, shortly after arriving on the Osiris, you had to go into battle again, with a far less advanced ship than the Thalamos, and not only destroy the enemy, but make sure all passengers on board this ship survived. Again, you’ve accomplished that objective.”
“Are you saying that even though I’m feeling like a loser, I actually performed better than before?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Kevin.”
Kevin smiled, and most of his bad mood began to fade away.
“Thanks, Mira.”
“You’re welcome, Kevin.”
The cell was cold and damp with virtually no light source. Kalliopy was utterly alone. In an attempt to get her to provide vital information on her planetary defenses, the Kregan had systematically executed her royal guard one-by-one.
The fleet battle that took place around orbit of Arcadia Prime had ended with every destroyer and warship on both sides being destroyed. And now a rearmament race had started. One the Kregan was afraid of losing; mostly because when it came to technology and production speeds, the Arcadian Confederate had no equal and that was why they wanted to attack her world from within.
She should have known when her sister, on the other side of the galaxy, asked for her presence that it was a trap. But she loved her more than anything in the world, and even though her advisors asked her not to make the trip, she couldn’t leave Athala in distress no matter how high the chance of a trap existed.
Had she been manipulated by a crafty fake message? Or was her sister really sick? And if that was the case, she knew with certainty it had something to do with the Kregans. The destroyers protecting Zalonda, the world where her sister Urania lived, had been called back to Arcadia Prime in the last hours preceding the final battle. The battle during which the young and peculiar human Kevin had helped them win on board their prototype warship Thalamos.
More warships based on the prototype design were now being constructed. But first, her eccentric inventor, Ziron, would have to recover the youngling and some of the data lost when the ship prematurely exploded a few seconds before his neuronal footprint had been beamed back to the planet.
Kalliopy became distracted from her current train of thoughts when she heard heavy footsteps approaching. She had declined the last two meals her Kregan captors had sent for fear they would drug the food in an attempt to extract information she wouldn’t willingly provide.
Her heartbeat accelerated with each new step. Would they bring more food? Or would they ratchet things up a notch? Kregans were known to resort to both psychological and physical torture, and she was surprised they hadn’t already attempted that.
When the door of her cell opened with a high-pitched squeak, she had to silence a yelp. It was one thing to be afraid, but she didn’t want them to know. A bright white light invaded the room and temporarily blinded Kalliopy. She raised her arm and had to blink multiple times until she began to see a large dark shape in the hallway.
“Get up,” commanded a deep voice. “He wants to see you.”
“Who’s he?” Kalliopy tentatively said.
“I’m not here to chit-chat, you either get up and follow me on your own, or I’ll drag your pretty face any which way I can. The choice is yours.”
Not much of a choice, she thought.
“And hurry up, I don’t have all day, your highness,” added the voice with no shortage of disdain in his voice.
It took some effort on her part to get to her feet. She had stayed for days on the cold, concrete floor. Her beautiful dress now all but ruined.
As she stepped out of the cell, she was finally able to get a better look at the rude Kregan officer. His orange skin was full of scars, some incredibly deep. No doubt the warrior type who had killed many Arcadians in the line of duty.
“This way,” he said, with a wave of his hand.
“Where am I going?”
“You’ll see soon enough. For the time being, just shut up and walk. And no funny business either.”
Ziron gracefully sauntered to Kevin’s location. Arriving at the room, he tapped on the door with his extended claws.
“I’m not in the mood to see anybody,” said Kevin’s muffled voice from the other side.
“I need to talk to you, and…apologize.”
The door slid open with a whooshing sound.
Ziron entered and was greeted with Boomer’s sharp bark and a low growl. No doubt Kevin’s pet had sensed that his current frame of mind was due to Ziron’s attitude to what had happened earlier. From what Ziron had learned from Kevin’s mind, dogs are very loyal pets.
The Sphynx still had a hard time accepting the notion that on Earth, a lesser genetically advanced cousin race, called cats, were also pets. Even though they didn’t seem to be as loyal and as malleable as the dog.
Maybe they’re moving into place to take over.
With that pleasant thought, he jumped to the lower bunk opposite to Kevin’s and Boomer’s.
“Hey, Kevin. I—I kinda need to talk with you.”
“Yeah, you said that already. Spit it out.”
“I’m not sure I understand what that means?”
“You mentioned an apology.”
“Oh, that…”
Ziron wasn’t accustomed to apologizing to anyone. He didn’t think he needed to. After all, his highly advanced intellect was partly the reason why the Arcadians were still standing. If not for all his inventions, they would have lost the war to the Kregan already.
But he could sense that Kevin was adamant about hearing the words.
“I—I…” but Ziron was having a hard time uttering the words.
“Get out. If you can’t even say it, why come in the first place?”
Ziron’s eyes dropped, and he gazed at the dark-grey carpet for a moment before looking back into Kevin’s eyes.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. You managed your objective, and we’re still alive.”
“That wasn’t that hard, was it?” said Kevin rather sharply.
Oh, it was…
“I’m not used to apologizing, that’s all.”
“Well, for an advanced race, you sure are dumb on some levels. Saying you’re sorry is liberating, if more people took responsibility for their actions instead of blaming others for the failings in their lives, the world would be a better place. Trust me on this.”
That was an interesting concept. One Ziron made a mental note to try and research further.
“Now that this is out of the way, can we talk about the next part of our mission?”
“Interesting how you’re assuming I’m still on board after the crap you pulled.”
“Aren’t you?”
Kevin shook his head. “Of course, I am. I’m just not doing it for you.”
“That’s perfectly understandable. But I can’t rescue Kalliopy without you.”
“I know. Let’s just let bygones be bygones.”
Ziron accessed Kevin’s memory banks to fully understand the meaning of the young human. His eyes shone briefly as they always did in such circumstances.
“Okay, here’s the deal. The tracker I’ve installed on Kalliopy stopped transmitting about five minutes after her ship was attacked.”
“You think they disabled it?”
“That or—I’d rather not think of the alternative.”
“She’s alive, I know she is.”
Is that what humans refer to as instinct? I wonder.
“Well, good. That’s what I think too.”
For different reasons, however, it made little sense for the enemy to go to such lengths in acquiring her just to kill her. They could have achieved that goal by destroying her ship in the first place.
“Alright, so what’s the plan, Zee?”
“We need more data. Without her tracker, and with days gone since she was taken, the trail has become cold.”
“Where do we get more information then?”
“That’s the part of the plan that worries me.”
7
“What do you mean the worst place in the universe?” exclaimed Kevin.
Kevin and Ziron were walking along the ship’s corridor. Boomer had fallen asleep, so Kevin decided not to wake him. He must have been exhausted from their recent adventures. After all, he had seen things no other dogs ever saw. That ought to take a psychological toll on Kevin’s furry friend.
“Can you be a little more specific?” added Kevin.
“Well, it’s a planet that holds the biggest scum you’ll ever find in this cluster of galaxies. Killers, bandits, and worse. Not to mention it’s not a safe place for me to be in the first place.”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say the cooks on that planet find Sphynx meat to be kind of a rare delicacy, one that rich inhabitants will pay a large sum of money to enjoy.”
“So, it’s basically an upscale Chinese restaurant?”
Ziron’s eyes flashed before he answered. “I guess you could say that, except that anybody who sees a Sphynx on Omicron will just drop whatever they’re doing and try catching me, hence lining their pockets with enough credits to last them for years.”
“That’s pretty rude, I’m sorry you have to live with that kind of weight on your shoulders. So I take it Omicron is where we’re going next?”
“It is.”
“I heard the jump engines engage earlier, how far are we?”
“A few hours away. That will give us time for me to teach you to use your armor optimally.”
“I think I have the hang of it.”
“This mission is too critical for you to just wing it. So, it’s best I put you in a virtual simulation that will be a near identical match for what you’ll encounter on Omicron.”
Part of Kevin’s pride was hurt hearing the words, but part of him knew that winging it could be dangerous, just like it had been against their last space battle.
“Better safe than sorry. I can understand that.”
Ziron stopped in front of one of the multiple doors they were passing.
“We’re here. I’ll monitor your progress from the bridge. I just need to know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“The holo-training room can be set in different ways. You can either disable pain receptors from your armor or leave them on. You can’t die in there, but you have the option to feel real pain or an attenuated version of it if you choose to.”
Kevin didn’t like the idea of being in pain. But he remembered one of the few things his father said that actually made some sort of sense, though he didn’t get credit for coming up with it. It was something that he often repeated: No pain, no gain.
Kevin felt a lump in his throat and swallowed hard. “Pain. I think it’s best I train in a way that prepares me from what’s coming, especially if this place is as bad as you’re saying it is.”
“I’m afraid it’s probably worse.”
Kevin flashed Zee two thumbs up. “Have you ever considered being a motivational speaker? You’d make a killing.”
“Really?” asked Ziron.
“No, I was pulling your leg. As a matter of fact, your bedside manner and pep talks suck balls,” said Kevin as he stepped in
to the holo-training room.
When Kalliopy passed the decorative doors, they closed behind her, and the Kregan officer didn’t follow her into the room. It was a big change from both her tiny cell and the ship’s rather narrow corridors. The room was almost as massive as one of her palace party chambers and equally decorated.
Kregans had a soft spot for gold and silver, and it was reflected in their trinkets and decorations. It lacked the subtlety of Arcadian craftsmanship, but it was still pleasing to the eyes. In front of her stood a long dinner table, filled with lots of food, and it was only when someone a fair bit away spoke that she realized she wasn’t alone.
“Please, your highness, sit and have a hearty meal.”
The Kregan man was on the other side of the table that could easily seat fifty guests or more. His voice was softer than any Kregan the princess had ever heard. Before her ship was ambushed, she had had very few direct dealings with them. But she had seen enough war reports and witnessed several of the civilized interrogations on the few prisoners they had captured over the years.
“I’m not hungry,” she said.
But then her stomach called out her lie, and the unceremonious sound echoed throughout the room.
“It seems to me you are. Rest assured, it’s not poisoned if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
“I wouldn’t trust a Kregan no matter what he says.”
“I can understand and even respect that, your highness. Why don’t you take a seat and use the Arcadian scanner on the table that I had brought from your ship for you to scan your food? Would that be satisfactory?”
Kalliopy took two more steps and sat on a chair. Next to one of the multiple forks displayed rested a shiny Arcadian portable scanner. No doubt taken from one of her executed crewmembers. She looked at the man and then back at the scanner.
“Now you’re wondering if I haven’t tampered with the scanner.”
“Are you a mind reader?”
“No, I’m only putting myself in your shoes for a moment. Just pick it up, make some scans, and decide for yourself. I suggest you do it soon, some of the meals I’ve had my chef prepare for you are much better warm, or so I’m told. I’ve never been a fan of Arcadian cuisine.”
Fire at Will: A Space Opera Adventure With LitRPG Elements Page 5