by HD Smith
Liam’s brows furrowed. “Would you want to? You were left on Canis as a baby. I don’t think your parents would have let that happen.”
“You think they’re dead?”
“I think we need to stick to our plan. You need to solidify your place in the House Zar line before whatever the hell this is brings Aratus back to life.”
“I agree with Liam,” Susan9 said. “You are in more danger now. If they have you in their possession, House Cortez could attempt a coup.”
“Any of them could,” Liam agreed. “House Cortez has a solid claim to you, but possession is still eight-tenths of the law.”
I was sick of this maneuvering. The Houses had too much power, and now Aratus was somehow emerging from oblivion, and I needed to secure my place in the crazy or I’d wind up someone else’s puppet. I didn’t want to play this game, but it was clear I had no choice.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“First, we get into this case and hope to Lucy that the sample is viable,” Liam said. “Then we register your genome to the known ancestor sample with the WLA.”
“That sounds easy,” I said. “What’s the catch?”
“If we can get the sample registered, there isn’t one. If we can’t, you’ll be exposed.”
“Three days ago, my life wasn’t this complicated,” I said.
“Three days ago, I wasn’t wanted for questioning in an explosion I had nothing to do with,” Liam said.
“Three days ago, I did not exist,” Susan9 said. “Can we confirm the sample and secure Genevieve’s identity, then worry about our other problems?”
“Always to the point,” I said.
Liam picked up the case and put it on the table. “Try to open it,” he said.
I put my hands on the two side latches and pressed to open them. The edge of the case lit up, a latch released, and a pressurized hiss sounded. I opened the top, getting our first look inside.
Six refrigerated canisters were tucked securely in the foam-covered bottom. Two slots appeared as though the canisters had malfunctioned, as the clear glass displaying the contents on the two damaged units were cloudy.
Susan9 looked at the names on the side of each canister.
“The Head of House Zar, Genevieve’s direct line, is one of the damaged units,” she said.
“Will one of the others work?” I asked. “Can we use any of them?”
“The closest relative is this one,” Susan9 pointed to the fifth canister. “It is from your many greats grandfather’s brother, Silas Zar.”
I turned to Liam. “Will it work?”
“We don’t have a choice; it will have to.”
We went into Liam’s safehouse, showered, and put on clean clothes. I cast the spell to change my hair and eyes, but I wasn’t sure how long it would hold. I hadn’t told Liam before, but the fading began instantly. I’d even tried blue again to see if the blonde was the issue, but it wasn’t. My hair refused to be tamed.
Susan9 had changed to appear more casual. Not the blue polka dot dress, a more security-focused ensemble with casual slacks and dark shades. Liam once again looked like his Anderson persona.
“Are you my security?” I asked her.
“I am your administrative assistant. Does this not blend in?”
“It’s fine,” Liam said.
I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt, then grabbed the leather jacket Liam had purchased for me earlier on Tau. At least the clothes were all high end, considering I was about to make a claim for Head status of House Zar.
“Everyone looks fine,” Liam said.
He was wearing black jeans, a black t-shirt, and a military-style flak jacket.
“Are you my security?” I smiled.
“Yes,” he said, but without the expected levity.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t get ahold of Dexter.”
“Maybe his sector is still offline,” I said.
We’d been following what little news there was as we got changed. Everyone was scrambling to explain what had happened and to figure out what the data coming from Aratus meant. The stream was sluggish, and the Bridge Command League had yet to make contact with anyone on Aratus. If indeed there was anyone on the planet to contact.
“Maybe, but I don’t like it,” Liam said.
I nodded. “So, how are we doing this?”
“We’ll go to the hall of records. We’ll register you as a member of House Zar. We’ll submit the ancient genome and a fresh sample from you. We’ll make sure the paperwork lists the genetic marker all Heads of House Zar possess and have them check your blood for this marker. It won’t be as clean as having your many greats grandfather’s sample, but your many greats uncle’s sample will prove you are House Zar.”
“Will they ask questions about where we got the sample?”
“I have a notarized letter from Professor Tor-Vargas confirming that he acquired the sample from the Zar compound in OE China.”
“This will all happen today?” I asked.
“It may not be official for a few days, but an initial assessment should be granted, which will prevent House Cortez from taking you against your will. We’ll also file official notice for House Cortez to cease and desist all activity associated with Genevieve Harlow.”
“This is going to cause a huge shitstorm,” I said.
He shrugged. “Maybe, but now that the entire KW is reeling with the news that Aratus may have survived, this could get lost in the shuffle.”
“Unless they think I had something to do with the outage,” I said. “Which I did.”
“Unintentionally,” Susan9 said.
Liam shook his head. “I think the fact that Aratus data is flowing through the stream is going to be enough to distract everyone for a few days.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” I said.
Liam took hold of my arm, motioned for me to take hold of Susan9, and jumped us to the only courthouse for municipal business on Lux. There were plenty of other government buildings, but those only handled civil unions among adults who wished to form financial and social contracts.
The office we needed wasn’t busy. A huge crowd could be heard a few doors down, but House registration was usually too mundane to get any notice.
“Let me do the talking,” Liam said. “I’ve been here before. They know me.”
“Sounds good. Just don’t get me arrested,” I said, smiling.
“No promises,” Liam said.
I hoped he was kidding.
23
Lux Courthouse District 1, Lux, Wednesday, 16:30 LTZ
Liam
A digital interface for the sign-in sheet activated on my VF. The registration office was empty except for a frozen holographic receptionist standing at the counter. It would come to life if we got near enough, but I didn’t want to cycle through fourteen different prompts before it discovered it couldn’t help me and called for a human.
I stopped just outside the radius that would activate the receptionist and tapped in to the office’s sign-in log to request to speak with Gail, if she was available, in person. Then we waited.
“What are we waiting for?” Gen asked.
“Human assistance,” I said.
Five minutes later, an alert flashed on my virtual field just as Gail, a nice lady in her mid-sixties I’d spoken to many times before, stepped out from the back.
[Liam Anderson … Counter 2]
I stepped toward the counter with a holographic number two hovering over it. Gail smiled. She seemed genuinely happy to see me.
“Hello, handsome,” Gail said as I approached. “You picked one hell of a day for a visit. Who’s your beautiful companion?”
Gail’s voice was a mix of what the computers called Southern Charm and High Society.
“Gail, this is Genevieve,” I said.
“Aren’t you a pretty little thing,” Gail said. “Has my Liam finally met someone? You know courting documents are filed across the hall.”
>
I chuckled. “Gail has been an invaluable resource, Gen, but she’s also quite cheeky.”
Gail gave me a devilish wink. She had been one of the first people I dealt with three years ago when I started my new life. She had given me insider access and advice on how to navigate the waters of the Houseless, and I’d rewarded her with off-the-books bribes and lavish official thank-you gifts from high-end boutiques on Vale and Tau, which was standard practice for the elites. Of course, most elites weren’t in need of a registrar.
I removed a small box from my jacket pocket and slid it across the counter.
“I was hoping I’d run into you, Gail. A little something for the hard work you do.”
Gail opened the box and gasped. “Why, sugar, you are a man who knows what a woman wants. Two Magical Night tats, with youth vision, for me and my honey bunny.”
“Something you and Harvey will enjoy?” I said.
The love tats weren’t uncommon on Lux, but the youth option was more expensive than anyone working a government job on any planet could afford. Gail didn’t need them for their intended purpose—a sex-filled night with a younger-looking partner—she needed them so her husband could see her as a younger version of herself. It wasn’t for vanity reasons. Her husband, Harvey, had a neurological condition that prevented him from recognizing his wife Gail. He remembered a version of her from her early forties. Anything older and he didn’t believe it was her. It was a disease that afflicted one in a billion people, which meant no one cared to solve the medical anomaly. In the days of Old Earth, it had been a prevalent illness called Alzheimer’s. The mystery had been solved for 99.9% of those now afflicted, but the 0.1% that couldn’t be cured lived a life of confusion in their old age.
She smiled at me, then started back with her usual charm. “What can I help you with today, Mr. Anderson?”
“My friend here needs to file some paperwork. She wants to register under her birth House. Genetic verification is available.”
Gail looked at the time on her display. “That may be tough,” she said, glancing back toward the door from which she’d entered. “The office is in a huge tizzy with all the crazy portal business. I’ve been told everything is being frozen at 17:00 until this business with the stream is sorted out.”
I checked the time. We had thirty minutes to get this paperwork processed. That should be plenty of time.
“It looks like we made it just in time, then,” I said.
Gail pursed her lips together and gave me a hard stare, then she looked at the box with her tats. I slid another box toward her. She checked the time and smiled. She slid both boxes in her pocket and retrieved a sample collection kit.
“It looks like you just made it,” Gail said holding out her hand for Gen’s arm. “Now, where is your paperwork?”
Gen winced as Gail took her genome sample, then breathed a sigh of relief. "It’s really happening.”
I nodded and prepped the documents to transfer over. I was interrupted when the door slammed open behind us.
Turning, I saw a tall, very pissed-off man burst through the office entrance. He was wearing commando gear, the same we’d seen on the Storm Industry renegades at the Zar compound on Old Earth.
“Hello, Cass,” Oliver said. “Does Dalton know you aren’t dead?”
This could not be happening.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said. “But if you wait outside, I’ll speak with you in a minute.”
He laughed. “That’s too cute. Unfortunately your new girl here is going to need me.”
Oliver held up a perfectly intact canister—the one we’d been forced to leave behind on Old Earth when we had to run from his thugs. He snapped his fingers, and three of his armed men came in, one dragging a battered Dexter with him. Dexter was in shackles, and he’d taken at least one hit to the face.
“I’m sorry, Liam,” Dexter said.
“Silence,” Oliver yelled. “Traitors don’t get to speak.”
“What has he done?” I asked.
“My House, my business,” Oliver said.
I mentally started the file transfer of two documents to Gail and typed a note to Susan9.
LIAM: Can you get the sample from Oliver and give it to Gail, without hurting him or getting any of us killed?
SUSAN9: Absolutely.
In hindsight, I realized I should have been more specific in my instructions, because to the part of Susan9 that was the assassin, not hurting Oliver just meant making sure he didn’t die.
In a flash of movement, she lunged forward, kicked the canister out of his hand, and shoved him back into two of his three guys. All three went crashing through the front doors. She then caught the canister and tossed it to Gail before dodging three bullets and disarming the third goon, then tossing him out the door.
Closing the doors, she held them shut.
Dexter was left cuffed but unhurt. He slid to the floor on his knees. Okay for now.
“Liam, you may want to hurry,” Susan9 said as someone rammed the door from the other side.
I turned back to Gail, pulling Gen around to focus on our task at hand.
Gail was holding the canister, eyes wide and mouth open.
“Gail, please hurry,” I pleaded.
“That was Oliver Storm,” she said.
I nodded.
“And that woman holding the door isn’t human,” she added.
I nodded again. “Please hurry.”
Gen touched Gail’s arm. “Please.”
“We’ll have to have a nice long talk the next time you’re in town,” Gail said as she took another genome tag from the kit.
Gail inserted the tag into the canister to acquire the sample needed. She scanned the canister’s code and placed both samples into the kit before sealing it.
I retrieved the canister and put it in my inside jacket pocket.
“That’s odd,” Gail said.
“What?” I asked.
After a second, the kit beeped. “Oh, nothing.”
Gail inserted the kit into a slot on the desk. The reader beeped and turned green.
“Place your arm here for recoding,” Gail said.
Gen placed her arm over a scanner embedded in the desk.
“My chip is shielded,” Gen said.
“No problem at all.” Gail pushed a button and Gen winced. “Well, Genevieve, you are now officially registered as House—”
Gail’s eyes widened as she looked at the results. Gen’s hair and eyes also took that moment to revert to their natural color.
“Oh, my word, Ms. Zar,” Gail muttered. “You ’bout to bring a whole world of hurt down on your head, child.”
“Gail,” I said. “As always, thank you.”
“Yes, thank you, Gail,” Gen said.
“Honey, you gonna need all the luck you can afford to survive this choice. So I’ll leave you with my blessing. Good luck and Lucy bless, sweetie, because you are going to need it.”
With that, Gail left the counter and quickly returned to the back office.
I activated one of my Peacekeeper spells to remove this scene from the surveillance system.
“Liam, I can explain,” Dexter said as I pulled him to his feet.
The lanky teen had clearly been through hell since we last spoke, but I hadn’t missed the fact that Oliver had claimed he was House Storm and called him a traitor.
“We’ll talk later,” I said to Dexter. “Now, we need to get the hell off Lux.”
I took Gen’s hand and motioned for Dexter to follow. We went to Susan9, who was still holding off Oliver and his security.
Taking hold of everyone, I jumped us out of there.
Gen was now registered as House Zar. As soon as her marker was processed, she’d be labeled a royal.
Oliver now knew I was alive, which meant it was time I finally dealt with my uncle and reclaimed my own birthright.
Epilogue
Private communiqué between Dalton Vance and Byron Storm
&n
bsp; BYRON: Aratus data is coming in from the space bridge incident. It appears to be everything from the last twenty-five years. If that bridge is back online we are screwed
DALTON: I was just notified that a royal member of House Zar just registered on Lux
BYRON: Lux? Who is it? Ezra?
DALTON: No, his niece. Genevieve Zar
DALTON:
BYRON: Who’s the man?
DALTON: That is my nephew Cassius. The one who tried to fool me into thinking he was dead
BYRON: If Ezra is coming back from the dead, we’ll need to bring Conor up to speed
DALTON: Have you located the construct yet?
BYRON: No … Jameson Wyatt says he’s seen it, but he wants two million credits to give up its whereabouts
DALTON: Do we know who blew up the building
BYRON: Donovan had one of her lackeys do it, apparently they went overboard
DALTON: Why would she hit Wyatt?
BYRON: She was after the guy who screwed her over on the CME, Wyatt was almost collateral damage.
DALTON: Tell him he’ll give us the location of the construct or we’ll ensure the WLA brings their full judicial power down on him
DALTON: Have you found Dr. Lyle yet?
BYRON: He was never lost. I relocated him to Canis to start production. Our mission will succeed. Now that we’ve perfected the formula, Harko Royale will become a reality
DALTON: Better late than never
BYRON: What is your plan if Ezra comes back?
DALTON: Foxtrot 14 was a mistake, but I know how to mitigate the blame
BYRON: Another failure of your brother’s I presume?
BYRON: That still doesn’t solve our problem if Ezra returns
DALTON: The KW is in chaos right now. Aratus was on the brink of a civil war when it went dark. No matter what, the same Ezra isn’t returning
BYRON: Let’s hope
DALTON: Even if he tries, there’s a new Head of House Zar, which means Ezra screwed himself by saving her. He should have killed her when he killed her parents. Now he’ll have nothing.