Heritage Lost

by S M Wright

  "Rein," she all but shouted into the com, "bring the engines all the way up. We're busting out."

  Mina waited for her in the upper hallway, sliding up against the metal wall as Katya rushed into the cockpit. "Serve as my point. My head's been affected. If I get dragged under. . ." She paused when Sotiris's tendrils, or at least that was best she could think to describe his mental fingers as, brushed against her mind. "Take over and get us out. I have absolute faith in you."

  With no time to do a preflight check, Katya pressed the necessary controls to bring the Minerva up. Screens sprang to life, showing information that went ignored for now. She reached over and activated the planetary entry shields.

  "What are you doing?" Mina asked from the communications station.

  "They're our ticket out of here." Her mind had already turned to the barrier that separated the station interior from space. She modified the planetary shielding further to null the barrier without breaking it—she couldn't bring death upon those in the bay. Even as she finished the adjustments, Katya lifted her vessel from the bay floor.

  "Minerva, cease your actions and prepare to be boarded," a masculine voice came over their communications system. "Turn off your engines immediately."

  Outside, a growing number of station security officers swarmed around them, all bearing heavy-duty plasma weapons designed to leave pockmarks and immobilize ships. Katya kept the Minerva hovering. A warning shot went off at a powered-down level, jostling them but leaving no damage. Once the last of the modifications was finalized, she punched it. A hovercart that'd been left in the open flew clear across the bay, as did other materials. Katya increased their speed further. Three meters separated them in what could be a jarring breach.

  "Plasovern agents," a low female voice came across the communications system, "there is no escape. Power down and prepare to be boarded. We want what belongs to us."

  One meter. She braced herself for the coming impact as did Mina. Then they hit. All speed ceased, jerking her and Mina forward. Katya winced, her hand moving to apply more power. The Minerva whined, its engines at the brink of overload when the force holding them disappeared. Beside her, Mina screamed.

  "On it!" Katya sent their ship into a spin.

  She kept it tight, preventing a crash with a freighter. A ship whizzed by their out-of-control vessel. What are they . . . Shit! She righted the Minerva in time to avoid another collision.

  Wiping sweat from her face, Katya piloted them away from the shipping lanes. Too congested. It'd be foolish to even consider using them to ditch the security ships. The open exposed them; however, they couldn't make a jumped in these confined lanes. No matter what, staying near the station for an extended time period was suicidal.

  A plasma burst shot from one of the security ships forced her to bank and spin. They were targeting the engines. Grunting, Katya made their moves erratic, weaving, darting, dipping—anything to minimize the target they presented.

  "Mina, what's on the radar?"

  "It's blank. I've never seen it blank—"

  "They're jamming it." Or they'd uploaded a virus. Katya focused on the viewscreen in front of her. It wasn't ideal, especially if it too became infected. This took the prize for the most strenuous flying experience of her life. She gnawed at her lip as if it'd provide more focus, skill. Today had become a day of unwanted firsts. "Mina, take your RMP and get the juice in Sotiris."

  "What about yours?"

  "Just do as told!"

  Sending the Minerva into a dive, Katya sought empty space to make a jump. The security forces, smaller, more agile, maintained pursuit much like wolves stalking a meal and fired with little discrimination

  Just let us get clear.

  She raced around a freighter and went underneath another. Another plasma blast. More security ships joined the hunt, shifting the odds further out of their favor, and they seemed to be losing interest in not destroying the Badger.

  "What's the plan?" Rein asked over the intercom.

  "Continue to hold tight." Her breath gusted out. "I—" The Minerva was tossed about like a buoy at sea after a plasma bolt exploded near its undercarriage. "Damn—"

  Maneuverability all but disappeared, yet they shot forward into more traffic. Her hand drifted to the weapons control panel. Biting her lip, she removed her hand from it, not willing to chance catching others in the crossfire.

  "Stabilizers and shielding are partially down," Rein's voice stated over the intercom. "If you’re going to do anything, do it now!"

  Activating the planetary bursts, Katya managed to give them enough of a push to avoid becoming space debris. Still close to several civilian ships . . . but the security vessels were breathing down their necks. Bowing her head, she made the call: "Blind jump in three . . . two . . . one!"

  "Captain!"

  "Ch-Charis." Akakios lifted his head, which swam, still shifting through the vast array of information Sotiris had shoved into it.

  "Sir, they've blown the bay. The Dandis VII security force is in pursuit and is trying to disable the ship."

  Coughing, Akakios cleared his throat and tried to right his mind. "How? I mean, what are the security ships using?"

  "They're using plasma cannons and targeting vital systems." There was a pause. "I've emphasized moderation, but they've almost taken out the Plasovern agents' ship several times now, sir."

  "Sotiris is on that ship." Akakios pushed himself into a seated position with his back against the corridor wall.

  He was on that ship. Akakios rubbed his hands against his face, meeting a fine coat of sweat. If the ship escaped, if they did make a run to Medzeci space . . . Kyros's words flitted through his mind. At all costs. Clenching his fists, he swallowed, his vision narrowing again. At all costs.

  "Sir?"

  Swallowing, Akakios decided he'd be damned. "Under no circumstances are they to destroy that vessel. Do you understand? Order them to withdraw immediately!"

  "I have—"

  "Knock it into them," Akakios squeezed out through his gritted teeth. "If you do not, I will when I return to the security center."

  Pushing against the wall, he stood on shaky legs and staggered forward, swaying with each step. One of the security officers approached him, only to slink back upon catching his dour expression. He had no time to deal with the morons who'd let one Plasovern agent make a mockery of them. The officer instead resumed helping his fallen comrades, all still breathing.

  As they moved, not really worse for the skirmish, Akakios frowned.

  Ambrosios had been right. Something was off. He reentered the lift and headed to the security center. Still—a nonsensical, gaping smile formed—Sotiris was alive and seemingly healthy. His touch at least had not been distressed; however, all of Kallistrate's efforts to teach him control had evaporated. Akakios's chest constricted. He'd progressively destabilized like all the other children before him.

  "Captain," Ambrosios's voice said over his communicator, "is there a rendezvous?"

  "Negative." Akakios stepped out of the lift. "Agents, I suspect, have escaped with Sotiris. But they won't be able to hide long with their cover blown. Regroup at the Boreas; more information will be available then."

  He disconnected the conversation and entered the security headquarters. "Charis," he said.

  Her features were pinched, and she ducked her head, avoiding eye contact. "They made a blind jump . . . with their navigation system jammed and regular stabilizers damaged." The station's chief security officer shrank when Charis finished. "They were pressed."

  Akakios inhaled and crossed the room in seconds, taking the security chief by the collar. "If that ship did not survive the jump . . ." He bared his teeth at the man. "Let me give you a taste of what awaits."

  He pried the phantasms harbored in the man's mind to the forefront, holding him up after his legs buckled and his body began to spasm. Akakios allowed the abuse to continue for several minutes before he dropped the chief. The man huddled on the ground, his mu
scles convulsing.

  "I hope for your sake that we don't have to meet again." Akakios gave a sharp gesture toward the door. "Charis."

  "I need to pack up shop. I'll gather relevant information as well; if that is fine with you, sir."

  "Make it quick." Akakios tightened his jaw, though pain gradually forced him to relax.

  Akakios then left for their ship, which was located in a bay reserved for smaller Magistrate military vessels, not far from the connecting veins that allowed larger Magistrate vessels to dock at the station. Ambrosios waited for him there, inside the cargo hold.

  "So what happened down there?"

  "Our allies failed to put up a show." Akakios passed Ambrosios, on course to the bridge. His third officer fell in behind him.

  "What were they up against?"

  "A woman."

  They proceeded past Pelagius and Pelagia, who moved closer to the wall to make room for them. Out of the corner of his eye, Akakios saw Ambrosios wave them away. They did as told and scuttled on their way, undoubtedly to warn the others to give the bridge a wide berth. Akakios ran his tongue against the back of his teeth as his frustration swelled. He punched the controls to the bridge far harder than necessary. When the door opened, Kyrillos—a thin layer of black hair emerging from his scalp, the bet having ended—swiveled in his chair to face them. He rose and, without a word, left, no doubt at Ambrosios's signal. Akakios let it be. He neither needed nor wanted an audience, nor did he desire sympathy. He sat. No, all he wanted was to work uninterrupted.

  "A humanoid woman?"

  Akakios glared at Ambrosios and his smirk. "A well-trained humanoid woman. She has to have a military background." He launched the DRTD program and inserted a request for transportation records pertaining to the Badger named Minerva. It would take hours for information to be delivered to them. He cleared his throat. "You're right."

  "I often am." Ambrosios lowered himself into his seat. "But what am I right about this time?"

  "Something is completely amiss."

  Ambrosios leaned toward him, his smile vanishing. "So what's the next step?"

  "Trace where they've been and send another request for possible IDs from the Magistrate's bowels of data. We have all their faces, yet we're being slowed by officials even though our search has high priority." Akakios slammed his fist into his console. "I had found him—felt him, his excitement. He might be dead all over again."

  "Might, but most likely isn't." Ambrosios shrugged. "Let's call it a gut feeling. This prey's proven to be cagey. I wouldn't put it past them to survive."

  Akakios leaned into his seat. "He wasn't afraid." A mirthless chuckle escaped his throat. "He might as well have been on a grand adventure. And he wanted to share all of it with me, all at once." Akakios winced. "It hurts to know that Kallistrate's efforts have been wiped away. That he was able to knock me down . . . He's dangerous, and I don't think his holders fully appreciate that."

  "It might be a boon to us."

  "If we can get to him before he starves or their vessel crosses into an asteroid belt."

  "So, how are we going to get to him?"

  The DRTD program blinked before loading the confirmation page. "We wait for that ship's past from the DRTD, and we let Chrysanthos install the new part." Akakios rose from his seat and prepared to go to his quarters. "There's no point in running around the universe searching for what amounts to a tiny pinprick. Tell Charis to continue her digging within reason. I need to clear my mind."

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Endless space dominated the viewscreen even though only a small portion displayed it—the ship's inner workings, navigation charts, calculations of potential jump locations, and various data streams took up the bulk. However, the faint pricks of light and vast black seized Akakios's attention, not the information. Limitless. He clenched his fists. They could run all the calculations available, and even then, their quarry could be anywhere. It would take more than a lifetime to comb through an inch of it.

  Rubbing his eyelids, Akakios blocked out the screen and his spiraling thoughts as he rested against his chair. The present required his focus, though it felt like wadding through the thick-syrupy concoction Magistrate citizens called molasses.

  Presently, his senior officers strove to ferret out new avenues while completing routine tasks. They worked as if the slightest noise would break the perceived levee keeping him hinged. He grinned. The debacle at Dandis VII burned, but it'd been salved by having felt Sotiris's presence, something more tangible than a hologram. It spurred him on.

  Their targets were on the move; he didn't doubt that. They, meanwhile, had been shackled by the CDTR, which, like most bureaucratic wheels in the Magistrate machine, crept at a snail's pace. In their own time, they had forwarded the routes the Minerva had taken, tracked by the Magistrate's DRTD program. Despite having the routes in hand, the only concrete data they offered were the times the ship had landed on a planet or station. The catch was those location had to have a Magistrate relay. The last such location had been a station orbiting Derget, called S4-G3, and that had been three months ago. They'd visited it with a medical emergency. It now served as their destination. With no clear avenue, they would retrace and learn more along the way. The stop at the station so far had been the sole anomaly in their targets' actions, with all their other destinations involving the moving of cargo.

  None, except potentially the delivery to Ereago, held any ties to Plasovern. Then there was the highly prized Sotiris: He had remained with them at each and every stop, a goldmine unspent. His value to Plasovern and countless other independent buyers far outstripped any of the cargo they had hauled.

  "Sir," Kyrillos said, "we've received a transmission from Central. They've denied our request for additional access into its case databanks. Just like with our requests to get The Maelstrom's crew roster."

  Central had been firm that The Maelstrom's crew had been disposed of and replaced by Plasovern agents; they'd also been quick to bury The Maelstrom's existence. Why wouldn't they budge from that assumption, a fatally flawed one? Akakios rubbed his forehead. It failed to explore all angles. In the crew roster's place, they'd received notification that not all family members had been informed. A cursory probe on Charis's part had revealed that the data had been sealed behind several layers of encryption. Attempts at bypassing it, in her words, would be as easy as setting off a bomb in the center of Magistrate Command: foolhardy and ending without setting a foot in the complex itself.

  "Thank them," Akakios said.

  Kyrillos did as instructed, only to address Akakios again. "They've requested our destination."

  Akakios frowned. Not content with blocking invaluable information, they now tracked their movements. "Tell them." He added along their mental link,

  Kyrillos did so before removing the small headset attached to his left ear and forehead. "We appear to be in the endgame. So far the Plasovern agents have been able to change the registry on their ship and do cosmetic changes. Command now has a triple-hold on the registry; if they attempt to modify it again, they'll be setting off a red beacon."

  "Unless they jump or limp into Medzeci space." Charis stood from her console.

  "They haven't tried to do that yet," Ambrosios opinioned.

  "So they haven't." The charts before him noted their ETA, an hour away. Akakios tapped his fingers against his armrests. "I hope this journey might be more illuminating about these people."

  Akakios straightened his sunglasses and exited his quarters. They'd arrived at the station on schedule and had already connected to it with the retractable shaft. Miners and people passing through made up the bulk of its traffic, ideal for their targets. Medical emergency. What had it been?

  "Sir." Charis saluted him, her rosy lips pursed. "The station's security is waiting for us."

  His eyebrows lifted. "Central?"

  She nodded, her arms locking behind her back. "They have the same inform
ation as us. They were able to conclude our intent once they knew we were headed to S4-G3. They've taken the station's doctor—Jia's his name—into custody."

  "Is he still on-station?"

  "For now, they'll be transporting him into the Core."

  His mouth narrowed. Why the Core? Surely, he'd be shipped off to the nearest Magistrate court in the Fringe, or Mezzo. What had the man done to warrant being shipped into the Core?

  "The doctor seems to have dug himself quite the hole," Charis said as if reading his thoughts. "Apparently, he tried to flee."

  "And that opens a number of questions. How the hell did he know we were coming?"

  "No idea, sir." Charis paused as the door to Ambrosios and Chrysanthos's quarters opened. A fully readied Ambrosios stepped out, saluting both of them as they passed, and then fell into step behind them.

  Charis tucked her bangs behind her ears as they approached the connector tube. "I suspect the doctor has certain ties."

  "Plasovern?" Ambrosios whistled. "What a fine mess we find ourselves in."

  Oh, what a mess indeed, Akakios thought upon crossing over with his officers and Pelagius. After they completed the station's decontamination sequence, they entered the station proper to find two security guards with Magistrate colors waiting.

  "Sirs," the one in front addressed them. "We have Doctor Jia in custody. We're in the process of reviewing security measures; he shouldn't have known Elites were coming."

  "Sounds like a guilty conscience is involved, doesn't it?" Akakios said, following the security officers. "I imagine you've pulled the good doctor's records."

  "We tried to, but he destroyed them before his attempt to leave the station." The man's hands, which rested behind his back, clenched. "His compatriots escaped after realizing the eventual outcome, doing some damage to our lower docking clusters. We've been unable to pin them to any possible organizations, but I have my suspicions."