by G. P. Hudson
“Metaspace? Out there?” she said pointing to the fiery chaos on the viewscreen. “That’s what you call home?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. What’s it like living in metaspace?”
“Different,” Danny said with a smile. “Aren’t you tired? Wouldn’t you rather get some rest?”
“No. I’m good.”
“Okay.”
“Can I come with you?”
“What?”
“To your home. Can I come with you?”
“Uh, it’s not really a home. It’s a warship. And it’s full of Zeta clones.”
“Are they free clones? Like you two?”
“Yes.”
“Then they’re not like the ones who attacked Thiva.”
“Some of them might have been involved in the attack. In fact, I would guarantee it.”
“But that was when they were slaves like you said. Right?”
“Well, yes.”
“So, they were forced to do what they did.”
“That’s right.”
“Then they wouldn’t bother me.”
“Still, I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do. Wouldn’t you rather live in normal space? On a planet somewhere?”
“Where? I have no money. No family. Where can I go? I’ll just end up homeless and vulnerable again.”
“I understand, but our life is perilous. You could get hurt. Even killed.”
“I get it. You’re in metaspace because you are hiding, probably from Zeta Corp. I bet they don’t like the fact that you are free. Trust me, I know what Zeta is capable of.”
“And that doesn’t scare you?”
“Of course, it does. The thing is, everything scares me. So what difference does it make?”
“Why don’t you think about it some more. We have some time until we reach our destination.”
“I’ve done enough thinking. Sitting in that container, living in filth, all you can do is think. Most of the time you imagine what the next horror will be. The next degradation. Trust me, I don’t need to think. The galaxy is full of evil people. You two are the first who have helped me since I left Thiva. I trust you, and I want to come with you.”
“Okay,” Danny said. “You can come with us. But please, try and give it some thought. There must be somewhere else you’d rather go.”
“How can you tell when you are near the Avar system?” she said, changing the subject. “Everything looks the same out there. It’s like one never-ending firestorm.”
“The navigation system will tell us. We’re getting close now. We’ll reach the jump gate in about two hours.”
“Really? Can I stay and watch?”
“Sure. Stay as long as you like.” Korinna’s curiosity seemed endless. She observed everything with a childlike awe that Danny found endearing. He felt terrible about what had happened to the poor woman.
Even though he hadn’t been involved in the Thivan operation, he still felt partly responsible. Zeta clones had destroyed her home and killed her family. It had all happened while he still fought for Zeta. He could’ve been one of the clones sent to Thiva. He could’ve been the one to murder her family. It was pure chance that he didn’t end up there.
I can feel your sense of guilt, little brother. Thiva wasn’t your fault, Gerry said through her implant.
Perhaps. But it still bothers me, Danny said.
He continued to ruminate over Thiva and other similar atrocities. Korinna asked a never-ending stream of questions, and Gerry indulged her, answering as many as she could. Despite everything that had happened to her, Korinna still possessed a small world fascination with the universe. Danny figured that she had never left her tiny world before, let alone gazed on the red-orange turbulence of metaspace.
Almost two hours later, they neared their destination. “I can’t see it,” said Korinna.
“Right there,” Danny pointed to a spot on the screen. “Do you see that black spot?”
“Faintly.”
“That is the jump gate. My ocular implants make it easier for me to find it. The black part is normal space. It’ll become clearer as we get closer.”
The spot on the screen grew as they advanced. “Are those stars?” Korinna said in wonder.
“Yes.”
“That’s amazing. Why do you think there are no stars in metaspace?”
“I don’t know. Some people think that metaspace existed before regular space. That it’s volatility created the universe.”
“You mean the big bang?”
“Yes. Some think that metaspace caused it.”
“Interesting. So, what is stopping metaspace from creating other universes?”
“Nothing, I guess.”
“Does that mean that we can travel to other universes through metaspace?”
“If we can, nobody has figured it out yet.”
“Metaspace is still a mystery,” Gerry added. “We don’t really know much about it. We know enough to use it for travel, for example. We can build jump gates, and travel vast distances, but not much more than that.”
“Here we go,” Danny said, as their ship entered the jump gate. They crossed through and entered the inky blackness of regular space.
“Incredible,” Korinna said.
“Shit,” Danny exclaimed.
“What’s wrong?” Korinna said.
“That!” Danny pointed at the warships on the viewscreen. “Those are UEDF destroyers.”
“Scans are indicating more UEDF warships around,” said Gerry. “A fleet of them. The Empire has invaded the Avar system.”
Chapter 21
Premier Margaret Reese stared at the ceiling, as Admiral Michael Reynolds, the would-be conqueror of the Avar system snored beside her. She wondered who she loathed more, Reynolds, or herself. Thankfully, experience taught her that the self-loathing would pass. She would compartmentalize it and push it out of her conscious mind. There was no room for weakness here. Not with this man.
A man like Reynolds could be extremely dangerous. She knew that. Her part needed to be played flawlessly. Another role, she thought. How many have there been? Too many.
From her earliest years, she had performed. She acted on stage, and in real life, using her aptitude to get what she needed. Her talent and intelligence allowed her to climb out of poverty, and into the highest levels of Avar society. While she had been well educated, it was her gifts that made her successful. Who would have thought that the daughter of a street merchant would become the leader of the Avar system? Nobody.
Except her.
Reese had always known her capabilities. Everyone around her seemed to be standing still by comparison. She also knew how to conceal them. Even as a child she understood that if people realized how gifted she was, that they would try to control her. They might also fear her. None of that would do. So, she learned to put on a performance, hiding her true nature, and putting everyone’s minds at ease.
Outthinking those around her was easy enough. Convincing them that they were in control was the real challenge. The actor in her rose to that challenge and excelled. While someone like Reynolds was indeed dangerous, his ego made him susceptible to manipulation. Strange that someone who wielded such power possessed such a common flaw.
No matter. His arrival had been a curse for other star systems, but she saw it as a boon instead. She contemplated the recent string of events, and how they had altered her plans. Up until Reynolds appeared, her ambitions remained solely within the Frontier Alliance. It had always seemed the obvious choice.
The various leaders were all greedy and corrupt. Rising to the top of their food chain was merely a matter of time. But the arrival of the Empire, and Reynolds had changed all that. Even with the Empire’s dwindling power, its influence dwarfed that of the Frontier Alliance. That meant she needed to modify her plans. She needed to aim higher. Much higher.
Reynolds would be her key. He liked to brag about his accomplishments, a clear sign of insecurity. She had taken advantage of that
quality, and the fine Avar wine she had brought with her a little over a week ago. It didn’t take long before he began rambling about how he hated the nobility. This man, who had access to the highest vestiges of power, had an ax to grind. That was valuable information indeed.
For the next few days she nurtured that hatred. She had explained how she loved the Empire but hated the ruling nobility. She showed him that the two of them were the same. Kindred spirits even. She played her part perfectly, and he believed it all. It was pathetically easy.
“Are you awake?” Reynolds said, rolling over to look at her.
“Yes. I couldn’t sleep,” Reese said with a tender smile. “I have a lot on my mind.”
“I’m sure it’s been a difficult few days for you. You do realize that it couldn’t be helped, don’t you?”
“Of course, I do. Don’t trouble yourself over it. You were merely performing your duty. I am curious about something, though. What will happen to the Avar warships, now that they are UEDF property?”
“They will be reassigned. Their crews will be scrutinized, and likely replaced. Why do you ask?”
“I was thinking that you should take them and add them to your fleet.”
Reynolds sat up. “I don’t understand.”
“I surrendered to you, not one of the other admirals. Why should they get your spoils?”
“Hmmm, you do have a point.”
“Wouldn’t the nobility just disperse the spoils amongst themselves?” she pressed.
“They would. Especially with how envious they are of my fleet. They will want to bulk up their own fleets with these ships.”
“Exactly. I would hate to see that happen.”
“I don’t know that I can stop it.”
“I thought you were a full Admiral. As far as I see it, you only answer to the Emperor himself. I imagine that he’d be so happy about your success that he wouldn’t object to you keeping these ships.”
“He might object. He is part of the nobility himself.”
“If he does, you can explain that you need the extra ships to conquer more Frontier Alliance systems.”
“That might not sit well with the admiralty.”
“I’m sure it won’t. They’ll hate you even more now that you’ve taken the Avar system without any casualties. The last thing they want is you conquering more systems.”
“They will persuade Cherenko. He will block my request.”
“You’re right. But what if you didn’t make the request?”
“I don’t understand.”
“What if you took the Avar ships, and used them to conquer the nearest Frontier Alliance system? In this case, the Tran system.”
“Without consulting the Emperor, or the Admiralty?”
“Yes.”
“I couldn’t do that. I would be accused of insubordination.”
“Or, it might be seen as a strategic initiative. When you planned for this campaign, did you not account for losses?”
“Of course.”
“Instead, you haven’t incurred any losses. Why not take those same projections and apply them to the Tran system? It seems the logical course of action.”
“Yes, but I selected the Avar system for a reason. I predicted that it would not be as well defended as the others since it had not fought any recent battles. The other systems have, and their defenses are hardened as a result.”
“Wouldn’t the extra ships overcome that problem?”
“It’s not that I can’t take the other systems,” Reynolds continued. “I can. It’s just that the losses would be unacceptably high. But the addition of the Avar fleet might actually offset those losses.”
“A victory like that would make you untouchable. How could they take away your ships after you deployed them so skillfully?”
“Yes, even Tavian would have to keep his mouth shut. My triumph would be unquestioned. Nobody could challenge me then.”
“Opportunities like this do not come very often. You must strike now before the nobility gets hold of the Avar fleet.”
“They will persist in undermining me. They will never let me keep this fleet.”
“Bold action now would make you the Empire’s brightest star.”
“All this strategic talk has gotten me aroused,” Reynolds said with a mischievous grin.
Reese felt the revulsion welling up inside her but managed to push it down with her best seductive smile. “It appears your condition requires my immediate attention.”
Chapter 22
“What do we do?” Gerry said.
“We need to find that freighter,” Danny said. “We have to get Isaac.”
“But what about the UEDF?”
“We’re a private vessel. With any luck, they’ll leave us alone.”
“Not going to happen,” Gerry said. “We’re being hailed.”
“Turn on the holo-disguises. It’ll be easier to explain.”
The two clones activated their holo-emitters, transforming themselves into the two smugglers, Rollan and Hasad.
“Okay, that is just amazing,” Korinna said from behind the two clones.
“I’m establishing a comm with the UEDF,” Danny said.
“Ready when you are,” Gerry said.
Danny activated the comm with his mind, and a UEDF corporal appeared on the comm.
“Civilian vessel, this star system is under military quarantine. You will turn your ship around and exit through the jump gate or you will be fired on.”
“But we are supposed to rendezvous with a freighter to pick up some cargo,” Danny said.
“Did you hear me when I said you would be fired on?” the corporal said in a menacing tone.
“I did,” Danny said. “I apologize. We will turn around immediately.”
The corporal terminated the connection without another word.
“That settles that,” Gerry said. “What do we do now?”
“We’ll have to head back to the Tran system,” Danny said.
“What about Zeta? They might still be there.”
“I don’t think they’ll bother us. They were trying to catch us before we left the system last time. They won’t think that we’d come back. Besides, these disguises fooled them before.”
“It’s still risky.”
“True, but what choice do we have? We have no idea where the freighter is, and we need to get Isaac. The only person who can help us is Mr. Leventis. We did what he asked. It’s time for him to live up to his end of the bargain.”
“He might try to double-cross us,” Gerry said.
“Yes, he might. That won’t end well for him.”
“No, it won’t. Alright. Turn this thing around and let’s go have a chat with Leventis.”
The ship left the Avar system without incident and set a course for the neighboring Tran system. It was relatively close in metaspace terms, and ten hours later they were crossing through yet another jump gate, into the Tran system.
They passed through the gate defenses without difficulty. Once Mr. Leventis’s name was thrown around, the Tran warships let them through. Clearly, Leventis wielded plenty of influence in this system.
Danny tapped into his ship’s scans and sensors, searching for any sign of the Zeta battleship. “I think they’re gone,” he said.
“Are you sure?” Gerry said.
“Not entirely. They could be hiding. But they’re not showing up on any of my scans.”
“Good. Let’s hope it stays that way.”
They crossed the distance between the jump gate and the Tran homeworld. They were questioned on several occasions by the Tran authorities who were more interested in a payoff than anything else. Once that was settled nobody seemed to care what they did.
The Tran system was on a permanent war footing, and the homeworld was like a fortress. Nonetheless, when It came to commerce, it was business as usual, provided the right palms were greased. It was the same throughout the Frontier Alliance.
When they entered
orbit around the Tran world, Danny contacted Mr. Leventis. To his surprise, Leventis didn’t waste any time answering.
“I’ve been expecting you,” he said from the comm screen.
“Then you know about the Avar system?” Gerry said.
“Of course. I also know about your excellent work on Aurora station. Well done.”
“We fulfilled our end of the deal, now where’s Isaac?”
“He’s right here, waiting for you. I’m sending you a set of coordinates. Land the ship there, and you can pick up Isaac.”
“Understood.”
The comm went black as Leventis disconnected.
“What do you think, little brother?” Gerry said.
“Something isn’t right,” Danny said.
“Yeah, I sensed it too. Do you think Zeta has gotten to Leventis?”
“Maybe. Or he decided to sell us out.”
“Hang on,” Korinna said. “I didn’t notice anything unusual.”
“You’re not augmented,” Danny said. “Our ocular implants can pick out subtleties that most people don’t recognize.”
“You can do that just by looking at him?” Korinna said.
“Usually. If he were here in person, there would be other factors.”
“Like what?”
“Sound. Smell. For example, I can hear your heartbeat right now. I can tell that you are a little excited, but not frightened in any way. That is different from when we first met. Your heart was racing then due to the panicked state you were in.”
“Wow. So, you two are like a couple of human lie detectors,” Korinna said.
“Among other things.”
What do we do with the women, Gerry said through their neural link. They’ll be in danger if it is a trap.
Agreed, but I’m not sure what we can do, Danny said. Leventis will be tracking us. He’ll know if we take a detour to drop the women off. We might be putting them at risk of capture again.
You’re right, we’ll bring them with us. But what if it is a trap? What do we do then?
I have an idea, Danny said. This ship has a couple of jetpacks in case external repairs are needed.
Gerry grinned as Danny sent her a visual of what he had in mind. I like it, little brother.