by Eric Warren
CASPIAN’S FORTUNE: INFINITY’S END BOOK 1
ERIC WARREN
Part of the Sovereign Coalition Universe
CASPIAN’S FORTUNE – INFINITY’S END BOOK 1
Copyright © 2019 by Eric C. Warren All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means electronic, mechanical, printing, photocopying, recording, chiseling into stone, or otherwise, without the written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. For information regarding permission contact the publisher.
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Content Editor Tiffany Shand www.eclipseediting.com
Table of Contents
The Sovereign Coalition Series
Special Offer
Map Piece
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
Epilogue
Preview of INFINITY’S END BOOK 2
Glossary
Map Key
Author’s Note
About the Author
To Meagan, Always and Forever
The Sovereign Coalition Series
Short Stories
CASPIAN’S GAMBIT: An Infinity’s End Story
SOON’S FOLLEY: An Infinity’s End Story
Novels
INFINITY’S END SAGA
CASPIAN’S FORTUNE (BOOK 1)
TEMPEST RISING (BOOK 2)
DARKEST REACH (BOOK 3)
The Quantum Gate Series
Short Stories
PROGENY (BOOK 0)
Novels
SINGULAR (BOOK 1)
DUALITY (BOOK 2)
TRIALITY (BOOK 3)
DISPARITY (BOOK 4)
CAUSALITY (BOOK 5)
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check the back to find out where your piece fits in the overall universe!
1
“Why must you disappoint me, Cas? Next time come visit my side of the ship,” the elegant woman said, descending the long metal ramp.
Caspian Robeaux raised his fist to his chest in salute, ignoring the insinuation. The princess knew full well if Caspian so much as looked at her the wrong way he’d see the end of a shooting gallery by the end of the day. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t at least be cordial.
“I can only…apologize if everything wasn’t to your satisfaction,” he replied.
She reached the bottom of the ramp, gliding over the surface as if she were on a portable hover, her long sapphire dress concealing any hint of actual legs underneath there. For all Cas knew, maybe she didn’t even have legs. Perhaps there was a rolling device that replaced her entire lower body. It was better he kept that image in his mind rather than where his imagination wanted to direct him.
A sweet, flowery scent filled the air as she moved into his personal space. Cas tightened his fist, pressing it into his chest as hard as he could as her copper eyes studied his own. The princess was almost exactly his height, and she stopped inches short of their faces touching. Caspian tried not to breathe her in but it was impossible and intoxicating at the same time. “You know, Cas,” she said, her voice low. “We could always extend the trip. Your…skills could be put to use in places other than the engine of your ship.”
Cas suppressed the urge to wet his lips. “Begging your pardon, your highness, but I’m afraid we wouldn’t have the time. You’re due for your ceremony in only a few hours.”
She reached up with her slender fingers and drew them down the stubble on his cheek. He felt the ache of desire bloom within him, but he held steadfast. He really wished for that mechanical torso right about now. “I can be quick if you can,” she whispered.
His body wanted to shudder at the suggestion but he planted his resolve. One finger out of place and he was dead. Her father, his Royal Highness of Cloistria would make him suffer ten different ways before granting a merciful death. Still…the temptation was strong. If he suspected she was doing anything other than toying with him he might actually consider it.
“Alas,” she said, dropping her gaze. “You’re correct. And I mustn’t keep my family waiting. You performed your duty admirably.”
Cas drew a breath. The first he’d taken in the last two minutes. The princess moved past him, still gliding as if on a cloud of air. He dropped his fist and turned to watch her leave.
“Your accommodations were satisfactory,” she added. “But next time I’ll expect the deluxe package.”
Cas had to keep from rolling his eyes because even though the princess had her back to him, her two guards who had disembarked before her stood facing Cas, their stares boring into him. Making a move on the princess would have been the last voluntary action Cas ever took as a human being.
He pulled a small rectangular device from his pocket, checking his balance on the comm unit. Something was wrong. “Er…Princess,” Cas called, jogging to catch up with her. The two guards immediately advanced on him, moving on either side of the princess and each grabbing him by the bicep. “For Kor’s sake, I just want to ask a question,” Cas spat at them. The princess turned to face him again, gliding forward. He wrenched his arms free when the princess raised her hand to indicate he could speak.
“Change your mind?” Her eyes twinkled.
“Your payment didn’t process through,” Cas said, holding up his readout.
“Oh.” Her shoulders dropped as she seemed genuinely disappointed. But it quickly hardened back into her normal confidence. “I transferred your payment to your partner’s account. He gave me all the proper credentials. I assumed you two split everything fifty-fifty.”
Cas did his best to keep from lashing out at her. “My…partner.” He meant it as a question but also didn’t want the princess to see his confusion.
“Yes, Mr. Maddox explained it all quite expertly.”
Cas bit the inside of his lip, forcing a smile. “Yes. Of course. Sorry for the confusion. I hope you enjoyed the trip.”
She smiled back. “Not as much as I could have, I suspect.” She reached up for his face again, but stopped mid-way and retracted her hand. Then she turned on her cloud of air and was off toward the entrance to the Elongorium. And with a sharp snap of her fingers her guards turned and followed her.
As soon as she was through the sliding doors Cas raced back up the ramp into the ship. “Box! Box, get me coordinated on Maddox NOW!”
Box poked his rectangular metal head from around one of the corridors. “Maddox?” he asked in his Mancunian accent. “Wot’s he got to do with anyfin’?”
“And drop that
damn accent!” Cas yelled, reaching the cockpit of his ship. His hands flew over the controls, retrieving the ramp and moving through the pre-flight checklist faster than he should. He didn’t care. There was no time to waste.
“Sorry, boss,” Box said in his normal voice as he entered the cockpit, his bulky mechanical frame slumping down on the pilot’s seat. “Last known location was Devil’s Gate, as if he would be anywhere else.”
“Great,” Cas fumed. “Just fantastic. That’s six hours away. It’ll all be gone by then.”
“Stole your money again, huh?” Box asked in the superior way he always did. “I never did like that man.”
“Then help me get us the hell out of here so we can steal it back,” Cas yelled, finishing the pre-flight sequence.
“Boss, I don’t think you’re supposed to—”
“He’s not getting away with it, not this time,” Cas said, hitting the thrusters. The Reasonable Excuse jumped to life, lifting off from the landing pad and spinning one-hundred-eighty degrees as it blasted away from the Elongorium.
Box turned his attention to the controls, making the adjustments Cas had forgotten in his haste. “How’d he do it this time?” Box asked.
“Conned the princess. Told her we were partners,” Cas yelled.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“You’re yelling. There’s a finite amount of oxygen.”
Cas gritted his teeth. “Give me a break. We have reserves for weeks.”
“Fine,” Box said, folding his spindly, metal arms behind his head. “Don’t complain to me when the air runs out. I don’t need it. In fact, keep screaming. It means I inherit this ship sooner.”
“Robots can’t own ships,” Cas said, seething. He wasn’t even focusing on Box. All his thoughts were on Maddox and how much of his payment the man had already gambled away. In six hours, he’d be lucky if there was even one kassope left.
“Robots can’t lie either,” Box said with a smugness that could never show on his featureless face. Box was a typical class 117 Autonomous Mining Robot which meant he was built for labor. He sported a transparent visor across his “eyes” and a metal mask across the rest of his “face” but there was nothing underneath there except a speaker for a mouth and two yellow optical sensors for eyes. It was designed to protect his components from the harsh weather conditions of whatever assignment he’d received. Fortunately for Box, he’d never seen a day of labor in his life thanks to Cas.
Cas rubbed his temples. He needed to get to Devil’s Gate quicker. “How close is one of the undercurrents to the gate?”
“Approximately fifty billion kilometers,” Box replied. At least he was good for that much, Cas never had to consult the nav system.
“And how close are we to the undercurrent?”
“Vetar has an entrance at the edge of the system. Thirty minutes at this speed.” They’d already reached the uppermost layers of the atmosphere of Vetar IV, home of Her Royal Highness and surrounding court. It wasn’t a place Cas had visited before and he didn’t see what all the fuss was about. It was just another blue and green planet with a purple atmosphere. The only reason it was even important was because it was in Sargan space. Had it been part of the Coalition…
“We’re taking the undercurrent,” Cas said.
“Boss, that will cut less than an hour off the trip and put extra strain on the ship. Maybe you want to get her serviced before another undercurrent jump.”
He swiveled to Box. “Tell me this, smart guy. How am I supposed to pay for any repairs without any money?”
Box shrugged. “Steal? I noticed the princess had some fine jewels on her person.”
He wasn’t going to dignify that with a response. No, he was going to go get what was owed to him and nothing more. Except this time he needed to make things clear to Maddox. The fat lip and black eye he’d left the man with last time hadn’t been enough.
“You could always ask for another loan from Veena,” Box suggested.
“Any more loans and she’ll own this ship. Is that what you want?” Cas asked, going over the controls for an undercurrent jump.
“She’s probably nicer than you. I bet she’d give me a bed,” he replied.
“You don’t sleep!”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t like to lay down every once in a while,” Box retorted. “Rest my creaky joints. My old servos. Put up my ambulatory units.”
Cas’ eyes narrowed. Even after five years in space with Box he still had trouble knowing when he was being serious or not. Typically robots had zero use for any recreation, but ever since Cas made the modifications, Box had been more interested in non-robot things.
“Maybe if you’d stop lounging around watching net dramas all day your joints wouldn’t hurt as much. Movement is a good thing.”
“I need them to relax.”
Cas pushed away from the console, standing. “Just input the coordinates, and let me know when we’re ready to jump. And for once in your short life, don’t complain about it.”
“No promises.” Box kept his focus on the controls in front of him.
Cas shook his head and made his way back down the main corridor, the doors to the cockpit sliding closed behind him. He couldn’t believe he let Maddox get the better of him again. And after everything he’d done for the man! Cas had to learn his lesson the hard way. Life outside the Coalition was hard and it was unfair. And that was probably the most difficult part to get used to. You get screwed over by someone, there was no justice system in place to right the wrong. You either took care of business so it didn’t happen again or you allowed yourself to become a victim; another casualty of the Sargan Commonwealth. And he refused to be a victim.
As Cas passed the quarters where the princess had stayed while he’d ferried her from Tau Hydrae that sweet scent reached his nose again. He stopped a moment and inhaled, holding the smell inside for a moment.
By Kor, he needed a drink.
2
The blaring of the alarm startled Cas awake. He fell off his shelf of a bed, smacking his face on the hard metal floor. “Box, shut that thing off!” he yelled into his communicator.
“Sorry, boss, just thought you’d like to know we’re five minutes out from Devil’s Gate.”
“No, you’re not,” Cas replied, pushing himself back up.
“You’re right. I’m not,” his voice said through the overhead.
“I’ll be up there in a minute,” Cas grumbled, shutting his comm down and moving to the sparse sink in his room. One would think as captain he’d get the nicest room on the ship, but no. Those were reserved for the guests. It was the only thing he had to offer over other couriers and it didn’t help his competition kept upping the ante on him. Now he was expected to have vidscreens and fancy soap in every hab suite? That combined with his interest payments to Veena and pretty soon he wouldn’t be able to pull a profit at all.
Cas splashed some water on his face then cupped some and drank it greedily, his week-old stubble scratching his hands. He’d managed to finish off one bottle of Scorb from his stash before passing out but it always made his throat dry. Not to mention the always-present headache. Headaches were par for the course whether he was hungover or not. He checked himself in the mirror and ran his hands through his dark hair a few times to adjust its stubbornness. Once marginally satisfied by what he saw he made his way to the bridge.
“Busy today,” Box said as he entered the cockpit. They had exited undercurrent space to find at least forty ships in various positions around Devil’s Gate. The station itself was quite large; a giant, upside-down domed disk a couple kilometers across. Below the disk were dozens of levels for things like entertainment, shipping, storage or habitation. Devil’s Gate was one of the larger stations in this part of Sargan space.
“Anywhere to park?” Cas asked, surveying the top of the disk.
“I think I can squeeze in,” Box said, jerking the controls. The ship lurched forward at considerable speed and Cas
grabbed his seat so he didn’t fly off.
“RE-12, slow your approach vector!” a voice snapped over their comm systems.
“Acknowledged!” Box said before cutting the comm. He sped up.
“There, right there,” Cas said, bravely taking one hand off the chair to point at a space where another similar-sized ship was leaving. A third ship was waiting to take the spot above it. “Can you make it in?”
“Watch me.” Box’s metallic fingers running over the control pad while the other hand remained on the throttle. The parked ship pulled away as Box came screaming into the airspace. The ship waiting above them made a move to take the spot. “Not today,” Box said, jerking the ship around so the rear thrusters decelerated them instantly as he dropped the ship into place, landing it perfectly.
“I knew there was a reason I gave you the piloting job,” Cas replied. There was no way a human—even an amazing pilot—could have pulled that move off.
“It’s what I do,” Box replied, his glowing yellow eyes flickering with appreciation. Cas was glad Box didn’t have a human face. He’d never wipe a smug look off it. Box turned the comm back on only for it to light up with three different feeds coming in at once. “The station flight controller is angry with you,” Box said. “As is the ship we cut off. Erustiaan I think.” He paused a minute. “And the ship we almost clipped on the way in would like a word as well.”
Cas rolled his eyes. “It was your doing, you deal with it,” he replied. “I’m going to find Maddox.” Cas initiated the rest of the docking procedures, making sure they had a hard lock to the station.
“If you think I’m missing that you’ve gone crazy, boss,” Box said in one of his accents.
“I told you, stop doing that,” Cas replied.
“Sorry, boss,” Box replied in his normal voice. “Docking procedures complete. I’m sure these guys can wait a while.” He cut the comms again, shutting the ship down.
“C’mon,” Cas said. “Let’s get out there before he finds out we’re here. I don’t want to spook him.”