by Michael Kan
He held his hands behind his back as he oversaw his own investigation. The surrounding simulation had projected the frontier, an area on the other side of galaxy in a region barely mapped. If his masters were indeed dead, they would have perished somewhere there.
Unfortunately, the galaxy is a vast place, he added. So much of it is still uncharted. So many places to hide.
Arendi thought about that and looked out from platform. The stars shone back, thousands of them, clustered together and silently floating on the rim. But like the Destroyer, she saw nothing. Nothing of significance. There was simply too much to see in a universe that went on endlessly.
So many stars, she said, feeling the light overwhelm her. Makes it easy to get lost.
Out of instinct, she reached to brush back her hair. It was not there; her virtual self, a full-body avatar, had neglected to generate it. Her fingers passed through empty air. Rebuffed, Arendi pursed her lips and turned away, silent, stepping back. Behind her, the Destroyer watched. He saw her doubts.
No, Ms. Soldanas, he said. You are not naïve. Far from it.
The Destroyer spoke louder, confident. He walked the fringes of the galaxy, realizing that nefarious powers were starting to converge.
The Great War, he said. They claim it to be over. That peace is here. That our age of liberation has begun. But you and I know better. No. This was never over. Not yet.
As the stars continued to churn, so did the darkness, beating in black. They both felt it.
Out of the shadows, my masters return, he said. But so does something else, doesn’t it?
Arendi stood there and nodded coldly. She had already sent him the briefing. It included her interrogation of their new witness a man with alleged ties to the true target.
The white-haired woman, Arendi said. We have a name.
She summoned the data and let the holograms etch out the image. The portrait was now complete. The surveillance footage from the last attack, along with Arendi’s own memory, had been able to record and sketch a full picture.
Farcia Ehvine, she said, looking up at the figure’s face.
The Destroyer joined her and examined the image. The woman before him did seem humanoid but was glassed in a prism of color, without much of a face. The images, however, could not convey the real concern.
But that’s not all, is it? he said.
Unfortunately not.
Arendi was reluctant to say it. The very notion was unsettling and bizarre. She could easily have dismissed it and scoffed at the idea, but she didn’t. With her virtual hand, Arendi simply scratched her face and uttered the inexplicable.
Our new witness he believes that this Farcia has been possessed. That she’s an Endervar in physical form.
She remembered the interrogation. The man known as Red was adamant. He insisted that everything he said was true that the enemy had taken control of his wife.
Arendi glanced at the Destroyer, waiting for his reaction. He raised an eyebrow, half-suspicious.
Our enemy personified he said. Strange, but devious, is it not?
The image continued to beam in front of them, the white-haired woman no less a mystery. Arendi looked at the figure, trying to come up with answers. Instead, all she remembered was what the images had failed to capture. It was in her memory a brief glimpse, from back on the station, during the recent attack. Standing on the promenade was Farcia. However, she had not just been standing but had been waiting. Waiting for her. For some reason, Farcia had wanted to fight. The confrontation had felt almost inevitable. Arendi could tell; her instincts had made it crystal-clear.
If our witness is correct, she said. Then the Endervars they’ve returned.
It was a suspicion she could no longer deny. The Destroyer felt it as well. But unlike Arendi, he was pleased.
Good, he said with a smile. We both knew this day would come.
***
The Great War: had it really ended, or was this simply an interlude?
Arendi asked the question, knowing that there was no definite answer. At least, not yet.
The prevalent hope was that the age-old struggle had been put to rest. That the Endervar threat had been banished and that the galaxy was free at last.
Indeed, over the last twenty years, conflict had become rare, almost a thing of the past. During that time, no war had been waged; no major battle had been fought. Prosperity and reclamation had come instead. It was tempting to believe in it all. To put aside the old fears and embrace the new peace. Or what was now the new norm. But Arendi never could. Not fully, anyway.
She was like many others those who had seen the enemy and knew its power. She was not ready to accept the Endervar’s forced retreat or whatever the Alliance might officially proclaim. No, Arendi could never believe that. Not when the riddle surrounding the enemy remained. Who were the Endervars, and why had they come? It was a question to which no one had a complete answer.
They had left as mysteriously as they had arrived, without warning or explanation. An Endervar fleet had last been detected twenty-five years ago, when, like the other times, it had fled to the outer rim. Since then, no enemy ship had ever been seen.
It was a startling change from the days of yore, when so many had predicted that the Endervars would one day rule the stars. For eons, they had marched through the galaxy nearly unopposed. Their fleets of untold numbers had come, ready to annihilate any resistance. Their goal: to seek out and claim sentient life, wherever it might be. The result was the domination of thousands of civilizations. The enemy, using technology beyond known physical laws, had conquered world after world, surrounding each in its own impenetrable barrier.
Just thirty years ago there had been a breakthrough. The means to lifting the Endervar shield had finally become a reality. It was what led the Alliance to challenge the enemy and turn the tide of the war. First, one planet was liberated, then another. Eventually hundreds of worlds were freed, then thousands.
Victory, Arendi said. It came sooner than we ever thought it would, didn’t it?
She stood watching as the Destroyer prepared to take her to another virtual realm, this one even more clandestine.
Yes, he replied. In fact, we’d thought it would take decades, if not centuries, to liberate the entire galaxy.
But then, the enemy disappeared. With no reason as to why.
She recalled the reports, along with the lack of closure. After eons of war, the Endervars had done the unexpected and suddenly began to retreat. The first signs of it had come twenty-six years ago. Planets once thought conquered by the enemy were found free of the threat. Later reports indicated that the Endervar shields surrounding these worlds had mysteriously unraveled on their own. The phenomenon soon became widespread. Entire swaths of Endervar territory were all abandoned, without explanation, the fleets protecting them vanishing into the night.
Endervar ships numbering in the hundreds, or thousands, all in retreat, Arendi said.
All gone, without a chance to fight them, he said. What a pity. Even my own expeditions have failed to find them. Not even a warp signature detected.
The science teams still report the same. They’ve scanned over a hundred planets that were under Endervar dominion, and there’s been no trace. Just nothing.
Until now.
He spoke of the white-haired woman and nearly snarled as he did so. Arendi could tell that he was oddly fascinated by her. For so long the Endervars had been a faceless enemy. This Farcia, however, was perhaps something different.
As dangerous as she is, I’m more concerned about the technology in use.
Arendi projected the surveillance footage from the station. The hologram displayed the spontaneous ring of fire that had nearly enveloped the promenade. She had already sent the scans for scientific processing, but in the meantime Arendi was analyzing the strange readings herself.
If I’m not mistaken, this is some kind of portal. It explains how the target has been
able to move undetected, Arendi said.
They gazed at the images and watched as the energy spiraled, consuming Farcia, and presumably transporting her safely away.
I concur, the Destroyer said. The Union, however, never came close to creating anything like this. It must be something new.
This technology it shouldn’t even be possible, Arendi replied. The power needed is likely beyond anything we possess. For all we know, it can cross light-years of territory or maybe more.
Shaking her head, Arendi thought of the possibilities and came away disturbed. Whatever technology this was, it was deadly, and it was able to slip past any defense. For all she knew, the range was unlimited.
We’ll need countermeasures, the Destroyer said.
I know. Alliance teams are working on this. Maybe there’s a way to disrupt it before the portal can form. But for now, we’re vulnerable. Too vulnerable.
Arendi said the words, knowing that another attack was almost a given. If only she knew where and when.
Regardless, the man said. We’ll be ready.
He delicately stroked his chin, as their virtual surroundings altered. The stars and space all receded, as the view shifted to bring both Arendi and her ally intimately closer to the secret facility. It hovered before them, the shipyard bustling with activity. The ribbed skeletal frame to the facility extended to probably hundreds of meters long. Flying around it were the lights of many moving drones, all scrambling to finish their work. What was important, however, was what lay inside.
The Destroyer looked on, his eyes filled with anticipation. His latest project was nearly complete.
I’ve alerted my armies. They will return to Alliance space soon, he said. For now, my services are at your disposal.
Their eyes met. Although he appeared to be a man, the Destroyer was nothing of the sort. Like her, he was machine and data, capable of existing beyond the physical construct to take whatever form necessary. He was a blond-haired man now, but Arendi had seen what he was truly capable of.
Hard to believe you and I were once enemies, she said.
She stepped back, thankful that was no longer the case. She saluted, placing her arm across her chest. The Destroyer laughed.
I’ll be in contact, she said.
As she was ready to leave, she heard the Destroyer offer one last assurance.
Just so you know, I haven’t forgotten, he said. As always, my search continues.
She glanced at him and paused, surprised by the sentiment. Thank you, Arendi said, thinking of her own search. So does mine.
She then materialized away.
Chapter 7
The room had changed, but the situation was no different. Red was still their prisoner. Surrounding him was his cell and nothing more. His hands were free, but his neck remained bound. The thick collar was tight, and it was tracking his every movement. Although he was tempted to touch it, he had been warned not to. The collar had been designed to mete out pain if tampered with. Keeping his fingers away from it, he sat on the stiff bed, pensive; his right hand was nervously scratching the other.
A day ago, his human interrogators had placed him in the room, and still they had said little. However, they remained ever forceful. They had demanded to know everything, no matter how insignificant it might be. So Red did as he was told. During his testimony, he had gone over every detail that he knew of her of Farcia the woman they sought to capture.
Who could be helping her?
How does her telepathy work?
What is her motive?
Questions and more questions, but for the most part, he scarcely had any answers. For the interrogators. it was simple. She was a fugitive, a killer. She had to be stopped.
For Red, it was far less so. He rubbed his brow, sullen and worried. In reality, he hadn’t told them everything. Red wasn’t sure whether he should. He had traveled all this way to find her, not to hurt her, or worse. Staring at the cold, blank wall, he thought back to the attack of days before and concentrated.
Red was alone with his thoughts. He breathed slowly, letting the silence envelop him. Then he found it; the past, the memory, the sensation was pulling him away.
The experience sat in his consciousness like an echo. The memory was interlaced with another memory, and then another. The images fluttered through his mind. The flood of telepathy was scattered, but it slowly sank into his psyche and grew dense. For a moment, he felt her Farcia there on the station floor, in his hands. He soon realized, however, that these were not his memories, but those of another.
You he said. What did you want?
It was a glimpse. A fleeting glimpse inside her mind. For Red, it was a crack of light through the doorway, just as it began to shut. He mumbled to himself as his train of thought stopped. The angst and the rush of memories lifted. As he slouched back, Red exhaled a deep breath. His hands fell to his knees.
Before he could dwell on the experience any further, the silence around him dissipated. He was no longer alone. He felt it approaching, a new presence. It was moving and coming closer. Red rose from his bed, no longer feeling so confined. Although the room remained unchanged, he could sense his surroundings shifting. The air was almost coming alive.
It was far, and then it was not. In his mind, he heard footsteps. The visitor had arrived, and she was there, breathing and walking, preparing for something. The door of his cell then opened. It was his interrogator. She stood at the entrance like she had before. Only now, there was no holographic static in the image or any sign of fabrication. This time she was real and in the flesh.
I’m Ensign Justice, the officer said. Now we meet properly.
He came to her, surprised by her height. She was taller than her holographic self, but the black and gold hair was still there, hidden under a formal cap. The ensign took it off. There was no one else behind her.
It’s just you and me, she said.
Although she said the words, Red felt them as well. Already this woman was inside his mind.
You’re not the only telepath. I hope you won’t take offense.
Red tilted his head, at first wary. He knew almost nothing of these humans or what they were capable of. To him, they were an oddity. Physically, he saw some resemblance to his own kind, but whether they could be trusted was another matter.
Already, he could sense the difference in telepathy. The coming embrace was strange and distant. But very quickly he did what was natural. He could feel her mind as well.
No, he replied. Perhaps it’s time we understand each another.
He had been in the dark long enough.
***
Let me touch his mind, the ensign had insisted. It had been her idea. Although she was young twenty-four years old Justice was a capable telepath. Her people, the New Terrans, were experts in such things. She herself had been certified at Level 3, a moderate but respectable grade for someone her age.
I can do this. I’ll be fine.
Arendi had looked at her, feeling the distaste in her mouth. Although the ensign was confident, Arendi’s first instinct was to say no; she had seen the scans.
Cieras Novaire, aka Red. Even though he was confined, he was still an unknown. The medical diagnostics were struggling to understand his anatomy. Whatever telepathic abilities he possessed, the scans were failing to detect them.
His race was apparently an old one, and it was physically far more evolved than humans were. The scans showed the presence of a large brain, one that extended down into the neck and chest. Clearly, it was powerful enough to sense something whether it was to read thoughts, or perhaps more. Still, the man himself maintained his innocence.
I can’t hurt anyone like that, he had said. Not like her Farcia is a mutant, you see. A rarity. There is no one else quite like her.
Arendi wasn’t sure what to believe. That’s why the ensign had insisted. They needed to know the truth and whether the man before them could be trusted. Reluctantly, Arendi
had agreed. An hour ago her ship had docked with the ensign’s shuttle. Arendi now watched from another room, quietly observing the interaction from the cell’s surveillance cam. The ensign was there, sitting on the side of his bed. Occasionally she spoke, but largely she was silent as she stared into the man’s black and crimson eyes.
Arendi zoomed in, closely paying attention to their reactions. It didn’t help that Red possessed barely any facial features. To Arendi, he was a blank slate, his people, still a mystery. She carefully monitored the vitals of both the ensign and their captive. If necessary, Arendi could easily intervene. She had control over the collar on the man’s neck. With a simple order, she could shock the man or even kill him. But she had no need to. The ensign was preparing to leave the cell. In fact, the entire encounter had occurred without incident. Arendi was relieved. She quickly left her own quarters and met the ensign outside the cell.
How do you feel? Did anything happen? Arendi asked.
The ensign had pulled the sleeves of her uniform back. She blew the air out of her cheeks, also relieved.
I’m fine, she said. We have nothing to worry about. At least not from him.
So he was telling the truth?
Yes, that’s what I felt. I sensed no hostile intention at all. He really is just a man, looking for his long-lost wife. He’s just desperate.
How desperate?
The ensign stood there, thinking. She held her officer’s cap in her left hand, while she scratched the back of her neck with the other.
Although Arendi possessed no such telepathy, she had known the ensign for a long time. In fact, almost all her life. So she could tell when Justice was conflicted.
Red, Justice replied, shaking her head, almost embarrassed. He’s advanced. A far better telepath than I. Better than most, actually. When I spoke with him, I felt like a child again. A child speaking to an adult. His control is so focused. He could read my every thought clearly. It was astonishing, almost.
He didn’t delve too deep, did he?
No. Not at all. He was exact, and within boundaries. I could tell he would never hurt me. He wants to understand us. Our intentions.