by J G Cressey
“Yeah, you know, part chick, part fish,” Toker continued. “Tell you what, Cal, I wouldn’t mind another go in there myself.”
Cal slowly nodded. He didn’t blame his young friend one bit. Despite his confusion, he really was feeling pretty damn good.
“It can get quite addictive,” came a female voice.
Cal turned to see that Kaia had surfaced in the center of the pool. Only her head was above the surface, her pale skin and white-blonde hair offering a striking contrast to the black liquid.
“It’s the particles in the liquid, they charge up the cells in the body.”
“Oh yeah,” Toker exclaimed.
Cal thought his friend’s voice a touch higher than normal.
“How d’you even see when you’re down there?” Toker asked.
Kaia swam to the pool’s edge before answering. “It’s like when you’re in a cloud, Everywhere you look is white, but you can clearly see yourself. Except, of course, in this case, it’s black.” Placing her hands on the white floor, she nimbly pulled herself out of the pool. Cal was surprised to see that the black liquid looked almost clear as it ran off her body.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” she said, giving Cal a radiant smile as she walked towards the bunks.
“Er, yes. So am I,” he replied and returned a smile albeit an awkward one. “It sounds as though I might not have woken at all if it wasn’t for you. Thanks.”
Kaia frowned. “Please, you don’t owe me any thanks. Certainly not after disabling your ship, knocking you all out, and dumping you in a cell,” she said, the guilt plain on her face. “Then, of course, there was that wall I slammed you against.”
Cal shrugged, hoping he came across more composed than he felt. “Just mistaken identity.” He reached out an open palm. ‘I’m Callum, but um…I guess… Well, I guess you probably already know that.” Pull it together, Cal. The woman’s radiant smile seemed to have disrupted the coordination of his mouth and brain.
“Kaia. Dr. Kaia Svensson,” she said, taking his hand and shaking it.
“Hey, Doc,” Toker said, seeming unsure where to direct his eyes. “Can I, um…a towel. Can I get you a towel or something?’
Cal smiled at his young friend’s awkwardness. Not just me then.
“I’m fine thanks, Toker,” she replied, tipping her head and giving her hair a twisting squeeze with her hands. She seemed completely unaware of the effect she was having, which to Cal only made her more attractive. “To be honest, you’d be hard-pressed to find a towel on this vessel anyway,” she continued. “There are tiny micro pores in the floor that sense damp skin and direct warm air at you wherever you walk.”
“No kidding?” Toker said, his awkwardness fading a little. “That’s pretty frickin’ clever.”
She nodded and squeezed her hair again. “Great for your feet, not so great for your head.”
Toker chuckled. “Mind if I give it a go?”
“Knock yourself out.”
Grinning, Toker perched on the edge of the bed, yanked off his boots, and made his way barefoot over to the pool.
Cal enjoyed the amused expression on Kaia’s face as she watched Toker hop away. Unfortunately, it turned to one of guilt as she looked back at him. “I really am sorry, Callum—”
“Just Cal is fine.”
She nodded. “The way I treated you all. I was confused and, well, scared.”
“Understandable. These are crazy times.” He glanced at Toker. “And we are a bit of a weird bunch.”
Kaia smiled, but the guilt lingered in her eyes.
“You were just being cautious,” he added.
“Too cautious.”
He shrugged again. “Maybe you could give me a few tips. I’m trying caution as a new motto.”
She laughed at that then turned to look at Toker, who now had his trousers rolled up and was sitting with his legs immersed in the black liquid. “You’ve got some good friends there. I saw real fear in their eyes when I explained what was wrong with you.”
“I couldn’t hope for better,” he replied honestly. “Can I ask what exactly was wrong with me?”
She indicated the end of the bunk. “You mind if I sit?”
“Please do.”
She perched on the corner of the bunk and after a moment asked, “Have you ever been to the Guan islands on Fili Dett?”
Huh. Now that really did confuse him. “Actually, yes. I was on Fili Dett about five years ago with my squad. We spent about four months there, most of it on the islands trying to protect a group of scientists from the local wildlife.”
Kaia raised her eyebrows. “Bet that was a tough job?”
He nodded. “Eventful. Quite the lethal planet.”
“Yes, and most of its dangers you can’t even see.”
Ah. “Parasites?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“But that was five years ago.”
“There’s a parasite called the guan gara. A nasty little critter, and it’s all but impossible to detect on scans—at least whilst it remains dormant. It waits in hiding until the host body is subjected to suitable level of stress, then it strikes hard. It’s strange, really. Why it would kill its host, its home? But that’s what it does, and it does it quickly.”
Cal took a moment to absorb Kaia’s words. “I guess I was pretty stressed. This ship of yours is…unusual. I was convinced for a time that I’d offered my friends up on a plate to…well, who knows.”
“The problem was physical too. Your lower back was in a complete state.”
“Yes, I er…had a bit of a tumble off a cliff a little while back.”
“Why didn’t you get it fixed?”
Cal felt his cheeks warm. Jesus, what am I, a schoolboy?
Kaia suddenly reddened a little too. “Sorry, that was a bit abrupt.”
He laughed. “No that’s fine. I really should’ve had it seen to, but I never seemed to find the time.” The reason sounded lame, but that didn’t make it any less true.
“Probably for the best,” Kaia replied. “Military doctors would have only made it worse. I’m sorry. If I’d paid more attention, I could have fixed it when I saw to your friend’s broken arm.”
Cal looked over at Toker, who was still sitting at the edge of the pool, sporting a wide grin as he waved a wet left foot over the floor. “Well that black liquid seems nothing short of magical; my back feels stronger and healthier than ever. As a matter of fact, my whole body does.”
Kaia smiled with a knowing nod. “It’s a safe bet that neither the parasite nor the back will trouble you again. I wish I could tell you how it works, but truthfully, we don’t have a clue. All I can tell you is that the deeper you’re immersed in the liquid, the more powerful the effect.”
“Where’s it from?”
“The northern mountain ranges of the planet Alvor. There are entire lakes full of it.”
Alvor. That planet again. He still had a clear visions of the Alvorian oak that Jumper had led them to on Mars. The mammoth tree had been a wondrous treat to the eyes just as its fruits had been to the taste buds. “You know, even though I’ve never stepped foot on it, Alvor is fast becoming my favourite place.”
Kaia smiled. “Yes, it’s an incredible planet. The discoveries we’ve made there are spectacular, and we’ve only just brushed the surface.”
“We?”
“Sorry, Cal, you must be pretty confused right now.”
“Just a bit.” He turned to gaze at the black liquid. His mind felt as full as the pool and then some. “That was some pretty impressive breath holding you did down there?”
She recognized the complement as the question it was intended to be. “I have certain…abilities.”
“So I’ve noticed,” he said, looking back at her. “You’re the first person I’ve met who’s managed to tackle and surprise a synthetic. You gave Melinda a little run for her money for a moment there in that lab. I’d love to know how you…” He dropped his head and suddenly found himself chu
ckling. “I think maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. I have so many questions for you, Kaia, but I really have no idea where to start.” And I can barely look at you without feeling like a jabbering teen.
Kaia nodded, her blue eyes full of understanding. “I know the feeling; I’ve been firing questions at your friends pretty much nonstop for the past couple of days.” Sitting up straighter, she shot him another of her ridiculously radiant smiles. “I guess I’ve had my chance to get ahead, so how’s about I help you catch up?”
“I’d appreciate that. Thanks.”
“Okay,” she said, using her hands to brush back her hair. It was almost dry now, and its wavy length was beginning to form into ringlets at its ends. “This ship is The Orillian, one of three scientific research vessels. It has eighteen departments, including motion physics, cybernetics, biological upgrading, and alien study. I’m the head of biological research.”
“One of three? What happened to the other two?”
Kaia shrugged. “I wish I knew.”
“What happened to the rest of The Orillian’s crew?”
Kaia paused for a moment, the smile faltering ever so slightly. “Fear happened,” she said. ‘There were three hundred and ten of us on board originally. People started getting scared when the long-range communications went down.”
Cal nodded his understanding. “Isn’t it amazing how much we rely on communications to feel safe? The mind starts to fear the worst when the lights go out.”
“Yes. I guess this time, the worst had happened. Eventually, word physically reached us of Earth’s destruction.”
“Oh?”
“It was a private vessel. They’d witnessed the attacking ships firsthand before they fled. The state the crew was in, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re still fleeing now. We spent a few weeks trying to confirm it. Visited a lot of colonies. A few months after that, I was the only one left on board.”
Cal detected bitterness in her voice. “What happened?”
“The majority of the crew bailed early on. Roaming through space with the threat of an advanced, aggressive alien race just proved too much. Then, there were rumors that military starships and bases had been attacked and overrun. Those rumours turned out to be true; all the bases we visited were empty and in ruins.”
“Like Delta Point Three?”
Kaia nodded. “During that time, we didn’t cross paths with any starships, but we all feared the worst. The remaining crew didn’t want to risk staying on board a ship with military connections. There were arguments, of course. Dr York argued that The Orillian was one of the safest places in known space. He was the scientist responsible for our ghosting net technology.”
“Ghosting net?”
“A new stealth and cloaking technology. So new that only The Orillian and a few other ships had been fitted with it before the invasion. The crew still didn’t feel safe though, and eventually, they all jumped ship.”
“Where did they jump ship to?”
“Most to Alvor. We have three large research bases there.”
“They hadn’t been attacked?”
“No, but Alvor’s quite a distance.” She looked lost in thought for a moment. “Also, they’re not listed as military…”
“You didn’t fancy Alvor? Seems it would make a nice home.”
“I had my reasons to stay. I wanted to learn more about the threat. So did Dr. York and some of his team.”
“What about military personnel, soldiers, security detail? They didn’t feel it their duty to stay on board?”
“The Orillian isn’t a military vessel. It’s part of Sync Corp.”
Cal shook his head.
“You’re unlikely to have heard of it. They didn’t exactly advertise. They develop advanced technology—or at least they did. They often supplied the military but were never owned by them. We did have a sizeable security detail on board, but none of them felt any great loyalty. They weren’t soldiers, just hired muscle to keep order among the crew. She gave Cal a half smile. “Scientists have a habit of heatedly disagreeing from time to time. The truth is that threats from outside forces were never really considered a potential problem. The Orillian is a stealth ship. And with Dr. York’s ghosting net system, we relied on never being detected in the first place.’
“Well, it certainly worked on us. We didn’t have an inkling of your presence until you came into view.”
“If I’d had the ghosting net on full, you wouldn’t have seen a thing. You’d have been none the wiser until the ship’s clutchers had grabbed hold and the knockout probe burst through. Sorry.”
“You disabled our Star Splinter like it was a child’s toy.”
She gave him another half-smile. “Might as well have been. Sync Corp designed and built every Star Splinter ship on the market.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
Cal detected a hint of pride in that yep.
“They don’t exactly advertise the fact, but they’re behind most of the best tech out there—all of the smart technology: smart-straps, smart-glass. They had a hand in nearly all of the military’s technology. Even the computer systems that big starships operate on were designed and built by Sync Corp.”
“Huh.” Cal suddenly felt a little stupid. He’d never given much thought as to where those technologies had originated. In truth, he’d always assumed that the military had been responsible for their own tech. “And the synthetics?”
“Yes, those too. In fact, many of Melinda’s counterparts were built here on this very ship.”
“Really? Viktor’s going to love that.”
Kaia laughed, and Cal felt his heart skitter. “Your young friend is already loving it. He’s practically set up home down in the cybernetics department. That kid is incredible.”
“Yes, there’s some brain in that head of his,” Cal replied, surprised at the swell of pride he felt. “So I guess that explains how you managed to disable Melinda too.”
Kaia nodded, that touch of guilt peeping out again. “Sync Corp never likes to completely relinquish control of their products. Every one of them contains what’s called a TCW, a Transparent Control Worm. I’m not convinced even the military knows about it. Any major Sync Corp computer can detect their products within a particular radius. Then they can hack into it and take control. That’s how I discovered your ship.”
“Strange,” Cal said after a moment’s deliberation.
Kaia looked at him questioningly.
“Sorry, it’s just that, after what you just told me, I was wondering how in the hell a man like Aaron Hogmeyer could ever manage to get hold of and keep a stolen Star Splinter. Hogmeyer is—”
“Yes,” Kaia interjected, one corner of her mouth curling. “Your friend Toker over there has already told me about Hogmeyer and how you acquired his ship. The reasons for him having it are probably simpler than you think though. It’s just deception on the part of Sync Corp. They take steps to hide the presence of the TCWs by allowing a certain percentage of their products to get stolen. In fact, I wouldn’t put it past them to employ a man like Hogmeyer to help arrange such deceptions.”
Cal nodded and scratched his head. “So, um, we seem to have strayed a bit. What happened to Dr York and his team? If they were so confident in their new stealth tech, why didn’t they stay?”
“They took a ship and headed to Alvor just over a month ago.”
“They finally got cold feet?”
“Yes, but it had nothing to do with alien invaders. Pirates scared them off.”
Pirates. How the hell could pirates manage to threaten such a ship? Cal decided to put that particular question on the back burner. Something else had begun to dominate his thought process. “Forgive my snooping, Kaia, but I couldn’t help noticing the two rather large Carcarrions in your lab.”
“Yes, sorry if they gave you a fright. Your friend Jumper was quizzing me about those yesterday. I’m studying them.”
“They’re just specimens then?”
“So the rumors are true? The Carcarrions are involved in this threat?’
“Yes, they’re involved, but not in a way that you might think.” She looked down and gave her head a little shake. “I’ve learned a lot in recent weeks. A hell of a lot.” She looked up at him. “But I think it would be easier to show you rather than tell you.”
Cal suddenly felt a wave of hope, excitement even. Kaia’s words were like music to his ears. He might finally get some answers, some real answers. Time to stop being bounced around…he hoped.
“Looks like you have a visitor,” Kaia said, pulling him from his thoughts.
Cal looked up to see Jumper strolling towards them, a broad grin stretched across his face.
“Maybe it’s best I give you two some time to catch up,” Kaia suggested, pushing herself up off the bunk. “How’s about I meet you in the specimen’s lab when you’re ready?”
“Sounds good,” he replied, his smile finally losing its awkward edge.
“Jumper knows the way.”
“Okay. And, Kaia, thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.” She turned and headed off towards the exit, exchanging a friendly greeting with Jumper as she went.
Cal took some deep breaths to oxygenate his overtaxed brain. So much had happened, so much had been learned, and he’d bloody well slept through it. He was glad Jumper was finally here to help set free the cacophony of questions battering his skull. Jumper would help get him back on track, and he didn’t fancy his old friend in the least.
“Good to see you awake and looking fit,” Jumper said as he approached the bunk.
“Well, my feet haven’t touched the floor yet, but I guess looking fit is a good start.”
Jumper stood at the end of the bunk for a moment, something strange in his smile.
“You okay?” Cal asked hesitantly.
Jumper didn’t answer; instead, he walked around the bunk, leaned forward, and gave him an embrace. Cal was taken aback; Jumper had never been one for openly showing emotion. So much so, in fact, that when Cal was a boy, it had taken him quite a while to recognize his subtle expressions.
Jumper continued the embrace. “Damn it, I thought I’d lost you for a time there, kid,” he said before releasing him and straightening up. His smile had turned to a deep frown.