"Been a few changes since you were last on a starcruiser," said Silence. "Nothing too drastic, though. There's a file in your personal computer that will bring you up to date. But you'd better be a quick study. We're leaving orbit in six hours."
"Why the rush?" said Carrion, his voice calm and unmoved as always. "The Darkvoid's not going anywhere."
"But whatever's in there might not stay in there much longer. You heard Half A Man. He called them the Recreated. Aliens who died and brought themselves back to life. Spooky. If true."
"You doubt the word of one of Humanity's greatest heroes?"
"If the first Half A Man was a fake and a liar, who's to say this new one isn't as well? But we can't take the chance, with something as potentially dangerous as the Recreated. Someone has to check it out, and my ship and crew have more experience with the Darkvoid than most."
"The idea of the Recreated is not without precedent. You gave the order that wiped out the Ashrai, but they survived, in their way."
Silence grunted noncommittally. "They're your ghosts. You keep them under control. I'm putting you in Frost's old cabin. Since you're officially an Investigator again, it's yours by right anyway."
"I know you and she were close. I regret your loss."
"You never liked her. She represented everything you hated about the Empire."
"I respected her. She was a warrior."
"Whatever. She was a good soldier. I honor her memory." Silence paused, considering his words. "Don't let the crew's attitude get to you. They'll come around once they've seen you work."
"I doubt it, Captain. I am a traitor. I betrayed my fellow crew and my own species to join the alien Ashrai in their war against Humanity. Not that it did them any good in the long run. Still, I'm Humanity's worst nightmare, an Investigator who went native. A traitor, proud of his treason."
"You had your reasons," said Silence.
"Just as you did when you gave the order to scorch Unseeli and destroy everything that lived on that world."
"You've never forgiven me for that, have you?"
"No, Captain. We've both done too much for forgiveness to mean anything."
"You've been Pardoned," said Silence. "Reinvested as an Investigator in return for your joining this mission into the Darkvoid. The crew knows that. And they'll respect your work and authority, or I'll kick their backsides till they do."
"I didn't ask for a Pardon," said Carrion. "I have not repented or reformed. I am the last of the Ashrai, and their legacy lives on within me. I'm here… because I have nowhere else to be now that the metallic forests are gone."
"You're here because I asked you," said Silence. "Because I needed you. Because you're my friend."
"Perhaps. There is bad blood between us, John. The two men we used to be, the men who were friends, are a long way off in the past, so far from us I can barely see them. We're different people now."
"Perhaps, Sean. Time changes everyone. It's not many who end up the people they thought they'd become. We all look back from time to time, and wonder how the hell we got here from there."
"I chose my path," said the man called Carrion. "I regret nothing."
"Die, you bastard traitor!"
A crewman stepped suddenly out of an alcove, aimed a disrupter point-blank at Carrion's chest, and pressed the stud. There was no time to dodge, and nowhere to go in the narrow corridor. Even Silence, with all his more than human speed and reflexes, couldn't do anything to stop what was happening. The disrupter's energy beam crossed the few feet between the crewman and Carrion in less than a second. And a blazing energy field radiated from Carrion's power lance and absorbed the disrupter blast without flinching. There was a reason why power lances were banned through the Empire, their very possession a death sentence. They amplified an esper's power to the point that he was literally unbeatable in battle. And Carrion was no ordinary esper.
For a long moment nobody moved. The crewman stood frozen in place, his discharged gun still pointing at Carrion, his mouth hanging open. Carrion stared back at him impassively. Silence's hand still hovered above his holstered gun. And then the crewman sobbed suddenly, his face twisted with rage, and he grabbed for the sword at his side. Silence moved quickly forward, grabbed the crewman by the shirt front, and slammed him back against the steel bulkhead behind him. All the breath went out of the crewman, his face went slack, and his hands hung limply at his sides. Silence growled into the man's face, and then turned to look at Carrion, who hadn't moved an inch, as calm and apparently relaxed as always.
"Nice reflexes, Sean."
"I've had to develop them to stay alive in Human space," said Carrion.
Silence growled again, turned back to the crewman, and glared into the man's dazed eyes.
"Name and rank, mister. Now!"
"Ordinary starman Barron, Captain. A loyal member of your crew. Unlike that piece of scum!"
"That's enough, mister! He's a Pardoned man, an Investigator, and your superior officer. He has my full confidence, and an attack on him is an attack on me. Now, turn yourself in to security. I'll deal with you later. And Barron, don't make me come looking for you."
"No, Captain. I said I was loyal. But you don't understand—"
"Save it for your court-martial."
"He killed my father! On Unseeli!"
The man looked like he was about to cry. Silence and Carrion looked at each other. Carrion nodded slowly. "It's possible. I killed a lot of people on Unseeli. I regret your loss, Barron."
"Save your lies, traitor!"
"That's enough!" Silence pulled Barron away from the bulkhead and threw him staggering down the corridor. Other crew members moved quickly back to get out of his way. Barron stumbled away down the corridor, not looking back. Carrion and Silence looked after him for a while and then turned away. Around them the watching crew slowly returned to their tasks.
"We never really leave the past behind," said Silence heavily. "Some part of it always turns up again, demanding payment."
"He must have been a child when his father died," said Carrion. "Probably joined your crew to follow in his father's footsteps. Only to find me here and you defending me. It must have been difficult for him."
"None of that makes any difference," said Silence flatly. "I thought I trained my people better than that. They're supposed to be warriors, not sneaking assassins."
"It's not as if he was the first," said Carrion. "There have been several attempts on my life since you brought me back from Unseeli."
"What?" Silence looked at him sharply. "Why wasn't I informed? Why didn't you tell me?"
"It wasn't important. I handled it."
"This is my ship, Investigator. You are a part of my crew. From now on I want to know everything. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Captain."
Silence glared at him for a moment, and then they continued on their way. The corridor seemed emptier of people than it had been before. Carrion remained impassive, striding soundlessly down the corridor with his black cloak billowing about him like the wings of the black bird of ill omen he thought himself to be. Silence cursed himself for a fool, for not fully considering the impact Carrion's return would have on his crew. Of course there were bound to be hard feelings. Twelve years was a long time, but nowhere near long enough to forget something like Unseeli. God knows he'd tried hard enough.
But all that had mattered to him at the time was getting the man who used to be his friend back on board ship with him, where Silence thought he belonged. But his old friend Sean was now the man called Carrion. Traitor, murderer, alien by adoption and by choice. It would take more than a Pardon and a reinstatement as Investigator to undo what the man called Sean had made of himself. Silence sighed quietly. With Frost gone, he needed someone he could trust to lean on. It was as simple as that. And Carrion, ill-suited to the role as he might be, was the only one Silence could turn to.
"I appreciate everything you've done for me, Captain," said Carrion, his voice calm and unmov
ed. "But I feel I should point out that adding a notorious traitor such as myself to your crew is probably not the wisest thing you could have done. It won't do much for your career prospects, and it could undermine your standing and authority with your crew."
"I don't have any career prospects," said Silence. "I've seen to that. And my crew trusts me, and my judgment. They'll learn to accept you."
"I can't replace Investigator Frost, Captain."
"No one could. I was offered my choice of Investigator for this mission, but I wanted you. Someone who could understand the alien viewpoint and come up with other options than just blowing them away. If the Recreated are everything they're supposed to be, going head to head with them is not going to be a viable strategy. I needed someone… flexible."
"I've been called many things in my time, but I think that's a new one. But how can you be sure I'd side with Humanity?"
"Shub destroyed the metallic forests. Took away everything you had. They're your enemy too now. And siding with Humanity is your only chance for revenge on them."
"How well you understand me, Captain. You're quite right. Revenge is a cold comfort, but sometimes it's all we have left to cling to."
"Just do your duty, Carrion. That's all anyone can ask of us."
"Duty. Honor. Revenge. They always come back to claim us. And I have always done what I must, because it is not in me to stand aside. I'll be your Investigator, Captain. Just promise me that when I'm no longer needed, you'll let me go."
"Of course, Sean. I understand."
"No, you don't, Captain. You never did."
They walked a while together, staring straight ahead. They'd never found it easy to talk about the things that mattered.
"Did you get a chance to talk to Diana again before we left?" said Carrion.
"No. I left a message at the esper Guild House where she's been staying, but she never got back to me. Perhaps it's for the best. You saw how Diana was at Parliament. She said she hated me. With good reason, if truth be told. I wasn't there to save her when she needed me. Not the kind of thing that can be sorted out with a ten-minute chat, in the middle of our busy lives. Maybe when this mission is over…"
"She was such a frail young thing when I first knew her on Unseeli," said Carrion. "So full of life and happiness, and wonder. I saw so much of that crushed by what she went through. But at the end she found the strength to join in song with the Ashrai, to fly free as they do. I couldn't see any of that person in the woman I met at Parliament. I've heard of some of the things she did as Jenny Psycho. Terrible things. How did she turn from what she was to what she became?"
"How did we?" said Silence.
"Good point, Captain. Good point."
They came at last to Frost's old cabin. Silence hesitated for a moment before the closed door. He hadn't been in there since just after her death, when he went in to sort through her old belongings before the cleaning staff went in. There hadn't been much to look through. Like all Investigators, Frost hadn't bothered much with mementos or personal touches. A few books, all strictly military in nature. No photos, or letters, or memories. Just a small library of discs of her favorite music. Silence hadn't know she liked music. It seemed too… tranquil an interest for her. He'd taken the discs away with him, to listen to later, when he had the time.
He hadn't been back in the cabin since then. No one had. He'd had the cabin sealed, ready for whoever took over as Investigator. He reached out to punch in the security codes, and then stopped as Carrion put a hand on his arm. Silence looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Carrion stared at the closed door, frowning slightly.
"Not just yet, Captain," he said quietly. "There's someone in there. Someone, or something, very unusual. And very powerful."
"That's not possible," said Silence. "The door's still locked, and I'm the only one who has the security code."
"Nevertheless," said Carrion, "this room is already inhabited."
Silence drew his disrupter. "Stand ready. And watch yourself. Anyone powerful enough to override this kind of lock would have to be very dangerous."
"That's all right," said Carrion. "So am I."
Silence entered the security code, kicked the door open, and stepped quickly into the room. Carrion at his side. The lights were already on. A dark figure was sitting in Frost's old chair, her back to him. She was little more than a silhouette, but something about her shape and posture seemed familiar to Silence. He lurched forward a step, a mad, impossible hope bursting suddenly in his heart.
"Frost… ?"
"No," said the figure, turning around in the chair to face him. "It's just me. Daddy."
The hope in Silence's heart crashed and died, but was replaced almost immediately by a different kind of warmth. He holstered his disrupter and smiled at his daughter. "Hello, Diana. How the hell did you get in here? I didn't even know you were on board ship."
"No one does," said Diana Vertue. "Let's keep it that way. No one must know I was ever here. I have enemies these days, more powerful and dangerous than I ever expected."
"Oh, hell," said Silence. "Who have you killed now?"
"Nothing like that," said Diana. "I could cope with something like that."
"Hold everything," said Silence. "How did you get on board this ship? No matter what excuse you used, security should still have alerted me."
Diana smiled briefly. "A girl has to have some secrets, Daddy. Let's just say no one sees me anymore if I don't want to be seen. Not even your ship's esper or security devices. Now, do sit down, the pair of you. I hate being loomed over."
Silence and Carrion looked at each other, shrugged simultaneously, and looked around for somewhere to sit. There was only one other chair, so Silence sat in it. He was the Captain, after all. Carrion sat on the bed. They both looked expectantly at Diana.
"I've been working on something new," she said carefully. "Investigating the true nature of the Mater Mundi. And I've been digging up all kinds of interesting things. The one thing I'm sure of is that she isn't what everyone thinks she is. She's also somewhat mad at me for poking my nose into areas she feels are none of my business. In fact, she warned me off personally. I think she would have killed me if she could."
Carrion looked at her interestedly. "You stood off the Mater Mundi? I'm impressed."
"Maybe you should back off, Diana," said Silence. "What's so important about knowing the Mater Mundi's true nature that's worth getting killed over?"
"I don't know," said Diana. "That's exactly my point. What could be so terrible about her, so shocking, that she's willing to kill to keep it hidden?"
Silence shrugged impatiently. "There's no point in asking me. I've never had any interest in esper affairs. What do you want from me, Diana? We're leaving for the Darkvoid in just under six hours."
"That's why I had to catch you before you left. I'm becoming increasingly interested in the nature of esp itself. How it does what it does. You two are both unique individuals. The Captain because he passed partway through the Madness Maze and emerged changed. And Carrion, because before he went to Unseeli, he showed no trace at all of esper abilities. No one in his family was ever an esper, for as far back as I can trace, and the genetic assay in his old medical files bears that out. So, Carrion, how did you become the esper paragon you are today?"
"The aliens changed me," said Carrion. "The Ashrai. It was necessary if I was to survive alone on their world and join them in their war against Humanity. So they remade me. And no, I don't know how. I have no memory of it."
"They would have had to make alterations on the genetic level," said Diana, frowning. "Pretty sophisticated stuff for a species with no discernible technology."
"That's a very human attitude," said Carrion. "Tech isn't everything."
Diana studied him silently for a long moment. "You're never alone, are you, Carrion? They're always with you. The ghosts. The Ashrai."
Carrion leaned forward. "You can see them?"
"Almost. I sang with them once on Un
seeli, remember? My mind joined with theirs, though only briefly. That link is still there. I can feel them, a potential hanging around you, like the pressure on the air before a storm. Why do they stay, Carrion? Why do they stay with you?"
"I'm the last Ashrai. All that's left of what they were. They want revenge. For what was done to them. To the trees. To their world."
"Revenge?" said Diana. "That's a very human attitude, isn't it?"
"Yes," said Carrion. "Regrettably, they have learned by example."
"We're very alike, you and I," said Diana. "Changed and altered by powers greater than ourselves, for reasons we don't fully understand. What were you supposed to be. Carrion? Their champion? Their defender? Their avenger? Be very careful, Carrion; you might not be what you think you are. You fought Humanity for them once. Would you destroy Humanity for them now, for revenge?"
"They wouldn't ask me to do that," said Carrion.
"How do you know?" said Diana, and Carrion had no answer to give her.
"Why are you here, Diana?" said Silence after the quiet had dragged on long enough to become uncomfortable. "After what you said to us at Parliament…"
"Needs must when the Devil vomits on your shoes," said Diana. "The Mater Mundi wants me dead. So I need help, powerful allies to watch my back and lend their power to me."
"So you came to your father," said Silence. "Of course, Diana. That's what fathers are for."
"No, Daddy," said Diana. "Not you. The Maze gave you power, but you're still learning how to use it."
"So you want my help?" said Carrion. "Very well. My abilities are at your disposal."
"Don't flatter yourself," said Diana. "I need the Ashrai. Their inhuman strength. Like I said, the link's still there. God knows I've tried to exorcise them. I don't want anyone in my head but me. But if they're there, maybe I can use them. So tell me, Carrion, would they come if I called? If I needed them?"
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