by DJ Morand
“A leader that did what was right. Your man - Abel Cain - freed the AI from the prison we put him in. No manner of good intentions can make up for the potential fallout you have set in motion James Shade!” Alara accused. Echo knew these were the memories of a seven year old, but she felt the emotion all over again. As an adult she knew that her mother had bloodlust and vengeance in her heart and she knew that it drove her father to do what he had done.
* * *
The docking clamps made an audible clang inside the cockpit and she knew the Darter had docked with the Kodiak. Echo secured her belt pistol. The multi-chamber plasma pistols bore a new design, but the only issue she found with them was the whine they made while charging. It made it impossible to sneak up on someone. After checking her pistol again, she made sure her boot knife was properly concealed. She might be boarding the ship of the most notorious pirate known to the Quintar Prime System, but she was not going to go in unprepared.
Echo stood up from the three forward seats of the ship; the pilot, tactical defense, and tactical offense seats. Stepping around the front seat, directly in front of the Transteel viewer, she made her way past the two tactical seats in-line behind her own. After a few steps she descended the short ladder to the keel of her ship; the ladder had no more than a couple of steps, but it was enough of a difference between the two decks that a transition was needed.
The ship lights in the cargo area lit up and illuminated the small ship. To her right, she could see the single escape pod; meant for the pilot and two tacticians. She shrugged noncommittally and entered her security codes on the airlock. Every RAVEN F vessel had been designed with covert operations in mind. Thus, everything on the ship was secured with passcodes. She looked out the viewing window of the docking door and noted that the Kodiak was much larger than her vessel. Of course she had known - in theory - how large the URSA GS-I was, but to see it up close was a different matter. From her side, there was a barely perceptible whisper of air being pressurized as the two ships became one.
“Well, there goes any chance of quick escape. If they decide I need to be exed, I’d have to get back to my ship and blow the airlock. What did you get yourself into E?” Echo spoke to no one in particular, least of all herself. Speaking her thoughts was a habit she had picked up from an old engineer. Her father had never liked her hanging around Commander Burns, but the man she had only known as Old Theodore was an insightful and brilliant person. She could not help but admire the old man for all he had been through. Captain Shade apprenticed herself to the engineer and technologist; the latter of which she had not discovered until later. With the knowledge of his former career, and her father’s dislike of the man, she was able to discern a few truths – the rest she asked her father for outright.
Commander Theodore Burns had orchestrated and designed, at least in part, the EXO virus. Echo learned of his involvement in the creation of the virus as well as his role in unleashing it on the Exodus Fleet. This revelation staggered Echo Shade’s confidence and for a long while afterward she refused to even look at Old Theodore. Also, she could not fathom how he had been lost in Quintar Prime space with the rest of the EFNF and managed to survive.
Echo’s feelings of betrayal and fear kept her away for a good amount of time; much like her father’s situation with Abel. She found it ironic that her good manners eventually won over when she asked Commander Burns if the accusations were true. Her father had taught her well. She remembered the man’s words and the pained tone of his voice.
* * *
Quintar Prime System: Terran Veil: Engineering
2962 ESD - Wednesday, October 6th 13:25 hours
“Echo, my dear. So much you have to learn and experience. Your curiosity will one day get you into a situation you cannot handle, or one you will want to choose not to. Your father’s accusations are partially true, I did work on the ORIGINAL EXO virus, but it was not what it is today. When I helped to design the virus it was with the intent to disable enemy combatants through control of their nanite implants. We had not anticipated that the virus would mutate. It was a computer program, you see; something that should have done what it was told. It should never have exceeded the parameters I gave to it. However, as is, the nature of our universe life finds a way. In this case, the virus mutated and acted out subroutines that should not have been a part of its programming – I lay that at the feet of Jezebel Cade.” Cade was once the Fleet Admiral of the entire Earth Coalition.
Commander Burns had been an engineer and science officer on Admiral Cade's ship - the Perigosa Jornada. “When your father and the rest of the Exodus Fleet defected she took it as a personal affront and the EXO virus was unleashed on the Terran Veil. The rest as you know is history. You were present for the rise of the Quintarran AI and his merger with Alek Vale.”” The old man seemed relieved to speak of the horror, but Echo was not sure if she could forgive him.
* * *
Edge of the Quintar Prime System: Darter: Docking Bay
2972 ESD - Monday, October 5th 10:06 hours
As she stood to wait for the airlock to finish cycling, she lamented that she never had a chance to tell Old Theodore that she had forgiven him; he committed suicide after their talk and for a time she blamed herself for his death. She told herself, even now, an eight-year-old girl could not be held responsible for the suicide of a man, especially one who had betrayed his own.
The console on the door lit up just as she was again lost in her own feelings. Her feelings would likely prove to be more of a hindrance than help when dealing with Abel Cain. She shook her head ruefully.
“Pull it together E,” Echo told herself. She had a mission and could not be distracted – steeling herself, she punched in the command to open the docking door. Echo Shade traversed the short five-foot walkway, still somewhat lost in her feelings and an irrational fear of the future. She knew she could not succumb to those feelings and knocked on the door to the Kodiak - her mission had begun.
* * *
Abel grumbled internally as the airlock cycled. He was not entirely keen on the idea of another pilot, let alone another captain, aboard his ship - even if it was a woman. He knew this was pure childishness; yet he put aside his youthful pride and decided he was going to embrace this meeting. He would show her who the boss was; so much for putting aside my pride, he thought lamentingly. Abel still bore considerable anger for what Admiral Shade had done to him and since James Shade was presently parsecs away and out of reach, Abel decided he would instead take it out on the Admiral’s daughter. He knew it was not particularly fair, but, he reasoned, she had come around giving him orders and acting as his superior. In this, he figured, it was only fair to put her in her place right away – assert his dominance as it were.
Zee, as if reading his thoughts, gave him a reproachful look that spoke volumes. Abel caught the look and returned one of his own, as he stood with arms crossed; like he remembered the officers aboard the Terran Veil had used to do. He was not very good at it, but he attempted to maintain the air of superiority and the posture. As he gave Zee his best Captain’s stance and stare, he caught a glimpse through the airlock viewport.
Abel could not help the increased beat in his chest. He noted her dark brown almost auburn locks pulled back away from her face. A few strands found their way to the front of her face, defying order. He was stunned, this Echo Shade was beautiful, and he had not expected that. Her softly rounded face lent a look of innocence to her, yet a distinct femininity. Her features were stoic and carried an air of royalty only a woman was able to accomplish.
Abel stood stunned for a few moments longer until he met her eyes; she had her father’s eyes. A steely green-blue stare that tore into the heart of him. Abel felt the anger and the rage flood back from his past and into his chest. Looking into her eyes broke the trance he'd been in. He steeled himself. How dare this woman come to my domain and demand things of me?
With the thought in mind, he became forced himself to become unimpressed; at
least it is what he attempted. Abel allowed the feel of rage to bubble to the surface as he prepared an onslaught of indignation. Despite his best effort, he struggled to maintain the hate, either because he had matured or because of her beauty, he was uncertain.
CAPTAIN ECHO SHADE
Outside the Quintar Prime System: Kodiak: Command
2972 ESD - Monday, October 5th 10:20 hours
“Zee, keep an eye on her,” Abel ordered his co-pilot, as the inner airlock opened to reveal the smallish woman, barely more than five and a half feet tall. She was slim but pretty and well-toned; Abel couldn’’t help but find himself still attracted to her. He admired her curves scanning her with his eyes when he noticed that her skin had a strange hue to it. It took him a few moments to realize, the color was a light – very light – shade of blue. He turned to look at Zee’s dark blue skin and back to Echo’s, and back again at Zee. Then he burst out into laughter. Uncontrollably, he laughed so hard his eyes began to tear up.
“The great and mighty Admiral James David Shade took a Quintarran wife? After exiling me for making friends with a Quintarran!? The hypocrisy is too good, no … no IRONY, the irony is just perfect.” He continued to guffaw and wheeze in gales of laughter.
Echo stood there, not looking the least bit amused as the Captain’s mockery and disdain. She had dealt with prejudices enough in her life that she was tightly wound about her appearance.
“You find this funny?” She said indicating herself. Her hands starting at the top of her head and moving down her sides. Letting the indignation sting, she impulsively drew her pistol switching off the safety. She leveled it at Abel Cain. The whine of the pistol echoed in the open cargo bay as it charged. Zee launched into action. He was faster than she had anticipated and was on top of her before she could pull the trigger. The quick Quintarran had her wrapped in a bear hug so tight she could barely breathe. The pistol fell to the ground as Echo struggled vainly against Zee’s hidden reserve of strength.
“Zee … Zee put her--” Captain Abel Cain tried to get out a command while still laughing, “Zee, put her down, she’s going blue … bluer in the face.” With the last words, he lost it again literally falling over and rolling to his side. He had not had a good laugh like this in a while. Abel was too busy laughing to realize that Zee’s expression had changed. He set Echo down and stood next to the petite woman. Zee was giving Abel a look that spelled doom if he did not control his laughter.
“Captain, I have placed her down again. I have also confiscated her weapons. Would you like to proceed with speaking to her now? Or should I assist her back to her own vessel?” He said with a tight voice filled with impatience. Abel heard the bit of cold anger in Zee’’s voice and realized his reaction may not have enamored him to either of the other two aboard his ship. The thought was somewhat sobering and he collected himself. Abel sat up, not quite lifting himself off the floor. He did his best to avoid Zee’s cold stare. His gaze wandered up noting that the cargo bay was large enough to fit Echo's RAVEN fighter. Probably should have just docked her here, he thought.
He had even commandeered the majority of the crew berthing areas for his servers, allowing the ship to be mostly automated. In truth, he knew that Zee handled the automation, the servers were merely there to serve as an assist when Zee needed to rest. Man, he thought, I might be a bit glitched myself.
“No, Zee, that won’t be necessary. Escorting her I mean. We can take this to the mess area. Apologies Milady and to you Zee.” He pushed himself up off the floor and straightened his ruffled jacket. He looked at the two of them and noted the look on Echo’s face. If Zee had an expression of anger and annoyance, Echo’s expression spoke murder. It was so similar to her father’s looks.
If looks could kill, he thought to himself, I’d already be dead. He brushed the remaining dust from his jacket and loose fitting jeans. He adjusted the trench-coat that had been partially tucked under as he stood up. Abel made a bee-line for the ladder leading up to crew berthing. He was still deciding if he even liked the coat, it was a solid black with a silver magnetic clasp on the inner flap; he had found a coat once with an actual zipper and had worn the zippered coat for years. Nothing had compared since. The ship’s fabricators had made him high durability blue jeans, but they were not as comfortable as the EFNF uniform pants. He wished he could get a good pair of those pants now, without having to rejoin the EFNF.
The thought of the EFNF brought his attention back to Echo Shade. He had a good laugh at her expense, but now he wanted to know precisely what this half-Quintarran brat wanted with him.
* * *
“You find this funny?” She could feel her anger rise up as she indicated herself. She heard the whine of the pistol before she realized she'd drawn it. It was over before it began. Zee had her in a bear hug so tight she could barely breathe. Echo was perplexed at the strength of Zee - and his speed! The Quintarran was more than a match for anything she could throw at him and despite his offhand comments and raucous laughing, she was sure the Captain was more than a match as well.
Echo stared at Abel. He was slightly above average height around six foot, lean and well-muscled. His skin had a slightly darker tone creating a stark contrast with his bright hazel eyes; which mostly appeared as light green orbs with tinges of dark brown bleeding through. He was not the most attractive man she had seen, his nose was a bit too long, and his eyes had a decidedly mischievous glint to them. His ears were nice, though, perfectly shaped and they did not stick out too far.
She knew part of his peculiar eye color had to do with the nanite implants. All human eyes had that dual tone appearance. She had been told it was the nanites working. Rumor was that Abel Cain had reprogrammed his nanites to break the alteration barrier. The rumors said something about becoming more versatile. This was something she could not fathom.
Echo was something Abel or any other human for that matter, would call a husk; she hated that term. It had a connotation that suggested she was less for not having nanite implants. At least, she contemplated, I won’t have to worry about getting exed.
Echo thought about Abel and his desire to break the alteration barrier. In breaking this barrier he allowed his nanites to perform like the Quintarrans’ nanites. She felt that was going against nature. Allowing his nanites to increase his vision, strength, and agility could prove dangerous.
Echo stared at Abel’s back as he walked. She noted his preference for simple clothing, although she could see the purpose in his decisions. His tight fitting shirt served to reduce the interference of clothing during close combat. The increased durability loose-fitted blue jeans ensured any weapon discharge will not accidentally cost him a limb; very similar to the military grade pants she wore. Finally, his preference for long trench coats would serve a two-fold purpose: first to conceal any weapons he bore, and second, style. Echo was certain style would be high on his list of priorities even without the knowledge she had gained from his dossier. So much for trying to play like I have the upper hand, she thought.
Echo watched as Captain Abel Cain’s demeanor changed from the jokester and the boy to the man. The man she had come to find. His features had a distinct prevalence of Irish and African ancestry. His features suggested he was likely Mars-born and definitely raised in the Outer Mars Federation. Considering his penchant for rebellion, she was not surprised. She wondered if she should tell him that her latest intelligence placed the EXOs searching for a way to Sol space. Neither the Earth Coalition nor the Outer Mars Federations would be able to stand against the EXO onslaught; even with the Earth Coalition’s greater technological power.
The conflicts of the past, according to the histories she had read, between the EC and OMF always left the EC in power. This was true even when the OMF held the majority of the numbers. She attributed this to advanced technology, as did most scholars.
The Kodiak, she noticed, was a broad ship. The interior of the ship was built for comfort as much as the exterior for battle. The gunship could not b
e considered a Large Gunship Class, but it was decently sized enough that she could not consider it medium class either. As they traversed the ship, she noted the many modifications Abel Cain had made to the original URSA GS-I model.
The crew stations, she noted, had been replaced with server towers. At least they appeared to be, judging by their lights and exposed wiring. The tech was ancient, at least in comparison to the technology implemented by the Quintarrans. She had suspected, at least somewhat, that the presence of a Quintarran co-pilot would, in turn, signal the presence of Quintarran technology. Everything she saw on the Kodiak seemed to be of Earth or Martian origin. Some of the tech was so old she wondered why he would even have it aboard the ship – unless… a thought dawned on her and changed her curiosity into a profound respect for the Captain.
She kept her eyes open as they passed another former crew station and scanned over it with a quick look. She wanted to stop and examine, but noted that the servers were not the actual processing units but were there – she suspected – to act as firewalls against EXO intrusion. If they tried to integrate with the technology these servers would boot them out, or so she thought. Echo was not entirely sure if that was the purpose, but if it was, it garnered her respect.
After a short moment more they entered a large open room. The room appeared to have - at some point at least - benches and tables for crew gathering and meals. Now the room bore a single Transteel view table and a couple of floating chairs. If she had not known better, she would have said that the chairs were quantum locked; a theory that had been posed in Sol history, but never actually implemented due to cost.