A hand fell upon her shoulder and she snapped up, grasping the forearm and wrenching Benjar to his knees. His smug grin was gone completely. There was fear in his face, fear like she’d never seen in it before. Two soldiers suddenly appeared in the doorway with pulse-rifles aimed at her head.
“Sage,” the Tribune sniveled. “Sage, release me. Release me now or they are going to kill you.”
She didn’t say or do anything. She just continued to stare over his shoulder, unable to escape the blur of violent imagery clouding her mind.
“My dear, you must release me!”
Sage blinked and looked around as if waking from a nightmare. The barrel of one of the soldiers’ guns pressed against the base of her skull. Her breathing beginning to slow, she looked down at her numb, artificial arm and finally grasped what she’d done to the Tribune.
“How dare you!” Benjar growled. The back of his hand struck Sage across her tearstained cheek. “You are an executor of the New Earth Tribunal!” He grabbed her by the jaw and pulled her face close. “You don’t fall for some Ceresian! For a heretic!”
He pushed her away forcefully and stepped back, taking a few long breaths to calm himself and adjust his clothing. “Do you know why we exist, Sage?” he asked finally.
Sage swallowed her dry throat, then nodded her head. The soldier behind her backed away slightly, though she could still feel his weapon rustling the ends of her hair.
“Before we came along, humanity was lost. Yes, there was the Circuit, but that was merely a means of survival. A crutch. Left to their own devices, humanity would crumble. You’ve seen it. Seen the way those pitiful Ceresians revel and drink and screw without a second thought. We exist to provide order in the name of the unifying Spirit. As Earth once provided for the Ancients, we must be the scaffold that holds our species together. For we are a homeless people in the end. This ship, our cities—they are all an illusion to hold us together until Earth is ready to receive us again. Until we are worthy.” He brought himself to stand tall in front of her, bathing her in his shadow so that she quickly forgot how frightened he’d just been.
“But will we ever truly be worthy?” Sage asked, unable to believe those words of doubt actually came out of her.
“Of course we will,” Benjar affirmed. His eyes sparkled with fervor. “But there are some amongst us who I fear have had their faith crippled.”
She chewed on the inside of her lip. “Me?”
“Not you,” he said, to her relief. He grasped her shoulders and squeezed passionately. “I have never doubted your faith, but I need you now, Sage. I need you to help Cassius Vale remember his oaths. The Tribune needs you, before it is too late.”
“Cassius?” Sage scooted forward anxiously. “Is he okay?”
“Joran doesn’t believe me, but I have reason to believe he was the one responsible for the attacks on our freighters before this Talon character took over.”
“That’s impossible. Why would he ever do that?”
“I don’t know, but he’s not like us. I know your history with him, and I know how this pains you to hear. Cassius needs your help, Sage. Whatever he’s planning, he needs your help to remember his faith. Edeoria suffers from neglect under his watch. His people starve and are forced from their homes. Soon we will be left with no choice but to replace him.”
“No.” She slid off the chair to her knees, taking Benjar’s hand. “Please don’t do anything yet. I can help him.”
“It is only because he once sat on the council that I’m sending you to him first. Use your shared past. Find out what he’s up to and try to dissuade him. Cassius has always been an obstinate man, but this… If my suspicions are accurate, then it would be, well… tragic.”
Sage shook her head defiantly. Cassius was the closest thing she had left to family. “It can’t be him. No way. Cassius is loyal, I know it.”
“Then go to him, my dear. A ship has been prepped for you. Go to him and rescue his soul.” Benjar lifted her to her feet and signaled the guards to stand down. “And prove your worth to the Spirit.”
“I will,” she decided without thinking twice. There was a time when she and Cassius were close. If he would open up to anybody still alive, she hoped it would be her. I will save him, she thought to herself, remembering all that he had done for her in a sudden epiphany. I have to.
“I know you will,” Benjar said. His gaze flitted toward the plate she’d broken. “Put all of this behind us and do what you do best.” He extended his arm around her shoulder and walked her toward the exit. “May the Spirit of the Earth guide your steps.”
34
Chapter Thirty-Four—Talon
Boarding a solar-ark locked onto the Circuit was an intricate affair. Moving at nearly a tenth the speed of light, the enormous ships never slowed, let alone came to a complete stop. They passed through the conduit stations like gushing water through perfectly sized pipes.
The Ancients had developed a complicated system of magnetics and gravitum generators capable of disbursing or receiving cargo containers in fractions of a second. It took some time after the fall of Earth for humans themselves to figure out how to survive the transfer without fail, but eventually it had become routine.
Talon was bound to his chamber on a transfer car in one of the Conduits, somewhere in the Circuit. He floated in a gelatinous liquid, breathing through a respirator. Every limb was strapped in by nano-fiber fastenings able to stretch and adapt to the incredible force of the transfer.
A circle of rolling light shone brightly from above and beneath him in the tube, giving his whole body the impression of weightlessness. He somewhat enjoyed the feeling. It took an edge off the insufferable soreness throughout his body.
“Three,” an automated voice spoke.
He’d never boarded a solar-ark before. All the others positioned in chambers around the room looked terrified behind their respirators. Talon was calm. This was his one chance since the incident aboard the New Earth cruiser to be distracted by something other than debilitating thoughts of how Sage betrayed them. No. Of how he’d allowed her into their circle… Of how he’d led Ulson and Vellish to their dooms, deceived by beauty like a young fool, and of how now he was never going to see Elisha again.
“Two.”
To some degree, he hoped the transfer would kill him. That would be the least I deserve. It seemed like a nice way to die—quick and painless. Though, truthfully, every option sounded preferable to spending the rest of his abridged life deteriorating aboard a solar-ark until he was a helpless cripple.
“One.”
There came a deafening clap. Talon wanted to keep his eyes open to watch, but it was impossible. His body was enveloped in such crushing pressure that he thought all his bones were ready to snap. His face felt as though it were being peeled back over his skull, which in turn felt like it was going to crush his brain. The ship buster he’d ridden into battle was nothing in comparison.
Then, as if nothing had even happened… silence. He found himself floating in the same position, huffing into his respirator. His head pounded. His stomach was curdling, and the soreness had returned all over, but he was alive.
The straps came off him and the gelatinous liquid drained until his feet tapped down lightly. When he tried to stand, a powerful sense of dizziness seized him. He fell onto his knees and vomited, which didn’t help make his ribs feel any better. When he was done, he glanced around to see that the dozen or so others inside the room all had the same reaction.
“I remember my first time!” A man chuckled. He rode a circular lift descending through a shaft of light in the ceiling. “There is no shame in it.” He placed his hand on one of the other new arrivals cursed with the blue death who continued violently heaving. “Let it all out. We’ll clean it. You will be safe here.”
The man had a gentle voice, one that made it hard to doubt the earnestness in his words.
“Welcome to the solar-ark Amerigo, Keepers!” he announced. “Named after o
ne of the last empires of Earth, this vessel has sailed the Circuit since its fall. I am Tarsis Yoler, and it will be my great honor to be the first to walk you through the halls the Ancients built for us.”
When Talon was able to center his vision, he saw something he didn’t expect. The man’s eyes were blue as glass and the veins on his temples shone as bright as an ion engine. He was thin and had an intentionally messy beard, which helped conceal the progress of the blue death.
He stood erect, wearing an extensive exoskeletal suit that appeared like it could’ve once been the frame of a mining mech. A body-shaped core wrapped around his torso, extending to a brace beneath his chin. Bulky artificial limbs stemmed from it, latching onto his arms and legs like a metallic parasite.
The others around the room scrambled to their feet to join Tarsis on the lift. Their symptoms were far less noticeable, but Talon had no difficulty recognizing them. They were all around the same stage as he. All dying, all damned to spend the rest of their cursed lives aboard the Amerigo.
“No need to gawk,” Tarsis said to Talon. “There are many accommodations here that serve to prolong life.”
Talon didn’t even realize he’d been staring. Tarsis’ suit was like nothing he had ever seen throughout the Ceresian colonies. He tried to stop looking, but as he approached the lift, his eyes were drawn back to get a closer look at Tarsis’ face. It wasn’t wrinkled, but his eyes were drawn back into darkened sockets. His skin was sallow, and he appeared exhausted despite the happy-go-lucky demeanor he was trying to present.
“How long have you had it?” Talon asked.
Tarsis rubbed his chin. “Oh, probably more than three years by now,” he said. “You’d be happy to look as good as I do after so long! Outside this ship it’d be impossible. First, we get nano-suits, and when they’re not enough, we get these.” He bent his arm, the mechanical suit hissing from every joint as he did. He studied his hand, five slivers of tech running over each of his fingers. “Still moving though. We all must move. Otherwise, we might as well be dead.”
The lift stopped and Tarsis stepped out. Each of his steps was noisy and accentuated, like angry pistons firing off. It wasn’t much different from the mechs Julius operated on Kalliope, though small enough not to make the ground rumble.
They emerged into a hallway so immense that it made the Ascendant’s seem narrow, though the interior was far less pristine. It had an old-world look to it. Everything was exposed—all the circuitry, pipes and lighting systems. They proceeded along a grated floor with more life-support systems running under it. Everything made a noise. The soft purr of running liquid was audible, and tech in every direction either beeped or whistled.
Tarsis led them through the complex network of passages. There were areas of translucency, with views into space so expansive that Talon felt like he was going to be sucked out. He could get glimpses through them of the ark’s golden solar sail stretching from the bow. He’d never before known how stunning the shimmering surface looked against a backdrop of stars. Or how tremendous it was.
Dozens of other Keepers serving aboard the Amerigo passed by as they followed Tarsis. Most of them wore black nano-suits with highlights of glowing blue, like a mark so that they could never forget their disease. Some wore the same full exoskeletal rigs as Tarsis.
After what seemed like forever, they made their way down a grand staircase leading into what appeared at first to be a great hall. The interior of the lengthy space was empty except for a single woman standing in the center, facing away from them. Talon couldn’t tell what she was looking at until they were all the way down.
So this is how they keep us alive. The rumors are true, Talon marveled.
Lining both walls were hundreds of transparent chambers with frozen human beings occupying nearly half of them. They were stripped down to their underwear, tubes stuck into their arms, legs, and chests. He could tell by the varying brightness of their veins that each of them shared Talon’s affliction.
“Thank you, Tarsis. I can take them from here,” the woman they approached said in a smooth, matronly voice. She then turned around with the supreme refinement of a military officer. Her appearance matched her comportment. One half of her blonde hair was shaved, the other chopped neck length and perfectly straightened to frame a sharp cheek. Her lips drew a straight line, downward drooping wrinkles at the corner like she’d never smiled.
She wore an elegant black-and-gold tunic, the lapel covered in what looked like marks of valor. Loose fabric at the shoulders billowed, simulating the start of a cape that didn’t exist. She was clearly important. Most notable to Talon, however, was that she definitely did not have the blue death.
“My pleasure, Captain Varns,” Tarsis said. His suit whined as he raised his hand to a salute. “Shall I resume my duties?”
Captain Varns sent Tarsis off with a nod and folded her arms neatly behind her back. “We are the Keepers of the Circuit,” she stated categorically.
She didn’t order them to, but Talon and the others naturally formed a line. She had a commanding presence.
“I don’t know why you are here, or why fate took a shit on your lives,” she said. “What I do know is that you are here. I am Elriga Varns, the captain of this ark. This position has been passed down through my family since the fall of Earth.” She stepped down the line, sizing them up one at a time. When she came to Talon, she stopped to get a closer look at the scrapes on his face and the tattered rags the Tribune had dressed him in.
Varns resumed her speech while she scrutinized him. “I would say it is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, but it is no real pleasure at all. If you are the damned, then I am your shepherd.” Finally, she grunted Talon’s way and moved on. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. “I don’t know what any of you have heard about our order, but let me put it simply: We serve the continued perseverance of humanity. We are aligned to no faction but that of our species. My duty and yours is to keep this vessel running along the Circuit. To provide for all her peoples no matter what their creed. That is it. We will serve here, and we will die here.”
Die here, Talon thought darkly. For some reason he found it ironic. He meant to hold back his snicker, but it came through softly. Captain Varns stormed back over to him and glared into his eyes. His cheeks went red.
“Funny, isn’t it?” she growled. “There is always one who doubts the importance of our role!”
“I don’t doubt it,” Talon countered. All the awe from seeing the Amerigo was beginning to wear off as he considered the situation that had brought him aboard it. “But favoring the Tribune seems to counter your—what did you call it?—simple outline.”
“Another Ceresian who thinks he knows something.” The word rolled off Varns’ tongue with salt. “Tell me, do you monitor our shipments or just believe what your always trustworthy clans tell you? The Tribune may control Earth, but we keep you and your ilk alive despite how they may feel about you. Resist all you want, but you are a Keeper of the Circuit now and until the end. So, are you done?”
Talon stammered a bit before deciding not to say anything. The captain was right. He had no idea if anything that Zaimur Morastus or any others had said about them being low on gravitum or supplies was true. People had suffered low gravity in the deeper regions of Ceresian asteroid colonies for centuries before the Tribune was even a thought. But for whatever reason, even as he remained quiet, Talon couldn’t shake the feeling that the Keepers were slowly losing their impartiality, and the captain’s attitude was doing nothing to dispel that assertion. She seemed defensive.
“Good,” Captain Varns said, wheeling around with perfect precision. She approached the human-filled chambers on the wall. “These are your lives.” She patted the glass above one of the dormant Keepers. The man within didn’t respond, though Talon thought he could see the man’s eyelids flutter a bit.
“You will receive nano-enhanced boilersuits that will amplify your muscles enough to help you move until the disease progres
ses too far,” Captain Varns said. “They have been worn by countless Keepers before you and will be worn by countless ones after you’re all dead. When that is not sufficient, you will be provided additionally with one of the exo-suits you saw ark-liaison Tarsis wearing. When that no longer helps you, you will die. It is a sad truth, but it is a certain one. There is no cure for the blue death. We can, however, prolong your lives, so you can make something useful of them.” There was no grief in her voice. She he had clearly given the speech so many times that she’d grown numb to the actual meaning behind the words.
“What is it?” one of the newcomers behind Talon asked.
“These are cryo-chambers,” Captain Varns replied. “The Ancients once dreamed they could help on long trips to other stars. A fool’s errand. Today, they work tirelessly to slow the progress of the blue death. Using these chambers can grant you a year of extra life, sometimes more. You will each spend weeks at a time inside your own, on rotation, servicing this vessel until you are of no further use to the Circuit. You will perform your duties admirably, and you will learn every nook and cranny the Amerigo has to offer. This I promise you. For now, my XO will begin shift assignment. For those first going under ice, we will be passing over Titan in a few days. Expect to see more new faces when you wake up.”
Talon ignored the rest of what Varns said after that. Instead, he stood staring at the dormant man lying within the chamber in front of him, as if he were an overgrown fetus. He appeared peaceful, but the sight sent a shiver up Talon’s spine. This was where he was supposed to die? In a frozen casket.
No, he decided as his fingers ran over the cool glass. I will get out of here. I’ll see Elisha again.
35
Chapter Thirty-Five—Sage
Sage rubbed her dry eyes to try to keep herself awake. Then she shuffled through the navigation screen on the one-person fighter Tribune Benjar Vakari had provided to her. She wasn’t far from Titan, so she switched off autopilot and took control.
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