by Andur
The buzzing of my apartment’s doorbell stops me dead in my tracks. I don't have any relationships on this world. If I don't count the nice guy in my office who is trying to invite me to dinner every day.
There no reason for anyone to visit me here at night. I head over to the door and activate the security system to see who is on the other side.
It's a man in a grey suit. I activate the speakers. “Yes?”
“Samantha Helm? There is something we need to speak to you about.” The man's voice answers over the microphones.
“Who are you? I wouldn't know what there is to speak about in the middle of the night.” I reply and step back from the door. The whole situation is fishy. Have they somehow found out that I am a mage? We ran through a lot of checkpoints when we entered the facility.
That's when I hear something smash through my apartment’s window right behind me. I instinctively turn around and send a bolt of electricity at the people who broke into my apartment. One of them is flung right out of the window, falling to his doom. This is the sixth floor, they must have roped down from the roof.
The two others are already advancing, shooting at me. I feel fine needles piercing my skin, sending jolts of electricity through my body. I use the energy to fuel and charge myself with it, firing lightning at the other two attackers.
But they move inhumanly fast, throwing off my aim! The first one who reaches me attempts to hit me, but the built up energy within me releases itself as he touches me. The resulting spark chars his flesh and the tensing of his muscles throws him backwards.
The third attacker reaches me and throws a violent kick against my belly. The force sends me flying and I impact the wardrobe behind me, breaking it. Strangely enough I feel no pain.
He lunges forward, but a ball-lightning from my open palm slays him before he reaches me.
I try to get up, but my legs don't move. I can't feel my lower body! With horror I realize that I was kicked seven metres through the room.
That's when the door to my apartment opens and the grey suit steps in. “I wish this would have gone down a little easier Mrs. Samantha, but we really want to know how a mage managed to become the aide of our beloved president?”
“How?” I gag and my body convulses suddenly.
“Don't be too hasty, we have more than enough time to talk. There was a powerful toxin on those needles. Though I believe that we should remove the stun-function. The electricity did nothing else than charging you.”
My head drops to the ground and the world turns dark.
Sol, Aether
Gideon
“I am home!” I call out as I enter the big mansion. My grandmother peeks around a corner of the entrance hall and rushes towards me. Then she hugs me fiercely, pressing her cool silver hair against my chin.
“Gideon, I am so glad that you are back! It would have been horrible if we had lost you too.” She starts sobbing.
“What are you talking about, Grandma. You won't lose me so fast.” I am a genetically enhanced... something human. It would be very uncool if someone with my case history would die for something less than saving his loved ones. That never happens in comic books.
“You mean you didn't hear it?” Finally Grandmother lets go of me. “Galia died during her mission. They don't even have her body for us to bury her.” She wipes away the tears from her face.
Suddenly it seems like the world drops away from under my feet. “What do you mean, died? The brute can't be dead! She is sturdier than a steelbar.”
Galia is like a small sister to me! She may be older, but the fact that she was mentally younger than me when we met makes her the smaller one.
Melan wipes a tear from her eye. “What's that outfit of yours?”
I look down on my black and grey uniform which is similar to the outfit of a faceless. “That's the official dress of the SDF. I got forcefully enlisted if you remember? I'll deal with it for the time being until it doesn't suit my purposes any more.”
Grandmother leads me back to the living room, where the rest of the family is gathered. I greet all of them and listen to their story.
All I knew about Galia's work is that she joined the office of foreign affairs, which is dealing with all matters concerning Earth. They are handling the immigration of mages from Earth into our society. There are actually still quite a few of them left on that shithole of a planet. They refuse to leave their home.
But that doesn't mean that their children want to live a life of hiding and so there is a small, but steady stream of people who turn their back our planet of origin.
Apparently Galia got appointed as a spy on Earth's government. And in a high position at that. She was the adviser of Earth's president, which isn't much more than being a secretary to be honest.
Her secret identity was Samantha Helm, a university graduate who was working her way upwards until she ended up in the president's party.
According to the reports she had a fucking car accident and the vehicle burned completely out, not leaving anything behind.
The OFA is relatively sure that she got found out, but they refuse to send anyone else into danger.
I lean back after listening to the story as it was told to me by Uncle Arend. Aunty Rhiannon broke out into tears while he was doing so.
“I thought she had some kind of desk job!” I furrow my forehead, realizing that someone is missing. “Where is Saden?”
“She's with Paul.” Hedeon smiles weakly and takes another sip of something alcoholic. “The two of them want to marry soon.”
“Ah. Finally. I wondered when Paul will collect the guts to ask her.” I answer with a sour voice. The two of them were beating around the bush since years.
Right now it feels like sharing my own adventure to the family can wait. I don't even want to tell it to them when they are already suffering. Though wouldn't it be better to tell it to them now? They can't feel any worse from it, can they?
I activate my ability to think over it long and hard. This is one of those delicate situations which Grandmother warned me of.
When I return from my forced isolation I stand up. “I've got to go somewhere for a few days. Don't worry, it's just a matter of the SDF. They have to debrief me about the mission in enemy space.”
I hug my grandmother and storm out of the room before anyone can stop my hasty retreat.
On my way out I access the net to get the location of the office of foreign affairs. Outside the mansion I hurry to the closest teleportation chamber and teleport to the street which is pointed out on the virtual map in my head.
From there I walk directly to the OFA which turns out to be a really big and expensive looking building. I head through a huge double door and end up in front of a secretary with red hair. She is smiling at me.
Steeling myself for what I am about to do I go over everything what I know about human interactions. I am always saying that I don't understand the actions and reactions of the average human, but that doesn't mean that I am unable to push their buttons if I want them to do something.
I don't return the gesture of her smiling face and pull an identifier card from my pocket instead. “My name is Gideon Alvar, captain of the SDF. Where is someone who can give me access to the reports of your active agents?”
The secretary looks intimated, just as I intended it. She answers with a stuttering voice. “Floor two, office 43B.”
“Thank you.” I leave before she can think about my right to be here. To my luck the SDF is a fairly new organisation which got tasked with the military defence of human occupied star systems. Not many people know how far our arm is actually allowed to reach, but it's not much shorter than that of the faceless.
Cyla and I already reported back to the SDF right after returning from our mission. We had to hand over all our gathered data to a staff of analysts and were debriefed on our mission.
After we gave our recommendations on which changes have to be made to the new ships we headed our own paths as we ba
rgained.
We also got a provisional rank inside the SDF, as we are the only people with actual combat experience. The SDF as it is now is just a random bunch of people with useful skills. To my luck the black and grey uniform which we got looks halfway intimidating.
Since mages are just humans with a little enhanced and mutated genetics at the end of the day, they are still bowing to authority. All I have to do is being bold enough to play my role.
A security guard falls to the same trick on my way up, then I search the office in question. After having figured out the system behind the office labels it takes just a short walk to my destination.
I open the door without knocking and enter. Inside I find a blue haired woman behind a desk. She is looking at me in a displeased manner.
I draw my card once more, carefully ensuring that my finger is above my family name, and rub it into the woman's face. “My name is Captain Gideon from the SDF. I have to research an important issue which is involving one of your agents. Give me access to all reports on and from Galia Alvar.”
“You have-” The battle-axe in front of me starts mocking up, but I hammer my flat hand onto the table in front of her. “I wouldn't delay this matter or did you fail to read the new guidelines regarding our offices? We have an alien incursion on our hands! You guys from the OFA went down two stairs when it comes to importance! So where are those FUCKING REPORTS!”
My voice went from low to screaming during my little speech. The woman looks at me like she just encountered a faceless who intends to hold her responsible for mass murder. She types a few commands into her computer. “Two rooms to the left is an empty office with a free computer. I made all the reports available to that device.”
I nod and return my card to my pocket. “I swear to you. We'll protect the world from the killer hamsters. They will not overrun this system.”
“Ki- Kil- Killer hamsters?” She gasps, not getting what's going on.
“Oh, sorry. You weren't cleared for that information yet? Don't worry. It'll be all over the news tonight.” I turn around and leave the office, hurrying to the indicated computer.
Probably I have only a handful of minutes until she gets over her shock and asks someone above her about my authorities. Luckily techno-mages can read really fast if they have to.
I enter the office which was pointed out to me and connect to the computer on the table, then I start reading.
Half an eternity later I am reading Galia's reports for the ninth time. Suddenly the device in front of me is forcefully disconnected and the screen goes black.
A projection of Sanguin appears in the room. He looks royally pissed off. “You do realize that you just misused the power which was given to you? You got your rank just two hours ago!”
I wave a hand at him. “Yes, yes. And do you realize that you wrote my cousin off as dead without even checking what the normals did to her?” I stab my finger at the black screen. “A car accident which completely burns the body? How stupid do you guys think I am? Cars don't burn in this day and age, even if you drop them off a cliff. It would take a damn tank wagon to do that!”
“Our policy regarding Earth says that we stay out.” Sanguin answers with a blank voice. “It's a normal's report. We didn't come up with that car-shit.”
“Yes, and our policy with the aliens says we stay away. Worked fine it seems.” I scowl, feeling something burning inside me. “The difference is just that they took one of our own this time and not just any wild mage.”
He tries to calm me down. “We are trying to find her, but the chances aren't good.”
“What's there to find. Her report says it all! Go in with your guns blazing and get her out!” I call out.
Sanguin closes his eyes and rubs the bridge of his nose. “You don't understand. We made agreements with the ruling powers of Earth. They don't touch those who stayed behind and in return we stay away.”
I gesture at the computer. “They don't touch those who stayed behind? Worked fine it seems. Looks like a major breach of contract from their side.”
“They only catch those who break their laws or are too stupid to hide their powers.” Sanguin replies weakly. “Galia knew the risk.”
“Either you get her back, or I'll use my not so small financial resources to tear that planet apart.” I whisper.
Sanguin starts chuckling. “That's the first time you are threatening to use your wealth. I wonder why you didn't do it when I enlisted you to the SDF? Your mother would be proud of you.”
“So what is your answer?” I ask.
Sanguin shakes his head. “I can't overturn the decision of the council. We will not show ourselves on Earth in numbers.”
“Then I'll go there alone and give them a little show of force.” I answer and mumble. “Maybe I should also drop a few words in front of the faceless about this dubious agreement.”
The elder's eyes turn glassy for several seconds. “That might just work. In the treaty we promised to never return in force. But sending a single ambassador might just work. I could get that through the decision process.”
“Don't call me an ambassador.” I answer.
“What then?” Saguin asks astounded.
“Call me a reminder of the past.”
30. ~Earth.~
“
The civilised powers of the Milky Way are a collection of species who have attained a certain level of technology and social stability which other races lack.
There are currently one hundred and seven such races. All of them gather every ten cycles close to the centre of the Milky Way to talk about matters of importance and dangers which threaten all of them.
It would be wrong to call this gathering a political government, because it isn't. It's just a platform to exchange information and thoughts between each other.
It's been long understood that there can be no unified government between groups who are so different that some have problems to follow each other's thought processes.
”
-Galactic History
Sol, Mars Colony
Cyla
“Gideon? This is madness. You can't go down to Earth alone!” I answer him via the secure link over which he called me.
“Actually I am already on Earth. They have a small and neat little base with a long range teleporter down here. Who would have thought that the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle are for real?” Gideon's voice answers me jokingly.
“I didn't mean that you should go and kill yourself when I said that we'll do our own stuff for two weeks. Isn't there anyone else who can do this?” I mumble disheartened.
“We are talking about my cousin, she is like a little sister to me. Actually I want you to do something for me. I can't do it myself because I think that Sanguin is going to supervise me. That old fart is as much a meddler as my mother.”
“You are speaking about our esteemed elder way to casually. But sure, I am currently on Mars though.” I answer and Gideon starts explaining what I have to do.
When he is done I nod to myself. “That sounds simple enough. Are you sure that you'll be okay?”
“Sure! Have a nice time during your holidays!” He hangs up without waiting for a reply. Holiday? Gideon, we still have a lot to talk about.
“Mrs. Estene? Where should I transfer the money?” The bank employee asks from across the table.
I raise my eyes and realize where I am. Gideon called me just when I was about to set the starting stone for a new business.
“Make a new account and transfer half the money there. I want no limits on that account.” I answer and wait until the banker is done. When I have all the data and access codes I leave the bank.
The Mars colony is a gigantic complex beneath the surface of Mars. Despite being the second colony which was settled, it's the biggest one in terms of population.
The moon, which was settled first, offers a harsher environment and requires more energy to sustain it. That's not the case with Mars, which isn't an easy
place to live in either. But it's much easier than living on the moon where people have to import almost all of the needed resources.
My family was among the first settlers on Mars. One of my ancestors developed the quantum computers which are used all over the solar system. Luckily we managed to keep the control over our invention. Though the network of relations to other companies, relatives and contracts spread too wide over the generations.
It can be hardly said that we are still controlling the market or have anything to say regarding the company. It's a little troublesome if a great fortune gets divided and subdivided again and again with each consecutive generation.
That means nonetheless that I've no trouble with money, though the loss of Oibras and my friends hit me. I check once more on their status and realize that one of them is on Mars.
My heart tightens when I realize that it's Amia Jefri the very one who managed to lure my current, future boyfriend to bed.
No, rules. What happens in that club stays between the people in question. And Amia is my friend, I should be happy that she survived. I draft a generic message in which I tell her that I am happy about her survival and ask to meet her.
After having sent the message I take a deep sigh and head home. My family of seven already welcomed me with tears. The only one who didn't show his happiness was my father. He didn't welcome my decision to stay in the SDF for the time being. My mother, two brothers and two sisters were overjoyed about my visit though.
I walk the streets of Underground City VII towards home when I get a VR request from an unknown source. With a bad feeling in my belly I step towards the wall to be out of people's way and take the call.
It's regarded as rude when a techno-mage simply takes a call and freezes up while standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
The one who appears inside my own virtual reality is nobody else than Sadina Alvar. Gideon didn't hold back when telling me about his mother in detail. She is everything that a mad scientist should be.
Sadina's avatar smiles. “Child, do you know where Gideon is? He is refusing to answer my calls. It's a bit annoying if you take into account that I am his psychiatrist.”