by Thomas Fay
Roger D’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he tightened his grip on the lunar disruptor.
‘Used to?’
‘Yes. I resigned and came to Alpha Centauri to start a new life.’
‘What exactly did you do for them, John?’
‘I was stationed on Erebus Prime, working on the Zenith-class frigates and Raptor heavy fighters.’
‘You’re telling me that a Space Navy tech just happens to handle weapons like you do? Can infiltrate a prison ship and bypass their security systems?’
‘Basic training is comprehensive. Combat training is a critical element of any cadet’s education. So, yes, that is what I’m saying.’
Roger D stared at me for a long time. I met his gaze without flinching. I was thankful for my Lazarus implant, which prevented the Centaurians from giving me away. I had to trust that Selize wouldn’t betray me to Dayna. I had no reason not to.
Slowly, Roger D lowered his weapon.
‘To be honest, I don’t know what to make of you, John. You helped me save Dayna and you’ve proven yourself several times already but this …’
‘I’m on your side,’ I said.
‘We’ll see,’ Roger D said. ‘Right now, we need to get Marvik. When we’re done, you and I are going to sort this out.’
28.
Roger D, Selize and I walked back into the Flaming Orion bar. Inside, it looked the same, with just as many intoxicated patrons illuminated by the same garish neon lighting. I took in every detail of every person, searching for hidden weapons or the slightest movement that would betray their true intentions. I had been in countless such situations before but I’d never had as much to lose as I did now. I gripped Selize’s hand tightly.
Relax, John, Selize spoke directly into my mind.
She was wearing a full-length grey one-piece with a hood. It was a poor disguise but it would at least prevent casual onlookers from realising she was Centaurian.
I’ll relax when you’re safely back aboard the Helios Ark and we’re in Alpha Centauri space surrounded by those Centaurian fighters.
Selize smiled as she squeezed my hand. I tightened my grip on the lunar beam weapon in my other hand as I continued to scan the bar. We made it to the private rooms without incident. Roger D pulled back the energy curtain to room IV.
‘I’m glad to see you made the right decision,’ Horris said. He motioned with his sizeable hand for us to sit down. We obliged.
‘Alright, we’re here. Now where’s Marvik?’ Roger D asked.
‘I don’t see Dayna,’ Horris said. ‘But judging by this beauty sitting before me, I’d say you too are a Centaurian.’
I placed the lunar beam weapon on the table, the business end inches away from Horris’s sizeable midsection.
‘Let’s get on with this,’ I said.
Horris laughed.
‘It seems the stories about Centaurians are true. Tell me, do you still get the headaches or does that stop after the mating period?’
I slid the photon accelerator into place and nudged the weapon closer to Horris. He laughed again.
‘Very well, my friend. Let’s get down to business.’
Horris leaned across the table, which was an impressive feat given his size. I moved the lunar beam weapon back below the table. I left it charged.
‘First, you get the information I need, then I tell you where to find Marvik’s contact.’
‘That’s not what we agreed,’ Roger D said.
‘Well, my friend, that’s the way it has to be. Take it or leave it.’
Roger D looked at me. I nodded.
‘Alright, Horris. Who do you want us to read for you?’ Roger D asked.
‘Go to the end bar, the Frozen Nebula. There’ll be a patron in a private room, number VII. I’ve arranged for you to have the room next door. You should be able to read them from there.’
I looked at Selize. She nodded.
‘We’ll be back. You’d better be here,’ I said, standing up.
Horris gestured to his obese frame.
‘Do I look like I’m going anywhere in a hurry? Besides, I’ve just ordered another bottle of Jovian wine. I’ll be here.’
We left the private room. Walking back through the bar, I experienced that same tingling sensation at the back of my head as before. Just as quickly it was gone. I looked at Selize.
‘I felt it too,’ she said.
‘What is it?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know … it felt strangely familiar.’
I looked around the bar. It still looked the same but now it had taken on a more sinister undertone. Every holographic projection that sprang to life made me grip the lunar beam weapon tighter. We made it back out onto the concourse and located the Frozen Nebula bar. We walked inside.
‘Private rooms—this way,’ Roger D said. We followed him through a similar crowd of drunken and stimmed patrons. I saw a few tense glances cast our way.
‘I don’t like this,’ I whispered. Not even the solid feel of the beam weapon was capable of providing any comfort.
‘Neither do I. Let’s do this and get out of here,’ Roger D said.
We reached the private rooms. Locating the room Horris had reserved for us, we pulled back the shimmering energy curtain. Roger D and I lifted our weapons to a firing position at the same time as the inside of the room was revealed.
‘I’ve been expecting you,’ Lars Marvik said.
29.
Marvik was seated in the centre of the private room. A bottle of Jovian wine rested on the table in front of him, with a single glass. A handheld liquid data tablet lay beside them. Marvik looked decidedly undisturbed by the sight of the weapons we held aimed at him.
‘Marvik,’ Roger D said, taking a step forwards. ‘I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on you. You’re going to pay for what you did to Dayna and me, and for the crew of the Hyperion.’
Lars Marvik laughed.
‘You never could see the bigger picture, could you?’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Do you really think this was all about a few bars of centurium?’
That strange tingling sensation returned as the base of my skull felt like a sine wave was passing through it. Selize gripped my arm, digging her nails in.
‘John!’
‘What is it?’
‘Proxians!’
The moment she said it, four dark shapes materialised inside the private room: tall, slender females with dark hair, jet-black eyes and mauve skin. Roger D and I swung around, trying to cover them with our weapons.
Lars Marvik stood up. The Proxians moved closer to us.
‘This would be the part where you put your weapons down,’ he said, gesturing with his arm.
‘That’s not going to happen, Marvik,’ I said.
‘You do realise that Proxians have the ability to move in and out of dark space? Your weapons are all but useless against them,’ Marvik said.
I had read the Space Navy Intelligence briefings on the Proxians. I knew what he had said was true. What I didn’t know was why they were here, helping him.
‘What the hell is going on here, Marvik?’ I asked.
Marvik’s lips curled up into a vicious grin.
‘I really should thank you for being so utterly predictable. I knew it would be almost impossible to get a Centaurian out of Alpha Centauri. But you brought one here, into Proxima Centauri space.’
I aimed the beam weapon directly at Marvik.
‘And now we’re going to walk back out with her.’
Marvik’s smile disappeared. He raised his arm. One of the Proxians vanished. She reappeared behind me. I spun around, bringing the beam weapon to bear. Before I could pull the trigger, the Proxian disappeared. She rematerialised behind Marvik.
‘Like I said, your weapons are useless against them.’
Brace yourself, Selize’s voice spoke into my mind.
What are you going to do?
Trust me.
; A persistent buzzing spread throughout the room. Only it wasn’t actually in the room—it was inside my head. Judging by the expression on Marvik’s face and the Proxians’, they heard it too. Then the sound modulated to a higher pitch. Roger D and I experienced a mild discomfort. Lars Marvik and the four Proxians experienced something very different as they fell to the ground clutching their heads.
Roger D dropped down and grasped Marvik’s one-piece, preparing to hoist him over his shoulder.
‘Leave him!’ I shouted.
‘He’s going to pay for what he did to Dayna!’
I grabbed Roger D’s shoulder.
‘Damn it, Roger! We need to get out of here.’
Roger D looked at me for a moment. I could see the anger blazing in his eyes. Then his gaze flicked to Selize. He stood up.
‘You’re right, of course. Lead the way.’
We left the private room and raced back through the bar. Reaching the concourse, we sprinted for the turbo-lift. Once inside, we hit the button for the docking level. The doors slid shut with a faint hiss of air.
‘Dayna’s got the ship ready to go,’ Roger D said.
‘If what Marvik said is true that may not be enough,’ I said.
‘What do you mean?’
Instead of replying, I turned to Selize.
‘What do the Proxians want?’
‘I don’t know. There’s been a truce between the Centaurians and the Proxians for almost a century. The ten-year war that preceded it was the most violent and bloody chapter in our specie’s history.’
‘I remember studying the Proxo-Centaurian war at the Space Navy Academy. It was one of the largest mobilisations ever undertaken, involving the deployment of the entire First and Second fleets.’
Selize nodded.
‘Without the Space Navy’s intervention we would still probably be at war. Your people saved us, John. The Proxians retreated into the Proxima Centauri system and haven’t ventured out since. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a Proxian.’
‘I guess now we know where Marvik got that neutronium disintegrator. But what is he doing with the Proxians?’
‘I don’t know but it can’t be good.’
‘What do we do now?’ Roger D asked.
‘We need to get Dayna and Selize out of Proxima III and back into Alpha Centauri space where they’ll be safe. Don’t forget—we’re currently inside Proxima Centauri space. If they capture either of them then this could escalate into a full-blown interstellar incident.’
Roger D’s eyes opened wide.
‘Damn Marvik. What’s he gotten us into?’
30.
The turbo-lift doors slid open on the docking level. The corridor was empty.
‘It’s quiet,’ I said.
‘Too quiet,’ Roger D said. ‘Be ready for anything.’
I stepped out, followed by Roger D and Selize. Running along the narrow corridor, we slid to a sudden halt. Half-a-dozen Proxians blocked our path. They raised their fusion pistols.
I didn’t hesitate. I raised the fully charged lunar beam weapon to a firing position and unleashed a steady stream of azure energy. The Proxians dropped back into dark space before the beam could touch them. The azure energy sliced into the walls of the asteroid base, cutting deep into the dark-grey rock. I realised what I had just done was tantamount to declaring war on the Proxians. I didn’t care. Getting Selize to safety was my only concern. Besides, I was no longer part of the Space Navy. My actions were an unsanctioned attack by a privateer, a simple act of piracy, at worst.
‘Go! I’ll stop them from following us,’ I shouted.
Roger D ran past me, followed by Selize. Roger D fired his lunar disruptor every time a Proxian appeared before us. I did the same with any behind us. We reached the corridor where the Helios Ark was docked. Roger D and I spun around and aimed our weapons down the corridor, forcing two Proxians back into dark space.
‘Get on board!’ I shouted. Selize ran towards the airlock, past several others. Just as she reached for the activation pad, one of the other airlocks cycled open. Two Proxians stepped out and grabbed her, pulling her inside.
‘John!’ Selize screamed.
‘Selize!’ I shouted. It was too late. The doors slid shut and Selize and the two Proxians disappeared down the docking corridor. Seconds later, the airlock cycled and their ship disengaged from the Proxima III asteroid base. I rushed to the viewport just in time to see the Proxian ship, an elongated matt-black pyramid shape, drift into the emptiness of space. Then it shimmered and vanished.
Selize!
John! Help me. They’re going to—
The telepathic link disappeared.
Selize? Selize!
I slammed my fist into the metallic cladding.
‘Damn it!’
‘I’m sorry, John,’ Roger D said. ‘It looks like their ships are capable of dark-space travel. We have no way of tracking them.’
I looked up at him. He was right, of course. There was only one way to get Selize back. I hated the thought of doing it but there was no way I was going to lose her.
‘I have a way.’
Roger D raised his eyebrows.
‘How?’
I realised I was about to reveal classified information. Then I thought of Selize and the rules and regulations that had governed my life for so many years felt meaningless. I had to get her back.
‘The Space Navy developed special covert ships which were capable of operating in dark space. It made them undetectable by conventional means. It was a highly classified project codenamed Spectre.’
‘I’ve never heard of it.’
‘Very few people have. Only the top echelons of Space Navy Command were privy to the project and allowed access.’
‘So how do you know about it?’
I didn’t reply as I walked back inside the Helios Ark. Reaching the main deck, I ignored the worried looks of the rest of the crew. I took a deep breath. My hand was poised above the coms relay. I let my breath out slowly as I input a classified communications code. Then I hit the button.
The ship’s coms relay established a connection to the nearest UEP deep-space satellite array. The code I had input would be prioritised above any other data traffic. The array would establish a minute portal to the nearest UEP gateway, which would relay my message to its final destination.
My communication was answered sixty seconds later.
‘This is Spectre Command. Identity yourself.’
I took another deep breath as I realised I was about to break every promise I had made to myself about never going back to the Space Navy. I’m sorry, Vanessa. I felt the weight of my betrayal even as the urgency to go after Selize permeated every fibre of my being. Finally, I replied.
‘Spectre Command, this is Rear Admiral John Stanton. Request deployment of a Spectre Squad in the Proxima Centauri system; rendezvous in the vicinity of the Proxima III asteroid base.’
‘Sir? The records state that you resigned your commission over two weeks ago.’
‘Then reinstate me, damn it! I’m in the midst of what could escalate to an interstellar incident between Alpha and Proxima Centauri. The daughter of a Centaurian star-port commander has been taken captive by Proxians. I need a Spectre Squad here. Now!’
There was a momentary silence. Then: ‘Acknowledged, Rear Admiral Stanton. Spectre Squad Alpha is the closest. They are en route. ETA one standard hour.’
I switched the coms off. Roger D and the rest of the crew had a stunned expression on their faces. Even Jeni, who had known I was Space Navy from the beginning, looked genuinely shocked.
‘Rear Admiral?’ Roger D finally managed to say.
‘Afraid so.’
****
I found Roger D sitting alone in the main cabin. He looked up as I entered but said nothing. I sat down on the couch across from him. We sat in silence for a while.
‘I’m sorry but I couldn’t tell you the truth,’ I said.
‘I guess it expl
ains a lot. I should have known. A part of me probably did but things got so crazy with Marvik and the prison ship that I went along with it.’
I nodded.
‘I was telling the truth before. I did resign from the Space Navy before I came to Alpha Centauri.'
‘Looks like you’re back in now.’
I took a deep breath as I realised what he had just said was true. I had unwittingly recommitted to the Space Navy for an indeterminate period of time. Only the admiral could release me and I was doubtful he’d do that again. Not after last time.
‘We’ll see. My only concern is getting Selize back. What happens after that …’
‘Happens. I know. You and I are both men cursed with the same affliction. We fell in love with Centaurians.’
I laughed.
‘True words.’
Roger D leaned forwards.
‘So you were … are… privy to Space Navy decisions at the highest level.’
I nodded. I had a feeling I knew where he was going with this.
‘Does Icarus have a chance at true independence?’
‘Honestly, I don’t know. The installation is the largest human settlement in space. It’s profitable. It has a powerful militia and the wealthiest free-merchant fleets in the known universe. But …’
‘The UEP will never allow us full independence.’
‘No, not likely. It would set an extremely dangerous precedent, one that could lead to the end of the UEP itself. Then there’s the issue of the Vasnikov Purists.’
Roger D nodded. ‘There are many on Icarus who support them. Some for political reasons, others purely for the prospect of free and unrestricted gateway travel. Free-merchant status is not cheap.’
‘We’ve long suspected that Icarus was the home base for the Purists. We could never prove it though.’
‘I don’t know if it is but they’ve definitely got a strong presence there. My brother, Callan, has dealt with them in the past.’
That surprised me. For the son of a wealthy free-merchant family to be involved with a radical group like the Vasnikov Purists meant their influence ran a lot deeper than the Space Navy had ever suspected.