Calling Tower (The Calling Tower Saga Book 1)

by Josh Leone

  Seth, Vig, and Iyanna packed themselves into the engine access tunnels, securing the hatch from the inside. At the least this would mean that the pirates would have to cut their way in; not a happy prospect when those inside the tunnels had weapons. Seth figured at worst he might be able to take one or two of the pirates with him before they tossed in a gas grenade.

  Iyanna kissed Jonah and there was a feeling of saying ‘goodbye’ in the gesture. She refused to let him see her tear up. Iyanna knew Jonah was an Honored Returned but that was an abstract concept. To her he was a man, strong and brave yes, but still flesh and blood. Without a word she followed Vig into the tunnels. Seth was not as reluctant to speak.

  “Negotiating, huh? Well, nice knowing you, kid.”

  “And you as well, Captain Okan.”

  Jonah made his way down to the cargo box. Minutes later, the airlock cycled and the inner door opened revealing three pirates; two men and one woman, all heavily armed. The woman’s body posture revealed her as the captain of the pirate crew. She wore a solid looking laminate breast plate and carried what looked like a modified Legion pulse rifle.

  “You the Captain of this tub?” she asked.

  “No. I am here to negotiate.”

  “Negotiate?” she laughed. “Well you are a fine looking specimen of manhood but not more fine than the credits I’ll get for this boat after it’s chopped. Tell you what, you stand aside and cause no trouble and maybe I’ll make you my toy.”

  “Thank you for the offer but you misunderstand. I’m not here to negotiate for my survival. I’m here to negotiate for yours.”

  To their credit the pirates reacted quickly but only relative to human reaction times. Honored Returned operated on an entirely different level. Basic combat logic dictated removing the leader first. Jonah’s nano-armor activated instantly, swarming over his skin just as his open, rigid hand penetrated the pirate captain’s breast plate. The laminated ballistic armor offered almost no resistance to Jonah’s strike. The pirate captain seemed more surprised than pained by the fatal injury.

  Jonah pulled his hand out of her chest while bringing his other hand around to connect with one of the men’s jaw hard enough to shatter bone and break the man’s neck. The remaining pirate had drawn his pistol and fired a single shot into the side of Jonah’s armored head. The high velocity slug flattened against the silver armor, all but a fraction of its power dissipated across the entire surface of the nano-swarm.

  The helmet of Jonah’s armor, like that of most Honored Returned, was utterly featureless. It had been determined in psychological testing that a completely blank surface was often more unsettling to both human and alien opponents than was any other visage. Jonah saw the proof of this in how fast the third pirate dropped his weapon, held up his hands, and backed away.

  “I am glad our negotiations were successful,” said Jonah. “How many are still on your ship?”

  “Two.”

  “How well armed are they?”

  “Like us.”

  “What is the access code for your airlock?”

  “Two-Alpha-Four-Four-Tango-Delta.”

  “I’m going to have my crewmates keep an eye on you. You will do exactly as they tell you to do.”

  “Yes, sir. Don’t kill me, sir.”

  Jonah brought the pirate up to the main cabin and placed him the custody of an amazed Seth.

  “There are still two in the ship. I’ll take care of it.”

  Seth, Vig, and Iyanna did not reply, they merely stared at Jonah with open mouths and wide eyes.

  “I’m afraid the cargo box will need to be cleaned.” With that, Jonah left the Journey for the pirate ship. The looks they’d given him left him feeling uncomfortable.

  One pirate was waiting for him on the other side of the airlock. The man was laid low by a single blow, never to rise again. The pilot must have seen what happened on vid because when Jonah reached the bridge his way was blocked by a locked hatch. It presented no great obstacle. Jonah tore the hatch from its hinges revealing a very scared looking young woman with a pistol pointed at his chest.

  “This will go quicker if you pull that trigger.” She did so achieving the same effect the pirate on the Journey had. That is to say, none at all.

  “I assume you wish to surrender now?” She did. “Come with me.”

  Jonah led the young woman past the dead pirates in the cargo hold and onto the Journey. Vig was already loading the bodies of the dead onto a grav-skiff, putting them back on their ship, laying them out beside their fallen comrade. Vig took a moment to compose the bodies in respectful repose and closed their eyes.

  When Jonah paused to look at the engineer, Vig responded by saying, “Everyone was someone’s child once.”

  The two living pirates remained silent, careful not to do anything threatening. Iyanna had been put in charge of them while Seth and Vig turned the tables and looted the pirate ship. Unlike their attackers however, the crew of the Enduring Journey had no intention of leaving the surviving pirates dead or drifting.

  But that didn’t mean they had to be generous. Seth and Vig took everything that wasn’t essential to maintaining engines, shields, and atmosphere. The looting took the better part of nine-hours, by the end of which the Journey’s cargo box was nearly full.

  “Good haul?” asked Iyanna as Seth and Vig, both covered in grime, grease, and smiles, came back up to the main cabin.

  “The weapon assemblies alone will fetch enough credits to keep our tanks full for months,” Vig said.

  “Turns out they’d hit a commercial transport full of engine parts just a few days ago,” supplied Seth. “They hadn’t had a chance to sell it, yet. If we work this right, we’ll put a small fortune into our account.”

  “What do we do with these two?” Iyanna gestured to the prisoners.

  “Put them back on their ship.” Seth turned to face the pirates, thinking not for the first time about how young the kids looked. Twenty, maybe twenty-two years old? Not much younger than Jonah. When had he started looking at people that age as, ‘kids?’

  “You two be on your way. Next time I see you I send you on a walk without a suit. Got it?”

  “Yes, sir,” said the boy.

  “Yes,” said the girl.

  The pirate ship left without incident. Seth had left the ship with half a dozen charged power cells for its cannons and he was glad to see the kids… the pirates, he reminded himself, the pirates, were smart enough to realize it was a better idea to save their limited ammo than to fire a parting shot.

  When the pirate ship was far enough away it opened a phase gate and was gone. Seth plotted a course and sent his own ship into the safety - previous experience not withstanding - of phase space.

  With the ship flying on its straight line course, and it being unlikely that any giant Legion ships would be pulling her out of phase space any time soon, Seth called everyone into the main cabin.

  “I’m not much for speeches so I’m going to make this as plain as possible.” Seth paused, waiting for the words to come to him. When they did he shook his head and continued.

  “Vig and I have been talking and we’ve made some decisions. First, Jonah.”

  The young man looked up from where he sat. He’d been distant since he’d killed the pirates and Seth figured he knew why. Seth knew that he, Vig, and even Iyanna had looked at Jonah like he’d sprouted horns when he’d finished doing what had to be done. Seth regretted that. The kid had saved all of their lives and managed to spare two of the pirates. Pretty good when Seth thought about it.

  “Jonah, what you did back there… it was something. I didn’t know what to make of it at the time, but the fact is you saved us. I don’t take people into my trust easily. But I’ve come to think you’re a decent sort. Vig and I have been talking and we’ll help you however we can.”

  Jonah smiled and looked like he’d just relaxed from holding his breath. “Thank you, Captain.”

  “Call me Seth. No one calls me Captain
.”

  “Damn straight, Cap’n.”

  “No one but Vig calls me Captain. I only let him do so because he’s old, half senile, and requires consistency to function in everyday life. Isn’t that right, Vig?”

  “Sorry, Cap’n, couldn’t hear you. I was busy changing your diaper and finding your blankie. You know how you get if you miss nappy time.”

  Seth smiled but let the retort pass without response.

  “Iyanna, your next.” The girl was suddenly uncomfortable. She’d tried to be helpful but in the end she knew she was still just a watchdog on a Legion leash.

  “The way I figure it, you’re not doing the Legion’s bidding willingly. They’re holding something over your head. Given what I know of you now I’m guessing they’re holding your ship as ransom.”

  “They scrapped my ship. They promised to give me enough credits to buy a new one. If I don’t do what they say they’ll leave me grounded and put me on the lists.”

  “Well,” Seth said. “I can’t help you with the lists. But I can tell you that even being on the Ex-lists; it’s not the end of the world.”

  “Maybe not when you have a ship,” Iyanna said.

  “True enough,” Seth said. “We can’t buy you your own ship but Vig and I could offer you a place on this one. Work hard, do your part, and in time you might be able to save enough credits to buy a decent secondhand ship.”

  “You’d make me crew?” It was a lifeline. She’d been hoping for some kind of option, even a thin one. She knew it wasn’t likely that she’d ever save enough working crew on the Journey to purchase a ship like her Gathering Storm. Not even close. But if she stayed with Seth and Vig she would be treated with respect and, most important, she would keep flying.

  “I don’t guarantee an easy time of it but yes, if you want, you could join the family.”

  “Yes,” she said. “Yes, I’d like that very much. I promise you won’t regret it.”

  As he watched Vig head back to the tunnels and Jonah and Iyanna head to their cabin (they’d elected to share one) he recognized something. As much as he loved Vig, the Journey had often felt empty, as though it were constantly waiting for a full crew. Now the ship felt comfortably full and Seth found he liked the feeling very much. He’d told Iyanna she could join the family. Seth realized that that was exactly what he’d been missing, family.

  ◊

  Jonah was grateful to Seth and the others for accepting him and offering their help in his mission. But he was also frightened for them. They may have thought they were ready to help but they could not know the danger in that offer. A few pirates paled in comparison to the threat posed by Caller Vashek. Jonah could not imagine a more dangerous opponent.

  ‘Your new friends are in danger but so are all beings if Vashek succeeds. It is our burden to make such decisions.’

  “But how can I put them… put her in danger?” Jonah asked, whispering so a sleeping Iyanna would not hear him.

  ‘Even among my kind it was always difficult to have a lover. Some would say that our lives are not meant for such things.’

  “In the PoPros we learned that one of things that made the Callers special is their ability to control their thoughts and feelings. Primacy children are taught that learning to control one’s mind is a worthy goal. I thought I had learned that lesson well. But she has broken through my mental walls and I would not change that if I could.”

  ‘When I was young, barely more than a century old, I had a wife. She was an artist. Her paintings fired my soul and I burned for her.’

  “What happened to her?”

  ‘Nature. She died peacefully and it was the most painful moment of my existence. Yet I would not trade a single moment of our life together to spare myself that pain.’

  “How did you know it would be worth the pain?”

  ‘My young brother, I did not know. But I had faith.’

  “Yes. Iyanna has helped restore mine.’

  ‘Such is love’s power.”

  “What should I do?”

  ‘Take the risk. Love her. Love her with your entire being for as long as you can and know that each moment you have with her is a gift.’

  “Thank you, brother. I am grateful for your presence”

  ‘I am here for you, my brother.’

  Jonah lay back down in the bed, putting one arm over Iyanna’s sleeping form, careful not to wake her. He turned up his hearing and found sleep in the rhythm of her heart. He was content.

  ◊

  The invitation had come as a surprise. Caller Teresk viewed the invitation again, though she already knew there was no additional information to be gained from it. Vashek invited her to discuss their differences privately at a time and location of Teresk’s choosing. Teresk assumed it was part of one of Vashek’s elaborate plots, but if so then why had he allowed her to determine the time and setting? Certainly Vashek, no matter how insane he was, did not intend to assassinate her himself. What would be the point?

  Teresk sent word back, stating that she would be honored to host Caller Vashek in her home for a discussion of the relevant issues. Teresk halfway expected Vashek to refuse. Having the dinner in Teresk’s heavily guarded private estate would put Vashek at her mercy. But minutes later a response was sent stating that Vashek would be honored to attend.

  “Holy Mother, please protect me as I invite a viper into my house. Amen.”

  “Amen, indeed. Though perhaps it would be best to add action to prayer. This dinner would be an excellent opportunity to neutralize Vashek.”

  “By the Holy Mother, Pirom,” Teresk said to her house A.I. “Aren’t you supposed to be prohibited from such bloodthirsty thinking?”

  “Caller Sarthol, in his wisdom, felt it would be better to remove such inhibitions so that I might provide counterpoint to his inherently peaceful nature.”

  “Well,” Teresk said. “It’s an impossible idea. You know as well as I do that Vashek can’t be killed.”

  “I did not say ‘kill,’ I said ‘neutralize.’ There is a very nice wine cellar beneath this estate where Vashek could be made quite comfortable for a decade or two. Enough time for his network of contacts and operatives to degrade, for you to gather your own resources, and perhaps time enough to convince the Council of his madness?”

  “And how would we explain his absence?”

  “It is not unheard of for a Caller to enter periods of private reflection, sometimes lasting many years. It is not as common now as it once was but Sarthol himself was known to meditate for extended periods aboard Eden, his private space station.”

  “Sarthol never took me to Eden,” Teresk said.

  “It belongs to you now,” responded Pirom. “Perhaps you should take a vacation there sometime?”

  “Perhaps,” said Teresk. “If I survive the coming weeks maybe a vacation will be in order.”

  “You could always take my suggestion regarding Vashek.”

  “Let’s,” Teresk said, “call that ‘Plan B.’ For now let’s just concentrate on this dinner.”

  “As you wish.” Teresk detected a hint of disappointment in the computer’s voice.

  ◊

  Dr. Levin’s call was patched directly though to Vashek. The doctor was excited at having positive news to report; news that would insure Levin’s funding would remain constant.

  “Doctor,” Vashek said. “Time is short. Make this quick.”

  “Of course, Caller,” Levin said. “I have wonderful news. The bioform has been initiated successfully.”

  “Indeed, doctor that is good news. What of the forced maturation process?”

  “Ah, well. It is on schedule but again I must warn that the deadline you set presents significant risk of cellular replication errors. If something goes wrong we may not be able to catch it before it propagates.”

  “I have faith in your abilities doctor. Do not fail me. I would hate to lose your services.”

  Vashek knew he was pressing Levin too hard. The doctor was a weak man, one
that would crumble under too much pressure. People like Dr. Sean Levin gave proof to Vashek’s belief that humanity needed a stronger hand to guide it, to help it evolve into something greater than its current form. First Vashek would make himself God and then he would lead humanity to glory beyond its wildest imaginings.

  “Doctor, I am confident you can handle this issue. I would not have placed you in charge of such an important task otherwise.”

  “Yes, Caller. Thank you. I will do my best.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  Vashek ended the call; only then realizing that he’d been gripping the edge of a solid oak table hard enough to leave dents in the shape of his fingers tips. Loss of emotional control. He made a mental note to watch that more carefully. It wouldn’t do to have his emotions rule him at this stage in the plan.

  The message Vashek had sent to Caller Teresk had been answered promptly, as he’d known it would be. It would have been bad form for her to turn down the invitation. On the surface the Council of Callers was supposed to be one big happy family in service to the Holy Mother. The truth was far more complex. But forms had to be observed, which meant Teresk had no choice but to accept an invitation to settle differences, particularly since Vashek had offered to let Teresk determine the time and place, giving her a significant, if illusory, advantage.

  “Caller, your car is ready.” Franks’ voice came through the intercom, even and controlled yet with its usual tinge of barely suppressed rage. Vashek once more approved of his trusted P.A. Franks was unquestionably deserving of his place in the new order of things. If only all sentient creatures were like Franks. Well, soon they would have that opportunity.

  “I will be down shortly,” Vashek said.

  The car took Vashek to his private landing pad from which one of his many private ships carried him away from Earth and into phase space. The trip was a short one during which Vashek spent his time in mediation regaining control of his emotions. Upon exiting phase space the view ahead was almost filled with the giant form of the world-ship, Judgment.