Veiled Designs: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Uprise Saga Book 3)

by Amy DuBoff

  “What makes you think I would?”

  She hesitated. “As committed as you were to your work, Ava is in the FDG. That’s a lifestyle, not just a job.”

  “I know, and I accept that.”

  “But do you really? It doesn’t bother you when she goes off on a mission to stars-know-where and is getting shot at or being infected with experimental nanocytes?”

  Luke’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of question is that? Of course it bothers me. But I accept it as a reality, and I’d never ask her to change who she is for me.”

  Karen smiled and chuckled to herself.

  “What?” Luke demanded, a bite in his voice.

  “You passed the test.”

  “Huh?”

  Karen met his gaze, soft and compassionate. “You love and accept her for who she is. Too many people fall in love with someone and expect them to be molded into the partner they want to have. But you understand what you’re getting into. That’s real. That’s what lasts.”

  Luke relaxed. “Oh, that.”

  “I know, sage analysis from the person who hasn’t ever held down a relationship for more than six months. But still, I know something that’ll last when I see it. I just haven’t been lucky enough to find that for myself.”

  “I’m in this one for the long haul, so you better say something now if you have concerns,” Luke cautioned.

  “I hope the FDG has dental insurance, because those fangs—”

  “Karen!”

  She laughed. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” His sister composed herself. “But seriously, I’m really happy you two got back together. I always liked her for you.”

  “Thanks, me too.”

  Karen straightened. “Oh! So I said this was partially a social call, but I did have one official bit of news to pass along.”

  “What’s that?” Luke asked.

  “I have a feeling something still isn’t right on Nezar.”

  Luke wiped his hands down his face. “Karen, not again. I won’t be your intermediary for getting help from the FDG.”

  She bristled. “I’m not requesting help. I’m just letting you know that I’m not yet convinced the problem was completely taken care of when Heizberg and her possessor died.”

  “Well—” Luke bit his tongue.

  “What were you about to say?”

  “Um.” Luke wished he were better at backpedaling. “Just because Heizberg died, doesn’t mean the alien presence died, too. Only that its control point was severed.”

  “That thing is still alive?”

  “I can’t say that with certainty,” he hedged, “but we’ll have more information once Ava and her team get back from their current mission.”

  “Shit! How many more of those things are out there?”

  “I have no idea. We think they’re based in Gidyon,” he revealed.

  Karen slumped back in her chair, dropping her image to the bottom half of the screen. “They were our neighbors this whole time?”

  “Keep that need-to-know,” he cautioned. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything to you, but since you’re investigating what went on there—what might still be going on—it seems like good information to have in the back of your mind.”

  She nodded absently. “Yes, thanks. I’ll learn what I can.”

  “Be careful, Karen. We don’t know the extent of what these aliens can do.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I can’t possibly get myself into as much trouble as I did last time.”

  Luke sucked in a breath. “Please don’t take that as a personal challenge.”

  She laughed. “No. I’m over trying to fix everything myself. My recent glimpse behind the scenes at how the FDG operates was a good reminder of how much more can be accomplished when we come together as a community.”

  “All right, I’ll hold you to it.”

  “Won’t be a problem.”

  Luke nodded. “Okay. Well, let us know if you come across anything concrete. I suspect we’ll learn a lot more on this end over the next day or two.”

  “Good luck,” Karen wished him back. “If there’s something still amiss, we’ll find out what it is and fix it.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  The Raven exited the Annex Gate that serviced the Alaxar Trinary. Rather than its usual route, the ship veered toward Gidyon—the place Ava had always been taught to avoid.

  In retrospect, she should have questioned the ban. Rarely were places completely off-limits. Of course, some systems had more environmental hazards than were worth messing with, but the fact that no one had ever given a definitive reason as to why Gidyon was such a bad place should have raised suspicions.

  As the Raven glided into Gidyon space in stealth mode, a feeling of profound disquiet overtook her.

  She wandered into the kitchen and stood by the back window, which afforded a clear view of the starscape beyond. It appeared peaceful… but anything could be lurking in the black.

  What kind of countermeasures do they have in place? If no one has documented this place before, there has to be something keeping people from reporting back.

  >>Ava, what are you thinking about? Your heart rate just spiked.<<

  Sorry, Ruby, Ava replied. I was wondering how the Dyons managed to keep people out of this system for so long. I grew up with stories that it was dangerous, but is that mythos enough?

  >>It’s more than folklore. There have been eight known disappearances in the system,<< Ruby stated. >>People typically don’t like to go places where there’s a risk they may never be seen again.<<

  Only eight? I’d think more people would have tried to investigate by now.

  >>There may be more that were never officially recorded. After all, travelers going after that kind of location might not exactly be operating within the law.<<

  Like smugglers, Ava realized. That kind of system would appeal to those sorts.

  >>Precisely. Not saying any have tried to venture inside, but it wouldn’t surprise me.<<

  It fits the narrative, that’s for sure. Ava crossed her arms. The chill of space seemed to suddenly seep through the window.

  >>Even accounting for smugglers and the like, the scale is still only in the dozens, or maybe hundreds,<< Ruby continued. >>Dispensing with so few ships would be easy for a race as advanced as the Dyons.<<

  You say that like it’s normal to hide an entire civilization in a star system.

  >>Don’t forget the vastness of space, Ava. It’s really a wonder so many races have been able to connect through the Federation.<<

  Ava sighed. You’re always too logical.

  >>It’s that damn computer part of me. Can’t quite get away from it.<< Ruby winked in her mind.

  Yet, somehow you understand sarcasm.

  >>I am multifaceted. It’s what makes me unique.<<

  Ava softened. I’m glad you’re here with me, Ruby. I was nervous about getting paired with an AI, but it means a lot to have someone to talk to right now. I don’t feel like I can be completely open with my team about everything I’m going through.

  >>Colonel Kurtz and Major Widmore are wise. I don’t think they would have nudged you in this direction if they didn’t think you could benefit from the arrangement.<<

  They had their own motivations. They wanted my skills to figure out what’s going on with the Dyons.

  Ruby tsked. >>Ava, you want answers as much as the rest of the FDG—maybe more. Don’t pretend like you didn’t want to go on this op.<<

  Ugh, it’s like you’re in my head or something.

  >>Better get used to it!<<

  Ava stared out the window for another three minutes before she decided to go down one deck to the recreation level, where most members of the crew were congregated.

  As she hopped off the ladder, Ava spotted the three Were members of her team, along with Sven, and Gil—the Raven’s mechanic—lounging on the couches around the main screen in the rec room. Some mindless comedy movie was playing, but Ava didn’t recognize it.
/>   The group erupted into laughter at a joke that must have been referencing something earlier in the film.

  Samantha happened to look over and notice Ava watching them. “Join us!” she called out.

  Ava moseyed over, stopping behind Sven where he was seated on the couch. “I didn’t realize there was a party going on down here.”

  Sven tilted his head back so he could see her. “That’s what you get for going back to your cabin after our chat earlier.”

  “Oh, you two had a heart-to-heart?” Edwin jested.

  “I demoed all my best dance moves for him,” Ava shot back.

  “She did, and it was glorious,” Sven said, playing along.

  She patted the engineer’s shoulder. “Good bonding time. The rest of you shouldn’t have been so quick to nap.”

  Nick raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you the one who told us to always rest when we get the chance, because we never know what’s ahead?”

  Ava smiled. “Do as I say, not as I do.”

  “Great leadership, Ava,” Samantha ribbed.

  “It’s a gift.”

  “Approaching Gidyon System heliopause,” said a female voice Ava recognized as belonging to Aleya, the Raven’s first officer.

  “Social hour is over,” Ava announced.

  “Work, work, work.” Nick rose from the couch, followed by the others as they let out weary sighs.

  “Don’t sound so enthused, everyone.” Ava’s gaze passed over the team. They looked far more worn and tired than usual.

  She felt it, too. They’d been on the go for almost two weeks straight, which was significantly more intensive than their usual routine. Add in the disproportionate number of firefights, and they’d experienced at least two months’ worth of action in that short span.

  Ava wished she could offer them some relief, but there was no one else. They were the best team for the job; beyond that, she trusted them. There simply wasn’t anyone else with whom she’d walk into such an unknown, dangerous situation.

  “We’ll rest easy when we know the bad guys are no longer a threat,” Samantha said on behalf of the group.

  “You and me both,” Ava agreed. “I’ll go see what we’re working with and report back in the kitchen.”

  Being such a small ship, there wasn’t a designated briefing area on the vessel. The kitchen served double duty as a meal space and a gathering place to discuss mission details.

  Before they could have an effective conversation, however, Ava needed to learn what they were up against. She scaled the ladder to the operations deck, where Major Widmore was waiting outside the bridge.

  “Get any rest?” he asked her.

  “A little. Ruby and I have been bonding.”

  “Best of buddies now,” Ruby said over the audible comms.

  Widmore smiled. “Glad to hear it. Let’s go talk with Aleya and Rod to see if they can tell us any more about this system.”

  “Sounds like a plan, sir.”

  Widmore stepped forward and knocked on the door.

  The hatch popped open.

  “Come in,” a male voice stated.

  Ava hadn’t interacted with Rod, the Raven’s captain, on many occasions, but the quiet ex-fighter pilot had always struck her as a measured force to have in command. Whatever observations he and Aleya might make during the upcoming discussion, Ava vowed to listen.

  The bridge of the ship was surprisingly spacious, compared to the other accommodations. It consisted of two control panels in the front, accompanied by ergonomic chairs, a central holopanel used for course plotting and displaying scan results, and two workstations along the side walls, which offered space for additional crew members to directly interface with the ship’s advanced sensor suite.

  “What kind of backwater hole did you bring us to this time, sir?” Rod asked Widmore from the captain’s seat.

  The major chuckled. “We thought getting a reminder about our place in the universe might do everyone some good.”

  Ava didn’t know the details, but she’d heard that Rod had trained under Widmore when he had first joined the FDG. They’d maintained a good-natured rapport over the years, and she’d often observed their interactions to be more casual than most conducted with the major. Then again, her own relationship with Widmore was on the casual side, so maybe that was just how he was. Sometimes a personal connection trumped rank when it came to face-to-face, but everyone knew the chain of command when they were in the thick of it.

  Widmore stood in the center of the bridge with his hands clasped, and Ava took up position next to him.

  “We’re processing the initial readings now,” Aleya reported. “As long-range scans had indicated, there’s some strange radiation in the system. We haven’t identified a source yet, but these first readings may help narrow it down.”

  Ava watched the data populate on the central holopanel. It was by no means her specialization, but something about the readings looked strange.

  “Does this seem off to anyone?” she asked to no one in particular, pointing to a dark patch on the visual representation of the system. The map included an overlay of the radiation, electromagnetic, and other relevant properties in each area.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Aleya agreed.

  “The readings make it look like there’s a dwarf planet there, but the gravitational models indicate that there shouldn’t be anything there,” observed Rod.

  Ava frowned. “So, mystery planet?”

  “Or something else.” Rod sighed. “We’ll need to get close enough to get visual confirmation.”

  “Only problem with that is getting close to something that may be dangerous,” Widmore cautioned.

  “Isn’t that what we came here to do, sir?” Ava questioned. “We crossed over that danger threshold when we decided to come here in the first place.”

  “Our stealth tech is solid,” Rod added. “There are no guarantees they can’t detect us, but we’re certainly not waving a flashing sign that we’re here. It’s possible we can get in for an inspection without being spotted.”

  “Then we have to try,” Widmore said. “What else are we working with in the system? Any other anomalies?”

  “Nothing else that distinct,” Aleya replied, “though there is a gas giant on the other side of the system.” She frowned.

  “What is it?” Widmore prompted.

  “It may be nothing.” The first officer crossed her arms. “The odd, dark spot that may be a dwarf planet and this gas giant are exactly opposite the star from each other right now.”

  “That can happen naturally, right?” Ava asked.

  She nodded. “Of course, but given the weird readings, it seemed worth noting.”

  Widmore stroked his chin. “We’ll keep it in mind.”

  This isn’t the natural kind of symmetry found in nature, Ava commented to Ruby.

  >>I’m inclined to agree.<<

  Bets on what we’ll find?

  >>Evil alien secret moon base,<< the AI replied.

  Ava scowled. Are you being serious?

  >>There’s a fine line between fact and facetiousness.<<

  I’m not sure there actually is… Ava ventured.

  >>When you need to find a way to amuse yourself for twelve hours while you travel at sub-light, sometimes you need to get creative with your non-fiction.<<

  Ugh, another twelve hours?

  >>Blame physics.<<

  Ava chuckled in her mind. That doesn’t sound very scientist-like.

  >>When you do enough science, you get cynical. Do you have any idea how many microprocesses I can complete in twelve hours? I’ll tune back in when we’re there.<<

  What will you be working on?

  >>Trying to figure out what’s going on with you, of course,<< Ruby replied. >>You’re quite the specimen, Ava.<<

  Now that sounded like a scientist. And ultra-creepy.

  >>I promise to dissect you gently.<<

  How very reassuring.

  Widmore was still
studying the system map on the holopanel. “Are you able to overlay the data we gathered when the control signal was traced from Jared to the system?”

  Aleya nodded. “Yes. Not surprisingly, it traced back to the strange dark area.”

  “I’m going to venture that’s not a coincidence,” Ava chimed in.

  “Certainly not.” Widmore agreed. “The question is, what’s capable of creating that kind of distortion?”

  “It might be some kind of stealth technology,” Rod suggested. “We couldn’t detect anything anomalous from a distance, and what’s more, we can’t determine the nature of the body—just that there’s something strange going on there.”

  “That would be more than enough, if they’re able to keep people out of the system,” Ava assessed.

  Widmore tapped his index finger beneath his lower lip. “Very true. And what about the radiation?”

  “It’s a relatively low level, but it’s almost everywhere,” Aleya replied. “Nothing our shields can’t handle, but it’s a high enough concentration that some civilian vessels might have trouble, if they hung around for too long.”

  “A deterrent?” Ava asked.

  “Irradiating an entire system is a tall order,” Widmore replied.

  “But not unfeasible.”

  “True,” the major conceded, “and these Gidyons have demonstrated that they’re willing to go to great lengths.”

  “We’re going to make a push to call them ‘Dyons’,” Ava interjected.

  Widmore thought about it for a second. “That does sound way better.”

  Ava smiled. “Sometimes it’s all about the branding.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The situation on Nezar was more concerning than Karen had anticipated. She raised her gaze from the personnel records displayed on the table in front of her.

  “This isn’t why I came here,” she stated to Trisha. “We would have sent someone else—or a whole team—to help, had we known.”

  The other woman wrung her hands. “I know, but we weren’t sure if we could trust Alucia. If we requested you—”

  Karen groaned. “I’m no one special.”

  “You’ve lived on Nezar! Most Alucians either hate this world, or are indifferent at best.”