by Terry Mixon
“Let’s start by laying out the situation as we find it for Duke Fowler,” Anders said. “Gargoyle is currently in orbit around a gas giant about three flips away from the Singularity border. My people and I have seized control of the ship, and we have the previous crew locked up where we found him and his people.
“With the able assistance of an ally, we’ve managed to bypass the lockout on the computer. The original hardware was disassembled. It’s in the hold, and a Singularity system was installed in its place. There won’t be time to swap them out, so we’ll have to make do.
“With only the crew from Bright Passage, we can potentially maneuver this ship, but it would be helpful if some of the original crew could bolster our forces. We’re stretched incredibly thin.”
Fowler nodded. “You’ll have every assistance that my people and I can provide. We don’t have any officers because the Singularity executed them, but the enlisted people are competent and skilled. I figure that we lost maybe half the crew during the fight, so we’ll still be stretching it, but you should be able to run the ship if the power situation can be sorted out.”
Anders gestured for Kayden to stand.
The Singularity merchant rose and bowed slightly toward Duke Fowler. “My name is Kayden Harmon, and I’m a former merchant working for Imperial Intelligence inside the Singularity. Captain Anders will vouch for my loyalty, as I think I’ve proven it multiple times on this mission.
“I started my life in space as an engineer, and while it’s been some time since I’ve filled that role, I know enough to check the systems. This ship is down to one fusion plant, and while it’s operational, its output is fluctuating in a manner that makes me suspect that if we push it too hard, it will destabilize.
“If we can slip out of the Singularity without pushing it, I believe that we can continue to use it, but there’s going to be some risk. If it fails, the ship will be without power until I can bring it back online.”
Fowler grimaced. “I can’t say that I’m surprised. Both fusion plants were sabotaged as part of the ambush. I have my suspicions about who was responsible based on some of the engineers being absent from the prison, so I’d definitely like to review who you’re holding prisoner.
“We managed to lock the computer down, so I’m not surprised that they had to replace it. What does shock me is the fact that you were able to gain access to the Singularity system when they undoubtedly did the same. You must have some very skilled hackers.”
Anders grinned. “While we do, I have to say that credit for gaining access goes to an asset that we picked up on the raid. Someone with a… unique background that gives them authority over computer systems like that.”
Fowler’s eyebrows shot upward. “You’ve intrigued me, Captain. If we have time, I’d like to meet this asset and hear their story. But for now, we really need to get underway, don’t we?”
“We do, but we’ve got to make a decision first. Do we destroy Bright Passage or try to take her with us? She’s got a lot of valuable cargo that we’ve seized, and I’m loath to just abandon it. The ship itself now belongs to the Empire, but the loss of the cargo will hurt the shares of every man and woman under my command.”
“Abandon her,” Fowler said firmly. “The Empire will pay the full amount as if you’d delivered it, and if they don’t, I’ll make up the difference myself. My chancellor of the exchequer will scream like a gelded bull, but I can afford it.”
“That does make the decision easier, Your Grace, but it’s still a lot of money. We packed that thing full of rare elements used in the construction of flip drives and even flip drives themselves. The value of the seized cargo is… substantial.”
“I believe that the Emperor will honor my promise to you,” Fowler said firmly. “And with the recovery of this ship, he’s going to be paying a lot more if we get out of here. The original sum is only going to be a fraction of what you’re owed.
“Of course, many of the containers could be transferred to Gargoyle. Supplies for a ship of this size come in the same containers that are used for standard cargo transport. You’d have to make the decision about what to keep and what to abandon.”
Kayden nodded. “With the assistance of someone on Gargoyle, we should be able to transfer a goodly number of cargo containers if we have time. You should be aware, however, that two Singularity destroyers are expected to return in roughly a day. I think it would benefit us if we could leave as soon as possible and arrange what transfers we can while we’re moving toward the next flip point.”
“I’ll give the order for us to pull out as soon as you go over the remaining fusion plant,” Anders said. “We left a skeleton crew aboard Bright Passage, and they’ll be able to keep pace with us while we transfer what cargo we can. The flip point we’ll be headed toward is on the other side of the sun, so we’ll drop the freighter into it as we pass.
“If we can get out of this system before the destroyers catch up with us, our chances of success improve dramatically. I don’t want to push our engines, but those smaller ships are faster than we are. Once they figure out what’s going on, they’re going to come after us with everything they have.
“With your crew to boost us, we should be able to operate the weapons, but we run a risk with every hit of losing all power. If we can manage to get out of this system and lose those destroyers by going in a direction that they don’t expect, we’ll be much better positioned to eventually escape the Singularity.”
“If you’re looking for my blessing, Captain, you have it,” Fowler said. “You’re in command of this ship. Hell, by interstellar law, you own the damned thing, and the Empire is going to have to buy her back from you.
“Do whatever you have to do to get us out of here safely, and I promise you that I’ll have a reward of my own for each and every one of your people. A performance bonus, if you will.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Anders said as he rose to his feet. “We’ve got a lot of work to do and very little time to do it, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get busy.
“If you can locate your senior noncommissioned officers and have them available for my people to coordinate with, we’ll get them spread throughout the ship and start bringing the weapon systems online and getting the ship ready to fight.”
Grace watched as the Fleet officers made their way out of the briefing room and headed for their departments. She knew that Anders had once commanded a destroyer, so being in charge of the heavy cruiser was going to be a stretch for him, but she thought he’d manage.
Once everyone else had departed, Fowler stepped over to her and nodded at the marines. He then frowned at Andrea.
“Aren’t you a little… short to be an Imperial Marine?” he asked curiously.
Before Andrea could say anything, Grace inserted herself into the conversation. “She’s not a marine. The armor is simply for her protection. This is the asset that Captain Anders spoke of that got us into the Singularity computer system.”
Without waiting for a response, Grace gestured for Andrea to remove her helmet. She watched the Imperial noble closely as the girl did so and saw his eyes widen in recognition and shock.
“That’s… not what I expected to see,” the man muttered. “I can’t say that I’m familiar with all of the facial markings inside the Singularity, but I think that’s a line high in status.
“I’ve never even heard of a child from a line like that ever being captured or even seen by anyone outside the Singularity.”
“If you’ve got time, I’d like to sit down with you both and have her tell you her story,” Grace said. “Then I’ll tell you what I’m doing that’s going to get me into a lot of trouble and ask for your help.”
His gaze swiveled to her face, and he scrutinized her for several seconds. “You intrigue me, Lieutenant Tolliver. I sense a fascinating story to come, and it just so happens that I have some time to listen to it.
“If you’d send one of your marines to the mess and tell Chi
ef Burns to get all the senior enlisted to coordinate with Captain Anders and his people, I can hear your story right now.”
The next few minutes were going to set the tone for how Andrea would live inside the Empire, she knew. This was her chance to make an impression on someone very powerful.
Andrea would be arguing for her very life, and Grace thought that the girl could make her case well, but the proof was in the pudding. It was time to see how Andrea made friends and influenced people.
35
At the man’s gesture, One Twenty-Four sat across the table from him. He didn’t look very powerful dressed in his rumpled orange coveralls, but if Fei said he was an influential man, then she believed her.
His eyes studied her face carefully, but he said nothing for almost a full minute. When he finally spoke, his voice was curious.
“Tell me about your tattoos. What do they represent?”
“These tattoos belong to members of the Andrea Line. The Singularity has twelve lines that form the ruling caste, and the Andrea Line is one of them.”
The man glanced over at Grace and Fei, who stood near the bulkhead. “I’m familiar with the ruling caste in general, but now I’m really curious how you managed to get your hands on one of their children.”
His gaze returned to One Twenty-Four. “I’m even more curious as to why you would help them. Aren’t they your enemies?”
One Twenty-Four considered how much she should tell him. Time was short, and he didn’t need to have her complete story to understand the circumstances under which she found herself. She needed to stick to the salient points.
“Children of the ruling caste are raised in crèches. I was separated from mine due to treachery by one of my line sibs. Grace and the marines found me before the guards could execute me and took me with them when they left the transshipment center where the crèche was hidden.
“The moment I was expelled from the crèche, I was no longer a member of the Andrea Line, and they will kill me on sight. I don’t want to die, so once I learned more about Grace and Fei, I decided that I had to do everything I could to help them.”
She gave the man a steady look, focusing on his eyes. “Did you know that the Empire says that I’m property? That I’m a thing and not a person? One way or the other, I will have to live inside the Empire, but I want to be a person and choose for myself what my life will be.”
“I’m familiar with that law, but I can’t say that I’ve thought about it very deeply. It’s never been personalized for me before. It’s all very ethereal to say that genetically engineered beings aren’t human until one is sitting right in front of you. Something about you allowed you to unlock the Singularity computer?”
When One Twenty-Four nodded, he continued. “I understand that you wear that armor for protection, but why do you have weapons? Did you expect to need to fight? Could you fight if you had to?”
“I have fought,” she declared. “When the armed men aboard this ship tried to stop the squad from going to the bridge, I shot some of them. Perhaps I even killed some, though I’m not sure.
“I don’t know how that makes me feel yet, but it had to be done. I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt the marines that saved my life.
“I’ve only known Grace and Fei for a very short time, but I feel as if I’ve bonded with them more deeply than Keeper or my line sibs. Whatever they need me to be, I will be. Whatever they need me to do, I will do.”
“She did kill at least one of the Singularity marines,” Fei said quietly. “I’ve reviewed the helmet cam video, and it was her shot into a plasma gun that caused the charge to prematurely detonate and kill someone in powered armor that was going to decimate the squad.
“Her actions saved a lot of lives. It was quick thinking, and if she were a marine, I’d put her in for a medal.”
The man nodded slowly. “Then you’re committed far more deeply to your friends than I’d suspected. I’m uncertain how to feel about you fighting. You’re a child. You shouldn’t have to kill anyone.”
“Her life in the crèche was cruel and dystopian,” Grace said with sadness in her tone. “She says they started with two hundred children and any that didn’t measure up were executed. She knew what awaited her if she failed to meet this Keeper’s expectations.
“It astonishes me that she has any emotional stability at all. The fact that she has empathy for anyone is a miracle. I don’t think anyone in that crèche cared one way or the other about their line sibs. So long as it wasn’t them dying, it didn’t matter.
“Are you familiar with the traditions that surround raids into the Singularity, Your Grace?”
“Only in the vaguest of terms,” he admitted.
“Tradition and the emperor’s express command says that we’re obligated to personally claim some piece of property to declare as our booty. Something that no one can take from us, no matter its legality or value. Not even the emperor himself.”
The man’s eyes widened. “Ah, I think I see where this is going. You’ve declared the girl as your booty, so you can protect her from those that would take her away from you. That’s clever.
“However, it’s not going to do you much good if you want her to actually have a life. That’s where you’re hoping that I can help.”
He returned his gaze to One Twenty-Four. “Growing up in the crèche as you did, do you even have a concept of what a free life is? I assure you before you answer that you don’t. Just as I can’t begin to imagine what you went through, the wider universe is going to be a mystery to you for many years.”
Having said that, he laughed. “For that matter, it’s a mystery to me, too. No one really understands the world around them, they just adapt to the portions of it that they can see and feel. The Singularity stands as an enemy of the Empire, and you’re not going to find many people inside the Empire willing to be your friend, even if very few of them would argue in favor of you being property.”
“I know what I want from life,” One Twenty-Four said seriously. “I want to be an Imperial Marine.”
The room was silent after she made the declaration, and she almost said more, trying to justify her position, but decided that sometimes saying nothing was better.
“I know very little about the Imperial Marines,” the man said after a minute or so. “You, I’d wager, know even less. Just because you’ve been in a fight doesn’t mean you’re suited for that life.
“Yet I suppose it’s good to have goals. If one doesn’t have things to strive for, they’ll do nothing. One thing I know about the Singularity is they have very strong feelings about machines inside their bodies. If you were to become an Imperial Marine, you’d have to set aside that belief.
“And that’s even assuming that the Imperial Marines would allow the equipment they require to be installed in the first place. They’re pretty picky about that sort of thing.”
“About that,” Fei said slowly. “After Andrea unlocked the computer, Captain Anders decided to take that complication off the table. He reasoned that if Andrea was going to be fighting, then she needed all the protections that the marines had.
“I concurred with his decision and took her straight to the medical center, where, with her agreement, Doctor DuBois installed Fleet implants and a marine nanogenerator.”
“You did what?” Grace said, jerking away from the wall and glaring at Fei. “Without telling me?”
Fei nodded, her face serene. “Captain Anders felt it best if the blame revolving around Andrea was spread around a little. Your lack of knowledge about this means that you can’t be punished for it. I’m sorry that I didn’t get your approval, but I’m not sorry I took that matter off your plate.
“I understand that you’re still pissed, but it’s far easier to beg forgiveness—particularly when you have no knowledge that something is being done—than to ask permission.”
One Twenty-Four could tell that Grace was furious, but Fei’s words made sense to her. The deed was done, and nothing that Grace
did at this point could change that. It also meant that whoever was in charge of the Imperial Marines couldn’t undo it either.
She’d committed herself to this life, so changing her mind at a later point was no longer an option. Fei’s assurance that one could always change their life by taking a step in a new direction became much more difficult when one had proprietary equipment inside their body.
“Do you know who I am?” the man asked.
She shook her head. “No. Someone of importance, or so I’m told.”
“I am Reginald Fowler, Duke DeSantis. I command the Parasis Sector militia and rule my namesake world in the name of the emperor. If I choose to become your advocate, it’s possible that the law of the Empire might one day change.
“I’d certainly be able to make certain that no one takes you away from Lieutenant Tolliver. It would require you living on DeSantis, but I assure you, it’s a wonderful place.”
“A… planet? I have no idea what that is.”
“Then you’re in for quite the experience, and I promise that I’ll make it a memorable one once we get there.”
He turned to Grace. “As I understand how these raids work, you were released from Imperial service before the raid. To avoid getting orders to do something you don’t want to do, I’m afraid that career is done. Can you accept that?”
Grace nodded. “I’d already come to that conclusion myself. If we survive this raid, I’ll be able to support Andrea and myself without any difficulty. I’m just going to have to accept that my life as an Imperial Marine is over. That’s a price I’m willing to pay to guarantee that Andrea has the life that she deserves.”
“My father taught me when I was very young that debts incurred are always paid in full and with generous interest,” he said. “You might never anticipate that you’ll owe someone for a particular task, and yet when the time comes, you don’t turn them away.
“This is not going to be a simple task, but perhaps with my assistance, it’s possible. You’re going to face resistance at every turn. You’re going to find perfectly rational people who will hate you for what you’ve done and what you’re trying to do. Change is hard, particularly when it goes against the grain of what someone believes.