Echo Rift

by G. S. Jennsen

  “Fine. But after we’ve gone to all this trouble, take care to do it properly.”

  Nyx bristled at the insinuation that she wasn’t capable of effecting a proper assassination. Still, a twinge of dread snaked through her chest. She didn’t want to kill her brother, no matter what he had become. But what he had become was a monster, and she couldn’t in good conscience let him continue his reign of terror. He stood in the way of what her grandfather wanted to accomplish, and in her heart she knew that Kolgo was beyond redemption.

  “Activate your Veil. Let’s move.”

  Eren vanished from her sight, and she slipped into the crowd moving toward the arena. If he ran into trouble, he’d promised to message her, but otherwise she needed to trust that he’d make it to the far platform in a reasonable amount of time. In reality, she didn’t trust him to so much as fetch breakfast, but if she expected to get this done, she had little choice but to rely on his assistance.

  She cringed as she passed two Anadens beating up a malnourished waif of a Naraida woman…then realized she wasn’t able to determine their Dynasties, even at a hard glance. The rigid lines that had structured their society for millennia genuinely were breaking down, weren’t they? She wanted to stop and help the woman—another unfamiliar sensation—but she couldn’t afford to draw any attention to herself until she was on the platform. Besides, if she succeeded here tonight, far more people than a single Naraida would be saved.

  Her path took her close to the animal cages, and her most stringent olfactory controls didn’t mask the predatory, bloodthirsty pheromones coming off the strange creatures in waves. Whether bred, trained or tortured for the task, these animals now existed for a single purpose: to kill.

  A roar erupted out of the arena below, and she turned toward it in time to see a spray of gore decorate the high, curving wall. She didn’t peer into the arena to determine if it belonged to man or beast.

  I’ve reached the platform, far right side. Mr. Sultan’s drinking a giant mug of something. This will be as easy as pie.

  Wait until I’ve revealed myself. You can’t risk being noticed.

  Whatever you say, sweetheart.

  Now that Eren had reached the platform, she zeroed in on her destination. Kolgo had surrounded himself with a new cadre of naked women, as well as six identifiable guards. There were likely another two or three blending in with the supplicants.

  She watched the movement of people around the ramp leading up to the platform for several beats, getting a feel for the ebb and flow pulling at them. Then she joined it, writhing delicately through the throng. It was crowded enough that the two times she brushed up against someone, it could have been anyone who did so, and she’d moved on before they’d begun to hunt around for a culprit.

  But now four of the guards blocked her final access to the platform.

  Eren, get ready.

  Nyx maneuvered to the outside of the leftmost guard. Breathed in and palm-chopped him beneath the chin, sending him sprawling into the crowd at the top of the ramp. Then she launched off her left foot and swung her right around to deliver a roundhouse kick into the crotch of the middle guard.

  The third guard dropped into a defensive stance. “Kolgo, trouble!”

  The guard swung blindly for his invisible attacker, but she ducked down and to the side as Kolgo turned his head toward the shout. When she stood tall, deactivated the Veil and stepped forward, recognition dawned in his hypnol-and-spirit addled eyes. “Stand down, Dmitri. Nyx, this is a surprise. I thought you were dead.”

  “It seems everyone did, but I was merely on an extended journey. What is all this, Kolgo?”

  He smiled malevolently. “My kingdom, of course. Don’t you like it?”

  “It’s not to my taste.” Behind him, a servant refilled his mug out of a bell-shaped beaker. “This is beneath you, brother.”

  “That’s what makes it so enjoyable, sister.”

  Poison applied. Your turn.

  “I don’t understand. We’re supposed to be enforcers of order, peace and the rule of law. What you’re doing here is madness.”

  “Isn’t it, though? I assure you, I have gone quite mad indeed.” He picked up the mug and took a long sip—then flung it across the platform. “This is swill! Get me a new bottle!”

  She only hoped he’d ingested enough.

  His mouth curled down, and he rubbed at his temples. The apomono worked swiftly, but its speed brought with it noticeable side effects. “Why are you bothering me, Nyx? If you’ve come all this way just to deliver a disapproving lecture, I’m not in the mood. As a courtesy, I’ll have you escorted out unharmed. But don’t come back, or you may find yourself part of the show.” His head tilted meaningfully toward the arena pit, but the threatening countenance was interrupted by him frowning and clutching his stomach.

  “I can’t let you continue on this path. You’re a criminal, a depraved torturer and a despot.”

  “Oh, I am so much worse than any of those things.”

  “Come with me, Kolgo. Leave all this behind, and I can help you.”

  DO IT ALREADY, INQUISITOR!

  She gritted her teeth. But it was overly sentimental of her to imagine that she could talk Kolgo down and lead him into some light of righteousness.

  “Never. Last chance to leave under your own power, sister.”

  “I am so sorry, brother.” She whipped the gun out from beneath her coat and shot him between the eyes.

  In the second that followed, when the occupants of the platform were stunned into inaction, she reactivated her Veil and leapt off the platform to the narrow passage ringing the arena below.

  Then everyone was screaming. In the periphery of her vision, she saw the guards fan out through the crowd, searching for the shooter.

  Someone bumped into her from behind, and she leapt to the side—only to have a hand grab her wrist and drag her in the other direction.

  This way. With me.

  How had Eren found her in the chaos, while she was invisible? It didn’t matter. She scanned the area in front of them and instantly saw the path he had in mind, even as he started towing her along it. The pandemonium grew in their wake, and as they reached the street, they were shoved and jostled by people who didn’t know whether to rush to the platform or flee in panic.

  Her body felt battered and bruised by the time the crowd began thinning and they stumbled out of the Mikro-Teln district.

  “Don’t deactivate your Veil yet. We don’t know the reach of his control.”

  She nodded, then realized he couldn’t see it, then realized she was supposed to be the one giving orders. But it was a smart precaution, and now was not the time to pick a fight. They wound carefully to the east, then north, then east again, until finally the rundown spaceport was in sight.

  She de-stealthed and sank against a pillar for half a breath.

  Eren materialized in front of her; blood trickled down his nose from a cut on his forehead, his hair was tangled into knots and sweat glistened above his upper lip. “Are you all right?”

  Did she look as much of a wreck as he did? She nodded, visibly this time. “I’m fine. Let’s get back to the Periplanos. We can treat your wounds there.”

  “What?” His hand came to his forehead. “Oh. Huh.”

  She strode off for the spaceport, assuming he would follow. As she did, she sent a message to the head of the local Vigil office.

  The Sultan of Ficenti has been permanently neutralized. I suggest you take a battalion of well-armed officers into the Mikro-Teln district and clean the place out before one of his lackeys decides to step into his shoes.

  53

  * * *

  HAAFAN

  Beyond the Boundaries of Concord Space

  A hundred-meter section of bedrock detached in clean lines from the surrounding crust, jutted outward and slid to the side, revealing a modest hangar bay carved into the planetoid. Two fat, squatty ships constructed of a milky gray metal resembling opaque glass sat docked i
n secured berths on the left section of the bay. A smaller, thinner needle ship was docked on the right side, leaving one open slot.

  As Alex maneuvered into the berth, a blast door at the far end of the hangar bay opened, and several Ourankeli emerged.

  Caleb studied Wyddoniiet. “Our welcome is going to be a friendly one, correct?”

  “They know I accompany you.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “They will be cautious, but you will not be restrained without provocation.”

  “I see.” It was a somewhat less than reassuring answer, so Caleb went to the cabinet beside the data center table and retrieved his Daemon and plasma blade. Only after he’d latched both of them to his tactical belt did he realize that Akeso hadn’t uttered so much as a displeased murmur at his actions.

  You must defend yourself from those who are not peaceful. I accept this.

  Acceptance was a huge step. My hope is these strangers will be the peaceful sort. I’m merely taking precautions in case they are not.

  To be able to determine their intentions from afar would be most beneficial. Through pheromones, perhaps, or phototransduction.

  Caleb shook his head wryly. The way Akeso pulled ideas from his mind and fit them into its own milieu still astonished him. I wish people were that simple. But I need to observe them, read their body language and ideally speak to them in order to judge their intentions. Hence the weapons.

  This comports with our previous experiences.

  He glanced back at Wyddoniiet. “Atmosphere?”

  “It will be as breathable as my home on Haelwyeur.”

  “Thank you.” He went back to the cockpit and leaned in close to Alex’s ear. “Let’s take our breather masks, just in case.”

  Her gaze immediately dropped to his waist. “And weapons?”

  “Just in case.”

  She shut down the engines. “Valkyrie, keep your primary consciousness in the ship…just in case. We don’t know when those pieces of Rasu outside are going to wake up. Among other things we don’t know. I promise you’ll be able to see everything through my eyes.”

  ‘I will maintain the ship in a ready state.’

  They’d deployed a small sensor probe before entering the hanger bay, so they should get at least a few minutes’ warning if the Rasu started getting frisky. But depending on how large the settlement was, a few minutes might not give them much leeway. “Thank you, Valkyrie.”

  While Alex stood and disappeared into the main cabin, Caleb mentally checked himself, as he always did before walking into an unfamiliar situation. They were being overly cautious. If the rest of the Ourankeli were anything like Wyddoniiet, they would be stared at and challenged with curious questions, but ultimately tolerated if not effusively welcomed. These aliens had been on the run for centuries, cowering in fear from their enemy, and were not likely to attack newcomers who arrived offering aid. Still, an abundance of caution had saved them more than once.

  Alex returned to his side with her breather mask draped around her neck and a Daemon on her hip. “Are we ready?”

  He ticked off the last few items in his head, then nodded. “Wyddoniiet, you should exit the ship first. We will defer to you on introductions and our movements until everyone is comfortable with our presence.”

  “Yes.”

  The airlock opened, the ramp extended and new air wafted in. Much as at the alien’s home on the halo ring, it carried a faint musty odor, but it was acceptably breathable.

  Wyddoniiet glided down the ramp, their feet barely skimming the surface. When they reached the bottom, they approached the growing crowd at the blast door and began speaking in a convoluted series of echoing trills and deep-throated rumblings.

  One of the gathered Ourankeli rushed forward and met Wyddoniiet halfway. Their arm appendages reached out to caress one another as they spun in a slow circle, almost like a dance. Family? Old lovers?

  Finally two of Wyddoniiet’s eyes spun toward the ship, where Caleb and Alex waited at the airlock, and they extended one appendage. “You may join us.”

  He and Alex descended the ramp, him one step in front. He didn’t need to remind Alex of the standard operating procedure in this situation: approach deliberately, hands in full view, no sudden moves, present as nonthreatening while staying on constant guard. Their track record in these encounters was around eighty/twenty in their favor, but the twenty percent had left their mark.

  Wyddoniiet continued to speak in their lyrical, convoluted tongue until he and Alex drew alongside them, then switched to Communis, which apparently everyone understood. They had learned next to nothing about the technology and practices of the Ourankeli, but it appeared the aliens’ knowledge stores were vast and far-reaching.

  “My companions, known as Caleb and Alex, have used their Valkyrie synthetic ship to disable the Rasu vessels that were bombarding Haafan. You are safe, but only for a short time. They have offered us permanent refuge in their civilization.”

  Rolling, trilling murmurs broke out among those gathered. Wyddoniiet listened for a time, then made a wavelike gesture with two of their appendages, and everyone quieted. “We will confer on this question. Cyfeill, will you guide Caleb and Alex on a tour of Haafan while we do so?”

  An Ourankeli with pale azalea skin emerged from the group. They went first to Wyddoniiet, and light touching of the appendages occurred for several seconds. Then they rotated toward him and Alex, eyes first. “You are guests. Come.”

  Caleb expected the space beyond the blast door to be similar in many respects to Taenarin Aris. After all, like the Taenarin, the Ourankeli had carved a home out of the bedrock of a planetary body, if a small, dead one. But his preconceived notions were instantly proved wrong.

  As soon as they traversed the door, a world of light and glass opened up before them. The rocky ceiling high above was subsumed almost completely by pervasive blue-white light. The inhabited space resembled a giant dome, only beneath instead of above.

  Along the outermost band of the dome, a series of large structures stretched one after another, with narrow pathways cutting between them. The utilitarian design suggested they served as factories or warehouses. A middle band consisted of numerous more ornate but smaller buildings placed along a wide, curving walkway of polished stone. The innermost band was filled with several dozen small structures in all shapes, sizes and heights, many of them sporting adjacent patios or rooftop verandas. Homes, perhaps?

  Occupying the center of the habitat was a collection of mini-domes built of translucent glass. Within them, colorful flora bloomed in expansive arcs or climbed up vertical trellises. Several Ourankeli could be seen through the glass tending machines that tended the plants.

  “As you can see, we have constructed a completely self-sufficient biome here. We create and recycle our air and water, and the greenhouses provide renewable nourishment.”

  “This is most impressive. How many of you are there?”

  “Sixty-two.”

  Alex looked over at their guide in surprise. “All of this for only sixty-two Ourankeli?”

  “Is every life not precious? Not worthy of fulfillment in all things?”

  Alex’s eyebrows twitched in amusement. “Of course it is. I wasn’t being judgmental. It’s all quite inspiring. I merely…Wyddoniiet led us to understand that you were refugees.”

  “We are. Does our status mean we should not strive for both achievement and contentment in whatever circumstances we happen to occupy?”

  “Nope!” Alex pursed her lips shut.

  Caleb swallowed a chuckle. “It’s very bright in here. Do you have a day/night cycle?”

  “A what?”

  “Do the lights dim on a regular schedule? To aid in your sleep in accordance with a circadian rhythm?”

  “We do not require the dark to sleep. We never have.”

  Alex’s lips quirked around; she never could stay silent for long. “The halo ring—Haelwyeur—faced the sun, so you wouldn�
�t have had nights there unless you artificially created them. But what about before? Didn’t you live on a planet before you built the ring? Serencaar, I think Wyddoniiet said your homeworld was called?”

  “Ah. Yes. Our ancestors evolved on Serencaar, a planet in a nearby system to Haelwyeur. Triple suns meant we experienced only a few hours of dark every year. We have always lived in the light.”

  Alex smiled. “It sounds lovely. Why did you leave?”

  “The interplay between our stars grew increasingly unstable. Our scientists posited that one of the stars would eventually be radically ejected from the system, rendering our planet’s orbit fatally damaged. Our engineers spent ten thousand years constructing Haelwyeur to be our new home.” Cyfeill’s eyes swirled through a complete orbit. “In comparison, building this refuge was not so great a task.”

  “No, I suppose not.”

  Cyfeill had been leading them on a ponderous circuit of the habitat, but now they abruptly turned around. Caleb and Alex followed suit, to see Wyddoniiet approaching them. “It is settled. I have convinced the others that this haven will not remain so for much longer. They are sad to do so, but they have agreed to accompany you to your ‘Concord.’ ”

  “What? Leave Haafan?” Cyfeill’s finger digits wound together in agitation. “But we—”

  “Will not be safe here. The damaged Rasu outside will reform. More Rasu will answer their call for assistance, and soon.”

  Cyfeill deflated—literally—but didn’t argue further. “Then I need to attend to my things. Excuse me.” The Ourankeli dragged off toward one of the homes situated along the inner circle.

  Alex sighed dramatically and shot Caleb a grimace. “I guess the Siyane gets to be a refugee ship again.”

  He tried not to laugh at her obvious displeasure, but only partially succeeded. “It’ll be fine. We can patch up any damage they inflict.”

  “Again.”

  Wyddoniiet appeared to understand the gist of their conversation, though they missed the nuance. “I and two companions will join you on your Valkyrie ship. The vessels in the hangar bay will be sufficient to carry the rest of our people and supplies.”