Bonds of Resolve (Cadicle #3): An Epic Space Opera Series

by Amy DuBoff

  Cris sat in thought for a minute. “Everyone’s going to want that jump drive once the announcement is made.”

  “We’ll need to engage in patent proceedings. It’ll all be in Wil’s name.”

  Cris scrutinized the High Commander. “I’m glad you’re upholding the agreement, even such a monumental discovery.”

  “After everything I put you through, it’s the least I can do. I’ll deal with the higher ups.”

  “Make sure you do. The Priesthood already controls enough.”

  * * *

  Saera’s brain felt like mush. The navigation theory class had taken things to a whole new level of confusion and tediousness. The last several sessions were a series of nonsensical exercises, and everyone seemed completely lost. Even Caryn, who was normally jumping out of her seat with enthusiasm to answer Agent Volar’s questions, was sullen.

  Agent Volar dismissed the class.

  Finally, the torture ends. Saera grabbed her handheld from the docking pad on her desk and stood.

  “Saera, will you stay behind for a few minutes?” her instructor asked as she headed for the door.

  What now? Saera tensed. “Of course, sir.”

  Caryn gave her a quizzical look as she passed by toward the door.

  Saera swallowed hard and walked to the front of the class. The last thing she needed was to be singled out in front of her peers. That never ended well.

  Volar perched on one of the desks at the front of the class. “So,” he began after the other students had departed, “how have the last few classes been for you?”

  “Honestly? I feel pretty out of my element,” Saera replied.

  The Agent crossed his arms. “Your work says otherwise.”

  Saera hesitated. “It does?”

  “You’re the only one to figure out how to solve those bonus questions at the end of the last two classes,” Volar said, eyeing her.

  Saera flushed slightly. “I was just guessing…”

  “A good portion of navigation is intuition, which isn’t all that different from guessing. You have a natural knack for it.”

  I’d really rather follow the Command track. “That’s nice to hear.”

  The Agent examined her. “I sense some reservation.”

  “It’s just that I’m not entirely sure I want to be a Navigator,” Saera admitted.

  “Well, you still have plenty of time before you a pick a specialization. The Navigation track would be lucky to have you.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’ll think about it.”

  “For now,” Volar said, “I’d like for you to work on something outside of class. Think of it as a special assignment.”

  “What for?”

  “It’s a chance to be at the forefront of some exciting new work.” Agent Volar grabbed the tablet at the front of the class used for controlling the holoprojector and speaking notes. He made some entries. “You won’t be graded on the answers, but take it seriously.”

  More homework. Great. “Yes, sir.”

  “See you in two days,” Volar said with a smile.

  “See you then, sir.” Saera headed for the hall.

  Caryn was waiting outside the door. “What was that all about?”

  “I have some sort of extra homework assignment.”

  “Falling behind already? Too bad,” Caryn said and sauntered away.

  It wasn’t worth it to correct her.

  CHAPTER 8

  I should have known better. Wil darted around another corner, staying just out of sight of the other Junior Agents. I should never have followed through with the presentation. What did I think they’d do—thank me?

  Wil couldn’t blame them for being upset. They’d been working feverishly for the last five months on theoretical models for an inter-dimensional jump drive, and everyone was worn down. And, despite their efforts, Wil’s work outside of class had rendered it all moot. It’s not my fault that mine is the only model that works. But the model didn’t just work: it was a definitive answer to the issue of relying on fixed gates for inter-dimensional jumps. Before the announcement, most people hadn’t even thought it was possible.

  The other Junior Agents would be even more upset if they realized the implications of Wil completing the design in his free-time within his personal files—only because night was the only time he could work without interruption. He owned all the intellectual property and would license his work to the TSS; a benefit from the arrangement proposed by High Commander Taelis a year before. It would make him even more absurdly wealthy than he already was as a Sietinen heir, but the money didn’t matter. Nor did the prestige of finally cracking the formula that had stumped the brightest minds for generations. Taran victory over the Bakzen was Wil’s sole motivation. His fleet needed to travel freely, precisely, between the dimensional planes if they were to be victorious.

  Wil could hear the voices behind him. Their intentions were innocent—they were simply desperate to understand how he’d come to a conclusion that was impossible for anyone else to see. But he didn’t have an answer for them. What could I possibly say? “I just know things. It comes to me without trying.” And because he didn’t have an answer, Wil would rather avoid the conversation. It would be a waste of time trying to explain, and everyone would just end up more upset than they started.

  The hallway up ahead was lined with doors. A study room—that will work. Wil jogged along the hall until he came to a door with a green indicator light, signaling that it was empty. He rapidly entered in a reservation for two hours and ducked inside, locking the door behind him.

  Wil breathed a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall.

  “Um, hi,” said a female voice. The voice roused a suppressed memory in an instant.

  Shite.

  Wil’s eyes shot open. Before him was Saera Alexander—the very girl he’d met only for a moment, but who had made a lasting impression he couldn’t explain. She was the one person he was even less prepared to talk to than his classmates. That just figures.

  “I’m sorry,” Wil responded through a forced smile. “I thought this room was empty.”

  Saera made a little tisk of self-disciplining that Wil couldn’t help but find adorable. “No, it’s not you. I have a horrible habit of forgetting to set the room to ‘busy.’ If you have a reservation, I’m happy to find somewhere else.”

  Of all the places I could have chosen… “Not at all, I’m sorry to have disturbed you. But,” he glanced at the door, knowing the Junior Agents must be right outside, “would you mind if I stayed for a few minutes?”

  Saera gave him a quizzical look. “Hiding from someone?”

  “Something like that.” So much for hiding from you.

  “Sure.”

  Stars! How to pass the time? He looked to the open chairs around the study table. Then he noticed calculations on the desk’s touch surface. “What are you working on?” Sit down. You’re being awkward. He took a seat across from Saera.

  “My instructor gave me a torturous assignment for long-range subspace navigational plotting.” Saera sighed. “I feel like I’m missing something. I know the Taran math is a little different than what I grew up with on Earth, but there’s something else that’s not fitting.”

  She’s from Earth? I never would have guessed. Her delicate features, auburn hair and jade eyes would stand out in any crowd, even among Taran nobles. “They’re already having you work on long-range navigation?” And brains to match.

  “It’s more like ‘attempting’ at the moment.” Saera glared with distaste at the calculations on the surface in front of her.

  Wil examined the equations and coordinates on the desktop. Her work was exceptional, if somewhat incorrect—especially for an assignment that most wouldn’t tackle until they were a Junior Agent in one of the advanced navigation courses. She doesn’t even realize how brilliant she is. “Would you like some help? I may as well make myself useful rather than be a distraction.”

  Saera looked
surprised for a moment, then her face relaxed into a smile. “That would be great.”

  “What seems to be the hang-up?” Wil asked, despite already knowing the errors. Let’s see how she thinks.

  Saera grabbed the equations on the desktop with her hand and swiveled them around ninety-degrees, giving Wil a better vantage. “This part here,” she pointed to a particularly convoluted part of the math, “seems to be referencing a fixed spatial position. However, a ship is moving through subspace.”

  Wil smiled. Most need to have that pointed out. “Exactly.”

  Saera looked confused. “Pardon?”

  “The ship is moving, but the physics in subspace don’t behave in the same way as in normal space. From a mathematical standpoint, the ship remains in a fixed location and subspace moves around the ship.”

  Saera didn’t seem convinced.

  “Think of it, instead, as the ship attracting the navigation beacons to it. Really, it’s only the last beacon that matters, because that gives you the exit point into normal space. The path within subspace is irrelevant, aside from being limited by signal range. You just need to maintain a lock on three beacons at any given time.”

  “Why three?”

  “To maintain relative directionality. A beacon gives you a specific point in subspace, with a corresponding location on a standard dimensional plane. However, when up, down, forward and back are all arbitrary based on your point of origin, you need three beacons to give you a path. The only exception is the final exit beacon, in which case you’d just have two locks. Otherwise, you’ll always have one behind, and two in front.”

  Saera studied the equation again. “That still doesn’t explain the math. Why the ship appears to be stationary.”

  “It’s because of the flow of subspace. The ‘speed’ of the ship while in subspace is a constant, but the natural movement of subspace is somewhat variable.”

  “So… it’s like a boat going upriver. If the speed of the boat matches the downward water flow, it looks stationary, but the actual water it’s encountering at any given moment is different.”

  Wil grinned. “Precisely.”

  “And if buoys were floating downriver, they’d pass the boat by, even though an observer on the bank would see the boat as staying still.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  “Huh.” Saera looked over her work. “Well that changes things.” She made some quick adjustments to her math, correcting the errors Wil had identified.

  “Close, but you’re missing one thing.”

  Saera looked again. “Oh, of course! The entry.” She made the final corrections.

  “Perfect.”

  Saera sighed. “Why doesn’t the literature on this topic just use that analogy in the first place?”

  “The flow of a river is a little far-removed to someone who’s lived their entire life in space.”

  Saera smirked. “You have a point there.”

  “But, you’re right. There are plenty of people who either grew up on a planet, or at least have spent time on one. I’ll suggest it for the next revision.”

  Saera laughed at what she took to be a joke. When Wil didn’t join her, she faded out. “You’re serious.”

  “I… consult on some of the TSS curriculum,” Wil said.

  Saera examined him. “You do a lot more than that, if any of the rumors are true.”

  “What rumors?”

  Wil could see Saera trying to settle on a diplomatic answer. “That you’re a very important individual,” she answered at last.

  The rumors can’t possibly touch on most of it. But the fact that she’s talking this casually to me means that she hasn’t been swept up in it like the rest. This is the easiest exchange I’ve had with someone close to my age… ever. “I am… unique.”

  Saera tilted her head. “You understand all of this math much better than most, don’t you?”

  “That’s a fair statement.”

  “Why take this time to explain it to me?” she asked.

  “You were rather kind to let me intrude on your study time. It was the least I could do.”

  Saera smiled. “Well, thank you. It was very helpful.”

  She didn’t need much help. She would have figured it out on her own with some more time. “How are you doing in your other subjects, if you don’t mind my asking?” What are you doing?!

  Fleeting surprise passed over Saera’s face. “Pretty well. Aside from navigation, I’m in a bunch of remedial classes this term about Taran politics and the like. The only course that’s given me much trouble so far is freefall training.”

  “That does take some getting used to.” There’s so much I could teach her. “Would you be interested in some outside study?” Why are you asking that?!

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “I could tutor you. Freefall, and advanced navigation. More than you’d learn in any class.” Now you’ve done it…

  Saera’s mouth dropped open a little, but she quickly regained her composure. “Is that even allowed?”

  “It’s rare, but there’s nothing to forbid it.” As long as it stays professional…

  “I—” Saera looked into Wil’s eyes. There was understanding, compassion in her gaze. She needed a friend just as much as Wil did. “I’d love to.”

  There’s no staying away from her now. But I can’t believe I ever wanted to. “Great. I’ll find a time for us to get started next week. I’ll send you a message later today.”

  “Awesome, thanks.”

  Wil eyed the door to the hallway. “It’s probably safe for me to go now.” Though now I don’t want to leave.

  “Right, of course.” Saera shifted in her chair. “Thank you again for your help.”

  “Anytime. See you again soon.” He bobbed his head in farewell and left the room before he could make up an excuse to stay longer. I’m in trouble.

  * * *

  Saera was still reeling from her unexpected encounter with Wil Sights. He’s going to tutor me… It was surreal. After their initial meeting in the orientation room, she’d built him up as someone who was unattainable, and she had found a strange comfort in that. Now she felt conflicted. Why did I ever agree to get close to him? He’ll just reject me in the end. Yet, it felt so effortless while they were together. She couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing him again.

  She made her way to her quarters and collapsed on her bunk. I can’t tell anyone about this. Wil had said nothing about keeping their arrangement secret, but something in her gut told her it was implied. She still knew very little of the TSS, but it was clear Wil had stepped outside of normal protocol for her. Why me? She thought back to their first meeting, what had passed between them. Did he feel it, too?

  Nadeen came into the room and sat down on her upper bunk across the room from Saera. “Hey. Where were you this afternoon?”

  Saera sat up and detached her tablet from the wall. “Studying.”

  “I heard you had some sort of special assignment.”

  Saera nodded while signing into her tablet.

  “You’re the only one.”

  Saera looked up at Nadeen. She wasn’t sure what to make of Nadeen’s expression—if it was awe or animosity. “I’m just doing what I’m told. Just like everyone else.”

  Nadeen’s mouth twitched and she grabbed her own tablet from the wall, turning her back to Saera.

  Saera sighed inwardly and returned her attention to her tablet. She opened her inbox and scanned through the unread message. Her heart skipped a beat—a message from Wil, with details for the training. Maybe I’m not so alone after all.

  * * *

  “The independent jump drive is officially announced within the TSS,” Banks informed the Priest.

  “If only they knew the true reason for the invention,” the Priest mused.

  They’d all be running far away from here. “The details about the war will remain confidential, as always.”

  “As for the new jump drive, see to it that we rece
ive favorable licensing terms.”

  “This was never about the financials or intellectual property.”

  “Of course not, but we need to make sure we are well positioned for after the war,” the Priest stated.

  “I can urge Wil to make some concessions, given his close ties with the TSS, but any contract will be directly with the Priesthood. You’ll need to negotiate your own terms.”

  “Then he must come here.”

  “He’s too busy for a trip right now,” Banks countered.

  “Two days won’t make a difference. We look forward to meeting him.”

  The image of the Priest changed to the TSS logo on a black background.

  Banks groaned. He couldn’t go against the Priesthood’s instructions without risking his own well-being, but he didn’t like the idea of Wil being at their mercy, either. All he could do was trust in the Priesthood’s need for Wil. He’ll be safe there. He’s who they wanted. But for anyone else, good favor was on borrowed time.

  CHAPTER 9

  Clinging to the handhold, Saera felt completely lost in the weightlessness. The black walls of the room and pinprick lights provided no sense of orientation.

  Wil floated out from the wall, appearing comfortable and relaxed. His eyes glowed blue-green in the dim room.

  “You make it look so easy,” Saera said.

  “You’re just overthinking it.” Wil drew himself to the wall telekinetically.

  “Well, there’s no way I can do that.”

  Wil grinned. “Not yet.”

  “Ha.” Saera clung more firmly to the handhold. This was a terrible idea.

  “You’re never going to improve that way. Here,” Wil held out his hand, “come on.”

  Is he serious? Saera tentatively reached out to take his hand. A spark surged through her as they touched for the first time, as if she had been shocked by an electrical current. It spread throughout her body, warming her from within. She looked into his eyes, mesmerized, and felt complete trust. I never thought I could trust a guy again.

  Wil gently pulled her from the wall toward the middle of the room. Larger than the chamber where she trained with her class, the spatial awareness chamber was an icosahedron. The twenty facets of the wall were almost invisible from the center, blending together in the darkness.