Carthage Prime

by Toby Neighbors

  “Can’t we do that from anywhere?” Nyx asked.

  “You could,” Loman agreed. “But what we need to keep this quiet. Whoever is behind the attacks and false reports almost certainly has agents watching and listening. Even an encrypted holo-conference doesn’t guarantee that someone isn’t listening in. I want you in a room that we know is secure. And Alex, I want you to have access to our full suite of systems.”

  “And those of every other business on Arcadia,” Ash said. “It’s not a bad plan.”

  “Hacking is a major crime,” Nyx pointed out. “And Arcadia’s laws are incredibly strict.”

  Loman wanted to say he couldn’t agree more. The flask in his inner pocket was a prime example of just how strict a planet’s laws and restrictions could be.

  “We aren’t going to hack anyone,” Loman said. “You man not do anything other than meet with Security Admin Prince. Only time will tell. So, let’s just try to enjoy ourselves, shall we?”

  Alex nodded, along with the rest of the group. They had their meager belongings packed, and they followed Loman out of the Captain’s study as the Republic began docking procedures with the New Wales Transit Station. When Alex had come aboard the carrier ship, it had been in a shuttle that ferried five squads up from Helena Prime. This time, they would exit using the officers’ exclusive airlock from the ship’s command level.

  Loman was joined by Colonel Chastain, who, with her new promotion, was his top military advisor. He had a lot to do and had been gone from his office for nearly three weeks. Loman trusted his VP assistants, but he didn’t trust Zan Fordham who had been elevated to equal rank with Loman himself. The greedy puppet had taken Loman’s office and filled it with expensive furnishings and even elevated his desk on a platform. There was no doubt that the foolish Zan would run the entire Security Division into the ground if he was allowed to. Loman fully expected to have to clean up after Zan, who’s position hadn’t even been defined before Loman left Arcadia.

  They passed through the airlock, out of the ship, and down the space station docking corridor. At the end was a woman in a dark suit, with pale white skin. She stepped up to Loman and spoke quietly.

  “Mr. Haley, the transport is waiting on docking arm seventeen, slip J.”

  “Thank you,” Loman replied.

  The woman stepped aside and Haley continued into the heart of the station. The Republic was docked on the big ship side of the station. Their transport would be on the opposite side, one one of the docking arms reserved for smaller vessels.

  “Wouldn’t mind hanging out a while,” Sly said from behind the Executive VP. “There’s plenty to do here if you need to take care of some work, sir.”

  “You really want to spend the day on a transit station?” Ash asked.

  “I wouldn’t mind getting something to eat,” Sly replied.

  “He’s always hungry,” his Controller said.

  “The food on board a space ship isn’t really up to my standards,” Sly said. “I have a discerning palate.”

  “Nothing on this station will be any better,” Loman said over his shoulder. “But I’ve chartered a first class transport. The meals on board will be prepared by a private chef, with fresh ingredients.”

  “Now, we’re talking,” Sly said.

  Chapter 2

  Alex hurried to keep up with the VP’s pace. His leg was healed, according to the medical staff on board the Republic but Alex still felt pain. The medical scanner showed the bone to be fully restored, and the incisions had healed nicely, but Alex was convinced that something was still wrong with the leg. The medical staff suggested that perhaps his complaints stemmed from a psychological issue, which Alex brushed off. The pain wasn’t just in his mind, no matter what the doctors said.

  “You okay?” Nyx said, walking beside him.

  They were behind the others, and she spoke quietly, which he appreciated. He was already getting more attention than he was comfortable with for their mission to save the VP’s transport in the Carthage system. He understood that his newfound abilities had kept the the ship from being captured by the Zen Tech forces, and saved the passenger and crew as well, but he didn’t like being singled out. The last thing Alex wanted was to create discord with his team mates. And even the sympathy from having been wounded made it seem like he was getting undue attention.

  “Fine,” Alex lied. “Just trying to keep up.”

  “You aren’t getting soft on me, are you?” Nyx teased.

  “No,” Alex said with a grin. “But I do miss my Titan suit.”

  “Some rest is good for you,” she said, tapping the side of her head and raising her eyebrows.

  “It’s fine,” he said. “Just background noise, as usual.”

  “Nothing strange or unusual?”

  “No,” he said.

  She was referring to his ability to hear the EM waves produced by electrical devices. The truth was, Alex could hear everything. Not that he couldn’t before, it was a function of the Implanted Neural Controller the medical staff on Helena Prime had surgically implanted into the back of his head. It was intended to give him greater control of the mechanized battle suits he wore in combat situations. The INC was designed to be incorporated by his brain, which translated the date like a sixth sense. But Alex’s mind was somehow doing more. He was not only able to sync the INC to his battle suit, but to other computerized devices as well. In orbit above Carthage Prime, he had taken control of Zen Tech ships, and even the private transport that VP Haley had entered the system in.

  Fortunately, the EM waves weren’t overwhelming him. They faded into the background, like the sounds of rain pelting a thin roof. He could focus on the sounds if he wanted to, even picking one out of the many various waves that his brain heard, for lack of a better way to describe his awareness of the waves. Only, they were more than just noise to him since his abilities increased. He could hear each wave, like a musical instrument in an orchestra. The background noise in his head had transformed into a soft, melodic song that was always playing.

  “I’m good, really,” he insisted.

  Nyx smiled at him, sending a tingling sensation all through his body. They both felt the chemistry, but they were both hesitant to move forward or declare their feelings. Alex felt like there was plenty of time for them to be together. They had both been promoted to Sergeant, and after their missions in the Carthage system, no one could say they were rookies anymore.

  They followed the VP across a wide concourse. There were kiosks selling a wide variety of goods on the station. The team of Titan Operators and Controllers looked around but didn’t stop. The sales people sat on stools, looking bored, waiting for someone to show an interest in their wares before expending any energy in selling their goods.

  There was a food court. Alex knew the food was all processed goods, yet the smells were enticing. Sly wasn’t the only member of the group who was hungry. But Loman didn’t stop. They were soon moving down a long corridor with airlocks leading to docking slips. When they finally reached J - the fifth docking slip on the left side of the corridor - Alex was starting to sweat.

  “Here we are,” Loman Haley said, pressing a button to activate the intercom to the transport.

  “Yeah,” a voice said.

  “This is Loman Haley. I’m here with seven other passengers ready to board.”

  “Alright,” the voice replied.

  Alex thought the person sounded strange for a private transport, but the airlock swished open and Loman didn’t hesitate to step through. Nyx looked at Alex, who shrugged his shoulders as the rest of the group followed the VP into the docking slip.

  The passageway between the airlock and the ship had no gravity. After a few steps, they were floating through a tunnel that seemed to be made of thick plastic. The only lights came from each end. Alex thought the process was a bit frightening. It was completely different from what he’d seen in holo-films, but it was his first experience with private transportation.

  T
he airlock on the charter ship was small. The group had to go through two at a time. Alex and Nyx were the last to enter the ship, and for the first time Alex was pleasantly surprised.

  “That’s everyone?” asked a scruffy looking man in an ill fitting uniform. “Welcome to the Starchaser. We’re glad to have you on board. Glenda is our chief stew. She’ll give you a quick tour of the ship and then we’ll get started.”

  “Tour of the ship,” Sly said, elbowing Alex in the ribs. “This is fancy.”

  They were in what the stewardess called the main salon. There were sofas, a large video display, and windows on either side. A man with a tray of bubbly drinks offered one to each of them as they passed by. There were several crew members, a chief, engineer, and the scruffy looking man was the ship’s captain.

  The crew stood in line while the introductions were made, but then quickly dispersed. Alex took his glass of golden bubbly liquid and gave the drink a sip. It tasted like he imagined the nail polish remover his mother sometimes used when he was a child would taste.

  “Oh, that’s not good,” he whispered.

  “Kind of like cleaning fluid,” Ash whispered back.

  Glenda took them down a very narrow set of stairs that led to a series of cabins. The master cabin was large, with a huge bed, and a massive bathroom. It was bigger than the squad rest room facilities on the Republic. VP Haley claimed the room, and went immediately to the built in desk next to a large window that showed a view of the space station they were docked with, and used his PIL to log into the Starchaser’s network access portal.

  “No rest for the weary,” Sly said.

  “I guess not,” Alex agreed.

  “Stop talking and pay attention,” Nyx scolded him.

  “He started it,” Alex said with a chuckle.

  “Hey! What did I do?” Sly said.

  “You see what I have to deal with on a daily basis,” Ash said.

  Glenda continued the tour. The other rooms were luxurious, with large beds and private bathrooms. After touring the cabins, they were led to a level called the Rec Deck. There game stations, exercise equipment, and even a library of old fashioned paper books neatly arranged on thick wooden shelves. Every surface gleamed. The wood was coated with lacquer and polished so that it shined from the ship’s lighting. The metal was all chrome with a mirror finish.

  From the Rec Deck they went up to the dinning room. There was a bar with stools, and a mirror behind the rows of liquor bottles. A large, round dining table with an elevated center that could turn. Snacks had already been set out on the center portion of the table.

  “Now, we’re talking,” Sly said enthusiastically.

  There were crackers with cheese and prosciutto, shrimp cocktail, fresh fruit, glazed nuts, and bite sized cinnamon rolls. Everyone got small plates from a stack on the table top and filled them with the small appetizers.

  “We’ll serve lunch in a couple of hours,” Glenda said with a dazzling smile. “But first, allow me to show you the observation deck.”

  She led the way up another set of stairs to a wide deck on top of the ship. It was covered with a transparent bubble that made Alex feel like he was outside. They could see the space station, and a variety of ships moving toward or away from them.

  “This is incredible,” Nyx said.

  “I may never leave,” Sly proclaimed.

  There was another bar. A U shaped sitting area with thickly cushioned sofas. And finally, a large, round, hot tub filled with steaming water.

  “The spa uses a natural ozonation process to clean the water,” Glenda explained. “Feel free to use any of the ship’s facilities as you like. If you need anything all, just ask one of my stews. We’re here to make your trip as enjoyable as possible.”

  “I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Sly said. “Is there more food?”

  “Certainly,” Glenda said.

  She followed him back down to the dinning area. Ash’s Controller went down to his cabin, and Sly’s mumbled something about looking at the books on the Rec Deck.

  The ship started to move. There was no sensation of movement, but from the observation deck they could see the docking tube break free and retract into the station. There were small bursts of compressed air that pushed the transport forward.

  Alex moved to the sofa, and set his mostly untouched glass of bubbling champagne on a side table. Nyx and Ash joined him, along with Colonel Chastain.

  “This seems a little excessive,” Alex said.

  “It was the only transport available at the last minute,” Colonel Chastain said as she leaned back and sipped from her glass. “The VP spent his own money to charter this luxury yacht. It’s probably the only time in our entire lives that we’ll have a chance like this.”

  “Might as well enjoy it then,” Ash said.

  “I don’t mean to complain,” Alex said. “It’s just not what I was expecting.”

  “You’ve got Neunhappin Syndrome, Evans,” the Colonel said.

  “He’s got what?” Ash asked.

  “Neunhappin Syndrome is when a person goes from living in harsh conditions with very little, to being in a place where life flourishes and there are many opportunities,” Nyx said.

  “You’re Controller’s smart, Ace,” Ash said.

  “I know,” he said proudly.

  “I’ve never been to NP8261,” Colonel Chastain said. “But no world without a name is ever a good place to be.”

  “We called it the Rock,” Alex said. “The atmo was thin and toxic. No natural ground soil. It was essentially a big rock.”

  “Sounds terrible,” Ash said.

  “And now here you are,” the Colonel continued. “On a luxury space yacht, rubbing elbows with the Executive Vice President of a big five company.”

  “Not to mention a Colonel,” Nyx said with a grin.

  Chastain nodded. “It’s a big change. Otto Neunhappin was a psychologist who studied planetary environments and their effects on the human mind.”

  “Sounds like edge of your seat kind of stuff,” Ash teased.

  “How do you know about it?” Alex asked Nyx.

  “My parents were scientists. They were constantly giving me books to read in almost every scientific field,” Nyx said. “Neunhappin’s theories were in one of them.”

  “Basically it means that you’re uncomfortable, Evans,” the Colonel explained. “That’s not unusual. We all are, to some extent. You need to learn to adapt.”

  “I don’t think Sly is having any problems with this ship or with being pampered,” Ash said.

  “We all deal with change in our own ways,” Chastain said, before finishing off her champaign. “You’ll be fine. By tomorrow afternoon when we reach Arcadia, you’ll be wishing you didn’t have to leave.”

  Alex hoped the Colonel was right. He watched her stand up and move easily toward the stairs. She had a confidence he envied. Beyond her, the the space station appeared to be shrinking. He felt like he was in a dome theater rather than on a space vessel.

  “Alone at last,” Nyx said.

  “Are we ever truly alone?” Alex asked, turning toward Nyx.

  “No, but it is nice to have some time together,” she replied. “Unless you don’t want to.”

  “I want that more than anything,” Alex said. “I just feel uncomfortable.”

  “Me too, in a way,” Nyx said. “But you’ve earned a break. Try to think of this, and the days ahead as some much needed R&R.”

  “I can’t imagine being able to rest or relax, but I’ll try.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  The two of them stayed on the upper deck, watching the ship fly through space toward what looked like a black hole. Space tunnels connected the various star systems, cutting down the travel time between systems from years to just a few hours. There were dozens of tunnels in the space around the New Wales Transit Station. Ships were disappearing into them, or appearing out of them all the time. It made Alex feel like Nyx was right. Anything was poss
ible. And he didn’t have to force it, or figure it all out on his own. He was part of a team, and he knew they had his back. All he needed to do was relax and try to enjoy himself.

  Chapter 3

  Dinner, was a full production. They began with a cold corn chowder that was both sweet and savory. Alex felt like he could have just eaten the soup and been happy, although he didn’t get nearly enough. The bowls seemed large, but they only held a small amount of the soup in a small depression right in the very center. The second course was a salad with grilled peppers and onions, topped with tiny tendrils of fried squid.

  “Have you ever had calamari?” Sly asked, as Alex eyed the salad dubiously.

  “No.”

  “It’s delicious,” Loman said.

  All eight passengers had been summoned to dinner by Glenda, who was busy serving the dishes and carrying away the plates and bowls when they finished. She filled their goblets with different wines as the dinner progressed, but Alex stuck with water. He didn’t really like the taste of alcohol, and while Sly and VP Haley talked about the wine as if it were exceptional, Alex was satisfied with just a few sips.

  Alex tried the calamari. He wasn’t sure if he was tasting the squid, or just the well seasoned breading, but he liked it. The small, artfully arranged salad course disappeared quickly. The third course was a small cube of grilled fish on top of a circle of rice, and covered with small bundle of crunchy green beans.

  By the time Alex polished off the third course his hunger was completely satisfied, but the food was so good he wanted more. The fourth course was the meat course. The chef prepared a buttery turnip puree, with garlic roasted asparagus, baby carrots, and slices of beef filet. Alex was beginning to realize just how sheltered his life had been. He thought the food in the cafeteria on Helena Prime was amazing, and yet compared to the meal he was eating on the Starchaser, it was the most basic fare.

  “The final course,” Glenda said, once the table had been cleared of their empty plates, “is a chocolate soufflé with a raspberry drizzle, and crème fraiche.”