“No, nothing like that.” Tarlen swallowed hard and told the doctor about his encounter with the big human passenger.
“And he was trying to lure you onto his ship?” Doctor Nee tapped his chin. “I think we should bring security and check it out. You can head to your room. I’ll take care of this.”
Tarlen smiled, glad the doctor had listened to him and was acting on it. “No, I’d like to come, please.”
Nee looked at him, appearing ready to decline, but eventually, he only nodded. “Come. I’ll call Brax’s best.”
A few minutes later, they headed for the hangar where he’d run away from Basel only hours earlier. Tarlen’s heart raced as the guards stopped at the hangar door. It was unattended again, and the strong-jawed Callalay security officer commented on that. “We’re supposed to be watching this door.”
He tapped the entryway open, and the lights flickered on as they stepped into the hangar. Basel’s ship was where it had been, and the doctor held Tarlen back as the two security men walked toward the vessel. The left one drew his PL-30, and the other knocked on the entrance. When no one responded, Tarlen watched him stick a device to the side of the vessel. It beeped three times, a red light blinking on the tool. The ramp descended, and Tarlen saw dim lights on inside the ship.
The two officers stepped onboard, and for a couple of tense minutes, all Tarlen could do was wait.
“He’s dead,” a guard said, poking his head out of the hatch.
“Dead?” Nee asked. “How did he die?”
“No visible indication. You might want to see this, though.” The guard waited as Nee arrived right before Tarlen, and the Bacal boy followed the doctor inside the ship.
The ship was cluttered, cargo boxes stacked haphazardly, and Tarlen stepped over a metallic tube lying on the ground. Then he saw the body. Basel’s dead eyes stared into the air, his mouth open, lips appearing burnt.
“Stand back,” Doctor Nee said, waving the guards and Tarlen to the side.
“What happened to him?” Tarlen asked.
There was a yellow slime near the man’s head, and Nee crouched, slowly shaking his head. “I’ve never seen this before. I’ll have to take samples. Do an autopsy. You need to leave this area. We’ll quarantine you until we know for certain nothing on board is toxic or contagious.”
The doctor pressed the man’s neck with a finger, and it sank in, almost like the bones beneath were gelatin. Tarlen fought the urge to pass out. His hand found the wall, and he gagged, taking quick breaths.
He tried to understand how Basel could have been killed in the short hours between then and now, but he couldn’t figure it out. Surely they had surveillance footage, or a witness. Tarlen let the guards usher him off the vessel, Nee still at the man’s side. Tarlen sneaked one last glance at the body and cringed.
____________
Thomas woke to the sunlight streaming through his open window. The heat felt nice, and he lay with his eyes closed, letting the morning air drift over his bare chest. When was the last time he’d come to like this, and not on a ship, or in the center of a metropolis? He could almost grow used to the feeling.
He listened to the noises of the village as the Ugna went about their morning routines. They were a quiet and respectful people, moving with purpose, only speaking to one another with care and consideration.
A voice carried into this room, and he strained to hear it.
“Will he be able to deliver?” It sounded like Elder Fayle.
“He will. He’s more industrious than even he thinks.” That was Ven. Were they talking about him?
“I can see that. You were smart to be paired with him. I suspect great things for you, Ven. Did you obtain your supply?” she asked.
“I have the En’or… but…”
“Fear not. You won’t run out again. Be cautious and don’t overuse it. Wean yourself from the desire, and focus on the task at hand. You will be well… son.” Elder Fayle’s voice was soft.
“Are you sure this is the time?” Ven asked her.
Their voices were quiet, and Tom crossed the bedroom, crouching at the open window to get closer. “It is time. We no longer need to hide among the shadows. We can begin to build something for our people. This is the right move. It is what we’ve waited for.”
“As you wish. I will do my part. He will fight for it. That much I know.” Ven’s voice grew more distant, and Tom wasn’t able to hear the elder’s reply.
So the Ugna had been intending to make a play like this for sometime. It made sense. Two million Ugna and forty vessels. They had a small army, one that would be a great ally to the Concord. Now it was up to Tom to ensure the promises were all met.
He dressed, his clothing folded outside his door where they’d told him they would be. The uniform smelled clean, like it had been washed with flowers. Tom made his way outside, walking the path toward the dining hall. He spotted Ven ending his conversation with Fayle, and Tom waved at him, the tall Ugna coming over to his side.
“Good morning, sir,” Ven said.
“Sleep well?” Tom asked, noticing the red lines were partially gone from Ven’s eyes, and his mood seemed brighter. He assumed it had something to do with the fresh intake of En’or.
“It felt nice to be home for a moment,” he said, not fully answering Tom’s question.
“When do we leave?” Tom asked.
“When we finish eating.”
Tom nodded, and they spent the next half hour dining in peace before returning through the forest to the ship waiting for them. The trip here had seemed like a whirlwind, and Tom was a little surprised no one escorted them away from the village. None of the elders said their goodbyes, and Ven assured him it wasn’t intended to be disrespectful.
It wasn’t long before they were descending, the ship’s exit opening as they arrived in secret outside the capital city. From there, he and Ven walked in silence, with Tom wondering how the Zilph’i and Prime-in-Waiting would respond to the news the Ugna sprang on them.
Tieria was as beautiful a building as ever, and they walked the steps, arriving at the entrance. A few Zilph’i were loitering about, but otherwise, it was a quiet setting. It felt like Leria was at peace, while the rest of Concord space was in general unrest. Tom needed to show the delegates how dire it was out there and make them care about the Concord on the whole, but that was going to be a challenge.
Tom walked inside the giant doorway and was stopped by an armed woman. “We’d like to speak with the delegates.”
“I’m afraid they’re in meetings,” the woman said.
“Can you let them know it’s Captain Thomas Baldwin and Ven of the Ugna, please?” he said, unable to hide the impatience from his voice.
“Very well, but it’ll be some time. You may sit and wait,” she said, pointing at the edge of the foyer, where four wooden chairs sat empty.
“Come on, Ven. Let’s head out, see if we can’t find a raca somewhere.”
____________
This body was uncomfortable. Ginn was young and strong, but she feared she’d moved through too many hosts in such a short time. She should have waited inside Relizi instead of switching to Basel so quickly. The man had been more beast than being, and she shook her head as she remembered the dark memories lingering inside her mind.
She didn’t feel attached to this body, but it would come with time. At this point, she was relieved to be off Constantine. Basel’s body would have been found by now, especially since she’d let the dark-haired boy get away. He would have been a great specimen. It seemed he was trusted by the powers that be, but he was too smart for Basel. Another reason she shouldn’t have inhabited the clumsy, oafish man. He was too intimidating.
It was far easier to go unnoticed in some forms, and this security officer’s body was good for that. Plus, she was allowed to carry a weapon, which helped tremendously. She didn’t have a goal anymore. She’d only wanted to eventually land somewhere populated, and now that she was heading to the surfac
e of Leria, the home of the Zilph’i, she found she needed to decide what the next step was.
She’d need to inhabit a local sooner than later, because she doubted they’d let a human security officer stay behind when the rest of the crew returned to Constantine. She cringed at thinking about leaving another corpse in her wake – not because she felt particularly bad about killing someone, but because there would be more evidence.
No one would be able to determine her origin. How long had she been trapped in that cave? Centuries? Longer? Her people were distant, and she didn’t think anyone in Concord space would be aware of their existence. That was the positive thing.
“I hate these trips,” a man beside her said.
“Why’s that?” Ginn asked.
“Because we’re nothing more than a delivery crew. We’re sent to the surface, pick up supplies at a warehouse, and then right back to the ship. I mean, we’re at Leria. I want to see the sights. It’s common knowledge that the captain and the others will be tied up here for a few days, at least. I heard there’s supposed to be a lake ten kilometers from Ulia that reverses human aging.” He sighed.
Ginn doubted this was true, but she played along. “Maybe we can keep on here… say, for a few hours. No one will even notice.”
There were only three of them on the ship, and the man grunted, tapping the pilot. “What do you think, Clint? How about we do a little tour of the town after we get the goods?”
The pilot glanced back, frowning. “You know that’s against policy.”
“Come on, who’s it going to hurt?” the man beside Ginn said. She wasn’t sure of his name; that part of the body’s memory hadn’t linked yet. Another after-effect of hopping hosts too quickly.
“Luca, you really thought I was being serious? If anyone asks, I’ll simply tell them we had an issue with the drive. Shouldn’t be a stretch, since this liner hasn’t been tested before today,” Cliff said, and Ginn smiled.
They landed a short time later, the doors to their blocky ship opening wide at the rear. A Zilph’i woman with a tablet walked over to them, followed by a hovering load of goods. There were countless items piled in neat stacks, wrapped and sealed, destined for Constantine.
“Everything is in order. If you’ll just tap here.” The woman held the tablet out toward Luca, and the man pressed it with a thick finger.
The goods began moving up the ramp, and Ginn stepped out of the way, staring toward the city’s buildings. It was nice, almost reminding her of home, if the structures weren’t there. She wondered if her home planet still existed. She suspected it had survived, tucked away in the middle of space, dangerous asteroid fields and heavy radiation surrounding their system. It wasn’t somewhere people visited, and they’d remained landlocked until that first ship had arrived so long ago.
Ginn recalled hearing the stories as a child, wishing she could latch on to a body of an outsider and leave the planet. Now here she was on Leria, the infamous home planet of one of the Founders. Before Relizi had discovered her in the cave, she’d had no memory of the Concord or Founders, but it was clear from that girl, and Basel and Ginn, that the Concord was the largest collective of worlds in existence.
She walked away, the others calling after her. She didn’t look back, and eventually, they stopped trying. The air was warm, and she felt overdressed in her dark gray uniform. Ginn brushed an errant hair from her face, stuck there by a sheen of sweat, and walked toward a beautiful building on a distant hill. She guessed that was the most important place in the city.
She passed by a storefront. Two locals sat on stools outside, beverages wrapped in long fingers. “I heard the Border is growing worse. This isn’t a time to leave the Concord,” the woman said.
“That’s far away. Let someone else deal with it. We have enough to concern ourselves with,” the man replied.
The Border. There was something inside Ginn’s memories that was triggered by the words. Perhaps she’d been stationed there at some point? Ginn felt anger at the notion of the Concord being under attack, that some race from outside Concord space dared attack the sanctity of a partner planet.
Her steps went more quickly as she climbed the wide pathway. Hovercars floated above, heading to and from their business, the compact Drives nearly silent. She was impressed with this city. Perhaps this could be her new home, but she’d need a new host. Someone important. She was tired of living on scraps. The taste of the string-roasted Screl lingered in her mind. Never again.
The round building atop the hill was guarded, and she saw two men walking toward her. One was a handsome human, and she pressed Ginn’s biases away. The other was so pale, he was almost stark white. His red eyes were downcast, and Ginn hurled herself into the bushes, hiding from them.
“I’m so sick of this. They should have admitted us.” Ginn knew this was Constantine’s captain.
“Sir, they’ll meet in good time. The delegates will choose to side with us…”
She watched as the captain stopped, taking a moment to stare at his wrist device. “Go ahead, Constantine.”
“Captain, there’s been another threat of attack, this time Malrun XBH. We’ve been notified we have to depart within the hour,” a voice said.
“Maybe now they’ll listen to us.” The two figures turned around, and Ginn only stepped out when they were some distance up the hill.
She followed, far enough behind that they wouldn’t realize they had a tail. Five minutes later, she emerged at the top of the hill, taking in the splendor of the building. One of the hovercars lowered, and a man with short dark hair walked out, hurrying toward the temple. From the way the locals deferred to him, she sensed his position of power.
Ginn walked forward, calling for the man. “Sir, can I speak to you a moment?”
The man stopped in his tracks, his brown eyes locking with her gaze from fifty feet away.
“Hello, are you here with Constantine?” He walked toward her, and she smiled at him, doing her best to mimic a flirtatious expression.
“I’m looking for the captain. Perhaps you can show me to him?” she asked.
“I only just arrived, but let’s see if we can find him together…”
“Ginn, my name’s Ginn.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Shengin.”
He grinned at her, and they walked jointly into the building, past the guards and into the Zilph’i tower.
Nine
Reeve cleared her throat. “I’m not saying anything against you, Prime-in-Waiting Harris. I’m only stating we should consider their point of view.”
Harris remained frowning. “I understand well enough. You’re suggesting we bring it to a vote with the elected admirals and other Founders, is that accurate?”
“Yes.” Reeve was under the gun, a position she never should have been in. Why hadn’t Brax urged her to bite her tongue on the matter? “The truth is, none of us want to be in this situation, but here we are. The Zilph’i are going to leave. It’s all the city is talking about. They’re tired of the corruption, tired of being led by outsiders. When is the last time we had a Zilph’i Prime?”
Harris leaned away, steepling his fingers. “Two hundred years.”
“And why is that?” Admiral Benitor asked.
“I don’t have those answers,” Reeve admitted.
Benitor tapped her fingers on the desk. “Because they haven’t wanted the position. They prefer to be part of the Concord, only less involved. They’re a proud race, with so much to offer, but they haven’t once suggested a name to be considered for the role.”
“Perhaps that’s only their way. They might be agreeable to it if the role was offered,” Reeve said. “All I know is, if you don’t try, they’ll part ways, and we’re going to be in a load of trouble.”
Brax was beside her, the delegates’ meeting room far too large for the four of them. Reeve felt tiny in the ornate wood-lined space. He nodded along, not adding anything to her comments.
“We’ll take it under consid
eration,” Admiral Benitor said.
“What?” Harris stood, a vein pulsing on his forehead. “You can’t be serious. We’re taking the suggestion of who… a Tekol engineer?”
“What does my race have to do with this?” Reeve stood too, walking around the table to be face-to-face with the Prime-in-Waiting. The more time she spent with the man, the more she understood he wasn’t fit for the role. They needed to move forward, and Harris wasn’t the man for the job.
“Nothing. That’s not what I meant. You have no experience in the political world. Your idea is…”
“Sound, Harris. Her idea is sound. This isn’t the first time someone considered offering the role to a Zilph’i. It was a close vote, but the others didn’t suspect they were truly going to abandon the Founders. After spending a day here, I agree with Reeve Daak that they’re not staying with us. This may be the only way,” Admiral Benitor said.
Reeve stood straight, Harris acting defeated, settling to his seat.
The doors opened, and in walked Delegate Xune. “There’s been word of another attack. Constantine has been called to assist.”
“Will she be enough?” Brax asked, and Reeve heard Captain Baldwin before she saw him.
“She will be with an Ugna escort at her side,” Baldwin said, walking through the wide doorway. Ven trailed behind him, a grim look on his face.
“What is this about? How will you do that?” Harris asked.
The delegates streamed in, taking their positions along the front of the room, each seated in a long line behind a wooden bench. People spoke over one another, and Reeve caught Baldwin’s gaze, him passing a wink to her. She smiled at the captain, happy to see him in good spirits.
Delegate Xune sat in the center of his people, and there was a single seat open beside him. He stood, raising a hand. “Calm, everyone.” He waited a moment while the room’s occupants stopped speaking. Captain Baldwin and Ven arrived at their table, and Reeve moved over, letting Baldwin take the seat next to her. Xune continued. “Prime-in-Waiting Harris, Admiral Benitor, we’ve made our decision. We understand that now isn’t the optimal time for this news, with Malrun XBH under attack and uncertainty within the Concord.”
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