by Larkin, Matt
Then there was a separatist movement calling themselves the New Eden Republic. A faction led by a growing number of captains who wanted nothing to do with either Angels or David’s people, whom they considered traitors. The Separatists planned to start their own republic around mankind’s recently rediscovered homeworld. The Seekers of Eden had thrown their lot in with NER. From what he heard, because of the psychic ghosts on Eden, they had been building camps on the other planets in the system.
The NER might actually be his best chance for allies, if he could just get them to sit down for a wee chat. Seemed as though almost no one wanted to speak with him these days.
At last he sighed. There was someone who wanted to speak with him. “I got a call from Leah this morning,” he said.
Rachel grunted noncommittally. “And how is the doctor?”
Leah had asked to stay behind on Rehobath with her family after David and Rachel had married there. Given all they had been through, he could hardly deny her some personal leave. The truth was, knowing her feelings for him, it was probably best he give her some space. He could have her transferred to another ship—the Wake of Stars, maybe. Hannah could certainly use the help. Of course, he would miss the lass terribly. For years she had been his best friend and confidant. Rachel had begun taking Leah’s place in those aspects, but he still missed the Amphie.
“She requested we stop by to pick her up. She says she wants to return to duty.”
“And you want her to.”
“I’m not sure.”
“Yes you are. Just go get her, Mac.”
The Sephirot was already in Andromeda, trying in vain to help Hannah’s efforts. He could reach Rehobath in a day. “Have you ever seen Floating City?”
Rachel shook her head.
“Rehobath it is, then.”
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FORTY
April 21st
I won’t lie. I have mixed feelings about Leah. She’s been in love with my husband a long time, and I think she only recently admitted it even to herself. Still, she’s part of the crew, a talented medic, and … David’s truest friend. I cannot deny him that. Besides, I look forward to seeing Rehobath. Though the world is owned by the Mizraim Empire, it is primarily run by Zebulun, due to the valuable subsea mining operations conducted all over the planet. The Angels seeded the world with human life because of the mineral deposits, but in the following millennia the locals have turned it into a fine place to visit.
Rehobath was an ocean world. With the exception of icecaps on the poles, it had no land to speak of. A spattering of platforms and underwater settlements dotted the globe, especially around the equator, where reefs were rich in crystals and minerals ideal for subsea mining.
David had visited the planet several times before, or at least the capital, Floating City. As the named implied, it was a platform floating on the equator. Leah’s family, like most, lived up there. Underwater, a column reached down several hundred meters to connect to the lower city—commonly known as the Benthic.
The planet had no proper space port, but rather an orbital docking platform. From there, he and Rachel took a shuttle down to Floating City. She stared out the window at the oceans as they landed on a shuttle pad.
“God, I can see fish in the water,” she said.
“Aye. Around these parts the ocean’s clear as the rivers on New Rome … as they were.”
“Mmmm.” She scurried out of the shuttle and over to the pad’s rail. “Do you think the water’s cold?”
“Not here, no. There’s an artificial beach in the south district. Tourists come here to swim with the dolphins and rays. It’s bloody deep down there, though. Not like stepping off a beach at home. Go out far and you’d just fall off the shelf.”
Rachel beamed like a double sunrise. “Okay. Totally got to try that. How … how big are the rays?”
David smiled and began leading her to the beach. Nice to see the lass enjoying herself like old times. Back when the universe was simpler. Back when Angels were a memory to be revered, instead of aliens to be fought. “Mantas get to be almost ten meters in wingspan.”
“Holy shit. That’s huge. Are … are there sharks? Whales?”
“Whales, aye, but not in these waters. No sharks. Angels never seeded them here. Guess it would have interfered with the mining operations.”
“I like this planet,” she said. She rushed down another street, gazing at palm trees and shops selling margaritas.
The buildings here weren’t as tall as those on other planets—five or six stories, usually no more. Here, the city built down, not up. The platform was wide—several kilometers in diameter, which meant there was no chance of it capsizing. The Angels knew what they were about when they designed the place.
Most of the buildings were painted white, or light blue, and tropical flowers grew everywhere. Though most of the planet’s industry was controlled by Zebulun, the locals had turned Floating City into a relaxing paradise for suits or Sentinels needing a vacation. Once, he’d taken shore leave here with Leah. The lass had five sisters, four of whom still lived here. They’d fawned over him, offering him mojitos, spicy boiled shrimp, and anything else he needed. Alisa, the oldest, was a professional masseuse and had given him the finest massage he’d ever had.
David smiled at the thought and followed Rachel as she dashed down the beach. Pink sand kicked up under her boots when she ran toward a concession stand. A wide palm umbrella shaded a local Amphie selling cocktails.
“Uh, lass,” David said. “If you’re going swimming, best save the alcohol for after that.”
Rachel rolled her eyes, but shrugged at the vendor and walked toward the sea. She unbonded her jacket and tossed it aside. “Where can we get swimwear?”
Her suit was waterproof, but he supposed she’d want to feel the water on her skin. David scratched his head. “Uh, on this planet most of the people don’t bother with that.”
“They swim naked?” she asked.
David pointed at people out in the water. Because the waters were so clear, it was obvious most wore nothing.
“Huh,” Rachel said, and stared.
David folded his arms and watched her, trying not to grin. “Still want to go swimming, lass? If you’re feeling shy I’ll bet you could find a tourist shop with a bikini.” Most of the sunbathers did have some kind of undergarments on. They just tended to strip them off when swimming.
Rachel scrunched her face and stuck out her tongue. “You’re the one with the fair Calnehian skin. I don’t burn.” And she pulled off her undershirt and tossed it on top of her jacket.
David unabashedly stared at her breasts. “I love you, wife.”
“Oh, you’re coming too.”
“Aye?” He followed her lead and stripped his clothes, then chased her into the sea.
For a short distance they could walk along the bottom, but the slope was steep, and soon he had to swim. Rachel dove underwater, and he followed. Not far off shore, dolphins played with tourists and local Amphies, long accustomed to their presence. For an hour he swam with Rachel. She was panting when they crawled back onto the beach.
“You know, lass,” he said, a little winded himself, “you can get a breather. If you want to dive longer.”
“I might,” she said. She slipped back into her undergarments and headed for the concession stand. “Maybe a break first.”
“Aye.” David pulled his own clothes back own. “You can check into a hotel if you like. I need to find Leah.”
Rachel nodded, then ordered a drink.
David left her to relax and headed toward the city center. If he remembered correctly, Leah’s family had a condo there. He toured the buildings until one looked familiar, then tapped its console. “Suzuki family.”
A moment later the screen filled with Alisa’s face. “Hello? Oh! You’re Leah’s boyfriend, right? Want another massage?”
“Uh … I’m not …” David cleared his throat. Had the girl misunderstood, or had Leah misled her? Most l
ikely the former. He couldn’t see Leah doing that … not really. “Is she around?”
“She went diving down from the Benthic. Red Chamber, I think.”
Diving. Meaning no comm.
“All right, thanks, lass.” He released the console and headed toward one of the lifts. Both the column and lift had smart glass walls, allowing him to see the rainbow assortment of fish as he descended. Truly a beautiful sight. In the distance, he caught sight of a manta, the largest he’d ever seen. With luck, Rachel would get the chance to see the behemoth.
The lift settled down, and he followed lighted panels toward the Red Chamber. Color-coded lights led to seven different diving chambers, in addition to several research and storage stations down here. Mostly Amphies came to the dive chambers for mining work, but some came just for recreation. Norms and other non-Amphies couldn’t well swim this deep, so it was private, secluded from most tourists.
Red lights lit the ceiling of the Red Chamber. When he entered, a half-dozen workers loaded hauls of crystals onto a hover transport. Some wore shorts and loose shirts, but others wore nothing. David tried not to stare. Had to remember local customs varied on each planet.
A man popped up from one of the dive pools—large circular wells all around the Red Chamber—hefting a fiber net filled with crystals after him. When he broke the surface, micro hover jets on the net activated, allowing him to lift it clear.
David watched for a moment, then someone rose from the waters of another pool. Leah. Completely nude.
She stepped free of the pool, beaming at him. “David!”
He coughed and looked at the floor. Knowing she had feelings for him made seeing her naked all the more awkward.
An instant she wavered, covering her breasts with her webbed fingers. “I … I’m sorry. I didn’t know you would come down here … I didn’t. Um …” She scurried over to her discarded clothes.
“It’s all right, lass. We … we’ve been swimming together before.”
“You … You want to swim?”
“Couldn’t take the pressure down here.” Which was putting it mildly.
“Right. Right.” She slipped into her clothes, so at last he turned to look at her directly. Water streamed from her dark hair. A hint of a smile played on her lips, but she still looked embarrassed.
No sense in that. David stepped to her side and embraced her. “Good to see you, lass.”
“Yeah.”
“I missed you, Leah. I’m glad you’re coming back to the Sephirot. Rachel and I are going to stay the night here, but we’ll have to go in the morning.”
Leah nodded. “Um, okay. How about if you come to my house for dinner? Both of you, I mean.”
“Aye, okay.” Her sisters did make some fine shrimp. And maybe Rachel wouldn’t object if he got a massage after all. “I’ll meet you back there at sunset, then.”
He trod back toward the lift, then hunted down Rachel. She had checked into the Fairbreeze Hotel by the beach. It was a good choice. He’d stayed there once before. All the rooms had a great view.
When he entered their room, she was on the line with Phoebe.
“You want me to patch the transmission down to you?”
“Sure,” Rachel said. “Did she say what was up?”
“Nope. Seemed stressed though. How’s the planet? Hot as all void, I’ll bet.”
“Yeah, you’d hate it. Knight might enjoy it, though.”
Phoebe snorted. “You think I’d send him down to a beach filled with naked girls without me? Yup, totally sounds like a plan. A terrible plan. I’m patching you through.”
“Who is it?” David whispered to Rachel as he came to sit beside her on the bed. Maybe best not to mention how he’d found Leah.
“Degana O’Malley.”
David nodded. He appreciated Rachel’s friendship with Thomas’s sister. It seemed to relax her, having a girlfriend to talk to, and that worked for David. Of course, now that O’Malley was working for the NER, she had less time for chit-chat.
The Icie’s call filled the screen. “Rachel. Thank God. I need you here as soon as you can.”
Rachel rose from the bed. “Why? What happened?”
“The Angels have brought in multiple ships. They and their Sentinel allies are conquering the whole damn Milky Way. They’re going to shut down the Republic before we can even get off the ground.”
“Are you all right?” Rachel asked.
“Yes, for now. They haven’t come after Eden itself. But Rachel, outlaying systems are falling fast.”
Bloody void. He’d known the peace with the Angels was too good to last. Rachel turned to look at him, pleading in her eyes. David nodded. It seemed they were going to miss dinner.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FORTY-ONE
Degana is one of the few true friends I have. Even if I didn’t believe in the NER—and I do—I could not abandon her. Moreover, the Republic offers mankind the chance I always wanted to give them. The chance to stand on our own feet, free from the legacy of the Angels.
Rachel stood before the door to Raziel’s quarters, running her arguments through her mind. Then the door opened, even before she buzzed it. Of course.
The Angel sat on a stool in front of his Mazzaroth screen, though he had turned to face her. He waved her inside and indicated for her to sit on the couch against the wall. Probably never even used it himself. It must have been awkward with those wings.
Rachel slunk down on the couch and let her head fall into her hands.
“I don’t know,” the Angel said.
“What?”
“You wanted to ask me what we can do to stop the Ark and other Angel ships. I don’t know. I must go to them, try pleading the case in person. Perhaps they will hear me then, listen to my version of how humanity has changed. I might be able to still their anger if I look into their eyes. But they are very angry, Rachel.”
Rachel rubbed her temples. She’d grown used to having Raziel on board. He was cryptic, annoyingly vague, and sometimes obstinate … but he was a font of knowledge she could turn to when the universe seemed too mired in confusion. And if he left … if he went to his brethren and they did not side with him …
“I do not believe they would harm me, Rachel.”
She cleared her throat. “Do you mind? I mean, if we have both sides of this conversation aloud? Just to humor me.”
Raziel spread his hands.
“So … since you’re being so forthcoming today … What’s with the wings, anyway? They seem to interfere with you sitting or lounging or probably even sleeping.”
“The wings are retractable using molecular compression technology. Angels keep them visible in front of humans as a means of distinguishing ourselves from you. Assuming that is what we desire. Were I to walk this ship without them, your kind would be confused.”
Huh. Molecular compression? Like an advanced form of the same tech that had allowed Knight’s swords to expand. The damn wings actually folded up inside an Angel. Which meant it was even easier for them to pass for human than she’d realized. Could she have met other Angels and not even known it? Could they be out there now, in the general population, spying on mankind?
Raziel folded his arms. Bastard was waiting for her to ask the question aloud.
Stay out of my mind.
“It is so inviting. Forgive me. I do not believe there are many of us in hiding, but yes, there may be others.”
Rachel ran a hand through her hair. So. Angels were likely out there, watching humanity all this time. Seeing them slowly turn away from the Covenant, but doing nothing. “You said some of the Angels were fallen, that they had betrayed you. That they served the Adversary. What is the Adversary, then?”
Raziel shut his eyes and shook his head. “Sin. Nightmare.”
“That’s not an answer. Tell me the truth about your history, Raziel. What are you so afraid of? Aren’t we in this together, now?”
The Angel stood, knocking over the stool. “I am not afraid, Ms. Jordan.
I am prudent. I have spent billions of years planning, working to thwart the Adversary. Searching for a way to overcome the Beast. Do not presume to know my mind.”
The Beast? The Codex said something about that. That the Beast was an agent of the Adversary, a weapon of destruction.
She raised her hands, hoping to soothe him. He was obviously agitated, but she doubted he’d harm her. Still, any chance to get answers was an opportunity she couldn’t afford to miss. “Tell me about the Beast, then.”
Raziel sighed, shaking his head. “Curiosity can be a sin, Rachel. Incessant curiosity is pride … the pride of thinking you are ready for any truths that might lurk out there. The reality is, there are always truths you are not prepared for. Once you open the door, it cannot be shut again.”
“Sin or not, curiosity is human nature. God made us this way. Did he not?”
The Angel looked away, staring at the ceiling.
“Can you blame us for the way God made us?”
“I do not know the mind of God.”
“But you’ve … really spoken to Him?”
Raziel chuckled, his voice dry and hollow. “Pride was our sin, as well. We were trying to protect you. To offer you reality in terms you could understand. And in so doing we … It is one of those sins we find so easy to repeat, is it not, Rachel?”
Deep down, she had known all long. “You were never sent by God.”
At last he turned to her, looking her straight in the eyes. The Angel grabbed her shoulders, then, and Rachel jerked at his sudden speed. Raziel’s grip was like steel. His fingers dug into her shoulders until she had to fight the urge to gasp.
“Listen to me, Rachel. I know you have a fascination with Asherah and their breaches of the Covenant. You want to doubt. You look at our sins, the sins we Angels committed. And you think if such imperfect beings made these rules, why should we be bound by them?”
“No shit. You try to tell us what we can and can’t do with our own bodies—”