Starblood: A Military Space Opera Series (War Undying Book 1)

by N. D. Redding

  The next day, Layla and Leo called me to get breakfast, but the very thought turned my stomach. The pain was still present, and it was becoming worse by the hour. All I wanted to do was to drink and sleep.

  “I’m not interested in going anywhere,” I yelled through the door. “Go and have fun.”

  There was no way for me to continue in this state. And the dreams? Fucking hell. Detera, exploding stars, cries of war, pain, and sorrow. Yes, the sorrow. It came and washed over me in my dreams and then extended its depressing hand into my morning. It wasn’t my sadness, although I wasn’t very happy either. It felt like the sadness of someone else. Someone completely foreign, ancient maybe. But it loomed there over my pain reflecting it. I called Tailor. I had to ask him what to do.

  “Let me guess,” Tailor said as he picked up. “Urgon wants a favor?”

  “How did you know?”

  “I know Takkari and I know Urgon too well. He won’t budge unless you give him what he wants.”

  “And if it’s against the law?”

  “Then you’ll have to weigh that against how much your head hurts, don’t you, soldier? Listen, Stavos, I can’t get involved in this. Do what you need to do. I have to go.”

  What I needed to do? I needed to kill the world right now to make myself feel better! Damn it, I hoped he would say something useful, but in reality, I knew what Tailor would suggest. The one thing he suggested since he sent me this way.

  I picked myself up and made my way to Urgon’s office. I hadn’t slept for more than two hours and that was an alcohol-induced coma rather than sleep. I was trying to hide the shakes, but it was very obvious I wasn’t feeling right.

  “Where are your little helpers?” he asked with a condescending smile.

  I didn’t tell Layla and Leo about my plan as I knew that this Takkari was going to push me into some shady business. If it backfired, I wanted to make sure they weren’t involved.

  “What did you want me to do?” I asked as he stared at me.

  Urgon leaned into his chair and smirked.

  “Still having health issues?”

  I growled and slammed my fists into the table. “What is the favor you needed me to take care of?”

  Urgon laughed and looked around over the room, motioning toward me to his goons.

  “You’re a slow learner, Technomancer. You don’t scare me, so shove those threats up your ass, boy.” He stared at me for a moment, took a deep breath revealing dozens of razor-sharp teeth, and finally spoke again. “I have a business associate who needs to be reminded of where the borders of his territories lie. It’s nothing complicated, really. Just a nudge on the cheek, if you will. I would send some of my own people to do it—of course, I have plenty of willing men—but I don’t want this incident to be pinned on me if you know what I mean. Do this, and we’ll get rid of that problem of yours when you come back.”

  “How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?”

  He stared at me with a flat expression that turned into a cold stare very quickly. “I’ll let that one slide for now,” he whispered and got up from his chair.

  He was a Takkari, and a Takkari’s word was sacred to them. They might be unscrupulous in their own ways, murderous even, but there was one thing you always knew with a Takkari: if they signed a deal, they would move mountains to keep their end of the bargain.

  “What’s the address?” I asked as I got up as well.

  He scribbled something on a real piece of paper and handed it to me. “Make sure not to mess up, Technomancer.”

  I left his place, unable to hold myself back any longer, and rushed into the streets. Life had its ways to turn someone into many a thing, including a hired assassin. That’s what I had turned into. A damn assassin, or in the least an enforcer that had to do a job for the mob so he didn’t lose his mind from the constant pain.

  I made my way to the designated location. It wasn’t far from Urgon’s place so I didn’t need to find a floater that would drive me there. When I found the run-down building registered under the address in my pocket, I found it lacking. Before I even made my way inside, I circled the building twice to figure out a route of attack. There was a group of humans with an Oolan’Jin among them, playing dice at the front entrance. The building was two floors high and my target was on the first one, but I saw silhouettes of people on the second floor as well.

  No summons. It was strictly prohibited in Instormia, not that rules mattered here, but I’d rather not get any unwanted attention with my Technomancer skills in this place. A pulse of pain almost tore my head off as it struck every damn nerve ending. I cursed, bit through the pain, and waited until it subsided. Once it was over, I walked up to the group in front of the entrance.

  “Isaac Morit?”

  “Who the fuck are you?” one of the men asked as they all turned toward me.

  “I’m here to talk to Isaac Morit,” I said again, almost losing my patience with the first rebuke.

  “Check this guy out,” another man laughed. “He wants to talk to Isaac, so he shows up at his door.” The whole group burst into laughter and cackles. What was it with Instormians and their bad manners? “I asked who the fuck you are.”

  I had no answer to that besides violence. That’s what I came here for, so I grabbed the shabby looking gang member, or whatever he was, and slammed him into the wall behind me. The others got up to get to me, but my palm was on the house and I sent nanites through the walls, into the ground, forcing up a spike between myself and the rest of the group.

  “Wait, wait, wait,” he said panicking. Even the toughest, meanest gangsters didn’t like to deal with Technomancers.

  “Open the door,” I growled as I clenched my hand tighter.

  “I can’t when they lock the place from inside! It’s a pekta door, and there’s no way you can break it!”

  I dropped the man to the ground and pressed my hand against the flat surface of the entrance door. The group watched me do it without so much as making a move. I knew their minds were thinking about the spikes and how easily I could send a couple more from the ground.

  Quadruple tubular code. Not easy, not impossible. It took me less than a minute to crack the piece of shit that an amateur probably installed. Compared to army cybersecurity, this place was a joke.

  The door opened toward the inside and all that welcomed me was a number of blazing guns. My Blade Shield took the brunt of the attack as screams, blood, pain, and anger reverberated throughout my being. I was a man on a mission to get his pain relief, so I wasn’t making a pretty sight.

  Half an hour later, I dropped Isaac Morit’s head on Urgon’s desk and sat myself down.

  “Was there much resistance?”

  I still trembled with pain and anger, especially after this stupid stunt. I had absolutely no interest in chatting. Relief, that was all I wanted. Relief or death, and at this point it didn’t even matter.

  “Does it matter?”

  “Well, I’d like to know what the competition does.”

  “Then hire a spy. Now keep your promise.”

  The Takkari nodded. He whispered something into the Shia’s ear and the Shia buzzed away into the backroom.

  “The little one is called Fog. I can’t pronounce his real name, nobody can, but he’s a smart one. He already has a diagnosis for you.”

  “What? When did he check me out?”

  “Last time you were here.”

  “I didn’t register an INAS.”

  Urgon sighed. “There are other systems than the wretched INAS. The Shia uses a modified medicine module attached to his cranium. It can penetrate most biological bodies and analyze them. What kind of backwater hellhole are you from anyway?”

  “Persei Prime.”

  “Persei Prime? Bah, human worlds. They’re as interesting as a bag of dung. So, anyway, Fog has the procedure ready, if you’d be so kind as to follow him into the back.”

  I did as he said. Questioning his motives wouldn’t bring me a
nywhere except closer to death. Still, I had to ask:

  “What’s the diagnosis, Fog?” I said, laying myself down on the table.

  The Shia buzzed around the room, opening and shutting drawers. A complicated-looking device was attached to his head and would probably assist him with his work. “Don’t know,” Fog replied.

  “Then how the hell are you going to cure me?”

  “Implants.”

  What? Implants? I didn’t want implants, especially not from a shady Shia doctor in the backroom of a mobster’s hideout.

  “What are you talking about? I don’t need implants. I need painkillers!”

  “Implants are painkillers.”

  “So, you’re going to open my skull to stick in a chip to stop the pain? I don’t think I want this.”

  I wanted to get up from the table but I felt suddenly drowsy.

  “Lie down, will you? I don’t have all day.”

  I tried to swat him away from the air, but my hand wouldn’t move.

  “What’s going on? Why am I… suddenly feeling like this?”

  “Localized gas anesthetics. You’re not even aware I gave them to you.”

  “What…”

  My eyes were slowly closing against my own will and along went the pain as I fell into a state of bliss. The last thing I saw was a Shia with a machine that looked eerily similar to a drill. Shit. This was going to leave a damn big scar.

  12

  I spent the next days in bed. I was in a constant state of delirium as my body tried to cope with the procedure and attempted to recover. Except for the small entry wound in the back of my head, the rest of my body felt great after the third day had passed. In fact, I felt great. I managed to get up out of bed with ease, ordered some breakfast which consisted of a big steak with eggs—synthetic of course, as I didn’t want to deplete my account entirely, but it was still delicious. Once I had taken a long shower, put on some fresh clothes, and made sure my abilities worked more or less, I decided to head out into the streets of Instormia. See the sights, check the stores for some gear, and generally enjoy my headache-less life.

  My INAS beeped with a short and flashing message.

  Come in for a check-up: Bring your friends with you.

  U.F.

  Of course, it had to be Urgon Feyn, who else would contact me here? What’s more, I was sure he had another offer for me. Sure, he’d held his part of the bargain so far and I was sincerely thankful to him for getting rid of my problem, but when someone like Urgon Feyn offered you something, it was only smart to tread carefully.

  “Where are you?” I asked over the squad channel.

  “Having a drink with Layla,” Leo replied. “Across the hotel.”

  “Meet me outside in a minute.”

  “Why? What’s up, sir?” Layla asked.

  “We’ve been called in by Urgon. I guess he wants another favor or something.”

  “Another? What do you mean by another?”

  “Nothing. Just get your asses out by the time I’m in the lobby.”

  We made our way to Urgon’s place in mute silence. The two didn’t ask, and I didn’t tell them anything, as I had no idea what the Takkari wanted anyway. Once we got there, he greeted us like long-lost relatives.

  “Technomancer!” Urgon boomed as we entered the back room. “How are you feeling? See, Fog told me there could be some side effects, so I decided to call you in for a check. On the house.”

  “On the house?”

  “Of course! Your friends can check out some of my wares as well, if they want. Maybe we can strike a deal. What do you think?”

  “Wares?” Layla asked as she looked around, searching for something.

  “Implants, dear. Chips. Mods. All the good stuff that can boost your combat abilities greatly. We can even add one that will let you have more fun with your boss over here. You two can last longer while doing the kinky stuff, you know?”

  Her mouth hung open and she was about to retort, but I put my hand up and nodded for her to stand with Leo, who looked as if he was about to burst into laughter. As if on cue, Fog appeared from behind a set of curtains.

  “What’s up, doc?”

  The Shia sat on Urgon Feyn’s broad shoulders like a parrot. He made a couple of those Shia clicking noises and then whispered something to Urgon.

  “He doesn’t like talking to you, so I’ll act as an in-between. This time only.”

  “Right, right. Sorry, Fog. Go ahead, please.”

  He showed his tiny teeth and glared at me, but then leaned in and spoke to Urgon before he relayed the message to me.

  “The implant you carry is a Mark 9 Modified Pain Inhibitor with Aloi markings, so there could be some side effects. That’s why you’re here.”

  “What? You put Aloi tech inside me?”

  Urgon didn’t react to my outburst and instead remained calm.

  “Let me put it this way, Mancer. Templars are born with a biological version of this chip that grows alongside their brains. The older they get, the more active it becomes, but it doesn’t affect them until they’re ready for training. However, with a little help from Federation tech specialists, we were able to copy the sequence and chemical control abilities of the Aloi biochip and recreate it for Federation races. Not bad, huh?”

  I tried to remain calm but nothing about Urgon’s words served to calm me.

  “So, I have Templar tech stuck in my brain and I could go insane in the middle of a battle just like they do? Will I have the Godblood ability then too? What were you thinking? If the military finds out, I’ll be lynched by an Imminy!”

  Urgon laughed at my tirade, and not because the Imminy didn’t lynch people; on the contrary, they did it quite often while using their tentacles as whips. It was to remind the rest of the Federation who was boss

  “You’re a complicated man, Richard Stavos. You seem very ambitious and capable, willing to step over boundaries, and yet, you’re afraid of authority.”

  I sighed and closed my eyes for a long moment as I tried to steady my breathing. The thing he just said was something I heard a million times already, so it didn’t bother me at all.

  “The Federation military should be feared. If you knew how life worked outside the protective shields of Instormia, you would fear them as well. Now, Urgon, I need you to tell me if this chip has any side effects as I asked and when I can take it out.”

  “Out? You can’t remove implants. You know that.”

  I partially did know that, but I still had to ask.

  “So, I’m stuck until this body dies?”

  “Yes. As for side effects, well, there might be some. You won’t feel much pain in the next few weeks so be careful. If you sat on a needle it might bury itself up your ass before you even noticed. Most of your pain receptors are blocked off permanently, but your bodily chemistry will make up for it in time.”

  “In time, huh? Loss of pain? What a joke.”

  “It’s not a joke. In a few weeks you’ll be more susceptible to pain, but never on the same level. We have successfully removed the pain from your life, soldier. You should be more grateful,” Urgon said. His tone had mostly remained neutral, all up to the point when he mentioned being grateful. So, he was expecting something from me after all.

  “What do I tell my doctor when he scans me?” I asked more to myself than the others.

  Illegal implants weren’t too uncommon, but they ranged from simple pleasure implants that you could use to relax after a day’s work, to implants that allowed you to hack into battleship computers from miles away.

  “It’s a pain suppression implant, Stavos. That’s all the doc needs to know. It doesn’t say ‘Aloi’ on it.” Urgon laughed as he spoke. I knew he was going out of his way to indulge me, and it was pissing him off, but he acted like everything was all right. He wanted something so he needed to keep me happy.

  “What now? What do you want?”

  “I like you, Mancer. You’re direct and all no-bullshit stuff. Now, sinc
e we did some good business, I’d like to move on. See, the first deal a Takkari makes is called a hatchling deal. If you make it through the crust of the egg, you’re in the game.”

  “Game? I never asked to be in the game, Takkari.”

  “Wait, wait. Don’t be hasty, my friend.”

  I looked over at Leo and Layla as he spoke. The two had no idea what we were talking about, but they weren’t dumb. What’s more, they heard what he did to me, so I’d need a way to keep these two quiet.

  “All right. Speak.”

  “Good, good. See, I want to offer you another deal, Richard Stavos of the Federation. Kanor, show these fine people our best wares and let them pick one each for themselves.”

  The Orros to Urgon’s right stepped forward. Urgon put a hand on the big brown warrior’s shoulder and a blue light flashed beneath its skin. A compartment opened in the Orros’ stomach, and where his intestines should have been, a drawer came out. Six implants in glass casings appeared before us.

  “The fuck?” I muttered as I stared at the monstrosity. This guy was nuts!

  “These, my friends, are the things I offer. The very best you can lay your hands on regarding implant tech in Instormia. Not even the military has these babies, trust me.”

  Layla’s jaw almost hit the floor when she read the markings on a casing.

  “Cybron Inc. Berserker Implant Mark 6,” she whispered.

  Shit. Urgon just offered my Brawler an implant that would make her virtually invincible on the field, at least for a while.

  “Ah! I see your Brawler friend has an eye for the good stuff. Yes, the Mark 6 Berserker implant is quite something, isn’t it? It can rearrange your nanites to create a second skin during Berserker mode which should deflect most incoming damage for the duration of the ability.”